Michelle holds back a yawn and relaxes back in her seat. "What a day," she mentions casually.

"Yeah, tell me about it." MomBard yawns.

"Yawl, we ain't even back to the Place," states Red Hope. "We gotta get home before we can nap," she teases.

The Empress pushes back her seat and leans back into the wall of the tavern. "We will," she reassures the bard.

"That was a nice lunch," rambles Janelle.

Everybody chuckles and grins in contentment.

"Mmm, I wander what's happening back at the old Place." The artist glances between the group.

"Oooh you know." The Empress waves a hand. "Tea and Cindy are probably running around the village in the nude."

Nobody says anything.

"I could see Tea doing that," mutters Red Hope. "Visual image, aaaaah!"

Everybody roars into laughter.

The bard shakes her head. "But Cindy, nah… that ain't her style.

"Yeah, Empress." MomBard glares at the leader. "She is our accountant." She pauses as grin shifts onto her lips. "Not the local peepshow in the Place."

Cy sticks her tongue out. "Whatever," she murmurs.

"You'll be thanking Cindy on that day you bounce a check," chides Red Hope.

The Empress snickers lowly. "Been there, done that."

The bard's eyes widen. "You've already bounced a check!" she half-yells in the tavern.

"Ssssh." Cy holds her hands up. "Notten to worry about, Red." She chuckles quietly. "Cindy took care of it and had some money placed into the debt account."

Red Hope groans and sinks down in her seat. "Wonderful," she mutters. "Thank the Math God for accountants."

The group chuckles and grins.

"Well, I think we better head back," states the Empress. She glances at Red Hope. "Do you need to pick up writing supplies?"

The bard's eyes now sparkle. "Oh yeah."

"Let's go charge some scrolls," declares Cy as she bounces onto her feet.

The other Amazons pop up out of their chairs.

"Did we get everything?" asks Janelle.

"Yup," replies Red Hope.

Michelle then pipes in, "And we put all the stuff in the saddlebags. We're good to go."

"Other than getting my writing stuff." The bard grins evilly.

"Let's go, Amazons." Empress Cy marches out of the tavern with her faithful, feathery friends following after her. She takes them to the market again and makes a beeline for the writing stand.

As Red Hope gets closer and closer to the stand, her smiles grows larger and larger.

"Check that out," whispers Janelle. She pokes Michelle in the side.

The artist glances over and sees how Red Hope is going bonkers about the writing stand. "Oooh that's trifling."

"Tell me about it, mate." The Aussie bard shook her head. "Not even I go that nuts for writing."

"Yeah well…" Michelle smirks at the other Aussie. "She does have a tattoo of a quill on her hip."

Janelle snickers lowly. "I think she's gotten poke on her onion bunions one too many times with a quill."

The artist laughs hard and Janelle joins her.

Red Hope glances at the laughing pair. "What?" She narrows her eyes in suspicion. "What's so damn funny?"

"Notten, Red." Michelle smiles sweetly. "Janelle was just being a goober."

"Well… what else is new?" teases Red Hope.

The Aussie bard rolls her eyes.

"Here we are!" pronounces Empress Cy.

"Go attack the stand, babes," jokes MomBard.

"I'm a step ahead of you." Red Hope just disappears in a whirlwind of movement as she hops in front of the writing stand. She looks left then right down the table in totally franticness about what to get. "Just bliss."

The other Amazons exchange worried looks.

"She makes writing sound better than sex," whispers Janelle- totally baffled.

Empress watches how Red Hope has just disappeared into her happy little world. She grins evilly and faces the other Amazons. "Hey come here, guys."

The group all huddles close to the Empress while Red Hope is being distracted.

"What, what?" Janelle grins- she knew the Empress had an evil plan in mind.

Cy reaches in between her breasts and extracts the Amazon Visa. "Here's the game plan." She grins very mischiefly. "I don't know about the rest of yawl, but I want some forbidden beverage."

Janelle's eyes gleam. "Oh yeah, same here."

MomBard shakes her head. "Red will get ssso pissed if you guys do that."

