Tynan looks at the proffered chalk, and waves it away. "Oh, I'm not any good at drawing. I used to hear that all the time from my dau..." Tynan's voice trails off. "I'm just not any good. Thank you though." A shadow crosses his face, and his eyes grow distant.
Tynan stands and looks up the road, back toward the town. "I wonder what's keeping the others?'
"We don't need a puppy, Sol. Come on, let's focus on finding the lost girl." Rae grabs some ham scraps to use with the dogs and takes the leashes.
"Is everyone ready?" She looks around for the others, taking a count.
*****
Rae make their way to the signpost as quickly as possible. The subtle sheen of her scale mail flashes occasionally as she moves, her sword strapped to her back much like her sister's.
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Hoping to be unnoticed, Mort returns to his room at Osgoods as quietly as possible to retrieve his things. Hefting his backpack onto himself -- he finds himself suddenly thinking:
What am I doing? What if that tiny little guy falls -- or someone else -- and I have to *carry* them or something?
He wrenches the wretched thing off of his back and starts dumping its contents onto the cot.
I'll just have to rough it.
He repacks only the things he thinks are necessary or useful for this excursion, stashing the rest under the cot in the room and covering it with a bedroll. He then dons the pack like as if it were a silk shawl.
He grunts in satisfaction. Much better. At least the gnome will fit if not the girl.
He tries to sneak out a side way in an effort to avoid being followed.
Clad in a chain shirt, pants, woolen cowl and basic travelling boots, the Walking Arsenal appears at the appointed meeting area. Two sword hilts jut out over his massive shoulders. A warhammer adorns one hip, and a smaller throwing hammer decorates the other.
"Don't look at me like that!" he cries slightly defensively, oblivious to how his appearance might look to others. "I don't know the first thing about dogs."
Mort looks over Canary's drawing.
"Very nice! You draw very well."
He frowns slightly at his own depiction.
Good Gods... Do I really look like that?
Lazare hands Raella the leashes. "Glad to see you might be able to use them. You'll want to remember 'haunch' and 'hold', at the least. Not sure if you'll need it, but if you run into blatant trouble, they'll respond to 'have at', as well. Speak it loudly. Cudgel's hearing is not what it used to be." He reaches down, and ruffles their scruffs. "You'll look after them, won't you? I get the sense that you're suited for that." He smiles gently.
"They all shall have whatever valor lives within these bones, though I fear my company already comes too late."
"Well, I can't ask for more then, can I? Take hope." Lazare looks as if he might say more, but encourages you to make haste instead.
Walking into Osgood's, you're welcomed by your fellow employees, in short phrases and quick grunts. Osgood doesn't seem to be present.
As you depart, Ernaut chimes in. "Assume it's important. I'll let Osgood know. Watch your back."
You do indeed need to approach Frederick, as he shakes his head and begins to step off the road due north. You intercept him along the hypotenuse.
He startles when you speak, coming full stop.
"Master Frederick, it is good to see you again, Sir. I have been sent to assist you while you are out and about. I shall be happy to accompany you to your next destination, wherever it is. We little ones can be of great assistance, you know."
He is young, and lies do not come easily to him. "I... I thought we were meeting... I thought we had time... it's still rather cold, perhaps Meghan will need a blanket..." He stops speaking, and allows you to escort him back onto the Vein, and onwards to the meeting at Dourstone.
...
The grey sky fails to break, maintaining a steady chill. The mountain air stirs briskly, seeking out unprotected skin. As you find your way to the fringe of town, you are aware of old eyes following you along the road. Judging you and your new associates and what business you may have. Something new, at least, to be shared on back fences. A couple of garrison soldiers slowly walk past, likely returning to rest, after a night's watch.
The dogs don't seem to mind, happy to be outside. They test the strength of both leash and lady, and soon find a comfortable compromise on the pull.
Pillette and Frederick are the last to arrive. Frederick rubs his hands together, then picks up the pace, hoping to make good time in the hour's trek.
The majority of the travel is facilitated by a relatively well-packed road. As the hour closes, Frederick points to a dilapidated building, roof still intact, in spite of the collapsed second floor. "There. I think that's an old building from one of the mines. Last time we were here, it was empty." Frederick waits for the search party to catch up, long and short legs alike.
"It's not much further now."
Sol declines the leashes to the dogs, waiting for their return and getting the new puppy saving herself for that responsibility.
Sol doesn't walk so much as confidently stride in her armor, her sword and shield swaying in counterbalance to her hips. She likes the jingle that her armor makes as she moves, enjoying the song of the journey.
