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

KKadri:

"If it came to a direct fight, Cammelia, I would be lost myself. Each do what they do well, no?"

<Lia>

She smiled at Kadri and said quietly, "Oh fights, direct or otherwise, aren't really for me either, but my sister has other things to concern herself with then whether another keeps me protected or not."

Daxia
with the Gang at the Inn

Daxia shrugged. "You have better idea, Lia... say. Your sister my Temple-sister; only wish for Temple-sister not to worry. But Lia not need protection..." She shrugged again. "...ok."

<Lia>

Lia looked at her and a confused expression briefly crossed her face.

"With my limited understanding of tactics and the like, I have nothing against the plan as you've stated it."

She stilled as if waiting to hear others input.

Celi

"Mikal, I fear they will penetrate the ruse if the wagon does na ride as if laden with ore. But if we make it appear so, who will believe the farm family disguise while we are yet within the city walls?"

Darian

"Across these," she interjected, tapping the warehouses adjacent to the suspicious one, "too far."

Her finger moved to those across the small alleyway. "Me go up these to roof. Longtooth below on street. We Hunt, not be hunted."

"Need alone place to prepare. Any of you have place here?"

Cesare

"Rear."

He nods confirming his understanding and agreement.

"And happy to travel with Darian and Longtooth. We should probably go first. Longtooth will provide the best warning if there is anyone in the area and we can scout a little before the rest of you arrive, quieter that way."

He pauses for a moment.

"Important role for those staying outside is to watch and listen and keep our escape route clear or at least warn if it is compromised. We go back down the alley as our way out?"

He glances at Daxia.

"Would suggest Kadri approach her warehouse from the other end, not past the girl's place. That is the way Darian, Longtooth and I came and where we picked up trouble. Their attention will more likely be focused on Kadri than us. Less likely to worry about the girl."

Mikal

He nods as Daxia lays out her plan. turning to Celi at her question, then answers both. "Yes, Celi. We will need to find odds and ends here and in the warehouse to load into the cart that are heavy enough to appear to be ore, but which can be explained as Daxia says, as things we thought to sell back in Brementown. Having the cart laden will help attract more followers."

He looks at Daxia again, "I am concerned about one thing, though. The part of the plan where we let them catch up to us on the road. If the farmer ruse is to be carried through, and not to be a double-bluff, then both Celi and I will not be able to wear or carry weapons or armour. Should those who follow become too annoyed at the trick we will be defenseless."

"So, perhaps it might be better for us to conceal weapons and armour on our persons and in the cart to be ready to use at need? I am not so confident that innocent farmers will not be killed by angry mercenaries and thieves, even if we could pull it off."

"I can wear my armour under my shirt and cloak, loose and baggy, and can conceal weapons, helm, and crossbow under a tarp right behind the drivers seat."

"Plus, I think it will help the ruse if it is seen that it is intended to be a ruse from the start. If someone skilled sees the armour under my clothing, it will make it even more noteworthy and attract even more attention when our opponents believe they have seen thru the ruse, but it is actually one which we intended them to see thru. Double-bluff. We let them think they have figured us out."

"If they come at us on the road, once we are far enough out, Celi and I unhitch the wagon and ride the horses off. We let them search the wagon and find nothing, then we come back and pick it back up later after they've gone."

He pauses to see if Daxia or Celi have any comments.

Daxia
with the Gang at the Inn

Daxia listened to each person attentively as they spoke, simply nodding... until Mikal began answering Celi. Then she started shaking her head, but let him finish.

"No, no, no... Kadri say we play shell and pea game," she said when he finished speaking. "Merchants, thieves see what they expect see, yes?" She sighed, and tapped her chin a few times before holding up a finger. "Ok, like this... merchants, thieves hear Eli hire wagon, yes? No haggle, must be important. What so important in Cragside now?" She jabbed her finger down on the table, more or less in the spot where the warehouse of ore was located on Cesare's dried-up map. "Ore.

"So merchants, thieves see, hear about wagon go in warehouse, they not think already have crates filled by quartermaster, yes? They think wagon filling with ore... by Eli. When wagon come out, not see weight, not see anything but greed, ore getting away. Wagon go out gates, head west, they think... Eli taking ore! When they catch confused farmer, everybody confused. Where ore? Where Eli? Then finally they think... Eli trick us! Eli still have ore! Why they bother more with farmer? Have to hurry back, keep Eli from getting away with ore.

"Mikal, Celi think. That good. But make more complicated than need to be. Yes, is intend to be ruse... made by Eli. Not you. You not know anything, just wrong time in wrong place. All Jvrillian this paranoid about attack, or just Mikal? Ok either way, Daxia just curious," she said, smiling the same teasing smile she'd given him when she denied him the fight between her and Lia in front of the Hospice. "Sometimes, must trust gods, yes? You think what I say, I come back to this, ok?"

Turning to Cesare, she nodded. "Not know who 'they' are, but good idea Kadri maybe coming from Dama Samara. I like." Then she turned to Darian. "Maybe come down from roof of warehouse to look in window? See better, see more that way... see better where prey is, yes? And Comfrey stay with Kadri last night," she said as she glanced at Kadri. "Have room here, yes?" She pointed between Kadri and Darian several times, then said, "Talk, talk," before turning to face Lia.

"Ok, you not think you need so much protection... maybe different role, yes? Stay with Kadri, maybe new apprentice to Dama Samara." She tilted her head, considering the young Imperial. "Maybe new apprentice try to cheer Kadri up if she play depressed role, calm down if play angry role? You can do, yes?"

Daxia leaned back in her chair, fingers interlaced over her stomach, while waiting for additional feed back from the others... but kept her attention on Lia.

