Long Road North

Play around with roles and whatnot in here, I suppose.

Moderator: Moderators

Message
Author
User avatar
Lief
No hugs, I asplode.
Posts: 3871
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 5:37 am
Location: Somewhere, I'm sure.
Fav. Twokinds Character: Raine

Re: Long Road North

#91 Post by Lief »

The Rookie wrote:"North..." John mutters to himself, as if repeating the question. "The North mightn't be any safer. The humans and wolves have been at each other's throats the last few years now seems to have reached a boiling point in recent months. We may get caught up in the midst of a very bloody war... That said, the bandits would likely continue to raid the weaker south lands, so staying put could be even worse... "

He looks around to the group, hoping either Percy or Elizabeth would chime in with a word of experience. "The only way though North is either through human or wolfish lands; neither I've had any experience with..."
Elizabeth did just that, after considering the conversation for a moment. "The Snow Wolves get on better with humans than the Forest Wolves do. I believe there is even a human-run town in their lands. If a war is coming, then it would be ill-advised to cross the border back to human lands now. Safer to go North through Wolf territory. The wolves would be concentrating their forces at the border, most likely."

This was probably the most she had said since meeting the group.

"Not many roads going North, however, and we would wish to avoid them where possible anyways. The cart would have to be abandoned at some point."
The Rookie wrote:"Don't swallow? Alright." John says nervously as he lifts the herbs concoction to his mouth. "Thank you." giving a flash of a smile before shoveling herbs into his mouth.
Eliza waited a minute or so as he chewed the leaves. She knew from experience that their taste would be... Unpleasant, but not entirely awful. Like a poorly-made salad that was on its way out, but technically still edible. She continued to hold her hand out expectantly.

Elizabeth diplomatically decided to stay out of the somewhat heated discussion of what to do about the townsfolk who had likely been captured. Her opinion wouldn't be very welcome.

User avatar
Phaing
Master
Posts: 268
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:31 am

Re: Long Road North

#92 Post by Phaing »

Phaing quietly listens, eyes flickering back and forth as they go on like this. It is part of learning more about a new language, but it is something else too.
Taking the measure of her new companions, and working out the situation here really is.
The Rookie wrote:.... John's ears go flat, and his voice is filled with regret "We barely made it out last time, and now you want to go back? Like Phaing said, much of it came down to blind luck. I'm sorry, but it can't be done..."
kiabugboy wrote:"we can't... just... leave everyone there..."

Percy looks at Judah, he didn't say a word, as he usually does so in the middle of an argument that he doesn't concern himself with. But he feels somewhat sympathetic towards the snow leopard and how naive he is in wanting to help people.
Lief wrote:
The Rookie wrote:...
This was probably the most she had said since meeting the group.

"Not many roads going North, however, and we would wish to avoid them where possible anyways. The cart would have to be abandoned at some point."
.
She smiles at Elizabeth; "I knew you had it in you. Lots of words are fine, just so long as they make sense. Yours do. Just one thing; leaving the wagon would make sense, if we had more horses. How much would leaving it slow us down?"

To John; "No, not just frakking luck. I saddled my horse while the fight was still happening. Then we set fire to the sables and drove all the horses out. THAT is how we got out of there, following a stampede. Point is, 5 heads working together can do clever stuff. Yes?"

To Percy; "We can't them behind, not possible in any case. They are going to Wolf-land... and it sounds like we should too. ALL captives are headed there, all taken in this war, yeah? So.... we are going there because there will be less Wolves and their guard will be down. Better for us to do something like that THERE, not right here. Over there we might see a hundred people with just a dozen guards. Better odds, methinks."

Phaing goes to her horse to try and release the belly-strap and get that bridle off, one-handed. "Anyone think they can sleep tonight?" She touches her left arm, and winches a little. "I know I can't, so I stand watch."
"If you’re going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh; otherwise, they will kill you."

-George Bernard Shaw

User avatar
The Rookie
Grand Templar
Posts: 1332
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:34 am
Location: Australia

Re: Long Road North

#93 Post by The Rookie »

kiabugboy wrote:"NO!" Judah shouted back
"we can-... we can.. sneak up, maybe, maybe they have their guards down! i don't know!" He looks around at the only 4 people surrounding him, clenches his fists and then looks down

"we can't... just... leave everyone there..."
"And we can't just free that many prisoners without being noticed. We're talking dozens, if not hundreds, of people here. If by some miracle we were able to break them free; then what?" John pauses, while the question is rhetorical, he wants this next bit to sink in.

