Barnabus knows his reputation should be for healing....
"Hast true harm befallen any in this camp?...Mah healin hex is known it binds flesh and mends bone, my callin is tah heal an keep safe tha peoples o tha land."
After all the excitement Noriel forgets to even say good bye to Arry as she looks to the man who offered her a place to stay at his house.
”Kind Sir, I have to apologize for I am not a custom to sleeping at people’s homes for which I do not know, though I truly appreciate your sincere offer dear Sir. I will however take a stay at the area of rest which others stay at. A blanket and pillow would be more than efficient for now. I assure you though; once I am at a real tavern, I will enjoy myself a nice hot bath.”
Crossing Lothar on the outside she mentions to him in passing.
”Dear boy, please wake me when you’re ready to head out, I will be at the barrack style tent for rest.”
A slimmer of a smile falls upon her lips as she calls Lothar a boy, hoping with her sweet voice he would overlook it, or miss the intent.
It doesn’t take long for Noriel to make it to the area of rest and be settled in, while it may not be 5 star hotel it should do the trick, after all it beats cold hard grounds.
Lothar ran a hand over his scalp. Barnabus is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma shoved into a conundrum then molded into a dilemma. Noting Seth's obvious confusion, the magician smiled. That look is one I often have when it comes to my fellow Warden. I'm convinced that if I can figure Barnabus out, then the secrets of the universe will be laid bare before me.
Ignoring Noriel's passing statement, Lothar returned Saji's bow. Greetings, Lady Saji. It is good to see you again. The young one standing next to me is Seth, my student. He is the reason I have sought you out this day.
And so he explained his situation concerning his status as a Warden and how it would conflict with his ability to further his disciple's training.
And so I come to you, Lady Saji. It would honor me greatly if you take on Seth as a student when I'm not around. I know that you seek to establish yourself here and having him as a pupil could assist you in that endeavor. And I would not have to worry so much about his well-being. So what do say, Lady Saji? Is this acceptable to you?
My main focus thus far has been on his physical conditioning. I would like that to continue, but now he needs to improve his coordination, especially if he wants to use the surujin I've given him. Lothar gestured toward the bladed chain weapon Seth still carried.
I'd also like for him to learn some basic close quarters techniques. I can work out further refinement of this on my return trips, but he needs to know the fundamentals.
Lothar knelt down next to Seth. But my plans for you mean nothing without your cooperation, young one. I believe you are ready to undertake this next important step in your training. I stated that you were to follow her commands as if they were my own. I still want you to. But you have to want this for yourself, just as much as I want it for you. I have no doubt that you have the capacity to see this through. The real question is whether or not you believe it about yourself.
The Vudran allowed himself a rare smile. So what do you say, my son? Are you up to this challenge?
Barnabus eventually acts as if nothing at all had happened....
He lays out pieces of string......and lays them such that cross repeatedly over each other..
He points at each place where one string touches another...
"Imagine each is a decision and each a choice once made you can follow only one string, the others are lost, the options faded away in a moment o time. Imagine the man trained long and hard not to be caught unawares, did you see a man unsurprised by tha goblin dogs? I did, Lothar remained ready, yet tha others did not. Be then as Lothar always ready."
"Aye I ave jus tha magic in mind fer tha task! How sturdy is tha tent?"
Barnabus laughs and takes tha mop....
"Cleanin up is a task tah which I am most accustomed. Remind me tah tell yah tha tales one day Dyfrig."
Mops up the mess....
Noriel finally makes her way to the tent where all the commoners sleep. She opens up the tent curtain and a blank stare comes over her. She should have expected this:
”There all full… How many commoners live in this tent? It looks so, Crowed.
Not realizing that practically everyone here has lost so much from all the stuff that goes on that they can’t seem to keep villages or buildings up. Noriel decided to head down a little ways just outside the common grounds where there was more trees and forest, but not so far that she was out of ear shy. Noriel Scouted for a general area that was usable for some logs or left over stuff from a basic house that previously built.
After finding a decent area with the most basic of materials like logs and old crappy boards, she decides that there needs to be a decent place for people to rest, even if it was more like a throw together shanty of a shack.
