lingonberry pickers

Amarië wrote:Bodø hating?!  Brave boy!

I chuckled at the euphonium banter {{{ korpsnerding }}}

Bluebottle wrote:Oh, thank you. I'm happy to be able to include you.

I hope I wasn't too far off on the euphonium banter.

huffjuff wrote:

Amarië wrote:Bodø hating?!  Brave boy!

I chuckled at the euphonium banter {{{ korpsnerding }}}

TNAAAAAAW!! You guys I love being included. It might come out wrong, but for being a quite big guy, I'm somewhat sentimental. This brought me to tears. Of joy of course...
This was just fantastic! Keep on going!

Norc wrote:I'll read this on the train back i think

Norc wrote:

huffjuff wrote:

Amarië wrote:Bodø hating?!  Brave boy!

I chuckled at the euphonium banter {{{ korpsnerding }}}

TNAAAAAAW!! You guys I love being included. It might come out wrong, but for being a quite big guy, I'm somewhat sentimental. This brought me to tears. Of joy of course...
This was just fantastic! Keep on going!

Oh little hufflepuff <3

Part 8 wrote:*Kremt* Juff said rather loudly.
"What?" Huff complained.
"I was just wondering if you guys were going to sleep for the rest of the trip. Were almost there."
"Were what?!" Nora said with a big smile. "That's great. Finally."
"Happy?" Ringo asked.
"Will be great to get home, that's all." Nora smiled.
"Taken a while, hasn't it." Ringo said.
"Well, here we are." Huff said with a smile as they rounded a corner in the road and the lights of the city could be seen shining before them. The lights reflecting in the sea and a low hanging mist purveyed a certain trollish atmosphere. The sides of mountains could be glimpsed looming to all sides through the deepening dark.
"You can't see much, can you." Blue commented.
"Of course you can't see much, it's mørketid." Nora said exasperated.-
"Yeah, the sun dissapear for large parts of the year this far north. I'm sure you're aware." Huff added in a friendlier tone.
"Of course I'm aware. Just not witnessed it before, that's all." Blue complained. "Well, what you can see looks nice." Blue continued. "Though I guess like most places it's only pretty in parts."
"Hey, it's not only pretty in parts. It's generally gorgeous." Nora said shaking her head.
"This is actually quite a nice place." Ringo added to Blue.
"Oh." Blue said. "You mean as opposed too.."
"Yeah," Ringo said hesitantly and leaning over to Blue added. "Let's not go there. Don't want to cause offence, you know."
"So, where are we staying?" Ringo asked.
"Oh, this quite nice place right on the main square apparently." Blue answered. "Huff recommended it."
"It's where I usually stay when I'm here," Huff smiled.
"I'm probably going home." Nora said.
"Oh, that's a shame." Blues said.
"Why is that a shame?" Nora asked narrowing her eyes.
"Oh, just because..." Blue said sighing. "We'll obviously miss your company."
"We're seeing you tommorow, right?" Ringo said to Nora.
"Of course," Nora smiled. "I just want to get back and see my dog and my family, as I'm guessing we'll be pretty busy."
"No worries, we'll drop you all off." Huff said with a smile. "Won't we, Juff?"
"Sure," Juff said without anything like the same enthusiasm.

