DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood HWD: Introduction

Bekkah

She was more than a little surprised when the squire stormed off. Although what was more surprising was that none of the others, her sister included, went after him. The man had had a determined look to him and she agreed that no good would come of it.

*Perhaps he not friend, only just met. Perhaps they not like him. Need story from Dazi later.* she thought.

She focused back on the group and their planning. Clearly her little sister had gotten herself in the middle of something. She just hoped it wasn't more than she could handle. She didn't know the older Dazi like she knew the little girl she had left behind, but the little girl had never lacked confidence, maybe even to a dangerous level. She wondered if the older one was the same way. The only problem now was that the trouble she could get into could be significantly more dangerous.

She remained quiet and listened knowing she'd remain with Dazi in case she'd need her. She only hoped they wouldn't need her skills.

<Lia>

In the silence she speaks slowly as though working things out and turns her gaze to Kadri, "You know, with the right tunic flashing from under a cloak, you could look remarkably like her if you wanted. Same or similar enough height and build and coloring." She shrugged and continued without turning to face the swords woman who made the request saying briefly, "We've just met, perhaps she would do such but manpower and the like often needs compensation."

Then she fell silent again for others to fill it with their words

Daxia
with the Gang at the Inn

She tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her face as she regarded Darian's comment and her conversation with Longtooth, before turning back to Lia and nodding. "Think same about Kadri. Maybe different purpose." Daxia chuckled softly, then added, "Give compensation... reasonable. Lia barter fair price, yes? Wagons sit, horses get lazy, men maybe bored. Maybe not give coin; trade skills, yes? Kadri already have job; Daxia promise tend Horde horses for board while here. But why we not help them some way if they help us, yes?"

Darian

She sat up and looked to the redhead.

"We hunt with Dazi," she stated before her gaze turned to the Rhoni. "You come too, aye?"

Kadri

She gets an intruiged look on her face.

"What did the two of you have in mind?"

Mikal

He nods at some of the comments from Daxia and others. "Yes. Too risky to actually leave town with the wagons. Don't think anyone would risk an open attack inside the walls. And we'll need to fill the crates with something. As Celi says, anyone with a small bit of knowledge would be able to tell the axles aren't carrying enough weight if the crates are empty."

"As for skills, it depends on your plan. If you are thinking of a quick assault, rushing the place while most are distracted and cutting our way to the girl, then you'll need me. If you plan to sneak in, perhaps thru a back window, and get her out quietly, then I can still help, but I'd not be as critical unless it ended up turning into a fight anyway."

"I have skills riding, and have driven wagons on my farm growing up. Know about horses and drayage, and harnesses as well. I think Celi is good with animals too", he glances at Celi for confirmation, "but she might be good in a plan to sneak in. When we fought, she didn't have my strength, but I could tell she was nimble and quiet."

"She and I should be well back from talking to the merchant about hiring more wagons, so we should both be available for either of the two groups, leading wagons or getting girl."

Kadri:

". . . sneaking, I can do. And I know horses. . well. very well."

Celi

Celi rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I can ride. Horses present no difficulty. And I can also be stealthy, though I admit to seldom practicing, and almost never practicing on horseback. You might prefer a more experienced sneaky person."

<Lia>

She nodded and got up, presumably to find the Captain; she paused though and said something quietly to Daxia before going.

Daxia
with the Gang at the Inn

Daxia watched the young Imperial walk off, a thoughtful, yet slightly amused, look on her face. She shook her head and shrugged before turning to Mikal. "Two ways to see driving wagon, yes? Just go toward gate, draw enemies out, they not attack inside town. That good. But town small, Mikal. Drive wagon in circles, they get suspicious, yes? If go out gates, down road away from Shannon's Rock... confuse them, make them think ore really taken. More realistic, but more chance for attack, yes. Do not see best path. Yet. Think maybe depend on youngling's talk with sister," she said, nodding in the direction Lia had gone. "Hope to have plan by time you finish hire drayage for Eli." She smiled and took a deep breath. "Maybe crazy plan. But what you expect from Allaines, yah?" she asked, winking.


[OOC: Will lay out bones of plan after Mikal and/or Celi have a chance to respond... cuz this is going to take a while to write up, and my brain has ceased producing useful thoughts for the night.]

Celi

"IF we go outside, I will be more useful," Celi said. "I have... ah, skills that will help, particularly in any defense we might mount against someone trailing our wagons then attacking or ambushing them.

