dian
Apprentice Scribe
this status thing reminds me of Facebook
Posts: 100
|
Post by dian on Aug 7, 2011 12:04:56 GMT -5
Dian listened intently to every word the commandant said. She was ready to pull her hood over her face in case he mentioned her, or worse, pointed towards her. Fortunately he didn't and Dian breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of the attention being on her, it was pointed towards Tory. She was to teach a class on mounted archery, Dian would have said a congratulation of sorts and then asked Bunt is she could join, but by Tory's reaction she decided to wait until later to deal with everything. She wanted to comfort Tory somehow, say that she would be a great teacher or something, but Bunt wanted them to go, and so she followed. When she turned around, she caught a glimpse of some late-comers that hadn't been there the last time she looked back. She saw two ranger, one who looked beat up badly, and an apprentice (probably since he didn't look to much older then herself). She wondered who they could be, but followed Bunt and Ivy anyways to wherever they where going. Not to much afterwards Tory caught up with them
---------- ----------
Joshua was among the late comers, but he didn't enter from the same direction. He managed to hear Crowley's announcements, and smiled when he heard his former apprentice's new assignment, Seacliff wasn't far off from his fief at all, the bordered each other. That meant he could bother his old apprentice whenever he had nothing to do. He smiled and went to go greet Nikki.
|
|
|
Post by Firehead on Aug 8, 2011 8:13:07 GMT -5
The piebald mare stopped next to Devil, head drooping, and laid back one ear at him. Devil tipped one ear in her direction, and Qwade could see the glint in his eye, as he considered the pros and cons of attempting a bite. Qwade leaned forward in his saddle and nudged Devil on the other side of his nose, distracting him.
“Qwade, do you see Rick anywhere?” She backed Shasta up so she could see on the other side of Qwade and noticed him speaking with an apprentice girl. She rolled her eyes. ‘Always the Casanova,’ Heather muttered and then to Qwade, “never mind, I see him.”
"Afternoon to you too, Heather." he muttered after her back. Shifting his attention to Al, he straightened and tugged on the reins, turning Devil back in the direction they had come from earlier. "Let's go set up."
Before they made another move however, Crowley called out Qwade's name. When Qwade turned in his saddle to look at him, Crowley pointed to Al and rasied his eyebrows. Qwade sighed inwardly. "Al Stormrunner.New apprentice....Mine." he added, clearly stating that it wasn't up for debate. He led the way to a likely spot and dismounted. ------------------
Red came loping over to their camp as they finished pounding the last stake in. "Hi Shane!" he greeted cheerfully. "How's it been going?"
"Quiet. Till now."
Red grinned, unrepentent, and turned to Al. "So, if I heard right, you're Shane's new apprentice? I have one question for you: Are you, or have you ever been, insane?"
Qwade took a quick swipe at Red, who danced lightly out of reach, laughing. "Hey, isn't that why you let me stick around? Because I was insane?"
Qwade gave in, knowing that he could do nothing to drive off the young Ranger, who wiggled his way into everyone's good graces, one way or another. Pointing at Red, he told Al, "That is the most insane Ranger in the Corps. His name is Red."
"Red Cracker." Red stressed. And no, my name is not Red because of my hair."
"No?" Qwade asked, skeptically.
"No."
Qwade dropped the subject. Red's past was Red's business, and not any of his. He wouldn't jepordize one of his few friendships by pressing the issue. "So what's going on otherwise, today?"
Red grinned widely. "Well, Crowley and Bunt have a bet going about which one of them is getting old and loosing their edge. They each have two teams--one's apprentices, the other one is for us silver leaves. So far--."
"I'm on Bunt's team."
Red grinned. "Thought so. So far, Bunt has you, Ben, Rick, Tam, Tory and Dian, plus that Dustin kid. Crowley has me--don't worry, I won't get in your way at all!--Pippen, Mylia, Pepper and Ringulf...I think. That's all I know about so far. Bunt trailed off thataway. I'm going to go tell Crowley he's in trouble, now. Oh!" He turned back to the two of them sharply and pointed at Al. "Are you interested in playing?"
|
|
erevan
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 57
|
Post by erevan on Aug 8, 2011 12:01:20 GMT -5
"Oh!" He turned back to the two of them sharply and pointed at Al. "Are you interested in playing?"
