Journey to Enlightenment II IC

[Horatio@Bridge]

--The Reefs, territorial waters of Azrahan--

An uncanny silence reigns over the remnants of the great sea battle. Gulls circle over the wreckage, occasionally diving to take a tasty morsel. Lynne and Sails-With-the-Tide had been passing nearby, following the tides on a journey to where they did not know, when the sounds of the battle had caught their attention. Now, in the aftermath, they sailed through the wrecked ships in search of survivors.

A low groan draws Lynne's attention. There, tangled in the rigging of a half sunken ship! The man looks to still be alive!

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That would be Pius.

--Port of Azrahan, the Jail--

KRAKATHOOM!!! A wave of dust billows through the air in the wake of the explosion, triggering a coughing fit in Aran where he is crouched low against one wall to avoid the chaos around him. His eyes narrow as he peers through the dust, trying to see...yes! The explosion had knocked a hole in the prison walls, giving him a chance! He darts for the hole, sliding down the rubble into a smoke-filled alley behind the jail. Peering carefully into the street, he checks to make sure that the coast is clear before making his way to the docks. Everything seems fine, but just as he's about to step out a piercing whistle catches his attention. A battle scarred woman crouches in the alley across the road, two men huddled behind her. She gestures toward a building down the street, and Aran follows her gesture to see a Wood Aspected Dragonblooded crouched on the roof of the building, eyes scouring the street for any enemy soldiers he can cut down from his sniper's nest.

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The people in the alley across from Aran are Anastazia, Kaphros, and Kite.

[The Blue Guard]

Sails-with-the-Wind

Sails-with-the-Wind sat dutifully in shorts at Ocean Wind's helm, her mainsail and jib raised to steer them out of the current they had been coasting on. It was Lynne who had heard the first sounds of a battle, but it was Sails-with-the-Wind who had suggested they investigate. He now had come to regret that choice as he had to carefully pick their way through the hodge-podge of wreckage - they probably wouldn't find any survivors anyway. Looking down at his blue-green shorts and the white cotton shirt he had deposited over one foot he began considering a new plan.

Thankfully he remembered how badly most of his plans went and so gave up planning and instead got back to picking their way through the wreckage, readjusting the patch over his demonic eye as he did so - wouldn't do for it to come off now. The shuffle disturbed his messy blue hair and made several places stick right up as they were caught by the leather straps of his patch.

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Since it's Lynne who saw him, I didn't want to go "Oh! Look! Something you saw and heard that I now see and hear too!"

Edit: But I did want to put something.

[lostlittlebear]

Pius
Groaning weakly, Pius' eyes fluttered open. As the world around him slowly swam into shape, his vision focused on a lone ship slowly picking its way through the wreckage.

Are those... Azarhdian colors?

"Help me..." he groaned weakly.

[Ridai]

Lynne

The tall woman stands silently on the trimaran, her body effortlessly adjusting to the motions of the boat as she looks for survivors. A small part of Lynne didn't care about investigating the aftermath when she heard the sounds, but Sails-with-the-Wind didn't exactly have to persuade her, either. While she enjoys quiet days and nights on the sea with a gentle wind blowing her black hair, the atmosphere surrounding them is eery, reminding them that Creation is unfazed by the loss of many lives. Still, the stunningly beautiful woman looks calm as she looks for survivors, strangely enough finding something soothing in the silence.

Still, a sign of life in this floating graveyard immediately captures her attention. It's surprising to her that her friend didn't notice the man before her (considering her habit of not paying much attention to her surroundings, something she is trying to change), but she quickly finds the source of the voice. Quick, sure steps carry her over to Sails-with-the-Wind and she gently puts a hand on his shoulder while pointing the other towards the ship wreck. "Over there." Lynne can't help but show a little smile. She is still deeply impressed by Sails-with-the-Wind for saving her a month ago and taking care of her, so she is excited to follow in his footsteps during this situation.

[The Blue Guard]

Sails-with-the-Wind

Absorbed by the task of steering the ship through the flotsam covered patch of sea he was startled by Lynne's hand. Looking first at her hand his eyes followed her arm up to her smiling face - it was nice to see her smile, not least because it suited her - and then along her other arm and beyond. At first all he saw was a half-sunken ship with its rigging jutting out of the water like a compound fracture, but then, squirming in it he saw him. Sails-with-the-Wind took a hand off the controls and gave her hand a light pat, "Ay see 'im." He sounded eager as his other hand pulled at the controls, turning the ship around in a graceful arc.

