Shalelu places the blade on the creatures chest and attempts to drive it deep into his heart.
If it doesn't seem to stop the thing from healing she will call out to Olaff "Try and cut off its head!"
Relisha continues her healing efforts on the sorceress.
Ahreni 19/27
Olaff 31/31
Relisha 12/33
Shalelu 31/38
Thanara 12/17
As the creature falls, Olaff rushes and knees at Thanara's side, watching Relisha work his magic with fear in his eyes. "Can she be saved, Rrelisha?"
Once Shalelu asks him to cut the creature's head off, Olaff turns to her with delight. "Just keep stabbing it! Oh I hope it doesn't die fast enough... if he is like a trroll, frrom my land, he von't die unless ve burn it... but beforre that, I'll make him sufferr."
"Don't cut its head... cut his vings, arrms and legs!"
"She will be well soon," Relisha responds, her attention on the wand in her hand and the woman on the ground.
Shalelu drives the blade deep into the creatures heart, blood bursting from its chest and spilling over his body. Regardless of this, the wounds continue to close on his body and it appears he is still healing.
Shalelu curses as the thing doesn't die. She reaches into her quiver and grabs one of the durable silver arrows and tries that to see if it might finally kill the thing. She isn't all too concerned with Olaff's revenge fantasies.
Thanara awakens in pain, embarrassment, and tears. She fumbles with her shredded clothes and stammers through her tears ”I’m sorry...I’m not cut out for this...”
Shalelu tries stabbing the creature with the silver arrow, but she is met with much the same result. The arrow injures the creature, more blood spurting out of its body on to Shalelu's hands. A moment later, the wounds continue to close.
Shalelu starting to look like a bloody mess as all the blood keeps spurting all over her, notices when Thanara wake up and gruffly calls out to her "Use fire or electricity or something! Try and kill this damn thing, whatever it is."
Dropping the arrow she frantically pulls out a flask of acid and dumps it on the creature to see if does anything...
Hearing that it still wasn’t dead, Thanara crawls backwards away from it, Olaff, and the others in terror!
Shalelu scowls as she sees Than crawl away and not help "Damnit girl, help me kill this thing so it doesn't get back up again... use your magic..."
Shalelu's acid burns away at the flesh of the bird creature. The wound it causes does not seem to regenerate.
Ahreni, who does not have anything like acid, simply continues to rip the creature apart until someone else manages to kill it.
When Shae sees the acid seems to stop the creatures healing she shouts out "ACID! Does anyone have anymore acid? That was the only one I brought but it seemed to stop it from healing..."
Olaff steps up and severs the creatures head while Ahreni rips apart his body with her teeth and claw, Shalelu cutting and stabbing the creature. When the three step away, they look down at the mutilated corpse that was once a bird-like creature. As they stare at the numerous wounds all over its body, nothing seems to be healing any longer after several seconds and even after several minutes.
The three warriors are a complete wreck, with blood and gore coating most of their bodies. It would appear that the creature has finally died, but it is difficult to discern what it was other than a pile of destroyed flesh and feathers.
On his body he wears leather armor and has a +2 composite longbow strung on his back. His kusarigama lays next to his hand on the floor.
"S@#*!" Olaff exasperate when the creature is finally gone, kicking it's head across the room and adding a blood mark on the wall across the room. "S#~!, s+$*, s#*@! This vas frreakin' close..."
Still covered in blood, Olaff walks towards Thanara, hugging her and trying to calm her down. "Hey girrl, it is overr... it is finally overr. Ye arre safe now. Ye did good... it is overr."
Thanara, trembling at the horror of it all, pushes away from Olaff frantically! ”Don’t you see!?!? I can’t do this! I can’t...”
Afraid she was suffering some psychological breakdown and imagining she could run away into some danger, Olaff holds her arms. "Ve arre alive Thanarra, and that thing, vatheverr it vas, is dead and cut into pieces! Ye just prroved yerrself ye can do it! Ye just did it!"
"Rrejoice forr being alive, yes? Forr it vas yer vish to live that kept ye vith us... I thought I've lost ye..." Without noticing, Olaff cries in relief at last, soon wiping his tears with his bloodied hand, making him look like a madman.
"We need to fall back," Relisha says quietly. "We're spent. We need to head to the cemetery and rest. We'll be safe there. I can't imagine that there will be anything more dangerous than ... this," she gestures towards the dead bird-man. "But there may be more of those other bird things. We need to recover before facing them."