"If the wolves catch us; they'd make an example of us to others, alright?" John says, almost as he's pleading for Judah to understand what he's asking. "I'm not talking whipping or a beating. No, I mean decimation of everyone involved or worse." he pauses again let Judah dwell on it a while more. This time his voice is more sombre "As cruel, and terrible as it sounds. Doing nothing right now could be what's best for them. If we get a chance to help later, then maybe we can save a few... That's the best the five of us can do given the circumstances..."
Lief wrote:Elizabeth did just that, after considering the conversation for a moment. "The Snow Wolves get on better with humans than the Forest Wolves do. I believe there is even a human-run town in their lands. If a war is coming, then it would be ill-advised to cross the border back to human lands now. Safer to go North through Wolf territory. The wolves would be concentrating their forces at the border, most likely."
"I trust you're judgement, but I'm curious as to why we want to be avoiding human lands. Three of the five of us are human, yet none are wolves... Well, technically, we have a keidran, but we all know how little each species feels about the others. Wouldn't it be safer?"
Lief wrote:She continued to hold her hand out expectantly.
After the hand continued to hang around a few seconds longer than normal, John began to look increasingly puzzled. "Wait, do you want me to... Pay you? Or something?" he ask before patting at his pockets. "I don't think I... Crap... I left my coin purse on the table... In the tavern... "
Phaing wrote:To John; "No, not just frakking luck. I saddled my horse while the fight was still happening. Then we set fire to the sables and drove all the horses out. THAT is how we got out of there, following a stampede. Point is, 5 heads working together can do clever stuff. Yes?"
"That's not exactly what I meant... I just meant luck as in.. Sigh, I'm sorry. My mistake." He's too tired to try and explain language structure and specific phrases.
Phaing wrote:Phaing goes to her horse to try and release the belly-strap and get that bridle off, one-handed. "Anyone think they can sleep tonight?" She touches her left arm, and winches a little. "I know I can't, so I stand watch."
"I'm not sure I can stay awake much longer if I tried-" he pauses on that note before looking back to Elizabeth with a slight look of nervous panic. "Wait, I can sleep, right? I'm not going to coma and not wake up if I do?"
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Image
Image

User avatar
Lief
No hugs, I asplode.
Posts: 3871
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 5:37 am
Location: Somewhere, I'm sure.
Fav. Twokinds Character: Raine

Re: Long Road North

#94 Post by Lief »

Phaing wrote:She smiles at Elizabeth; "I knew you had it in you. Lots of words are fine, just so long as they make sense. Yours do. Just one thing; leaving the wagon would make sense, if we had more horses. How much would leaving it slow us down?"
"Less than keeping it. Cart's too big to maneuver well in dense forest. Should be fine for a while, but the forest will get denser as we go North. More snow, too," Elizabeth paused, contemplating the horse problem. "Might come across more horses along the way." She added with a trace of a mischievous smile.
The Rookie wrote:"I trust you're judgement, but I'm curious as to why we want to be avoiding human lands. Three of the five of us are human, yet none are wolves... Well, technically, we have a keidran, but we all know how little each species feels about the others. Wouldn't it be safer?"
"Perhaps. But I suspect the wolves will be guarding the handful of border crossings if they're planning on starting a war. Most of the border is a mountain range, and largely impassable, if you weren't aware." She paused again, mulling over the other half of the answer. "In human lands we may have to deal with the Templar, and would almost certainly have to deal with bandits. They're always around to take advantage of people fleeing conflict. From what I know of the wolves, most if not all of the able-bodied men and some of the women will be off preparing for war or raiding. As we've already seen. No time to go hunting in the woods. And Wolf bandits are uncommon. We might run into some ferals or, if we're unlucky, a raiding party, but those are also possibilities if we cross the border and travel through human lands. On top of having to fight our way across."
The Rookie wrote:"Wait, do you want me to... Pay you? Or something?" he ask before patting at his pockets. "I don't think I... Crap... I left my coin purse on the table... In the tavern... "
Elizabeth shook her head. "You've just made a paste of sorts by chewing them. Need to apply it to the wound." She raised her other hand to show the bandages. "Then I'll bandage it. The herbs will help to counteract the toxin."
Phaing wrote:Phaing goes to her horse to try and release the belly-strap and get that bridle off, one-handed. "Anyone think they can sleep tonight?" She touches her left arm, and winches a little. "I know I can't, so I stand watch."
"Could sleep. Could stay up. Might hunt."
The Rookie wrote:"I'm not sure I can stay awake much longer if I tried-" he pauses on that note before looking back to Elizabeth with a slight look of nervous panic. "Wait, I can sleep, right? I'm not going to coma and not wake up if I do?"
"Yes," Elizabeth responded vaguely.

User avatar
kiabugboy
Templar GrandMaster
Posts: 899
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:15 pm
Location: the depths of the sewers, tending to my children
Contact:

Re: Long Road North

#95 Post by kiabugboy »

The Rookie wrote:"And we can't just free that many prisoners without being noticed. We're talking dozens, if not hundreds, of people here. If by some miracle we were able to break them free; then what?" John pauses, while the question is rhetorical, he wants this next bit to sink in.

"If the wolves catch us; they'd make an example of us to others, alright?" John says, almost as he's pleading for Judah to understand what he's asking. "I'm not talking whipping or a beating. No, I mean decimation of everyone involved or worse." he pauses again let Judah dwell on it a while more. This time his voice is more sombre "As cruel, and terrible as it sounds. Doing nothing right now could be what's best for them. If we get a chance to help later, then maybe we can save a few... That's the best the five of us can do given the circumstances..."
Judah stood silent, he looks down for a moment, feeling helpless in the situation

"alright" he said faintly before sitting down back to his previous spot near the fire, although he seems frustrated, he realizes that what John said is true

"if we try to help them we'll just lead them straight to a blood bath... at least if we do nothing, they'll still be alive.