[OOC again: each person needs to explicitly state they are going along with the plan, or state explicitly what else they will be doing, otherwise our Diabolical GM will do something... well... probably bad. Something we won't like. He's like that, you know. Nice, but not-nice at the same time. ]

<Lia>

With a patient tone the young woman replied, "What role did you want of me? I'd already said I'd do what was needed."

She shrugged and continued in a flat tone, "Find someone else to rip out your hair if that's what you want, but trying to shield me on account of my sister's feeling strikes me as rather odd considering that there is someone at risk we're trying to help."


ooc At this point I have no idea what your character wants mine to do

Celi leaned close to Mikal and whispered.

[see PM]

Darian

"Is a space between city wall and warehouse back? If yes, go up from there."

Daxia
with the Gang at the Inn

"Good. Now need you be apprentice," Daxia said, her voice as flat as Lia's. "No split up if not in sight of group." She glanced, almost longingly, at her Temple-sister for a heartbeat or two, before turning her eyes back to Lia. "Not like idea you get hurt, captured, killed because you want be stubborn. You want that, do on own time, not mine," she said, so calmly, so softly, so dangerously. Then she turned to Darian. "Yah, Cesare say space. So, ok, you climb. Good."

Right after Daxia's address to her, Lia continued in the same flat, calm tone and shrugged eloquently and said, "Then until you change things again, that is what I will do. When you change them again, then I'll do the next part of the plan you dream up. If you think willingness to follow that is stubbornness, you may think what you pus-sucking wish to."

Celi

Celi had whispered words for Mikal, apparently seeking to allay his concerns.

[See PM]

Bekkah

"I seem to have fallen into this, so I will do as you suggest Dazi. I'll be outside, but close by, waiting for the rest of you to come out with the girl. If she is hurt badly, then I expect you to get me inside to her quickly. Do not make the girl come to me if she is hurt bad Dazi." she said watching her sister.

"Lia, I'd prefer not to be wandering the streets alone. A lone woman, can sometimes present too desirable a target, even if she is a Lady of Attera. Two of us together give us more reason to stop nearby and talk or argue or whatever you think works best to keep us close but not suspiciously so."

<Lia>

She smiled thinly at Bekkah and shrugged. "It appears it all depends on the role I'm asked to fulfill. I believe you'll need to take that up with others."

Kadri

"As you say - I will be where needed when I am needed. I have no objections."

She turns to Darian;

"I have no objections I do not truly know you, but have no reason to mistrust you. If you need to use a room, it may as well be mine. It is small, as am I - so you should fit.

Darian

"I thank ye. Where be it? We be gone only...quarter candlemark, maybe half."

She points out the room, leading her up when ready.

Darian

Darian with Longtooth at her heels follows Kadri to the room. They are gone between a quarter of a candlemark and a half. When they returned, she wore a complete set of leathers from neck to toe as well as a serious expression. A Hunt was serious business, especially one of this nature.

When it was time, Hunter and Hound would leave the inn with their new walking companion with a comment about desiring fresh meat.

Daxia
with the Gang at the Inn

After Lia's last comment to her, Daxia slowly began to grin as Bekkah spoke both to her, then to Lia. It wasn't a cheerful or pleasant grin; it was almost predatory. "Ok, Bekkah. Girl hurt bad, make sure you get to her. Promise," she said, without moving, without taking her eyes off Lia. "Hope only evil man hurt bad, so you stay outside with Lia when she come with Kadri, yes?" When Kadri, Darian and Longtooth left, she followed them with her eyes, her face returning to a neutral expression. When they were out of sight, she turned to Mikal.

"You finish thinking, Mikal?"

Cesare

He nods to Darian as she arrives back downstairs and stands ready to leave with her and Longtooth, their aim to get to the back of the warehouse, confirm the presence of those inside and to scout the best way in.

"Fates be with you."

With a grin and a wave, he heads for the door with Darian and Longtooth.

Mikal

He frowns and shakes his head. "It will not work, Daxia. The farmer part. Even could Celi and I pass as farmers, they have all seen us. They know who we are. They found us walking in the street for gosh sake. I cannot suddenly take off my armour and pretend to be a farmer, unless they know I am pretending. Not to mention that no turnip farmer can afford two horses to pull a wagon of turnips to town. He walks, and pulls a cart behind him."

"It is not so much feeling naked when armed men run up and I am unarmoured and unarmed, it is that as soon as they see me on the cart they will know who I am. They will not fall for the farmer ruse, so we must make them think that they've seen thru it."

"They may stop the wagon", and he turns to Celi at that point and says to her, "and the plan depends on them catching and inspecting the wagon, Celi."

Turning back to Daxia he continues, "The may stop the wagon, but they will never believe us to be farmers. The ruse will still work because they will think the Jvrillian working for Eli is trying to sneak the ore out of town. And Eli's not using the Dark Mark because he's trying to be tricky. When they catch up to the wagon they will know I am a Jvrillian. I'd prefer not to be known to be a Jvrillian, facing angry Mercenaries, and be unarmed at the same time. I only see bad things coming from that situation and I'd like to live long enough to collect on my Contract." He smiles slightly.

"So. If they know I am a Jvrillian, then my having my arms and armour would be expected. Hidden until outside the town, because I am trying to trick them, but handy because I do not have a death wish."

"It is also why I suggested leaving the wagon in the road once we are pursued and have gotten far enough, and riding off with Celi. Let them inspect the wagon and see no ore. They will know then they've been tricked. There is no need for Celi and I to be there when they do inspect it. It is an unnecessary risk, and Rule #1 in my profession is 'Do not take unnecessary risks'."