Waiting For Rain IC: Spring Slowly Comes

[the_druid_droid]

Jon frowned as Vorel spoke, “What do you mean by magic? Is there something else we have to take care of? I mean, I want to help, but the others are right - the bomb is kind of out of our league, and although I’d like to stay nearby even if we call the police, it might not be for the best if we’re standing right here when they show up.”

Jon scratched his dark brown hair, working around the horns showing through it, and tried to piece together what they ought to do next, while in the back of his mind nagged the fact that the marshal had apparently recognized changeling magic...

[Thanqol]

"Don't worry, he won't remember it long. I'll tell you about the Mask when we get back," Vorel said, "My preference is to call it in and leave but that's coloured by the bullet holes."

[the_druid_droid]

Jon nodded, realizing it was going to take a while before they fully understood their new lives; it also finally dawned on him that Vorel really had taken on Isabelle’s wounds. He flushed briefly and spoke, “Oh, right... right! If you think he’ll be safe, I agree; I just didn’t want anyone else getting hurt because of Cludge.”

He looked over toward Isabelle who was still holding the little golden rectangle, “Can you call the police? We probably do need to get back to the house before anything else happens...”

[BlasTech]

"Probably, but might not want to call them from one of our phones. I bet he has a radio or something in his car." Isabelle replied, handing the phone back to Vorel.

"Just how much about this is he likely to remember though?" She asked Vorel "I'm just worried about if he'll be okay sit here until proper help arrives, I don't want to leave him if he's going to forget what he's doing and panic the moment we're out of sight."

[Thanqol]

"Mostly the magic. It's better if we don't talk about it too much. Gives more links to remember." Vorel said tersely.

There was indeed a police radio in the officer's car.

[Deadly]

"I can stay nearby until they arrive. Make sure he's alright and keep an eye out for any more passing traffic. The moment I see them coming I'll slip away." Charlene offered. She looked around to form an idea of good places to escape to. Off the road, preferably lightly wooded areas.

[BlasTech]

"I'm not too keen on splitting up again to be honest. I think we should just ask him to stay here and stay calm, then I can try to call up someone to help."

She looked around the bridge, with the lack of light and the terrain ...

Hmm

"Okay, this will sound a bit weird" Isabelle continued "but do you think we should first go and check on the body?"

[Thanqol]

The rushing waterfall, and the river and tossing rocks down at the bottom of the ravine quickly put paid to the idea of going to look for a body.

There was plenty of heavily wooded cover around the sides of the side of the road.

[the_druid_droid]

“I don’t think we’re going to find anything down there,” Jon turned away from the view of the churning waters below the bridge, and considered for a moment. “If we are going to stay here while we call the police, we should probably do something about the truck - we might not be able to get it back if they find it, and it’s a long walk back.”

Particularly for someone in Vorel’s condition, he added mentally.

[BlasTech]

... well, forget that.

Isabelle leaned back from the railing, dissatisfied.

"Alright, that's enough wasting time." She muttered. "I'm with Vorel now. We call it in and leave together. I'd rather get out of here before the inevitable 'return of the zombie giant' occurs."

She glanced over to where the policeman was still standing, grasping onto the pipe bomb.

[Deadly]

"It would be foolish for us all to stay. Not just because of the truck, but because it'd make it much harder to hide. I suppose he can sit tight here until they arrive, but I just don't like leaving him all alone, and I can escape unnoticed without much trouble."

[BlasTech]

"I'm not too happy with having to leave him like this either, but really ... what good would staying here do?" Isabelle countered.

Her voice lacked any real conviction to it though. Inwardly, she was torn between wanting to confirm the policeman's safety, and a reluctance to leave her friends behind.

[Deadly]

"I don't know," Charlene admitted. "Maybe not much, but it's the principle, isn't it?" She thought a bit. "Maybe we should ask his opinion."

[Thanqol]

"I'm fine. I'll be fine. Can you call the bomb squad and then figure it out?" The man asked, sweating bullets.

[Deadly]

Charlene nodded. "Yes, let's make the call, then."

[BlasTech]

"Ahh, right. Fine." Isabelle said.

I guess it is rather mean to keep him waiting while we figure it out.

She wondered over the patrol car and rummaged around for a moment before she located the radio. Picking it up and turning it on, she tentatively pushed the transmit button.

"Uh hello? Anyone there? ... over?"

She winced, it was not the best radio debut in history.

[Thanqol]

"This is centcom, who is this? Over." The response - gruff, male crackled back.

[BlasTech]

"Uh this is ... hang on."

"Hey, officer man. Sir?" She called, holding a hand over the microphone. "What's your name?"

