IC Knee Deep III

[Zman]

After four minutes of intense searching and spotting Natalia determines that he Great Bird Rock is not within her immediate vicinity, nor it is visible in the distance any longer.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia hugs Miriam and says, "Everyone taught...Just took you longer to learn." Why couldn't she go and just buy a wrap though?

(Later)

Natalia looks around to see if she can spot any familiar landmarks.

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Take 20 on Search and Spot for 31 and 28, respectively.

Also, Survival: (d20+1)[3]

She can't find anything. In fact, she's not even sure where they are. "...Out of the valley?" Natalia asks tentatively. If only Henry were still alive...

[Athedia]

Mithril looked around the area. The enchantment surrounding her hand faded away long before and Whisker's collar no longer glowed. "I would rather not risk travelling in the dark." She did not want to admit how tired she felt, both physically and mentally.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"...I'm lost," Natalia reluctantly admits.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia looks to the others and asks, "Far from orcs...Rest for dawn?"

[Cavelcade]

"We've left heavy trails behind us and there are clear signs of a fresh fight here. If the orcs come this far, they'll be sure we were here - if the Ogres are with them, I don't think we can outmatch them...we should push on until full dark, at least. If we must camp..." Kurt looks around at them, seeing the slump of their shoulders he mutters something almost inaudible in dwarven. "If we must, we shouldn't light any fires, and should choose someplace hidden, away from the road. Orcs like the night, no need to make it easy if they do come after us."

His mind had been turning it over on the march, wondering what might happen. If his clan had suffered such an attack, while their leader was out, he knew they would assemble their warriors to hunt down the ones who did it. Especially if there were fresh allies nearby. But orcs...who knew what they'd do?

[achinca]

As the group set up camp, Miriam decides to heal the people who need it to help with their recovery.

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Heal - LTC - DC 15

(1d20+6)[17] - Kurt
(1d20+6)[24] - Valen
(1d20+6)[15] - Mithril
(1d20+6)[13] - Natalia
(1d20+6)[21] - Shiny
(1d20+6)[11] - Axara

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia says to Kurt in response, "Hours for us, hours for them. Meet us by day, when they're tired...We're ready."

She lays a bedroll out onto the ground, then flops back onto it. Though her body is weary, the day's images play over and over in her mind. She says, "Whichever watch."

[Zman]

Valen, listens intently to Kurt's words, Dwarf, can you navigate at night? I cannot. Lets just move carefully and quietly hiding our tracks until dark, and then make a secluded camp as you suggest."

As Valen speaks, he begins moving slower, more cautiously, making sure not to leave noticeable tracks.

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Move at 1/4 speed for the last hour or two to hide our passing?

[Cavelcade]

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Yes, Kurt will stop protesting at that.

Kurt nods at Valen's words, sensing the others are too tired to do much more anyway. "I'll lead until then. And we are already tired, Natalia, and our tracks easy to follow. We have to make it hard for them from here...then maybe. Maybe."

When they do stop at last, he stands at the edge looking out for a few minutes before finding a place to sit. "I'll take the first watch. I'll wake you when I need to sleep."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia follows cautiously, hiding nearly all traces of her passage. The moment it gets too dark to see, she stops.

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Only if we won't get lost.

"...Second," she says.

[Zman]

Once the group stops, Valen finds himself a comfortable spot to rest but find it difficult to stay asleep after a couple of hours...

Ahh, this ring is beginning to sustain me. In half a fortnight I'll no longer need to sleep more than a watch.

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Valen can take 3rd watch.

Watch Rotation
Kurt
Natalia
Valen,
Miriam
Shiny
Mithril
Each person has bout 1.5 hours, then we all have an hour in the Morning.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Before they rest, Natalia notices that Mithril doesn't have her bedroll on her. She goes over and asks, "In the cave? Sleep for the dead?"

Blushing, Natalia stammers out, "If you...Sleep, uh...Small, I, uh, small, curl up for...uh..."