Getting up he padded his way over to the line that led to the foil under the ship and double-checked the knot that held it out of the way. "Get ready ter br'n 'im aboard." He called out as he clambered over to pull the mainsail and headsail down so they didn't just sail right past the man.

[Ridai]

Lynne

"Aye aye, captain," Lynne answers with a wink, grabbing a sheathed knife by it's strap and hangs it over her shoulder. Moving towards the Ocean Wind's edge, she gets ready to free the poor man and get him to safety.

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Last minute character change: I removed Carouser because I think the most important part of it is either experience or mentality, so it's mostly an advantage of Lynne's old self. Plus, I think her stats already clearly show her social graces, ability to hold her drink etc. I'll get the last point of Lynne's Enthralling Maiden Style and another dot of WP instead.

[lostlittlebear]

Pius
As Pius lies groaning and groggy, he feels a cool touch and the weight of a knife pass through his bonds. For a moment, he stays still, gathering his wits, then tentatively flexes his hands to confirm his freedom.

Turning around, Pius prepares to thank his rescuer. Despite the torment of the past few hours, he feels confident that he still has enough of his courtly wits around him to give his rescuer the thanks they deserved.

Perhaps some sort of reward would be in order... After all, my rescuers would certainly be in danger of losing their li-

Pius' half-formed thanks die in his throat as he stares dumbly at the gorgeous woman standing before him.

"Is... is this the Afterlife?"

Even as his words leave his mouth, he flushes slightly, aware of how silly he must sound. As he is about to make an apology, though, a second thought strikes him as suddenly as the first.

Grabbing Lynne by the forearms, he pulls himself up with a crazed strength born of desperation.

"The battle!" he gasps, forcing the words from his heaving chest and cracked lips. "How goes the battle!"

(OOC: Should we all agree on a common tense to write in? I suggest present since the opening post by the GM seems to be written in that style.)

[Ridai]

Lynne

Lynne smiles warmly at the man as he is searching for words, watching his rather cute reaction. While is startled by his sudden change of behavior, wincing as he painfully grips her forearms, she still remains collected to help the man calm down. With a sympathetic look on her face, Lynne looks him into the eyes and speaks with a soft voice.

"Shh, easy. We just arrived here and you are the only person we found here so far. You must be tired, please come aboard the ship, I'll help you get your bearings." She gently puts her hand on his arm. Lynne could easily free herself from his grip, she isn't exactly a delicate flower after all (even though she could easily make someone believe that), but it would only cause more stress. "I am Lynne. Would you mind..." She throws a quick look at his hands.

[lostlittlebear]

Pius

"The only one... I'm the only one? Oh gods, oh gods..."

Shuddering, Pius releases Lynne and buries his face in his hands, crying out in anguish. In between his sobs, half-formed words spout from his clenched teeth.

"Everyone... dead... because of me..."

Presently, the sobs cease and Pius looks up at Lynne with the blank, dead gaze of a man who has lost all hope. Disoriented by the trauma of the past few hours and his grief, he will let Lynne lead him wherever she chooses.

[Ridai]

Lynne

A small part of Lynne tells her to leave the man alone in his suffering, but she chooses to ignore it, instead hugging him tightly and caressing his head and back. She throws Sails-with-the-Wind a sad look and patiently waits for the man to calm down, relatively speaking. Once the sobbing stops, Lynne looks deep into his eyes, her face sympathetic to his pain. She won't tell him that everything will be fine or something similar. No one wants to hear something like that. "Come." Softly holding his hand, she carefully leads the man onto the Ocean Wind and inside the trimaran, so he doesn't have to look upon the wreckage anymore.

Giving him a seat and a blanket, Lynne squats in front of the man. "Can you tell me your name?" After patiently waiting for an answer (or continuing if none comes), she asks: "Can you tell me what happened here? Maybe some of your men made it to the city." She doesn't force an answer. If the man doesn't want to talk, she respects his decision.

