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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 1, 2010 21:07:52 GMT -5
Rick shrugged as he spooned the last of his eggs into his mouth. “Suit yourself” He said around the eggs. He knew from past experience that pushing street kids to do something tended to result in them doing the opposite. “You know where to find me if you change your mind or decide you need some work down the road.”
He knew the line about the sweets was not truthful. If they had been eating sweets they would have been so darn skinny, but he didn’t see any point in letting the kid know he knew he was lying. It would only alienate him.
"Don't worry about us, sir. We ain't some conspiratorial whack job duo that's gonna burn houses and kill babies. We're just skinny."
Rick smiled at him, “Well you certainly are that.” Rick turned his head again and barely got the rag over his mouth a he sneezed again. “You are welcome to drop by any time I am home.” Rick invited. “We don’t get too many visitors here. Just try to keep Shivers here from chasing the horses, they don’t have an appreciation for the canine species like we do.” Rick grinned. Now that he had food in his stomach, and the herbs were starting to work, he was feeling marginally better.
“Unfortunately I can’t visit for long and get to know you as I have some business in the city to take care of.” Rick thought that the lad might be itching to get out of here, now that the meal was over. “Seems like there’s some new thieves in town,” Rick said as he stood up reached for his bow hanging on the peg. “A Ranger’s work is never done, as they say.” He laughed and out of the corner of his eye he watched to see what the boy’s reaction would be to the fact he just dined with a ranger. “So if you will excuse us, I need to get some food in Tam and then we must be heading off to the city.”
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Post by JezusBagels on Oct 1, 2010 21:38:25 GMT -5
“So if you will excuse us, I need to get some food in Tam and then we must be heading off to the city.”
Rayne went wide-eyed as the realization hit him like a boar in the chest. This guy was a Ranger. He was a Ranger and he was investigating new thieves in the city. He couldn't mean-- Of course he did. That was just Rayne's luck. They'd gotten greedy without him even noticing. Maybe not very greedy, but they tipped the pot enough to get this Ranger's attention. He had to get to the market. He had to warn the others. He had to-
"Thanks for the meal!" he half yelled, he was so startled. "I have to go too. Goodbye," the words came out robotically as he struggled to keep what of his composure he had left. he let out a short, sharp whistle and darted out the door, Shivers close behind him. Rayne practically flew through the woods, he ran so fast. He had to gather the others and get them out of the city. They had to leave. Go back to the Farm, split up and sell the loot in different fiefs. Anywhere that isn't here... He didn't allow himself to stop or slow down, even for a moment until he found himself at the forest's edge. At this point, he decided it would be best to rest and catch his breath and just pray he still got to the other boys before the Rangers did. He located a cluster of bushes that seemed the right size and lay down on the ground, proceeding to roll straight into the bushes. To the untrained eye, he was completely invisible. To a Ranger... Perhaps invisible enough to earn me a little rest...
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 2, 2010 8:52:26 GMT -5
Rick didn’t miss the startled look on the lad’s face as he realized Rick was a ranger. He didn’t miss the desire of the boy to make a hasty retreat either, in fact it seemed as if the kid suddenly had some sort of mission to complete.
Cocking his head to one side, Rick watched the boy and dog run off from his front porch and wondered at their reaction. Was the kid up to something that he wasn’t supposed to be, or was it merely the old suspicion of rangers? Many people distrusted the rangers and found them mysterious. Rick knew the Corps liked to keep it that way and used that fear to their advantage, but sometimes he felt it interfered with their job as much as it benefited it. So, what was it in this case? The boy’s behavior was certainly suspicious.
Rick looked around for Tam. Maybe he should have Tam follow the kid and keep an eye on him. As long as Tam stayed out of sight, he should be ok. Besides it would be good practice for his apprentice both in tracking and moving silently.
“Tam?” Rick called from the porch. “Are you going to eat anything?”