Al looked back up to see Red pointing at him as he asked the question. He wanted to join in the fun, especially since now he had people he could actually connect with and relate to. Something was stopping him though - uncertainty. He knew he was a decent shot for a civilian, and Qwade had seemed impressed with his initial skill is unseen movement, but Al knew he was nowhere near Ranger standards yet in any of his skills, and he worried he would just be a burden to his team.
'I certainly want to avoid letting them down, or looking bad right off the bat,' he thought, 'but at the same time, maybe I can pick up some tricks from the others, even just by watching. I remember hearing once that you can learn a lot just by observing, but you learn even more by having to apply skills in realistic situations.' Finally, he reached his decision.
"You know, Red," he said, "I was going to decline at first. Being new here, I wanted to avoid holding my team back. But when I think about it, what better opportunity is there to see where my real strengths and weaknesses lie? Besides, I have heard it said that while observation is important, we learn the most by testing our skills in realistic situations. Being new might actually be an advantage. Other than Qwade, noone here really knows my abilities, so they will have no idea what to expect from me. I might be able to catch someone by surprise, even if only a little." Al smiled, a genuine smile as opposed to the mask he had worn for so long.
"Count me in. I'm Al Stormrunner by the way. Can I be on Bunt's team?"
|
|
erevan
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 57
|
Post by erevan on Aug 8, 2011 14:05:24 GMT -5
Jack rode in as one of the latecomers, just in time to see Crowley finish up his announcements and the crowd start breaking up, so he instantly zeroed in his old mentor, Gilan, who was talking with Will Treaty and Halt. Deciding to take the time for a reunion before setting up his gear, he started to wander over, but then another voice caught his attention.
"Well, Crowley and Bunt have a bet going about which one of them is getting old and loosing their edge. They each have two teams--one's apprentices, the other one is for us silver leaves. So far--."
Jack laughed as he heard the conversation, and when he saw Red start to head off, he quickly approached.
"So Red," he said with a grin, "what's this I hear about Bunt making a bet that Old Man Crowley is losing his edge?" He never called the commandant "Old Man" to his face, but jokingly used it whenever he thought Crowley was out of earshot. His grin only widened as he heard the explanation, especially when he found out that Gilan and Crowley, two of his favorite targets for pranks, were on the same team.
"Gilan and Crowley on the same team, eh laddie? Well, this looks like too good an opportunity to pass up. I'm in. On Bunt's team of course." Jack laughed as he walked off to see his other friends. He had met Will and Halt a few times while apprenticed to Gilan, and got on well with all three. They had been some of his first friends among the Rangers. He contemplated trying to pull a joke on the group as he approached, but decided there would be plenty of time to harass his old friends once the contest began.
After catching up for a while, he decided it would be best to get his tent and gear set up before things got too crazy, so he found an open site and started getting everything taken care of.
"I suppose I should start thinking about an apprentice, especially if I end up with a permanent post," he said to noone in particular as he worked. "After all, I've had my Silver Oakleaf for three years now, and it's part of my job to ensure the next generation is taught."
After getting his gear taken care of and Shadow settled, Jack set off to find Crowley. He had a report to make. While looking for the elusive commandant, he ran into Al.
"You're Qwade's new apprentice, right laddie?" he inquired with a smile. "The name's Jack, Jack McAllister. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Al Stormrunner," replied the apprentice, "and yes, Qwade is my mentor. Do you know him?"
"Not as well as I'd like, but I'll tell you this. Something happened in that man's past - I can't say I know what - and some of the Rangers aren't his biggest fans. Don't let them sway you. Qwade is a great man and Ranger, and if you're his apprentice, I know you'll turn out well."
"Thanks Jack. I'll remember that."
"Well, much as I'd love to stay and chat, I need to find Crowley and give him a report. I'll see you around though Al!"
Shortly thereafter, he and Crowley were apart from the group.
"I wish I could say this was just to catch up," Jack began, "but no such luck. Just before I left for the Gathering, I was in northern Norgate investigating the border as you requested. The night before I left, I saw what appeared to be a scouting party, maybe 10 people, seemingly looking for a way around Mackindaw. I have already informed the lord of Mackindaw as well as Norgate's baron, which is actually the reason for my slightly delayed arrival."
|
|
erevan
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 57
|
Post by erevan on Aug 8, 2011 22:13:21 GMT -5
Al walked through the grounds toward the shooting range. At the moment, he had some down time, a drill from Qwade, and a determination to get as good as possible before the Rangers vs apprentices contest. He had no intention of being a burden to his team. As he walked, a red-haired Ranger by the name of Jack McAllister stopped to introduce himself. Jack seemed nice enough, but could not chat for long as he had to make a report to Crowley on something. Once Al reached the range, he was pleased to see noone else was there at the time, giving him more targets to use.
