Taking that as a signal, Zdena emerges from the undergrowth to attack the hobgoblin she had been watching pass her hiding spot. (The one directly North of her.)
That was not remotely what I was planning to do when I started writing my post, but JD posted while I was composing. I just want you to know that 1)I rolled way better against pink, and 2)I apologize if I messed anything up between the first and seventh version of that as I kept noticing more stuff that I hadn't needed to know for the first version.
Zdena lowers her stance as the ground becomes slippery, but remains standing and focused on her opponent... until Premek is suddenly there spraying acid at it. She pauses in confusion for a breath before carefully stepping out of the greased area, past the unconscious trog, and up to the leader.
We have never been this ready for a fight. It's definitely gonna go completely sideways.
Remembering her gear: check. Remembering the word "gelatinous" under pressure: absolutely not.
Zdena sees Malgrim start to take off their armor, and stops them. She pulls out her climbing kit, taps a piton into a nearby crack in the rock, and lowers a rope down into the pit.
After everyone else is down, she puts the rope away and climbs down without it.
Scanning the room at the bottom, her eyes lock onto a space across the room to the west, and she draws her falchion. Uh, jelly... thing. Jelly cube? She fumbles for the Taldane word, then gives up and gestures toward it.
Zdena makes a face at the smell, but the Antitoxin does its job.
Zdena shrugs awkwardly at Sighere. You might not be front line, but is pretty thin line. And smart enemies hit spellcaster first. I feel better jumping in if I know you can put me back together after. She ponders the letter. Should bring this back to camp. Maybe Abby or dwarves will know Children of Stone. If we go underground, would rather bring Kining, I think. Let Lirosa and Taidel get back to hunting. But for now... want to follow Yorc's backtrail a ways? Don't know how far he came, but at least can get a direction he came from. Might give us idea where Hob camp is.
Zdena springs into action as the tension finally breaks, and dashes around to come at the centaur from what she hopes is an awkward angle. It would be a pretty awkward angle for a horse, anyway, near the hindquarters but not quite in line for a kick. Yorc is probably smarter than a horse, though Zdena has met horses that were better at lying.
Hey, where you get apples this time of year? Zdena asks. She's... smiling? There are definitely teeth involved in her expression. Second time we seen fall fruits this spring. Lot of good root cellars in the woods?
I will make a post tomorrow. Today I am doing Birthday Stuff.
I do Sneak Attack damage now!
Zdena flips through her notebook to see if there are any entries about food in this area. She shows Malgrim a sketch of some ramps to keep an eye out for on the way back.
Uh... no cream, Premeczek. Might have a little goat milk in here somewhere? Zdena looks puzzled by Malgrim's explanation. Yours not divine magic, though, right? Did they not like your spells?
Zdena lets out a breath, and her shoulders slump. Fine. Yeah. Not time yet. She turns to finally poke at the bag of loot. Huh. Can't have revenge, but can have coffee. She sets to making a small campfire for breakfast, and pulls an actual coffeepot out of her backpack.
Don't know how much good, Zdena admits. But if there's people to save in Gristledown, no one else can save them. Lirosa and Taidel to cabin overnight, then animal messenger, or person who has slept, go on to Thornwood tomorrow morning. That's *faster* than we can get there in person. Understand if you need to go with them, Sighere. I'd be anxious if it were my folks. *WAS* anxious when it was my folks. But other people can message. For rescuing, is just us. Her face hardens. And if there's no one to rescue, maybe still someone to kill about it. Running away is just making them chase harder, I want to turn and *bite them*. Zdena's face by the end of that is a fierce grimace, and she clearly puts conscious effort into taking a moment to stop baring her teeth. After a few breaths, she adds, more calmly, Will do what the group wants. But that's what I want.
Tents! A map! Arrows! So many things we desperately need! Best loot!
Zdena steps around Ryll and moves up to stand to Malgrim's right, watching the nearest hobgoblin warily.
Zdena's brow furrows and she starts ticking off days on her fingers. Gilidia killed by Hobs at least three days ago. Found her two days ago. Left folks at berry patch yesterday. Will take day to get back to berry patch, two more to bring folks here. We already burned our couple extra days, I think. And they're expecting us back, we said we'd only go an extra five miles North and we ended up ten miles East. She shakes her head. We can scout a small circuit this afternoon, and sleep here tonight, since can't make it back today anyway. But tomorrow gotta go back to berry patch camp. Do we *all* go, or do some stay for scouting and building shelters and keeping anything else from moving in? She sighs, and mutters Wish we had some of those message birds Abby gets from the Rangers.
Zdena is breathing hard and seems very tense right after the fight. She eyes the bodies Malgrim is searching and mutters what sound like Orcish curses under her breath. She seems to mostly calm down after a minute, and notes, You know, we're pretty sneaky. Maybe next time we sneak.
*Humans* think strange. I think fine in Orc. Zdena retorts. But in neither is confusing.
Zdena snorts at the image of a skinny little half-elf teenager trying to not to buckle under the majestic heft of Bohdana, then falls into a contemplative silence for a while as she reevaluates everything she thinks she knows about cats. Premek is *very* clever, she eventually agrees.