However torturous that life is.."
he looks down to both his hands, a faint but visible scar wrapping around his left and right wrists left from the shackles he wore as a slave.
Lief wrote:
Phaing wrote:She smiles at Elizabeth; "I knew you had it in you. Lots of words are fine, just so long as they make sense. Yours do. Just one thing; leaving the wagon would make sense, if we had more horses. How much would leaving it slow us down?"
"Less than keeping it. Cart's too big to maneuver well in dense forest. Should be fine for a while, but the forest will get denser as we go North. More snow, too,"

WHAT!? ABSOLUTELY NOT


Percy basically barked at them after hearing those cursed words
"this here is almost all of my life savings! if get home from here empty-handed i'll have nothing left to sell! no life to return to! might as well just take my own life here right now"

"as far as we know, those wolves are going to focus on plundering that blasted town they just raided, why would they bother travelling far up north, especially nearing snow wolf territories. We can travel along the main road with ease, at least until the closest town, then we can part ways from there. Not to mention we've got tonnes of medicines and warm clothing here, heck, even weapons, it'll be utterly stupid to just leave all these dead in the snow!! "

"what about the injured guy? he sure can use a warm place to stay in while recovering" only now does percy mentions the injured basitin, simply as a reason to not leave his wagon

User avatar
Phaing
Master
Posts: 268
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:31 am

Re: Long Road North

#96 Post by Phaing »

The Rookie wrote:I trust you're judgement, but I'm curious as to why we want to be avoiding human lands. Three of the five of us are human, yet none are wolves... Well, technically, we have a keidran, but we all know how little each species feels about the others. Wouldn't it be safer?"
"Good thing none of us are Wolves! We would have to know passwords, who is who and many other things. As is, we could pass as .... opportunity mongers?" She searches for the right word. "Profit-makers? Strangers we are, but maybe the sort that is helpful to the Wolfen?"
Lief wrote: "Could sleep. Could stay up. Might hunt."
"Hunt... hunt what?"
The idea of hunting where some animals talk strikes her as a risky idea... or possibly blasphemous.
The Rookie wrote:"I'm not sure I can stay awake much longer if I tried-" he pauses on that note before looking back to Elizabeth with a slight look of nervous panic. "Wait, I can sleep, right? I'm not going to coma and not wake up if I do?"
"Yes," Elizabeth responded vaguely.[/quote]

That gets a smile from Phaing.
And serves as a good lesson. She has been trying to use too many words, perhaps.
Being cryptic might be the best way to go here, if she can hold herself back long enough... but that would be anther thing she has little skill at.

kiabugboy wrote:
"
Judah stood silent, he looks down for a moment, feeling helpless in the situation

"alright" he said faintly before sitting down back to his previous spot near the fire, although he seems frustrated, he realizes that what John said is true

"if we try to help them we'll just lead them straight to a blood bath... at least if we do nothing, they'll still be alive.

However torturous that life is.."
he looks down to both his hands, a faint but visible scar wrapping around his left and right wrists left from the shackles he wore as a slave.


He may not know it, but you just made a friend there.
Phaing was serious about making the attempt to free the slaves, but on this one occasion logic is holding her back.
Enjoy the moment, while it lasts... :twisted:

kiabugboy wrote:"this here is almost all of my life savings! if get home from here empty-handed i'll have nothing left to sell! no life to return to! might as well just take my own life here right now"

"as far as we know, those wolves are going to focus on plundering that blasted town they just raided, why would they bother travelling far up north, especially nearing snow wolf territories. We can travel along the main road with ease, at least until the closest town, then we can part ways from there. Not to mention we've got tonnes of medicines and warm clothing here, heck, even weapons, it'll be utterly stupid to just leave all these dead in the snow!! "

"what about the injured guy? he sure can use a warm place to stay in while recovering" only now does percy mentions the injured basitin, simply as a reason to not leave his wagon
"Agreed. Poverty sucks, and if we are seen, we want to look like collaborators, not spies. What spies drag wagons along?" She sighs, and closes her eyes. "I can pretend to be a slave, is what I was raised to be. I can show you how to act and how to treat me so you look like masters, hopefully. Just don't make me be naked all the time, it sounds like it will be too cold for that."

And then she abruptly shuts her mouth, and keeps it closed for a while.
If she keeps talking like this, the group might tag her for a leadership role, which is the last thing she wants.
"If you’re going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh; otherwise, they will kill you."

-George Bernard Shaw

User avatar
The Rookie
Grand Templar
Posts: 1332
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:34 am
Location: Australia

Re: Long Road North

#97 Post by The Rookie »