She puts her arm around Thanara and leads her back out to the main hall. "Those doors lead outside, right?" she asks the others, indicating the large double doors to the southwest.
"That was a horrible fight, Thanara," she says quietly to the young woman. "But you did wonderful. We're all alive. We're filthy and smelly," she says with a small laugh as she looks down at her own bloodstained clothing. "But we're victorious."
Ahreni 19/27
Olaff 31/31
Relisha 12/33
Shalelu 31/38
Thanara 12/17
Heading out of the circular room, the castle has fallen silent. Relisha directs the group southwest through the throne room to the large double door while escorting Thanara out with an arm over her shoulder. Ahreni leads the way followed by Olaff, Relisha and Thnara sandwiched between the ranger. Shalelu faces the rear to make sure they aren't flanked.
A door opens to the throne room and a humanoid creature you are never going to identify emerges with a scaly dull gray hide that resembles a cave lizard, with a long tail and crests on its head and back exits the room. It sees you escaping through the doors to the southwest, turns back into the way it came and screeches loudly in alarm
Cover blown, Ahreni throws the large double wooden doors open and bursts out into the courtyard and starts sprinting for the gatehouse, forty feet to the south. Inside the throne room, multiple doors open and numerous screeches can be heard howling and echoing in the stone corridors of the floor.
The sound of pounding feet on stone as the lizard creatures begin to charge toward you and Shalelu urges everyone forward and out of the Throne room. "Out-out-out!" she screams, her back to the fleeing party as she begins firing arrows at the two, four, six lizard creatures running towards with clubs in their hand.
With the doors open, the courtyard is eerily silent. The catapult and corbies up above have been destroyed and killed, and nothing save the wind whistling through the open doorways makes any sound. Ahreni moves to the gate and yanks on it as everyone but Shalelu makes it out of the throne room. As she pulls, the gate resists and she remembers the gate is locked.
Before she can ponder the next course of action, a hideous purple creature that walks upright like a man, but its face is that of a spider, and its hands are sickle-shaped claws appears on the other side of the gate opposite of Ahreni. It speaks unnaturally slow "And where. Do you. Think. You. Are. Going? Hmmm?" as it holds the gate closed from within the gatehouse. The creature whistles loudly and a giant spider emerges into the courtyard from the open stable doors on the western side. It begins to crawl very quickly towards the gatehouse, approaching from the opposite direction.
"It's locked!" Ahreni screams, ignoring the creature and crouching to check out the lock. "The gate is locked!" to which Relisha replies "I have the key! I'm coming!"
Shalelu continues to fire arrows at the lizard folk who are now only forty feet from her and closing quickly. She drops one, but there are still too many approaching. Meanwhile, Olaff moves west to meet hte spider and spins a wicked strike of his longsword into its belly.
Shalelulu and Olaff meet back to back, her firing into the lizards and Olaff fighting off the spider. Olaff manages several hits, but gets bit and his arm burns where the poison begins to take hold in his body. Ahreni moves to attack the creature on the other side of the gate and bites it and claws it, but it returns the bite and delivers a debilitating poison of its own that starts to slow her down.
Thanara snaps out of her daze finally and moves to the gate to help Ahreni engage the purple creature while Relisha fishes out the key and tries to work in the middle of the chaos all around her. Shalelu downs another lizard, but then they close on top of her and begin to pummel her with their clubs. Olaff slices off a leg of the spider, only to get bit again and he feels his strength beginning to leave his body.
The five party members collapse back to back and form a semi-circle around Relisha as she finally gets the gate unlocked just as Thanara electrifies the gate and zaps the purple creature holding it, causing him to stagger backwards long enough for Ahreni to throw the gate open into him. As the party pushes through the door, more clubs swing at Shalelu and she dodges, but they both strike Thanara in the back of the head and send her falling to the ground unconscious once more.
Olaff scoops up Thanara and throws her over his shoulder, but exposes himself as the spider bites him a third time. Poison burning in his muscles, he barely has enough strength to hold Thanara over his shoulder let alone swing his blade. In desperation he lunges at the gate with his longsword towards the spider with all of his weight and buries his longsword in its eye, killing the creature. The poison proves too much however and Thanara slides off his shoulder as he staggers to the ground, unable to regain his footing.