The drill he had received required him to quickly shoot targets at varying ranges, across a wide angle, without shooting the same one twice in a row. The rationale behind the exercise was that in battle, he would likely not have time for a second shot at a target before another became a bigger threat, and he had a limited supply of arrows, so he had to make every shot count. Currently, he had a five-second window, but he decided to set a goal of reducing it to three seconds or less. Looking around the range, he saw targets placed at distances ranging from 50 to about 250 yards. Taking his stance, he began firing.
After his second quiver worth, he nodded to himself. Each shot out to 125 yards was either a bullseye or close to one, and out to 200 was within two rings of the bullseye. He sat back against a tree after retrieving his arrows to take a short break.
'Well I can see how Rangers have the builds they do,' he thought. 'These longbows certainly take some force to use. At least I have the advantage of training with my old bow for so long.' After shooting off another quiver, he decided to head back in case anyoone was looking for him.
|
|
|
Post by Firehead on Aug 9, 2011 6:32:42 GMT -5
Qwade glanced toward his apprentice, to see his answer. To his inwardly pleased surprise, Al thought through his answer.
"You know, Red," he said, "I was going to decline at first. Being new here, I wanted to avoid holding my team back. But when I think about it, what better opportunity is there to see where my real strengths and weaknesses lie? Besides, I have heard it said that while observation is important, we learn the most by testing our skills in realistic situations. Being new might actually be an advantage. Other than Qwade, noone here really knows my abilities, so they will have no idea what to expect from me. I might be able to catch someone by surprise, even if only a little."
Red's grin had been widening as Al talked, and now he asked, "So...?"
"Count me in. I'm Al Stormrunner by the way. Can I be on Bunt's team?"
Red gave a laugh of pure enjoyment and slapped his knee. "Ha ha! Bunt's apprentice team ya can! It's a pleasure to meet you Al. I'm gunna go tell Crowley he's in trouble now!" With that, Red spun away and loped off again.
He was shortly stopped by Jack, riding in. "So Red," he said with a grin, "what's this I hear about Bunt making a bet that Old Man Crowley is losing his edge?"
"Hey Jack!" Red's grin never faltered as he told him. Jack announced that he wanted to be on Bunt's team also and Red laughed lightheartedly. "Crowley's gunna have ta start changing his game plan, with all the competition stackin' up on Bunt's side." He waved a cheerful farewell to Jack and loped up to where Crowley stood at the large tent.
|
|
|
Post by Brandwyn on Aug 9, 2011 14:19:22 GMT -5
For several minutes after the meeting broke up Crowley was mobbed by several rangers who had personal business to discuss with him. Most of them were reports on their fiefs that they felt weren’t dire enough to air in front of everyone. So Crowley leaned up against a tree trunk and pulled out his notebook. He logged the time and the ranger and fief and then a quick synopsis of the report.
The crowd was starting to thin out when he saw Jack come up to him. Crowley smiled and shook his hand. “good to see you, Jack. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it. Did you run into some trouble?”
"I wish I could say this was just to catch up," Jack began, "but no such luck. Just before I left for the Gathering, I was in northern Norgate investigating the border as you requested. The night before I left, I saw what appeared to be a scouting party, maybe 10 people, seemingly looking for a way around Mackindaw. I have already informed the lord of Mackindaw as well as Norgate's baron, which is actually the reason for my slightly delayed arrival."
Crowley frowned, “They were not our people? The army has some operatives up there along the border. There is also a large band of thieves that we believe are mostly Scotti and they have been terrorizing the mountain villages for months. They are pretty selective in their targets, however, seeming to prey on those with military connections for the most part.” Crowley wasn’t sure how much Jack was familiar with since this was not information they were handing out to everyone. Ringulf and Bunt and Harrison knew about it, but he was moving Harrison elsewhere and Jack was just the right ranger to put in Harrison’s place.
