Venja checks the unconscious and determines that they are not wake-able by normal means. She keeps watch over them until they come conscious, offering a hand up to any who could use it. THough she's not terribly strong, she can provide leverage for an easier time getting up.
"I'm sorry there wasn't much I could do during that battle. I will try to be more proactive in the future."
Venja sighs, disappointed in herself and her lack of skills in such a situation.
Dont worry Venja, I don't think any of us were quite prepared for any of what we encountered out here. We will just have mot do better next time is all. Speaking of which, I saw a crossbow in the travois earlier. Anyone mind if I grab it?
Before he does so he checks on Anee to see how his wife is doing? How are your wounds dear? I saw at least one arrow hit you if not two. Any lasting effects from the poison or whatever those things used against us? I hope not as who knows when they will come back.
Going to a couple of the trees, Variel breaks off a few branches and dries them with prestidigitation. Once done, he starts building a fire to keep the unconscious warm until such time as Anee and Venja can wake them.
Aneira stood still, watching the Atomie as they fled from Beck's fire.
"You did well, Beck, and saved us all."
For some time afterward, Aneira stood watch in case they returned and attacked them anew with their poisoned arrows.
Venja's voice had filtered through her concentrated state and she turned to her long-time friend and reassured her, "You did what you could; we all did. Do not be overly hard on yourself, Venja. The winter-touched Atomie do not like fire. We know now and will be better prepared." Aneira's voice was gentle and quiet.
When Variel enquired after the crossbow and then asked after her wellbeing, Anee turned to her husband and gave him a reassuring smile, "Aye, I was hit twice, and by good fortune I managed to stay the poison and did not succumb. If none would have the crossbow I see no harm in you taking it. I think it wise we have another with a bow."
Anee moved over and brushed her hand over her husband's arm and then walked to Venja's side and reassuringly squeezed her. She aided Venja in moving Gabe and Xan's bodies closer together, by the fire built by Variel. She pulled the winter blanket from her gear and covered them.
She kept her attention between the unconscious pair and the woodlands. She monitored their condition and applied aid where necessary using her healing kit. Silently, Aneira was disappointed in herself for not being able to persuade the Atomie to desist in their attacks.
Gabryjel's eyes blink a few times and he looks up at Aneira standing over him, somewhat surprised.
He shakes his head and props himself up in the snow, looking around.
"Thanks, Miss Whitestorm," he says looking around him.
"Everyone else alright? I mean... well, you know what I mean..." he says with a bit of a sheepish looks as he briskly brushes the damp of and the cold of the snow off his arms and head.
He glances over the trees, noting especially both the symbols and other totems hanging in the branches.
But he notices the absence of the Fey as well.
"I got to say that I'm not sorry they left... still... " he says almost tentatively.
He lets out a deep sigh, then shrugs.
"Hey ya'll, you want maybe we should push on out of here?" he asks as he swing himself to his feet.
"I don't know about you, but I figure we keep standing around their holy places, or whatever all this is and we're going to be asking for trouble," he says as he moves back to the horse, gentling the beast quietly.
"Shh... there, lad, there... it's okay...."
He continues to whisper softly to the horse in Sylvan, then takes the reigns in his hand, holding his bow with the other.
"I reckon we're all ready to push on?" he says, paying a little more attention to the horse than the others, hoping they'll agree.
It was some relief when Gabe woke from his slumber, if one could call it such. Yet, Xan still had not stirred. She transferred the entire winter blanket to Xan as he lay close to the fire Variel had built.
"You are welcome, Gabe. Xan has yet to open his eyes. Unless you mean to carry him on the travois until he does, we must wait until he is awake and up. I will listen to any opinion offered on the matter." She was not chastising him but stating the facts as they were.
Listening to Gabe's quietening words in Sylvan to the pack horse, Aneira added, "The Atomie did not like Beck's fire. We have a way to protect ourselves until we are all ready to move."
Gabryjel nods at Aneira's wisdom.
"Sure thing, ma'am, I hear ya'," he adds with a relieved nod.
Laying his bow down a moment, he moves over to Xanxan and takes him gently and picks him up, drooping him over the travois and seeing that the gnome is on there safely and securely.
Then, he turns, grabs his bow and the reigns and deliberately leads the horse forward while dragging Xanxan on the travois.
When the company has moved down the path for a bit, he'll halt the progress and look at Xanxan, making sure the gnome is alright.
