A Birth day

Ruby heard Marcus returned with backpacks and placed them down . Ruby heard Angus go threw what they we're going to do and nodded " we'll be okay" she said to him with a smile " besides we have Aria with us and you have Marcus" she said.

Aria walke dover to Marcus " any advice?" she asked him glancing down at the backpacks. " I know to watch for unusual activity and others body language." she added " and Ruby has a change of shoes in case she needs them" she added as she glanced back at Ruby who was putting on a coat on Caprice while Simone had Amari and put a light pink coat on her.

"Not anything you don't know. I very much doubt that Suzanne will move against you, unless she's changed her tune. First of all, your outing isn't planned, and it isn't here. Its in Tuscany. They won't be looking for you there. They would look for you perhaps in Hogsmeade, or definitely in Diagon alley. This takes you in the opposite direction, and Tom's staff is too limited now for them to be everywhere. Besides, her obsession is with Angus. You should be safe enough. 

"However, do not be foolish enough to let your guard down," he told her. "Stay away from Diagon Alley, and stay alert. You see any funny business, and I think you have three main options for safety. First, the estate, and obviously I'd send you to Evan's and not the main house since there's no one there. Second, the organization office in Paris. You're not far from there, and they're unplottable and always armed. Third, come straight home. Go to the main house if you think it's a hot situation. The main house has never been breeched. You should be safe there. Use your alarm if you need to, and it will bring all kinds of help."

"You definitely are going to want to take off those jackets on the babies," Angus told them. "You're way overdressing them. This time of year, Tuscany temperatures are really, really hot--almost 34 degrees Celcius. You'll give them heat stroke dressed like that. They would do much better with little rompers or tank tops and shorts and little sandals. And a really good sunscreen. Oh. There are a couple little bucket hats in a basket on the shelf in the fake tree in the nursery. There are a couple pair of baby sunglasses too. There are some small insulated sippy cups. I'd put some ice water in them and take them with you in case they need it. The breeze from the Mediterranean will help it to not feel sweltering but its still going to be hot. If they start to get overheated, get them to Evan's and put them into the tub with some cool water for a little, or go into the big pool and take them with you. Anything where there's some cool water. And don't forget sunscreen for yourselves or you'll come back looking like lobsters. Does that help?"

Aria listened to Marcus and nodded " right" she said then heard Angus and nodded to him too " got it" she said then glanced at Ruby and Simone accioing the sun hats sandals and sunglasses she handed them to her as Angus spoke to her .

Ruby looked at the girls and slipped back off the coats before Aria handed her two sun hats and sunglasses along with a tube of sun spray in a high factor to put on the girls to protect their skin . " that's much better and I'll make sure Even knows is they get over heated." she said then accioed two water bottles and two Sippy cups with ice water in it . " that should work" she said and slipped them into the diaper bags along with the two bottles " I'll watch out don't worry , and if anything does happen I'll get word to you, but good luck with your treasure hunt guys" she said smiling as Ruby secured Caprice and Amari back in the buggy then looked at Simone.

"you good to go?" shea sked standing and letting her take the handle of the buggy. Aria moved to stand with Ruby and Simone " well if we're ready I'll port them to Evens." she looked to Marcus and nodded " see you in a bit but don't rush back" she said as she ported them to Evens front door then let go. Even Aria had to take off her jacket so she would not over heat in the sun " now this is nice" she said changing her jacket for a sun hat and placing it on her head.

Angus and Marcus and Michael apparated to Inverness and then made short hops southward until they got to the area on the map that Minos thought was the most likely place to search. At first, the area was green and lush and devoid of humans. There was something here that felt almost soothing to Angus's soul. Michael certainly didn't judge him for not liking the idea of marriage because Michael was more marriage phobic than Angus was. Marcus certainly didn't judge him. The three didn't need to talk, and the lack of conversation seemed healing. The Fae flew out of the mens' shirt pockets in favor of flying now and the farther they walked, the more barren and forsaken things seemed. It was as if the longer they walked, the farther away from God and any sort of angel they got. The lush green gave way to rock. Gray, desolate, lifeless rock.

"Suppose this is what hell looks like?" Angus asked.

"No," Michael replied. "Any dream of hell I ever had, it was a pink Las Vegas wedding chapel overdone with plastic flowers." That made all three of them laugh."

"Do tell. Was the devil there?" Marcus asked. "Red tail and pitchfork and all?"