[lostlittlebear]

Pius

Pius stares into the distance, eyes fixed on some far off point on the horizon, heedless of Lynne's words.

After a long while, he begins to speak - yet even though his lips move and throat mutters words, the vacant look in his eyes and dispassionate tone of voice give his listeners the impression that he is not talking so much to them as to some unseen voice of his past.

"My name is Pius Ignavo. I am... was... an officer in the Azarhdian Navy."

"Up until a few weeks ago, I thought it wasn't such a bad deal. War is hell, but a smart man with a fast ship can stay far enough from the action to make it seem a lot more tolerable."

"It's funny, isn't it? I can't even remember what the war was about anymore. We'd been skirmishing with Wavecrest for as long as I can remember, but must have done something to piss them off big time, because they called in House Pelps...."

Here Pius' voice trails off again, and it is another short wait before he resumes his story.

"I'd thought I'd seen it all, you know? I've even seen some Dragon-Blooded in my time, though always from a good distance away and with 5 rows of ships between us. But the Realm's forces were different."

"There were so many Essence weapons... when they fired their first salvo I swear their discharge blotted out the sun. And the Exalted... so many of them... everywhere... cutting us down like straw."

"We lost most of our fleet fighting a forward defense in the waters around White Coral Reef. 'The Battle of Red Reef' - I believe that's the name they're calling it in the Realm now, if our captured dispatches can be believed."

"Those of us who made it out retreated here, before Azarahara itself, to make our last stand. I never really expected that we'd win... I just thought if I played my cards right I could get my men and I out alive."

"Then I saw one of their siege-pieces, a huge Essence Cannon, completely unguarded. I knew if we went for it my men and I could take it out, but we'd never make it back out."

"I've never been a hero, and I've never pretended to be one either. Wherever trouble was, you could count on me to be running away from it. But I don't know what came over me..."

"I thought... I thought maybe I could do something useful at last... go down fighting in a blaze of glory and maybe save a few lives while doing so. My death I was prepared to accept, but I forgot it wasn't just my life I was gambling with."

Here Pius begins to tear, and his voice cracks slightly from thirst and the strain of speaking.

"A Dragon-Blooded officer sunk my ships... then laughed and watched as his men slaughtered my floundering men..."

"My men... they trusted me to keep them alive, no matter what. Many of them volunteered to serve under me for that very reason - they didn't want to be heroes, they just wanted to get home safely to their families."

"And I failed them. Pius the coward got bit by the bug of heroism at last. And it's not like I even was a very good hero. Judging by what I've seen, and the lack of fighting or survivors you say you've observed, the city's already fallen."

"If this wasn't my life, it'd make a blasted good comedy!"

Breaking out into manic laughter, Pius sweeps his hand towards the smoking sky.

"And you know what's funniest of all? I survived! I actually survived! Pius the coward survived fighting the combined forces of the realm when better men died! Pius the coward who's always first in a retreat and last in an advance! Pius the gods-damned frikin coward!"

Collapsing to the deck, Pius bursts into tears once again.

"How I wish... I wish I'd died with them... That way I wouldn't have to live with my conscience."

Closing his eyes, Pius gives out one final, massive, sigh. After a few indeterminate moments, he opens his eyes, and grins at Lynne weakly. Despite the pain hiding behind his gaze, he almost seems like his usual good-humored self.

"Any chance I could get some water? I'm thirstier than a desert raiton with a burning fever."

[Ridai]

Lynne

Lynne listens attentively to what Pius has to say, watching him pour his heart out. "Of course." She gives Pius a warm smile and fetches him some water. She watches him drink in relative peace for a while before she speaks up again.

"What are you going to do now? Despite what you said, you strike me as a decent man, there is no shame in wanting to keep those you care about alive and well. You have received a second chance, a chance to set things right, to honor those loyal to you. And I think you are not someone who would squander such a chance, Pius. I really do." Lynne feels that in some points, Pius' and her story are similar, and he showed her a glimpse of who he really is, what makes him tick. She speaks with confidence, with the wisdom of someone who also received a second chance. Then she suddenly gets up.

"But for now, you should rest. No ifs or buts, otherwise I'll be forced to take drastic measures. Unless..." She shows a mischievous (or charmingly innocent?) grin. "you want me to take drastic measures."