Lief wrote:"Perhaps. But I suspect the wolves will be guarding the handful of border crossings if they're planning on starting a war. Most of the border is a mountain range, and largely impassable, if you weren't aware." She paused again, mulling over the other half of the answer. "In human lands we may have to deal with the Templar, and would almost certainly have to deal with bandits. They're always around to take advantage of people fleeing conflict. From what I know of the wolves, most if not all of the able-bodied men and some of the women will be off preparing for war or raiding. As we've already seen. No time to go hunting in the woods. And Wolf bandits are uncommon. We might run into some ferals or, if we're unlucky, a raiding party, but those are also possibilities if we cross the border and travel through human lands. On top of having to fight our way across."
"That's quite the predicament, one certain fight with the wolven elite protecting the border and maybe even the humans on the other side, or the risk of several incidents with their home guard militia. Old men and boys most likely... We can't even risk heading back South without running into the raiding hot spots. Especially not with those slavers out there... A rock and a hard place to be sure..."
Lief wrote:Elizabeth shook her head. "You've just made a paste of sorts by chewing them. Need to apply it to the wound." She raised her other hand to show the bandages. "Then I'll bandage it. The herbs will help to counteract the toxin."
"Oh, sorry." John utters before carefully dropping the ball of chewed herbs into his hand. "I'm still kind of new to this whole medicine thing. I've never really had an injury that couldn't mend by itself." He says as he goes to hand the chewed wad to Elizabeth, leaving his hand to hover over her's a moment. "Should I be the one to put it on? I mean, it's been in my mouth and it's all covered in my spit 'n' stuff." There's almost a clueless innocent charm to the way he speaks. It's not like he's forgotten all the blood, ash and sweat they'd all been through that night, yet some how he's still afraid that he'd gross you out with half an ounce of saliva.
Lief wrote:"Yes," Elizabeth responded vaguely.
"Urrr... Yes as in I'll die in my sleep, or yes that I can get some rest?" Again, John's concern continues to grow. Namely in his ears, which are a giant give away standing half upright.

If not given a proper straight answer, he'll assume the worst and try and fight through the night as long as he can.
kiabugboy wrote:However torturous that life is.."[/color] he looks down to both his hands, a faint but visible scar wrapping around his left and right wrists left from the shackles he wore as a slave.
"Where there's life there's hope. At least I think that's how the saying goes." John says, trying to make Judah feel a little more at ease with his choice. "We'll find a way, just not tonight..."

kiabugboy wrote:
Lief wrote:
Phaing wrote:She smiles at Elizabeth; "I knew you had it in you. Lots of words are fine, just so long as they make sense. Yours do. Just one thing; leaving the wagon would make sense, if we had more horses. How much would leaving it slow us down?"
"Less than keeping it. Cart's too big to maneuver well in dense forest. Should be fine for a while, but the forest will get denser as we go North. More snow, too,"

WHAT!? ABSOLUTELY NOT

"what about the injured guy? he sure can use a warm place to stay in while recovering" only now does percy mentions the injured basitin, simply as a reason to not leave his wagon
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm staying out of this one." John says trying to sound like neutral despite being dragged into the discussion. "I don't really know anything about the lay of the land, other than it's cold. This will have be between you guys." John says, nodding his head toward Elizabeth; the only other traveller of the group.

Phaing wrote:"Good thing none of us are Wolves! We would have to know passwords, who is who and many other things. As is, we could pass as .... opportunity mongers?" She searches for the right word. "Profit-makers? Strangers we are, but maybe the sort that is helpful to the Wolfen?"
"I don't think they'd see it that way. Not unless we have something they..." John's voice trails as his eye wonder over to the wagon. The wagon filled with tradable goods. "Want..."

Phaing wrote:"I can pretend to be a slave, is what I was raised to be. I can show you how to act and how to treat me so you look like masters, hopefully. Just don't make me be naked all the time, it sounds like it will be too cold for that."
"Ooooh no! If we're going to use that cover you are not keeping her naked." John says firmly, pointing his finger squarely at the old man. "Forget you heard that part. Push it waaaay out of your mind."
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Image
Image

User avatar
Lief
No hugs, I asplode.
Posts: 3871
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 5:37 am
Location: Somewhere, I'm sure.
Fav. Twokinds Character: Raine

Re: Long Road North

#98 Post by Lief »

kiabugboy wrote:"this here is almost all of my life savings! if get home from here empty-handed i'll have nothing left to sell! no life to return to! might as well just take my own life here right now"
"I can lend you a hand with that, if you like." There was no true malice behind her words, but it was obvious by the tone that she wouldn't be bothered if he followed through or not.
kiabugboy wrote:"as far as we know, those wolves are going to focus on plundering that blasted town they just raided, why would they bother travelling far up north, especially nearing snow wolf territories. We can travel along the main road with ease, at least until the closest town, then we can part ways from there. Not to mention we've got tonnes of medicines and warm clothing here, heck, even weapons, it'll be utterly stupid to just leave all these dead in the snow!! "
"That's just one raiding party. There's a lot more wolves than that in these lands. And as I mentioned previously, the Snow Wolves are on friendly terms with humans. The Forest Wolves would want to be wary of any Human retaliations through the Snow Wolf territories. As for your merchandise... The wolves will want it, yes. But do you really think they're going to bargain with a human? Or even the slave? The Basitin, maybe, but even then I have my doubts."
kiabugboy wrote:"what about the injured guy? he sure can use a warm place to stay in while recovering" only now does percy mentions the injured basitin, simply as a reason to not leave his wagon
"Basitins heal quickly. He shouldn't need to ride in the cart at all, and certainly not for an extended period."
Phaing wrote:"Hunt... hunt what?"
The idea of hunting where some animals talk strikes her as a risky idea... or possibly blasphemous.
"Rabbits and hares, mostly. Fowl, if I find any." Elizabeth responds.
The Rookie wrote:"Oh, sorry." John utters before carefully dropping the ball of chewed herbs into his hand. "I'm still kind of new to this whole medicine thing. I've never really had an injury that couldn't mend by itself." He says as he goes to hand the chewed wad to Elizabeth, leaving his hand to hover over her's a moment. "Should I be the one to put it on? I mean, it's been in my mouth and it's all covered in my spit 'n' stuff." There's almost a clueless innocent charm to the way he speaks. It's not like he's forgotten all the blood, ash and sweat they'd all been through that night, yet some how he's still afraid that he'd gross you out with half an ounce of saliva.
A faint smile dashes across Eliza's lips for a moment as she shakes her head before swiping the herb ball from his hand and applying it to the wound- With surprising gentleness. After making sure it's spread more or less evenly, she wipes her hand on her pants and begins wrapping his shoulder with the bandages.

