"Really? Never would have pegged the Iron Underdog for a carpenter." Druuth said as he set down his spear and moved over to the hot spring. After moving his cloak, the Orc used the shield to block Gashka's view as he removed his lower garments then stepped into the water. Once lowered himself down, he kept his shield within arms reach, unlike the spear which was across the room.
She shrugs as she doesn't even seem to notice him getting into the hot spring, "Huh....I don't know, from the earliest I can remember he was always making things to sell along with whatever furs, pelts, and meats he had managed to catch while out on one of his hunting trips of which...there were many. That's how he provided for us. As far as I know, I was born in free port and we were there until I was about five or six maybe....I don't remember exactly. I just remember how mean some of the people were there, especially some of the children in the neighborhood we lived in and as you've seen, I can have a bit of a temper. One day I went home and asked momma what a monster was, and shortly after that we were packed up and moving to Swamp Wood and we've been there ever since. I had never even heard of this Gothos place until my friends and I were out of Swampwood and then that's when I started hearing about it and some different people were asking me if I was from there and I had no idea what they were talking about.....until now." She closes her mouth and looks away from him and just sort of looks down as she tries to breath. Why was she talking so much? Was it because this man knew her papa from earlier in his life? Was she curious to find out what kind of man her papa really used to be?
Sighing she says, "Sorry....I tend to talk a lot when I'm trying to figure stuff out. I guess no matter what I tell myself, I'm still having trouble dealing with the fact that they lied to me...even though I know what my friends said is true."
After a couple of minutes she gets up from her seat and kind of paces around the space for a bit, "I know to you he's the Iron Underdog, but I don't even know who that person is. To me...he's still just Papa, the one who always use to tell me that fighting wasn't the answer and "violence doesn't solve anything". You're talking about the man who used to lecture me endlessly about not losing my temper and made me do chores to take out my aggression on. When I did get into fights....even if I didn't start them I would get lectured, and if I did start them I got a helluva lot more than a lecture. The only thing he liked less than me fighting, was lying. So...you'll understand if I seem to have trouble with this, it's not because of you. It's because you're telling me that my Papa used to be....I don't know someone I never imagined and it's hard for me to see that in him. Taverns and Arena's aside, did you know him very well at all? Did you know anything else about him, and could you please just call him Thrainn since that's what his name is? I just...I can't think of him as this Iron Underdog."
Druuth shrugged, "As you wish Gashka. I may not know Thrainn's exact reason for not telling of his past, but I can hazard a guess as to why the no fighting. Based on what I've seen and what you've said, it would appear your family's inherent rage may be coming to fruition. Their is a rumor among the arena fighters that your great-great-great Grandfather pissed off some shaman back in the day by winning a fight he was suppose to lose. As a result, the first born has been subject to an uncontrollable rage that when it takes hold, is dangerous to all around them. Thrainn seemed to have a better handle on it than his father, probably due to his venting it in the arena." A thought then occurred to the old Orc, "I'm sorry, where are my manners. Help yourself to the provision locker over there. I have more than enough food to spare."
looking to Flynt, Yeah, I'm fine. just wondering what all this is about.
it takes a moment to sink in, but it eventually does, If Gashka went back to the boat, and Druuth is missing, and since that map seems to be some magic thingy, why is there a Gashka dot there, and the boat is over there. and why is Druuth's dot with Gashka's dot. and why are they dots on the map. and where is that place? and finally, why the heck do I sound like a inquisitive Halfling?
She growls in frustration as her stomach seems to echo the sentiment. Nodding at him she goes to the indicated food storage device and takes out some things to help her hunger pains go away as she looks at him, "See...stuff like that would have been helpful to know...oh I don't know...years ago?! No wonder I've been so...out of control lately. During one of our last battles I nearly attacked my friends...hells, I kicked at Tickle. I didn't seriously injure anyone important to me thankfully...but I was out of control and I could have hurt any one of them very badly and when I went to Tikkle to talk to him about it...he just sort of shrugged it off and told me that he wasn't really worried about it because my love for them would stop me....but, I'm not so sure about that. I had NO control over myself when I lost it....but....we still have several a~&%&~%s to deal with and I can't let them down. What am I supposed to do?" Sitting back down at the table she nibbles on some of the dried meats and fruits she pulled out of his food locker thingy.
