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Post by Firehead on Jan 13, 2010 18:02:34 GMT -5
"So, if you just happened to stumble upon Tam, then what were you doing over here in Gallica near the Grizzlies camp?"
Aram swallowed hard, before answering. "Calum's got some sort of deal with the Aslavians, I- I'm not sure what exactly, but he ordered me to go with another Aslavian and help him pull off some sort of deal-- something to do with killing the leader of the camp back there, I think. He chose me because he knows that I'm better than most at close combat."
Darrel shifted slightly, and leaned closer to Aram, speaking softly. "Let's just hope you didn't tell him where, or how." Aram looked into Darrel's eyes. "I-I-I didn't." he almost squeaked.
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Tam felt soft fur brush against his leg and nearly jumped out of his skin, before looking down and seeing Kira standing there, purring. "Where did you go?" he asked her. It was automatic-- he knew she couldn't talk, but..she was someone to talk too.
He finished grooming Domingo, and switched over to Horse. He stared into the animal's large brown eye. "Well Hawse, I guess we'd best come ta a com-pro-mise of some sort. Let's try ta get along." Horse stared back at him calmly, then bobbed his head, as though he were agreeing. Tam paused a moment, wondering if the horse had really understood what he'd said, or not. Then he shrugged and started grooming the animal.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 17, 2010 11:19:23 GMT -5
Rick looked over to Darrel, "Where or how?" he asked, confused by the hidden threat in Darrel's words. He wasn't too thrilled to find out there were underground agents in the heart of Araluen city in cahoots with the Aslavians.
He stood up and walked around Aram, thinking and yet keeping an eye on both of them, swinging the burning stick absentmindedly. What do do now? Obviously the man had to be taken back to Crowley for questioning. That would prove to be a problem. He suspected Darrel didn't want Aram to say much and Aram was definately afraid of Darrel. That suggested Darrel was a bigger threat, but Rick wasn't sure of his motivations.
Rick tossed the stick back into the fire and turned to face Darrel, keeping himself between the man and Tam, his arrow still on the string.
"So, Darrel, is it? I aim to take this man back for questioning and Tam is coming with me. He is my apprentice now and my responsibility. He has a chance at a very good life and I know he has the skills to make an excellent ranger." Rick pinned the man who claimed to be Tam's guardian with a hard stare. "If you truly care about his well-being you won't interfere."
__
Kira followed Tam as he groomed the horses and playfully batted at his heels and rubbed up against his legs. Suddenly she stopped and cocked her head, listening to something off in the underbrush. She sunk low and slinked off into the bushes, moving silently.
A few minutes later a sudden rustling and then a squeek, cut off suddenly could be heard and Kira came padding back to Tam, a large male rabbit hanging in her mouth. She lay the rabbit at Tam's feet and looked up at him as she sat down and began to clean her fur with her paw, very proud of herself. She began to purr again.
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Post by Firehead on Jan 20, 2010 17:35:43 GMT -5
"Where or how?" Asked Rick. If Darrel hadn't know better, he would have sworn that the Ranger looked confused.
Where or how he learned close combat." he clarified.
"So, Darrel, is it? I aim to take this man back for questioning and Tam is coming with me. He is my apprentice now and my responsibility. He has a chance at a very good life and I know he has the skills to make an excellent ranger. If you truly care about his well-being you won't interfere."
Darrel remained silent for a moment, his mind busy running through various answers he could give. Most of them were, in all probability, not at all prudent, but finally, he found one that seemed to meet the requirements. "In you care about his well-being as much as you're hinting, you'll allow me to go with you, and keep an eye on...your prisoner."
If looks could have killed, Darrel would have been dead. Arem shot him a hate-filled glare, one that promised a harsh revenge, should he manage to escape. "You heartless snake!" he spat, "I told him everything, and you're not even putting in a good word for me!? I hope someone skins you alive!"