She keeps pace with Rae and the dogs, watching where her sister goes and following her.
"Oh! I love morning hikes! Don't you, Mort? There is so much dew today! Isn't dew like little morning kisses?" Sol asks with a smile.
Mort looks over Canary's drawing.
"Very nice! You draw very well."
Ascaria looks up, "Thanks! I have trouble with hands. I can draw my right hand OK with my left hand, but I can't draw my left hand with my right - and I'm right handed!"
- - -
Ascaria does his best to keep up with the longer strides of the taller people.
"It's not much further now."
Whew!
Tynan looks at the dilapidated building in the distance, and tries to recall if he's heard anything about the place. What was that used for in the past...
Tynan turns to the group, and pulls the hood up on his cloak."Would you'd like me to scout ahead to make sure the building is still uninhabited?"
Mort regards the decaying building with curiosity.
"[...] Last time we were here, it was empty."
Frederick, have you visited this building many times? Was it always vacant?
"Oh! I love morning hikes! Don't you, Mort? There is so much dew today! Isn't dew like little morning kisses?"
Mort tries not to look taken aback.
My charges... I can't pretend I didn't hear that...
"I like walking, yes", he says somewhat stoically, then adds, "Were I to recall, I would not speak about the other matter of which you make mention."
Out of the grey, something occurs to him.
Lazare doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would do something for nothing.
"Might anyone know what Lazare's interest in finding Meghan is?"
He wonders again about the Sherrif's apparently agressive disinterest in the case.
"Would you'd like me to scout ahead to make sure the building is still uninhabited?"
You show great courage Tynan, but perhaps it best to stay together for now.
The halfling's little legs move nimbly, if a bit stridently to try and keep up with the talk folk. Pillette attempts to keep her cloak firmly fastened on her now bundled body, a large bulge not always covering the large stock of her basic armament.
She keeps a close eye on Frederick, looking for any further skittishness or apprehension in the lad's movements.
"Might anyone know what Lazare's interest in finding Meghan is?"
The halfling smiles at the big, strapping man, as she responds politely to his query.
"Sir, Master Lazare has many interests, all his own. Surely those include making sure this unfortunate girl is returned safely." Although the girl's situation could make that an interesting return."Would you'd like me to scout ahead to make sure the building is still uninhabited?""You show great courage Tynan, but perhaps it best to stay together for now."
Before she can encourage the man, Mortimer's caution is expressed. Ahh, it's to be like that, is it? Too bad. Tynan seems to be the brave type who would take danger on himself and make sure the path ahead is safe for the rest of us, like a good doorman should. The little, over-bundled servant instead nods.
She retrieves a rather large crossbow out from under her cloak and deftly loads a quarrel into it before hefting it in front of her. "Shall we proceed, then?"
"Were I to recall, I would not speak about the other matter of which you make mention."
Sol tilts her head at Mort's phrase, trying to make sense of it. Even after moments of thought, it's clear that she does not get it.
"Oh yeah, morning walks at the best. So is dew."
* * *
Sol ooohs as Plllette pulls out the crossbow as if remembering something.
"Are we hunting rabbits too!?" Sol asks, taking off her backpack and looking within. He draws out a bandolier and rickrolls over her left shoulder, a line of 10 darts lining her impossibly perfect chest.
Shel lets others scouts if they want and waits with the group until it's time to move on.
"Of course, Lazare."
**********
"Come on, boys. Let's go see if we can find her." Rae smiles as the dogs trot along, joining the others "They're not so different than Thistle. Friendlier, I guess."
"Not rabbits, Sol. Just the girl. But if you see anything dangerous, feel free to shoot it anyway. Uhhh... Except us." Rae looks over the assembled. And we are, aren't we? If for no other reason than the company we keep.
She moves the dogs closer to the boy when he and the slip show up, letting them scent him.
"Let's go find Meghan, shall we?"
"Oh yeah, morning walks at the best. So is dew."
Mort feels the Uncomfortable Nameless Emotion he's felt in the past when attempting to communicate with his peers at Osgoods when he hears Sol's reiterated sentiment. Mistaking her confusion over his phrase for anger he tries by way of explanation:
"My apologies Miss Sol. I just meant -- that if I could recall having an experience such as the one with which you compared the dew -- I do not know that it ever would have occurred to me to make... a comparison... as such..." he trails off awkwardly.
At least not out loud.
He hangs his head in shame, feeling the apology insufficient.
I should try to ... 'fit in' more, as they said.
"Are we hunting rabbits too!?"
What?!
He looks at Sol as if he was just seeing her for the first time. Encouraged by Rae's words and the sisters' battle attires he thinks:
Surely they can hold their own in battle.