Noriel moved around like nothing was really going on looking about in different areas. Using her Infusion Specialization she amplifies her Basic Kinetic ability using Telekinetic Haul, giving her the ability to move 500 pound objects as simple as moving a cup. She looks around one more time to check out the area, then begins moving boards, and logs with her Kinetic ability.
She sets up a general area of about 10 foot by 10 ft. Not really all that large but large enough, taking enough time to focus on what she was doing but trying to throw the place together fairly fast.
Depending on the time of the day/night she was certain that her four 6 post would cause a fair amount of sound. Noriel set the logs down and cut pointed tips off the top and bottom of each with her Kinetic Blade.
”That looks good enough”
Noriel actually exerted a little effort physically, but she was used to some of it. With a few min she turned to her 10 by 10 foot area planned out and picked up the 8 ft tall post and kinetically slammed them point down into the ground, practically obtaining about 2 ft deep, give or take a few inches. She created a square shaped room with 5 ft spacing between each post, having 6 loud thuds hit the ground.
Noriel looked around assuming that the group or the town may have heard it but after a second or so it seemed like no one noticed, perhaps with all the excitement and stuff going on at the cost of Barnabus she was un-noticed. She then continued, rather quickly plotting some of the best old boards across the top. She pulled the Spidersilk Rope from her sack, tossed it up, and took it with her telekiness to wrap and tie off the boards to make a fair but water resistant roof.
”Hmmm… Not sure I should have used my silk rope. Good thing I brought a spare.”
After seeing the roof was moderate, but surely not a permanently foundation it may last a while. Noriel remembered:
”Wait missing walls”
Noriel looked around again, though finding an old tent or cloth was much harder than trees and old logs from the town rubbish. She paused and looked in her backpack, sadly she couldn’t find much more then her survival kit, and some coins.
”hmm”
Puzzled, Noriel shrugged and realized that she had already wasted about an hour of time just doing some general labor, it would have taken a great deal longer if she didn’t have telekinesis. Although, she stepped back and said lightly to herself.
”Oh well not bad for a first try, it will provide shade from the sun at least. I may have to borrow someone’s tent later to add some walls.”
Noriel threw together shack looks more professional then she really noticed, while the crude shapes and wood skill was very apparent the structure was sound. It would hold together for the most part, though wouldn’t expect to last through any real storm.
Noriel cleaned off a bit of the ground and grabbed a few random left over boards and made herself a flat area to rest her head. She laid down and relaxed while she didn’t really use any true energy she was tired.
” I will have to do a jog in the morning or something, I’m beat”
Noriel mentions softly as she closes her eyes on the boards where she laid, fashioned up a quick Aether pillow to rest her head on.
Rhasadilara leaves the common tent and comes into sight of the other woman laboring.
Not wanting to bother her - or discourage her - the elf pauses and watches for a moment, but decides to move on. Noriel's handling the situation well and might even be enjoying the exercise of her abilities, I should not spy on her.
She moves on to the keep, noting where they had fought the undead guardians not so long ago.
Barnabus finishes cleaning up and presents the mop back to Dyfrig.
Barnabus kneels in front of Dyfrig the mop across his open palms...
"Do you swear to uphold the land and swear fealty to wield this mop against all enemies both foreign and domestic that our kingdom shall face?"
"Wield this weapon as the griffon with wisdom, Sir Dyfrig!"
Leaving the tent Barnabus sees the others as dinner has ended and soon night must fall into darkness, he decides to check the perimeter defenses and check upon the men there....
....seeing the paladin doing nothing important he invites him as well....
"Jirani, do yah wish tah join me as I check tha guards who ward tha perimeter o tha camp?"
"Ho hearty an brave men, I ave come tah see if any signs o trouble err wounds err afflictions weaken err trouble yer number."
Was going to check the guard stations and for wounded, but can just move to morning....
Jirani nods after the witch and rises to follow the man around the camp to see after the readiness and defense, ready to led a hand if there are any ailments that might need tending.
