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Daxia
with the Bekkah, Dean, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Temple On The Border West Chapel

"Though I have read tales of the Second Age, it seems a strange existence to me. While farmers still tend their crops and herders still tend their animals, the keeps are no longer empty places. I find it hard to imagine such a simple existence. But I grew up in the Temple," she said. "Had our parents not died when I was so young, perhaps I would have a better understanding of such a life."

Daxia shook her head. "There is no record -- at least in the Dawnview Temple library -- of these places you mention. Perhaps in the Allaine library..." She shrugged. "I barely made a dent in those documents, so perhaps Darkdown and Jagged Pass and Jamble's Gate and the River of Pearls could be found again.

"Or the merchants who brave The Road East might know. If we are not required to make as hasty a retreat from Bordertown as we did from Cragside," she said with a wry grin, "I will try to make some inquiries. We, ah, annoyed both the Merchants Guild and the Thieves Guild by not allowing them to steal something that did not belong to them."

The redhead took a deep breath and sighed.

"Families."

She was quiet a moment, considering, before nodding slightly to herself.

"Perhaps Lord Random, he who knows Names, will have some record of Konstantines. He is most enthusiastic about families and lineage. He was quite annoyed with me, however, for not knowing anything of my family beyond my sister and parents." She grinned. "I think it is because I have the temerity to possess both red hair and blue eyes... as if I had a say in the matter!"

This time, Daxia was silent for considerably longer, though a pained looked finally settled on her features.

"I wish..." She lowered her eyes, hugging herself tightly. "Is there anything we can do to make you and Lady Linette more comfortable, Verchovai? Perhaps even a scrap of cloth between your skin and the bindings would help..."

When Daxia looked up at the elder Dayalan, her eyes were clear but reflected a profusion of pain.

Cesare

**So there is an instant mental link? Or Celi is derranged?**

Somehow he thinks that Daxia will favour the latter but after meeting Longtooth & Darian, he is inclined to give the benefit of the doubt.

"We will need to talk to the others before including your friend and I am happy to argue the case but first - is he likely to be useful? Is he significantly more at risk than us? Are we in any danger from him?"

He looks at her directly needing specific answers to those questions.

[No, no... Daxia doesn't think Celi is deranged... ]

[ooc: deranged? To quote the literati from the think tank at Hee-Haw, ...
"Merely foolish."]

Celi nodded. "I understand your caution; because you are asking me directly, I am praying that you do not intend to report me to the Imperials as soon as I answer your questions. So then ... I had planned on asking Derian. Also, I have no knowledge of the size or fierceness of these lizards, so anything I predict about Stormrunner's usefulness is a guess at best. Consider that he is a very large, very powerful softpad; would you think such a magnificent creature to be of use against the lizards?

She paused a moment to ask. Stormrunner; tell me, have you ever encountered giant lizards such as we think we are to face? [I believe she could send along a description of the one that had been pinned, and an estimate of the size of the bigger ones.]

"Stormrunner is ... not the most graceful of creatures. But he is among the strongest and most fierce, and he is very protective of me and those whom I tell him are my friends. So long as I speak for you -- and you do not make the mistake of attacking *me* -- you all would be in no danger from him. He is an intelligent being. He may tease you with little jokes about eating you, but that is his sense of humor leaking out. He is very funny."

Cesare

He laughs.

"Report you to the Imperials? Celi, I don't know why you would think I would do that but my kind avoid any contact with authority as much as possible. They tend not to like the Rhoni too much."

"As to Stormrunner, I would like to meet him, he sounds interesting. Let me bring it up with Daxia. I don't know if she'll listen but she seems to have an issue with you."

[The biggest one -- that the group faced last night -- is probably still over in the corner where it dropped after Daxia sliced open its belly. GAH. New clothes, new clothes!]

[ooc: Low-slung, mottled dark green in the light but appearing darker in the darkness, about pony-sized, six-legged, long claws and a snout full of hooked yellow teeth? Tailed? Nictitating membranes on the eyes? Like a fast six-legged gator, only stouter?]

[Photoshopping a picture of one. Ought to have it by bedtime. My bedtime. ]

[What about size? If they're really vicious but only a foot long, I'm reminded of the vicious rabbit in Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Now, where is the Holy Hand Grenade ...]

