Darkwood--Deepening Dusk

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Barak Windblown
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Post by Barak Windblown »

Barak glances sharply at the Bard, his posture stiffening as if affronted. A smile quickly creases his worn features, however, and he chuckles softly. "Ah, Lady, you humble me. I would be honored to share your mount; in truth I could use your help. I have not ridden for more than twenty years..."

Barak's voice fades out, his eyes lost in the fire. He draws deeply on his pipe, his face obscured by the plumes of fragrant smoke. Wrapped in his patched fur cloak with the fire close at hand, he seems unaffected by the night's fast approaching chill, and shortly he finishes his smoke, tapping out the ash gently into the hearth-fire and packing his pipe away protectively. Then he readies his crude bedding and lays down with a grunt, his fingers probing his injury gently.

"Led Pighp, lay servant of Serloth, you saved my life today. You have my thanks, and my service, such as it is. My path follows yours, and that of you companions, until we recover your friend. I swear this by my Mistress Cerana." Barak says, a voice in the gathering darkness.
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

"Friend Barak... your company is certainly welcome. But I feel that we were already in your debt for telling us of the ambush they had set. That you then chose to come with us and help in the fight only put us further in your debt."

"If I did save your life by shielding you from the monster's spikes... I would say that balances out that you were the only one of us two who could hurt the thing."

"No, I cannot, in good faith, allow you to think you owe a debt that has been more than repaid. And given the timing of things... it seems that we owe you."

"And yet, you have sworn to your Mistress, and that cannot be undone, debt or no debt. And so, we welcome you to our group, and thank you for your help. I know that I would be pleased to have another Heshic around. I haven't had the company of a plainsman in almost a year."

"Of course, these city women are a mystery I'm looking forward to unravelling, but a man wishes for a bit of home when he's away for so long."

"But tell me, how has one of our kind come to be without a mount for 20 years? I've been without one for over six months until last week, and I know how that made me suffer."
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Laurel
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Post by Laurel »

Led Pighp wrote:"Of course, these city women are a mystery I'm looking forward to unravelling, but a man wishes for a bit of home when he's away for so long."
Having snuggled in to the scribe's shoulder comfortably, the bard briefly stiffened at these words, then settled back down. A slight smile creased her face at the thought of the comforts of the city.
Led Pighp wrote:"But tell me, how has one of our kind come to be without a mount for 20 years? I've been without one for over six months until last week, and I know how that made me suffer."
Having noticed the sorcerer's sharp look at her earlier, Laurel winced as Led pressed the subject. But she had to admit, she was curious as well...
~Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away...
~
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Barak Windblown
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Post by Barak Windblown »

Barak turns to look at the two recumbent youths, his eyes narrowing. Whatever he sees there draws a grunt from the old Heshic and he turns back to the fire, relaxing once again.

"It is no great tale," he says, "I was young - younger even than you. I knew nothing of my gift then, nor did anyone else. Such powers were the province of the shaman and her apprentices – not a scrawny cattle-herd.” Barak chuckled softly, his eyes rheumy with memory. “Those were good years, free from care. The land was rich and green, the cattle fat and fertile, and the plains of my people stretched from dawn to dusk.”

“Hah, but you’ve seen those plains – you know.” Barak grunts, nodding to Led. “You wanted to know why I do not ride, not listen to an old man’s ramblings. Here, then, is your answer.”

Shruging his cloak from his shoulder, Barak pulls up the left sleeve of his weathered shirt, exposing a crude symbol branded into his inner forearm. The pattern is worn from age, but still legible to any of Heshic origins.
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

Led inhaled with a sharp look. Then relaxed.

"So... you escaped? And you've kept away from your home ever since? Or were you released?"
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Laurel
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Post by Laurel »

The bard's eyes widened with dismay at the sight of the brand. The tales she had heard were vague in details, yet from what little she had learned, the life of those branded in such a way was full of hardship and isolation...
~Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away...
~
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Barak Windblown
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Post by Barak Windblown »

Barak traces the mark on his arm with one finger, the action almost an unconscious one. He speaks softly, sadly. "My talents were discovered, and rather than have one of my 'kind' stay amongst them, they freed me. 11 seasons I had lived with them."

Barak seems on the verge of saying more, but then he coughs, rubbing the fire's smoke from eyes that had grown moist as he spoke.

"So, you must forgive me, Scribe, when we ride tomorrow. I will most assuredly embarrass both our ancestors!" Barak forces a chuckle at his jest.
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

"My friend, If there is any shame to your riding tomorrow, it should fall upon those who kept you from your birthright ahorse."

"But, now that you remind me of it, we should all probably get to bed. I think there's a small village more or less on the way towards where we're going, and not far from here."