Ahreni throws herself on top of the purple clawed monster which sends both of them tumbling to the ground. She gets several good bites in, but the creature is quick and deadly, flipping her over and pinning her to the floor. It stabs her again and its poison slows the shifter's response so much that she can't keep up with the slices from its claws as it begins to tear her apart. Relisha uses her wand to get Thanara back on her feet and both manage to pull the Ulfen away from the gate where the lizard creatures had begun chewing on his arm.
Shalelu holds her back to the gate amidst the thumping behind her of the lizard folks trying to push through. She screams for Relisha to come lock the gate while they bite and club at her back, her blood splattering the floor as she slips and falls to her bottom, barely able to hold it closed. In the distance, howls of more corbies can be heard and you know that if they were to arrive the end would be upon you.
But just like that, the tide turns. Spivey comes flying in from the other side of the gatehouse and begins casting spells. First to Olaff, giving him back his strength. Next to Ahreni, to give her back her speed. Third to Shalelu to help her wounds. Relisha locks the gate as Ahreni rips the throat out of the purple monster. Shalelu regains her bow and starts firing through the gatehouse door as the group finally pulls out of the castle, running as fast as they can for the cemetery just as a half-dozen other corbies come crashing against the gate in the courtyard.
Ahreni falls back last, with Spivy's magic running through her she barks and growls her heart out, threatening the lizards with the same fate as their champion as the group flees to the safety of the cemetery.
When they get there she collapses into a limp bundle of fur. She doesn't even shift back, the transformation just peters out, leaving her with a mouthful of misshapen teeth and tufts of fur all across her face as she lies in the dirt, panting furiously.
Thanara crumbles against a headstone, the traumas and near death experiences and the fact she is having to sleep in a graveyard clearly all getting the best of her. She cuddles with her torn dress, tying shreds together here and there to keep herself looking somewhat presentable and not exposing private areas. All the while, tears stream down her cheeks and her breathing is ragged from her feeble attempts to hide her sobbing.
Spivey looks over Olaff and Ahreni, both of which are still suffering the effects of poison. She says prayers over each of you and helps try to make you comfortable as possible. sighs and says "I've expended all of my healing for the day, but the Queen of the North Star will bestow her powers upon me in the morn and I shall heal you then. If you must be healed right now, I have a few scrolls I could use to remove your poison. Otherwise, rest easy this night and regain your strength in the morning."
"Thanks." Ahreni growls through her mouthful of misshapen teeth. "Sleep now."
She proceeds to just that, curling up in the lee of two large gravestones without any other care in the world.
"We can wait until morning," Relisha says with a smile towards the fey. "We really appreciate your help. You have a good heart to help those that you don't even know. Thank you."
She sits down next to Thanara and wraps her cloak around the sorceress and herself.
When the little fey comes to their aid Shalelu is shocked,at first she was worried this was the end and the little creature was against them but as it starts to help she breaths a sigh of relief. Once they get to the relative safety of the graveyard she stomps over to Rel and points a finger at her as she barks ”You are not allowed to make tactical choices ever again. That was a mess and you almost got us all killed...”
She looks over and sees Thanara crying and just rolls her eyes as she shakes her head and moves over to Spivey ”I don’t know who you are or what your deal is but... you have my thanks. I fear we would not have made it out of there if not for your timely arrival.” She gives the small woman a slight bow and notes ”I am Shalelu Andosana.”
With Rel tending to Than and Ahreni going to sleep Shae eventually goes and takes a seat near Olaff. ”We can’t do that again... there is still a mess of threats in that place...”
"YOU FOUND IT!" she exclaims!
Spivey flies up and wraps her arms around Shalelu's neck, giving a tin hug to the elf. She lays her head on Shalelu's chest and she can feel genuine warmth and affection almost bleed through onto her skin. As she pulls away she holds up the Desnan holy symbol around her neck. "I thought it was lost! You found it! Amazing!"
She flies in and gives Shalelu another hug.
Shalelu tries to hold her hands as the little woman flies at her all of the sudden and as she starts hugging her she tries to take a step back, but it doesn't help since this isn't some full sized person she can just step away from. When she feels the genuine warmt and affection though she lowers her hands and takes it in for a moment, it's like nothing she had experienced before. As the little fey pulls at the holy symbol it brings Shae's attention back to the hear and now "Huh.. what this? Yeah, I wasn't going to leave one of Mother Moons symbols to be further desecrated..."
