Blanket Fort - Ríon

The frost season had always been Ríon’s favourite. Partially because she enjoyed the cold and the occasional thick fogs that rolled in and provided snow - and partially because it was the perfect season for getting cozy. And oh, how she loved to be cozy! Everyone across Faia, it seemed, were selling and buying blankets and pillows, the perfect materials for building a good blanket (or pillow) fort! Ríon, of course, knew what she had to do. It was going to involve a rare trip into town, unfortunately for her, though; she simply did not have enough blankets and pillows to craft herself a fort.

Ríon wasn’t one for excess, she usually had exactly what it was she needed, and no more than that. So she was woefully unprepared to begin construction on her perfect, cozy fort. She was going to need so many more blankets, so many more pillows! Maybe different, bright colours. And the blankets would have to be so fuzzy, so soft… Oh, there was much to plan out for this, she knew. 

But first thing was first. She needed her supplies. That meant going into town, which was a bit of a trek away. The air was chill and crisp out there, she knew (from collecting snowflakes earlier, of course), so she was going to have to bundle up a bit more than this. The fur at her neck was thick and soft, and plenty warm, but an extra layer couldn’t hurt, she thought. A nice, long scarf wrapped about her was just the thing, she was certain of it. Once that was done, she situated a knighted hat on her head. It didn’t do much to cover her ears, but, then again, not much did, really. Okay, she was ready to go now. Ah, wait! The money! She wasn’t used to carrying around currency - things were different now that she had returned, now that she had broken out of her amulet. Currency was still something she needed to get used to - she wasn’t sure why everyone felt the need to use it, but she wasn’t about to argue with the rest of Faia about it.

Once again, she shivered as she stepped out of the tunnel that led its way out of her little cave home. It was nice, it was refreshing, even, if you asked Ríon! Humming a little song to herself, she studied her surroundings. The fog had thinned quite a lot since this morning, she noted. That was good, though - there might not be snow, but she wasn’t about to get lost on her way to or from town. That would have been very inconvenient, and maybe even a little scary, she thought to herself… though she never would have admitted to being afraid of anything to anyone else, let alone getting lost in the fog. 

It was a bit of a jaunt to get in to town, and that was rather how Ríon liked it. She liked being away from the towns and civilizations… perhaps she simply wasn’t ready to become reacclimated to them. She wasn’t entirely sure herself what her reasoning was, but she knew how she felt about it, and that was enough for her. She liked the little walk, though, through the tall trees and the frost covered grass… there weren’t many paths around her secluded cave, and not many others came by this way, she very rarely had anyone stumble upon her little home. That was mostly okay by her, too. She wouldn’t admit it anymore than she would have admitted to being afraid of getting lost in the fog, but… it was a bit lonely. Maybe someone to talk to would have been nice? Then again, she could always go into town if she wanted a chat…

But ah! She was growing distracted. She needed to think about those pillows and blankets that she was after. It wasn’t too long until she had reached the little town, and, looking around, it was clear that this was no exception to the frost season rule in Faia! There were people selling blankets and pillows everywhere, all handmade and unique. The only thing they seemed to have in common was how soft they looked…

They’d be perfect, she decided. 

She bought as many as she could afford, as many as she could carry. It could have been more, she thought, but it would certainly do for a sizable blanket fort. Not the castle she had been dreaming of, maybe, but nothing less cozy. 

She smiled to herself as she made her way back with her purchases, a little spring in her step. This would be absolutely perfect… But how to go about building it? She was going to need a good plan, she thought. Something incredible, something beautiful, something warm and snuggly. That, she knew, was the most important part of the whole endeavor.

She deposited her purchases on the ground once she had made her way back through the entrance tunnel and into the main section of her cave. It was all one section, and that was fine by her. There was plenty of room for a sleeping area, a kitchen area, a sitting area… she had everything she could need, really, and there was a little pond nearby for when she needed to wash herself. And, of course, there were plenty of natural niches and crevices in the wall, from which she had hung her preserved snowflakes earlier, that would do for securing blankets to.

Her mind was beginning to chug along, thinking of all the things she could do with this blanket for. She could set up some pillow and cushion towers, she thought, to still keep some of the castle aspect she had wanted… maybe a canopy, with blankets strung from some of the crevices and rock outcroppings? That would be nice, she thought. She could even build the walls up with pillows, if she wanted, or use more blankets as the walls… What was most important, though, would be the biggest cushion and softest blankets right in the middle of things. Once this fort was built… oh, she was going to have the most wonderful nap that anyone had ever had.

She had her plan all put together in her head… it was time to start building.

With a very determined look on her face, Ríon set to work. First, stacking the pillows, giving herself a good foundation. They balanced surprisingly well, she found! Next, she’d hang some blankets from the rocks in the walls, using a bit of string that she kept for just such purposes (well, not really, but she may as well have!). She stretched the canopy across to her walls of pillows, securing it atop them with more pillows. That way, it sloped downwards, sealing in the little center area for her. With the base of her fort built, it was time to get fancy, she thought.

The big pillow went into the center next. It was round, soft, and incredibly squishy… the perfect bed for her, she thought. A pile of blankets followed, dragged in one after the other, all plush and soft. Oh, this was going to be pure luxuriousness, she knew. She was itching for that nap! But she was almost done.

Next, she rearranged her preserved snowflakes, hanging some within the blanket fort itself, and some just without. The natural light that filtered into the cave was still bright enough to make them sparkle, making her fort look even more regal.

Ah, it was perfect!

Satisfied at last, Ríon crawled into her fort, sealing a pillow in place over her little entryway, and curled up atop the big cushion, blankets pulled up all around her.

“This… is wonderful,” she sighed, settling in.

It was mere moments before she was out, blissfully napping.