Xan's eyes do indeed open, when dropped "Five more minutes mother..." He mutters before they open fully. "Oh my, how embarrassing. So sorry."
Gabryjel looks at Xanxan behind him as he leads the horse forward away from the strangely marked glen.
"Don't worry about it, mister Gimblewade, just take it easy there," he says as he leads the horse forward."[/b]
"We're pushing away from all the trouble behind us and maybe when we get a bit further up we'll find a place to rest proper and get something hot inside to take the edge off all the cold and the fight."
"Don't know if we can risk a fire, but maybe we can get mister Whitestorm to use some magic to heat up some drinks; that ought to set you up right nice," he adds, trying to put more distance between them and the strange totems behind them.
"You just get some rest for now, leave everything to me," he adds.
Then he continues up the trail, leading Xanxan to ride comfortably on the makeshift bed he fashioned.
"I take it we won? was anyone badly hurt?"
"I take it we won? was anyone badly hurt?"
"Well, Mister Gimblewade, I reckon I don't rightly know on if people were hurt bad, but they did get hurt a bit by those arrows, at least I did, before I fell. But don't worry, I'll tough it out," he says with a game smile.
He turns a moment to look at Xanxan a bit, then calls out ahead to the others.
"Whoa there - Mister Gimblewade's already feeling a bit sickly, on account of the fact that the cold don't agree with him much; and now he had to lay in the snow for a while and that's just no good."
"Can't we find a place to hold up a bit and get him something warm?" Gaberyjel says to the others as he pets the horse a bit on its nose.
Tending the fire, Variel looks up as both of the fallen start to move. Nice job Anee and Venja. It seems Iike your charges are recovering. Once they are fully awake and this fire gets going we can hopefully continue. I want to take a couple of these burning beans with us. If we are attacked again by those things then we will have a ready source of if to threaten them with.
Do you want to wait here and take a short break by the fire or continue on a bit? We can recoup a bit and warm up before we go. If not i will be ready to leave shortly providing our healers indicate that it is wise to continue.
Variel stands watch over those recovering with a crossbow keeping an eye out for any foes. Should Anee or Venja ask for assistance for anything Variel will be happy to help.
Do you want to wait here and take a short break by the fire or continue on a bit? We can recoup a bit and warm up before we go. If not i will be ready to leave shortly providing our healers indicate that it is wise to continue.
He shakes his head.
"You want to stay here, stay here; but I ain't going to do it. It's damn right disrespectful to the folk that made this place theirs."
"They already got pissed off on account of the fact that we stepped on their land, I reckon."
"If you don't care about that, I ain't going push it, though," he says with a shrug.
Gabryjel will than take the horse, he will take the gear, and he will continue up the path.
He is not going to wait here; he has no desire to wait in this spot.
He has no illusions about what is happening here, and does not expect anyone to follow him, though.
He is doing this because he believes it is right, and does not want to deal with an argument, so he will simply take the horse and continue.
Venja watches Gabe leave with the horse and makes no move to follow. Simply watches him in disbelief. She stays with the others, makes sure Xan is alright.
"Perhaps leaving Gabe with the misconception that he is in charge of all our gear and the horse was a mistake. He seems a bit of a mind that somehow he is not one with the rest of us."
She whispers something seemingly to herself.
"Perhaps you should wait and travel with the rest of us, rather than take off on your own. We are supposed to be a team, and travel together. I know you said your piece, but you gave no one a chance to respond or state their intentions. That was rude and inconsiderate of you, my friend. By leaving on your own, you threaten all our lives."
She whispers something seemingly to herself. * spoiler omitted **
He shakes his head, his fists tight.
”I don’t reckon I endanger no one – ‘ceptin’ me and the horse.”
He sighs and kicks the snow.
”I'm kinda being a basterd, I reckon, not listening to you have a chance to say something, Miss Venja."
"I'm sorry about that.”
He takes a deep breath.
”Thanks for your words – you can tell the others I’m waiting one hundred paces from that place. I’ll wait here until they’re done with what they do; but I don't plan on running off, nor taking their gear or horse.”
"Gabe says he waits a hundred paces up the path," she says, sighing softly in exasperation. "I cannot begin to fathom what possessed him to move on without us. When all are ready to travel, we should move on, but if some need rest to recover, we should consider that as well."
Gabryjel will move back to the group and will bring the rest of the stuff with him.
It is clear he is not comfortable with the strange trees and eerie place, but if waiting here is what the group wants to do, he will not protest it.
When they are ready to go, he will go with them. Until that time he will wait until they are ready to move on.
