Side Trek

[SeverinR]

"Did you have a nice ride, Mauve?"

"I think it best if we join the rest of the group, before we encounter more lizards, brought back by the escaped lizard or worse, they find the dogmen and bring them back in mass. What could be worst then that?" Bressel wonders as he sheathes the blade.

Bressel reaches over and tries to wipe some of the blood off of Branwen's face. Then using the blood gives her stripes on her cheeks. You have the blood of thy enemies as decoration of your valor in combat." He winks at her, then cleans his hands in the snow.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((Edited first paragraph since elapsed time was clarified.))

"That lizard's got a couple minutes' head start, and he can hide in places that none of you can fit in. Well, whether we go after it or get back with the others, I agree with Bressel that we should stay together."


I look at Baldy's bag, which I can't help but notice is big enough for me to fit inside with room to spare. I could remove the oil bottles, but...

I join Burnbright in her prayer, taking her hands.

"Brynhild, this is Burnbright, one of your newest and youngest devotees. If you don't already have a Valkyrie watching over her, I was there for most of the battle. Suffice to say, I no longer see a child when I look at her. I see a warrior. Unfaltering when facing the enemy. Willing to put herself at risk, weapon or none. Training hard, so she can fight well... as she did in our victorious battle today."

After ending my prayer, I tell Burnbright, "If Baldy didn't already tell you, one of the rituals of the devout is to make a sacrifice before battle. Baldy sometimes panicked about missing a sacrifice due to a surprise attack, like back in Srilkind when the temple was burning, she tore the dress she was wearing. I told her to start making a sacrifice after battle so she'd already be covered for the next battle.

"So how about you make a sacrifice now? You can carry Baldhart's bag..." Whispering, I add, "...because I can't possibly carry that thing!" I go on, "If you would kindly take her bag, I'll carry yours." I land, then it occurs to me that the scimitar is longer than my leg. "Uh, Burnbright? Can you wear my sword on your hip as well?"

 

[Nihal]

I hurry towards the direction they pointed, glancing over my shoulder. "Yes, stay together. Please, take care of the girls this time. Not wanting to sound callous, but our responsibility is with them before anyone else, before these farmers." I kneel, looking for something on the ground. "We brought them there, amidst danger, so we would better take good care of them."



"You stay together, go meet the others already, take the girls to safety. I shall catch the one that got away." I stand, wink at them and follow the trail, working my fingers on the spear shaft.

 

[Keitsumah]

Batos

I slow to a stop when i see everyone is okay. After sniffing around a moment to make sure every lizard is truly dead, I turn and head back to Keitsumah with a signal howl, though at a more reasonable lope.

Keitsumah

I look up at the sound of Batos's high pitched howl and smile. Everyone is okay. He would only make that sound if he was happy. A low-pitched howl for danger. Still, exposed int he open, i am at risk on my own, and I carefully scan my surroundings in case of enemies:

(Maybe she spots the one that got away? <3)

 

[Steerpike]

The Group

When Bressel paints Branwen's cheeks, the young harpy stands very still, letting him draw stripes with the black blood of the lizard. When he is done, Branwen touches a finger to her cheek to feel the drying blood and gives a sharp-toothed smile (though one that is innocent enough). She then pokes a finger into the dead lizard and holds it up to Bressel, then looks over to Dalla, who is sitting nearby no longer trembling but still looking rather pale. Dalla waves the girl off, saying "Oh no, keep that away from me. That's dirty."

Burnbright somehow manages to look both solemn and excited as Nissa prays with her, and then tries to work even more of both into her expression as she is loaded down with a bag and sword. "I can carry it all," she says. "Don't worry about me. I never get tired. Hardly ever, I mean."

Dalla and Branwen both turn at the sound of Batos' howl.

"That thing makes me nervous," Dalla mutters, barely audible.

Searching the snow and ice at the outskirts of the battle, Mauve picks up what appears to be the tracks of the fleeing reptile. They move away from the site of the battle and into the trees, where the track dodge and weave between tree trunks before turning and heading uphill, toward the crest of the mountain.