Darrel carefully ignored Arem's venomous words, refusing to be baited. Not that Arem was baiting him. Just... hating him. Like always. "I wish to the heavens and the g--!" "Careful, Arem!" Darrel warned suddenly. His voice held authority, as though he fully expected Arem to obey without question, which Arem did. Meeting Darrel's steel gaze, the words cut themselves off, seemingly on their own. ----------------
Tam had finished grooming Horse when Kira reappeared with a large-- and very dead-- rabbit in her jaws. Looking at the offering that she dropped at his feet, Tam asked her, "What am I supposed to do with it?"
When she-- of course-- didn't answer, Tam took the rabbit back to the circle of firelight and held it up for the adults' inspection. "Now what?" he asked.
Darrel studied the dead creature thoughtfully. "Skin it." His gaze fell upon the lynx, and he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, then gave a slight shrug. "Or feed it to the cat."
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 29, 2010 12:22:34 GMT -5
Rick watched the interplay between the two men in fascination. Aram definitely was deferring to Darrel. Rick studied him thoughtfully as he considered travelling with the two men. He would have to be on guard every second of the day, of course he had done that many a time before, so that wasn’t a big deal. What he was concerned about though, was them ganging up on him and stealing Tam away.
He couldn’t very well tie Darrel up though. The man had done nothing wrong so far as he knew. He had his suspicions, but that wasn’t enough to warrant arresting the man, unlike Aram there who had kidnapped Tam, and admitted to being an accessory to murder.
Rick holstered his arrow and slung the bow over his back, still able to fire within a moments’ notice when Tam came into the clearing with Kira right behind him. Tam held up the rabbit and Rick grinned at his question.
“Skin it.’ Darrel said, “Or feed it to the cat.”
Rick motioned with his finger and Kira trotted over to him and rubbed up against his leg as he patted her head. “Good job, Kira.” Rick looked back to Tam and figured it was high time he learned how to gut a rabbit. “Like he said, Tam, skin it. We can have some rabbit stew for dinner.”
Rick turned back to Darrel and nodded his head. “Very well, Darrel. I agree, but on the condition that I have your promise you will not leave with Tam and you will not set Aram free.” Rick didn’t really figure that it would mean much to Darrel if he broke a promise, but one never knew, perhaps the man did have a higher standard of personal integrity than Rick was giving him credit for.
Rick held out his hand, “Do I have your promise and an agreement?”
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Post by Firehead on Jan 29, 2010 13:39:32 GMT -5
“Like he said, Tam, skin it. We can have some rabbit stew for dinner.”
Tam looked at the rabbit in his hand, then back at the two adults. "Me? Now?" He asked. He wondered how one skinned a rabbit. "I dunno how to!" he blurted out.
Darrel watched Tam's suddenly stricken expression as he confessed to not knowing how to skin a rabbit, and one corner of his mouth quirked up. No, you probably don't.
He started to rise to help, but Rick addressed him. “Very well, Darrel. I agree, but on the condition that I have your promise you will not leave with Tam and you will not set Aram free.”
He still doesn't look like he trusts me very much. thought Darrel. Aloud he said, "Very well."
Rick held out his hand, “Do I have your promise and an agreement?”
"Yes, You have my promise, my agreement, and my word." He took Rick's hand and shook it solemnly, looking the Ranger in the eyes. "Now, are you teaching the boy how to skin a rabbit, or am I?"
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Post by Brandwyn on Feb 4, 2010 15:14:15 GMT -5
Rick shook Darrel's hand just as solemnly and then smiled a thin smile at the man's quip. I will show him. Why don't you find something to go with this fine rabbit here. Not much of a meal for four people and a Llynx." Rick held the rabbit up, looking it over. He handed it back to Tam and motioned to Kira, "hunt!' he said and Kira looked up at him in mid-lick, as if puzzled. Rick repeated, "hunt!" and gave a hand gesture again and Kira looked at the rabbit and then stood up. She rubbed around Rick's legs and then Tam's and eyed Darrel warily and then suddenly struck off into the woods silently as a shadow, parting the bushes expertly.
