"Yeah. That would make sense. Last I heard you lot had tamed some blues enough for single riders. Flying horses would be much easier, I'd think. And yeah, what Suit said. Give me a desert island and a couple of coconuts over a city, anyday." Another ear twitch. I feel like they're leading me into something, but if I stop talking, then they'll know I'm hiding something...'
"Sec'nd. I'll take me forest over castle walls any day. The trees me castle, and the grass, me feather bed."
He smiles as he remembers home, not too far gone, but still quite far away.
"So, why are ya all dressed sa funny? None of ya know how ta wear a kilt right?"
"'Kilts'," he said as if the word were something odd, and replacing another word in his vocabulary... like 'dresses', "Just don't seem like ideal wear for a sailor, the thing'd get heavy the second it got some water on it. Leather and silk is much simpler that way. Though you have to take care of both when you're on salt water. Much better for prairies and forests, I'd think."
"Sailor?"
He gets a serious look on his face and turns around to look at Grey in his eyes.
"Don't tell me you're one of them loud fellers with the horns on ther hats."
Gray seemed to look confused for a moment, "Um. No. Do you mean Tricorne? I always found those to look rather silly... either way, that's more of a captain thing."
"I find kilts a bit to breasy, personally I say one can't go wrong with a silk suit"
Most of Nova's life had taken place inside a factory so she had little in the way of stories but she was content to follow and listen to the others, if dishearten that none of them knew of her home.
"Good. Bloody so and so's just come in to a village, take what they want and burn the place down. If ya was, I would've had ta turn Bear on ya..."
He seems think for a moment before turning to the agent.
"Silk's fer pansies. And what's the hangin thing fer?"
He motions with his fiddle's bow to the agent's tie, and watches for his response with a grin.
Damian trod along, bringing up the rear and on the lookout for more hidden observers. The Nimgraen's were sneaky b@$+@#ds, and were probably behind his abduction. Unless this is all one of their illusions, although my duit should have protected me from illusions after the last time.
"I'd like you not to insult my refined taste, and the tie is primarially for decoration"
"Can't say I think we're gonna find a city down there. Should we follow the cliff up or down river? Down's gotta lead to some still water... up may never."
"Hn. Fun." Hecate concluded, glancing down at the flowing water... and the drop in the terrain. "Heading down the river is significantly more likely to lead us to civilization." she added, turning in that direction and continuing to walk - though she did stay well away from the edge of the cliff. There was no need to risk falling as long as they knew which way to go.
Gray would actually stay closer. He trusted himself not to just slip over the edge, and even if he did, he was an excellent climber and could likely catch himself. Spotting something down in the valley was worth the -very- small risk to him. He kept his eyes on the chasm as he followed Hecate.
Nothing on the scent or hunting or anything? No animal scents? No game trails?
That's fine, but that just means a prey poor area, not no life, which is what I was getting. :)
Once at the edge of the river, Scath moves off and watches the group from a distance. When they decide to go down river, Scath again moves out ahead of the group and scouts, keeping his nose to the breeze to smell threats, and also keeping his eyes peeled, about 100 ft ahead of the rest of the group.
"Hmm upstream Menes being able to see long distance, downstream means less work in travel, increases chance of finding a lake or pond and a city, hmm something of a quandary" he pauses thinking "still downstream seems te better of the two options, though I believe we should find some way of marking this as the turn point"
"Why? where would we go back to? And how far did we walk before we reached this spot in the first place?"
Scath looks for a clear piece of ground, and scratches a big arrow pointing toward the river where it's quiet, about 20 ft back up the river bank. Then he scratches W A R N I N G in the dirt in common.
Then he makes a big circle around that part of the river, at least 50 ft away from the edge of the bank.
"Ya look like ya got a handle on. Like ya mum couldn't keep a hold on ya scruff an needed somethin else ta carry ya by."
He laughs as he takes out a fiddle and bow from his quiver. He turns upright on Bear and starts tuning it.
"What's the fuzzball doin' o'er there?"
He motions with the bow.
