Thanara balks when she returns from her bath dressed in a robe and sees Savah waiting for her. Her face flushes but she remains quiet as the blacksmith talks and she gives her her gift. Thanara holds it in her hand, looking at it in silence.
When Savah goes to leave, Thanara takes her by the hand and says quietly ”No. stay.”
"If you wish it so, I will be more than happy to stay." she says, squeezing Thanara's hand.
Leading her inside, Savah shuts her door and starts with "We don't have to talk if you'd just like to have some quiet time. I bought a book in town and I'll be happy to sit beside you and read."
Once inside, Thanara’s feeble attempt at maintaining a strong facade shatters. Her cheeks stream with tears and she collapses into the bed, resting her head in Savah’s lap. ”I’m a terrible person, Savah! I hurt everyone I’m near and I’m not good at anything!”
"Shhhhh. Don't you say such things now, darling." She sits her book down and runs her hands down Thanara's moist cheeks, wiping away the tears. "We both know that isn't true at all. Tell me about the things that are bothering you and we can talk about them all one at a time, alright?"
Thanara lays there and just cries quietly for some time. She eventually stammers ”I...I’m just...” she rolls her face down and hides her eyes in embarrassment.
”I don’t deserve you. I’m a failure at everything and I just don’t deserve someone like you.”
No, you don't.
"Yes, of course you do. Don't be silly Thanara. Relationships are hard work and that means there going to be ups and downs. You are also working through all of these changes to your body, the changes in your friends relationships, what's happening with Ameiko. It's a lot to take in a short period of time."
"Shhhh, it's okay. I've got you. You're safe here." she says, coddling Thanara and trying to comfort her in her time of need.
Thanara rolled over onto her back and looked up at Savah from her lap. She gave her a light smile before she lifted herself up off Savah's lap enough for the blacksmith to lean down for a kiss, if she so wanted...
Savah smiles back and leans in to kiss Thanara, taking care to keep things gentle and slow knowing that the sorceress was sensitive and emotionally unstable right now. She lifts her head up and says ”I like it when you smile, I haven’t seen much of that lately. It looks good on you.”
Ameiko goes shopping in town, making sure she takes Relisha or someone else with her. She asks her bedmate, ”Should I be dressing differently? Nevermind, it’s not like it matters. There will not be anything Tian-made in an Ulfen logging town!” she laughs. Holding hands as they walk, she asks ”Are you happy, Relisha?”
Sandru creates assignments of watching their caravan to rotate between the brothers, Ahreni and Olaff, giving himself and Shalelu the night off and allowing them to get rest in a bed this time around.
He pulls Shalelu aside and asks ”Hey. Sorry about that argument last week. I don’t know why I was so bent out of shape. I’m sorry I yelled.”
Spivey elects to spend time with Ahreni that evening, vowing to stay awake and keep the shifter company during her watch. She suggest they sing songs together or tell tales of their best memories. ”What is your happiest memory, Ahreni?”
Bevelek pulls out some cards and asks the Ulfen to join them for some Varisian fun. They are wagering some ale that they just picked up and could use some company beating someone as terrible at cards as he. ”He probably plays as good as he trims his beard!” they laugh. ”Come! Give us all of your hard-earned treasure!” they tease.
Thanara looked up conspiratorially at Savah and replied ”You gonna try and make me smile?” as she purposely presses her lips together to make them be as little of a smile as possible.
Olaff sits with the others but don't pick up neither the cards nor his pouch. "Ye know somethin' I've learrned many yearrs ago, Bevelek? 'Don't challenge a dvarrf to a drrinkin' contest.'" He laughs. "I don't know yer game and I'm prrety surre ye know it verry vell, so I'm not idiot to gamble anything vith ye."
"Ve can play forr fun, but I von't gamble anything that I've earrned rriskin' my own blood and skin... if not, I'm instead heading to town to find a good voman to hump beforre my shift arrrives..."
Ameiko goes shopping in town, making sure she takes Relisha or someone else with her. She asks her bedmate, ”Should I be dressing differently? Nevermind, it’s not like it matters. There will not be anything Tian-made in an Ulfen logging town!” she laughs. Holding hands as they walk, she asks ”Are you happy, Relisha?”
"I don't think you need to dress any differently then you do now," Relisha answers with a shy smile.