“Jack, I have to move Harrison to cover another fief and he isn’t too keen on the cold winters up there, so I need to put someone else in Norgate. You have any major objections? If not, get with Ringulf and Harrisson and Bunt to get all the details on this Scotti activity. I want you three to stay in communication with each other and work with the army reps up there. Sir Katrina and Captain Dougal can be of great help if you can locate them. They have been tracking and skirmishing with these outlaws for many months now.” Crowley scratched his chin, “I wonder if those you saw were some of that band or some new ones coming over the range. Another three months or so and the passes will be thick with snow and no one will be going through, not there is any movement right now.” Crowley looked at Jack gravely. “Normally there is a fair amount of trade between PIcta and Araluen during the warmer months, but this summer there hasn’t been any. We have sent people into Picta and they have not returned. Captain Dougal lost three members of his outfit and has no idea what has become of them and they are highly trained soldiers.”
Crowley saw some other rangers waiting to speak with him and didn’t want to inundate Jack with too much information all at once. “We think maybe there is a civil war going on in Picta, as is fairly common with those warring Scotti clans, but the ones who may be in power now are those who were opposed to the treaty with Araluen when we went to fight for Gallica to stop the Aslavian advance. If so, they may have stopped all trade with us and may be holding Araluen citizens against their will. Until one of those agents that were sent in come back we won’t know for sure, so don’t take any chances when it comes to that border. You protect Norgate and let the army send in their agents. They insisted on handling it for now and I am honoring that agreement.”
Crowley patted him on the back, “Now f you don’t have any questions, I better see what these other fellows want. We can talk later, maybe after the bet is over. Meantime you can speak with those three other old bird dogs, they should be able to help.”
|
|
erevan
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 57
|
Post by erevan on Aug 9, 2011 14:56:32 GMT -5
“They were not our people? The army has some operatives up there along the border. There is also a large band of thieves that we believe are mostly Scotti and they have been terrorizing the mountain villages for months. They are pretty selective in their targets, however, seeming to prey on those with military connections for the most part.”
"Didn't look like our people, but I saw them from a distance, so I can't say for certain. I got no problem taking over for Harrison up in Norgate, so I'll track down those three and get up to speed." Jack smiled, "and don't worry, I won't give the army reps any headaches. Well, none that don't come from reports anyway."
Jack's smile quickly turned into a frown, however, at the news of the lack of trade and the missing soldiers. "I would offer to slip in and look for them, but it sounds like the situation is troublesome enough as it is. I'll certainly keep an eye on things up there though." He paused, thinking for a moment. What if a problem came up and he had no time to report before taking action?
"Just one question. Supposing something crops up that needs immediate attention, what is the standing order in terms of intervening? Should I just judge it based on the situation?" Other than that, he figured he could get the rest of what he needed to know from the other three Rangers, so it would not be worth holding Crowley up any further.
"Don't worry Crowley," he said, his smile back as he turned to head off. "I'll protect Norgate. Even if someone does make it past the defenses at Macindaw, I guarantee they won't get far. Not if I got anything to do about it."
|
|
|
Post by Brandwyn on Aug 9, 2011 16:26:46 GMT -5
"Just one question. Supposing something crops up that needs immediate attention, what is the standing order in terms of intervening? Should I just judge it based on the situation?" Other than that, he figured he could get the rest of what he needed to know from the other three Rangers, so it would not be worth holding Crowley up any further.
“Just use your best judgment, but if you have to cross the border try to get word back somehow that you are doing so.” Crowley answered. “I don’t want any of my rangers disappearing, we already have too many unaccounted for.” Crowley was thinking of the apprentice in Marshwood that was still missing and her mentor that was found dead in the marshes. “If you see an opportunity and think it won’t be any riskier than what you can handle, then you can take it, but just be careful. You are a valuable asset to Araluen and we can’t afford to loose you.”
"Don't worry Crowley," he said, his smile back as he turned to head off. "I'll protect Norgate. Even if someone does make it past the defenses at Macindaw, I guarantee they won't get far. Not if I got anything to do about it."
“I know you will do your best, Jack, just don’t underestimate these guys. Captain Dougal and Sir Katrina believe they are being trained by one of our own military master minds that has gone rouge and is wanted for murder here in Araluen.” Crowley added. “We really don’t know if that is true, but there are certain tactics they both recognize that makes them suspicious.” Crowley saw Halt give him a signal and sighed. “Okay, off you go, lad, we’ll catch up later, after the bet is over after sunset tomorrow maybe.”
|
|
|
Post by Brandwyn on Aug 9, 2011 17:55:03 GMT -5
Old Bob rode into the Gathering Grounds with ten newly trained ranger horses clustered around him. He rode up through the center of the camp and the loose horses filed along in between tents and campsites, greeting the other ranger horses and looking around with curious eyes. The whole entourage stopped in front of Crowley’s big tent and Bob dismounted slowly and stretched, easing his sore muscles and greeting the other rangers with a smile and wave.