Spivey squees "Amaaaaaazing! She is so proud of you elf-friend! This meeting was not by chance, she has guided you to this path for this moment."
She lets go of Shalelu and flies around her twice before landing on her shoulder "You are a protector of this group, are you not? She gives you her blessing and watches over you."
She leans her head against Shalelu's and just sits on her shoulder, leaning there silently.
Shae looks a little confused by the small woman's excitement. When she asks if she is a protector of the group she half shrugs but then nods. When Spivey keeps talking about this other woman Shae finally asks "You mean Mother Moon? You think she cares that much about me?
She shrugs as she mumbles to herself "Maybe but she sure has a funny way of showing it..." and unintentionally rubs at the bandages on her belly.
Spivey smiles and lifts her head up and dangles her legs from the ranger's shoulder "She works in mysterious ways! We are always not meant to understand the how and why, we just need to do the best with what she's provided. Have faith tall one, she is your guiding light, the northern star. In time all of her plans will be revealed, just hold your faith and trust in her will."
She looks out over the party as they all fall asleep in the cemetary. "You do not sleep like the others, right? I'm afraid I must rest to regain my magic if she wills it so. Will you watch over me tonight as well? I would be so honored."
Shalelu nods to the small woman's words there is wisdom in them and even as bull headed as she can be she recognizes that. As she asks about watching over her she nods and replies "Of course."
She didn't know why this fey took an interest in them, but she knew of Desna and was friendly enough, plus that warmth she felt it was... different... special? She didn't know exactly but it made her feel good and then there was the whole saving their asses thing, overall Shae though to herself I think I like this little one.
As the others tend to themselves Shae takes a quick walk to check the perimeter and then finds a good place to keep watch as the others rested, until someone woke to take a shift so she could get some rest.
Thanara awakens the next morning, cold, scared, and disappointed in herself.
I don’t belong here. I’m not cut out for this and if I keep pretending that I am just to spite my prick of a father, it’s going to get me killed. I should just leave the caravan at the next town. I was foolish for coming along.
She looks over at Relisha, who seems to have fallen asleep while trying to comfort her, and gently lifted her arm and slipped out from under her blanket, trying not to wake her. She then began quietly gathering her things.
When Ahreni eventually took over the next shift as watch Shae went to get some rest. She was having a rough time of it though and was very restless, she kept dreaming about dragons mauling her companions to death and just leaving her to watch, unable to do anything, it was horrible even if slightly unrealistic.
However, when she heard Thara rustling about she jumps up with her bow and readies an arrow, pointing it directly at the woman. When she realizes it is just Thanara she losses her grip, and lowers her weapon. ”What are you doing?” she asks.
When Shalelu jumps up with her bow and points it at her, Thanara gasps and jumps with a start as well! She then scowls and whispers ”Damnit, Shay!”
She composed herself a moment before adding, ”I’m headed back to the caravan. You were right...I’m not cut out for this...everyone was right...if I stay I’m just going to cause one of you to get killed trying to keep me safe,” as she strains to lift her pack up onto her shoulders.
Upon reaching the graveyard, Olaff removes his breastplate in order to look at the infected bites of the spiders, which are red and blue in many points, even after Spivey had made its magic. S@@+...
It had been a long time since he was so much overwhelmed and hurt by enemies... three years if he recalls it correctly, near the border with Irrisen when he and a couple of his companions where following the trails of missing ulfen merchants. They were ambushed by an alarming number of cold fey creatures led by a nasty ice troll and he lost of his group that time... luckily, no one died this time, but it was close... Too f!+$ing close...
As Shalelu scolds Relisha for her decision, Olaff agrees wholehearted with her words. They should have returned by the path they came in, which was safe and already cleared, with few places where they could have been surrounded.
As the elf sits besides him, he shakes his head. "Ve have no choice, do ve? Ve have not rrecoverred the thing that vill heal Ameiko and vithout herr, this is the end o' this carravan... yer friend vill prrobably die and me, Rrelisha and Thanarra vill have to look somevherre else to live, since ve left Sandpoint vith too many people hatin' us." He points all the reasons why they can't give up, adding a new one in the end. "And on top o' that, therre is also the chance o some o' me kin be still alive and locked inside that castle."