Pilgrims are tenacious folk. None as ready to summon hope as ones who mean to forge a new beginning...
Yesterday, Showers came down in a flood and then subsided, the strange weather this region has. Throughout the night, it was fairly dry other than the damp ground from the previous rain. A light sprinkle of rain happens to pass over the town in the early morning just after the sun broke the sky in a hazy sunrise, perhaps cloudy skies today?
Noriel wakes to the unsettling feeling of water falling down in a mist, breaking through her open shack. She wakes to find that a blanket had been placed on her throughout the night, which was unusually for her to not notice. Little did she know that Arry was being a kind little boy and brought the blanket over to her sometime in the night, even sat down on a nearby stump and watched her sleep for a while. Arry Curiosity in Noriel was genuine and while he didn’t want to seem to bother her, he kept his distance.
”I wonder where this blanket came from?”
Noriel sat up and looked around to see if there was anyone around, but by this time Arry had left long ago and may still have been sleeping. She stretched long and hard as her hand curled up and then a sign of relief as her hands fell to her side. The blanket that covered came off of her slightly as she stretched and she finished pushing the blanket to the side. Putting one hand down on the ground, she lifted herself to her feet, popping her head from side to side.
”Oh I wonder if this camp has any shops, I lost my comb a while back and fingers just isn’t helping much.” Noriel was speaking in a soft morning voice.
Noriel stumbled a bit as she moved over to pick up her bag from the ground, lifting it to her shoulders and tossing the straps around. She begins to run her fingers through her hair repetitively until she felt her hair had little to no knots and looked fairly good.
”uhh, I so need an inn to rest my head, this ground was rather hard but still better than the mud.”
The smell of breakfast made Noriel noise tingle in sensation as her stomach was also craving something to eat. She migrated from her shack, went over to the tent, and found a seat before too many people had arrived. Many people already were in the tent ready to do the labor of the day, so she just sat in the back and looked to the waiter.
”I would love to have something simple from whatever it is that smells so good sir/miss”
The waiter/waitress went to the back, brought out the food, and set it in front of Noriel.
”Here you go miss!”
”Thank you, your very gracious”
Noriel begins to eat, looking around the room and waiting for word of her companions.
Barnabus finds that Dyfrig has brought him breakfast so that he will not venture back to the tent again so soon....
Sitting in a tree he eats his meal....
Barnabus shakes his head....
"People should not travel alone. Even a turned ankle could turn deadly in tha wilds. Perchance we could go an look fer her?"
Rhasadilara looks up from her breakfast, "Do you know where the berry patch is located? Barnabus is right, we should make sure she hasn't come into trouble."
Shall we walk as well of shall we ride to make the best time? I worry that we will not notice as much should she have come to harm before the patch?
"Come, breakfast will wait." But she grabs a biscuit and munches on it as she heads out of the tent. "It should be a matter of minutes to know if there's cause for concern, let's not bother with the horses."
Barnabus enjoys the walk watching his companions about their normal routines. Lothar moving with lithe agility created by mastery of himself and Rhasha who moved as one with nature creating a path that mirrored Lothar....
Jirani walked with purpose like the ungiving stone that makes a path through whatever is before it....
Barnabus walked the magic of hexes crying for release the power of magic contained in his vessel.
"We have found her!"
Barnabus takes flight towards the figure...
Rhasadilara knows the witch will aid the woman, so she begins looking for an explanation.
Jirani frowns at the figure, and decidedly pulls his bow as Rhas looks around...
Noriel takes notice that the group is basically running out of the tent to find this girl. She no more than sat down and had one or two bites of food. Doing about the same as Rhasa and grabbing a biscuit off her plate before she stands. In a lazy morning, she follows behind the group slowly, not really in the mood first thing in the morning to be running off to save the day.
”They never seem to take a break, but I imagine there will be a reward for helping find this little girl.”
Shortly catching up with as they venture out of town, Noriel spots the something in the berries. Not sure what it is, she decides to wait it out for a moment as the man “Barnabus” was on the move to check it out. She calls out to him before he makes it too far down the field.