<Yoda> Read the description you did not. </Yoda>

Eastern Hunting Beasts are 3 to 3.5 feet tall at the shoulder and range in length from 8 to 12 feet. Note that this picture does NOT show the spines that run down its back from the top of the head -- just behind the horns -- to the end of the tail. They have a mouthful of sharp teeth, similar to a crocodile, but jagged/serrated, and quite a bit nastier. Their talons are long and sharp.

[ooc: My fault. My computer is in the barn for repair and I've been trying to do this on my iPhone, which is sadly no fun to scroll through large quantities of threads. So I've been just doing the sections I ca convince myself Celi would somehow see, and skipping the others. Plus, all my DLed consolidated notes are on my desktop's hard drive. So -- I am very sorry for what seems like a beating on my part. Given that description, I cannot imagine Celi being eager to put her Stormrunner up against such nasty creatures for a straightforward bout of tooth and claw. There would have to be more to it.]

CELI

"Thank you for that," Celi said. "Stormrunner would not harm any of our people, as long as she has been introduced to them, or I have. But I am worried that Stormrunner would try too much to take them on himself. He is ... sort of that way. And while I think he would eventually deal with one of them, he would keep fighting if a pack closed on him, rather than moving away. Even if I could get him to think of himself as bait, to lure them into a trap, he would be very stiff-necked about such things. And I cannot bring myself to urge him into such danger."

She grinned. "You would like him. He has this wonderfully dry sense of humor..."

She did her best to stay focused. Thinking about Stormrunner going up against a pack of these killer lizards made her tighten up, full of concern for him.

Darian

She followed the one trail she had been particularly watching for but only so far. One did not lightly enter Roth. She turned slowly, inspecting all about, committing to memory as much as she could, then re-entered the cavern to return to the companions that awaited her.

"Cesare, what say they?"

This she needed to know before she went on her next course of action.

Cesare

"Then let's leave him out of it this time."

He smiles, not wanting to be responsible for the loss of a valued companion, friend even, but just covering what angles he can to give them an edge.

He straightens as he sees Darian returning and steps back to give her room to climb back through. Though his first inclination is to embrace her, they are in 'professional mode' at the moment with important things to do and it doesn't seem appropriate just now. There is a warm smile on his face though.

"The plan is to engage them in the narrowest part in here which is the stairs. Be using ropes to make temporarily wall and grease on the stairs, we hope to channel them so restricting their opportunity to attack on mass and making their attacks less effective by the grease. Mikal and Kadri have gone to town to get these supplies. I asked them to get me some throwing daggers and you some more arrows if they can be found quickly. We need time to make preparations when the supplies get here."

He pauses for a moment.

"I've been discussing with Celi about the possibility of including Stormrunner in our defence but she is concerned that he will not be a match for the lizards and be killed. Might be an idea to make sure Longtooth is somewhere safe too."

Celi

"Stormrunner is a very tough, very large softpad," Celi explained. No one save Mikal had seen him, so it was up to Celi's audience to form the appropriate mental images.

"His technique of fighting wouldn't match up so well against what I think I know of the lizard's style. Stormrunner would fight until he was killed, or until he killed them all save the ones who ran away. I do not see his sacrifice gaining us anything. I could put him in with the injured and the imprisoned ones; they would be safe from him and possibly it might encourage them. I was actually hoping ... umm, that you being a skilled hunter and having seen the lizards move, might have a better way to make use of his talents."

Darian

She looks from Cesare to Celi and back again.

"Good Longtooth not hear Cesare. Might bite."

Then her attention returns to Celi as the girl speaks.
"Darian no see. Daxia, Kadri, Romana see. Say lizard fast. Darian think small lizard quick, hard catch. Big lizard quicker, hard get away. Many teeth, many claws, big tail. Softpad be meat."

"Mayhap be help. Need see more..."

A wave back towards the crevice.

"...out there."

"Cesare, tell Daxia, Darian find way out, look way well. Take Celi. Aye?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Afternoon
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Mikal and Kadri in the Bordertown Markets

"You're back.

"Good."

That cryptic remark was the welcome Mikal received as he and Kadri re-entered the town. After paying their toll to return, crowns for feet, because they were walking. One of the Jvrillian's watched the two as they continued their way in, one of the others making sure the town gates were tightly bound behind them.

