Dyrm shrugs, and is happy to go along with the others.
Cromwell watches Kern trot away from them, down the road. He then gives the fort one last wistful look and with a heavy sigh, he casts endure elements and starts trudging on in Kern's wake.
I really need a horse or mule and cart or something. this is gonna be a long trip.
Lanya shrugs as well as the others start moving again. She pats Ging as high on his back as possible and starts following Kern and Theodric, indicating Ging to follow.
Seeing Cromwell watching the fort a last time with a particular look in his eyes, she undeerstands itand as he hits the road as well she gives him an understanding look.
Along the lines of.
Oh well, what can you do?
"I think we both looked forward to a real bed again already, eh Cromwell?"
"Dyrm, Giladel, was there anything worth grabbing in that fort?"
Dyrm backtracks, grabs the loot, and THEN heads out, "Dese I tink."
"Yes Lanya, I never realized how NOT ready I was to undertake this journey. I am now of the belief that my superiors in the church are trying to teach me something. But what have you? The journey has already begun, no turning back now."He replies with a lopsided smile.
" Hopefully it WILL get better. And aside from all the plodding along, we seem to be off to a good start. I mean look at the size of your new friend." He'll add with a wink.
Her mother's eyes allowing her to see at least some distance on even the darkest night, Gliadel takes her horse's reins and leads him along the road with the others.
"We'll certainly have tales to tell when we reach Oleg's," she says. "Abandoned forts, juvenile ogres, and the pigeons."
"Well I love the countryside, though I am not that used to sleeping under the stars yet. I wasn't planning on scurrying back Cromwell, just hoping we can sleep in something more comfortable than a bedroll on a more regular basis."
"If we're to explore, best get used to the bedrolls."
Dyrm listens to the others talk, his own eyes on the road.
Lanya tries to teach Ging a few words Common around the campfire and during her and Dyrm's watch.
She holds up a piece of bread in front of him and clearly and slowly pronounces "Bread"
She does the same with a few other items like cheese, bottles, campfire, fire, staff, cloak, weapons pointing at Ging's club.
Also Lanya shares her extra rations of cheese and bread with the others as well around dinner time.
Ging nods excitedly, smiling his black, gap toothed grin.
"Buh. Bruh. Bruhd."
Ging squeals happily with each new word he learns. He repeats them like a sacred litany until his eyelids droop and more drool than sound escapes his lips.
"If you're going to be teaching the ogre some common words I suggest you start with some useful commands. Come, down, heel, stay and the like."
"I don't know about dat,Theodric. Conziderink he vas going to eat your horse, a focus on vhat is and vhat isn't food might be vise."
Gliadel fails to stifle a laugh at the dwarf's remark.
"We want to make sure when the fighting starts, he knows whose side he's on. Teaching him Theodric's language might be a terrible mistake."
Cromwell gladly accepts the offer of food, wolfing it down hungrily.
" Thank you Lanya, I was starving. it appears in my haste to come on this journey I forgot to pack food."
He considers for a moment then says "I had somehow assumed that there would be more people and towns along the way that I could offer healing in for coin or food. Hadn't realized how empty and lonely it would be."
"I agree we should teach Ging a small amount of common at least. If something were to happen to Lanya we would be hard pressed to communicate with him. I have a spell that lets me understand him, but isn't useful for speaking to him."
Kern sits on a rock, his staff balanced his knees, chewing on some jerky from his pack, "Looks like we're all going to have to either develop survival skills or find a way to trade services with the owner of the trading post so that we can buy rations."
He looks over towards Ging, considering.
"While the statement was obnoxious, I have to agree with Theodric somewhat. I think immediately useful words like 'Follow', 'Run', 'Help', and 'Danger' need to be on the short list of words to be taught...along with each of our names."
Kern turns towards Ging waving to get his attention, and points at him, "Ging."
He then points to himself, "Kern."
"Ging Kern!" Ging shouts. He seems to understand until he looks at Theodric and shouts, "Ging Kern!"
"Of course I'll be teaching him those words as well, but he should be able to understand a conversation a bit or make his own thoughts known to us when I'm not around. Not all of us speak Giant you know."
Lanya laughs at the young ogre misunderstanding Kern's gesture.
