Rhost steals a look toward Zaiobe, then shakes his head and laughs. "Thought I was stubborn."
Zaiobe is looking at the storm with a grim expression. A brief smile flickers across her face at Rhost's words.
Rhost looks to Ulf. "Pass closed," he says. "Options?"
Ulf chews on his cigar, thinking. "We could head east to Ketskerlet, on the coast, maybe?" he offers. "If we're incredibly lucky, and the sea ice has broken up early, we could abandon the Caravan and take a ship across the Gulf of Khorki." He glances at the slowly expanding storm. "If we make it."
He doesn't honestly seem to think highly of the idea.
Rhost flushes a bit himself. "Seeing mad endeavor through to bitter end," he says. "Otherwise, future open."
"Don't have any set plans after mad endeavor, myself," she says.
"If we're incredibly lucky, and the sea ice has broken up early, we could abandon the Caravan and take a ship across the Gulf of Khorki." He glances at the slowly expanding storm. "If we make it."
He doesn't honestly seem to think highly of the idea.
Rhost looks over to the spellcasters, hopefully.
Rhost looks back up at the storm, and spits in its general direction.
Rhost looks over to the spellcasters, hopefully.
Rhost looks back up at the storm, and spits in its general direction.
Rhost once again spits into the wind ...
"Is there another pass through the mountains?" Shalelu asks. "Perhaps a smaller one, less well-known?"
Ulf shakes his head. "That's the Wall of Heaven. There aren't any other usable passes between here and the sea on either side."
Rhost once again spits into the wind ...
"Is there another pass through the mountains?" Shalelu asks. "Perhaps a smaller one, less well-known?"
Ulf shakes his head. "That's the Wall of Heaven. There aren't any other usable passes between here and the sea on either side."
Mel looks at the more learned, nervously pulling Xander into her arms, "If Katiyana's spirit is controlling the storm... wouldn't we better off trying to banish that?"
A pause, "Or maybe a cave or something?"
Mel looks at the more learned, nervously pulling Xander into her arms, "If Katiyana's spirit is controlling the storm... wouldn't we better off trying to banish that?"
"If we could," Koya says dubiously, squinting at the massive storm. "But I don't think a Magic Circle Against Evil's gonna cut it, here."
A pause, "Or maybe a cave or something?"
cave! Spivey suddenly says. cave! tunnel! the path ofspirits! She turns to Rhost. youremember?
A pause, "Or maybe a cave or something?"cave! Spivey suddenly says. cave! tunnel! the path ofspirits! She turns to Rhost. youremember?
Mel doesn't have a clue what Spivey is talking about, but she looks hopeful. Looks from Rhost to Spivey, "Please?"
cave! Spivey suddenly says. cave! tunnel! the path ofspirits! She turns to Rhost. youremember?
"I do!" Rhost says. "Wanted to go there."
Mel doesn't have a clue what Spivey is talking about, but she looks hopeful. Looks from Rhost to Spivey, "Please?"
"Path of Spirits," Rhost says. "Somewhere in Crown North of Tian Xia. Place of Desna."
"Path of Spirits," Rhost says. "Somewhere in Crown North of Tian Xia. Place of Desna."
in ancientdays the uqtaal tribes worshiped Desna the northstar, Spivey further explains excitedly. to guide the spirits ofthedead, they tunneled allthrough the wallofheaven, southtonorth. built a necropolis downthere. then uqtaal tribes turned awayfrom Desna, worshipped badgods, started murderkilling everyone until they got wipedout by angryneighbors. path ofspirits no longerused. but there, undermountains, out of reachofstorm! allthewaythrough!
She pauses. if we can findit.
She smiles, holding up the oatmeal she found. With the biggest, sweetest puppy dog eyes imaginable, she asks "Help me make oatmeal bread, please?
"Okay," says Rhost. "Warming. Yeast bloom easier."
Don't have any set plans after mad endeavor, myself," she says.
"Perhaps," and it is Rhost's turn to check out his feet. "Could be uncertain together."
"Going underground to avoid a snowstorm? Sounds familiar... can't think why..."
<Well, we had better do this by the book,> Zaiobe says. <I wouldn't want to be called on the carpet for a Failure to Ravish.>
Mel looks at the pool. "Most outsiders don't have to breathe. The book calls for fellatio first..." She splashes the water. Looks over at Zaiobe, "Maybe if we tag team?"
Mel smiles at Alaric's compliment, but her head cocks to the side, "Frightening how?" Her arms going around his shoulders.
His arms slide around her waist. "Knowing that I'm utterly helpless against it."
Mel looks at the pool. "Most outsiders don't have to breathe. The book calls for fellatio first..." She splashes the water. Looks over at Zaiobe, "Maybe if we tag team?"
Alaric looks surprised and extremely pleased by this. "What on earth happened at that other pool to put you in this mood?" he asks with a huge grin.
"Very," she says. "It was only how it ended that sucked."
Mel slows her pace a little, give the two of them a little more time before more people are around. "I know that no one who loves you would leave you willingly, Ameiko." She smiles, "Anytime that you want to talk about Alder, I would like to hear about him."
His arms slide around her waist. "Knowing that I'm utterly helpless against it."
She kisses his neck, "Is okay, just gives us a little more even footing, love."
Alaric looks surprised and extremely pleased by this. "What on earth happened at that other pool to put you in this mood?" he asks with a huge grin.
"Hot bath." She ducks her head a little, a blush rising, "This is the first time I've felt truly warm in months."
Quieter, "And being able to lean back and daydream about you..."
When the people of the caravan beginning to turn in, he nods to Mel, the nods to the polar night. "Ready?" he says.
"Very." She doesn't rush off to get the heavy outwear that has been standard for her in the never-ending night. She just reaches her hand out for Alaric and slips with him away from the caravan light.