When Gabe returns to the group, Venja gives him a warm if tentative smile and moves over to him, speaking softly for his benefit. "Thank you for returning to join us, Gabe," she says, gently laying a hand on his arm. "I know it was not an easy choice to make for you, however, I cannot strongly enough express how much it is welcomed. Your presence is valued, and I'm not sure what you meant about us not being a team, but we are all in this rescue mission together, and we should begin to think of ourselves as such, and soon. If we continue to face threats that require us all to work together, we must BE together."
"Thank you for returning to join us, Gabe," she says, gently laying a hand on his arm. "I know it was not an easy choice to make for you, however, I cannot strongly enough express how much it is welcomed. Your presence is valued, and I'm not sure what you meant about us not being a team, but we are all in this rescue mission together, and we should begin to think of ourselves as such, and soon. If we continue to face threats that require us all to work together, we must BE together."
Gabryjel says nothing for a while, simply avoiding the gaze of the others; clearly troubled by this place.
As Venja talks, he looks at her for a moment and listens to what she has to say.
”Sure thing, Miss Venja,” he says eventually, trying to smile at her words.
”I didn’t mean to piss no one off; I just figured it ain’t right to be here.”
”Figured maybe we could have moved a hundred paces up the trail before starting a fire. Shucks, I didn’t see no reason we had to build a fire on the spot, I just thought moving away from it would be respectful, that’s all,” he says, his eyes distant.
He keeps away from the fire, toward the edge of the trees, the horse near him, clearly on edge, then looks up at the others.
”But I reckon ya’ll are my pals; if you mean to stay here and burn the wood and make fire and lay here instead of just moving away a piece… well, I don’t agree with it, but I’ll stick around as it’s important to you.”
He looks at the totems for a while.
”Anyhow, sorry for pissing folk off. I didn't mean too..."
Seeing Gabe standing off, Variel motions for him to come close. The fire is here, no sense freezing yourself sick just because your stubborn. We all are to some degree but common sense needs to prevail. Thant is why I have Anee. She keeps me grounded and doing what is right.
Seeing Gabe standing off, Variel motions for him to come close. The fire is here, no sense freezing yourself sick just because your stubborn. We all are to some degree but common sense needs to prevail. Thant is why I have Anee. She keeps me grounded and doing what is right.
He shrugs.
"Ain't about being stubborn, I guess... Hell, if I were, I wouldn't have come back," he adds a bit sheepishly.
His eyes flick to the trees, searching them suspiciously.
"I reckon Miss Venja - well, she kinda talked me into it," he says after a while.
He looks at the fire, clearly eager to get warm, but he shakes his head.
"Hell, I'd be downright happy to be warmer by the fire; but I don't want to be here longer than we ought to... I mean, you know..." he says looking around at the strange totems.
He thinks a bit, than frowns.
"Ya'll sure it's a bother to just move up the trail path a piece?"
"I mean, ya'll do what you want, I ain't going to try to stop you, but I just figure it's good sense to be away from a place where we got jumped.... not to mention this place's got bad medicine, I reckon," he says edgily.
"Don't know what gods make this place their home; but it's snow in Arodus - that ain't regular to begin with... Plus we saw Walkers earlier - that makes a black priest or juju man involved somehow - and now this hash?" he shivers, his eyes flicking around the trees.
He watches the fire for a bit, drifting off, saying nothing for a while.
"The Fey Folk got a telling on glades like this..." he says eventually, his voice softer and quieter.
"They say the spirits of some of the trees are jealous-like on them that walk the earth on two legs... they say that some trees want to take back what's theirs..."
He looks at one of the strange totems, his eyes staring at them for a while.
"They say Old Man Willow's one of 'em that walks - that He hungers for manflesh, and waits to charm them that walk near, and make feasts of their flesh..."
"They say that He made a pact with Death, and Death sent a messenger - Death sent the Crow; and the Crow whispers charms to lead them that walk on two legs to dream dreams of dying so Old Man Willow can see them dead and Death can keep their souls."
"They say the Crow waits for men... when he sees folk, he sings evil songs - and when folk hear the songs... well, they go to the trees to die..."
His eyes grow distant, and he thinks.
"They say the Woodsmen watches the glens and forests... They say sometimes the Woodsmen comes to help those that get tangled in the charms of the Crow and the Black Trees... Sometimes the Woodsmen comes to help them on two legs get free of Death... sometimes he doesn't, though..."
