IC II Toes In The Water

[achinca]

Miriam is a little bit more alert as they enter the town. She gets no sense of how well or badly the preparations are going. She says to herself 'I just want to crawl into a hole and sleep and pray ...'

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia tries to think. What could have happened to Miriam? She had started acting strangely last night, but the bitterness at Henry was different than her dull emptiness right now.

She always called herself a farm girl who knows nothing, she let Morton call her those...things. It's got to be related to that somehow, but Natalia can't possibly figure out what happened over the past couple of days.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt glances back at Miriam and frowns, then sighs. "Let's just get to the end and get some sleep. Maybe it'll be better in the morning."

[Zman]

The guards on duty simply raise their hands to their heads in a gesture of respect as the group of heroes pass.

The horses, fatigued as they are are stabled, Miriam shakes herself out long enough to expend the rest of her healing on the poor beasts of burden.

They make their way to the inn, finding it far more crowded than before. Most of them men were armed, in some capacity...the off duty militia. The rest were covered in dirt and had some simple weapons near at hand.

As the group receives silence, as the entire inn becomes quiet with their arrival...except for max, "Well met, looking a little worse for wear?" as he eyes the blood and dirt covered cloths the party is wearing, especially th long gashes in Kurt's clothing, showing bear hairy flesh with fresh faint white scars newly formed thanks to Miriam's healing powers.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia sighs and flops into the chair. "Ogre road," she says. "Only brains for smashing."

[achinca]

Miriam feels a little more in tune with her environment as she heals the horses. She does it in silence, thinking that she did that, she was with Mary. Once again, her throat tightens up but this time, she refuses to cry.

She goes to the Inn and orders an ale, saying she has no appetite. She drinks very little, looking into her pint unless she finally raises her head and asks the group but no one in particular "How do you know your life is not a lie and a scam? What would you do if every thing you believed in, if every thing your life was based on ended being not true?"

Before anyone can answer she gets up and goes to her room.

If anyone is sharing the room, they can see her in a feotus position, totally covered by a blanket and listen check would reveal crying.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia watches in disbelief as Miriam breaks her silence, then flees.

[Cavelcade]

"Ogres on the road, orcs in the wood. I am glad to see you've made progress on the defences."

As Miriam makes her pronouncement to the group, Kurt just frowns, grinding his teeth as he sees her rush off and can't say a word to help.

[Zman]

Max

Max clears off a table near the bar for the group and has his serving wench being, ale, hot drink, and a warm meal for the party. "What's this talk about Ogres?" The surrounding people begin talking again, though much quieter than previously; their eavesdropping is obvious.



Valen takes a seat and begins eating heartily. He remains quiet through two helpings of stew and a loaf of bread before he finds his tongue loosened, content to listen to his companions.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Hulburg's ogres," Natalia says. The ale is bitter and she can barely finish the glass. "Spared some for us...Hulburg spared some of theirs too."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia glances over at Shiny, who's been oddly silent. She'd have expected him to have started spinning a yarn about how they fearlessly defeated a horde of two-headed ogres riding dire bears by siccing a dragon on them or something by now. Or maybe say that Whiskers was an angel in disguise and use his divine power to save them before changing back into a weasel--though now he was white. Or anything, really.

He's even more unpredictable than the words I say, Natalia thinks while chewing a loaf of bread and letting the villagers digest the news of nearby ogres.

[Cavelcade]

"We got some aid for you from Hulburg. On the way back we ran into some Ogre's. It's not a big thing...they aren't interested in you."

Kurt sits down and asks for a beer which he then leaves in front of him after a sip, sitting and pondering in his own manner as he looks at the blood on his armour.

[Zman]

Max

"Glad to hear, don't know if these poor people can handle more trouble. They've been working hard since you've left. It'll settle some of their minds knowing that Hulburg has sent their salvation."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt coughs a little and just nods at that statement. "Yes, that is what they told us to tell you as well."

Doing his very best to convince his beer that that's what he believes as well, before he takes another gulp of it.

Spoiler

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Bluffin': (1d20-2)[1]

Frowning at the beer which seems to doubt him he finishes the offending drink off in one long gulp and then stands.

"I am going to go and clean and prepare for tomorrow."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Help who's here," Natalia adds before heading upstairs.

When she gets to the girls' room, she stops short at the sound of muffled sobbing inside.