"No... ve'll trry again tomorrow. Considerrrin' everrythin', ve verre doing good until this s~@$ty and unnecessary rrisky bloody escape. The red nosed man vas forr surre some sorrt o' leaderr and ve have killed him... I've seen vhat this makes to a garrison... therre vill be infighting and chaos as they figure out who is the new leaderr." He says as he changes the position of his hurt arms. "Ve can do it... if those vith experrience arre listened. Rrelisha vill learn vith this mistake I'm surre."
Then, as Spivey comes to hug Shalelu, Olaff takes the opportunity to also thank her, with a smile. "Thank you forr yer supporrt, little fey."
At the sound of Shalelu's words, Olaff wakes up but says nothing initially, taking care with his arms and still feeling the spiders' poison in his veins. Once he understands the situation, he closes his eyes once more, pretending to sleep while paying attention to the whispered conversation... if Thanara was to run away like this, without even talking to him, he would let her go, even if doing so would be painful. If she was to abandon them like this, then she was not the woman he was hoping she was and it would be better if the two part their ways, for she would not be strong enough to eventually have his children.
Shae just scowls at Thanara ”B@%&~+#!! I call b%%*!&*+, yeah maybe you aren’t experienced but you held your own. So you got beaten up a little by some weird ass creature, so what? You survived, we all survived, just learn and do better. That doesn’t mean you get to be a coward and run off and hide... we still need you and more importantly Ameiko needs you... suck it up butter cup. We’ve got work to do and you going and running off does nothing but hurt us and just proves your father right...”
She huffs as she finishes and sits back down, half watching to see what Than does and half going through her gear taking stock of what resources she still has left.
Thanara’s eyes narrow at Shalelu’s scolding. ”You know something Shay? You may not realize it, but I always looked up to you and Ameiko as the sisters as never had. But...you can be a real b@%## sometimes! I don’t know why I even try to make you like me,” she says as her eyes fill with tears. She drops her pack and moves off to a quiet spot away from everyone to have herself a private cry, refusing to talk with anyone until they were ready to head back inside.
As Thanara moves off to sort out her emotions Shae smirks At least she isn't talking about running off anymore... she thinks. With a shrug she gathers up her stuff and goes to find Spivey.
Spivey smiles as she flitters around Olaff's head. "Oh! You are most welcome big hairy one! You know, I never thought I would hear so many funny talking humans in such a short period of time! All those ARRRRRs and VEEEEE's" she giggles as she tries to imitate the accent."[/smaller][/b]
She looks over to the destroy longship and frowns "I'm sorry your friend got captured, I couldn't save her unfortunately. I've said many prayers for though and perhaps Lady Luck yet shines on her?"
"Good morning my tall ray of sunshine! How was your sleep? I hope it was well. My sleep was well. I feel very rested this morning. Mother Moon has restored my gifts and I will be able to fully restore your companions this morning. Are you still injured? Are you not done in the castle? How soon will you return to the castle? What is it you intend to find in the castle?" she spits out question after question as she flies all around, moving almost as quickly as her words.
After having herself a good private cry, Thanara shoulders her pack and makes her way back. Her dress is in tatters, with shreds tied to one another to even keep it on. Her eyes are red and swollen from the tears. Her head is hung low and she mumbles ”Are we going? Let’s get this over with...”
Relisha is very subdued the next morning. She approaches Thanara with her head bowed down.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday," she says, her eyes fixed on the ground. "I honestly thought it was the best way to leave."
”Not your fault, Rel. At least you didn’t have to be carried out...”
As Spivey unloads a mass of questions on her Shae holds her hands up ”Wooh, slow down.... Am I still injured, um yes but no. No, we are not done in the castle. We will be headed back presently. As for what we are looking for... I’m not entirely sure... some treasure in a locked vault and a person with ten hands or something that we need to make afraid...” She finishes with a shrug just repeating what she remembered Rel had said.
With a more stern look and confidence behind her words she continues ”Some spirit, or something took over our friend, she is really sick, we have to try and find a way to fix her and apparently it is in there!” She motions back toward the keep.
When Than seems to get over her pitty party and asks if they are going to go Shae takes the opportunity to crack a joke at the most inappropriate time ”Found your courage again then after a little cry?” She smirks and goes over to pat Than on the shoulder to show she means no I’ll will, whispering to her ”Don’t worry, I’ll do what I can to keep you safe, just kill anything I am shooting arrows at.”