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Post by Firehead on Oct 4, 2010 12:36:22 GMT -5
Once the barrel was filled, Tam remained out-of-doors, prefering to stay well away from the boy and that dog of his. Especially since Rick was in a rather grupy mood this morning. He stayed near the horses, getting used to straddling Horse's broad back. He and Horse were slowly coming to an understanding with one-another. A stray thought popped into Tam's head. Where was Kira? Usually, he'd see her around somewhere nearby. But apparently not today.
Tam decided to see if he couldn't find her and see what she was up to. he started out in a wide circle, hoping to be able to spot her tracks. They were one of the few that he was able to distinguish with ease. A flurry of noise on the trail behind him made him pause and look around cautiously. There was no need for that, though, the tall lanky boy flew right past without even noticing Tam skulking in the brush at the trails edge.
Tam wondered where the boy was off to so fast, and wondered not for the first time, whether the boy might be up to something. he started to follow, but paused, debating whether or not to keep going and possibly find out what the boy was up to, or turn back and see what Rick was doing.
Concern for Rick won out, and Tam retraced his steps up the path, stopping every once in a while to compare his tracks to the boys'. He felt a tinge of satisfaction about the fact that, of the tracks he did know, he could distinguish his own, Rick's, Kira's, and the two horses. He could even tell which belonged to which horse. but he still had a lot to learn.
“Tam?” Rick called from the porch. “Are you going to eat anything?”
Tam jerked his head up and blinked. Back at the clearing already. then he remembered Rick's question. "Uh.....Yeah....I guess." Tam stood to his full hight and trotted toward Rick. Entering he grabbed a hunk of bread, a slab of cheese, and a dried apple, and tucked them into his pouch, retaining the cheese. "So where's he goin' in such a hurry for?" Tam asked, returning to the pourch and guesturing in the direction from which he'd just arrived.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 8, 2010 12:41:11 GMT -5
Rick looked down the trail after the boy and wondered the same thing. “Dunno. Want to follow him and find out?” he asked Tam. “I need to go speak with that merchant, but there is something about that boy nagging at me and I can’t put my finger on it.” Rick said thoughtfully.
“He sure scuttled out of here in a hurry when he realized I was a ranger.” Then Rick glanced at Tam and noted how much smaller he was. “Make sure you got your knives with you if you go after him and be careful. I don’t want you getting into a scrape with him. Keep your distance and try to find out what he is up to without him knowing you are there.” Rick looked around the clearing and didn’t see Kira, his half wild pet lynx. He gave a low whistle that sounded a bit like a loon’s call. “I wonder where that cat has gone? She was here early this morning when I got in. You better take Kira with you. She can help if you get in trouble and you can send her back to me if you need help.”
In less than a minute Kira came streaking into the clearing from the woods behind the cabin and slid to a stop at Rick’s feet. She rubbed around his legs as he reached down and scratched behind her ears and down her back for a moment. Then she sidled up to Tam and demanded the same treatment from him. She looked expectantly at Rick then and he pointed to Tam, “Go with him Kira. Keep Safe!” He gave the hand gesture he’d been trying to train her with at the same time as the verbal command and then repeated it, “Keep Safe!” and pointed to Tam. Kira blinked once and then looked at Tam as if to say, ok. I am ready, where to kid?
Rick had been trying to do some more formal training with her after he had seen how Rip had trained his tiger while they were stranded on that island year before last. Kira was much better and followed many of the commands, but she was still a cat and sometimes she just ignored him or Tam when they gave the commands. She actually listened to Tam far better than she did to Rick and Rick found that highly amusing and was very proud of the way Tam interacted with the cat. Rick was fairly certain he knew all the commands Rick had been teaching Kira and wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Tam may be teaching her a few of his own tricks. He would definitely feel better about Tam following the boy on his own with Kira at his side. She would alert him to the boy’s presence at the very least, if he got too close to the tall street kid.
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Post by JezusBagels on Oct 23, 2010 20:20:55 GMT -5
Rayne shot up, remembering what was happening. He almost skewered his face on a long, sharp branch of the bush he was under, he sat up so fast. He stopped himself though and crawled out of the bramble. How long had he been asleep? An hour, maybe. Too long. That Ranger could have found and arrested his whole gang by now. He sprinted into the city and located Jacob at a vendor who was showing particular interest in a set of scales they'd lifted in Caraway.