"I have told him your names. Thank you for your concern Cromwell, though I could try and teach some of you a few words Giant if you like." She asks around, not expecting anyone taking up her offer.
During the middle watch with Dyrm she tries to teach Ging the words for 'Run', 'Help', 'Hide' and 'Danger' as well as some more common words and sentences like 'Hello', 'I am Ging' and 'Thank you'.
"Very vell, I vill learn a bit of giant from you, if I can." Dyrm says.
"I will...consider it, Lanya, thank you for the offer." Cromwell replies in response to her offer to teach him giant.
I am not at all sure I want to learn the language of slobbering brutes like that. Is it worth the effort?
Overhearing his companion's conversation, Theodric takes the oppurtunity to butt in. "There's one particular phrase that I'd like to learn if you'd be so kind Lanya: 'Stop eating that!' I feel like it might come in handy. In fact, I feel like that might be a useful phrase for us all to teach each other in any languages we individually know."
Lanya smiles as Cromwell and Dyrm take her up on her offer, also laughing heartily as Theodric butts in.
Still stifling the last giggles she says: "Of course Theodric, I will gladly teach you that sentence in all languages I know. I'd think it would surprise many foes if you can listen in to their native mumblings."
As it now stands, Lanya will start right away on teaching Theodric his favored sentence in Elven, Draconic, Giant, Sylvan and Dwarven.
Kern watches the others, amused despite himself at Lanya's antics with Theodric, but he does not join in.
"Ging hot!" The poor creature throws up his hands and covers his eyes as if to make the sweaty, humid day go away due to his inability to see it.
Gliadel rides at a good distance from Ging, happily shouting back, "Gliadel hot, too!" though the heat is fairly mild compared to the Qadiran sun. The air here is thick and clammy, though, nothing like the clean heat of the desert, and it makes the ogre smell even worse than usual.
As they come near to Oleg's, she rides nearer to Lanya. "Do you think he'll wait for us if we ask him to stay while we go in and trade?"
"You und me both, Ging," The dwarf says, "Any more of dis, und I'll be wringing out mien beard."
Kern seems relatively comfortable in the humidity (though regular castings of Prestidigitation to chill or dry his undershirt likely have something to do with it), and there is an eagerness in his step as he gets closer to Oleg's.
"If Ging can stay out of sight to start, that would be helpful. Personally, I have little in the way of funds at this point, so mostly I am thinking that we establish ourselves, and then hopefully we can immediately begin mapping."
"Me too my large friend. This wind is bothersome as well."Cromwell will reply in his newly learned giant.
" I too am low on funds, Kern. Also would I like to get started. Hopefully to gain some measure of respect and prosperity. I would that the Trader's post has some that need a clerics skills, in the faint hope that I can trade them for rations and some paltry gear."
"From the sounds of my earlier conversation with Maegar Varn, this Oleg should have a very favorable disposition to us after we mention we're tasked with handling the bandit problem. I was told Oleg has been sending petitions to the Swordlords for troops to garrison his outpost to defend against them. We could probably exchange our services in dealing with them for supplies and lodging while we're in the area."
Theodric looks towards Ging. "We can probably get Oleg comfortable with the idea of Ging by claiming the ogre is a mercenary we have hired on to assist us against bandits in exchange for payments of food. It's close enough to the truth. I agree with Kern that we'll want to have him hide up the road while we go talk initially. One of our party who speaks giant should stay with him to keep an eye on him though. I propose Cromwell, as Lanya's charming looks and silver tongue might come in handy with negotiating with Oleg for both supplies and tolerance of the ogre's presence near his trading post. Plus a cleric of Abadar seems like a type of person person who would taste pretty bland, removing any temptations from Ging. Naturally we'll bring the horses with the main group as well to protect them."
Theodric is quiet for a moment while he strokes his chin in thought. "We want a way to communicate between the main group and Cromwell's group in case the cleric and ogre get ambushed by scared locals or bandits. It will probably be too far for shouting to be particularly effective. Do any of you spell casters have magic that could assist with this?"
Suddenly, the half-elf horsemen's eyes light up as he thinks of another brilliant idea.