It had been a long walk down after a harsh climb back up the well; up always being a little more strain as one has to lift one selfs to the surface. At the least, winding down the narrow, steep, broken trail while the Sun was still high in the sky was a bit easier than the first time they climbed up. Little more than a well used foot path, the only hint of it being a ravaged structure were the occasions when they had worn stone stairs to walk down.

The problem occurred once the two started walking around the market.

Indeed, what should have been the hardest items turned out to be the easiest.

"Crossbow bolts and a quarrel of arrows? Got some fine one's here. Came into day from Macabee's farm out by the foot of the plateau. See the red and white fletching, that's his mark and supposedly they fly straight and true. Landis, now he always gets his through Macabee; so you got to be quick-right. He usually wanders anytime after lunch, so get them now or they'll be gone ..."

"See their shine? That's polished steel from the foundries down in Talental; forged and tempered on this side of te mountains, and mere slips of metal at that. Twenty five crown for the five and we'll have a straight deal. Normally knives for throwin', they'd go for twice that, but I be seeing you dip in and out of te guild house, aye"

But what should have been common, that became a problem. The supplies requested by Darian and Cesare were both easy to acquire and well within their spending allowances. And it wasn't as if lard or rope were hard to find, but ...

"You want ... how ... much of it?"

"You ain't going to be finding that here! What, do I look like one of those big Marrennen trading guilds? I just got what you see in the little pots here and here and here.

"Got a pair o'coils about three fullhands each, but that's all I got. I mean, what would I even tie up with a hundred feet of rope? By Risha's children, if I had enough cows to be needin' that much rope I'd be sitting in one of those fancy town houses and not selling my tinker's good here on the street!"

Thus, eventually, the two found themselves in the shop of one Fengel Crown, Esquire, Outfitter.

"A hunnerd feet of rope? Oh ja, ja, ja I have that, out inna the back? One coil, or'n two, or'n three? Good stuff, woven by little children and then tugged tight by their fathers - you need little hands to do the best of strand twisting and strong ones then to make it tight. And for two crowns a foot it's the best bargain in the city ... but, but , but just for you, if'n your pretty wife would give an old man a smile, I might be able to drop the price to a crown and a half per!"

He was a short man, at least in height; all his length seemed to be dedicated to his width! He had a bright, friendly beaming grin as he showed off his various wares. Pots and pans, travel foods and huge bags of four, of grains and of dried beans. Heavy winter blankets, bolts of denim and linen, a barrel full of mysterious maps, cheeses and smoked meat hanging from the ceiling, hoes and rakes, closed and stoppered casks of beer and wine and open casks of nuts and corn and potatoes and peas and all sorts of things.

"His words were bright and friendly, too.

"Oh my! A whole barrel of lard? Well well well, let me think ... I think so! It's supposed to go to the Masters Hythainians for their manor kitchen, but if'n you'll give me two hundred fifty to top what they'd pay, they could ni blame me for selling it to such a nice couple."

He did however have to pause and rub his chin for the last request.

"A cart? A cart ... no no, that we don't sell. But I can put in a word for you with the Wheelsson family. With the good word I'm sure we can get you a great price. Maybe even as low as three or four thousand ..."

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Afternoon
Rameday, The Twenty-First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

In the Temple Ruins

"It's okay ... you get used to it."

Tashaka's words are quiet, grim, and its not like there is any place to put a cloth, as the spikes do bite into the flesh. Across, from the other wall, Linette just answered with the very slightest ducking of her head.

"I don't think ..."

Tashka's words were quiet, soft.

" .. that in all our nights I have never once heard Linette complain of anything."

The Covener offered a small smile.

The Dayalan simply shrugged her shoulders in response to Daxia.

"It's probably not to be surprised about. You have rattled off names and places and events that are equally unfamiliar to the two of us. Random, Attera, a new way of following Jvrill ... and for you they are obvious, every day. They are just oddly emphasized names to me ..."

"Red hair and blue eyes ... that is an odd combination to be sure. But I ask you, does it really matter? One cannot live in the past, bloodlines and genealogies are things folks locked up in keeps worry for, mostly, I think, because they don't have anything better to do.

"What you find out here, in the real world ...