He looks up suddenly, shaking himself out of whatever memory gripped him.
"Sorry... drifted off there."
"Anyhow, I reckon it's best not to tempt bad things is all..." he says glancing around at the others.
He sighs.
"If warming by the fire means we get out o' here faster, I'll do it. Otherwise, I'd rather be legging it quick up the path after the lass we're hunting and putting good distance 'tween this place and us."
He moves to the fire as quickly as possible, and does what he can to dry off fast, hoping that the party will move if he agrees.
Xanxan seems confused by the tension, perhaps the cold has its after effects in silencing the normally chatty gnome.
"Making things the past is only a matter of waiting," He finally states with a smile.
As the Fey fly off, Beck follows after them with Sheelah to secure the perimeter, not present for the preeceeding conversation, calling back to Aniera "Course, darlin' wish i'd hit on it sooner." hobbling into the brush, a ball of fire in his hand.
He trudges back "Whelp, I didn't see no sign of em. Huh, I do NOT care for them bein here in these parts. Ain't right, this ain't their home an' they don't belong," he snaps, yanking one of the fetishes off the tree and giving it a look.
"This ain't no sacred fey glade or nuthin. Just some Cold-sprites what don't belong. These folk don't got nuthin ta do with no willows an birds, unless there a tree out up north with mammoth or Linnorm, nah, this is a while nother mess" Beck's oddly grim about this, and quite grumpy about the turn in the weather.
"Whelp, I didn't see no sign of em. Huh, I do NOT care for them bein here in these parts. Ain't right, this ain't their home an' they don't belong," he snaps, yanking one of the fetishes off the tree and giving it a look.
Gabryjel looks over at Beck, his eyes narrowing.
”What're you saying then, this ain’t a Fey glen?” he says slowly.
He shivers a bit, his eyes narrowed, staring at the totems then sings softly.
Cold be hand and heart and bone
Cold be snow and ice and stone
Yet Spring shall come and Winter dies
The Woodsman sees with His gray eyes
He looses arrow on Evil Fey
He breaks the Dark and brings the Day
He shatters chains of iron, then
He sunders frost on tree and glen
”May the Woodsman break this place if it’s really evil,” he says, muttering the last to himself.
He looks at Beck.
"Beck, you sure they’re evil Fey stuff, not the good kind?” he says, watching the Tiefling skeptically.
What's done is done so lets not dwell on it. We are here now by the fire. I doubt the fey will return now that we know they fear fire and we have a ready source. Once we have recouped, we can continue. Any idea why the fey are here or why it is so cold?
"Any idea why the fey are here or why it is so cold?"
Gabryjel turns a startled look at Variel.
"Yeah... Probably magic," he says slowly to the elf and his comments about the cold.
He shakes his head a little then looks back at Beck.
"This ain't no sacred fey glade or nuthin. Just some Cold-sprites what don't belong. These folk don't got nuthin ta do with no willows an birds, unless there a tree out up north with mammoth or Linnorm, nah, this is a while nother mess"
"I've seen sprites before, or near to 'em... what's a "Cold Sprite" and who's to say they don't belong?" he says slowly.
He holds up his hands.
"Not saying you're wrong; just trying to figure out what you're going on about..."
He thinks a moment.
"Also, "mammoth" means really big, I think; but sprites are are kind of small..." he say confused.
He frowns a little, thinking a bit, then nods at Beck.
"Look, if you're saying for sure that these things are evil, I'll smash 'em up with you," he says sincerely reaching forward to clap Beck on the shoulder.
"I reckon that if that's the straight deal, I got your back."
"But after we do that, we need to leg it as I reckon we've got some lass to be rescuing?" he says.
Venja puts her knowledge of healing to work and tucks Xan in a warm blanket by the fire, heating some water as well, to fill a bladder with the hot water and tuck under his clothes. .
Gabryjel looks at Beck and nods as his crystal clear assessment.
"Absolute evil you say?" he says with wide eyes to Beck.
"Well, that's good enough for me," he says, echoing Beck's grim tone, and he swings himself up onto his feet.
He takes out his axe from his pack and moves with direct intensity to each totem.
With direct and unflinching movements, he systematically destroys each totem symbol by hacking it down and chopping it up into pieces.
He would prefer to use fire, but he decides against it. He does not wish to make any more smoke than necessary, and burning damp or wet gear would only make more smoke.
When he's done helping Beck destroying the totems completely he pauses and spits on the remains.
"All hail the Woodsman," he mutters to himself.