"No. Pink clergy robes, as a matter of fact, and a pink leather copy of the Book of Common Prayer," Michael replied. That made them laugh all the harder. "Daniella thought it was hysterically funny when I told her."

"She's not upset by it?" Angus asked.

"Hell, no. She doesn't want to marry either. She likes things just as they are. She believes that the tradition of the bride taking her husband's name makes her subservient to him, and she's not about to be subservient to anyone. So it works for both of us."

"Looks like Minos has found our first climb," Angus said.

"You aren't going to be able to climb," Marcus told him. "You have two other choices as I see it. You can wait til we get up and we can try to apparate you up or levitate you up. Or we can put you in a harness and pull you up."

"How about I harness up and I'll do what I can if you lot go first and then lend me a hand for whatever I can't do?" Angus asked.

"We can try, but I'm not optomistic," Marcus said.

"Well, hopefully, Robert can fix it if it gets all buggared," Angus said. 

"Let's see if we can get to the top, and then, we'll rest and reassess," Michael said. 

"Sounds fine," Marcus replied.

Ruby knocked on Evens door and smiled as Tara opened it " hey , we 're shopping " she said and smiled to her then she grinned seeing how she was looking at the girls before inviting them inside " Simone you want to stop here first then head down or go straight down?" she asked .

"Maybe come back after you've done your shopping for the basket" Aria said knowing the sooner they gathered the things for the basket the sooner they could put it together for Rosaria. Aria looked to Simone and smiled.

Ruby looked at Aria and thought about it then smiled to Tara " we'll come back once shopping done and you can spend some time with Caprice and Amari" she said smiling to her then looking at Simone " should we get going, before it gets to hot?" shea sked looking at how the sun was not at its highest yet.

Michael helped Angus with his climbing harness to make sure that it had a solid fit, and he made sure he was solidly hooked to a line. Angus intended to go last, but Michael was absolutely unyielding that he wanted Angus second and Marcus to come third. He believed that if Angus couldn't finish the climb, he was more likely to try to spare his companions regardless of the cost. This way, Michael believed he and Marcus could find a way to get him to the top, even if if he had to climb right beside Angus to help compensate for the shoulder that wasn't working.

The climb went unbelievably slow because Angus had just presumed he could force his shoulder into doing the work he needed it to do. That was not working at all, no matter how hard Angus tried to force it.

"Stop," Marcus told him. "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself. We're right here. We've got you. Let us help." Marcus hooked Angus to him, and with Marcus's upper arm strength, and with their leg strength and Angus's good arm, they made it work. 

By the time they got to the top of the first large climb, Angus was experiencing a lot of pain from trying to force his shoulder to hold his body weight.

"Ruby's going to strangle you," Marcus told him, as they sat down on the ground to take a break.

"I just didn't try hard enough," Angus said, out of breath.

"That's the best excuse you could come up with?" Michael frowned. "You don't even lie well to yourself, Son." He opened the pack and got out a canteen with water and some granola bars. He handed everyone a granola bar and then passed the canteen. It did help."

"Where did Minos go?" Michael asked.

"They're probably scouting around to see if anything looks like what I described to Minos," Angus said. "They won't be far from us." They waited about thirty minutes for Minos and his men to return. When they did, Minos had a new sketch. He pointed to the sketch and then another climb to do. This one wasn't so steep, and Michael and Marcus believed that, if they stayed tethered together and hiked carefully, they might be able to do more hiking and less climbing.

It did take them a couple of hours but they finally got to the top of of another mountain, and this one had a lot of flat places on top as well as some green grass. Minos motioned that he wanted to take more time here. 

"I think I could assemble us a late lunch while Minos explores," Michael said. "I can do a ploughmans or I can make sandwiches."

"As long as it doesn't move on my plate, I'm in," Marcus said. The Fae giggled and fluttered off to explore while Michael opened his pack to fix a lunch.

Ruby , Aria and Simone slowly walked down to the main town Ruby enjoying having the girls out in the sun. " I can see why Angus loves this place its so relaxing" she said smiling as a woman walked past and smiled to her nodding her head in respect.

As they drew close to the town Ruby marveled at the sight before her the road as clean and lined with small lemon trees and herbs she could smell lavender and smiled " this is perfect, I might not wan to go home" she said and chuckled as they pushed the stroller down it. Turning a corner she saw shops in front of her facing a fishing dock with people moving around talking and buying fish and sea creatures " now this is amazing" she smiled to Simone.