"Jacob!" he shouted from across the crowd. The boy saw him and they met in the middle where it would be hardest for a pursuer to see them. "We're going back to the farm. Get the others. Meet back at the cave."
"Why, Scarecrow? It's just one more job, right? Can't we stay one more night? Please!"
"No. It's over. We've overstayed out generous welcome here and it's time to go."
"But-"
"NOW, Jacob!"
And they split up to find the others without another word.
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Post by Firehead on Nov 12, 2010 12:24:30 GMT -5
“Dunno. Want to follow him and find out?” he asked Tam. “I need to go speak with that merchant, but there is something about that boy nagging at me and I can’t put my finger on it.” Rick said thoughtfully.
Tam gave a shrug, and then nodded. "Sure, 'sides, its prob'ly better if'n ya's go alone." he thought about adding the fact that if he even said one word the merchant would recognize Tam's street accent and probably clam up faster than lightning, but didn't.
“He sure scuttled out of here in a hurry when he realized I was a ranger.” Then Rick glanced at Tam and noted how much smaller he was. “Make sure you got your knives with you if you go after him and be careful. I don’t want you getting into a scrape with him. Keep your distance and try to find out what he is up to without him knowing you are there.”
"'Kay. I'll be careful, Rick. Don' worry 'bout me." Tam touched his belt to ensure that he had buckled on his knives, as Rick whistled for Kira. Tam may not have liked dogs, but he did like cats, esspecially Kira. For one thing, Kira was no ordinary cat--she was a lynx, and much bigger than any normal house cat. Secondly, she was a great partner to have in a fight--she seemed to think of Tam as her best friend and Tam could rely on her to guard his back.
"You better take Kira with you. She can help if you get in trouble and you can send her back to me if you need help.”
Tam nodded and bent down to scratch her ears when she arrived. Rick gave her the command to stick with Tam, and then Tam lead off toward the edge of the clearing. "I'll send Kira wi' a message, if'n I git inta trouble." he called back to Rick.
The first half of the trail was easy, since all Tam and Kira had to do was backtrack to where Tam had left off following the boy and his dog. After that, Tam tracked the boy out of the woods until they hit the main path, where the boy's track's blended with others'. Then they headed into the city--there really wasn't anywhere else the boy could have gone. As they entered, Tam thought he saw the kid ahead of them dashing through the streets, and he fell into the old mode of street survival he'd known so well, picking up his pace and following the lad, while making sure that he remained unnoticed by his target.
The boy led them toward the main market square, and Tam followed remaining at a distance and trying not to look to conspicuous either. It helped that he didn't have his cloak on, he thought. When the boy plunged into the midst of the think crowd, Tam realized that he'd have to get closer to his target, or risk losing him altogether. So decided, he pushed deeper into the crowd and drew closer to his target. He overheard the boy telling someone else to fetch the others before he saw them and stopped short where he was, ducking lower to see around peoples' legs.
He heard the other person, probably a boy from the pitch of his voice, call the boy "Scarecrow" and protesting about leaving, only to be interrupted by the other boy snapping at him. Then, just as Tam spotted them through the crowd, they split up, each going in a different direction, and Tam jumped to his feet and hurried after "Scarecrow", following him closely and hoping he would remain undetected.
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Post by JezusBagels on Nov 15, 2010 21:38:29 GMT -5
Rayne found Garrett next, pawning off some silver pieces from Drayden for far more than they were actually worth. Their eyes met from across a small square and Garrett, unlike Jacob knew immediately that something was wrong. The boy closed the deal, threw the coins in his bag and they weaved their way through the throngs together as Rayne brought him up to speed.
"But Scarecrow," Garrett protested afterwards, "Just because he knows there are thieves around doesn't mean he suspects you. We're 'just kids,' right? We've gone over a year without getting pegged for anything! How could this Ranger fellow figure it out so easily?"