"If they are the large-nasty-hostile-grimy-weapon-wielding-in-our-way kind of rabbits, then yes." he hopefully offers.
He looks at the others: "Yes, Let us... erm..." he fumbles a bit. "I mean -- let's ... go."
Seeing everyone getting out their weapons, Ascaria fumbles for his own. He digs a little in his pack, eventually puling out a sling. He pats a pouch, then another, before finding some cold iron sling bullets - freshly bought by the look of them - though one has some smudged chalk on it.
He puts a bullet in the sling and follows the others with a frown on his normally smiling countenance.
Frederick looks about you all, before running up to the front door, and swinging it wide open. He checks the interior expectantly, but his body posture changes, shoulders drooping almost comically.
"She's not here."
He returns slowly, eyes barely touching on Pillette, before he continues down the road for a couple of minutes. Shortly, he pauses, considering the side of the road. He eventually commits to leaving the road at a certain point, and the search party finds itself moving into the hills for the remainder of the trek.
The wet grass becomes something hardier. Trees leave haphazard blockades, and brambles scatter across the trail-free grounds, as the vegetation grows thick. Travel slows to half, easily. Another several minutes pass.
Quite abruptly, Frederick stops.
He slowly raises his hand, finger pointing. "There. I don't know more, only that she brought me to about here, and she pointed, like me, up the hill a ways. She said he called to her from there."
Based on Frederick's tone, it's clear he won't go further.
Wreck begins to whine softly. Cudgel starts to whine shortly after, joining his brother, though only Wreck stares up the hill, where Frederick is pointing.
Sol rushes forward to comfort Frederick.
"Oh, that's okay Frederick! This isn't your fault...we'll go up and find her. Don't you worry. I bet she's right over this hill and just fine," Solrisa suggests. From the tone of her voice, she really believes that could be true.
She looks at the party, asmile.
"Well, let's go get her!" Still weaponless (in hand) and unconcerned, Sol begins to march up, looking for the girl who is totally fine.
"Sol, Stop!" Rae barks at her sister, glowering after her.
"The dogs are unhappy with something up that way. Perhaps you should prepare for something that might make them unhappy? Yes, like Mort said. Prepare for rabbits, that might want to hurt you, me, or Meghan." She nods uncomfortably at the man in question, then stomps ahead of her sister, the dogs going with her.
The halfling moves over to Frederick, and stares hard at him.
This feels too much like a set-up, but that old building would have been a better place for an ambush. What is this boy playing at?
She suppresses a glower and tries a smile instead. "Now might be the time to tell me where else you were thinking about going back in the city. Why you almost didn't come meet the rest of us?"
She nods sympathetically. "Now's the time to come clean, Frederick, about everything, and only then will we be able to help."
Tynan strains to spot anything upon the hill, but notices nothing. Seeing Frederick stop so abruptly, and the normally fearless hounds whining in protest, his thoughts turn wary. I really don't like the looks of this...
"Now's the time to come clean, Frederick, about everything, and only then will we be able to help."
Tynan looks at Frederick over Pilette's tiny frame, and nods in agreement with her wise words
"It may be our only hope to save Meghan."
Frederick flinches as Pillette speaks so directly to him. He looks at the others, especially Solrisa, who barely gains distance from the party.
"What else do you want from me? I promised you I'd show you here, and I've done it. I'm two hours gone from town, and my mother might be worrying about where I am." Frederick looks at Solrisa, then back to Pillette.
"I wanted to go home, is all. Shoulda never thought it would work. Me and her. If my parents knew I was seeing her, they wouldn't approve. 'Whore mum, whore daughter.' Please..." He trails off, glad to stop talking. He looks ready to be done.
"Is that all? If she is inappropriate for you to marry, well, that's what lovers are for." Of course most individuals of station marry solely to advance the family's interests. But one of station could always choose a favorite based on love, if they wanted to indulge that weakness. Don't parents teach their children anything in this isolated berg?
"No reason to... hinder... your family's interests if not necessary. But if you love her, want her, it is your duty to protect her. Especially if she is from a different station."
She looks him hard up and down. "If you are certain there is nothing else you can tell about her sleepwalking, the voice calling her, or any other threats to her..." A stumbling lad like you would just probably just get in the way.
Ascaria watches the hallooing grill Frederick with some interest.
It didn't even occur to me he might be spreading falsehoods. Huh.
An image pops into his his mind and he looks around for something to draw on, but thinks the better of it. Instead he watches, quietly pacing in place from one foot to another.
