"Wise man suggests to seek the wisdom of silence and noise." Mahjik laughs as he catches up to the rest, a minute later - Douena in tow. "I'm most eager to see how you intend to hatch this one."
"Well, it needs to be kept warm," Sasha says, turning the egg in her hands and examining it. "But no, nobody has to sit on it, Douena. The flappybites do that because that's the only way they have to keep the eggs warm. We have the benefit of blankets and fire."
"Oh," Douena responds, a little disappointed. "I thought maybe Gelik could sit on it."
Sasha laughs. "Now that's something I'd like to see!"
"Couldn't we tell Gelik he needs to sit on it?" Douena asks as they head back toward the new campsite. "Just for a little while?"
"Tempting," Sasha says, "but I'd be afraid he'd break it."
Things have been calm at the camp while the others have been away. Gelik has been doing some entertaining while Jask has been looking after himself and Aerys, trying to make certain they both overcome their illness.
Ishirou has taken up guard duty again, and Aerys has been sitting quietly going through her stack of papers. She stuffs them in her pack any time someone comes near her, only to take them out once she's alone again.
Aakif has been tending Soulwind. The horse is well on the way to recovery and will be fine by morning (barring any other troubles). There has been sufficient time to do other things as well.
Makoa has sharpened all his weapons and has had time to do other things as well.
A couple hours after departing, the egg-gathering expedition returns. Urza looks somewhat worse for wear . Sasha, on the other hand is quite exuberant. She practically skips into the camp, proudly displaying her egg. "We got it!" she proclaims.
On the way back to camp, Douena will lay her small hand on Urza's leg and bless him with the healing power of Desna.
"Thank you Douena.
Back at the camp, Urza continues to make Aerys' drink taste of alcohol.
Lorenz walks into camp more slowly, breathing hard. His clothes have been torn, his hair is a mess of tangles and filled with bits of leaves and twigs, and his arms are scratched. A large strand of spiderweb is clinging to one shoulder. Traveling through the jungle after Sasha has definitely been hard on him.
"We're back," he says, panting and wiping sweat from his forehead. "Will...tell...all about...it...when I...get my...breath...back."
He collapses to the ground and closes his eyes, chest rising and falling as he recovers from the hurried trek.
Sasha looks at Lorenz and chuckles. "It wasn't entirely uneventful," she says. "I suppose I'll hurt his feelings if I don't let him tell it, though."
"You shouldn't lay down while breathing like that, it's no good for you." Makoa says as he tosses his dagger from hand to hand. "I see the dimorphdons saw you."
"It was me actually. I was trying to bring one back for dinner. It didn't go well."
Gradually Lorenz recovers from the trip and after several long swallows from his waterbag he sits up again, looking restored.
"So. Where were we? Oh yes. The Quest to recover a lizardwing egg!"
He gets to his feet and strides purposefully into the center of the clearing.
"The journey to the nest was peaceful and easy, given that we followed the cliffside rather than pushing through most of the jungle. When we got there, we found several adult lizardwings and a few younger ones. As usual, we slowed our pace and crept into the jungle so that we could approach more or less undetected."
"After examining the site with careful caution, Douena whispered that she had a plan and crept forward. Before the lizardwings could react to her presence, she twitched her fingers and water appeared in the sky above the nest, dowsing the lizardwings completely!"
Lorenz twitched his fingers in an elaborate imitation. "Soaked by the deluge, the lizardwings flew off to shake the water from their bodies. Waiting at the ready, I held out a rope to Sasha and she grabbed it and sprang out into the opening, rapidly tied it to a tree and jumped out into open space. The rest of us waited anxiously while the lizardwings filled the sky a short distance away. Finally, a hand reached up over the edge of the cliff, a large egg clutched within it! Sasha pulled herself up over the edge, and darted behind the tree she'd fastened the rope to, pulling it swiftly behind her."
Lorenz tries, unsuccessfully, to demonstrate with the rope, tangling himself slightly. Undeterred, he continues.