"I dunno, Garrett. But it's getting too dangerous for us to operate around here. We should just go home for awhile. We've got enough to take care of everyone for good while," Rayne responded.
"One thing to take care of first, Scarecrow," a new voice said quietly from Rayne's other side. He looked through his peripheral vision and Jacob was there with Caleb, Jonathon and Adam close behind. "Some kid's been following you for a bit. We noticed him as we were coming up behind. What should we do?"
Rayne thought for a moment. It was a kid. Not the ranger. Probably the Ranger's apprentice... What was his name? Tam? he whispered back to the boys, "Go ahead of Garrett and me. Find a back alley. Caleb, stand at the entrance so we know where we're going. Stay inconspicuous. Jacob, Adam, Jonathon--go into the alley and hide. We're gonna trap him and take him down. If you can find some rope between here and there, it would help. We'll lead him to you. Go."
The four boys scattered through the crowd ahead and it wasn't long before Rayne spotted the back of Caleb's head as he leaned against the corner of a shop with a little space in between it and the lodgings beside it--a large length of rope over his shoulder as Rayne had requested.
Rayne and Garrett entered the alley, making a show of checking for followers and seeming to deem it safe to enter, but not before Rayne got a lock on Tam out of the corner of his eye.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 18, 2010 16:15:30 GMT -5
Kira slunk along the city streets, keeping away from the people as she followed Tam at a distance. A whif of something recently deceased wafted out of an ally trash can and Kira cautiously approached to check it out.
She tipped the can over and scratched through the food debris left by the cook of the Inn that made up one side of the alley. Some raw meat had been tossed and Kira sniffed at it, deciding that she wasn't really hungry enough to eat it.
She turned and padded back up the alley, picked up Tam's scent and continued to slink along a good distance behind him, poking into dark corners and darting under wagons along the edge of the road. She didn't like the cities, too many people, so she tried to stay out of sight, barely keeping Tam within range.
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Post by Firehead on Dec 21, 2010 12:02:03 GMT -5
Tamlin followed after Scarecrow, lagging behind as far as he could without losing sight of him. He saw him meet up with at least one other boy; any other meetings were obscured by the surging crowds. At last, Tam saw Scarecrow and another boy entering a side alley, and he moved quicker, closing the gap a little.
At the corner of the alley, he paused. A nigling feeling told him to climb the wall so that he could get an eagle-eye of the ally and see where the boys were heading. He started to ignore it, but halted again. hsould he really ignore that feeling? He'd hardly ever done so before. Another part of his mind told him to hurry up and decide; the longer he took deciding, the further away the boys would get. Deciding to trust his instincts, he scrambled up the wall to the roof.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 25, 2011 15:39:47 GMT -5
Rick sneezed again shortly after Tam disappeared out of sight with Kira on his heels. His head was pounding and he couldn’t think straight. Tam had left the bucket full of water next to the barrel and Rick dipped the ladle on the peg into the bucket, scooping up a full dipper of water and leaning forward, poured it over the back of his head so it ran down over his face and dripped off his nose and chin. He dropped the ladle in the bucket and then rubbed his face with the cold water, trying to clear his head. He kept a hand towel hanging on the peg next to the ladle for the purpose of washing one’s hands when needed before entering the house and used the towel now to dry off his face, hair and neck.
The dousing was only marginally successful, just as the coffee and the tea had been and now he was shivering more violently than ever. He shrugged the hood of his winter ranger cloak up over his head and hung the dipper back on the peg next to the now wet towel. Then he picked up his bow and looked longingly at Mingo. He didn’t feel like walking, but if he took Mingo, Horse would be here alone and besides, negotiating the rather large ranger horse through the crowded streets often too longer than slipping through on foot. If he could deal with this Padderton fellow quickly, he might be able to get a few more hours sleep before going out again tonight.
Patting Domingo on the nose he told the horse to guard the house and then set off on foot, swaying a little now and again from the fatigue and once nearly knocking himself over as he sneezed and then coughs wracked his body. He tried to quickly stride through the trees and into the city, keeping an eye out, even in his befuddled state, for any sign of an ambush. His bow was strung and slung over his shoulder and the piece ties were off his throwing knife at his belt just in case he ran into trouble. One never knew when some disgruntled criminal would decide to take a pot shot at an unwary ranger, so Rick made a point to always be on his guard, even when it appeared he wasn’t.