Knowledge (Geography)

"We shold make haste to there, so we can get ourselves properly equpped. Our rush from town was too quick to really prepare, and there are things we still need."
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Barak Windblown
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Post by Barak Windblown »

Barak grunts in grateful acceptance of the younger Heshic's offer. He settles himself on the hard ground with the ease of long familiarity. "By the Plains, I will sleep well tonight!" he says, and within minutes, a soft snore is the only sound he makes.
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

Led looks down at Laurel. "We'd better get to sleep as well. There's a long journey ahead of us."
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Laurel
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Post by Laurel »

Stifling a yawn, the young bard replies, "Not to mention we could all stand to heal a bit more," then winks at the scribe. Pushing herself upright, she makes to rise and head towards her bedroll.
~Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away...
~
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

Led follows her to the already set up bedrolls. His is laid out right next to the bard's.

"Skyseeker and Marrik have agreed to take watch tonight."
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Laurel
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Post by Laurel »

Laurel stops and looks at the arrangement of the bedrolls. Then turns to look at the scribe. Then back at the bedrolls, a deep blush beginning to rise from her bosom upwards. To cover her flushing, she spends some time stashing her hand harp safely and stowing her gear, then crawls in to her roll and removes her mithril chain shirt and traveler's outfit. Eventually her head emerges, the white straps of an undershift showing on the top of her shoulders.

Deciding to not take the chance that too long had passed before her hymn had a chance to activate, the bard hums as she watches the scribe make his own evening ablution, then crawl into the bedroll beside hers. Softly reaching out, she strokes his cheek, watching for any resistance to her touch. When he smiles gently in response, she embraces his head against her chest, and whispers, "sometimes a caring touch heals more than anything else," before breaking in to a healing lullaby once more.
Oo, little sleepy boy
Do you know what time it is?
Well the hour of your bedtime's long been past
And though I know you're fighting it
I can tell when you rub your eyes
You're fading fast, oh fading fast

Won't you run come see Cerana's Comet
Roll across the skies
And leave a spray of diamonds in its wake
I long to see Cerana's Comet
Sparkle in your eyes when you awake
Oh, when you wake, wake

Little boy
Won't you lay your body down
Little boy
Won't you close your weary eyes
Ain't nothing flashing but the fireflies

Well I sang it once and I sang it twice
I'm going to sing it three times more
I'm going to stay 'til your resistance
Is overcome
'Cause if I can't sing this boy to sleep
Well it makes this crooning lady look so dumb
look so dumb

Won't you run come see Cerana's Comet
Roll across the skies
And leave a spray of diamonds in its wake
I long to see Cerana's Comet
Sparkle in your eyes when you awake
Oh, when you wake, wake

Little boy, little boy
Won't you lay your body down
Little boy, little boy
Won't you close your weary eyes
Ain't nothing flashing but the fireflies

Oo, little sleepy boy
Do you know what time it is?
Well the hour of your bedtime's long been past
And though I know you're fighting it
I can tell when you rub your eyes
You're fading fast, oh fading fast
As she finishes her lullaby, Laurel looks down towards Led and sees the scribe breathing deeply, completely asleep. Confident her music will now do all she intended, she lays him comfortably back into his bedroll, then lies flat on her back in her own, gazing at the stars through the tree canopy overhead. "Thank you for your blessings and good Luck this day, Cerana," she thinks towards the ether while her own eyes drift shut. "May I not need to call upon your Luck again anytime soon." With that final thought released into the night, her hand unconsciously reaches out and twines her fingers into those of the scribe next to her as the embrace of weariness overtakes her and she quietly drifts off in slumber.
Last edited by Laurel on Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
~Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away...
~
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Barak Windblown
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Post by Barak Windblown »

Barak sleeps deeply, rousing only once during the night to answer nature’s call. He wakes early, a long-ingrained habit he has never broken. The pre-dawn light and morning dew casts a faerie glow about the campsite.

Dressing quickly, he munches on a hard biscuit as he wanders quietly over to where the horses are stabled, careful not to awaken his companions.

The horse stamp there feet nervously at his approach, nickering softly as if unsure of whether to be afraid of this unknown human or not. “Quietly, quietly,” mutters Barak soothingly. “I’m just here to make friends, that’s all.” He may not of ridden in two decades, but Barak is Heshic – horses are as familiar to him as breathing.

He reaches out a hand confidently, letting the animals get used to his smell, before patting their necks roughly. “That’s right; we’re all going to be good friends, aren’t we? You’ll take good care of old Barak, now, won’t you? Gently, quietly, good…”

Barak continues mouthing calming nothings to the beasts as the sun lights the sky with it’s first rays.
Last edited by Barak Windblown on Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Vynarkus »

When Barak gets up, he finds that Vynarkus is already awake, and already at the horses, but for a different reason. He was taking the magic items just recently found out of the saddlebags and spreading them out on the ground, getting ready for a discussion with the rest of the party about what should be done with them.

He nods to Barak, and begins to explain what he was doing, when a thought strikes him, and he looks over at Led's saddlebags, then the rest of the party.