Part 9 wrote:"You only have one room?" Ringo asked feeling a bit deflated.
"Yes. I am sorry. We didn't think you would be here until tommorow."
"So, a booking mix up." Ringo said shooting Blue a look.
The hotel did look nice though, Ringo had to admit. Certainly a lot better than what he was used to travelling as a troll hunter. Civil servants really did have it better.
"Oh, we'll be fine." Blue said seemingly trying to put a nice face on things.
"You to will be fine sharing a room?" Nora said arching an eyebrow.
"Oh, sure." Blue said. "There's two beds right?" He asked the receptionist.
"No, sorry.."
"One bed?" Nora said attempting to surpress a  smirk, a mischievous twinkle lightinmg up her eyes..
"We can have an extra one put in," the receptionist said tryinmg to hide a smile at Noras words.
"Great, do that. We'll be fine. Wont we, Ringo. Just like old days, eh." Blue said patting Ringo on the back.
"Sure," Ringo said not very enthusiasticly.
"We better get the luggage," he continued, glad of a chance to change the subject.
"More luggage carrying," Blue complained.
"Don't worry," Huff said with a smile, having walked in covered from head to foot in the snow that had started falling outside with incrasing speed. "Me and Ringo'll get it."
-
"Snow is starting to fall properly now, isn't it." Ringo commented to Huff.
"Yeah, they'll be starting to rush the picking, worst thing that could happen with everything that's going on, I'd say." Huff said. "So what are you and the civilians planning?"  
"I was thinking of taking them out on the island tommorow." RIngo said. "Are you aroind to come along?"
"Actually, Juff just got a call. We have to go up to Hammerfest."
"Anything special?"
"Just helping out the berry pickers. Also there are some Northern light tourists that are demanding to be taken out. And with all the troll activity they need a proper escort. The usual you know."
"Yeah, there'll be a lot of that now with winter coming."
"You trøndere and your sayings," Huff smiled. "That one always struck me as a bit inappropriate though. "
"You northerneres and your sense of humour," Ringo scoffed." It's a perfectly family friendly saying south of Bodø."
-
-
"You're pathetic," Nora said to Blue before walking off out of the hotel, lightning shooting from her eyes.
"Oh, you get me." Blue muttered after her without much conviction.
"What happened?" Ringo asked, he would have said shocked, but was he? Really?
"Oh, nothing. The usual, I guess." Blue said
"If it helps, she gets like that some times." Huff said with a compassionate smile.
"Really?" Blue asked, a slight tired smile forming on his face.
"Weeell..Honestly.." Huff said, looking apologetic. "I don't think I've ever seen her that angry before."
"Oh, it seems I bring it out in people. Well, in her anyway". Blue said grabing his bag from Huff, shooting him a weak smile before walking off towards the elevator.  
"Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing serious," Huff said after him.
"See you in a couple of days then." Ringo said shooting Huff a smile and hastily following Blue.

