Penelope stands, retrieving her bow. "If not, Jeva, you can stay with us, and we can protect each other." the half-elf feels the strong need to protect the girl, but worries that being heavy handed will just drive the little one away.
But she cannot seem to get a true feel about what the girl would respond to though, so it is all speculation.
Jeva shrugs and rubs her shoulder, "Live in the woods." She keeps looking down but nods at Penelope's suggestion.
”How long have you lived in the woods?”
Elowen studies the girl more intently now, waiting for the answer to Odelai's question
Doesnt it get lonely? I spend a bunch of time in the woods because reasons, different woods though
The oracle asks
Still looking down the young girl mumbles, "Since the orphanage burnt down."
Shrugging at Svetlana's question, "I go in town sometimes but don't stay. I like the forest."
The longer she has been around you all some things are starting to stick out. Scars on her arms and legs. Many of them likely earned living in the woods much like the stains and twigs in her hair. But her yellow dress is ill fitting and there are thick scars on her shoulders that didn't heal right. And some of those scars on her arms and legs are thick and painful looking instead of thin lines like most of them. And those thick scars are very straight, almost like they are deliberate.
And that is where she keeps rubbing on her shoulder. And she is thin but not dangerously so. Her age is a guess at being a preteen or a small, malnourished teen. So she was a child when the orphanage burnt down.
"There is much danger in the woods, but much beauty as well, I can see that you are a survivor." Elowen tells her. "Do you know how the orphanage burned down? What caused it?"
Shrugging, "There was a fire. I got out.."
Hugging herself, "Elara only did what was best for us orphans, no matter how much it hurt…"
Penelope is torn into wanting to hug the little girl and find someone evil to beat the stuffing out of.
She wants to apologize for the town, for failing a child. No child should be put through the horrors it seems this one has been through, EVER. Penelope even feels guilty for not being there to step in, even though she was a child back then too.
The scars, especially the ones that look like deliberate cuts, surviving out in these woods for a decade, and the anger in Jeva's voice makes Penelope wonder if she was the one under the trap door.
But to Penelope that doesn't matter as much as a child in pain.
"I can't undo whatever was done back there, but I could heal those scars." she lifts her hand, palm out, not reaching for her. "I have some magic, from Erastil. The god of family." she gives a wry smile "He found me, since when I was a child, a family was what I craved more than sense allowed. If you would allow me too..." she pauses with hope.
Elowen frowns, glancing at Penelope and Jenkin, before turning her attention back to the girl. "So the whispers were true, she was mistreating you all." she says with anger creeping into her voice.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want, but none of us will hurt you, I promise."
Looking at Jeva, Elowen could definitely see some of herself in the girl, especially as she would have been, had Chrysopeleia not found and taken care of her as her own. "If you prefer to live in the forest, I can appreciate that. I do." she says with a smile. "In fact, when this is all over, I can show you some of the safer places to stay, and how to always find enough food, maybe even introduce you to a few friends"
Genuine confusion crosses the youths face but vanishes just as quickly. She is looking at you all with suspicion. Tucking her hands around her shoulders and simply remaining still. Just watching you all. No visible fear, her anger is tucked away somewhere, and she watches you all much like how someone would watch a wild animal that wondered to close.
Shaking her head after a moment, "I know where the old building the lizards live in is. I can show you if you want."
"That'd be great. We'd owe you for that favor." Odelai avoids pressing the girl as it seemed counter-productive. Instead, she makes it transactional. "Since you've been living in the woods, you might able to help us with another matter too... but we can talk about that and your payment after we deal with the lizards."
I am going on a limb here, and you absolutely dont have to answer that question if you dont want to, but I can do this.
Svetlana turns on her cats eyes (Skinwalker feature)
And this Svetlana jumps high (activating the jump ability of a skinwalker) and does some acrobatic flips and pirouetes
But mostly I just grow claws or fangs and smack annoying idiots in the face with them. On the off chance that something like that happened to you, and its confusing, scary or weird, we can have a chat, I think I can teach you some things. From what I get my grandfather was a weretiger.
As she goes through the various features she gets as a skinwalker.
But lets save the kids from the Kobolds!
POSER! Sir Pounce ignores Svetlana carousing with a dismissive tailflip.
Jeva looks confused at the impressive physical display and glares at the implication. "Its a long walk. Can you all swim? It's faster if we cross the river."
Remembering the somewhat awful group crossing of the river before, Jenkin asks, "Er... how much faster? Because if it's less than a full day, say, going around would be likely faster. For, um, some of us."
Shrugging, "Probably more than a day. I don't go that way much."
"We'll can't leave the kids in danger for that long. Maybe we could cut down enough timber to make a quick raft?" Penelope suggests.
How broad is the river? The best swimmer can perhaps improvise a rope bridge?
"Ugh, let's get there and see what we have to work with.." says Jenkin, imagining in advance that this will be another 'drag people through the water' scenario. "Maybe a raft, yeah. Lead on, Jeva"
Odelai is dreading another 'drowned rat' experience even more than Jenkin. She just grits her teeth and gets on with it.
She nods and starts towards the river. She doesnt stop or look back at any of you. And after three hours you find yourselves at a wide river. Its not the same spot you crossed before, but it is the same river. Its calm and quiet.
Penelope had not idea how to make a raft, but her mind tells her it can't be THAT hard. She knows wood thanks to making her own arrows, but so she starts her attempt by looking around for suitable resources.
Sensing this might take a LONG time, Pen tries to find something else that would help the trip across.
Hej, I got an idea! Look, while its not fully fordable, that spot over there is a lot more swallow!
"We would do better to swim across and save time, with those who need help like Odelai, perhaps lashing themselves to Sir Poince or Svetlana to help get across. Our strongest swimmers can go first and be ready to help others who give out before making it to the other side." Elowen suggests.