"...Scouting, it seems. I want to take him home with me - he'd be a nice mascot for the brigade." Hecate said as the group proceeded to walk downriver. She didn't seem to have any moral quandaries about the idea of bringing a very large cat home... but then, she'd seen much weirder already, so things like this just didn't bother her very much.
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"...Scouting, it seems. I want to take him home with me - he'd be a nice mascot for the brigade." Hecate said as the group proceeded to walk downriver. She didn't seem to have any moral quandaries about the idea of bringing a very large cat home... but then, she'd seen much weirder already, so things like this just didn't bother her very much.
"Standard procedures in information gathering, and it's just a couple hours walk that way, either way it doesn't hurt, oblige me and let us get on our way."
"Ya look like ya got a handle on. Like ya mum couldn't keep a hold on ya scruff an needed somethin else ta carry ya by."
He laughs as he takes out a fiddle and bow from his quiver. He turns upright on Bear and starts tuning it.
"What's the fuzzball doin' o'er there?"
He motions with the bow.
Nova began to wonder if they how long it be before they found any kind of town much less a non hostile one but she followed along as she had no other real option, she was careful to avoid the gap in the ground as she dredged on.
Roy tunes his fiddle, oblivious to the cat and, just letting Bear follow everyone.
Gray continues onwards down the cliff-side, following with the others, and keeping his eyes on the water. After a few hundred feet, he stopped and took a long pull off of his waterskin. "Anyone thirsty? I think I could probably get down there and get us some fresh water, with relative ease, if anyone needs topped off. It'll be a bit safer if we spot an area I can brace myself in, but It doesn't look so bad. If any of you have any rope, it's actually no danger at all."
"Bear has wings, if you want him to take you down."
He continues to tune the fiddle, not looking up.
"He uh... looks a little... heavy for keeping me out of the razorsharp rocks. No offense. That, or the cat didn't at all like the idea of being dangled over a large precipice into a death-filled hole, under any power but his own. Either could completely be the case.
"Bear might look big, but e's got the grace of lark. In't that right, Bear?"
He pats Bear on the head and Bear nods his head, lifting his wings slightly also.
"I have no idea what a lark is. But if you're sure it's safe, then I guess we should refill on water before we press on. I'm a lot less comfortable with swimming than climbing though."
"Assuming we're referring to the same thing a lark is a songbird, sorta brownish"
"So, where did the little smart cat creature go? I saw him scout out ahead of us, but he hasn't returned."
"Right then."
Roy hops off.
"Bear, you take him down. An don't drop im."
He turns to Grey.
"Now, he'll hold onto ya. Then he'll swoop ya down an ya can fill em up."
He shuffles through his backpack and hands him a leather water skin.
"If ya could fill mine up as well, I'd be much obliged."
Bear stands up on his back legs, ready to hold onto Grey.
Gray would take two waterskins at a time to refill them, refilling as many as needed... and then they could be on their way once more. He used the quickly flowing water, as it was exceptionally unlikely to have any negative things growing in it.
Bear holds onto him with both sets of legs, his front under Grey's arms and his back keeping his legs together.
When Grey first touches Bear, he may be surprised by how warm Bear is. he is warm and soft like an electric blanket on high heat.
They fill all the containers and Bear let's Grey go.
He sits down heavily, leaning forward onto his front paws with his back legs out.
"That could be a problem. He was obviously put here with forethought by whatever brought us here. Clearly, something or someone has a plan."
"What concerns me the most is the disparity between technological levels and cultures; additionally, there seems to be something of a language barrier, and it makes me wonder if this was done on purpose, or if I was isolated in some way. Do you mind if I ask your profession? It might help us start to understand why we are here. Could you ask the others as well?"
"Well... that's certainly odd. What are we being warned of, exactly?" He looked over the edge. "Something down in there, or something dangerous further on? Can the person who was watching us write things..?" He looked to Roy.
The agent looks down in the dirt at the line "this does not bode well" he mutters, first he examines the marking trying to determine what it was made by he then takes a stick and throws it over the line.