"Sasha and Douena managed to make it back to the rest of us, flushed with the glory of their success. As we were waiting for the lizardwings to calm down, however, Urza's stomach suddenly let out a loud growl! Compelled to madness by his unceasing hunger, he leapt out of the jungle with a roar and threw a crossbow bolt uselessly at the nearest lizardwing."
Lorenz stoops and grabs a small stone, miming a ferocious throw and then lets it fall out of his hand to land at his feet.
"For a moment, the Gods bear witness, the jungle itself turned silent as the lizardwings turned their red eyes on our hapless friend. Then six of them turned in unison, an army of razor wings and sharp teeth dripping with poison."
Lorenz pauses for effect before going on. "Alarmed at their deadly scrutiny, Sasha clutched protectively at her new egg. I pulled her to her feet and sent her off behind me. 'Run! Get your egg back to safety!' I cried, drawing my rapier. The lizardwings began to swoop down at Urza. Mahjik, suddenly overwhelmed with terror, fell into a fit that looked a little bit like a sick chicken choking on some dirt. Encouraged, some of the lizardwings headed for him instead, inadvertantly saving Urza's life."
Lorenz danced around for a moment, waving his arms and legs in a crude imitation of Mahjik. "Douena, surely recognizing that she'd only be a small snack to arouse the appetite of one of the lizardwings, darted into the undergrowth and literally turned green, she hid herself so effectively. Desna must have been watching out for her. Three of the lizardwings dived down on Urza and one of them struck him a cruel blow. The others were too puzzled by Mahjik's wise ways to seem to know quite what to do with him."
After a long swallow at his waterbag, Lorenz smoothly drew his rapier and lifted it into the air. "I knew that there was no way I'd be able to strike the lizardwings with Desna's curse upon me so I simply waved my rapier and dashed into the jungle, trying to draw the lizardwings away from my friends. Alas, they were still too furious at Mahjik's foolery and Urza's bad manners. So I was forced to hurry after Sasha to ensure she got away safely, though she had quite a head start on me by then. Fortunately for us all, Urza's pretty colors managed to distract a couple of the lizardwings as he fled. Eventually the lizardwings tired of the pursuit, likely convinced that neither Mahjik nor Urza would taste all that good anyway. Only after all had calmed down did Douena ease herself out of her hiding place and slip away. Though the journey afterward was rough, pushing our way through the deep jungle, vines and large plants interceding with every step, we at last have returned, successful at our quest, but subdued by the ferocity of Urza's unsatisfied stomach." He turns to look with wide eyes at Urza's midsection, shrinking back in mock fear. Then, a little breathless, Lorenz lifts his arms and bows before sinking to his feet, drinking deeply from his waterskin.
Douena laughs and claps her hands in appreciation. "Oh, it sounds much more impressive when you tell it than when it actually happens! What did you say about me, 'the glory of my success'? I liked that part."
"Poor Gelik, it seems you have competition for 'best storyteller on the island', I hope this doesn't cause an grief between you two."
Makoa chuckles.
"Oh yeah!" Urza grins. "Then you tell me what's for dinner?"
Lorenz blushes and quickly shakes his head. "No, no...Gelik is far better than I. I only hope to someday be a worthy pupil. And you earned it, Douena."
Gelik goes over to Lorenz. "No need to be so modest, my boy! You did quite well. Quite well! I am sure you will indeed be a worthy pupil." He turns to Urza. "As for what's for dinner, I believe Jask is whipping up some lizards that Sasha caught us a couple days ago." He goes over to where Jask has begun prepping dinner and peers through it somewhat disapprovingly. "Lizard mixed with trail rations, it seems."