“Here’s the latest batch, Crowley, but if ya don’t mind, I’d like to catch my breath before those young folks come clambering up wanting their horses.”
“Good to see you, Bob. This is a fine looking batch this year.” Crowley shook his hand and clapped him on the back with his other hand. “I’ll keep them off you until just before suppertime, how’s that sound? Let’s get some of these younger folk here to help you get your camp set up. I made sure your usual spot didn’t get nabbed.”
Bob nodded and rubbed his lower back. “I am getting too old for this ride, Crowley. One of these years I’m gonna be rattling in on a wagon,” he half-joked. “How many need horses this year?”
“Three I know of for sure. Skinner lost his to a poisoned crossbow bolt a few weeks ago.” Crowley scowled. “I heard from the Baron what he did to those thieves that shot her. It wasn’t pretty, but they did try to kill him, so we are letting it stand as self defense.” Crowley and Bob were quiet for a moment, remembering a good ranger horse. “There are at least two new apprentices I saw ride in here on something other than ranger horses. One was a bright young man trailing after Qwade. Guess I got as much of a report out of Qwade as I am likely to get, and I assigned Dian to Bunt. She came in with Rick and I. Apparently she was a new apprentice of Hawthorne’s and he’s gone missing, so I am letting Bunt take her until we find him or he comes back. I am going to let Harrison cover his fief in the meantime, but, well, Harrisson isn’t the best choice of mentor for a timid young girl. There could be more as well that need horses. I will send a couple of rangers around to put out the word for those needing a ranger horse to meet at your camp an hour before sunset.”
“That will be just fine. Meanwhile I am gonna go see if Greenriver has any of those poultices left that ease aching muscles.” Bob grinned and wandered off in search of Rick’s camp.
|
|
erevan
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 57
|
Post by erevan on Aug 9, 2011 18:33:08 GMT -5
As Al walked through the camp back to his tent, he saw a man ride in, leading several more horses behind him. He stopped for a minute to listen to the man's conversation with Crowley. Apparently they were Ranger horses, and not only that, he would be getting one later that day! He had felt odd being what he thought was the only one with a normal horse, but it seemed there were at least two others, one of whom had seen his horse killed in an attack. He could not imagine how that would feel. Knowing he was not the only apprentice without a horse came as a relief though.
"I heard you say you need people to help set this man's gear up," Al said, stepping up. "I'm free to help if you want." He decided nothing could be lost in trying to get on the commandant's good side.
"Just tell me where to go, and consider his camp set up." Al realized he risked sounding a bit over-excited if he continued, so he decided to stay quiet and simply follow where the horsemaster led. He knew if there were additional instructions, the man would tell him. Well, he hoped he would.
|
|
erevan
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 57
|
Post by erevan on Aug 10, 2011 13:37:54 GMT -5
After finding out what he needed to know from Gilan, Jack took off to find Ringulf and Harrison. On his way though, he ran across Old Bob, who was just riding in with a group of horses and talking to Crowley.
"Hey Bob!" he said cheerfully as he walked up. "How've you been? It's been a while." They took a few minutes to catch up, but Jack still had two more Rangers to track down, so he had to head out. He noticed Al standing nearby, having just spoken to Crowley about something. Qwade's new apprentice seemed like a nice enough guy, but he seemed quiet. Not the sort of quiet of someone without much to say though, it was more like he wanted to talk to people, but was nervous about it. He made a mental note to talk to Al later when he had a chance.
Finding Harrison on the way, he confirmed a meeting time at his campsite. That just left Ringulf, who Jack finally found looking over an axe for the throwing class.
"Ringulf, got a second?" he asked his comrade. "Just wanted to see if you were going to be available around lunch, day after tomorrow. Crowley's got me taking over Norgate, so he wanted me to meet with you, Bunt, and Harrison to get up to speed on the situation. Figured it'd be easier with all four of us at once, so I'm setting up a meeting at my campsite after things wind down."
|
|
|
Post by Brandwyn on Aug 10, 2011 20:01:03 GMT -5
"I heard you say you need people to help set this man's gear up," Al said, stepping up. "I'm free to help if you want." He decided nothing could be lost in trying to get on the commandant's good side.