He said that? Thought he was just losing at shadowboxing. Zdena ponders for a moment. She doesn't really have anything else to add to this topic, but something else has been on her mind today. Hey Ryll, what did you mean earlier by "bigger cats" went with Nadezhda? They're all about the same size.
With a bit of an ironic glance at her humanoid companions, all of whom barely come up to her chin, Zdena shrugs and fetches some teacups. She does not quite succeed at dodging all of the dried herb bundles hanging from the ceiling beams.
Like this thing how? Just weird, or plant monster... She pauses and her brow furrows. Actually, yes to both. Fangwood has lots of weird stuff and plant stuff and weird plant stuff. Cailen told me about Bramblelash, though. Hadn't fought one before. Later... Yeah, sure, back to camp. Premek looks pretty bored with berries.
Zdena peers through the brambles to study the monster, nods slightly, and takes aim with her bow.
Sure, Malgrim, it's a nice piece of armor. Didn't help the last person much, though. Zdena nods at Ryll's question. Yes, should have time for that. Her brow furrows. What's after that, though? Can't camp forever, but we don't have a lot of good options. She ticks off some possibilities on her fingers. Could make for Gristledown. Tiny, but has actual houses, some food. Another finger. Could try to strike out for Tamran. Really far, but maybe as a long term goal? A third finger. Could just... keep scouting, hope we find something in the woods to help. Maybe take time, make better shelters if we find a good enough spot. Four. Find out from Abby where next closest Ranger waystation is, go there. She opens her hand and gestures at Sighere. Or... you and your friend are from somewhere in the Fangwood, yes? Do you have a place we could head for?
Zdena's brow furrows at this exchange, and she looks uncertainly at Premek. He's okay though? Big spider, little cat. Very brave.
Huh. Weird. Zdena scowls suspiciously at the perfectly fine apple and then at the swarm of wasps guarding the remaining bounty. Guess we have to do this. She pauses, and switches to a toothy grin. Wait until I tell Jayness he got out of regular-sized bugs and bringing in the harvest.
Zdena's brow furrows. Don't know about that, Jayness. Those sheep could be the difference between living and starving. How is that not helping out? You're good with animals, AND a good enough fighter to protect other herders if they run into trouble. Seeing his dubious expression, she adds, You really want to fight giant bugs, you're as likely to see them looking for sheep as looking for other things. Not a great idea to fight giant bugs, though. Feed them a sheep and run, will be like one of Abby's stories.
Zdena circles around to put the hobgoblin between her and Ryll and brings the falchion down hard toward it.
Zdena tries not to get distracted from her target. Fighting two opponents is hard.
But not impossible.
Don't think we have time to question. Take care of it and let's go. But... Zdena scans the surroundings with a concerned frown. Where is whoever knocked him out? We should have passed any townfolk coming from here to the bridge.
Yes, fine, are YOU okay? Zdena replies to Aunt Roshae. She crouches down to put her arms around the twins and Andis where they're huddling together. We got everyone from Yarill's house out. Should be clear back to the bridge right now, everyone's hiding in the woods on the far side with Abby and Jet and the Thatchers. She looks around at everyone uncertainly. I... don't like the sound of that. I want to take my family back to safety, but sounds like Father Noelan needs help and doesn't have time to spare. Or maybe it's already too late. What should I do?
Zdena, her voice tight with stress and a hint of a snarl on her face, steps closer to Abby. Abby, we CANNOT all stick together. I don't understand why you keep suggesting it, but I'm starting to get angry about it. I'm going back for the rest of my family, and I'm not dragging my *grandmother* and my *12 year old cousin* on a grand tour of a town that is being sacked by hobgoblins and wolves and also is on fire. She gestures at the nearby bodies. Look how many people already didn't get out. The people here now are getting out. But I also need to get the rest of my people out. And you're not moving like you can keep up if we have to run. She takes a deep breath, and continues a bit more softly, I'm not the one who gives you orders. But most of these folks are crossing the bridge now, and I am not. *You* sort out which group you should be in. If you need to keep an eye on me, fine, but I would like if *someone* who knows how to run away and hide in the woods was in charge back here. Zdena stalks a short distance away and stares off into the darkness towards the impossible tower. She takes a few deep breaths that don't particularly help calm her down.
Zdena nods her thanks at Sighere. She doubts she can take another hit like that, but it doesn't look like the bridge guard is down yet. With a deep breath, she ducks back out from behind the corner of the building and runs toward the hobgoblin.
Zdena grunts and stumbles as the crossbow bolt slams into her. At least the wolf went down first. She had rather expected getting shot at, but was hoping the hobgoblin would miss, or that her armor would take more of the blow. She lets her momentum carry her forward another few steps past the corner of the building and leans heavily on the wall. Ow, she thinks vaguely as she watches Sighere run towards her.
You knew how many Westfields there were going into this, Sean. For the rest of you: this is not all of them. I think I just said something like "a bunch of mostly younger cousins" initially and then he went asking for *names*.
Zdena's falchion comes down on the hobgoblin's neck. As the severed head rolls away from the body, she raises her eyes to focus on the second hobgoblin, and gives him a manic smile full of teeth.
I mostly copied someone else who looked like they knew what they were doing :-P |