looking to Flynt, Yeah, I'm fine. just wondering what all this is about.
it takes a moment to sink in, but it eventually does, If Gashka went back to the boat, and Druuth is missing, and since that map seems to be some magic thingy, why is there a Gashka dot there, and the boat is over there. and why is Druuth's dot with Gashka's dot. and why are they dots on the map. and where is that place? and finally, why the heck do I sound like a inquisitive Halfling?
"Cuz it's adorable." Flynt grins. "Well we should probably go get her then."
Terra blushes a bit at Flynt's comment. Your right we should. she goes and grabs Tikkle, Come on fuz face, time to get your girlfriend. and she drags him along as well.
Terra will lead the way toward the dots on the map that says Gashka.
After eating a bit she looks at Druuth, "So....what am I supposed to do when we're faced with someone that we have to fight? Am I just supposed to stand back and watch them get hurt?"
"Of course not, just be aware of what is going on around you and try to minimize the possible collateral damage. For instance, perhaps you could put yourself in a position where there is nothing but enemies are nearby. Just a suggestion." Druuth responded.
She nods, "I guess so....I was trying to get Tikkle to promise me that he'd have Terra put me in a deep hole if I got really bad....but he wouldn't even listen to me."
"I'm sorry, I can't help with that. But I'm certain your sisters would do all they could to stop you from hurting them." Druuth replied.
As the group followed the map, they came across a large dead spider, half sticking out of the ground.
Terra looks at the spider, well, I don't think Gashka killed this, I can still identify the remains.
She just nods as she eats a little more and drinks a little from her waterskin.
Tikkle takes a moment to breathe and get his priorities back in line. "Right, Regroup, explain better, then run off without a plan. got it. Where the hell was Gashka going?"
"She said she was going back to the ship but the map says otherwise."
we better hurry, she may be in trouble. this spider seems to indicate she may have been captured. we best hurry.
Terra leads the way toward where Gashka's dot is on the map
With the help of the map, the group has little difficulty locating the cave. Walking to it and seeing inside, they find Druuth sitting in a hot spring with only his shield nearby, and Gashka sitting in a chair across the living area from him.
Druuth looked at the others as they came in. "Welcome to my home. Please come in and have a seat. I apologize I don't have a lot to sit on, I rarely have company."
"I didn't expect to see this. Everything alright, Gashka? I thought you were gonna be at the ship."
After taking another drink of water she looks up and says, "Yeah I'm fine. Got a little off the path, nearly eaten by a big ugly spider.....but it's okay cuz Druuth found me in time. Then I was hungry and I remembered him saying tthat he had food so I came back here with him. We've been talking about papa and some other secrets they've been keeping from me. It just gets better and better. I figured you guys would come find me when you decided I was important enough to come looking for instead of some fake treasure that's probably nothing more than a trap anyways." She says a bit sulkily before taking another bite of the dried meat.
"You're always important, Gashka, you know that. But we're on a strange island we've never been to before so we're curious."
She chases the meat down with some water and crosses her arms as she lets out a sigh, "Hmph...you're right, this is a strange island full of who knows what kind of awful creatures and you guys just wanna seem to roam around it anyways. How can we be sure we aren't being set up again? I'm sorry if it sounds selfish, but I don't like the idea of watching my friends get the crap kicked out of them and then just because our days haven't been sucking enough lately, have me fly into an uncontrollable rage and possibly hurt the people around me that I care about all because one of my ancestors pissed off a powerful shaman who knows how many years ago." She sighs again and lowers her arms to her sides with her palms up, "Look, I understand being curious....but I don't like taking unnecessary risks for something that probably doesn't even exist. Is there any actual proof that there's something else to this island besides these beasts, elementals and a strange temple?"
"Well the magical map says there is. And we're not taking any unnecessary risks since we're sticking together. Wait, your ancestor pissed off a shaman?"