"As I said, Basitins heal quickly. And are naturally resistant to poisons and toxins. This paste will get rid of any lingering effects that could hinder you tomorrow. As it is, all the toxin will do to you tonight, is ensure a good night's sleep."
The Rookie wrote:"Urrr... Yes as in I'll die in my sleep, or yes that I can get some rest?" Again, John's concern continues to grow. Namely in his ears, which are a giant give away standing half upright.

If not given a proper straight answer, he'll assume the worst and try and fight through the night as long as he can.
"You'll be fine. Sleep." Eliza responded tersely, the tone of command edging into her voice.

Finishing the wrap, Elizabeth tied off the bandages and stood up, briefly surveying the impromptu campsite.

"I suggest that those of us that can, get some rest. We can keep arguing tomorrow, hopefully with clearer heads." Elizabeth let the commanding tone edge into her voice again. It was something she had avoided for years, but old talents have a habit of reemerging. And with that, Elizabeth left the small clearing and the party within.

((I think we should timeskip to morning now. Get things moving instead of just standing around arguing about what to do. :P))

User avatar
Phaing
Master
Posts: 268
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:31 am

Re: Long Road North

#99 Post by Phaing »

//I agree with Leif, lets get this moving. But since KB is waiting for Rookie and he seems busy, I'll do what I can to prepare for a flip of the scene//

Lief wrote: "Rabbits and hares, mostly. Fowl, if I find any." Elizabeth responds.
"Oh, alright then, that sounds pretty good. Sorry, can't help, unless you need someone to beat the brush... one-handed."
As she said, Phaing isn't going to be good for much other than keeping watch.
The Rookie wrote:I don't think they'd see it that way. Not unless we have something they..." John's voice trails as his eye wonder over to the wagon. The wagon filled with tradable goods. "Want..."
Phaing smiles, and nods. "Profiteers... right? Sleep on it, talk more in the morning. Its not far off."
The Rookie wrote:"Ooooh no! If we're going to use that cover you are not keeping her naked." John says firmly, pointing his finger squarely at the old man. "Forget you heard that part. Push it waaaay out of your mind."
She flinches a little bit, at that. She had not noticed the old man looking at her in any particular way, which is a relief, but the way John reacts puts some frost over her eyes.
"Look, I know I;m not very good-looking or anything...
(this is, in fact, the opposite of the truth. However, if you may recall, she does not exactly carry herself as if she thinks she is anything special)
"... but damn. So, there are other ways, if you have metal collars for here," she points to her neck, "and here," Phaing puts her wrists together, "that should do fine. Tomorrow."

And she walks away from the men before they can react.
Phaing can pass the hours by giving the horses an exceptionally good grooming, and examining what is in the wagon hoping that some inspiration will come to her regarding their new identity, their ruse.
Plus, of course, lots and lots of time spent staring out into the darkness.

At dawn, the horses will be munching grass, and a pot of rice will be boiling over the rejuvenated fire... plus whatever Elizabeth hopefully caught before she bedded down too {I insist}. The arm will be a little stiff, as expected, but by the end of the day it should be fine again.
One sleepless night is no big deal, but Phaing's contribution to any clever plans will be very limited today.


... one last thing; she has no skill at cooking, any fool can cook rice or turn a bird on a spit. It is also very bland, she does not know what kind of spices your stomachs can stand first thing in the morning. :potatoes:
"If you’re going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh; otherwise, they will kill you."

-George Bernard Shaw

User avatar
kiabugboy
Templar GrandMaster
Posts: 899
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:15 pm
Location: the depths of the sewers, tending to my children
Contact:

Re: Long Road North

#100 Post by kiabugboy »

(sorry for taking so long guys.. sifting through all the dialogues that i have to reply to was a bit tedious.. '^^)
Phaing wrote:
"Agreed. Poverty sucks, and if we are seen, we want to look like collaborators, not spies. What spies drag wagons along?" She sighs, and closes her eyes. "I can pretend to be a slave, is what I was raised to be. I can show you how to act and how to treat me so you look like masters, hopefully. Just don't make me be naked all the time, it sounds like it will be too cold for that."