"Pffft, she won't know." The Empress hands Janelle the Amazon Visa. "You and Michelle go get us some and make sure its in a bag. MomBard and I will keep Red busy till yawl get back."

Janelle gives an evil snicker. "No problem. What kind?" She lifts and eyebrow. "Yuengling?"

Cy's eyes widen. "Yeah, get some yingyang beer." She chuckles then says, "Get some Fosters too."

"Good choice, mate." The Aussie bard straightens up and grabs Michelle's wrist. "Let's go."

MomBard raises an eyebrow at the Empress. "Bbbad."

"Sssh." Cy turns around and faces Red Hope's back. "Take all the time you want, Red."

"Oh I will." The bard keeps rummaging through the writing supply.

Empress glances around in the market place, waiting for Janelle and Michelle to reappear with the forbidden beverage. "Sweet ale god, I can't wait for tonight."

MomBard sighs and shakes her head. She moves and stands beside her little friend. "Finding everything, Red?"

"Oh yeah, its heaven." Red Hope had made a little pile of stuff she wants to get.

In the pile are tons of scroll, an inkwell, numerous bottles of ink, and a few quills.

"You think I have enough ink?" inquires the bard.

MomBard counts that there are ten bottles of ink. "Well… you tend to drink that stuff. Get some more."

"Yeah I do drink the stuff." Red Hope grabs more but stops short. "What?" she growls. "I don't drink it."

MomBard laughs quietly at her friend. "You drink ink and eat those scrolls."

The bard laughs and adds, "The quills are just appetizers when I chew on them."

The Empress spots Janelle and Michelle power walking towards them with a brown bag. "Sweet," she whispers.

Janelle pulls out the Amazon Visa and hands it to her leader.

Cy takes it back and asks, "Got the stuff?"

"Yup." The Aussie bard then brightens up. "I also got Tea's Starbucks coffee."

"Really?" The Empress holds out her hand. "Let me see this thing called coffee."

Michelle digs into the bag and pops out a thing of cappuccino coffee. "This is Tea's favorite."

Cy studies the bottle of coffee, turning it all over. "Looks nasty."

"Looks like chocolate milk," states Janelle.

"Chocolate?" The Empress peers up. "What's chocolate? We don't have no such thing here."

The artist groans.

"Chocolate," repeats Cy, "sounds sorta like it may be good as sex."

The two Aussies laugh hysterically.

The Empress pays no mind of them as she studied the coffee more. She shakes her head. "I don't see that disclaimer about this stuff being made of Amazon Beans."

"Oh its right here." Janelle points on the bottle.

Cy squints but couldn't read the fine print. She whips out her glasses and puts them on. She turns twenty years older as she reads the fine print. "Starbucks coffee made from real, fresh Amazon Beans." She nods happily and takes her glasses off. "Very nice." She hands the coffee bottle over.

"See, don't believe us." Michelle huffs and puts the Starbucks coffee into the bag.

"Empress, Red is ready," informs MomBard.

"Red is ready?" teases Cy as she turns around.

The tiny bard mock glares at the leader then points at her writing stuff. "Charge them, Emp."

"Naturally." The Empress pulls her Amazon Visa out and soon as she does and man pops up from behind the stand.

"Charge?" inquires the man.

"Yes," replies the Empress in a cocky attitude. "Please." She gives the Amazon Visa over.

Within a few minutes the Empress pays for the supplies, gets the stuff bagged, and the group heads back to the stables.

"Hey, what's in that bag?" Red Hope studies the bag in Janelle's arms.

"Uhh… Tea's coffee," answered the Aussie bard.

"Oooh, good." The bard nods. "I know how snippy she gets without her Starbucks coffee."

"Tell me about it," grumbles Janelle. "Must be a Canadian thing." She shrugs with a laugh.

Everybody else shrugs.

"Okay, lets get the horses saddled up and get back to the Place," commands the Empress.

Janelle stashes the forbidden beverage away in her saddlebag and tacks up her horse like everybody else. Soon the group exits the stables with their horses in tow. They make it out of the town in the late afternoon.