Rick turned back to Tam and led him a little ways away from the camp, but close enough to keep the other two men in sight. He was hoping he was close enough to hear if the two had a conversation. "Okay Tam, find a sturdy branch on a tree just high enought to hang this rabbit at your eye level." and he handed the lad some rawhide. "You tie him up front feet to the branch."
Rick gave Tam a motion to be quiet and then to listen as he nodded his head to the clearing. Softly he whispered to Tam, "Can you hear if they are talking?" Then out in a louder voice he slowly told Tam how to cut open the rabbit and gut it.
He then showed Tam how to use his Saxe knife to skin the rabbit, telling him where to cut and how deep, but let Tam do it himself. He kept a watchful eye on Darell all the time Tam was skinning the rabbit.
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Post by Firehead on Feb 19, 2010 9:49:59 GMT -5
"I will show him. Why don't you find something to go with this fine rabbit here. Not much of a meal for four people and a Llynx."
Darrel gave a shrug and moved to Aram's saddlebags, as Rick led Tam away to teach him the fine art of rabbit skinning. A quiet settled over the camp, with only Rick's voice murmuring in the background.
"You going to tell him how we know each other?" Aram asked after a while, sounding rather subdued.
Darrel shifted to look at Aram and considered his words. "I really don't think that he needs to know." he finally answered.
"You actually meant it about the kid?"
"Yes." they were silent for a while, listening to the droning of Rick's voice. He'd gotten to the part of gutting the animal. "The only thing I regret about all this, is that I never had any significantly younger brothers and sisters." ---------------------------------
Tam followed Rick to a tree outside the camp, and proceeded to do as Rick instructed. At one point, Rick made him pause and listen to see if Darrel and Aram were talking. "Can you hear if they are talking?"
Tam paused, listening carefully, then answered, "Something about not telling someone-- probably you-- how they know each other. Other'n that, they ain't really talkin' much."
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Post by Brandwyn on Feb 25, 2010 14:54:16 GMT -5
When the rabbit was skinned and the offal properly buried, Rick set about making some rabbit stew for the four of them.
While it was cooking he approached Aram and untied his hands, retying them in front of him so he could feed himself once the stew was ready.
After the meal, and not really saying a great deal to his new companions, Rick tied Aram to a tree tightly enough so he should not be able to loosen the ropes, but not so tight as to cut off circulation. He then tended to the man's arrow wound, removing the arrow and bandaging him up. He made Aram drink a draft for pain which was laden with some herbs that should put him to sleep for several hours.
He checked on the horses and Kira and set Domingo on watch. He hadn't had much sleep in quite a while and though he didn't trust Darrel, he was in dire need of at least a couple hours of sleep.
He went back to the fire and curled up in his bedroll and Kira settled down next to him. "Guard!" He said softly to Kira and she gave an answering growl. She lay her head on her paws, but her eyes followed the movement of the others in camp as Rick drifted off to sleep, his strung bow lying next to him with his left hand wrapped around it along with an arrow. His throwing knife was in the right hand, tucked up under his head, under the saddle he was using for a pillow. Though he was asleep, he could be instantly awake with the slightest indication from Kira or Domingo or a noise in the camp.
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Post by Firehead on Oct 20, 2010 14:52:10 GMT -5
From long practice, Darrel slept lightly. And on this night, that practice paid off. The lightest of sounds--a footstep--awakened him. He lay perfectly still, on his back, breathing deeply, as though he were still asleep. His mind had already subconsciously told him where the sound had come from and how far away it had been. Just a few feet to his left. He had the sensation that he'd felt hundreds of times before--someone was out there.
Opening his eyes just the slightest crack, he noted that that the fire had died-- fully or mostly, either way it wasn't giving off much light. He barely heard the whisper of the next footstep in the grass, but from the way the man was approaching, Darrel guessed that either the man didn't see him lying there, or he intended to step over what he thought was a soundly sleeping man.