And then she abruptly shuts her mouth, and keeps it closed for a while.
If she keeps talking like this, the group might tag her for a leadership role, which is the last thing she wants.
"you? act like a slave? yeah...definitely not gonna happen." Judah spoke out, he is as opposed to the idea of someone being cuffed in chains as john is
"besides, a pretty 'slave' girl like you walking into a wolf town? That's not going to end very well... if anything, if the occasion ever forces us to do so i'd be a more likely candidate, the typical 'rich human with his keidran slave' is probably a more likely sight around here " he adds, hoping to talk the human girl out of the idea
Lief wrote:
kiabugboy wrote:"this here is almost all of my life savings! if get home from here empty-handed i'll have nothing left to sell! no life to return to! might as well just take my own life here right now"
"I can lend you a hand with that, if you like." There was no true malice behind her words, but it was obvious by the tone that she wouldn't be bothered if he followed through or not.
Percy didn't respond with any words as he just squints his eyes at her
Lief wrote: "That's just one raiding party. There's a lot more wolves than that in these lands. And as I mentioned previously, the Snow Wolves are on friendly terms with humans. The Forest Wolves would want to be wary of any Human retaliations through the Snow Wolf territories. As for your merchandise... The wolves will want it, yes. But do you really think they're going to bargain with a human? Or even the slave? The Basitin, maybe, but even then I have my doubts."[/color]
"if my memory recalls those snow wolves aren't as barbaric as their brown [censored] cousins, we'll have to wait and see"

*sigh
"look, the wagon's moving. whether you like it or not, if you'd rather trudge along the icy woods, i ain't gonna stop you"

"there's supplies in the wagon if you can find us along the main road.
If a wolf raid did happen... then the gods must really wish suffering upon me, but damn the masks, i'll still protect it with my life. Now if you'll excuse me, i'm going to rest"


as Percy walks up to his porch to sleep he gave a quick look to the other girl who opposed the discarding of his wagon, He didn't say any word but his look was apparent on his face, not really a look of 'great gratitude' but more like an "i appreciate the help"-look, hinting a bit at his vulnerability, that underneath the stern merchant face he was just an old man scared of losing all that he has ever worked hard for in his life.

"stupid [censored] and their bloody cursed raid" he muttered before going to bed

"believe me, i've headbutted with the old man a bunch of times before, but he has his own redeeming qualities" Judah said to phaing, trying to diffuse the tension

"i've been trying to get him to tell me an interesting story from his past for years, but the most 'scandalous' tale he ever told me was how some rich snob from wreathwood tried to haggle for a bunch of expensive perfumes in exchange for perverted keidran paintings" he chuckled a bit

User avatar
The Rookie
Grand Templar
Posts: 1332
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:34 am
Location: Australia

Re: Long Road North

#101 Post by The Rookie »

Lief wrote:A faint smile dashes across Eliza's lips for a moment as she shakes her head before swiping the herb ball from his hand and applying it to the wound- With surprising gentleness. After making sure it's spread more or less evenly, she wipes her hand on her pants and begins wrapping his shoulder with the bandages.
John reluctantly raises his arm laterally to allow Elizabeth to easily apply the bandages over, under and around his shoulder; turning his head away and preemptively grimacing for what he expected to come next.

There's a small wince of pain, but he's visibly surprised with not just how quickly it faded away, but also how he suddenly seemed to have a much larger range of motion. He's able to raise his arm much higher and with more confidence without aggravating the wound to the same extent as before; much to his amazement.

"Wow, this stuff actually works..." John says with child like wonder before starting to test the limits of his pain threshold with larger sweeping movements. "This feels amazing. I wonder how much I ca- Ow! Owowow no no, bad idea... Bad idea..."
Lief wrote:"As I said, Basitins heal quickly. And are naturally resistant to poisons and toxins. This paste will get rid of any lingering effects that could hinder you tomorrow. As it is, all the toxin will do to you tonight, is ensure a good night's sleep."
John grins shyly before giving a slight nod. "Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm not sure how I can repay you, but I'll think of a way."
Lief wrote:"You'll be fine. Sleep." Eliza responded tersely, the tone of command edging into her voice.
"Oh thank the Mask..." John says, reclining his head back in relief. "You really had me worried there for a minute." he says through a brief chuckle before easing into relaxed sigh.

Finishing the wrap, Elizabeth tied off the bandages and stood up, briefly surveying the impromptu campsite.
Lief wrote:"I suggest that those of us that can, get some rest. We can keep arguing tomorrow, hopefully with clearer heads." Elizabeth let the commanding tone edge into her voice again.
"Don't have to tell me *Yawn* twice... I guess now's as good a time as any." John says happily now there's no risk of dying in his sleep, while wondering over to a warm spot near the fire. "Just a bit of warning, I've been told I snore. So sorry about that.."

Phaing wrote:Phaing smiles, and nods. "Profiteers... right? Sleep on it, talk more in the morning. Its not far off."
//I assume he's speaking to her while Elizibeth is applying the bandage. Also works for the pair to be talking around him as well.// "More or less. Can't say how we'll go convincing the wolves we're not the enemy, but it's our best bet so far."
Phaing wrote:She flinches a little bit, at that. She had not noticed the old man looking at her in any particular way, which is a relief, but the way John reacts puts some frost over her eyes.
"Look, I know I;m not very good-looking or anything..."... but damn. So, there are other ways, if you have metal collars for here," she points to her neck, "and here," Phaing puts her wrists together, "that should do fine. Tomorrow."
kiabugboy wrote:"you? act like a slave? yeah...definitely not gonna happen." Judah spoke out, he is as opposed to the idea of someone being cuffed in chains as john is
"besides, a pretty 'slave' girl like you walking into a wolf town? That's not going to end very well... if anything, if the occasion ever forces us to do so i'd be a more likely candidate, the typical 'rich human with his keidran slave' is probably a more likely sight around here "
John lets out a long sigh, "That may be the case, but that's what we want to avoid. We don't want Percy to seem like a typical human, we want him to be seen as a turn coat or otherwise terrible despicable person; the kind who'd be executed by the Templar for crimes against humanity in a heart beat... A human slave is perfect for that, even if it's an unpleasant thought." John speaks with a matter of factly voice, but with a defeated regretful tone. That is until he speaks again with a more firm voice "But even so, we're not going to let you play that kind of slave. It's beyond demeaning, even if it's just an act. A hand maiden, or servant girl will do."