She shrugs, "Yeah...apparently he won a fight he was supposed to lose or something and our family was cursed. The first born in any case with an uncontrollable rage. Mines just coming to the surface, it's why I've been so out of control lately. It's why papa was so against me fighting...." She says as she turns her head away from the others.
"Well now you know why at least. Use that knowledge to help you control it."
Rolling her eyes she grunts as she stands up, "I think you're not understanding me. It's not something I can control. When it takes hold I have NO control....does anyone ever listen to me? Like ever? I was worried about it before all this crap and went to Tikkle about it....but since no one seems to take me seriously let me make something clear right here and right now, I will not allow myself to do something that could hurt one of you, so to that end...Terra, Anyka since you two are probably the most likely to listen to reason...next fight we get in, everyone is to stay clear of me. Don't come near me and if I fly into some crazy rage and get out of control, then Terra you open up a huge ass pit under my ass and keep me in there until I calm down. Got it? Is that clear enough for everyone?" She paces around the little living area as she speaks, trying to keep the frustration she's been feeling build in her out of her voice.
Taking a breath she lets it out slowly and takes another drink from her water skin before going to the opening of the cave, "I could kill you....any one of you if something goes bad at the wrong time, or at the very least hurt you terribly. I can't take that risk, I'm dangerous and need for the rest of you to understand that so you don't get hurt. Now please....promise me you'll do whatever you have to in order to stay safe during these next few fights cuz I have a feeling things are gonna get ugly." She says a little quietly as she looks down at her hands in front of her.
Terra was listening to the conversation and she was about to say something but then the talking went on, and she thought about saying something else, but the talking went on...
then Gashka looked a little angry about not being listened to, worried that Gashka is getting angry, Terra opens a pit to drop Gashka in it.
"I don't think she meant right now. But yea, I'm listening to you Gashka. We won't let you hurt us or vice versa." Flynt says taking a few arrows out of one of his quivers that seems to have a little gauntlet or glove at the end. "I have a few of these to take something or someone down without any lasting damage. If I have to I'll use them on you."
She growls in frustration as her butt hits the ground in a large hole, "Damn it Terra....I don't find that amusing or cute anymore. It was one thing when we were kids to pull stupid pranks on each other, but we're adults now....or at least supposed to be. Why don't you try acting like a grown up for once huh? I'm starting to think that we let you get away with far too much when you were younger. Maybe if we were a little stricter with you, you wouldn't be acting like such a brat now. Get me out of here.....now." She says feeling more agitated than she did before. One of these days Terra would take one of her little jokes too far and someone would end up getting hurt.
"Seriously T what the @#$% is your problem? Do you need attention that much?" Anyka growls glaring at her little sister.
As embarrassed and upset as she felt, she refused to cry. She wasn't gonna give their sister the satisfaction of knowing just how much what she did upset her. Maybe if they stopped giving her so much attention she'd get the hint, but then again picking up on subtle social cues was never one of Terra's strong points.
Grabbing onto the side of the hole and digging her boots into the earth she attempts to climb out of the hole herself.
Flynt reaches down and helps Gashka out.
"I think she was trying to lighten the mood." He says giving the half-orc a hug.
She accepts the hug and says, "That's not the way to go about it. Stuff like that just isn't funny anymore okay? She needs to grow up before someone actually gets hurt with one of her stupid pranks."
"I'll talk to her about it okay?"
She sighs, "Fine....she just needs to understand that when I'm coming to you guys about something that seriously worries me...I don't need her making fun of me, or trying to make light of a serious issue. What I'm talking about isn't funny and not meant to be taken lightly. You guys are supposed to be my friends....so when I'm treated like this after bearing my soul....it hurts, it doesn't help." She says softly before letting go of him and taking a few steps away from them to regain some of her composure.
"I know. But we all deal with things differently, sometimes it's not healthy but we try. And we are your friends."
She just nods, but doesn't say anything else. She then turns away from them to look outside.
Chris remains quiet as everything transpires.
Renard, equally uncomfortable as his friend, sits at Chris' feet.