Lefrik's long strokes and powerful kicks easily take him to the shore, some 20 feet distant from the end of the moonlight bridge. He and Anklebiter climb up on the narrow beach and begin to shiver in the cold morning air.
"Brisk," The barbarian chuckles. Once Anklebitter is on his own feet, Lefrik looks back to see if the others need help with their own crossing.
Kel waits to go last, as the bridge will disappear when she steps off it. "Watch for me, Lefrik, swimming wasn't a skill my mother taught us."
Bruendor began swimming back to shore, but stopped when he noticed that there was one fewer head on the way there. He returned to her and tried to help her back to shore.
Lefrik sees Kel plop into the water...
"I'm watching... just come back to the surface so I can see you..."
A moment.
"Any minute now."
A ripple...
Lefrik blinks, "Oh by the nine hells..." and into the water he dives heading towards her.
There's always a price to playing the hero. As Bruendor goes after Kel, the turbulence and undertow drag him under as well. Fortunately, he can see the girl floundering before him, and he thanks Torag that he'd spent time practicing in Riddleport's bay before coming to this gods-forsaken isle.
Putting up her bow and muttering a quick prayer , Calla dives in only to be hit by a rough wave, swamping her and pulling her under.
Struggling, she finally manages to break the surface before being pulled under. Finally, soaked and more furious than usual, she manages to find her proverbial footing and swim the short distance to shore.
Lefrik can see others are struggling as well, but keeps heading towards Kel
Struggling in the waves and floundering, Kel reaches out for anything to help her, hoping the barbarian appears through the salty water. "Blub!
The current continues to pull the dwarf underwater, but he still struggles towards Kel, though the waves keep the pair separated.
Calla reached the shore, gasping and retching out seawater, having spent more than half the journry floundering in the smashing waves. She lay on her side for long moments trying to catch her breath - and rid her of the sight of Lefrik coming to Kelendra's aid.
Bruendor also makes it to the shore with more water than air in his lungs. The dwarf coughed for a full five minutes before he was able to take a clean breath.
Samaritha made it to shore easily enough, though her clothing nearly dragged her to the bottom and kept her there. Still she managed shore and kept watch as the others struggled to get to land. She noticed that the narrow strip of rocky beach only extended about 80 feet in either direction, before the cliffs plunged directly into the sea again.
"I think I like water better in a tub," Anklebiter says as he comes scuttling up, his ears drooping. "Or in a cup."
The Goblin hesitates for a moment, then says: "So how many waterskins do we fill with seawater in case of more not-lions?"
Lefrik takes a deep breath once he gets Kelendra to shore, "I'm sorry I couldn't get to help each of you." To his goblin friend's question, he answers, "We'll want some fresh water squared away in case, but I'd think at least half of us."
Cough, cough, sputter, cough, sputter, cough, "thank you!" cough, sputter, cough.
"You are welcome, Kelendra," Lefrik makes nothing of it. "the sea water is brisk, if a bit too playful."
Bruendor waves off Lefrik's apology between wet coughs. "Dwarves *hack* weren't meant *sputter* for swimming," he manages. "I am getting *wheeze* really tired of this *HACK HACK HACK!* island!"
Once he's cleared the water from his airpipe and has had a chance to recover, he started planning the way up the cliff side.
"One of us climbs up, drops the slippers down. Repeat. Shouldn't be that hard. Even we can't screw that up..."
Lefrik actually chuckles at that, "Don't underestimate our ability to complicate things."
"I vote one of our strong warriors goes first," Anklebiter says. "Seeing as we don't know what's up there, and Kelendra and me would get mobbed and killed if there were any not-lions."
Minky looks from the group to the cliff, and then suddenly leaps away from her Wizard and starts scuttling up the rock.
Bruendor chuckles once to himself as Minky effortlessly begins scrambling up the cliff face. "Well, that's one way to do it. AB, how complete is your connection to Minky? Can she tell you what's going on, or should we just have Lefrik begin leading the way?"