Part 10 wrote:"Amarië?!" Blue exclaimed with real shock in his voice. Adding hastily in a more quiet tone after a few seconds. "Minister, I mean, of course."
Ringo couldn't help but be wide eyed too. Here he and Bklue had walked casually down to meet Nora for breakfast at the hotel, and who did they find sitting beside her but the Minister herself. While Amarië was sipping a single cup of black cofffe Nora had filled the table in front of her with all the delicacies of the north. Cod's tounge, cod's liver. Ringo didn't even know the name of half of it.    
"Well, hello you two." Amarië said smiling one of her half hidden smiles at them. Amused or interested, it was hard to tell. But the predatory edge was unmistakable. And uncomforting, Ringo reflected. Like being eyed up by a basking great white shark who had just had it's lunch date cancelled. "Some issues requuiering my immediate attention came up , so I'd thought I'd fly up."
"Fly up," Nora muttered shaking her head.
"Also, it gives me a chance to look in you. Now, me and Ms.."
"Agent."
"Sorry.. Agent Herring have talked." She said giving them both a look, her eyes lingering on Blue. "You're taking them out troll hunting?" she asked, her words directed at Ringo.
"That was the plan," Ringo said.
"You need another trollhunter to come with you right? Acording to the regulations?"
"Yeah, I'm yet to find a second. Huff had to go off even further north and I'm not sure anyone else is around."
"Huff is a troll hunter?" Nora asked, her eyes as round as two plates.
"Not really anymore," Ringo answered. "But he still has his licence."
"I'll put out and official quiry, we really need you guys to get a move on. " Amarië said efficiously.
"Well, we would have long ago. If ewhadn't spent half a week travelling to the north of Norway by train and car." Nora said disparagingly.
"I told you I couldn't do anyhting about that." Blue said exasperated. And continued under his breath. "Orders from up high.."
"Yesyes, do what you always do. Blame someone else.." Nora said rolling her eyes.
"When did I blame someone else? For what?"
"Do you really.."
"Not this again!" Amariës friendly demeanour was all but gone Ringo reflected. Not that he was shocked by that, he had nearly fallen off his chair himself at the recent heated exchange.
"I thought it sending you guys up here the slow way would helo you to bond and get to know each other. Perhaps I should have thought things through better."
"But.." Someone started. Ringo wasn't even shure who.  
"Enough." Amarië said. "I've had it with the two of you and this infernal bickering, Do we want Lt Herring to report back to his superiors that we can't even keep an interdepartmental civil tounge?"
There was a moment of silence.
"No?" Blue ventured.
"No!!" The forcee of Amariës outburst made them all jump. She wasn't usually one for such outbursts, being known to employ a prod rather than push leadership technique.  Something must have really riled her." Anyway, it must be giving dear Lt Herring a headache."
"Oh, I.." Ringo said started self conciously.
"You had to ask didn't you," Nora mutered to Blue rollling her eyes.
"Of course I had to." There really was an eye rolling competition going on at this point, Ringo thought. Nora was winning, but only barely.
"Stop it. One more word and I'll have you both up for insubordination."
"Can you do that to civil servants?" Ringo asked.
"No," Amarië admitted her anger markedly dissapating. "But I can have them both up for an employment tribunal within the month."
"That worked well the last time," Blue said rolling his eyes.
"Don't tempt me." Amarië said, shooting him a look through narrowed eyes. "Family or no. Now both of you appologize."
There was a moment of silence that Ringo spent fruitlessly waiting for a pin to drop.
"I'm sorry," Nora said very markedly looking at the ceiling.
"Well, I'm sorry too." Blue answered looking in another direction.
"Good?" Amarië said sternly, looking at the two of them in turn. "Good."
"Now, I know Ms."
"Agent!"
"Sorry, Agent Herring has some experience in this area. Not that your security clearance let's me go into further detail. "
"Oh, really?" Ringo said shocked. "I thought you worked for the inland revenue?"
"That naivety is quite charming, isn't it." Amarië said, patting him on the cheek.
"Military people." Blue and Nora could both be heard scoffing seperatley under their breath. Both shooting each other a suspicious look.
"This matter is seen as gravely important in Oslo,"  Amarië continued. "I had the Prime Minister on the phone this very morning. And we certainly don't want to mess up in front of the Prime Minister, do we?"
"No," all three repeated.
"Good. Then that's agreed. If I hear anything I'll be sure to let you know." She said to Ringo.  "Now I really must go," she said grabbing her coat and smart attache brief case. "I have a meeting with Mayor," she said looking at her designer watch, correcting her designer glasses, checking her desiger haircut, correcting her power suit. Really she was the very image of bureaucratic power. "I really shouldn't keep him waiting too long."
With those words she swept from the room. Leaving three people feeling very much like they had been swept up and over by a passing hurricane.  

Part 11 wrote:...Size approximation; small. Diameter; varies. Further qualities; to be esatablished." Come on man, speed up. Are you getting any of this down?" David said to Eldo in a demanding tone, who was sitting in the bus seat beside him with a swift hand transfering his deliberations to a notebook.
"Of course, Professor. Of course. Just go on." Eldorion said dilligently, pen and notebook in hand.
""Local population seems friendly, but supply little infomation even when pressed. Good spots for berry picking seems traditionally to be kept as treasured family secrets. Possibility of study in natural habitat therefore limited. Can at current time not establish whether governement policy lives up to international demands for sustainable development," reference the relevant treaties will you.
"Conclusion awaites further study." Got that?"
"No problem, Professor."
"Oh, and add this as a presonal note. "Situation seemingly as bad as fared, going on to Tromsø now, Bodø quite the dissapointment, herring excellent though (you can even get it at the store!!), will keep you informed of any further developments." And get that off to Halfwise at the embassy at the next opportunity."
"I will, Professor." Eldo said dilligently. "Though.. isn't this just a fancy way of saying "I don't know yet."?"
"Well, they demanded running reports, so that's what they'll get." David said efficiously, obviously more than used to the cat and mouse game that normally takes place betwen HQ stationed personnel and field operatives. "They'll expect us to throw them some curveballs."
"If you say so, Professor." Eldorion said a bit uncertainly, seemingly not entierly convinced.