[Zman]

Max

While taking to Kurt, Max's emotion drains away and he is quite, studying Kurt for several moments before, "Aye....our salvation..." Max moves away, to keep the ale flowing to the men. You can here him tellling them to, "Drink up, they've got alot of work to do, lest the soldiers from Hulburg think they are lazy slobs who can't help themselves." Unfortunately, he is only a little more convincing than Kurt, even his years of being a bartender and his skill he doesn't believe his own words, they are hollow like the Hope in Linwood.

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Max Bluff(d20)[1]

After finishing his second helping of food and drink, Valen turns to Kurt, "You may not believe it, buts it is critical that these people to do. Despair and fear a cancer, Hope is their salvation."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt looks around a little and nods, then, going to Max and reaching across to pat him on the shoulder, having to stretch a lot to manage it!

"No! You are your own salvation. They are only coming to be shown your worth."

This time his voice does ring with conviction, he really does believe they can save themselves. It just would have been easier with more troops.

[Athedia]

Mithril looked up from where she was feeding Whiskers. "A people determined to save their home and families can do much more than you might think." Gathering a chunk of the bread left she bid the rest of the people goodnight and started to walk up the stairs. Seeing Natalia standing outside the room, she decided to let them talk, while she instead went to sit outside for a little.

Looking at the stars she reveled in the peacefulness of the night, when so much chaos had happened. "The same stars from our home, Whiskers. I wonder if will ever earn a place in them."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia stands at the entrance to the room for a while, listening to Miriam curled under her blanket sobbing. Twice she reaches out a hand and takes a step forward, and twice she hesitates. Her words are muddled at the best of times, and now? When she doesn't know what's going on, much less what to say? She'd only make things worse.

Feeling absolutely helpless, Natalia heads outside and sits next to Mithril, who is looking up at the stars. In response to her musings, she asks the wizard, "Your heroes, pinned to the night?"

[Athedia]

"According to stories I read, all the great heroes from history are immortalized in the stars." Mithril looked at Natalia's face, she seemed to be worried about something. "No luck with Miriam? I am worried about her. She has never been that violent before."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia shakes her head. "Crying and she won't stop...More than ogres. Angry wounds, old wounds."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia looks up at the starry night sky. "All fighters? All heroes...of battle?"

[Zman]

The tired adventurers made the night short, taking Max's invitation to clean themselves and prepare for a full nights rest.

The Inn was somber, despite Kurt's attempt at reassured, even Shiny was unusually quiet, his stories never gaining enough traction. The people drank deeply, attempting to drown their fears for the days to come.

Kurt wandered to bed after twice as much ale as it'd take to kill a normal man. He stumbled up the stairs, barley keeping his feet. A mumble about how being short can keep a dwarf upright can be beards as he makes his way to bed.

Shiny told a few stories, some showed his usually spark. He told of the days events, without a hint of embellishment to one who knows the truth, yet it'd be as hard to believe as any other story the rabscallion gnome has ever told.

Miriam spent the night curled up in the fetal position, equal part prayer and despair.

Mithril and Natalia spnt the first part of the warm night outside contemplating the stars before making their way inside.

Valen disappeared to wash at invitation of the serving wench, neither being seen again till morning.

As the sun crests the horizon, Linwood again comes to life. There is work to do, and the group takes their morning meal at Max's invitation. Miriam's eyes are still red as she sits in silent prayer, Kurt is holding his head, Shiny is busy talking about how he sent two years studying the culinary arts among masters, Valen is clean, his cloths fully mended without a hint of repair, Mithril's had her head in her spellbook whilst Ntalia simple watches the Wizardess prepare he daily spells.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Two days for soldiers, time to prepare," Natalia says out of nowhere as she watches Mithril run her hands over her spellbook. She wonders what it feels like, if the magic in the paper gives it a different color to the touch.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt groans, his headache starting to lose its edge as he tucks into the food. As he does, he looks blearily up at Max, croaking out a question. "Max, what time will the men start digging?"

[Zman]

Max

Max moves around, quickly keeping tabs on the place. He looks at Kurt, "Some probably already have. Will you be staying and helping, or will you be taking the fight to the Orcs?" Max asks almost hopefully. He has obviously been mulling over Kurt's comments fom the night before.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia looks up and asks, "What Henry saw?"

[Zman]

Max

Looking at the socially awkward Natalia, " The ony sent scouting...he hasn't been back yet. Though, he was supposed to come back once he had something to report." Max get somber for a second, "Though, if he finds too much, he may not make it back."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"When?" she asks, instantly alert. Oh, no, what could have happened?

[Zman]

Max

"If I had to guess, bout ten to twelve hours befoe the Orcs." there was decisively less humor than Max intended in his expression.