She considers Ameiko's second question for a bit before replying to it. "I am, yes. I'm seeing the world with my most favorite person by my side. I'm learning more about Sarenrae every day. And not just what my parents taught me. There is so much more in the Birth of Truth and Light than they led me to believe. So much wisdom." She stops in the street and draws both of Ameiko's hands into hers as she turns to face the young woman. "You're going to need people around you to protect you. I want to be one of those people. I will be one of those people." She reddens suddenly when she realizes how that might come across. "I-I mean ... if ... if you'll let me." He eyes look down at the ground.
Spivey elects to spend time with Ahreni that evening, vowing to stay awake and keep the shifter company during her watch. She suggest they sing songs together or tell tales of their best memories. ”What is your happiest memory, Ahreni?”
While well intentioned, that is not a good question to ask Ahreni, who has been noticeably more morose than normal for the entire trip to Kalsgard. She's been spending all of her time with the horses and minimising her contact with everyone else in the caravan. She hasn't even spent any time with Shalelu, preferring to leave the wagon to the elf and walk, or ride one of the spare horses.
When they arrive in the town she takes her brother aside briefly and presses a heavy pouch of money into his hands before taking up her position on top of one of the wagons, so that no-one without wings can even approach her.
"Being with pack." She answers quietly. "Pack is family, more than. All together, all strong. Not human. Not complicated. Not... hurt." She looks at the small fey with dark, sad eyes. "Why humans hurt so much Spivey?"
"Hurt?" Spivey asks, confused. "Are you injured, Ahreni? I did not see any physical wounds. Here, let me take a look!" she says and starts fluttering around the shifter's body.
"Which human hurt you? I'll give them a good thwacking, I will! Right on their ear!" she says, frustrated she can't find her "wounds".
"Oh." she says lost in thought. "I suppose that's right. I just assumed dressing differently would be required to show, uhm, I don't know. You're right, that was dumb. Nevermind!" she says cheerfully, changing the subject.
Still holding her hand, she repeats the oracle's words with a slight twist "I didn't know seeing the world with the Holy Vindicator by your side was what you enjoyed the most!". Doing her best to hide the smile, she keeps a straight face for as long as possible before bursting out in laughter.
Leaning in and kissing Relisha cheek she whispers "I would love to have you by my side in whatever capacity you are comfortable with, be it a blade, a book or underneath a blanket."
"Hurt?" Spivey asks, confused. "Are you injured, Ahreni? I did not see any physical wounds. Here, let me take a look!" she says and starts fluttering around the shifter's body.
"Which human hurt you? I'll give them a good thwacking, I will! Right on their ear!" she says, frustrated she can't find her "wounds".
"Inside." Ahreni says, turning back to look across the campsight. "Hurt inside." She doesn't say who it was - she promised after-all, and she keeps her promises.
"Try?" Savah asks, accepting the challenge? "I could make you smile sooooooo easily, why I could do it without even trying!" she boasts with a puffed out chest. "I'm the QUEEN of smiles, after all." she says, full of confidence.
"Bah!" Bevelek shouts after Olaff as he leaves. Imitating the Ulfen, he shouts after him "Ye arr a chikken!!" which he follows by standing up and flapping his arms and clucking like a chicken for the next minute.
Olaff turns around, mildly annoyed. "Ye don't need to imitate a chicken to get a cock, Bevelek! I bet ye ve can find some o' yerr liking in town."
Still holding her hand, she repeats the oracle's words with a slight twist "I didn't know seeing the world with the Holy Vindicator by your side was what you enjoyed the most!". Doing her best to hide the smile, she keeps a straight face for as long as possible before bursting out in laughter.
Relisha's eyes go wide and she gives Ameiko a playful shove. "I meant you, you silly goose!" she says with a blush.
Leaning in and kissing Relisha cheek she whispers "I would love to have you by my side in whatever capacity you are comfortable with, be it a blade, a book or underneath a blanket."
The tiefling's blush deepens. "Ameiko!" she whispers in a desperate tone. "People might be listening."
Even though Relisha is happy to spend the rest of the day just being in Ameiko's presence, she does keep an eye out for certain things. Although, whether they're not being sold here or because she seems so distracted, for whatever reason she doesn't find what she's looking for.
Thanara keeps her lips pressed tightly shut, shaking her head in defiance of Savah’s boast.
Bevelek calls out "Eh? Is Thanara available then? I hear you two fighting and rumor is she's done with you? Whats a matter Olaff? She want some Varisian in her instead?" he laughs, taking another swig of his ale.
Ameiko laughs loudly and tightens the grip on Relisha's hand as she does so. "Oh Relisha, you are so cute when you are embarassed. Look. You'll quickly learn I don't care what people think, neither should you."