The landscape floating past the bus window was certainly stunning. Even if the colour of the summer seemed to be draining from the landscape as more and more of it got covered by a snowfall that it seemed would never end. Though i was a hard land, almost lacking in flat sufaces. Every way you looked there was either a mountainside or a straight cliff. Well, that was unless you looked at the sea. The waves forming in way that could make you seasick even on land. Brushed by what would be called a storm everywhere else, but here was only considereda light breeze. And through this landscape their solitary bus shot, at 80 miles an hour, down an empty road that seemed to go on forever.

"Well, that was a waste." David said leaning back in his bus seat, his close scruteny of moments beofre suddenly gone.
"A waste, Professor? I thought we got several good samples and quite a representative selection. For the area, at least."
"Dear boy, it's the nature of said samples that's important, not their existence. If you're ever going to get your degree, that's the sort of stuff you'll need to know. Also... the resturant was mediocre, and if I ever walk properly again after sleeping in that motel bed.. Not to mention this bus journey. Changing busses three times to get form one place to the other. " David said markedly shaking his head.
"And the size of these so called lingonberries," he continued. "They would never pass muster back in the States. And where they are grown, up in the mountains like that, instead of in respectable bogs. No, the whole situation is quite unsatisfactory. I can see no use for them where the simple cranberry would not be preferable. Very dissapointing. Very dissapointing.." Dave finished seemingly drifitng off, lost in his own thoughts.
"Oh, I thought them rather good." Eldo said cheerfully. "And the troll cream.. too die for."
"There you go again jeapordizing your academic integrity. You can't let things like taste affect your judgement. Size, yield, applicability, planting prospects. That's the stuff we're after. Anyway, are you really saying you would prefer this stuff on your turkey at thanksgiving?"
"Well, perhaps I wouldn't go that far." Eldo said cherfuly. "Still, there's something very appealing about it. Most certainly.." Seemingly drifting off in thoughts of his own as well.

"The November snows have hit the north hard---"
"What are you watching?" Nora asked as she walked up to Blue standing in front of one of the television screens in the hotel lobby.
"Just the weather report."
"Ah, of course." Nora said rolling her eyes.
"We still doing this thing then?"
"Guess so."
"Well, I guess what Amarië doesn't know.." Blue left that hanging there shooting Nora a slight smile.
"True," Nora said failing to surpress a giggle.
-
Ringo found them standing in the hotel lobby. Nora looking at the weather out the window, Blue looking at the weather on the weather report.
"So, are we ready to get going?" Blue asked cheerfully. "They're predicitng snow, but three though fjordlandians can't let themselves scare by that, surely."
"No," Ringo asnswered perplexed. "As Amarië said, you should be at least two troll hunters when you go troll hunting. That's the first rule of troll hunting... No the second rule, the first rule is.. wear woollen socks."
"I have my woolen socks in order," Blue said. "And Nora has some experience."
"Hey, I never said that.. though.. yeah.."
"And I.." Blue continued.
"You?" Ringo asked raising his eyebrows.
"...can... help carry stuff."
"What do you think?" Ringo asked Nora.
"I don't see any reason to delay, really." Nora said seemingly considering. "Seeing how much time we wasted already. " She said shooting Blue a look. "And it has been far too long since I took a proper nature trip around here. Just walking in the hills.. the trees.. the fresh air.." She said a smile forming and slowly broadening on her face. "Oh, honestly, I really want to go to." She finished, now smiling broadly.  
"Come on," Blue continued. "Me and Nora have to make up at least half a troll hunter if you put us together. What do you say, can you go troll hunting with one and a half troll hunters? "
"Oh, okay." Ringo said as if he were humoring two small children. "l'll take you out."
"Good," Blue said with a conspiratorial smile. "If not I would have had to order you. I am in charge you know. "
"Tell me about it." Ringo yawned. How was it the civil service always left the least competent in charge, he contemplated. It would never have passed muster in the army. "You guys all ready to go?"
"We'll just have to get my dog on the way," Nora said. "He gets godawfully bored being cooped up all day by himself."
"Your dog?" Blue asked.
"Oh, come on! I mentioned him just a couple of parts ago.."