[lostlittlebear]

Pius
Grabbing Lynne's proffered water, Pius downs it greedily, dousing his parched lips and throat. Nevertheless, Lynne's words still provoke a marked reaction on the young man, causing him to spill water all over his salt-caked uniform. The girls he'd known in Azahara were never this... forward.

Blushing furiously, Pius struggles to regain his composure.

"I wouldn't care much for that, Lady, but if you give me some time I'll... I'll..."

Stifling a yawn, Pius feels waves of stored-up fatigue wash over his body.

"Do excuse me, I seem... to be unaccountably... zzzzz..."

Pius' eyes flutter shut, and he stretches out on the deck, asleep. Discussions about future plans will have to wait until the young warrior sleeps off the fatigue of weeks-worth of near constant warfare.

(OOC: Loving the RP, Ridai, but I think we need to give H@B a chance to get on with the plot and deux ex machina up our meeting with the rest or we'll still be stuck on this Scene come December. xD Rest assured we can continue this once more plot gets underway - and it does seem to be Pius would be exhausted after a day floating in the waves, after all.)

[Ridai]

Lynne

Seeing Pius' reaction, Lynne laughs heartily and infectiously, without a trace of malice. Once he is fast asleep, she comments "Poor lad." and gets him to a safer, more comfortable part of the Ocean Wind. Once she is done taking off his jacket and boots, neatly securing them next to him, Lynne tucks him in with the blanket.

"That should get his spirits back up a bit. Rather cute, too," she says as she rejoins Sails-with-the-Wind and returns to looking for more survivors.

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I'm really enjoying the RP, too. I guess I'm pretty eager to support new games as much as I can so they don't lose momentum. I wonder what's the hold-up for the other four, though.

[Sanguine]

Aran

Unarmed getaway with a dragonblooded archer working sentry. Fun.

Crossing the street and stepping into the alley Aran crouches by the three people. Brushing his sea green hair out of his eyes he whispers. "Don't suppose any of you know a way to the docks that doesn't pass by our friend from the Realm? I've got a boat docked their and if you guys can get me to it, I would gladly give you a lift out of her."

Truth be told Aran couldn't be certain his boat was still there, however Samuel and the rest of his crew would fight tooth-and-nail to keep the ship their if it came to that.

[bkwormlisa]

Anastazia

Anastazia shrugs. "Not entirely, but there are plenty of back streets and alleys. I can get about halfway there for sure, but I'd have to guess after that. And he won't be the last sniper we see." She looks at the other two men. "Do either of you know this town better than I do, or will I need to scout us a path?"

She wasn't sure that she believed this man--it didn't seem likely that someone escaping from prison would really still have control of a ship--but she wanted out of town enough to take the gamble. Of course, getting there would be the riskiest part, since it was doubtful that any of them knew how to sneak.

[The Blue Guard]

Sails-with-the-Wind

Sails-with-the-Wind had stood by the sails throughout Lynne's comforting of the survivor - what was his name? Pius? Yes, Pius. He had nearly intervened, but Lynne proved a very capable nurse as she calmed him and led him off into the main hull. She'd better not have put that wet man on my dry bed., he thought sourly as she came back up; though truthfully, he was feeling jealous somebody was taking the attention of his only friend. "Ay suppose - fe a 'alf-drowned rat-th'n." He answered back as he got them underway again, lifting the sails and then taking his place at the helm. "Jammy git..."

[Ridai]

Lynne

Cocking her head and putting on a coy smile, Lynne teases her friend a little bit. She continues to savor the opportunity to lighten the mood and the feeling of saving and caring for someone, gaining a greater appreciation for what Sails-with-the-Wind did for her. Still, it isn't fair that only Lynne gets to enjoy herself. "Don't worry. My hero always comes first." She hugs her friend from behind and rests her head on his shoulder for some time.

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Wow, Sails-with-the-Wind's speech patterns really give my English-speaking skills a workout.

Sorry, I'm trying to stop until the next update, but I can't help myself. :x

[Horatio@Bridge]

As Sails-with-the-Wind turns the ship to pick his way out of the battlefield, the exit to the harbor comes into view. Where the seas had been clear and open before, suddenly a Wavecrest ship had moved in to the far end of the battlefield! It was far away for now, unlikely to be able to close through the wreckage very quickly, but it was in a good position to run the Ocean Wind down once they exited the battlefield.