"Don't worry," Sasha says. "I'll be back on the job hunting tomorrow." She sits down and starts carefully wrapping her egg in a blanket. "Being out with everybody today has really taught me what you're up against when you go out exploring. I wish I could be of more help. I'd go with you, but we need a reliable supply of food and you can't be thinking about that when there are more important things to do. Today was hopefully a pretty clear example of that. So, as much as I'd love to explore with you, I'm willing to do my job and supply us with food. Still, I'd love to help out in some other way if I can. Growing up among the Red Mantis gave me the opportunity to learn a lot of specialized skills. My mother did everything she could to teach me their ways. I've learned a few special techniques for improving your ability to react to danger. I'd be happy to teach anyone who wants to learn them." She places the wrapped egg lovingly down in front of her. The blanket looks almost like a nest with the egg sitting snuggly in the centre.
Lorenz beams. "Thank you, Gelik!" He glances over at the cookfire and his smile now seems a bit forced. "Yum. More lizard!"
After Sasha's offer, an expression of delight crosses his face. "Really? You certainly were remarkble this afternoon. I'd love to have a chance to increase my skills in such a fashion. The way you bounced up and went after that egg was quite impressive."
Nodding at Lorenz' story, Mahjik adds: "It was only good fortune that allowed us to escape. I'm sure that if they had realized that we had filched one of their eggs... they certainly would've extracted a far worse payment. Fortunately it turns out that the only real battle was between Lorenz and the jungle; looks like it won this time - but don't give up hope! Wise man says that perseverance will carry you through!"
Mahjik jumps up at Sasha's invitation, "Wise man teaches to adhere to lessons of women, as they are usually more pertinent to the task than the philosophies of men. Please accept me as your humble student."
"Lizards are crunchy," Douena speaks up in their dinner's defense. "Although maybe that's only because they have so many little bones that I miss. Anyway, I want to learn to be quick like Sasha, too. The other day, when that snake bit Aakif, it was dead almost before I even saw it."
"Don't worry, Douena," Sasha says. "I'll make you quicker. It'll take time though, probably a day of practicing to get it right, so you'll need to decide how you want to mix that with explorations. Maybe on a day when people feel they need a break from exploring."
Jask prepares the evening's dinner. As Gelik said, it's a mixture of assorted lizard varieties and trail rations. After dinner is done, Jask settles down to rest, and orders Aerys to rest too. They'll be unable to take any watches tonight, but Sasha can rejoin the rotation now that she's fit again.
Douena will bless everyone before bedtime against illness , reserving a special blessing for the two who are already sick to get better.
Aakif listens attentively to Lorenz's re-telling of the egg raid; he looks a little sad to have missed it, but cheers the end of the story nonetheless.
At Sasha's offer, Aakif says slowly, "I do not know who these Red Mantis are, but I do know that knowledge does not make the person. What you do with the knowledge is what separates the virtuous from the villain. I do not believe you to be a villain, Sasha, despite your teachers. I, too, would learn what you would teach your companions; I promise not to put that knowledge to villainous use."
"I think we would all like to be able to react to danger better. Especially after being on this island. How long will it take for you to train us? If it won't take but a day or two, I'd prefer to stay and train before heading back out."
Sasha shrugs. "Probably about a day, I'd say. If you want to do it all at once, we could probably do four hours in the morning, then break for the hot hours, and then another four hours or so in the afternoon/evening. My only concern is that tomorrow I really should do some hunting. Otherwise, we're going to start getting low on food. So maybe in a day or two, once we've stocked up on food a bit, you guys can take a day off the exploration and I'll teach you the techniques. The other option would be, you just spend an hour or so with me each morning before going out. We ought to get through everything that way in just over a week."
"We can always bring back the things that try to attack us for dinner," Douena suggests, "as long as they're snakes and flappybites and not dead things still walking around. We should go south tomorrow and start trying to work our way down toward the treasure."
"You're the teacher. We'll do it your way."
"I'd prefer to learn as fast as we can manage," Lorenz says. "It might be nice to arrange for a day at camp. We can even try to help with the hunting. Well, some of us, anyway. I could use a break from all the travel, actually."
"I could use a break from all the travel, actually."