A foot swept across Darrel's line of vision, as the intruderer placed one foot on the other side of Darrel and started to lift the other. Darrel exploded into action, as swiftly and silently as a panther, swiping the intruderer's legs out from under him, giving a quick kick upward, and then with a surge of energy, coming up off the ground to land squarely on the man's back. The man, startled by the sudden action, started to let out a yell, but his cry was cut off by Darrel's swift side-chop using the edge of his hand across the windpipe.
Behind him, Darrel heard the thrumming sound of a bow, and at first thought that maybe it was Rick. But when he released the now unconscious man and took a quick scan of his surroundings, he saw the arrow piercing Aram's chest. As he watched, another lodged in Aram's throat--if he hadn't been dead from the first shot, he was certainly so now. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tam was never quite sure which sound it was that woke him, maybe Kira's growl, or maybe the low-but-noisy scuffling that broke out when Darrel started his attack. Either way, Tam jerked awake, and tightened his grasp on his throwing knife as he sat up. The fight caught his attention and Tam was on his feet and dodging for the edge of their camp, even as he shouted, "Rick, look out!" he never got anymore out, for he ran smack into someones legs, knocking that person over. Tam sprawled awkwardly on the ground, but regained his feet in an instant, knives at the ready.
Instinct made Tam duck again, as a spear hissed past overhead, telling Tam all he needed to know--there was more than one.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 24, 2010 9:02:51 GMT -5
Exhaustion from the last several days of very little sleep had caught up to Rick and he was sleeping far more soundly than usual when the sound of a bow string thrumming broke into his dream. A second twang and he was wide awake, his throwing knife in his right hand and the bow and quiver in his left as he rolled out of his blankets and onto his feet in a crouch.
"Rick, look out!"
Rick heard Tam yell and then there was a thud, as if he fell onto the ground. It was so dark; Rick had a hard time making out shapes but knew if he just stood still he was a target for that bowman. He dove and rolled forward, just as an arrow flew over his back, narrowly missing him. Rick pinpointed the sound of the bow and threw his dagger blindly in that direction, zeroing in on the sound.
The dagger hit something with a soft thud and there was a grunt of pain. Now Rick knew exactly where the man was. In an instant an arrow was following the dagger and he heard a satisfying thwap followed by gurgling as the arrow struck its target.
The attacker staggered forward a pace, into Rick’s line of sight and dropped to his knees, clutching his throat where Rick’s arrow had struck him. The throwing dagger was sticking out of the man’s thigh.
Rick glanced at Aram and Darrel and saw that Aram was already dead. Darrel seemed to be holding his own against the man attacking him. ‘How many are there?’ Rick wondered, moving toward Tam, arrow ready. Although he wanted to protect Darrel, his main concern was keeping Tam from harm. Judging how they had executed Aram, Rick knew they were not just some random band of outlaws looking for food or money. These men were on a mission and it seemed it was one to ensure Aram and possibly Darrel didn’t tell him too much. They might even be after Tam.
“Tam! Take cover!” Rick didn’t want him fighting anyone if it could be avoided, but in the dark, not knowing how many were out there, he wasn’t too sure Tam would be able to avoid it. His last order to Kira was for her to protect Tam and the Lynx was actually following his command for once. She stayed at Tam’s feet, between him and someone or something in front of Tam that Rick couldn’t see, for the Lynx was hissing and growling like a rabid animal.
Rick let fly an arrow in that direction, making sure he wouldn’t hit Tam and hoped it would give the attacker pause before engaging his apprentice in combat. He wished they had more light to work with, but it was very dark. He used his ears and his nose to compensate, testing the air for the telltale signs of the enemy.