He headed for the Arrindale district where he had spent the night on the cold, rainy rooftop and inquired from a pastry shop owner as to the home of one Homer Padderton. “Ahh. Sir, ye must be meaning Paddington, o’course.” The rather plump yet pretty middle aged woman nodded and pointed up the street. “’Ee an ‘is wife come in hereh all the time for af’ernoon tea, they does.” She smiled at Rick who was trying hard not to break out in sneezes in front of her. “Ye go up there two blocks an they be livin’ on the right side there where the big black iron gate is. Don’ know why they got that fence, they don’ ever lock that gate.” She shook her head at the strangeness of rich people and then eyed Rick as he shivered and pulled his cloak closer around him. The air wasn’t all that cool and she noticed his rather flushed look. “Ye need ta be in bed, Master, if’n ye don’ mind me tellin’ ya.” She said with concern.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Lady.” Rick wiped at his nose again with the dirty rag and quickly hid it back in the folds of his cloak. “Thank you for the information.” He turned to step back out of the shop.
“Wait a moment, Sir.” She said firmly and dashed into her kitchen. Before Rick could protest she was back and shoving a small clay pot into his hands. “This will make ye right as rain in no time.” She smiled at him and winked. “Then ye can come back and give ole Mel here a proper visit sometime when ye are feelin’ better.”
Rick pulled the lid off the pot and sniffed. The smell of chicken and herbs wafted out and he nearly spilled the contents as he tried to put the lid back on and hand it back to her. She refused, covering his hands with hers as he held the small pot. “Tis naught but a wee bit o’ chicken soup with some of me mother’s special herbs in it. Ole family recipe. You take it and don’t be saying ‘nuther word ‘bout payin fer it.” She opened the door and ushered him back onto the street. “All I ask is ye come visit me a gain sometime.” She looked at him hopefully.
Rick understood that she was probably a lonely widow and was looking for some companionship which he was loath to provide, his time being so tight as it was. However the soup did smell delicious and he was quite interested in what herbs were in it, being a rather accomplished herbalist himself. He nodded and thanked her and tucked the pot into the bottom of his satchel, hoping it wouldn’t get tipped over or smashed and then proceeded to the indicated residence.
A big black iron worked gate barred entrance to the front door of the rather elaborate house standing just a short distance from the building he had resided on during the night. Rick stared up at the roof of that building and realized that he had not had a view of the street level of this building from his perch last night. He scowled at the thought of thieves having struck right under his nose without him noticing it. How was he going to explain that to Crowley? How could he even explain it to himself?
He pushed on the gate and it didn’t move an inch. Rick looked down and noticed the lock was in place. “Never locked, eh? Maybe if they’d had it locked last night like this I would still be in bed this morning sleeping off this dreadful cold. A cough racked his body as he debated on how to get the inhabitants attention.
“Can I help you, Sir?” said a very deep voice emanating from somewhere a good deal above Rick’s head. Rick looked up, through the gate and saw a massive chest at his eye level and had to look up higher to see the face that it belonged to. He cleared his throat with some effort and finally croaked out, “I need to speak with a Homer Padderton – uhh, Paddington immediately. I am Ranger Greenriver sent by Commandant Crowley to investigate the incident that occurred last evening.” Rick pulled himself up to his full and not inconsiderable height of six feet, two inches, trying to combat the feeling that he was a child standing next to this giant hulk before him. He made a note that the man carried a Billy-club strapped to his belt and wore gloves that sported tiny plates of steel over each knuckle like makeshift gauntlets. Apparently Padderton had bought some security today. ‘…Again, a little late and a silver short,’ Rick thought.