"We're just gonna make it home." Red Hope notes the sun low in the west. "I should have brought my flashlight."

"Nah, Amazons eat their carrots… we don't need any sticken' flashlights," declares the Empress.

Everybody chuckles while still heading into the nearing woods.

"Alright Amazons, mount." Empress Cy goes first. She shifts to the left side of the horse, slips her right foot into the stirrup and mounts. She smiles happily at her Amazons. Wait, how can she smile at her Amazons when they're suppose to be behind her. "Oh gods be damn it." She stares down her horse's rear-end in front of her.

The Amazons hunch forward laughing loudly with hurt tummies at the Empress mounting the bay backwards.

"Alright, alright… it was funny, joke over," proclaims the Empress. "Get on your horses." She still sits in her saddle backwards.

"Sorry," whispers MomBard between her laughter. "But… but that was… the funniest thing… eva'."

Cy sighs deeply and puts her hands on her hips. "Come on, Amazons. Let's-" She is suddenly cut off when the horse flickers his tail and the tail flings into the Empress's mouth.

The Amazons all fall to the ground crying out in the loudest laughter.

The Empress scolds her followers as the black, horse tale hangs out of her mouth. She quickly reaches up and jerks the tail out of her mouth. "Ick!" She leans over and spits all the nastiness out.

The Amazons are still rolling with laughter and moaning from the pain of laughing so hard.

"Oh god… oh god." Red Hope opens her wet eyes. "That was the best."

Michelle shakes her head and sits up. "That was classic."

"You're a riot, Empress," states Janelle while she gets to her feet.

MomBard tries relaxing and gets to her feet. "We better go before it gets too late."

"Yeah, what MomBard said," growls the Empress. She chuckles and turns in her saddle. She sighs contently and scratches the horse's air.

The other Amazons easily mount their horses and come up along side their ever, talented leader.

"We ready?" inquires the Empress.

"Yup," replies Red Hope. "Are you Emp?"

"Ooooh, hold on." Empress Cy stands up in her stirrups. "Got a wedgy." She reaches up under her behind and pulls on her thong. "Oooh… oh, oh, got it."

"Oh gods!" yells Michelle and pushes her horse away.

There's a small snap as Cy's thong unwedges.

All the Amazons shake their heads at their leader.

"That's better." The Empress sits back down and smiles happily. "Now then, lets go."

Red Hope keeps shaking her head while signaling her horse to trot. "Did I really let her into my Place?"

"Oh you did," answers Cy. "I'm your best member."

"Actually, I am," declares Janelle. "I was one of the first one before the rest of you guys."

MomBard lifts an eyebrow. "I believe I knew little Red before you did," she counters.

"Yeah well, you guys weren't the ones making covers for Red Hope," states Michelle.

Red Hope watches the fighting exchange. "Yawl, just stop right there." She grins. "Karena is the person I've known the longest." She chuckles while swaying in her saddle.

Everybody gives the bard a hurt look.

"Yea, yea the truth hurts," teases Red Hope.

The Amazon laugh quietly.

"Alright enough debating." The Empress smirks at the group. "We all know I am the best, so it ain't worth debating." She snickers but everybody just groans. "Let's head home, gallop time." This time, she collects some of her horse's mane then kicks him. "Aaaaahhh!" she cries once the horse erupted into a gallop.

"Wait up," calls Janelle before spurring her horse.

Michelle sighs. "Time to get saddle sore again." She kicks her horse and follows behind.

Red Hope glances at MomBard. "Ready for this again?"

MomBard shakes her head. "Oh no, babes." She grabs a hand full of horse mane. "But I wanna get home."

"Well… here we go." The bard leans over and smacks MomBard's horse's rump.

The horse whines and gallops off.

"Red!" screams MomBard.

"Just hold on, mom!" yells Red Hope when she kicks her horse into a gallop.

The silly group soon made their way back to the Place. All their saddlebags full of food for the Place. Everybody was very happy to be going home with full saddlebags and full bellies.