She stops and blinks several times and corrects herself "Though, I suppose I may need to change that philosophy, hmmm? It can't be just about what I want all the time?"
Ameiko spend the rest of the day wandering the Ulfen town with Relisha, no real purpose other than being out of the wild and happy to be back in civilization again. She does insist they locate some form of entertainment for the evening and eventually track down a trio of performers set up at the tavern. Catching the show and a meal, they enjoy quite a pleasant and dare you call it, "normal" evening.
"Alright. But you asked for this. And I swear to the Gods if you tell anyone this happened I will spank you bare-ass in front of Koya, Sandru and every other person in the caravan." she threatens, a bit of her old commanding voice returning as she holds her finger out at Thanara.
She clears her throat and shakes her head, letting her hair down and fly out as she undoes it. Standing up on the the bed she takes a deep breath and then begins to sing.
In a voice much deeper than her own, she says "Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?"
Switching to a falsetto, she leans in and waggles her finger in Thanara's face "Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full." as she holds up three fingers.
Standing back up counts off in her mock-child voice "One for the master, One for the dame, And one for the little boy who lives down the lane."
As she sings the last part she dances around in a circle and lets her hair flop all around her head.
"Oh." she says, settling down on Ahreni's shoulder.
Face flushing red, she admits "I heard you and her the other day. I didn't mean to intrude. I was looking for some berries when I heard the strange sounds. I went to check it out, but when I saw what was happening I was so embarrased I flew away. I'm sorry."
Curious, she asks "Did she... Did she she hurt you after you pleasured each other?"
"Oh." she says, coming to a realization. "Shalelu's not a human." Grimacing as if she just made a complete ass out of herself she frowns "Oh dear. I'm sorry, you were talking about a human who hurt you. Was it Sandru? He seems to love you so much!"
Olaff laughs at Bevelek's attempted provocations. "Rrumorrs? Therre arre not enough people in the carravan forr a rrumorr, you dumb s&&!! By 'rrumorr' you mean 'what ye, Vankorr and perrhaps Sandrru think'!" He then shrugs. "I'm not surre if she is done vith me orr not, but I am, even if this is not o' yerr business... but Bevelek, a frriendly advice: As long as ye think yerr cock is the most desirred thing in the vorrld and think all voman vant that shrriveled thin', all ye vill get is Mrrs. Madalenna."
He then walks away, towards the town looking first for a place selling armors and shields.
Thanara watches and clasps her hands over her mouth, a slight giggle escaping as she rolled away from Savah to hide her face.
Savah grins and plops back down to the bed, beginning to retie her hair back behind her head. "See."
The next morning everyone regroups, refreshed from the break in the town. Shopping complete, the caravan moves norward once again.
Along the way your eyes eventually spot another raven following you that seems to be a bit larger than normal - about the size of a small dog. It never gets too close, but you spy it every few days along the road north.
After another week of travel you are some 300 miles north of Brinewall. You setup camp for the night night not far from a river and Ameiko and Relisha have been assigned the first watch. Fog rolls off the water and all is quiet as their fire crackles in front of them, keeping the chill out of ever increasing cooler air. It's about thirty minutes before shift change and Ameiko's head is laying in Relisha's lap. She's slipping in and out of sleep and Relisha hasn't bothered to wake her from her half-dozed state.
Relisha hears the quiet sound of an oar being put into an oarlock out on the river.
"Oh." she says, settling down on Ahreni's shoulder.
Face flushing red, she admits "I heard you and her the other day. I didn't mean to intrude. I was looking for some berries when I heard the strange sounds. I went to check it out, but when I saw what was happening I was so embarrased I flew away. I'm sorry."
Curious, she asks "Did she... Did she she hurt you after you pleasured each other?"
"Oh." she says, coming to a realization. "Shalelu's not a human." Grimacing as if she just made a complete ass out of herself she frowns "Oh dear. I'm sorry, you were talking about a human who hurt you. Was it Sandru? He seems to love you so much!"
Ahreni shrugs. "Not your fault. Not Sandru either. Just Shalelu and..." She bites off the sentence - this is clearly a futile endeavor, so she simply settles back into her position and lets Šƿîvèŷ keep up a run of chatter to distract her from her own dark mood.
Before waking Ameiko at the sounds she's hearing, Relisha takes a moment to cast a spell of protection over her.
"Ameiko! Wake up!" she whispers urgently as she shakes the woman. "There's someone out there!"