The brute eyed Rick, starting to wave him off but something in Rick’s look arrested the movement. “Stay here and I will see if he is accepting visitors.” The man moved surprisingly fast and amazingly without a sound as he glided up the walk and through the front door before Rick could make a scathing comment about the man accepting visitors or not. “Probably just as well…” Rick muttered under his breath as another coughing fit seized him, doubling him over. When he straightened the guard was unlocking the gate and looking at him quizzically. “Master Paddington will see you now.” He gestured toward the front door where another servant was waiting as he emphasized the correct pronunciation of Paddington’s name. “Perhaps it would be best to return when you are feeling a bit better, Sir.” The guard suggested as he locked the gate behind Rick.
“Oh if only I could.” Rick muttered under his breath and heard the man chuckle, marveling that the guy had heard his comment. Paddington must have paid a great deal for the guard because Rick could see the big man was awfully good.
He was shown into a very large and plush sitting room where the man and woman he had seen leaving this street the night before were sitting and waiting for him. Paddington did not look at all happy and before Rick could introduce himself, the merchant launched into a tirade about crime in the city and if Crowley couldn’t find a ranger for this city to do his job maybe it was time Crowley was replaced.
Rick let the man rage and perched on the arm of a settee as he examined the room, the couple and the servants that had gathered just out of the room to listen. Rick sneezed again and then coughed as Paddington finally blew to a stop, realizing his tantrum was not having the desired effect on Rick, who seemed to be largely ignoring him. “I say, Man, aren’t you going to do anything but sit there and sneeze all over my wife?”
“Homer,” the young and quite pretty woman laid an arresting hand on her husband’s arm, “can you not see the ranger is sick? Please don’t be so insensitive.” Homer scowled at his wife. “You should go do some stitching or something.” He said irritably, raising her up and nearly shoving her out the side door just after the servants who had been eavesdropping scrambled back away from it. “I don’t like the way he is looking at you.”
Rick smiled at that, the girl certainly was pretty, but for once Rick actually had not been thinking of that as he studied the woman. He had been trying to figure out why she seemed so calm in light of her house being broken into. Bunt’s words from many years ago when he was just an apprentice came floating back to him, ‘the truth is in the details, my boy,’ and Rick had never forgotten that lesson. Her lack of emotion suggested that she was used to being robbed, had expected to be robbed or didn’t care that she had been robbed. Perhaps it was just an indication of how good her training as a lady was so that she was able to hide her emotions and put on a brave face to all outward appearances. Rick admitted that was possible, but he thought it unlikely.
Paddington was standing with his arms outspread to Rick and a question on his face and Rick realized the man had asked him a question and he was supposed to answer it. He couldn’t recall what the question had been and was actually grateful for the coughing that wracked his body as he held his cloak over his nose and mouth. Deciding to ignore the question, whatever it had been, Rick cleared his throat again as he figured out what to say.
“Mr. Padderton, I am truly sorry you were robbed last night. I am here to find out what was stolen so that we might recover your items for you and catch the perpetrators.” Rick pulled his notebook and quill and ink out of his satchel, carefully so as not to upset the pot of soup. “Now if you could just have a seat here and tell me everything you know, starting from your leaving the house last night, then we might get to the bottom of this quicker.”
Paddington sputtered for a moment, looking as if he was going to protest and then abruptly closed his mouth and sat down across from Rick who was now leaning over a small side table at the end of the couch ready to start recording.
Paddington glared at him for a moment. “The name is Paddington, you blundering fool,” he said scathingly and then launched into a lengthy and detailed account of his previous evening. Rick sighed, stifling his sneezes as he recorded each word and finally listed all of the items that Paddington knew had been stolen. Mrs. Paddington slipped back into the room, bearing tea which Rick accepted gratefully with a smile.
Finally Paddington came down to the last item and Rick made a mental note of the hesitation in his voice as Paddington said, “The last thing they took was a…family heirloom… worth a great deal of money but was very special to me, and that is all. You got all that?”
Rick nodded. “Just need a description of this heirloom.” He coughed, his quill poised over the parchment. “What is it and what does it look like?”