Aakif chuckles at this. "I'm afraid you'd make a poor Il-Amesh Amaq Irrindi*, then. Good thing for you we're nowhere near my homeland! The game and water is so sparse that the only way to survive is to move constantly. I've been moving since I was a babe in my mother's arms; it's why I became a mercenary when I was exiled from the tribe. Mercenaries, merchants, and adventurers are the only people who make money out of constantly moving; merchants require business sense and money, which I didn't have, and adventurers require friends, which I also did not have. Mercenary was the obvious choice."
Nodding at Aakif's words, Mahjik points to Douena, "In the future, you can consider following the little one's example. I think she's required to travel in honor of her goddess - I don't know what your convictions are, but maybe something like that is possible for you too?"
Lorenz rolls his eyes, though he's still smiling. "You," he said, gesturing to Aakif, "have a horse." He turned toward Douena. "Her shorter stride may have to make her walk twice as fast to keep up but she's also not wearing this armor,"[b] he patted his chest, [b]"and she can more easily duck beneath and around all the tree branches. Besides, I'm only suggesting one day. And you did just take this afternoon off from traveling, Aakif!"
"I'll go hunting tomorrow then, so yo all may train. I can't let my skills get rusty."
"Douena, how did you become a priestess of Desna? Was it a choice or a calling?"
Lorenz is quieter than usual this evening, rubbing absently at a large red insect bite on his neck. He sits quietly at his place at the campfire, staring into the flames until his first watch begins, and then he stands up, draws his bow and stares out into the darkness.
After a while, he moves closer to Aakif.
"Your homeland sounds like a harsh place, Aakif. And lonely. But maybe it's not the place that is lonely. Maybe it's just us? I've sold my sword for years and traveled a great distance from the land of my birth, through many unfriendly places. Friends? I've thought of many as my friends, yet as soon as we've reached one destination or another they moved on and I found myself surrounded by strangers again. Do you think that will happen when we get off this island and at last make it to Eleder?"
He shakes his head sadly. "I expect it will."
I'll spend some more time practicing with Gelik.
"I could use a break from all the travel, actually."Aakif chuckles at this. "I'm afraid you'd make a poor Il-Amesh Amaq Irrindi*, then. Good thing for you we're nowhere near my homeland! The game and water is so sparse that the only way to survive is to move constantly. I've been moving since I was a babe in my mother's arms; it's why I became a mercenary when I was exiled from the tribe. Mercenaries, merchants, and adventurers are the only people who make money out of constantly moving; merchants require business sense and money, which I didn't have, and adventurers require friends, which I also did not have. Mercenary was the obvious choice."
"Ooh, your tribe sounds like fun," Douena says, "although I thought it would be fun on the ship, traveling all the time, only you couldn't tell you were going anywhere, because everywhere looked the same: all water. Is your land like that?" she asks Aakif. "Not water, I mean, but I've heard there are places -- deserts and wastelands -- where everything's just alike and you can walk all day and still look like you're in the same place." She pauses. "I never knew what that was like until the Jenivere."
As everyone but Lorenz and Sasha begins to settle down to sleep, Douena moves to the edge of cliff to look out at the stars and commune with Desna. The difference in views from the edge of the canopy at the old camp, where she saw a patch of night sky through the trees, is stunning. "Will you look at all that," she says softly, her eyes glowing, "the stars over the bay and the whole sky coming down to meet the ocean? If only you'd known about this place, Aakif, on your holy day. I'll bet someone would have whispered to you here."
"Douena, how did you become a priestess of Desna? Was it a choice or a calling?"