When they are alone she runs a hand down his winter beard. "I love you."
He kisses the trailing fingers. "I love you too." A wide grin, flashing with mischief. "Now get naked."
He slips his shirt off over his head, stripping pants off next. There's something powerful about standing in the snow, impervious to its power. Skin flushed, eyes hooded, he looks to Mel.
The first thing to go is Suishen, then her boots, pants, shirt. She pauses in the lacy barely there white undergarments. She turns for a moment, letting him take in the thong. She smiles at him as she unclasps the bra. Her hands slip under the sheer fabric and with a teasing grin she rips the fabric from her body.
She steps closer, her hands playing over his body, teasing his hardness. "Me.." A confident smile that he has helped her find, "Naked on the ice." She pauses for a moment, luxuriating in the weather held back by her lover's will. Her voice low, "Talk to me." She drops to her knees for a moment, her mouth replacing her hands.
And then she slides her body against his, kissing him.
"Perhaps," and it is Rhost's turn to check out his feet. "Could be uncertain together."
Kelda's toes are apparently equally fascinating.
"Would like that," she says.
Mel slows her pace a little, give the two of them a little more time before more people are around. "I know that no one who loves you would leave you willingly, Ameiko." She smiles, "Anytime that you want to talk about Alder, I would like to hear about him."
"Oh, he was willing enough. Died saving my life, maybe Sandru's as well. Very heroic," she says. "I think maybe I've almost forgiven him for that."
She turns her eyes to you. "Thanks."
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<I've been given to understand that you're helping to organize the wedding for Shalelu,> Zaiobe says, smiling. <I'm doing the same for Liothonae. A joint bridal shower for both of them has been suggested, and I wondered if you might want to plan such a thing together ... or if there was anything else you wanted to coordinate on, such as outfits for the bridesmaids and such.>
<Spring is a wonderful season,> she says, standing and stretching. She moves behind Melinda and places her hands on the quarter-orc's sides.
<Tag me in when you need a breath?>
Hrunndalf watches the unequal fight between Rhost, Ameiko, and Melinda with mixed feelings, wincing a bit each time one of his friends hurts another, but drawn into the excitement of the battle nevertheless.
"Well fought," he says to all of them while casting a few healing spells to ease the pain. "But I think Rhost needs a break after this. Next time you feel like beating someone up, I'll volunteer. I'll give you the choice of unarmored... or unarmed." He brings forth a sap from his pack and casually twirls it around one hand, grinning wolfishly.
"Anything that stacks the deck in your favor is handy." She thinks, "Maybe we can get a second hand wand of mirror image for you to use? The miss chance could save your skin.""My shopping list is already out of hand," she says. "Better armor alone is going to cost me a fortune."
"I'll chip in," says Hrunndalf. "A few decoys can be a more effective defense than good armor at times. Used wands can be pretty affordable. Vanish and Invisibility are also very useful, especially for escaping a dire situation."
"The underground necropolis that last belonged to a murderous cult seems like the safest option," Hrunndalf says. "Perhaps Koya and Spivey can narrow down its location with their powers of divination?"
"The underground necropolis that last belonged to a murderous cult seems like the safest option," Hrunndalf says.
"I'm in favor of this plan," Ulf says. "Probable death by unknown causes sounds a lot better to me than certain death by known causes."
Kelda's toes are apparently equally fascinating. "Would like that," she says.
"Excellent," Rhost says to his feet. Starts to say something else, but instead repeats "Excellent."
"Excellent," Rhost says to his feet. Starts to say something else, but instead repeats "Excellent."
Kelda smiles, but her only other response is companionable silence.
"I'm in favor of this plan," Ulf says. "Probable death by unknown causes sounds a lot better to me than certain death by known causes."
Rhost has no extrasensory abilities, but starts scanning the distant peaks.
She withdraws from you slowly, and then pulls the vibrator out of her body as well.
Her hands lift you upright and turn you back around.
Her mouth meets yours.
Barely able to stand, knees weak, entire body still humming with the aftereffects of orgasm, Lio's lips, at once both shy and eager, taste yours. You feel his hardness pressed against you, and his hips unconsciously move.
While Liothonae gently hugs Melinda, Milena, perhaps sensing a little extra pressure on the front wall of her tiny room, decides it is a good time to kick that wall and see what happens.
"Meep!" Lio nearly jumps. "Hey... you... you kicked me." She looks up at Mel, "Not you." She looks at Mel's little belly. "You." You can almost see her pointing, mentally.
Then she smiles. "You kicked me!" She hugs Mel again.
<So ... care to go flying?> she asks.
"Yes!" Lio grins. She practically races you outside.
Mel pulls a towel around her waist, securing it under the bulge of her stomach. Before she walks away, she smiles over at Lio. "Thank you, hen-nain. Milena and I both really needed that."
Elven means 'great-grandmother'.
Lio returns the smile. "You're welcome or-wyres."
Lio speaks with Zaiobe silently for a few moments, at some point she smiles soflty. When Zaiobe and Mel depart, she puts her head down on Shae's shoulder, wrapping her arms a little tighter about the woman in front of her. "Teenagers." She remarks, with an innocent air, after Mel and Z have gone.
"Yes," Shalelu agrees. "Thank goodness our aged minds are fixed upon higher matters now."
Knowledge Geography
Knowledge Local
Does Lio know where an underground necropolis could be? If so, she shares the info, or aids whomever rolls better than her...
"Yes," Shalelu agrees. "Thank goodness our aged minds are fixed upon higher matters now."
"Well, I didn't say that." Lio blushes.
Does Lio know where an underground necropolis could be? If so, she shares the info, or aids whomever rolls better than her...