John pinches his brow and rotates his fingers in a circular motion. "We'll find sometime to use as a shackle later, maybe a rope or length of chain, but for now I'd rather not think much more on the topic. The girls are right, I some sleep."

Phaing wrote:... one last thing; she has no skill at cooking, any fool can cook rice or turn a bird on a spit. It is also very bland, she does not know what kind of spices your stomachs can stand first thing in the morning. :potatoes:
//I'll keep this in mind. Might be fun to make John a little unintentionally snobby if he samples her food :roll: //

The next day.

It's a cold icy morning when the sun finally rises. While there's warmth in the direct sunlight, there's frost forming on in the darker shadows of the surrounding trees and a thin layer of fog that continues to hang around on the forest floor. Those with the fortune of fur mightn't feel the cool breeze as harshly as the others, but that doesn't stop John from huddling close to the camp fire, assuming it'd had been properly maintained during the night.

There's an ever present scent of smoke in the air, along with a growing dark tower of cloud rising into the sky in the direction of Foxhunt. The wolves must have raised the settlement and were moving on with the dawn.

John awakes with a shiver, clutching himself under his blankets he pulled out of the wagon. He's never experienced such cold before, and was concerned of losing a limb to the arctic waste surrounding him (A cool 8 Celsius). His first instinct is to move closer to the fire, almost close enough to singe the hair on his toes. "M-Mo-Morning." he mutters as he balls himself up in front of the flames. "How was your night?", the question was directed at anyone, but he won't take offence if others are doing their own thing.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Image
Image

User avatar
Phaing
Master
Posts: 268
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:31 am

Re: Long Road North

#102 Post by Phaing »

kiabugboy wrote: "you? act like a slave? yeah...definitely not gonna happen." Judah spoke out, he is as opposed to the idea of someone being cuffed in chains as john is
"besides, a pretty 'slave' girl like you walking into a wolf town? That's not going to end very well... if anything, if the occasion ever forces us to do so i'd be a more likely candidate, the typical 'rich human with his keidran slave' is probably a more likely sight around here " he adds, hoping to talk the human girl out of the idea.
"What do you mean, 'around here'? I thought we were headed for the Wolfen side of the border. A Keidran like you with a slave like me would be far more likely over there... or so I would think. The only problem would be if you can't pull off being a tough, mean ol' master."
And he might have had a shot at talking her out of it, however -


The Rookie wrote: "More or less. Can't say how we'll go convincing the wolves we're not the enemy, but it's our best bet so far."
That was unexpected, and a nice boost for her self-confidence.... followed by the grim realization that its actually going to happen.
The Rookie wrote: "That may be the case, but that's what we want to avoid. We don't want Percy to seem like a typical human, we want him to be seen as a turn coat or otherwise terrible despicable person; the kind who'd be executed by the Templar for crimes against humanity in a heart beat... A human slave is perfect for that, even if it's an unpleasant thought." John speaks with a matter of factly voice, but with a defeated regretful tone. That is until he speaks again with a more firm voice "But even so, we're not going to let you play that kind of slave. It's beyond demeaning, even if it's just an act. A hand maiden, or servant girl will do."
Phaing snorts. "Oh, a servant girl? Heh, what exactly to you think a slave's life is like, when you ain't lookin'? The only difference between the kind of slave I am talking about and the kind you are thinking of is how they are allowed to show off in public. After hours, its all the same evil crap."
And if he looks shocked at that, all it means to her is that John isn't the one to be holding her leash.
"How about some thoughts on all the other things we will have to do to trick the Wolves? It will take a lot more than me to convince them that you guys are on their side. Nobody will mess with Healers, but can you really pull that off?"
The Rookie wrote:The next day.

There's an ever present scent of smoke in the air, along with a growing dark tower of cloud rising into the sky in the direction of Foxhunt. The wolves must have raised the settlement and were moving on with the dawn.
//Foxhunt? I thought we were a lot farther north than that//
The Rookie wrote:John awakes with a shiver, clutching himself under his blankets he pulled out of the wagon. He's never experienced such cold before, and was concerned of losing a limb to the arctic waste surrounding him (A cool 8 Celsius). His first instinct is to move closer to the fire, almost close enough to singe the hair on his toes. "M-Mo-Morning." he mutters as he balls himself up in front of the flames. "How was your night?", the question was directed at anyone, but he won't take offence if others are doing their own thing.
"Boring." Phaing is by the cook-fire stirring the pot. "Its not ready yet, give me about 5 more minutes here." She does not seem to mind the cold so much, but she is hovering right over the fire.
"You want to wake the others up, or should I just start banging some pans together?"
"If you’re going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh; otherwise, they will kill you."

