#(nightshade and nettie both preparing!! i love!!!)

[hearthtales]

Thrilled she could help, Nettie nodded in agreement. “Mm-hm! I can do that!” The ‘boop’ to her nose earned another giggle, and Nettie grinned as she echoed the other’s words. “See you in a bit!”

First, time to get ready!

After clasping the locket closed, Nettie hurried down the stairs and rushed to her room. She brushed the tangles from her hair as best as she could. She put on her prettiest dress, embroidered with tiny vines and blue flowers. With a twirl in front of the mirror in her room, Nettie beamed at her reflection. Much better! Samhain’s flower crown — gifted back to Nettie and adorned with marigolds — hadn’t wilted yet, so she placed it on her head as the final touch.

Next, she raced through the inn until she found the innkeeper scrubbing dishes at the kitchen sink. Breathless, she informed Maude that Nightshade would arrive soon and shared everything she knew about the talented kitty friend — from her bright green eyes to the fact Nightshade wanted to retrieve something Samhain might’ve left behind.

By the time she finished, Maude looked rather pale. Nettie assumed the innkeeper’s surprise concealed her excitement. Who wouldn’t be excited?

She couldn’t resist running outside and telling Bran the news as well. If Arthur and Gruff hadn’t still been in the forest, she would’ve told them, too.

—

The bell above the door chimed softly as it opened.

Maude had been writing in the logbook. She lifted her head now, vigilant despite the shadows beneath her eyes. “Hello— ah. You must be Samhain’s friend.” A guess, but based on the visitor’s cat-paw-shaped bag alone, Maude doubted she was wrong. She set her pen on the counter and managed a thin smile for politeness. “Nettie’s told me all about you.”

As though on cue, Nettie’s flower-crowned head popped up beside Maude — she’d been waiting behind the desk so she could meet Nightshade as soon as she arrived. She stood on tiptoe to see over the counter. Her eyes widened, her voice soft with admiration. “Oh,” she breathed, hands resting on the desk. “You’re so pretty. You are like a kitty.”

"A'course ya can, sweetpea! Couldja please let Ms. Maude know that I'll be dropping by? I think it's only polite cus she's in charge~" Nightshade giggled, clasping her hands together; Nettie's excitement was infectious even through the mirror. "Hmm I think that's all for now. I gotta go get ready now so I'll see you in a bit, mkay?" Nightshade bid the child bye and ended the call, tapping Nettie's nose on the mirror's surface before she went. "Boop!"

First thing's first - shower!

Nightshade had always been light on her feet. And when she had a skip in her step, she was practically gliding across the floor. She darted up the stairs and pounced off the walls, her body at times looking like nothing but plumes of purple-pink smoke. She 'poofed' into her bedroom and rushed her morning routine (shower, facial care, make-up) before getting dressed for the day.

Today she was going for something baby-pink and cozy, complete with some mismatched, belted platforms and a plush bag the shape of a cat's paw. Her eye-shadow and lipstick matched the colors of her outfit, her nails even donning tiny, black paw-prints on lilac polish. She took a running start and slid down the banister with a "WEEEEEEE!" landing perfectly on her feet downstairs. She stuffed the dream draughts, and whatever else she thought she'd needed, into her bag before finally leaving their tree-house.

She took a big whiff of the crisp, morning air with a smile on her face. "Good morning, Sundown!" she bid, waving back at the large, twisted tree they called their home. There was no answer, save for the wind blowing through and rustling its black branches, but Nightshade knew the island had bid her back in its own special way. She heard it. And she could feel the isle's energy stirring within her, leading her in the right direction.

"All right Sunny! Take me to where Sammy is, pretty please," she said as she headed out into the clearing. For a few minutes, she was still trekking through the misty woodlands of Sundown. But soon colors and shapes began to shift and merge and split apart, transforming into a brand new landscape right before her eyes. When the world finally stopped moving, the air smelled entirely different and there was no mist in sight; it was then she knew she was near the Oak Haven inn.