Keitsumah

Keitsumah makes her way along the road, keeping a sharp eye for enemies of any kind. She doesn't see any from her vantage point. Just the occasional bird or thick-furred squirrel in the trees. The ruins of the farmhouse disappear from view as she rounds a bend, and up ahead she can just make out the group, which is gathering itself just off the road.

 

[Nihal]

Lizard tracking

No matter which direction the tracks take me I follow them, moving as fast I can without losing them and making no effort to be particularly sneaky, as it would cost me time.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

"Thank you," I tell Burnbright, "but that leaves me unencumbered, so I'll keep the sword in my hands. Listen, Mauve's going to take on that creature alone and I'm sure she can handle it, but my wings will let me catch up to her in silence. Cadell can lead you to the others. Keep a tight formation… we learned a hard lesson the easy way today. No more splitting up, not even to keep you away from a fight. We know the enemy wants that opportunity."

I tell Bressel and Cadell, "As Mauve said, stay close, and get to the others without waiting for her. I'd do the same, but my wings will help me catch up to Mauve and the runner without making noise. I can't ignore that advantage."

With my sword, I fly full speed in the direction Mauve went.

I watch the tracks as I fly…

…but at this speed, I can't tell which tracks are coming, which are going, which are rabbits', and all of them zig-zag unpredictably! If I look too hard, I need to slow down or I'll crash into a tree.

Mauve probably gained a lot of ground while I was patching the wounds. I better fly high if there's any hope of me finding her.

 

[SeverinR]

Bressel moves towards where the other group is, and stops to wait for the others to join him after prayers and discussion are done.

 

[Steerpike]

Branwen frowns at Dalla's admonition, then wipes her hands in the snow. Burnbright takes the harpy child by the hand and leads her toward the center of the group, calling out over her shoulder for Nissa to be safe. Both Burnbright and Branwen watchi Nissa take off, Branwen flexing her own wings as she watches, mirroring the valkyrie's actions but not having enough strength in her own wings to fly.

Dalla moves toward the center of the group as well, her dagger sheathed and her bow back in her hands. She makes a wide arc around Batos. To Cadell she says "Shouldn't we get the others and just go around this place? From what I understand, the group has important business. This just slows us down, and if we start going after those...things...who knows what else we might find."

Nissa, meanwhile, surveys the area from on-high. She spots Keitsumah, who has almost reached the group by this point. She also catches the occasional movement of a figure that looks to be Mauve, visible now and again through thick tree limbs as she winds her way up the mountain.

As Mauve tracks the lizard who ran, she catches an occasional glimpse of Nissa when the gaps in the branches are right. The lizard is not hard to track - apparently it kept running even after it was well out of range of the group, its footsteps deeper than one might expect, and the occasional broken twigs or brush giving away its path. As Mauve continues up the mountain she sees, up ahead, a small opening in the ground, so small that she would have to crawl on her belly to make her way inside. The lizard's trail heads right to it.

 

[Nihal]

Lizard tracking

A blur follows me through the woods. Nissa. Of course.

My hand waves in the air over my head, flying to my lips as I ask her to keep silent. When the hole comes into view I point at it and keep moving, pushing the spear in the opening and crawling immediately after it so the valkyrie has no opportunity to talk nor complain.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I ponder Dalla's words for a few moments. "That is true, but we must also consider what may happen if we leave them be. The lizard that fled, for instance -- it may survive to warn others of our presence, and we may wind up facing even more enemies along the road who were specifically sent to hinder us. It is often hard to decide which is the lesser of two evils."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

I keep some space behind Mauve's big feet. I'll move alongside her if there's ever space. Otherwise, I'm just here to carry the berries in case Mauve gets her face clawed when she finally corners her target.

 

[Steerpike]

Dalla listens to Cadell, then says "We can't save everyone. I guess sometimes it's hard to know what to do."

"Veborg would know," Burnbright says. "She'd save the kids, then go get As...the witch."