Paddington squirmed and his wife looked at him curiously. Rick noticed she seemed surprised at word of this ‘heirloom’ and made a mental note of her reaction. “It was a…” Paddington looked around the room as if trying to pick out an object. “What do you need a description of it for?” He snapped.
“How are we going to find it and return it to you if we don’t know what it is?” Rick asked him tiredly, rubbing his eyes that felt like they were full of sticky cobwebs.
“Oh.” Paddington sat back, deflated. He’d almost acted as if he was suspicious of Rick. “I suppose you can’t.” He took a deep breath and said, “It was a…” again he was fishing for a word, the lie couldn’t be more evident. “…walking stick, carved with jewels on the handle – real ones, not those cheap imitations those Toscano merchants keep trying to pass off to me. Real precious gems, worth a fortune it is. The cane used to be my grandfather’s and has been handed down in my family for many generations. It is worth more to me than its monetary value, I can assure you.”
‘Interesting,’ Rick thought, ‘I bet it does, but not for any family value, I would bet.’ Agreeing with Crowley, Rick knew the man was hiding something, but without flat out calling him a liar to his face, Rick couldn’t find out from Paddington directly what the stolen item really was. This was going to require some more investigating, thought Rick as he packed up his belongings and downed the last of the tea in his cup.
“Well I will do my best to recover your belongings, Mr. Paddington.” He had almost said Padderton again. “Thank you for your hospitality and the tea, Ma’am.” Rick dipped his head toward her and pulled his cloak hood back up over his head as he stepped back out the front door. “I advise you to stick around town for a few days, I may have some more questions and if I get any news I want to be able to let you know.” Rick had no intention of sharing any information with the man, but he would report in that he was working on the problem just to keep the man off of Crowley and the Princess’s backs.
He made his weary way back to the cabin and noted that Tam had not returned yet. Stoking the fire he lay out the herbs for another brew of tea, this time adding a good pinch of crushed fennel seeds to the mixture and drank down two mugs full of the hot tea then stumbled into his bed. He had to sleep or he was going to pass out he thought as he curled up in his blankets, still fully dressed and wearing his cloak with the hood still up over his head. His bow lay on the mattress next to him. He was drifting off to sleep when he remembered the pot of chicken soup in the clay pot in the bottom of his satchel which was now sitting in the middle of the dining table. ‘Oh well, I will eat it when I get up in a couple of hours.’ Rick thought, his lids already closed. ‘I just need a quick nap then I will be fine.’ He drifted off into a very fitful sleep.
Two hours later he was still asleep, but tossing and turning as a fever raged within him and nightmares plagued his dreams. He cried out several times and threw the covers from him only to huddle shivering a few minutes later with nothing but his cloak to cover him, his clothes all damp from sweating. In those two hours he went from a mild head cold to being seriously ill and completely incoherent. He didn’t wake up as he had planned.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jan 26, 2011 19:09:03 GMT -5
Rayne gestured for the four boys in the alley to find hiding places and, quickly checking to make sure none of them were visible from the entrance, found his own place behind a barrel. He waited a few seconds for the signal to attack from Caleb, but it never came. Had Tam given up or lost sight of them? No... He'd have to be a pretty terrible apprentice to lose our trail that easily. Aren't Rangers supposed to be good at this stuff? Yes. They were. Good enough to catch wind of what Rayne had planned, perhaps. He was about to voice his worry to his companions when he finally heard Caleb's voice.
"Scarecrow!" he half-whispered, jogging into the alleyway. "He stopped following us. In fact, he's not even on the ground anymore. He climbed straight up a wall and onto a roof a couple buildings away."
"He's on the rooftops?!" Rayne exclaimed, suddenly filled to the brim with anxiety. "Forget the plan, guys. We're getting out of here. Follow me, stay close and keep an eye out for this kid. Don't let him get the jump on us!" In seconds, the six were out the other end of the alley and dashing down a street running parallel to the one they'd just left.
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Post by Firehead on Feb 8, 2011 10:27:26 GMT -5
Tam reached the rooftop and ran to the edge overlooking the alley, just in time to see the boys disappear around the corner. He sprang into action, backing up a bit for a running headstart, and leaping from that rooftop to the next one. He landed with ease, narrow alley jumps like that one were the easiest, and sprinted to the next rooftop. There they were, just turning the corner again.
