Jo hears what Xianae said an it upsets him. "No magic better been used on Jo. Jo not like no magic!"
Once staisfied that no magic was used on him he moves quickly on to more important things like breakfast.
"Jo not only like Rabbit, Jo like bacon and sausages, ham, pork, beef, benison.... all kinds of stuff." Jo says as he grabs a dish/bowl/trencher full of food.
He sits back on his damp blankets and ingnoring the pain in his side for a moment, tears into the healthy portion of food.
I look to Jo, "I'm used to Magick's now, was sent's to the Shaman a lot's. Broken bones, deep cuts 'n' even weapons sticking out's of me. The tribe's didn't like me's, I was weak to them's. I can't heal's as fast as ya, wish I could's though! Then's I wouldn't's have seen Shaman so much!"
I head over to Jo, sit down and whisper to him, "Ya keep a secret? These tattoo's were given's to me by Shaman, meant to's protect me from poison's. Ya know the worst's thing, all they do is burn like's fire! So's I can see why ya don't like it's, this is my Magick 'n' I can't get rid's of it. It's a curse!" While whispering to Jo I get a little upset and at the end of my talk, I wipe my eyes to remove any tears that could be signs of weakness.
Looking up to the rest of the group, "So's ... what are we doing's today?"
|
Mother Muddlumm smiles, "You're welcome to stay here today if you would like. If you need privacy, I can arrange for a private warren here." She gives a stern look to Jo and Xianae, "You two have no business going anywhere today. Stay here and rest. I need to head into the city for some supplies today. I'll bring more tea for you. With luck, you'll be fully recovered in another day."
Jo listens to Xianae's story. He pats her on the back with the all the tact of someone patting a dog.
"Dat's ok. Don't cry. Warriors not supposed to cry. Your too tough to cry. Jo got problems too. Jo not like magic cause Jo's stepdad used it to make Jo big. Jo not like magic since."
Jo hears Mother's words and digs into his pouch for coins. He hands an unknown amount of gold coins. "Here lady. Buy Jo some food. Maybe some beef or pork shanks. Jo has feeling Jo be hungry later."
I smile at Jo for his pep-talk. "Such a Magick would's be wanted in the trbie's, ya could's defeat ya're foes easier."
I look to "Mother", "What's are we supposed's to do all day then's?" At that moment an idea comes to mind, "Roman, ya up's for it now?"
|
|
Mother Muddlumm sorts through Jo's coins and picks out two gold pieces. "This one for food. This one for the cause." Mother shrugs on a cloak covering her plain, homespun clothes and a simple pale blue pin of a flower. She's nearly slipped out the tunnel when she catches Xianae's words, "You can rest. If I'm not back for lunch, you can find something in the kitchen. The rest of you other than the giant can do whatever you like."
Looking back at "Mother", "Don't worry's, I'll keep's myself relaxed."
Once Mother has gone and I can no longer hear her, "So's, ya up's for our training's now? The only way I know's to relax."
Coran is quite enjoying himself picking potatoes something that was not combat And worrying one of his teammates was going to fall. He gathers all he collected and head back to the house with the basket given to him as well as his pockets running over with potatoes. "good morning everyone, Mother is this enough potatoes." Coran smiles boardly. "what did I miss?"
Jo takes off his boots (which have not been off for several days). After making sure Rosebud is secure in the corner, he lies back down on the rugs, stretches out, and enjoys the opportunity to rest.
"Get some rest Xianae. Jo spar wif you later if you want. Right now Jo get some more rest" he says as he puts his arm over his eyes.
Before long he is snoring once again...
Emmett lights a pipe, looking at Jo, thoughtful. I wonder what kind of experiment... Anyway, I won't be able to use my wand on him... For now.
He then dives back into the spellbook.
As Roman is not hurt, he does what he can to assist Mother Mudlumm in cooking and tending to the wounded, but doesn't speak much. He doesn't feel very comfortable in the cramped space filled with smoke from the bonfire and Emmett's pipe, and by the next day he is eager to move on.
"Maybe we should show up at Whitechin's place again and demand our wage for trimming his garden and getting rid of his pests for him." he jests with a wry smile.
"Xianae, I can spar with you, while Jo is recuperating. Do you prefer weapons, or bare fists?"
Emmett keeps an eye on Mother, and from time to time, offers to help, hoping to learn a thing or two by studying her routine. From time to time, he'll ask stories about his mother, looking far in the distance afterwards, wondering. He'll also ask her about the change in Westcrown: "Mother, how long have you been working around the area? What do you think should be done to change the city, make it less... dormant and non caring?"
I look to Roman looking very happy, "I prefer fighting with weapons, but seeing as "Mother" will probably be really angry if she saw us sparring with weapons, I think we should go unarmed. If that's good with you?"
I glance over to check that my armour and weapon are safely inside the cave and head into the first "empty" cave where I stand ready to start my fight.
"When I said unarmed, I didn't mean unarmored", Roman thinks to himself, but also abandons his chain shirt and stands opposite Xianae. He invites her to deliver the first strike and dodges it in a twisting motion, retaliating with a swift counterattack. His fighting style is reactive, as he attempts to get into the rhythm of his opponent and then suddenly break it with a grab or trip attempt.