[The Blue Guard]

Sails-with-the-Tide

Sails-with-the-Wind savors the physical contact, leaning his head against her. For a moment, if he just closed his eyes, he felt he could be back with Remy watching the sun on its descent, the final rays of light warming their forms as they lay on the beach. He would almost see her face as her head rested on his chest as she smiled down at him. That particular smell of the ocean wind that day drifted into his nose, mingling with Remy's own personal scent - it was a local flower she somehow turned into a perfume, he could never remember the name of it or her method, but he loved the smell all the same.

But he wasn't, and Lynne wasn't.

"Wuvcrest!" He shouted as he quickly moved the ship away from its trajectory out of the floating debris littering the battlefield, his dream smashed by the sudden impact of reality as he spotted the ship; no time for him to feel guilty for enjoying the moment with Lynne, but not with Lynne. The ship was in a good spot to tear Ocean Wind apart if she tried to make for the open ocean even with her speed. Damn!, he exclaimed within his mind as he wheeled the ship about and out of its trajectory out of the flotsam field. They'll probably think we're reprobate scavengers come to pick the bones of the dead...

He took a deep breath, he was panicking from the sudden appearance of another ship. They might not think anything of the sort, they could be here to do what they were doing: helping survivors. There wasn't any reason to panic, yet. All the same though he kept the Ocean Wind in the flotsam field and out of their range. "Lynne, ay think we might need Pius up and about." He wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he certainly didn't have a plan - that was the only comfort he had.

[Ridai]

Lynne

In moments like this, Lynne is never sure what goes through her friend's mind. Feeling his heart beat faster, there is the faint thought (or hope?) that it is caused by his affection (or desire?) for Lynne. Judging by what Sails-with-the-Wind told her during the past month (and his nightmares, although she pretends not to notice to make it easier for her friend), however, this is most likely not the case. Unsure whether she should keep quiet about it or put herself in the forefront of his mind, Lynne always feels a little bit of envy.

Shocked out of her thoughts by the Wavecrest ship's appearance, she simply nods to her friend and moves into the trimaran. Shaking Pius in his makeshift bed, Lynne puts a finger on his lips once he is awake. "Shh, a Wavecrest ship is approaching us. Get ready, Sails-with-the-Wind and I will try to get us out of this, maybe we can end this peacefully. If you have any ideas, please tell us immediately." Making sure Pius understood everything (he is very tired, and rightly so, after all), Lynne heads onto deck afterwards.

"Are you able to outmaneuver them, maybe get them temporarily stuck between the wreckages? Otherwise, I could try to convince them we were just looking for survivors. Do we have anything to signal them that we want to talk?" Lynne looks mainly to Sails-with-the-Wind, but she is sure Pius also heard her.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--In the city--

Anastazia leads the small group back into the ruined back alleys. The bombardment had choked several small passages full of rubble but had opened others, so Anastazia was able to move the group the half distance she'd promised without incident.

The group is in a large house when they encounter the first enemy patrol. The patrol is picking its way slowly along the rubble-strewn street outside, and have not spotted the four adventurers looking at them from inside the house. These are Wavecrest soldiers, about a fang of them, and they do not seem to be led by any Dragonblooded.

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A fang is about five troops, so it's just a small squad.

--On the water--

The Wavecrest ship hangs out signal flags. "Heave to, and prepare to be boarded" is the message they convey.

[Ridai]

Lynne

Seeing the flags and no reaction from Sails-with-the-Wind, Lynne keeps looking towards the former as she adresses Pius. "Pius, take off your uniform and hide it. Wrap yourself in your blanket and act unresponsive." She looks to her friend next to her. "I'll get us out of here, no matter how." Briefly and reassuringly squeezing Sails-with-the-Wind's hand, she wants him to heed Wavecrest's signal as she moves to meet whoever will board Ocean Wind.