Tam tracked them from above on the rooftops as they ran, keeping up with them easily because of his eagle-eye veiw vantage. The only advantage they held over him was, they knew where they were going.
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Post by Brandwyn on Feb 8, 2011 12:37:43 GMT -5
Kyra followed Tam's scent into the mouth of an alley and then lost it. She sniffed the ground and the air as she back tracked. There! The scent was up there. She stood on her hind legs and sniffed up the side of a building as high as she could. She meowed once, not very loudly and then dropped back to all fours as she sniffed around the ground. He had definately not gone any further on the ground. She sat down on her haunches and licked something sticky off her paw as she considered what she should do.
Suddenly a rock came flying out of nowhere, narrowly missing her head. "Git outta here ya old Tom!" Some foul smelling human screamed at her. Kira hissed at him, warning him to leave her alone. Obviously it was a stupid human, Kira figured, as another rock came sailing toward her which she easily dodged. She took a menancing step toward the man and growled at him from deep down in her throat. Hasitly the man jumped back inside and slammed the back door of his shop.
Satisfied that the human had learned his lesson, Kira sniffed back around the area where Tam had disappeared and caught the other scent that obviously Tam had been following since home. With a renewed purpose, Kira set off after this scent. perhaps Tam would catch up with her after he got back from whatever adventure he was on. Surely he would return and continue tracking this other scent, she reasoned. She set off down the alley sniffing the air occasionally and keeping to the shadows as she slinked along hot on the other trail. One ear was listening ahead and the other ear was turned behind her so she would not be caught unawares. She proceeded slowly, from one patch of cover to the next and was careful to avoid any humans as much as possible.
The trail converged with a bunch of other scents and it took a few minutes for Kira to sort the smells out. Once she did, however, it seemed they were all moving in much the same direction and she was able to pick out the original scent once more. She followed it cautiously.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jul 3, 2012 16:24:47 GMT -5
As the city gates came into view, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from Rayne's shoulders. They'd made it the whole way there without any sight of their pursuer and things were looking up. He glances over his shoulder to make sure all was well and, sure enough, the six boys were still in tow behind him, eyes darting back and forth between each other and the crowds surrounding them. The value of a healthy dose of paranoia was an early lesson for most residents of the Farm to learn. 'Always keep your eyes open and trust your gut,' the older members would repeat like a mantra any time they left the safety of their woodland homes. 'Danger is always right around the corner for orphans like us.' This truism hadn't failed them yet, and it seemed like today wasn't the day it would start. Large groups of children were always seen as somewhat suspicious, traveling through the city streets unescorted as they always were. Rayne found this opinion of kids to be somewhat offensive, but also saw the reason in assuming he and his friends were up to no good, seeing as they often were.
Passing under the threshold of the gateway that stood between them and the open fields and woods of the fief, Rayne spun on his heels and made one more visual sweep of the street and roofs behind them. The other boys followed suit and when he was satisfied that they'd lost the young Ranger somewhere in the hustle and bustle of Araluen's citizens, he ordered his team to huddle up to the side of the road to debrief.
"Alright," Rayne started, looking each of the boys in the circle directly in the eyes as he spoke. "I think we lost... whoever that was. But it was a close call. Too close. Better not to assume we're in the clear until we're back home." He looked up to examine the sun. "We've got some time until sundown, so here's what we're gonna do. From here we split up, go seven different directions and run around the woods for a few hours. When it starts to get dark, we'll meet back at the cave and head home in the morning. Don't get lost in there or we leave you behind. Got it?" Some mumbles and nods of agreement and they were off, each holding some of the coin they'd earned from their exploits and moving as far away from each other as possible.
Rayne had elected himself to take the most direct path back to their temporary home so he could begin to pack their things and keep watch against the Ranger that may or may not still have been following them. He grimly admitted to himself that if the Rangers were as good at their jobs as the tales suggested, this wasn't over just yet.
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