[achinca]

As the group sets up for camp, Miriam goes and approaches Valen. "Mighty warrior, would you mind sharing your food with an humble cleric of St. Cuthbert." She smiles and adds "I will kneel if needed but I would rather not."

As the group get ready to go to sleep and Miriam notices Mithril and Natalia next to each other she smiles. She gets up and goes to the center of the camp. She clears her voice and starts speaking. "Friends" she looks at each group member and finish by Shiny and shakes her head like a mother will do looking at the problem child. "Some of you might have notice that since we left Alabaster cave, I have worn only a simple outfit and used simple equipment. I have also stopped using magical items and stopped gathering wealth. The reason is simple."

She stops and takes a deep breath. "As some of you know, I had a vision of my past which Mary in Hulburg taught me was a myth and a lie. Since then, I have had a hard time trying to justify my faith given what a teacher of my church did to me and other. However, St. Cuthbert had listen to me and offered me a chance to start at new. He has washed my doubts about Him but made me understand that my goal of helping the poor and the destitute can only be really achieved if I voluntary experience being poor and destitute and rely on other to survive. I accepted and thus took a Vow of Poverty." She stops to let it sink in before continuing.

"As a result, I have accepted a life without any significant possession. I can only have a simple outfit, likely a robe and a staff and crossbow. I will never again use a magic device or magical item. I will never have a cooper piece to my name. I will be a destitute. I will need to beg for food until St. Cuthbert tells me I do not need to to survive. I will need to beg for my magical components for my spell. And more importantly, I will give all the gold I find or earn to the poor and charitable causes. It is my choice. Some of you might disagree. But it is my choice."

[Cavelcade]

"You will never have to beg for food, Miriam." Kurt seems troubled by it, and shocked. She says it all in such a matter of fact manner than he can come up with no way to express his confusion that wouldn't be hurtful, so instead he offers her only the support he truly feels she deserves.

[Athedia]

Mithril smiled at Natalia's offer, "Thank you, so much. I am sorry to impose." She shrugged off her backpack and set to work preparing for sleep. Anyone who cared to look would notice that she was not opening her pack, and was trying to avoid looking at it whenever possible.

At Miriam's declaration she sat in stunned silence. Was this what had been troubling the cleric for so long, she could not imagine such a shaking in her faith. The idea of not using magic items puzzled her, Boccob gave people the ability to enchant those items so that knowledge could be gained from their use. Could they also not be used to benefit those less fortunate.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia smiles and says, "Not imposing."

(At Miriam's vow)

Natalia, who was conveniently drinking some water at the time, chokes mid-swallow and spews it all over the ground. After several moments of sputtering, she finally manages to spit out, "WHAT?!"

She storms over to Miriam, but can't find the words for what she's thinking (not that she could anyway), so she only shouts, "What, a punishment? Calric gave everything, so now give yourself nothing? Beg, stay a slave to others, always in debt? What better than before?!" She throws her hands up. "Yes to charity, yet to selflessness, but you...Selfless to self-destructive! Bring others up, not yourself down! Deny...yourself knowledge, power?"

She holds up the jet-black dagger. "This vow for our treasure hunting? Would have left it, blades for bats! Alabaster's dead, but not forgotten. Remember with items, with spells. Why leave forgotten, no use for the dead! What good in a life that leaves nothing behind?"

[Admiral]

In the awkward moment that follows, Shiny speaks quietly. "I think we should respect her choice- I don't even see why it's such a big deal. I've actually kept a vow of poverty for the last three years and nobody even noticed."

[Athedia]

Mithril hurriedly got to her feet and rushed to Natalia. Standing between the girl and Miriam she lowered the rogues arm, guiding the dagger back into its sheath. "Miriam, this was your decision to make. I hope you respect that when it comes time for us to make our own."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia doesn't resist, though she mutters, "Wasn't going to..."

She does continue trying to talk Miriam out of it. "What use, what point? Why? And...Just hurt us too! No wand, no healing! Gamble with Shiny for our lives?!"

[Cavelcade]

Kurt rushes over as well, shocked at the girl's sudden outburst. "Natalia! She has saved our lives - let her be!"