"I can feel what she feels," Anklebiter replies, shrugging. "And she can feel what I feel. It helps."
'Caution,' the Goblin projects at the ascending monkey.
While she ascends, Minky registers the feeling of apprehension projected by Anklebiter, and she pays more attention to sounds, smells and other hints of possible danger ahead, to the side, or anywhere else in the area.
"Is feeling okies for Minky," Anklebiter says, his eyes closed as he reaches out to Minky's emotions. The Goblin holds up his thumb. "Okay to climb!"
Lefrik grunts after watching the monkey go up, "Right. Should I try on some magic slippers first?"
"No reason not to." Bruendor says, handing over the slippers, along with a length of rope. "Anyone else that has rope, we're going to need a bunch of it. When you get to the top, Lefrik, just put the slippers in a backpack and lower it down to us."
"Here's mine," Anklebiter says, handing up a coil of silk rope. He frowns a bit. "Maybe Minky will carry the slippers down for us... I can try to call her if you give them to her, but... then again, she may not do it. She is a monkey."
"I can just drop them done I suppose. Maybe put a rock in each one up there or something to make sure the wind doesn't carry them," Lefrik says as he slips the slippers on "Afraid I don't have rope. We may only have enough for the whole distance."
Calla frowns. "I've got no rope, so we'll have to make do with what we've got. Tell the monkey I'll give her a treat when we get back to Riddleport if she brings the slippers back down."
Bruendor looks absolutely puzzled at both Lefrik and Calla. "No...no rope?!? But that's the most important tool an adventurer can carry!!! How is it -", he stops, holding up his hands and bowing his head.
"Sorry, sorry about that. It's been a long few days. Alright, so, we only have enough rope for half the distance. How about a small pouch? We can put them in that, along with some stones for weight, and then toss the slippers off the cliff for the next person. It's not ideal, but I don't see any other way."
Honestly, no rope? What are adventurers coming to these days?!?
"Or we do rely on Minky," Anklebiter suggests. "It just means the first person to climb needs to take something up that she wants to eat."
"Let the monkey do it. Let's just get off this shore, already."
"Alright, let Minky do it. Let's get moving while we've still got light."
Lefrik put on the dainty slippers, his massive feet stretching the materials alarmingly. It seemed that he was not going to be able to wear them at all, but they held together, just barely. His feet were practically crippled by the slippers, though, making it impossible to walk, much less climb.
Calla gives a deep sigh. "Give them to me," she snaps. "I'll go up first. We have enough rope?"
Climbing to the top in the slippers, she looks around for any danger, as well as somewhere to tie the rope to so others can use it to climb.
"Huh, so much for magic, can't even fit a normal Ulfen sized foot..."
Calla was frustrated to no end to discover that she had missed the conversation where rope was discussed, and that they only had enough rope to go halfway down the cliffs. Still, she was able to climb the cliffside easily enough, and belay the rope at the top...assuming the others could make it that far.
Minky, having understood at least some of what Anklebiter was trying to get her to do, came up the cliff with Calla, and scampered about at the top while the inquisitor tied off the rope. She wrinkled her monkey nose at the smell of the creatures from the night before, and eyed the remaining buildings of Witchlight with anxious glances.
Calla saw no immediate signs of danger, but felt very exposed at the top of the cliff with no one there to help should trouble come. She put the slippers in a pouch and handed it to the monkey and pointed at the cliff, hoping the animal knew what to do.
Minkey let out a few chirps and squeals and headed back to the cliff. She looked back at Calla and down again. Anklebiter waved at her to come to him, and the monkey slipped over the edge and back down the cliff to her master.
"Maybe you can climb up part of the way yourself, to where the rope is?" Anklebiter suggests to Lefrik. "Anyway, need strong fighter up next. Bruendor? You go?"
Calla pulls her bow and keeps watch for any approaching threats.