Dalla gives the child a withering smirk. "This isn't some old story, Burnbright. Veborg went and got herself killed."

Burnbright's cheeks redden. "There are worse things than dying. Veborg saved the North, and that's what we're going to do, too. Isn't it?" She looks to Cadell and Bressel for support.

Dalla shakes her head. "Tell that to the people Verborg left behind, who loved her and had to go on without her. Or to the kids she never had. I know how they feel. We're going to pay the witch back for what she did to Tommen, then I'm taking my Ma south. The North can sink."

If possible, Burnbright's cheeks flush further, her face darkening with rage. "Sink? How can you even say that? Our ancestors fought for this land. We both have their blood in us. We're going to stop the witch, and then things are going to be like they were. The North isn't going to sink because we're not going to let it." She spins around to look at Cadell and Bressel. "Are we?"

Dalla opens her mouth to speak, then snaps it shut and just shakes her head. "We've got kids with us who don't even understand how dangerous this is!" She turns and kneels next to Branwen. "Well, one kid and whatever you are." She touches Branwen's hair and the harpy looks up at her. "You don't understand how dangerous this is, because I don't think you can understand it." She tousles the girl's hair. "But you did try to help me." She gives Branwen a kiss on the head, flashes Burnbright another look, then gathers her things together to head back to the main group.

Nissa manages to track Mauve to the hole, then sees Mauve thrust her spear into the opening in the earth then crawl inside on her stomach. In a moment, the mage is lost from view. Raised voices from the group - or, Burnbright's raised voice - reaches her ears.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((Since Nissa can hear the argument, I guess she's not that far, so I'll just have her turn to the girls and keep them moving.))


Nissa

There's no getting around Mauve in there. I trust she can handle one wimpy lizard, and I'll check on her again once I'm sure the group is moving.

I fly back to the girls. One looks up to Baldhart; the other, Ankari. Should I be surprised they're arguing loudly?

As I draw near, I inform the group, "Mauve found the lizard and made her way into its hiding place." Without addressing the argument directly, I tell the girls, "I suggest we trust in her skill, and keep moving to Baldhart, Ankari and the rest as she wished. You'll pass the farmhouse where animals were slaughtered, and three innocents murdered: two boys, 11 and 13, and perhaps the woman is their mother. Look upon them to see what it is we're against here. I hope we can save the five captives, but… I can't guarantee they're even alive now."

I tell Dalla, "I had my first battle when I was your age. I got myself killed. My sacrifice rallied the villagers to fight, saved lives, and even earned me a pair of wings. But my father… he captured and tortured the monster that struck me down. He had a friend who knew how to cause a lot of pain without ending the life. Few halflings learned such things, but as I lay on my death bed, my father learned that and more. Suffice to say, he ceased to live a peaceful life."

I try to lead Dalla and Burnbright to walk as I talk, hoping to keep them moving. I trust Cadell and Bressel will focus on Branwen.

Hovering at Burnbright's side, I go on, "In my duties as a valkyrie, I once saw my father hunting goblins and such with his crossbow and poisoned spear. I had to look twice to be sure. I couldn't recognize the face—it was the expression that threw me—the way he grinned, as if killing monsters would fill the hole inside him. After that, I asked Brynhild if I truly deserved the wings. She took me aside and spoke. He words created a vision in my mind and I saw what would have happened had I done nothing. In the vision, I still ended up dead, but my friends died with me. My father still became the same bitter man. Brynhild then told me I acted as I needed to in battle. I'm not responsible for my father's reaction."



So what were Dalla and Burnbright arguing about? I didn't hear the whole thing. Maybe Dalla hears my story and thinks she's right that you can't save everyone. Maybe Burnbright hears Brynhild approves when you act in battle, so she's doing right by her goddess. Maybe they both think they're right, and that's fine. They are on the same side.

 

[SeverinR]

Bressel takes the lead, the battle was loud, silence is not a benefit so let them argue.
It is up to them to work through the feelings of battle on their own. They aren't fighting each other but speaking to each other about themselves.