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Post by Firehead on Nov 4, 2010 9:07:15 GMT -5
Behind Darrel, first Tam, than Rick, came to life. At the sound of Tam's collision with the unknown person, Darrel swung toward him and started his way, even as another arrow from the archer hissed past his head. Rick engaged the man, throwing his knife at and striking the man, then firing an arrow in the same direction and killing him. As he closed in on Tam's position, he saw the figure of a man just starting to engage Tam in combat, and he lunged forward to intercept. A body crashed into him from the side, driving him off balance and knocking him to the ground, the body on top.
Darrel twisted violently, striking the form with any part of his body that he could get enough leverage behind. His elbow caught the man in the face and the figured grunted with pain and rolled away, and Darrel scrambled to his feet and started toward Tam and his attacker once more. A hand wrapped around his ankle and dragged him back to the ground. Apparently, the unknown attacker was determined not to be thwarted.
Darrel lashed out with feet and fists, kicking and punching the man as hard as was possible until the man went limp. Darrel regained his feet and started forward again. Pain, sharp, searing pain tore through his side, sending him reeling to the ground yet again. He landed hard, and barely retained enough presence of mind to roll away from the spot. Another searing bolt of pain went through his left shoulder numbing the arm for a moment, and looking up through a haze of pain, Darrel saw the sword-wielder lifting his bade for another strike. -----------------------------------------------
Tam ducked just as Rick sent an arrow flying at his attacker's face, and dived to one side rolling quickly away and regaining his feet once he had some distance between himself and the man...except the man had staggered after him and was less than a foot away from Tam as he was coming to his feet. Tam dropped to the ground again, and stabbed at the man's ankles with his Saxe knife, effectively causing the man to jump back and losing his balance when landing, as Kira came to the rescue.
Tam came to his feet and ran for the horses. If they needed to make a fast exit, they would need access to the horses without having to fight their way there. Plus, he'd need all the time he could get to make sure he saddled the horses correctly. Looking eastward, Tam saw what looked to be daylight over the horizon. Mornin' already? he thought, as he sprinted up to the horses and grabbed Rick's saddle. "Hey hawses, hope you's all ready ta work taday. Cause it sure looks tha' way, right now!"
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 16, 2011 21:55:51 GMT -5
Kira launched herself onto Tam’s attacker, grabbing his ears with her front paws and chomped on his nose as she raked her hind feet across his chest. The two-legged staggered backward under her weight and did a slow fall as he screamed, the sound piercing Kira’s sensitive ears. He smelled bad and tasted worse. Kira let him go and jumped off before he hit the ground, his scream cut off abruptly as the air left his body. Not waiting to see if he still lived or not, Kira sniffed the air and caught Tam’s scent and followed him. She saw him playing with the leather thing they put on the big four-legged long snouts that allowed the two-legs to ride without falling off their backs. Kira looked and listened to the trees around them, sniffing the air for signs of more mean two-legs that didn’t belong. She growled menacingly at a spot in the trees where one lurked and stepped between that man and Tam. She hissed a warning, wondering if the two-leg were smart enough to heed it or not. She hoped it would go away, the last one had tasted awful and she didn’t want to find out what this one tasted like.
___ Rick saw Kira launch herself at Tam’s attacker, giving Tam time to get away and saw he ran to the horses. ‘Good job, Tam!’ Rick thought, but didn’t have time to comment as something bit into his shoulder from behind. For a moment Rick thought it had been a rock, but then the searing pain of a sword piercing his skin hit him and he hissed in his breath, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out.
He ducked down, away from the sword blow and rolled forward, careful to keep from fouling his bow, he rolled up onto his feet and fired, striking his attacker in the gut at point blank range as the man’s sword came down again, striking the same shoulder but from the front this time. The blow, however, had lost much of its force and did not bite as deeply, just cutting through his clothing and the outer few layers of skin. Still, it stung and Rick nearly dropped his bow as his fingers on his left hand went numb for a moment.