”I would be careful, danger lurks in tall fields and may not always be what it seems, but you’re a brave man”
Noriel says loud enough for Barnabus to hear before takeoff, but hopefully not loud enough to be an alarm. She is not used to talking so loud, it unbecoming of her, and it almost showed a sense of feeling as if she cared for Barnabus fate.
”Wow that came out louder than I thought, so obvious right..
She turns for a moment to hide her face, appearing that she was looking off into another direction. Her face turned pink for just a moment, though it quickly faded.
”Wow am I starting to like this group?
Noriel questioned her thoughts but quickly passed it by as she moved on with the group. She brushed her hair back a little and waited for Barnabus reaction to whatever it was in the field. However, while she waited she started spinning some silver coin around her wrist with her kinetic ability in case there was some action to come about.
Barnabus flies towards the figure to both get a better look and to survey from a bird's eye view.....
Perception
"Let me get a good look."
A shapeshifter of some kind? An evil druid?
Barnabus sets himself in the tallest tree attempting to get a lay of the land...
"This looks poor. Mah warnings were to no avail!"
Rhasadilara nods at the holy man's theory. "We cannot rule it out. Don't walk about too much, I'm looking for tracks. Barnabus, who or what do you see moving away? Anyone? Anything?"
She is looking for any tracks at all, not just those of a wolf, following the shapeshifter theory.
"I see no movement, though had it time to feed it is likely long gone. I will stay in tha tree so as tah not muss yer tracking."
Barnabus casts detect magic into the area of the trees...
"I cannot prove it if we find him, but I think I have a killer in town."
"Perhaps we should ask Dyfrig jus how early he sent her out tah gather tha berries, it could have been afore tha dawn."
Noriel Follows along, keeping her distance from the group as to not disturb anyone. Waiting and watching the area, but it appears the group has there eyes wide open already.
""
"Perhaps we should ask Dyfrig jus how early he sent her out tah gather tha berries, it could have been afore tha dawn."
"A valid point. Let's do so. Master Shores, Barnabus, can you remain with the body while the rest of us return to town?"
To those accompanying her, she says, "As we go back, watch for an unusually large man, or one that is barefoot. We don't want to challenge him, merely make note of him. We cannot prove anything at this time. We also need to see to proper care for the poor girl's remains, so we need to retrieve a litter to bring her back after we speak to Dyfrig."
"I will remain."
Barnabus sets by the girls body...
"Alas tha fates ken be cruel. Perhaps she never saw it coming, err perhaps she ran in terror..."
Noriel standing up remembers the sun has begun to rise, pulls her umbrella out from her backpack and then opens it.
”The sun is rather hot here, I believe I will be more use here; after all I have a sturdy man here to protect me.”
Noriel looks to Barnabus who is remaining, and a small innocent laugh flows from her voice. Drawing her hair back a little as she looks up to Barnabus.
”Is never really good to leave one person to handle things on their own, that’s how people die. I don’t want to have to bring your remains back to town should that happen to you.”
Noriel takes a step closer to the little girl who was torn up. She tilts her head and smiles a little.
”She was beautiful once”
The thought quickly fades as she starts to look around in a more secured way, making sure to take note of anything in the bushes or running about
"Indeed. That's why I asked the holy man to remain with the witch and the body."
She leaves the three of them there as she and Lothar return to the settlement.
"Protection, surely mah talents err not o tha sort one would want in a bodyguard. "
"Unless tha shifter has flight I ken fly back tah tha camp an avoid tha trouble, if need be."
Jirani is wordless at the events, content to allow those who know the area better to dictate what should be done and how the town might be contacted. He does spend his energy contemplating the woman and focusing his own insights and otherworldly connections to herald her coming to Pharasma's court.
"Friend Dyfrig, I fear she's not coming back. Something set upon her in the darkness. It doesn't appear that she was able to put up much of a fight."
After they have broken the bad news to the good man, they head for the fortress to confer with the other Wardens. She says to Lothar as they walk, "Darkness. She was out before daylight. The full moon is tonight - I fear our community harbors a predator in its midst."