Relisha hears the sound of the oar locking into place, but instead of waking Ameiko, the party or casting a protective spell, she just freezes, unable to act for some stranger reason.
The sounds of night are muted amid the freezing fog that clings to blankets, cloaks, and Varisian mustachios alike. The dull silence is suddenly broken by the scrape of wood upon the gravel bank of the river —a boat has beached just beneath the bridge — quickly followed by the splash of feet in the shallows and the whispered oath-cries and battle-songs of Ulfen raiders!
Seemingly paralyzed and unable to act, Relisha hears the Ulfens striding up from the river below and march straight towards them.
Ameiko stirs in her lap, shifting slightly in her sleep state. With her eyes closed, she murmurs "Can we go to bed now? I'm so sleepy."
Just a few seconds later, they erupt out of the fog - some forty warriors with axes in hand, faces painted for battle and murderous looks on their faces. The group splits and twelve angle towards the sleeping Ameiko and frozen Relisha, closing within five feet of the sleeping woman. The others were spreading out, angling for the rest of the caravan - although to help anyone else, you were going to have to deal with those closest to you first.
Unfortunately for Relisha, the raiders were being too quiet to wake anyone else in the party and it was about to be her versus twelve battle-hardened warriors. Luckily however, Bevelek stumbles out of his caravan and drops his pants as he begins to relieve himself. Pants around his ankles, he shouts as he scrambles to pull his pants back up.
Ameiko sits up suddenly and turns around, gasping loudly at the bearded men with axes a few feet from her. "RELISHA!" she exclaims suddenly, turning to look wide-eyed at the tiefling just as a large pair of hands grabs the bard's feet and yanks her out of Relisha's lap, throwing her roughly over his shoulder. Ameiko pounds furiously on the large Ulfen's back, trying to break free. Try as she might, she clearly is no match for the muscled warrior.
Like so many times before, the events play out in her mind first. If she was asleep she'd have a hard time distinguishing it from a dream. But when the visions come to her while she's awake, she knows right away and it makes it so much worse. Knowing exactly what's going to happen is made that much more horrible when she's unable to do anything about it.
The vision of Ameiko being torn from her was bad enough, but the dread of knowing that it was going to happen almost tore her soul out. And when it finally comes to pass, she railed against the spiritual bonds that held her in place.
And instant later - an instant too late - and she's freed.
she screams, finally rising from the ground. She reaches out to latch on the the woman's soul and at the same time calls forth a prayer that she's avoided.
In response to her prayer, a gleaming scimitar coalesces out of the air in a flash of light and slashes at the man carrying her love.
Ahreni 35/35
Olaff 40/40
Relisha 43/43
Shalelu 47/47
Thanara 22/22
Ameiko ?/?
Ahreni scrambles out from under the wagon where she normally sleeps and takes in the situation in a moment. She leaps on the ulfen carrying Ameiko, biting at his leg.
Thanara awakens to the commotion and her eyes fly wide at the realization of the stakes and danger. She can’t just stand around and let Ameiko get taken, though. She works a spell and a roiling cloud of storm and lightning appears at the back portion of the group cutting off their escape path from the caravan camp!
As Olaff leave the brothers behind, he walks along the streets looking for a place to buy some magically hardened armor and shield, concerned that he has not been able to properly protect himself. Soon he finds a simple shop with an Ulfen blacksmith and is surprised by how much he missed the sound of his own language.
After a couple minutes of negotiations, threats, stories being told and questions being made, Olaff left the shop with a new armor and shield to replace his own, having told that both of them were enchanted by a priest of Gorum as all proper gear should be.
Happy with his purchase, Olaff then go looking for a brothel, where he spends about an hour pleasuring himself before returning to the wagons to guard them and free the others to do their own business in town.
Hearing Bevelek's yelling, Olaff wakes up suddenly and grabs his sword and shield but not having time to don his new armor. He then steps out of his tent to see the many raiders surrounding them. Angry, he shouts to them. "For Gorums blodige sværd, hvem er gedejækken for en kriger, der angriber rejsende i dit eget land?
Mit navn er Olaff Olaffson fra Trollheim og i årevis har jeg bevogtet de østlige grænser mod Irrisen! Jeg skal ikke vende hjem og blive angrebet af mine egne mennesker!
Sænk dine våben, og lad os tale som mænd. Hvem blandt jer er lederen for dette raiding-parti?"