He kicked out at the man and pulled his saxe knife as the man staggered back, clutching at the arrow protruding from his stomach, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Rick with hatred as Rick struck him in the head with the butt of the knife. Rick wondered what he had done to elicit that look as the man toppled to the ground unconscious.
He didn’t have time to consider it though, as he quickly glanced at Tam, seeing him okay for the moment, he shook out his left arm, willing the feeling to return and then glanced at Darrell to see how he was faring. At the moment he couldn’t grip his bow properly and couldn’t shoot, his shoulder burned from the two wounds and Rick could barely raise his arm.
He saw Darrell was in trouble, taking a blow much like the one Rick had just received and the blade descending for another strike. He slowly raised his left arm, fighting the pain and drawing an arrow with his right hand to set it on the string. It took a tremendous amount of effort to pull the bow and aim, far longer than normal, the partly severed muscle across his shoulder blade refused to work properly. The pain was nearly unbearable. He ground his teeth again, taking aim for a moment then he let the arrow fly. It sped true toward the man attacking Darrell, but was it fast enough? Would the sword descend upon Tam’s guardian before the arrow snuffed out the attacker’s life?
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Post by Firehead on Feb 1, 2011 12:52:17 GMT -5
An arrow sprouted from the man's chest, sending the man sprawling backward away from Darrell, who rolled to his feet and staggered toward the place where he had last seen Tam. The pain in his side and shoulder made everything hazey at first but he fought it aside and dropped to the ground just in time for a sword blade to hiss past over his head. Coming to his feet, he spun to face the man and lashed out with one foot, striking the man in the side of the head. The man went down and Darrel darted to one side and backed away as the man regained his feet. When the man was standing to his full height, Darrel attacked again, striking the man in the back of the head and sending him to the ground once more, this time limp as a dishrag.
Tam finally finished saddling Horse and Domingo and scrambled onto Horses' back. "Hey Kira, fetch Rick, will yas?" she was a smart cat after all, she ought to know what he meant. "Get Rick!"
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Post by Brandwyn on Feb 15, 2011 14:35:49 GMT -5
Rick saw Darrell stagger to his feet and finish off the man who had attacked him, but he was swaying on his feet. Rick’s own wound was bleeding heavily so Rick moved toward the horses and his saddle packs where his ranger’s medicine pouch was located, keeping an eye out for more attackers. He had no idea if there were any left or not.
Kira met him half way and swiftly turned back to streak back to Tam and Horse, a soft growl in her throat as she sniffed the air. Rick followed a bit more slowly. Seeing that Tam was unharmed Rick smiled wearily at him, “Good job Tam.” He pulled out the bag and quickly wound a clean bandage around his neck and under his arm across his back to try and stop the flow of blood. “Going to need help with this later,” Rick told Tam. “We need to make sure there aren’t any more out there and if there are to get out of here. Your former guardian doesn’t look too good.” Rick pulled out a bag of herbs and held it up. It was a brown soft suede leather pouch with a dark blue drawstring. “Tam, if I pass out from this wound, which I don’t plan on doing, but just in case, you put four pinches of this stuff in just a bit of water and make it into a paste and put it in the wound and then tie on a fresh bandage,” Rick directed. “It should stop the bleeding.”
Rick looked over to Darrell and scanned the trees again, while putting the pouch back in the pack where it belonged. He didn’t have time to deal with his wound right now. Darrell needed help. He walked around Domingo and with one hand pulled himself up into the saddle, His shoulder burned and he felt a bit dizzy as he settled into the saddle with a bit of a sway. “Let’s go get him.” He nodded toward Darrell and rode Domingo the short way to the other man, passing the dead Aram. Coming up beside Darrell, Rick kept his eyes on the surrounding trees in case they were still going to be attacked. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Rick held out his hand to Darrell and moved his foot out of the stirrup so the other man could mount behind him. Darrell didn’t look good.