"We must do something to properly load the wagons, though. Dray horses drawing an empty wagon are almost frisky; they behave very differently when given a touch of the rein and urged to pull."

Mikal

"Well", he replies, "if we get the assistance of our host's Troop, we might conceal a number of them inside the crates. That'd be better than rocks, and if we have a minimal number driving the wagons, should the Mark attack, it could be with few enough that hidden re-enforcements with crossbows would give us the edge."

"In any case, Celi, lets go start dropping hints around town."

He stands up, and looks to Daxia. "But, wait until we return before acting, yes? Our ruse will need some time to drift to the proper ears and I do not want to miss the climax."

Daxia
with Bekkah, Cesare, Darian, Longtooth and Kadri at the Inn

"Oh, we wait. Not go without you," she said with a grin.

She sat, seemingly staring off into the distance, quiet and arms crossed for quite a while after Mikal and Celi left. It wasn't a quarter of a candlemark, but it might have been close. Finally, she said softly, "Maybe plan crazy, like I say. Maybe need crazy... don't know. Seem like this Path least dangerous of any I see." Daxia looked around at the four remaining members of the group, and glanced under the table at Longtooth, before taking a deep breath.

"Ok. Thinking two things happen same time. One thing, wagon at warehouse. Mikal, Celi... if get wagon and crates from Verchovai Dandy and quartermaster... drive wagon to warehouse, make plenty noise open door, yes? Distract evil man. Drive wagon in, close door, just wait. If not get wagon, come back to this, think again.

"Second thing, while evil man distracted, we go to back of warehouse where girl held. Kadri sneakiest; when evil man most distracted, sneak in. If possible, sneak girl out... she stay with Bekkah, Lia... Kadri maybe stay in girl's spot while Daxia, Darian, Longtooth, Cesare find spots, yes? Not possible... maybe girl hurt, not move fast... all but Bekkah, Lia go in, help girl out to them. Evil man not like us take girl," she said, eyes narrowing, "must convince him is best idea girl leave, yes? Each know best way to convince, yes?" She looked at each of them and held their gaze for a moment... Kadri, Darian, Cesare, even Longtooth. Then she looked at her sister. "You take care girl; you her Guardian... for now.

"Once evil man convinced good idea that girl go..." She gave Bekkah a look of true regret. "...probably mean evil man dead, most sorry..." Then she looked back at the others. "We come quick back here, while Cesare knock on door, signal Mikal, Celi time to go. Door open, sneaky pass key to Cesare, drive wagon out quick while Cesare close, lock door. Catch up, or meet us here.

"Mikal, Celi... they drive wagon out gates. Quick, not dangerous quick, though. Keep going, just keep going toward Brementown. Hope then Merchants Guild, Thieves Guild, even Dark Mark following cart with food nice farmer boy and sister taking back home.

"They follow shell think has pea... but shell and pea here with us. We have girl and key, safe. When merchants, thieves, Mark find they tricked... they come back to town, angry hornets, look for Eli. Then Mikal, Celi come back with Verchovai's wagon."

She looked around at them expectantly and, after a handful or two of heartbeats, asked, "Too crazy?"

Bekkah

"Plan sounds very good Dazi. But I don't want to be too far away from you. You act as if fighting man, nothing more than sword practice with friends in the courtyard. People could get hurt. You could get hurt, so I don't want to be far away."

Darian

"Not so crazy as one Hunter standing alone, without ruff even, against many Grey Men in armor," she stated with a shrug.

Her hand moved to her quiver and her lips pursed in thought.

"Need more arrows. Where can get? Trade pelts for arrows or shafts and arrowheads. Have plenty feathers for fletching."

She gazed at those around her one at a time, looking for an answer.

"Then need time to prepare, me and Longtooth."

Cesare

He had been listening quietly, watching the reactions of the others, evaluating roles, before turning to Daxia, his decision made.

"You asked about skills. I can fight when needed. I can watch unseen. I can handle locks. Seems you have a good role for me."

He smiles.

"Best to go over the plan again, work out where anyone is most exposed and try to cover that. And we should have a fall back if things go wrong. A rallying point. I am up for saving the girl but do not want to see us lose someone here to do that."

<Lia>

She returned to the group, nodded briefly and said quietly, “She’ll speak to Rafe and Dunwich; they'll get us the wagons and what you had me ask for. But there are some ground rules. None of her involved ones can be caught in this...even if we have to get them out of town somehow.