My fighting style is very much that of someone who likes the idea of hitting hard. So as I am throwing punches, Roman keeps on dodging under my fists. After one dodge I notice him start to come at me with his fist clenched, upon seeing this I bring my elbow down, trying to catch it on his arm.
As my elbow connects with his wrist, I bring my other hand across and aim for his arm, obviously trying to stay away from his head.
But he dodges around my second punch again, "Stand still's 'n' fight's me!"
This continues for a couple of hours, until we both collapse on the floor exhausted, each of us getting hit a lot, but probably me more so than Roman. After resting a little bit I stand up, take Romans hand and nod to him as we make our way back into the occupied cave. Me smiling all the while. Then I spend the rest of the day resting as ordered.
Roman quickly rubs his aching wrist before Xianae follows up with another series of punches. He tries to sidestep it and deliver a hook under her ribs.
"I'm trying, but you are fighting the air, not me!"
Another Xianae's attack is blocked, and as their arms meet, Roman immediately grabs her elbow and twists it, while putting his foot next to Xianae's ankle.
But he underestimates her weight and ends up on the floor himself, panting heavily. "Alright, next time I won't be treating you as a girl!" he teases.
Coran watches the 2 spar "Roman watch out for her wounds, we wouldn't anything to reopen."
|
|
It is late afternoon. The sparring is long done, but dusk is still some ways off. Over the course of the day, you've learned that two other halflings are currently staying in the tunnels. A married couple that introduce themselves as Aelianus and Bellona. Their accents are Wiscrani, but they dodge your questions anytime you try to get more specific about where they are from.
You are resting in the room where you slept last night when Mother Muddlumm comes back through the tunnel, her backpack stuffed with who knows what. She peers around the room, "Rest today right? I have more tea. And dinner. Then we'll talk. Who can help?"
Byron pulls himself to his feet, from where he has been watching the sparring.
"I would be happy to help, Mother..."
Byron nods.
"That would be wise. I know all too well some of the scum that floats to the top, there..."
He then turns to Roman.
"Since we want stealth, would you care to accompany me?"
Roman dons his armor again. "Yeah, I could use some fresh air, I'm tired of sitting in this cave."
"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......"
Coran gives a nod of thanks to mother for letting him back in the garden. ."come on Moondark let's get to it this will be fun, nothing beats a hard days work." Coran heads close to Moondark and whispers
I get up and follow Emmett into the kitchen, "What's can I do's to help? Most of's my strength's are in battle's, but's I'll help's anyway I can's."
Byron grabs two of the buckets, and then heads down to the river...
... with Roman trailing him, trying not to make any sound with the rest of the buckets.
Emmett puffs the last of his pipe and rises slowly after putting it away, eyes looking in the far distance, as though searching for something: "Humm? A yes, dinner, sure. I can help with things, but I could also set the table. That sounds like something to do, no?"
Emmett moves very slowly, enjoying the last of the fumes lingering in his lungs and his skull.
He walks outside with Moondark keeping quiet until they are further into the garden then kneels down and begins pulling carrots, then he speaks "From what I have seen it is very potent form of attack and killing for subtly. What is your plan with poison?"
|
|
Moondark gawks at Coran, "I figured you wouldn't approve. I mean you're a healer and all that. I don't really know what I'd do with it. I kinda screwed up trying to get it out of the spider head anyway, but I guess it would just be for something big and dangerous. I mean you and me might need a little something to even the odds you know."
He looks back at Moondark as he puts more carrots into the basket "I never said I approve, but I do know there are uses for it, evening the odds for one there are also poisons that don't kill, they slow down or weaken or put to sleep." he pauses thinking of how to word his next sentence "I don't know how to use poison or extract it from creatures but I know people that might be able to show you the right way to do so. If I was talking to my father I could have him do it." Coran doesn't look up "As you said it can be used to even the odds, I will tell you this I will never use poison it isn't to my taste, but I will help you learn the right way to do it and find poisons that are less fatal."
He gets up to go to the next row and looks at Moondark again. "You didn't screw up, had you ever done it before there is a big difference. You need to stop betting yourself up and let us figure out where we can get you training. How does that sound to you?"
|
|
Mother thanks Xianae, "Battle huh? Perhaps you know your way around a knife then. Into the kitchen with you and start peeling potatoes."
Byron and Roman reach the river. The undergrowth here is thick and you feel you've successfully hidden yourselves. Fortunately, traffic on the river is slowing as night approaches. You can see a final few adels downriver near the city making for the docking islands or one of the shores.
In the fading light, you catch sight of an adel upriver, making its way for shore someplace in Rego Cader, not far from the park. You can make out a single figure, but not well before you lose sight of the boat around the riverbank.
"Right, let's get these buckets back to Mother before we are spotted..."
Roman squints as he notices something odd on the river, but he can't quite make out what's going on. He closes his eyes and offers a short prayer to Milani for guidance, and when he opens them again, he can make out a lonely silhouette on a single adel upriver, looking for a place to dock in Rego Cader, not far from the park.
"Someone's heading to the park from the mainland.", he whispers to Byron.
"We should hurry back to the others, and let them know that there might be company..."
I look to "Mother" holding the knife, "This'll be good's. I'm better with axes, but's these Potato's will's be skinned quick's!" With that, I start to skin the potatoes, quite quickly and not worrying if I cut myself. I seem to be having a lot of fun with this knife.