"I can't believe I didn't think to ask this before! Do any of you have a spell that could make my horse taste repugnant? So bad that if Ging tried to eat him that he would throw up in disgust and give up?"
"I feel hot too Ging" Lanya says, though just as Cromwell she doesn't look the part, alot of Prestidigitation to keep her clothes clean and not sweaty.
"Well I would hope he waits for us Gliadel, actually I hope that Oleg doesn't make much of a problem of him. Though that could be a far-fetched dream I realise, seeing as how almost no-one trusts an ogre on first sight."
"Well Theodric I could cover him in a slime and make it smell foul, but I doubt you would want that right? Also if he ever tries to eat your horse than being repugnant in taste is a little late I suppose. Hopefully I can convince Oleg of Ging being our mercenary and he won't be making much of a problem of it."
As they ride, Gliadel not only casts prestidigitation on herself, but on Ging as well.
"I think Angry Horse Man has the right idea," she says, with a wink to Theodric. "We should bring Ging in with us and explain that he's on our side. But we want to make really, really sure he understands he's not supposed to eat anything without permission."
"At this point, the only communication magics available to us have a range of approximately one-hundred feet, so if we leave Ging behind, we'll need to trust that neither group will need the other in a hurry."
As his clothes cool and dry Ging's face grows very concerned.
"Kummitusi puhastada Ging riided! Ging pole nagu Kummitusi!"
"Ghosts clean Ging clothes! Ging no like ghosts!"
Once the deed is done however, and the "ghosts" are gone, Ging seems as giddy as a schoolboy.
"Ging no hot now!"
Dyrm seems amendable to the suggestions given about Ging, "That ist magic for you, Ging. Scary but useful, vithin limits." He think on how best to render the ogre looking less dangerous, "Ve could put him in clothes that are either ridiculous or respected. An ogre might look less scary in pink, on the other hand, if he wore colors of Brevoy, that might help sell the 'mercenary vit us' idea."
"That's brilliant Dyrm! We can help him change his image into that of a eccentric sell-sword. For now we can dye his clothes some garishly bright contrasting colors, and perhaps give him an unusual hair style. I'm thinking a bright yellow and lime green pattern with accents of orange for the clothes, and maybe shave half the right half of his head and dye it bright blue. Maybe give him a unusual last name and title as well to sell the story. Ging Horsebane, Captain of the Third Brevan Free Ogre Mercenary Company. Considering how unrefined his Common is, I suggest we try to play him off as the strong silent type."
Cromwell looks at Theodric, trying to decide if he is serious or joking.
Then he shrugs giving it up and says" Not a problem, I will wait with Ging. But I wonder how far away do you expect us to stay? We are in rolling grasslands and visibility is fairly good. I think we should approach within a 100 feet or so, close enough to stay in contact and far enough so as not to seem a threat to the outpost. As for making him a mercenary, I think that it could work. Tho I'm still not sure if you were serious about that or not."
Dyrm also looks dubious as if to Theodric is serious or not.
"I'm completely serious about this! It takes care of multiple problems we face with Ging. The first problem is that he is quite frightening, being an ogre and all. The garish clothing and ridiculous hair should help mitigate that. At the very least it should confuse people enough to buy us time to explain the ogre works for us. The second problem is that even if we could explain ourselves, having a ogre we are attempting to reform is not something people are going to be okay with. But if he is a civilized mercenary who only kills when he's getting paid to then people will be more relaxed. The third problem is that he doesn't fully know how to behave properly. With a weird appearance and a proper back story, anything improper he does will be blamed on his eccentric personality."
"However reasonable you make that sound Theodric, I'm not someone for forcing Ging to wear outlandish clothing or make him look silly. It's something different if Ging himself wants to wear other clothing, I guess a set of armour made for him would better serve him as being seen as a mercenary, practical and not silly."
"Armor would be better than a clown costume," Gliadel nods to Lanya. "I am not convinced either will conceal the fact that Ging is an ogre, however. Also, there is the question of where to get a suit of armor in his size before we reach Oleg's? Why don't I ride ahead and simply tell them that our group includes an ogre, that he isn't dangerous and they needn't fear him? That has the virtue of being true, as well as possible. If the people at Oleg's do not feel they can trust him, then he will simply have to prove his usefulness."