"If asked she has to be able to truthfully say she had no idea what was going on. And we must have this wrapped up tidily before Khorall Shannon marches his Noble Guard through the town gates. It will take him a bit she says, so if we can delay the news getting to him, that plays in our favor. But if he does it will become His Affair. Not ours.” She folded her hands and sat patiently.

Kadri:

She blinks a bit.

"Stay in girls spot? Perhaps. . . explain that bit a little more?"

Daxia
with Bekkah, Cesare, Darian, Longtooth, Kadri, Lia at the Inn

"Not far away, Bekkah," she said, squeezing her sister's hand. "Just outside door, ok? We try very, very hard stay safe... but need you and Lia and Elissa safe, too, yes?"

She listened to the others... tracing lines on the table as she did so. The lines looked liked branches and branchlets, perhaps, moving outward from a tree trunk; she passed a hand over the invisible drawing several times as the others spoke, as though erasing what she'd drawn... then started over. Daxia let the silence hold for long heartbeats after Kadri's last words.

She looked concerned. "Paths never switch so fast before," she murmured to herself. "Working with many, seeing very small, maybe? Must ask." She actually seemed to be studying something on the table only she could see, but finally traced a single line and shrugged. "Look like plan need to stay fluid, a little anyway. Think Jvrillian be least happy. Dazi not so happy either," she said, looking up at the group, gaze resting on Darian lastly.

"No time for new arrows. Daxia lend Darian bow, arrows. Worry about more arrows later, ok?" she said with a smile. She looked back down at the table. "Cesare, Kadri... still fluid. Wagon..." Looking back up at Lia, she said, "One wagon only, several crates, no men. So no problem; her men not be caught. We just borrow wagon, not say why. Is truth? Yes? Can also say, if asked, we crazy. Is truth. Yes?" she said with a grin that faded quickly. "See no way to slow Shannon, so we move quick... soon as Mikal, Celi return, wagon ready. But you ask, please, Rafe, Dunwich to fill crates with... anything except weapons. Heavy things best, whatever amuse them, ok? Please?"

<Lia>

Lia looked over, a briefly confused look on her face. In calm, evenly paced words she said to Daxia, "You asked me to bargain for a wagon, horses, crates, and some men. I've done that. We have them. I am not quite sure what you are asking for at this point. It would be best if you instruct them what is wanted as I have no idea what you have just said and these plans appear to be altering."

Daxia
with Bekkah, Cesare, Darian, Longtooth, Kadri, Lia at the Inn

Daxia nodded. "Yes, exactly! Path change, plan change." She tapped the table in front of her... then a look of understanding came over her face.

"Ah! Ok, Daxia forgot," she said to the whole group. "You not understand." She paused a moment, biting her lip. "Take very long to explain, very long. But, Bekkah..." She turned to her sister. "...this feeling and seeing I write about, ok? Different thing happen, see new connections, yes?" She looked down at the table again. "Also, watch patterns, think fast, talk like Allaine... can't do all three, sorry. Need more practice. Ok, Verchovai not come down. Need to wait for Mikal, Celi. I tell." She stood and shook her head. "How she do this all time, much bigger, not go mad?" she muttered to herself as she turned toward the stairway. Then she stopped and stood absolutely still, eyes wide with shock and surprise, hand dropping to touch the bit of silk on the hilt of her sword. "Oh," she whispered.

Daxia had a smile on her face as she continued walking, climbed the stairs, and knocked on Dandy's door.

Kadri:

"Be that as it may, I can't follow a part in a plan that I do not KNOW."|

Darian and Longtooth

"We just need to know when to go," she said with a shrug.

The Heartwood
Afternoon, the Town of Cragside
Restday The Last Day of the Month of Raven, 2623

Darian, Longtooth, Cesare, Kadri, Camelia and Daxia

Daxia follows in Camelia's path, tracing back to the farthest heart. She does not, however, make it to Captain Koromov's door.

The Captain herself steps out from the back of the big stone fireplace, and placed a hand on the door to the outside.

Daxia
with Bekkah, Cesare, Dandelion, Darian, Longtooth, Kadri, Lia at the Inn

"Ah, Verchovai... small change to plan," said Daxia. "Lia... Camelia... suggest I tell Rafe, Dunwich. I tell them, I tell you... what works best for you?"