"oh much better... thank you. And I shouldn't be surprised that fay can be evil.. we gnomes were once of the Wyld, and not all of us are very nice."
Venja puts her knowledge of healing to work and tucks Xan in a warm blanket by the fire, heating some water as well, to fill a bladder with the thing and tuck under his clothes.
Gabryjel gives Venja an impressed look.
"That's some good work, Miss Venja," he says, pausing from his work chopping up the totem.
"oh much better... thank you. And I shouldn't be surprised that fay can be evil.. we gnomes were once of the Wyld, and not all of us are very nice."
Gabryjel snorts a bit.
"You ain't too bad, Mister Gimblewade, just... rustic," he adds with a grin to Xanxan as he slams the axe into another totem, doing what he can to aid Beck in destroying the evil Fey's gear.
"Rustic? Oh my, that doesnt sell well at all in the market," He chuckles.
"Rustic? Oh my, that doesnt sell well at all in the market," He chuckles.
Gabryjel's eyes widen a bit.
"Beg pardon, Mister Gimblewade," he says looking up from his work.
"Didn't mean nothing by it, just ah... just being colorful, I guess," he says a bit sheepishly, then he goes back to work.
From her gear, Aneira takes out an iron pot. Pouring some water from her waterskin, she adds a little of the herbs from her healing kit and asks Variel to place it over the fire to heat up.
Once the herbal, healing tea is complete, she pours a cup for Xan and moves to him, carefully handing him the hot tea. "Sip it slowly. It may taste a little bitter, but it will do you good and warm you up."
Turning to her other companions, she quietly adds, "If any of you require a healing drink, please help yourself. It is not the most pleasant, but it is cold outside and the tea is hot." Aneira did not feel the cold but she knew from Variel that the temperature had fallen significantly.
She busies herself around the fire, watching over Xan when necessary and keeping watch as Gabe finishes cutting down the evil Feys' fetishes from the trees. She does not stray far from her husband's side as they wait for Xan to recover from his run in with the Atomie.
"Thank you, Aneira. And worry not, Gabe. I was just teasing a bit," The gnome is grateful for the kindness of friends.
"I'm actually feeling alright..." Beck says, pausing a moment to pull a needle out of his neck with an OW! throwing it to the side. "Ok, now that's better. Maybe I could use a Little Healing if we're bedding down for the night. There was a nice tent in that pack we found, looks like it should hold a few of us. We want to set up here, or head out and try to get another hour along?" Think we've been traveling for 2 hours already, and resting for two, so we should have 4 hours of daylight left?
"Best we get moving again then, Sorry for slowing folks down with my watching pretty colors and freezing and all."
Dont worry about Xanxan. I am sure we all needed the warmth even if some of us are willing to admit it. Even though we should hurry to find this Lady, it does not mean that it should be the death of us out of haste. But if you are doing better then I am ready to proceed as well. Shall we continue on as we were in the same order with the same spacing?
Once they continue on, Variel will have the crossbow in one hand.
"You are welcome, Xan. And you do not need to apologise."
Seeing the rest of the tea untouched, Aneira, careful of the hot pot, uses her scarf to lift the pot and carefully pour the remainder of the liquid out onto the snow (she wished she had a container/flask to pour it into but alas she did not have a spare). Settling the base of the pot upon the snow to cool the iron, Aneira banks the fire and then packs the cooled pot, her winter blanket and healing kit with the rest of her gear and moves into formation, taking the place behind Variel. Her own crossbow now back in hand.
Seeing the rest of the tea untouched, Aneira, careful of the hot pot, uses her scarf to lift the pot and carefully pour the remainder of the liquid out onto the snow (she wished she had a container/flask to pour it into but alas she did not have a spare).
"No need for that, Miss Whitestorm, I got a mess kit that'll haul that tea in, if you'd rather," Gabryjel says, glancing at the hot tea.
"In all the confusion, I didn't have a time to get a drop, if you can spare some, I'd be obliged," he adds.
Just before pouring the liquid/tea out onto the snow, she hears Gabe's voice close by and turns her face. "Aye, there is enough to spare Gabe and thank you for offering to haul the remainder. It may become useful again."
Aneira carefully poured the tea into the kit (and a cup if he wants to drink some now) provided by Gabe and then sets about cooling the pot etc (as per previous posting).
"Thanks, ma'am," he says blowing softly on the tea before he drinks it.
"Right, so what's our next move, then? We head on out, or what?" he asks the group.