Sails-with-the-Wind can see his friend seamlessly transition into a role, a mask that will hopefully give her an edge. Lynne assumes a strong, yet relaxed stance, her hand resting on her hip, a confident smile on her face. As if by accident, strands of her black hair fall in such a way that an onlooker's attention might be drawn away from her face for a moment, something she could exploit to distract or punish in combination with the strength and sensuality emanating from her. The young woman looks every Wavecrest soldier into the eyes as if she sees much deeper than one might think, but before they enter, she briefly turns back to Sails-with-the-Wind and winks. Under the mask, Lynne is still the same woman he saved.

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Yes, I am totally stunting the first impression Lynne conveys with the full strength of her social attributes and Enchanting Features to make it hard for them to concentrate and to catch them off-guard later. Do you want me to roll Charisma/Appearance + Presence (+ bonus dice from EF)?

[The Blue Guard]

Sails-with-the-Wind

Sails-with-the-Wind was about to launch into an explanation for a detailed escape plan he had thought of as he sat at the helm silently. Luckily Lynne's actions put an end to that ill conceived notion quickly, and instead he set about heaving to the ship - and making sure his weapons were just inside the main hull where he could sprint for them easily.

[lostlittlebear]

Pius
Still bleary-eyed from his interrupted sleep, Pius nonetheless springs into action with the expertise of a well-trained soldier. Making sure his bow and firewand are still wrapped in their waterproof leather sheath and lashed to his chest - where they had resided all through his near-death experience - Pius does as Lynne tells him to, silently praying that this incident will not degenerate into more of the mindless violence he had lived his life trying to avoid.

[The Blue Guard]

Sails-with-the-Wind

Having put his weapons in a place close to reach Sails-with-the-Wind came up and almost immediately fell of the boat for the shock of what he saw. Scrabbling hard to hold onto the hard hull and wing nets his mind acted on instinct. "Dibs." He gasped breathlessly as he rolled onto his back on the wing net - his eyes entranced by the vision of Lynne he saw, a sight no mere mortal fool could resist.

[Horatio@Bridge]

A line of marines on the incoming ship all gape at Lynne as they approach the trimaran. An officer, standing at the end of the line, clears his throat.

"Pardon, ma'am," he says, blushing slightly. "I'm afraid you've wandered into a warzone. I'm sure you're probably not involved, but we've got instructions to detain and search all unidentified ships to make sure that they're not carrying enemy combatants."

[Ridai]

Lynne

While the marines' reactions tell Lynne how she is doing and how to continue from there, Sails-with-the-Wind's further strengthens her confidence and enables her to fully focus on the task at hand. "My, my, a true officer and gentleman," Lynne comments, sounding (seemingly) impressed while giving the officer her full attention.

"I understand completely, these are truly grim times, after all. We were looking for poor souls in need of help and did not know we were trespassing, I appologize." Showing a sympathetic expression, she folds her arms, subtly emphasizing her more enticing features, since the men before reacted so strongly, combined with a slight bow.

"However, I would feel guilty if I wasted even more of your precious time by making you search our little trimaran. I am sure your expertise is currently in high demand, but I understand that it is your duty. As an alternative, would you, perhaps, like me to come aboard to question me in private?" Lynne smiles coyly, cocking her head, eyes ever fixated on the officer, letting him notice that she examines him once in a while.

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Trying to get the hang of social stunts. Completely untreaded territory for me, so I hope to get better at this as the game progresses. The fact that Lynne has a lot of inherent qualities and talent helps in terms of effectiveness, though.

Manipulation + Presence (Deception 1) (+ Enchanting Features and Silver Tongue if they apply)
(16d10)[8][6][7][3][10][9][3][10][9][7][8][10][4][3][10][10](117)

edit: 16 successes! What is going on, normally I have completely rotten luck! xD

[lostlittlebear]

Pius
In other circumstances, Pius would have readily feasted his eyes on the beautiful woman before him, but in these circumstances even Lynne's beauty could not distract him from the horror of capture and combat. Whimpering softly, he buries himself deeper into the folds of the protective sails, the gruesome fate of his men playing itself out again before his tightly shut eyes.

[bkwormlisa]

Anastazia

Anastazia looks around the room, hastily finding hiding places. "We need to hide, quickly, or they'll find us." She points out the hiding spots she saw. "You, hide there, you there, and you here. Can any of you fight?" She helps them hide, making sure they aren't visible. Then she takes her own hiding place. It's the most exposed of the four, but it also offers her the chance to come out quickly if she needs to fight.