As he leaned forward to help the man up behind his saddle, a crossbow bolt screamed out of the trees whistling past his ear. “Damn!” Rick exclaimed. “Tam head west. If we get separated head to La Rivage and the Red Feather Inn,” Rick directed in a low voice. “If I don’t show up in a day, you head back to Araluen and report to Crowley, but leave me a message with the tavern master.” Then Rick raised his bow and returned an arrow into the trees in the general direction the crossbow bolt had come from. He heard it go skipping off a tree trunk harmlessly. They had to get out of here. “Come on Darrell!” he cried urgently and held out his hand again. They were sitting ducks as long as they were standing still.
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Post by Firehead on Feb 16, 2011 13:43:54 GMT -5
Kira returned with Rick sooner than Tam had anticipated. “Good job Tam.” He pulled out the bag and quickly wound a clean bandage around his neck and under his arm across his back to try and stop the flow of blood. “Going to need help with this later,” Rick told Tam. “We need to make sure there aren’t any more out there and if there are to get out of here. Your former guardian doesn’t look too good.”
Tam glanced over at Darrel in time to see him take a savage blow to the head from a man wielding a club. He winced as he watched the blow graze Darrel hard enough to send him backwards. Still, he recovered quickly.
Rick pulled out a bag of herbs and held it up. It was a brown soft suede leather pouch with a dark blue drawstring. “Tam, if I pass out from this wound, which I don’t plan on doing, but just in case, you put four pinches of this stuff in just a bit of water and make it into a paste and put it in the wound and then tie on a fresh bandage,” Rick directed. “It should stop the bleeding.”
"Oh, thanks, that's rel good ta know." Tam replied nervously. He sincerely hoped that Rick would not pass out.
Darrel made it to his feet in time to dodge the next swing and lept inside to land a wicked punch to the man's jaw before lunging away again. The man was quicker than Darrel had bargained; his next swing was coming around as Darrel stepped away, and connected solidly with Darrel's already injured shoulder sending another bolt of numbing pain through his arm. Darrel reeled and dropped to the ground, swiping the man's feet from under him. His head must have connected with a rock, for he didn't rise. That was perfectly fine with Darrel, as he turned to face Rick as he rode up.
Coming up beside Darrell, Rick kept his eyes on the surrounding trees in case they were still going to be attacked. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Rick held out his hand to Darrell and moved his foot out of the stirrup so the other man could mount behind him.
Vision blurry, Darrel grasped the Ranger's outstretched arm and moved to mount. A crossbow bolt hissed out of the darkness, narrowly missing the Ranger, who let out a curse and yanked his arm out of Darrel's grasp to return fire.
“Damn!” Rick exclaimed. “Tam head west. If we get separated head to La Rivage and the Red Feather Inn,” Rick directed in a low voice. “If I don’t show up in a day, you head back to Araluen and report to Crowley, but leave me a message with the tavern master.” Then Rick raised his bow and returned an arrow into the trees in the general direction the crossbow bolt had come from. He heard it go skipping off a tree trunk harmlessly. They had to get out of here.
"Uh, Rick...." Tam interjected. Rick ignored him. “Come on Darrell!” he cried urgently and held out his hand again.
"Rick! I canna ride!" Tam shouted, desperate now, to relay his dilemma. "At least, na very fast." he amended. Darrel leaned against Domingo for balance as he gazed up at Rick. "That would be a problem." he said. "I think I can hang on if I ride with him. At the worst, if one of us falls we'll both fall." he added.
Moving to Tam's horse, he pushed the pain from the forefront of his mind and scrambled into the saddle behind Tam, wrapping his good arm around the boy's waist. Tam gathered the reins, only to have them yanked from his hands as Darrel spoke to Rick. "Time to get out of here." With a slight gesture of his head, Darrel indicated the shadowy figures dashing toward their camp.
Shouts erupted, as Darrel pivoted Horse on his hind legs, and set him off at a dead run. As Tam grabbed hold of Horse's mane in a frantic effort to keep his balance, he heard a dull thud and a grunt from Darrel. Then they were away and running.
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