" ... is that it really doesn't matter. True, your past shaped one's growth, but right here now it doesn't matter who you were - it's who you are. Right. Now.

"We are going to be visited by a clan of beasts. Who are hungry. And now want vengeance on top of that. Your parents, your kin aren't here. You are.

"When I needed them, bloodlines and family and rank ran out out me, Daxia Firetongue.

"A nobody stood by me.

"Between me and you, I was the lucky one."

KAdri: Murmurs to Mikal;

"Perhaps just the rope then?"

(What WOULD our cash reserves be, basically?)

Cesare

He grins at Darian.

"You know when I said I'd do as you asked.. I lied. Doesn't take two of us to be a messenger and Celi will be safe heading back to the others. I'm coming with you."

Although the words are said cheerfully, there is a determined tilt to his chin and a flat steady gaze that belies his cheerful expression.

Celi

Celi's soft response had a sense of urgency. "I will not disobey you, Derian. But ... if you're going out there, you should let me come. Stormrunner can scout for you, and he is already there. But you need me, to tell you what he hears, smells and sees." She tousled her hair, then made an effort to stand straighter. "I am better outside."

Meanwhile, she laid the groundwork for an effort to integrate Stormrunner into their reconnaissance. Stormrunner -- can you spot for Derian? Ghost walk ahead with her, keep her safe, get her back to her hound alive?

(OOC - I would presume the small cart, even a handcart, is out at that price. Can't imagine we have that much money. If we can afford the rope and the lard, though, we can just load them onto our horse and carry them out. They're not draft animals, but it is close by. No idea what our funds are. I do know we have extra money and jewels now, that we found in the woods, just don't know how much,)

Darian

She sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Darian not say alone. Darian say take Celi. Darian, Cali go out here, find well. Cesare go tell Dazi what Darian, Celi do."

Daxia
with the Bekkah, Dean, Romana, Tashka and Linette in the Temple On The Border West Chapel

The younger Dayalan impassively regarded her elder for many long heartbeats, before turning her eyes to the captive Covener.

"No, Verchovai, you are wrong... so wrong.

"The person who stood by you was not, and is not, a nobody," she said, with emotion in her voice belying the outer calm. She looked back at Tashka.

"You are right in saying that who I am in this moment is what really matters in this moment.

"But my kin are here, Verchovai," she said, nodding in Bekkah's direction.

"And we are all SOMEBODY... at least to ourselves, to those who know us, to those we have helped.

"Yes, to a Korie, I am a nobody.

"And yes, I would much rather have my ragtag, bickering gang of misfits with me tonight than a troop of Korie guards."

Daxia paused, lips pressed tightly together for a moment.

"You asked if it really matters, my bloodline and genealogy. Today, tonight, until we have broken this foul curse placed on you and Lady Linette... no." She shook her head. "It matters not in the least. But I possess the gift -- or curse, depending on who you ask -- of the Allaines, and can see that in the long term... over the course of seasons or even years... it will be important."

Again, Daxia turned her eyes to Linette. "Indeed, Verchovai, you are most fortunate to have Lady Linette of Corliss -- now elevated to a Noble Family, by the way -- at your side for these many long years." Then she took a few moments to regard each of the three remaining members of her gang -- Bekkah... Dean... Romana -- before looking down the corridor for a few heartbeats, ending with a decisive nod and turning back at Tashka with a half smile.

"How interesting it is to me that the only two Sisters I had never met in all my years in the Vale have bestowed upon me the same moniker." She grinned broadly and with humor. "Still... I have had worse."

Cesare

He is satisfied with the compromise. At least this way Darian has some backup.

"OK, that I accept. See I can be reasonable."

The grin is fully back now.

"So you are going to find the way to the well so we have an alternative to climbing up and down. Time could be growing short so you need to be sure you are back with the rest of us in time. Stay safe."

With those last words and a companionable squeeze of Darian'a arm, he turns to head back.

CELI

Watch for us, Stormrunner. We are coming out to you, the Hunter and I, through the shattered wall, then tracking to the well we entered originally. Others are bringing things from the town, to set a trap for the lizards.

Celi said nothing further, but moved nearer to Damian with a watchful eye. It felt good, whatever the reason, to be regarded well-enough to be used.