Such conflict. This isn't like the mines. It feels just as dangerous, but there's an edge of something else too...
But that's as far as his thinking takes him.
Tynan studies Frederick's expression, and pats the boy comfortingly on the back. "Pilette, I believe he's told us all he knows." He gives a nod of approval to the halfling, then turns toward the hill. "Let me see if I can spot any sign of Meghan's passing."
Tynan scans the ground around the base of the hill, looking for any signs of the girl, but the wind has apparently cleared any sign of her passage. He shakes his head in frustration.
"We should proceed onward. I have an ill feeling about this place..."
As Frederick moves to go, Rae steps into his path, the dogs close enough to sniff his knees.
"Go home. But if I hear word that you've ever said anything close to what just came out of your mouth again, about any one, I'll feed your tongue to the dogs and apologize to their master after."
She leans in, her breath blowing dust from his lashes.
"Am I being perfectly clear?"
If the boy seems to appropriately cowed, she steps back to let him pass and joins the others.
"Let's go."
"We should proceed onward."
Solrisa smiles at Tynan.
"That's the spirit! I bet she's around here someplace!" Solrisa agrees as she resumes her march.
Sol marches another 100 yards.
"MEG-GHAN!"
Tynan cringes at Solrisa's yelling. So much for subtlety...
He pulls out his short sword, and heads up the hill after her.
Mortimer scratches the back of his head in utter confusion.
Yes, like Mort said. Prepare for rabbits, that might want to hurt you, me, or Meghan."
He shrugs to himself and in two or three bounds catches up with the party. Dropping into even stride with the sisters he looks at Sol cheerily and says:
"Like this, Sol!" In an effort to encourage Sol to do likewise, he draws his long sword and holds it to the ready, his focus shifting to the landscape around him. He carefully looks for any movement in the tall grasses while keeping in mind where all the Little People are.
"If you are certain there is nothing else you can tell about her sleepwalking, the voice calling her, or any other threats to her..."
Frederick nods, sensing an end to the halfling's questioning. "Of that, I am certain, yes. It was confusing for both of us."
"Go home. But if I hear word that you've ever said anything close to what just came out of your mouth again, about any one, I'll feed your tongue to the dogs and apologize to their master after."
She leans in, her breath blowing dust from his lashes.
"Am I being perfectly clear?"
The boy pulls up short, almost bumping into Cudgel. He blanches as Raella speaks her mind, but finds mobility enough in his neck to nod his understanding, before running back down the wooded hill, and out of sight.
"MEG-GHAN!"
A lone wolf eyes you from higher ground, roughly 200 feet ahead.
A lone wolf, muzzle darkened with what appears to be blood, eyes you from higher ground, roughly 200 feet ahead.
The ground becomes firmer on the upward sloping of the hill, but it's still quite apparent that wolves, several of them, have passed this way recently.
The ground becomes firmer on the upward sloping of the hill, but it's still quite apparent that wolves, several of them, have passed this way recently.
Amongst the wolf tracks, a lone set of barefoot prints can be seen, working their way up the slope of the hill.
The ground becomes firmer on the upward sloping of the hill, but it's still quite apparent that wolves, several of them, have passed this way recently.
Amongst the wolf tracks, a lone set of barefoot prints can be seen, working their way up the slope of the hill. The left footprint consistently leaves a darkened spot in the arch of the depression. Blood, it appears.
Wreck and Cudgel seem to lock onto a scent, seeing a path up the hill that isn't apparent to Raella. Both of them continue to nose the ground, their attention wholly focused downward. While they investigate, their hackles begin to raise.
Mort's eyes struggle to adjust to the greyness surrounding him.
He suddenly lurches to the ground trying to avoid tripping over the gnome, who goes tumbling slight ahead of the party.
Tynan calls out to the group, and stops advancing, pointing out the wolf atop the hill "Hold! It appears we have company."
He carefully studies the target to determine what threat it poses to the group. There are likely others in the area...
Distracted by the wolf, Tynan notices no signs of Meghan's passage.
What now?
Mort lurches to his feet and over to help up the gnome, then braces himself for an impending wolf attack.
"But if I hear word that you've ever said anything close to what just came out of your mouth again, about any one."
Better keep this one away from the girl's mother and her haunts, or Lazare's dogs will be overfed.
Upon hearing there is company, she takes one last look to make sure Frederick made it away, before raising her crossbow and peering ahead.
The gnome, largely oblivious, starts up the hill when Mort nearly tumbles over him.
"Sorry about that! I do get underfoot at times." Ascaria grins. "I'll try to stay out of your way big guy."
He takes Mort's help and scrambles up the hill.