He pulls his sword, just in case more lizards pop up. They would know they were coming a league away with the girls arguing.
Nissa can warn the group of anything coming from behind.
"We should hurry. No telling what trouble Ankari has gotten the group into by now."

 

[Keitsumah]

Batos

I pad alongside Keitsumah, having gone back to walk with her the rest of the way. She pants, using her staff a bit more than usual for support. The run had nearly winded her, and for a moment I wish i was strong enough to carry her -yet this blasted form isn't large enough. Still, it was better that she didn't have to get involved. I press my side against her leg, though, and try to take some of her weight. She smiles and rubs my head. I realize she's the only person I will ever allow to do that without my feeling embarassed.

I turn my head and look back toward the group. No doubt we will pass by the farm on our return, should we head back to the others. Maybe I should sniff the corpses to try and find any trace of what killed the farmers. I doubt it could have been the lizards, but if they came in enough numbers...

A deep throated growl emanates from my chest, and Keitsumah digs her fingers into the back of my neck fur in surprise.

"Batos? What's wrong?"

I cut off the growl abruptly and bump my head to her hip to soothe her. I should pay more attention to what I do. I am still a wolf, after all. But to me, all that was on the inside counted...

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I look down at Burnbright when she speaks to me, and give her a solemn nod. "I for one am not going to let it sink, if I can help it. I have more to live and to fight for here than in the south now." I hope Liadan and Biorn are well. I glance back the way I came, wondering whether they've encountered some new trouble.

 

[Steerpike]

Burnbright says to Nissa: "You deserve your wings. You were brave when you were first alive, and you're still brave now as a valkyrie." She is bolstered, as well, by Cadell's comments about not letting the north sink. "We may tell stories about Veborg, but they really happened. The north will never sink so long as there is one man or woman alive with northern blood." She directs the last comment to Dalla who just shakes her head.

"Real life isn't a story, Burnbright," she says. "The good guys don't always win. You're not going to survive just because you have pure motives."

Burnbright lapses into an irritated silence for a moment, then as the group continues its journey, she turns to Nissa: "But that's not right is it? Because we have Brynhild on our side. She cares what our motives are, and since she's a god no one can beat us if we have her blessing, right?"

By this point, the ruined farmhouse comes into view, and while Dalla looked ready to offer a retort to Burnbright, she sobers at the sight of the burned out farm and says nothing.

Branwen, meanwhile, falls into step beside Bressel, and instead of walking hops along side him in big leaps, giggling to herself whenever her feet land with a crack on the icy ground. She grins at Keitsumah and Batos, seemingly unafraid of the wolf even though Dalla continues to give Batos a wide berth.

 

[SeverinR]

Bressel scans the burned out farm house watching for any movement. Any lizards returned?
Continues on.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

"Brynhild cares, Tyr cares, Freya cares, Ullr cares… but we're not puppets on strings, nor are our enemies. Evil doesn't lose because the gods will evil to lose. Evil loses when the good—good mortals—are willing to risk fighting evil, and are strong enough to defeat it."

I don't want to shake the girl's faith…

"That isn't to say that your faith in Brynhild can only reward you in death. Baldhart says she felt Her touch in Arendal, and that was the moment she committed herself to the life of a nun…" To Dalla, I feel the need to add, "…by the barbarian definition." I go on to Burnbright, "When you fight as a devout follower of Brynhild, you do have an advantage: most evil men and monsters expect to frighten their victims into submission. They don't expect a young lady to pick up a spear, and certainly don't expect her to stay in the fight when the spear falls from her hands."

I smile proudly at Burnbright, then continue…

"And you are correct in saying that Brynhild cares. That I have this body is proof of that. To be truthful, I wasn't sure it was wise to show myself in Arendal. Some villagers thought me a demon when they saw me clad only in the blood of a man I failed to save, and the priest still wasn't entirely convinced when we spoke the next day… but how could I call myself Brynhild's servant and do nothing when a village was attacked? Brynhild agreed with my actions, or the reason behind them, and so she allowed me to have this body."