"After the last time we had to do this, I have magic that will make swimming easier for me."
Odelai ties off to Jenkin once again. "Ugh. Fine. Let's get this over with."
She wades into the water and starts swimming.
Watching Penelope look around, hoping to find more than the branches she has found. And she could make a small bundle that would help her but it will take a bit of time to tie it, so it stays together. Jeva is quietly watching you all. Looking around Svetlana spots a hunk of sun bleached woof further up the river.
Seeing Odelai decide to go ahead and try, Penelope abandons her raft idea. The half elf takes off her armor, securing it to her pack. A pack she ties a rope to and lets bob behind her as she swims. Then slips into the water following the gnomish woman.
Jenkin sighs and bow to the inevitable, removing his armor, bundiling it into his pack as well as he can, and setting out with a gnome-shaped float attached to his hip.
He hauls himself through the water with great alacrity, Odelai sort of skimming behind him as though she were some kind anachronistic skier being pulled behind a boat moving faster than current technology would permit.
Elowen strides up to the water's edge, removing her boots and tucking them into her pack before beginning a primal chant, as her fingers and toes begin to morph slightly, lengthening and growing webbing between them.
Diving into the water, she begins swimming quickly with powerful strokes, effortlessly cutting through the water with incredible speed.
Jeva watches silently, seemingly lost in thought for some time. Once Odelia dives into the waters she seems to snap out of it. Fidgeting with the small bag she has, making sure it is as secure as possible before swimming along with practiced ease. Pulling herself up on a rock near the other side to catch her breath. The thin yellow dress clings and highlights her rail thin fame. Deep and tired breaths amplify how visible her ribs are.
She keeps looking between the river and the forest until everyone is across. Clearly tense and waiting for trouble. Once the last of you cross she speaks for the first time in many hours, "It'll be night when we get there if we don't stop. But thats gonna be a hard move."
How the children with their kobold captors crossed this river is concerning. Would the children get to rest or be marched there without stopping?
An hour of swimming has made the half-elven girl want to curl up into a puddle, but she instead fastens her armor back on, strings her bow, and guards the shoreline until all of them have made it across.
"It will be harder on the kids having to wait through the night for us to arrive." Penelope says with a firm 'this is what we should do' kind of voice.
She also seems willing to trust the small girl, not spending time looking for more tracks.
"If you know where you're going, I trust you. No need for us to spend time trying to track them" Elowen says to Jeva, clearly ready to keep moving.
Lets do this!
Svetlana and pounce rearmor themselfs.
Jenkin joins the re-armoring party. "Yeah, I'm good to keep going, too."
Jeva's lips tighten and she seems conflicted but shakes her head and starts into the woods. Rubbing her arms and looking around nervously. As is normal is the Darkmoon forest the sound of various birds fills the air.
Hours have marched the sun across the sky but you still have an hour or two of daylight left. That first hour is uncomfortable with wet clothing and worry over what may have happened. Jeva is focused on moving forward. She doesn't notice anything. A quiet noise in the distance, vague voices.
Something feels off here stay behind me jeva, there are some grey things there, and they move
Svetlana casts divine favor and calls Pounce to her.
While Odelai’s hair slithers up the tree and tries to pry the arrow loose, she covertly watches the creatures moving easily between the trees. She whispers, ”We need to leave… now and very quietly. Whatever those undead things are, they are moving through some of the branches. Only spells or magic weapons will do the incorporeal dead any harm.”
She climbs back on the tiger’s back and strokes his fur. ”Pounce, we need to stay at the back of the line. If this goes wrong, I might be able to hurt them or send them off in the wrong direction.” She looks to the others. "Lead on."
NL DAM: 3
Burning Hands (1):
Mage Armor (1):
Cure Light Wounds (1):
Dancing Lights (1):
Flare (1):
Prestidigitation (1):
Produce Flame (1):
Effects:
xxx = None
As Odelai points out the figures, Penelope blanches. With a firm dread she whispers "The mad dead. Allips. My guardian told me about them. They will whisper and whisper and whisper, constant unending, worming into your head, sapping your will to live."
"They're incorporeal. Do you have a way to fight them?" Elowen asks the paladin, given her background as a divine warrior.
I can try to hit them with positive energy, like, my healing touch can be used against undead, and I think that includes incorporeal ones, but I only got 5 of those.
She pauses
We need to avoid these, like, such spooky things can fly, and I cant do anything to them at range, and I seriously doubt that I have enough positive energy in me to deal with several of them.
Penelope considers the question as Elowen looks to her. She has never fought a ghost before, but... Svetlana's answer helps. "If what Svetlana says is true, then my touch should do the same." she thinks, remembering when her healing ran out the other day. "Three I think. I can do it three times." Then back to Odelai's words "Those fire arrows we found are magic. I could use them while asking for the Elk Father's blessing along with them." Then one last memory "Is there anything special about the arrow you found, Odelai."
"Sounds like I can cut 'em with Door-Knocker... but that and a couple of arrows doesn't sound like much of a plan. Plus we're chaperoning, here, basically. I think avoiding them is the responsible choice." Jenkin adds his own thoughts in a low voice.
Jeva Moves behind Svetlana but peaks around her to keep an eye on the allip's now that they were pointed out. Steadying herself by grabbing the older woman's arm and not letting go. Not that she seems to notice that she has done so. She doesn't join the conversation but is clearly listening while watching the undead move in the distance.
Odelai listens to those who seem to be gearing up for a fight. She has an inkling of understanding for those who have looked at her like her mind wasn’t right. She’s feeling the same way about them right now. ”So, we aren’t rescuing the children now? What happens to them if we lose here?”