"Hold! It appears we have company."
He stops, quite frozen, peering into the distance, seeing nothing. He says, his voice quivering barely above a whisper, "What do you see Tynan?"
Tynan points his sword up the hill, indicating where he's looking. "There's a rather large wolf, there at the top of the hill... near that large oak tree. Where there's one wolf, there are often more."
"Like this, Sol!"
Sol claps her manhands calloused hands together daintily to appreciate Mort's abilities.
Oh good, I don't need to draw mine if he's got it covered. How thoughtful of him! I can walk with my hands free.
* * *
"There's a rather large wolf, there at the top of the hill... near that large oak tree. Where there's one wolf, there are often more."
Sol looks, but doesn't mind the wolf.
"Oh, they aren't going to attack us. We are many and he is one...or maybe a few more. They are pretty though...say, Rae....do you think they have puppies with them?"
Sol keeps moving, looking for Meghan.
Mort glances at Rae to see if she's at all concerned about her apparently addled sister, ready to intercept danger if necessary.
There is something not right here...
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Tynan shakes his head, and once again starts up the hill after Solrisa.
Raella apparently needs another leash...
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That is ! That is a wolf, not a dog, and even a dog could hurt you... Now knock it off and wait for US to either scare it away or take care of IT!" AND quit screaming! Rae shakes her head and stomps in front of her sister.
She and the dogs move cautiously forward.
"SOLRISA IOME ARABASTI! That is ENOUGH!"
If looks could maim....
Trying to keep her concentration forward, but hearing the sisters broadcast their presence to any miles around, the halfling slowly starts to step away from the group, looking for some kind of cover in the trees or brambles.She looks back and forth from Tynan, who seems to have eyes keen enough to notice the danger, and the potentially wolfly tree he indicated.
She attempts to use the foliage as cover, hiding herself, but slowly moving forward, keeping her eye on the direction of the danger.
Ascaria laughs out loud at the sisters quarrel, trying to support each of them with a 'thumbs up'.
Comforted that it's only a wolf, he proceeds onward doing his best to keep up with the mostly long legged group.
Sol's surprised look turns to one of forgiveness as she realizes that it's Raella who is yelling at her.
"Aw...don't worry. I can take care of myself...and Mort is here too," Sol says, putting a braid behind her pointed ear. "And how are we going to find her if she doesn't know we're looking for her? Maybe our yelling will wake her up."
Sol presses on, letting Rae and the dogs lead.
Halfway up the hill, a second wolf appears alongside the first, where she begins a deep resonant howl. The first wolf continues to watch your approach, then breaks right, padding away quietly.
Perhaps the hills echo, as moments later you hear a distant howl, coming from somewhere far off down the hill, behind you. Upon hearing this howl, the second wolf moves up the hill briefly, and disappears.
Between the wolf howls, you think you may have heard a human howl. No words, only a light, wordless moan.
The dogs begin to growl intermittently, occasionally looking off to the right. The leashes grow taut.
"*Hold* Cudgel. *Hold* Wreck." Rae stops, signalling the dogs to stay, for now.
"That's two." Rae says to the others. "Where there's two, there's more."
Wreck cocks his thick head, and starts to whine, as Raella commands them to hold position. He makes a singular lurch uphill, and slightly left, then stands his ground, yielding to Raella's command.
Hearing multiple howls around the group, Tynan sprints forward thirty feet, and puts his back to a large tree. He quickly scans the hillside for any sign of the wolves.
Tynan yells to the group. "They're moving to flank us! Get ready to fend them off, and watch your backs!"
Rae nods at Tynan's assessment, but isn't happy about it."Wreck's heard something. He's pulling left, and up. I'm not sure if it's more wolves, or if he's got some sign of Meghan in his nose."
She pulls back in, near Sol. "Your sword, Sister. These things aren't friendly. We may have to deal with the wolves before we can find Meghan."
Sensing potentially imminent danger, Solrisa reaches and retrieves her shield, binding it to her arm. She has yet to draw her sword, but does go back to back with Raella.
"Wolvsies, Rae!"
Pillette tries to stay to the brambles and brush, giving her as much cover as possible as she slowly works her way up the hill.
Her crossbow out and loaded, her gaze looking for anything that might be circling them, coming at them from the sides or behind.
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Ascaria tries to stay in the middle of the party with his little sling so as to avoid direct contact with the wolves he's sure are coming soon.
"Do we have time to try and make it back to that shack? I'd hate to be surrounded out here by a large pack and cut down. It would be good if we could funnel them somehow." There's fear in his voice, but also excitement and he's grinning despite himself.