Looking around for any kind of distraction, he spots Mithril's sack and raises an eyebrow. "What's in there?"

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia sighs. Mithril and Cavelcade were right. And wasn't she thinking earlier that day...?

Still, she can't resist throwing Miriam's words from earlier back into her face. "Right...Your decision...Even if unwise. But still your decision."

When Kurt asks what's in the bag, she looks at Mithril nervously.

[Athedia]

"N.Nothing. Just the books and items from the cave is all." Mithril became slightly defensive when Kurt asked, letting go of Natalia to move back to her items. She knew the others wouldn't approve of her decision. Whiskers sensing her apprehension came to her side and rested by her foot.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Smell it soon," Natalia says in a low voice after she joins Mithril.

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That is, after any argument with Miriam once Achinca logs back in.

She adds, quietly, "I...Think yes too." She picks up a nearby pebble and turns it over and over in her hand. It doesn't have the cool smooth color that her wire (she misses her wire) feels like, but it'll do for now.

After a few minutes, eager to move off of Miriam from her mind, Natalia asks, "...Henry. Did you...?"

[Cavelcade]

Kurt blinks a bit, the sudden change making even the socially-blind dwarf suspicious but he doesn't pursue it, instead looking up at Miriam. "I didn't think you'd be as careless with your life as I am with mine. Is this carelessness? What use is this against an axe?" He touches her shirt lightly, looking up at her with concern, keeping his voice low.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia hears Kurt but bites her tongue, not wanting to say something she can't take back.

[achinca]

Miriam had expected the reaction but Natalia's was much stronger than she expected. She takes a step back as the dagger comes out but makes no effort to stop it. She lets everyone speak, listening carefully to each word.

When Natalia spits back her own words, she smiles. "You have learned, Natalia. This is good indeed."

When she catches Mithril making things up about what is in the bag, she goes along but says cryptically "We all have made or will make personal decision. The rest might be think they are unwise but we must respect them."

Finally she addresses Natalia first then Kurt. "Natalia, I am not a slave to anyone. I know that a lot of people have not chosen to be poor and miserable. I want to help them. I want to understand. And I want to be like. I don't have to worry about possession. And I join St. Cuthbert tomorrow, it will be with joy because I will leave behind only a dirty old brown robe, use sandal, a wooden stick and the knowledge that I gave everything I have to the poor and I did everything I could to help the destitute. I am not destroying myself, I am making myself closer to my God."

She turns to Kurt and the dwarf can see that his reproaches are cutting her harder than the others. "Sir Kurt, I respect you immensely. You care for me in my biggest moment of despair and showed me that there was still good in the realm. I am not careless. I don't need an armor as I now a direct link to my God that provide me protection. Of all the people here, I thought you would be the one who would understand putting one's needs behind the needs of others."

She turns around as she is emotionally drained. "I will sleep now. Tomorrow is a long march."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"And leave yourself..." Natalia says. Does Miriam really hate herself that much? She doesn't say much else; what is there to say?

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Natalia wasn't going to stab Miriam, she was just waving the dagger for effect. Also, from here I'm reinserting Natalia's previous conversation with Mithril, as that's where it picks up.

"Smell it soon," Natalia says in a low voice after she joins Mithril.

She adds, quietly, "I...Think yes too." She picks up a nearby pebble and turns it over and over in her hand. It doesn't have the cool smooth color that her wire (she misses her wire) feels like, but it'll do for now.

After a few minutes, eager to move off of Miriam from her mind, Natalia asks, "...Henry. Did you...?"

[Athedia]

"Did I what?" Mithril shifted over on the bedroll to make more room for Natalia. Her reply sounded slightly curt as she tried to hold back her pain.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Did you..."

Did you like him? What if it were me?

Natalia shakes her head and instead says, "...Doesn't matter." And really, it doesn't, so why should she make Mithril hurt more? She, they, would have probably done the same for anyone in the group. Liking Henry or not probably didn't factor into it. After all, she agreed to it as well. Though a finger would have been easier to transport.