"Mark!"

"Er, this is officer Mark's patrol car. He can't come to the radio right now. He just found what looks like a pipe bomb by the roadway up here and is trying to stop it from going off so he asked me to call for help.

We're on a bridge on the I7 route East out of Oregon City. Can you please send someone who can deal with this thing quickly? Um ... Over?"

[Thanqol]

There was a pause. "Stay where you are. We'll be there as fast as we can. Over and out."

[BlasTech]

"Okay guys, they're coming." Isabelle announced, as she dropped the radio back into the car.

[the_druid_droid]

“And we should probably get going...” Jon glanced back a little uncertainly at the officer standing on the bridge, then began to move toward the truck. This time he would take the back; Vorel needed rest even after Isabelle’s attention, and the ride back in the cab of the battered truck would be bumpy enough.

[BlasTech]

"Right, I'll get the truck started. Vorel, lets see if we can get you comfortable in the cab." Isabelle said as she started walking back the way they'd come.

Jon? Charlene? You two figured out what to do yet?

[Deadly]

While Isabelle made the call and everyone got ready to leave, Charlene turned to the police man, wanting to assure herself that she had at least made the offer properly. "You sure you'll be alright on your own? I can stay, if you want me to."

[Thanqol]

"Thank you. I'll be fine, ma'am. Thank you," the officer said, swallowing and nodding.

[Deadly]

Charlene nodded. "Alright. Good fortune to you, then." She left the man, heading back to the truck. "I suppose we'd better hurry and get out of here, then," she said to her friends

[the_druid_droid]

Jon simply nodded and climbed into the back of the truck, navigating his way around toolboxes and leftover construction equipment until he found a tolerable sitting position. As the engine turned over, he braced himself against a battered kerosene generator in preparation for the ride back to Talmage.

[Thanqol]

The trip back to the Ivy Watchtower was brief and uneventful. Talmage and Felix hurried outside when they saw Vorel was hurt, and while they showed concern they did not seem particularly surprised. Felix swiftly fetched some unnaturally sweet blue drink in an oversized coffee mug and ushered the dragoness upstairs as she haltingly sipped it.

"You people need rest," Talmage decided, looking back at the haggard group. "Talk can happen tomorrow. There are two spare bedrooms upstairs - the old Herald's room, with a double bed, and the guest room with two single beds. You can sort out your own sleeping arrangements."

[BlasTech]

"Big bed's all yours Jon" Isabelle groaned, as she dragged herself up the stairs.

Once she found the guest room, she wasted no time in collapsing on top of one of the two beds. Despite the fatigue of yet another very long day, she found that sleep didn't come immediately, and instead she lay there, staring at the ceiling, and replaying the events from the bridge in her mind.

[the_druid_droid]

Jon made a noise of assent and headed down the hall, realizing as he did so that he hadn’t slept in a proper bed for longer than he could remember. He had expected that his first night in the mortal world would be spent in his old familiar room, but that hadn’t exactly panned out. To his surprise, there was already a set of pajamas laid out on the bed, most likely Felix’s doing. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and changed into the yellow-and-orange striped bedclothes; they were older, but made of good silk and extremely comfortable.

Tiredly, Jon slipped under the covers, and his mind began to rapidly spin away toward sleep. Things hadn’t worked out quite the way he’d hoped, but for the moment he felt safe, and the sleep that came was quiet and untroubled by dreams.

[Thanqol]

As Jon fell asleep, there'd be a few things he'd note as unusual about the Herald's room.

It was laid out like a person still lived in it, a young woman. The flowers were fresh. The drawers, pictures, cupboards all looked owned. Above the four poster bed was dangling dozens of beautiful and elaborate dream catchers, violet and blue thread forming a tangled web. The room was filled with all the tiny personal touches that spoke of ownership.

It might of been a dream, but he thought he heard voices from below. Snatches of an argument.

"- can't just go ahead and let him into that room -"
"It's been two years. Maybe -"
"- Still no cause to -"
"Damn it, Felix! It's time to let go!"
"... sir."

And then there was silence, and sleep.

[XP for the day:

3 for attendance [Bonus XP because of the amazingly reliable pace you guys have maintained so far. Thank you.]
1 for roleplaying
1 for dangerous situations
1 if you can articulate something you've learned.
1 for finishing a story

Arcane XP:
1 for meeting a Fetch
1 for learning about the Harvest
1 for arriving at the Ivy Watchtower (there's much more to be had in this place)
1 for witnessing Vorel fight
1 for seeing a Goblin Contract
1 for the brief on the Seasonal Courts

Is there anything else? Anything I've forgotten?]