“Ah, thanks Al. Bob is going to have his hands full later shoeing horses, so we like to pamper him when we can.” Crowley grinned. “You be sure to be here an hour before sunset so your ranger horse can choose you.” Crowley always thought they put it to the new ones wrong. It wasn’t the ranger that chose the horse. It was the horse that chose the ranger.
"Just tell me where to go, and consider his camp set up." Al said and Crowley directed him to the area Bob normally camped. He recruited five more rangers and set them to work with Al to get the Horsemaster’s camp all set. The camp included a small travel forge which they placed in an area they raked clean of leaves and other deadfall. Then Crowley had them feed the new horses some grain and let them roam. They were trained to stay with their master and right now that was Old Bob so they didn’t stray far from Bob’s camp.
Crowley helped for a bit, but then some more rangers came up and asked to speak with him so he led them back to his tent just a few feet away. After that he snuck off and sought out a few select people. He really wanted Monkuta on his team and wouldn’t mind getting Tandar either.
On his way to find Tandar, he ran into Skinner and got the details on the unfortunate incident that led to his horse’s death. It was always hard on a ranger to lose their horse and Crowley wanted to make sure Skinner was dealing with his loss. He told Skinner to meet at Old Bob’s before sunset and then he set off to find Tandar, trying to navigate through the ranger camp without being seen.
|
|
|
Post by Ringulf on Aug 12, 2011 18:52:02 GMT -5
“I also mentioned the river pirates plaguing Marshwood in particular but also are a problem in Norgate, Caraway and Araluen fiefs as well. Ringulf, do you have any new information concerning these pirates or the missing girl?” Crowley asked him.
Ringulf stood and cleared his throat, his booming baritone voice did not usually need to be raised for him to be heard clearly, but with the number of Rangers present and the slight murmur going on he projected a bit more than usual.
"Well the Apprentice's name was Kristin Shepherd and she was apprenticed to the former Ranger of Marshwood Fief, Donagal MacHeath, who was killed in action supposedly by the force we have come to know as "river pirates". He was found in a small rowboat, that turned out to be stolen upriver, and sent down-marsh with a note to "lay off or suffer the same fate".
We do not know were the girl is but we remain hopeful that if harm were intended, they would have done so already and we would have already buried her.
I am not convinced that these Brigands are simply that. Their movements and targets have not been motivated by plunder, but by causing loss and difficulty to the infrastructure of the fife, which is very similar to the attacks upon military targets and personnel in Norgate and elswere in Araluen.
That is all I have for now but each of you feel free to get with Crowley or myself if you have any thoughts or related information."
With that he gave a nod back to Crowley to continue.
|
|
Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
|
Post by Solo on Aug 13, 2011 8:03:59 GMT -5
Ivy stomped through the bursh muttering a scolding to Do-Over, whom she was carrying in her arms. "The next time you want to get lost an' stuck in a rabbit trap, I'm going to leave you there, an tell ol' Bunt you eeeeeek!" Her lecture to the cat ended when her feet suddenly went through the ground in front of her and, with a screech of surprise and horror, she went failing down into a hole in the ground. One minute she was tramping along on the surface, scolding Do-Over; the next she was sitting half-sprawled out on the floor of a pit that she estimated was a good twenty feet deep if it was an inch.
Above her, Do-Over crouched at the edge of the hole and peered down at his mistriss, who was now muttering a string of curses low under her breath. "Well, this is just fine, now I'm stuck down here with-- she broke off with a grimace as she shifted and dug benieth where she was sitting, after a moment, unearthing a piece of bone. She stared at the bone a moment, then morbid curiousity got the best of her. She set herself to clawing away the debris around the bone, not noticing that Do-Over had disappeared from the edge of the hole and was even now making his way toward the Gathering Gorunds. Of course, he was backtracking her to do it.
About the time Do-Over reached the place where Ivy had left Bunt to go hunt for her errant cat, Ivy finished uncovering her latest find. The last layer to go was similar to a woven rush mat--except it was so rotten, that it had become more dirt than fiber. She peeled it away....and stumbled back in horror. Her back met with the opposite wall, and she slid down to a crouch as she stared fixedly at the skeleton of a human facing her, sitting propped up against the wall with it's legs streatched out in front of it.
She finally did what all girls do, sooner or later--she screamed bloody murder. But there was no one around to hear her yet, except for the skeleton of a long-dead person.
|
|