[ooc]Detect Magic, to try to determine what happened to the Manticore's earing of invisibility.[/ooc]
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Seven Words
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Post by Seven Words »

Vynarkus finds the earring a little ways away, it had been attached to an ear which was severed by one of the final blows.
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

Led wakes up when the sun crosses his face. Sunlight on his closed eyes always made his dreams... weird.

Moving quietly, to let Laurel sleep a bit longer, he makes his way over to Vynarkus and Barak, by the horses. He notices Marrik asleep by the fire, then looks around for where Skyseeker is most likely hidden while she finishes watch. That he doesn't find her is not immediatly concerning.

"Well met, gentlemen. Are we having a bazaar, this morning Vynarkus? I see you have all your wares laid out on your blanket." he says with a chuckle.
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Laurel
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Post by Laurel »

Never an early riser willingly, the bard continued to snooze away in her bedroll, until the beams of sunlight darting through the canopy overhead kept piercing her closed eyelids. Muttering incoherantly, she drew the roll over her head as much as possible, and rolled over on to her side facing the scribe; wiggling along the packed earth to move closer to his body warmth. Finding his space empty, she cracked an eyelid ever so minutely open to look around for the party; after all, Led had threatened her with the job of searching the decaying bodies upon arising.

Seeing the the warlock, the sorcerer, and the scribe hunched together in discussion, she then notices Marrik still dozing away. Smiling in self-satisfaction that she need not rise immediately in to the face of danger; after all part of the appeal of becoming a bard was entertaining the last lingering patrons of an establishment in to the wee hours of the morning, only to sleep until mid-day after, Laurel retreated down into her roll for a few more winks in the hopes the party hadn't noticed her brief assessment of their current situation.
~Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away...
~
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Led Pighp
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Post by Led Pighp »

Led looks at the sun rising in the sky, and the two people still sleeping away the morning. He notices that Laurel has her bedroll tucked tightly around herself, to keep the warmth in. On the other hand, Marrik is set up to sacrifice warmth to a few drafty spots, in order to allow for a speedy exit in case of attack. His magical axe lies by his side, ready to be taken up in case of attack. Led remembers feeling that axe cutting him far too deeply, and shudders.

Led takes his mug over to the stream. He fills it with chilled water, then strolls over to where Laurel is burying her face in blankets. He stands back a bit from her. And then, looking at Marrik all the while, splashes the water onto her face from out of her reach.

Laurel lets out a shrill gasp, and tries to flinch away from the chill, only to get tangled up in her bedroll. This confuses her more, and she flails around for a few more seconds until coming fully awake.

At the sound of Laurel's crying and flailing, Marrik throws off his own bedroll, picks up his axe in a motion that seems far too practiced for one who's only had the axe for a few days, and rolls up to a low crouch. He looks around the area, trying to find an enemy to fight.

Around the same time Laurel finishes her flailing and untangles herself enough to glare at Led standing a few feet away, Marrik finishes his survey of the area and finds no attackers. He looks closer at Laurel, then looks at Led standing over her frowning.

"Well, now that you two are awake, I have a message for you from Beauregard. He wonders if you might find time in your busy schedules to come fetch him. The rest of us were having breakfast while planning our next steps. We also were trying to decide how best to distribute these items. Would you like to join us, perhaps?

He turned around and walked back to Barak and Vynarkus, over by the horses. When his face was away from them, he smiled broadly to the two standing men. Behind them, he also noticed Skyseeker walking out of the forest, shaking her head in amusement as she walked back into camp.
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Laurel
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Post by Laurel »

Still spluttering, and wondering just how she was going to change her soaking wet shift, which at the moment wasn't concealing very much, without drawing the attention of nearly every member of the party, Laurel dragged her protesting body out from her sopping bedroll and found a limb in the direct path of a sunbeam. Spreading the bedroll along the branch to dry, she picked up her mithril shirt and her traveler's outfit, proudly walked past the party in her clinging shift (which currently left nothing to the imagination) to Garvin, and removed a dry one.

Moving in to a nearby copse to attempt to find some privacy, the bard removed the wet shift and went about her own morning ablutions, returning to the limb with her bedroll and suspending her wet shift to dry as well.

In no rush to respond to Led's needling, preferring not to give him the satisfaction of having her respond to his beck and call, she next went to the fire and retrieved a bite of breakfast for herself, sitting on the log she and Led had reclined in front of the night before as she finger-combed the damp tangles out of her hair.

Feeling she kept the scribe waiting long enough, she stood up and brushed the crumbs of her meal from her lap, before sauntering over towards the gathered group. She couldn't help noticing Skyseeker's wink and small smirk of approval as she joined them. Casting a glance towards the corpses from the night before, she looks as Led and asks, "What do we have here? Is there still need for me to search those we fought yesterday?"
~Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away...
~
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