My name is Olaff Olaffson from Trollheim and for years I have guarded the eastern borders against Irrisen! I am not to return home and be attacked by my own people!
Lower your weapons and lets talk like men. Who among you is the leader of this raiding party?"
Ahreni's attack is just enough to breakthrough the defenses of the Ulfen warrior in front of her. He responds by slashes her with his battleaxe! . Four more raiders move in to encircle the shifter, but only one of them connects with his axe.
The first scimitar strike of Relisha's weapon cuts the warrior to her north , but it will take several more of those blows to bring him down. The man swings his axe at Relisha, but his injury causes him to pull it short. Another raider circles in behind the tiefling and buries his axe into her back accompanied with a tremendous roar from the man.
Thanara's thundercloud ravages the warrior closest the bridge, shocking and frying the poor raider with such efficiency that he's barely left standing. He stumbles forward to attack Shalelu, moving just enough to cut into her body.
Olaff's words are met with one of the warriors charging headlong into him with his battleaxe! He replies in Skald as he buries his battleaxe into Olaff's side. "Bli med oss da, bror! Ta ned disse reisende!"
Unable to rub the sleep from her eyes, Shalelu's shots both go off into the fog, missing.
The Ulfen carrying Ameiko throws her to another man who grabs her like men would pass a ball in a game. He laughs heartily, and turns to walk off with her all the meanwhile the Tien whoman protesting, kicking and screaming. Her attempts to break free are futile as she disappears further into the mist.
Thanara moves the storm cloud to ram the man holding Ameiko, hoping to cause him to drop her!
"Jeg er ingen bror til en feje, der angriber sine egne lande eller angriber folk, der rejser til hans egne byer ..." Olaff says as he attacks the raider with his sword.
________________________________________
Attack round blue
Demoralize round blue
Seeing Ameiko being carried off Shalelu steps away from the men harassing her to unleash a volley on the man carrying her friend.
Relisha snaps out further links to Ahreni, Olaff, and Shalelu.
Knowing that she won't be much help if she falls, herself, the tiefling pulls the scimitar she's been carrying and swings it at the Ulfen attacking her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she redirects the spiritual scimitar to follow up and attack the man carrying Ameiko.
Ahreni 19/35
Olaff 30/40
Relisha 38/43
Shalelu 37/47
Thanara 22/22
Ameiko ?/?
Unfortunately both of Relisha's scimitar attacks fall short, narrowly missing. Both man attacking Relisha hit her, one of them critically so as they gouge at her with their large axes.
Olaff intimidates the man attacking him before wounding him badly with a strike from his blade, but the warrior still stands against him.
Shalelu steps away from the two men adjacent to her, but backs into the man engaged with Olaff. As she bumps into him he turns and slams his battleaxe into her back, critically injuring her! Attention now fully on her, the warrior turns from Olaff to try and strike Shalelu again but this time he misses. The two men advance on her and one of them buries his axe into her while the other misses.
Thanara's storm cloud zaps both Ameiko and the man carrying her badly, but enough to take him down. Shalelu's arrows come flying in at him in rapid succession and finish him off as the bard falls to the ground with the man. She takes her feet and tries to move but another warrior nearby just scoops her up and throws her over his shoulder. Screaming in frustration "OH COME ON!", she pounds and kicks at him as he moves away with her back away into the dog.
Ahreni's feral nature takes over and with a wild frenzy-like attack, she slams her claw into the throat of her attack and rips his neck into two, critically severing the artery in his neck and sending the attacker to the ground. Turning to the next foe, she lunges forward and bites the mans neck and takes a huge chunk of flesh from him, nearly taking him down in one bite. The men retaliate against the unarmored shifter, hitting her twice
As soon as she feels the axe-blade bite deep, Relisha drops her links with everyone but Ahreni.
The tiefling drops her weapon and pulls out her will-used wand to attempt to stem the flow of blood from her wounds.
Ahreni 2/35
Olaff 30/40
Relisha 12/43
Shalelu 23/47
Thanara 22/22
Ameiko 10/26
Making the raider pay with blood for focusing on Shalelu, Olaff attacks again with his sword and then moves to engage to other ones.
_____________________________________
Attack round blue
Move (<-assuming round blue is down)
With Olaff dealing with the one behind her and moving up toward the others Shalelu steps back once again and aims at the new one carrying Ameiko.
Scared to do more damage to Ameiko, Thanara moves the cloud to try and help the one person who might be able to run her down and save her.
Ahreni.
”Ahreni! Save Ameiko!”