Aria watched the people around them and spotted the shop they needed " okay shops over there" she said and motioned to it. Ruby saw it and nodded as she pushed the stroller over seeing Simone look in the shop windows for things they could add to the basket.

Michael made sandwiches and made sure they had some pickled eggs, some crisps, and he had some bottles of beer.

"Beer," Marcus laughed. "Good man. Now that makes it a proper lunch."

"You're welcome," Michael smiled, toasting them with his bottle of beer. "Cheers." They ate, and Marcus got a magic wrap out of his pack and put it on Angus's shoulder. He didn't say a word but Angus's shoulder was swelling already. Marcus di8dn't see any bruises, which was good, but it clearly looked like he had strained the muscles. They cleaned up their lunch mess and stretched out on the grass in the silence and snoozed for fifteen or twenty minutes. Just a short catnap.

Angus began to dream of going down a hill and finding something in a deep thicket made of twisted up plants. He woke sharply, still seeing the thicket in his mind. With Michael still dozing and Marcus waking because he was hearing Angus moving about, Angus got up and started to walk around the edges of the mountain top and then he started to see down the one face of it, there were some not-so-steep ledges that were covered in vegetation--saplings, weeds, grasses, bushes--and thickets. A lot of thickets. He felt driven to get down the face into the thickets. He start to find a way down the face by himself.

"Wait for me, you moron!" Marcus shouted. That rousted up Michael too, and the both of them were scrambling to try to catch up with Angus. In his haste, Angus slipped and slid down one of the steeper bits and ended up falling right into a huge patch of stinging nettles. He made no complaint. He merely righted himself. He saw a glint of something in the sunlight, something deep at the bottom of a nearby thicket. 

"Minos! I see something!" Angus said. 

"No. You seriously aren't going to just fall right on it, are you?" Marcus scowled.

"Dunno. There's something there. I can't get to it. It's worked part underground, and the part that is above ground is wedged between two boulders that are way too big for us to move the rocks to get to it."

"Well, wait a second. Let's see if this whatever-it-is is worth screwing around with first," Marcus said.

"And don't forget I specialize in tight places," Michael said. "You might just have to move out of the way and let me work. Is that not what you brought me for?"

Ruby and Aria walked with Simone over to the shop and Aria opened the door for them so they could step inside . Now in Aria looked around seeing all the things they could need for the basket. Ruby walked with the stroller and picked up items placing them on the top of it as she moved. " maybe you should help her choose or she'll buy everything in her to give to Rosaria" she said to Simone with a chuckle. " poor Angus will be broke before he gets home"

Ruby had seen several items from embroidered towels to face cloths to some sweet smelling soaps that she felt Rosaria would love along with some recipe books she knew Rosaria didn't have in her collection of cook books in the kitchen. " there so much , how do you know what to put in it?" she asked turning to look at Simone for help.

Minos and his men flew down to the thicket while Marcus and Michael were climbing down to Angus, hoping to not break their necks. The Fae could flutter right into the thicket to see, and Angus could hear excited Fae speak. it sounded very promising indeed. And then he saw the Fae weaving magical spells to clear away some of the weeds, and soon enough the Fae were fluttering together over the thicket and they were levitating a tiny, glowing golden chest out of the weeds. The chest was bigger than any of them, and it looked like it was a huge weight for them to try to lift. 

Michael took hold of the chest to give them a hand.

"How heavy is that?" Angus asked. 

"A lot heavier than it looks. Roughly? I'm guessing thirty pounds," Michael said.

"You're kidding!" Angus said. "Its only about four inches long."

"Yeah. I know. But if this is all in gold? Thirty pounds, easily."

"Worth much? 

"Oh yeah. Roughly one and a half million," Michael said. "Well worth the trouble to hunt. And since Fae are roughly self sufficient, this would keep them for hundreds and hundreds of years. No wonder Minos was desperate to find it. How did you find it, incidently."

"Believe it nor not, I saw it in my sleep," Angus said.

"I believe you. I've been around Kate enough to know that seers are far more worthy than most wizards give them credit for. Well done," Michael said. "With your permission, Minos, I'll carry it for you in my pack, shall I?" Minos nodded, grateful for the humans' help. 

"Well done, Angus," Marcus said. "Is there any reason we couldn't use our portkeys and port home from here?"

"No reason that I know if," Michael said. "Would save all that rapelling."