Douena reflects a minute and then shrugs. "Desna's just always liked me," she responds quietly, so as not to disturb those sleeping. "One of my earliest memories -- I was so very small -- I saw the prettiest bird land on top of my parents' house. It had so many bright colors and shiny feathers in the sun, I wanted to go and pet it. So, somehow, I climbed out my window and up the gutter to the roof. But the bird hopped up higher, so I followed. I made it all the way up to the ridgepole at the very top of the roof, after that bird. By this time, there was quite a crowd in the street, staring up at me. They looked like they were scared, but I just smiled and waved. Then that bird hopped to the very edge of the roof and flew away, and I followed and jumped after it, thinking I would fly into the air just like the bird. But instead I toppled down, down, down, right down into a wagon loaded full of hay for the ponies in the stable. I cried, but only because I didn't fly. And all the people rushed to the wagon to pull me out, and as they lifted me down and brushed the hay off me and saw I wasn't hurt, I heard a woman say, 'Desna has marked this one as her own.' I didn't even know who Desna was, then, but I found out. And when I talked to her, she helped me. People in town noticed and started coming to me when they needed some luck." She smiles at Makoa. "I know Desna has temples where people can go, but I never studied formally."
"Ooh, your tribe sounds like fun," Douena says, "although I thought it would be fun on the ship, traveling all the time, only you couldn't tell you were going anywhere, because everywhere looked the same: all water. Is your land like that?" she asks Aakif. "Not water, I mean, but I've heard there are places -- deserts and wastelands -- where everything's just alike and you can walk all day and still look like you're in the same place." She pauses. "I never knew what that was like until the Jenivere."
Aakif tilts his head and thinks for a moment before responding. "I suppose it might seem that way to outsiders. The steppes are vast plains, filled with grass and low shrubs, but with very few trees and no forests. I did not see more than three trees standing together until I signed up with a merchant caravan from Katapesh. There are streams and ponds here and there, but mostly it is just grass. To someone who was not born to the steppes, I am sure they would seem just as featureless as the sea. We knew our territory well, however, and anyone who got lost on a hunt or raid would be mocked for their foolishness.
"I believe that the Shoanti people of Varisia live in a similar environment, but from what I am told, their land is much more barren than the steppes, nearly a desert. I do not know why they do not ride out of their desert plateau and take the grasslands and forests all around them. My peoples' lands are surrounded by strong nations; Qadira and Taldor. It is good that our land is not so desolate, for we are not numerous enough to take on the likes of the Kelishite Empire."
"So you saw a sign.."
He shakes his head after a few moments.
"Everyone here is very different.. You were chosen by Desna when you were young, I... well, let's just say my childhood was very different."
"So you saw a sign.."
He shakes his head after a few moments.
"Everyone here is very different.. You were chosen by Desna when you were young, I... well, let's just say my childhood was very different."
"Well, how about you?" Douena responds politely. "How did you decide to become a ... big ... bitey ... guy?" She smiles up at him expectantly.
Mahjik's only slightly concerned, primarily optimism and good fortune carries him energetically through the camp. He spends his time tending to Jask; following the instructions the cleric gives him on treating the illness and calling upon his own training. "Wise man knows to use the sweet sap of trees to help fight fever. I hope you'll grow strong again over night; in some ways we rely on you more than any other. I wish you a good night's rest; may you awaken stronger in the morning."
Mahjik stands up, stretching his legs a bit and letting the cool breeze going out to the bay brush his cheek. "Can you feel it too, Ishirou-san? There's a change in the wind, inside this group. Where we started with chaos and forcefull cooperation, a form of order has settled on our group. Everyone feels a little like a burden is lifted from their shoulders - that we are no longer mere survivors, but a small community that looks out for each other."
Sasha spends much of the watch chattering on about various things and tending carefully to her egg. She talks about a lot of things, from animals to islands to sailing, barely giving Lorenz an opportunity to say anything. At one point, she starts talking about her running from the Red Mantis and her early treatment of Lorenz. "I pretty much thought you had been sent by my mother to make sure I really left town and didn't go back. She made it pretty clear that if I was going to betray her that I'd better get as far away as possible, or she and her associates wouldn't hesitate to kill me. It was silly of me to think that anyone else getting on the ship was automatically sent by my mother, but well...the Red Mantis has quite a bit of influence, and I was frightened. I started to realize my mistake when you confronted me thinking I was someone sent after you. That was really quite funny when you think about it. We both had the same misconception about the other."
She peers more closely at the egg. "I have no idea how close this is to hatching. It could be hours, days, weeks...who knows?"