-George Bernard Shaw

User avatar
Lief
No hugs, I asplode.
Posts: 3871
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 5:37 am
Location: Somewhere, I'm sure.
Fav. Twokinds Character: Raine

Re: Long Road North

#103 Post by Lief »

Elizabeth returned much later that night, not long before dawn in fact. She was carrying three skinned and gutted hares on a string, which she deposited in the snow near the fire. She had dressed the kills where she made them, keeping the mess and smell away from their camp in case the wolves came sniffing. The skins were cleaned and stuck in her satchel. She could probably make mittens or something out of them if they were needed, and even in Keidran villages furs always sold in winter.
Phaing wrote:plus whatever Elizabeth hopefully caught before she bedded down too {I insist}.
Eliza protested at first, but eventually relented and settled down with her back against a tree, wrapped in her cloak. If one didn't know what to look for, they could've mistaken her for a pile of snow. She didn't sleep, but that was something she was used to.


In the morning, she laid out her cloak on the ground and spread her equipment out on it, checking everything over. She mentally cursed herself for not wearing anything warmer. But that had been the point to visiting the tailor back in Foxhunt, hadn't it? Her order would've been ready in the morning, and then she'd have been good to go. A short-sleeve shirt isn't exactly winter wear. At least her vest kept her core warm, and her cloak was heavy enough to break the wind and insulate her some. When she was wearing it, anyways.

She shook her head and gathered her equipment back up, apparently satisfied.
The Rookie wrote:"M-Mo-Morning." he mutters as he balls himself up in front of the flames. "How was your night?", the question was directed at anyone, but he won't take offense if others are doing their own thing.
Elizabeth looked up at the Basitin's voice.

"Morning. Feel better?"

User avatar
kiabugboy
Templar GrandMaster
Posts: 899
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:15 pm
Location: the depths of the sewers, tending to my children
Contact:

Re: Long Road North

#104 Post by kiabugboy »

Judah was seen rummaging through boxes inside the wagon along with percy, sleep was a bit hard after what happened last night, but he eventually got a bit of a rest.

"...that does not look good"

Percy spoke as he stood next to Judah, looking at the smoke in the distance

"The wolves?"
"who else but those [censored]" Percy replied

"Judah, get me the hammer and nails will ya"
next to him were several wooden shields that he had the spent the whole morning piling up
he proceeded to start lining them up along the outside of the wagon, pinning their handles with the nails, hopefully enough to stick them to the sides as protection, he also stuck nails on their own on the ridges of the wagon walls to prevent any possible attackers from trying jump and hold on to them

"well.. that's almost all of our cheap shields.. we only have like a couple left now..." Judah mentions to Percy
"enough for both of us, eh" he replied as he continued to hammer away
"i'm gonna go check out on the others"

Lief wrote: In the morning, she laid out her cloak on the ground and spread her equipment out on it, checking everything over. She mentally cursed herself for not wearing anything warmer. But that had been the point to visiting the tailor back in Foxhunt, hadn't it? Her order would've been ready in the morning, and then she'd have been good to go. A short-sleeve shirt isn't exactly winter wear. At least her vest kept her core warm, and her cloak was heavy enough to break the wind and insulate her some. When she was wearing it, anyways.
Judah can be seen from the distance, several meters away going towards her direction.
the leopard approached her

"hey, i didn't catch your name yesterday. but i noticed you might need some extra protection from the cold, especially that you won't be travelling with us"

a fur coat was slung on his shoulder
"managed to snuck these out from the wagon without the old man knowing" he chuckled a bit and grinned
"are you sure you don't want to come with us...."

he puts the coat next to her
"welp, im going to go check in on our resident cook" he said jokingly
"i'm already starving" he continues as he walks to phaing's direction

User avatar
The Rookie
Grand Templar
Posts: 1332
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:34 am
Location: Australia

Re: Long Road North

#105 Post by The Rookie »

Phaing wrote://Foxhunt? I thought we were a lot farther north than that.//
//Nope. We’re still waaay south. Most far Eastern province of canine territory not separated by mountains.//
Phaing wrote:"Boring." Phaing is by the cook-fire stirring the pot. "Its not ready yet, give me about 5 more minutes here." She does not seem to mind the cold so much, but she is hovering right over the fire.
John rubs his eyes as she speaks, clearing them of the night's sleep. "That's a relief, what's on the menu- oh.." John trails off as he opens his eyes and sees the contents of the pot. Not wanting to appear rude, he forces an exaggerated smile. "Oh wow. That looks good! I love what you've done with the... Umm... Chicken? No no rabbit! Definitely rabbit..! ... Or... Crayfish? What the hell?" He squints into the pot struggling to make out the exact ingredients. "But it looks good! I'm sure it'll be lovely..."
Phaing wrote:"You want to wake the others up, or should I just start banging some pans together?"
"I'm afraid they're all awake by the looks of it... Actually... What are those two up to?" John ask curiously as he watches Percy and Judah hammering away. "Have they been at it all morning? The wagon looks like a fortress...."

He doesn't have much time to think to ponder before he hears a second voice speak out to him.
Lief wrote:"Morning. Feel better?"
John's ear pricks up before he turns his head towards Elizbeth as she's inspecting her gear. "Oh hey! Yeah, much better. I'd honestly forgotten about it for a moment there." he says happily, rolling his arm in a large circular motion to demonstrate. "Thank you again for that. I'm not sure what I would have done without your help."
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Image
Image

Post Reply