Thanara shrugged Shalelu’s hand off her shoulder with a scowl. ”F$%& off, Shay! You may get a laugh at my expense, over me nearly dieing every few minutes, but I don’t find it nearly as amusing,” she snarls, and the look in her eye makes it clear she really wants to do more than lash out at her “friend” with words.
”Found your courage again then after a little cry?” She smirks and goes over to pat Than on the shoulder to show she means no I’ll will, whispering to her ”Don’t worry, I’ll do what I can to keep you safe, just kill anything I am shooting arrows at.”
At Shalelu's attempt at humor, Relisha's attitude shifts. "You leave her alone!" she snaps, stepping up into the elf's face and a finger held out inches from Shalelu's nose. "Not all of us have spent out lives chewing on nails and s!%~ting out tacks! Some of us are new to this and it's not that easy to get used to! But we're trying, ok?!"
Her eyes flash with fire as she continues her tirade.
"I screwed up yesterday, ok? That wasn't Thanara's fault. I know you're not human but it wouldn't hurt to show just a little more humanity and compassion."
The fire seems to fade a little, but she doesn't relent. She finally steps away to stand next to the sorceress.
Shae is about to just let it go with Than until Rel gets up in her face. As the woman finishes her tirade Shae just says ”Damn... I was just messing with her, both of you need to chill the f$*! out... yeah yesterday was rough, but it’s not going to help anything you two all wound up and ready to explode at any little thing...
She mumbles the next part under her breath as she walks off to leave the two grumps alone ”S%*@... and Ameiko says I’m the grumpy one...”
Relisha's ire rises again at Shae's words and she stomps over to face her again.
"No! That's not a 'little thing'. That was a snide and belittling thing to say. It's tempting to tell you that I take back my offer to help heal you until you sincerely apologize, but I won't. Because that's not who I am. But you do owe her an actual apology. And until you do ..." the tiefling's words trail off as she tries to come up with something. "I ... I don't know. But I won't consider you my friend," she finishes lamely. She glances uneasily at Thanara before stepping away from the ranger.
”Yeah, that’s all you’ve ever done my whole life, Shay. Made fun of me, either to my face or behind my back. No matter how hard I tried to be friends. Well, I’m officially sick of it. You clearly don’t give a damn. And that’s fine by me. I’ll be dead and gone, even if age takes me, in no time compared to your life. Maybe that’s why you don’t like spending time with us humans, because your gonna outlive is all anyway. So why bother being nice and making friends or family,” Thanara continues in tune with Relisha’s contribution.
Then Relisha adds more to it, and Thanara lets her speak. She then adds ”I’m no fighter. I’m not even a good mage. And I’m fine with that. I’ll never be a good adventurer like you,” before turning to Olaff, ”Or the Warrior Queen you want, either. I’m weak, I’m scared, and I’m a liability. And I’ve decided I’m FINE with that! So let’s just finish this so we can get back to the caravan and I’ll go ruin another meal or three. Give everyone something else to laugh at me about,” she grumbles before walking past Shalelu, purposely hitting her shoulder into the elfs. Thanara clearly was rocked more than Shalelu, but she didn’t care.
Olaff ignores Spivey's comment and mockery about his accent simply because there was nothing he could say about it... his first language was very different than Taldan not only in words but also in sounds.
When she talks about a friend, Olaff is confused. "Vhat frriend arre ye talkin' about? I do not rrecognize that longship so I don't know who is leading it and who are the varriors... I only know they arre frrom my land."
Olaff gets ready slowly, not really wishing to enter the discussion between the three girls, all the time wondering if it is "that time of the month" for all the three of them.
After eating a pear and some dried meat, he walks towards Spivey so she can heal him of the rest of the poison still affecting him. "So, little frriend, could ye ask yerr Goddess forr a blessin'? If ve arre going to enterr that forrt once again, I'd prreferr to do so vith my full strrength..."
Once he is mentioned, however, he looks at Thanara, winks, sends her a kiss, and turns back to Spivey. "But that could wait. I'm feeling something in my guts and I'll get rrid o' it firrst... a frriend o' mine once said to me 'neverr accept magic vhen ye have to s%%~'... be back in a moment." And then he walks away towards a bush as far as he could from the discussion.