The Wrong Guys IC III

[Savannah]

"I'm not one of their own," Rana says, sounding slightly sad. She hesitates, then continues, "Some people are alright, but the safest route for those with our talents is to not take chances."

[Strawberries]

Audric gets another little bit closer. The little girl makes him uncomfortable. Why in Aldaran's name doesn't she -speak-? he thinks to himself, confused, and is almost about to say it, to urge her to stop putting everyone in danger with such a careless use of magic, when he suddenly understands it. Knives that cut tongues the little girl had said.

"...oh." It's a faint whisper of realisation, and whoever is looking at Audric right now will notice quite a few emotions passing on his face. The Order doesn't condone pointless torture. The Order teaches to slay child sorcerers quickly, efficiently, and with as little pain as possible. But still, you would be required to take out your sword and kill her where she stands. Audric has never done that, never to children: a couple of times, he has walked straight past the place where he could hear muffled whimpers, purposefully ignoring the magic aura he could clearly perceive there....

...and then Rana answers, interrupting his train of thoughts, adding another little piece to the story she had told him what seems now a long time ago. Her whole village tried to kill her. No wonder she wanted to stay away from the city. No wonder she didn't trust me - she probably still doesn't. Audric can't thing of anything else to do: he just puts an hand on Rana's shoulder, squeezing gently for a moment before letting go. "[I'm sorry]" he whispers, in Elven.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Completely unaware of the tense conversation going on behind him, Llaars heads over to the warmth of the campfire and joins the halflings in their meal. Once he's served his portion, he reaches toward his pack and retrieves the silver tin. "I wouldn't feel like a proper guest if I didn't bring something of my own to share around the fire. Here ya go." After removing the lid, he retrieves a dried apple slice and sniffs it before downing it in one bite and passing the remainder around.

[Ajadea]

"I... I see..." The girl replies. "Thank you... for telling me this." She bites her lip, then turns and bolts into the crowd. And then through it - it looks like she's heading to the far side of a wagon.

Llaars pries the tin open after a moment of fiddling. One thing becomes instantly clear. Whatever is in here, it is not even remotely like dried apples. The tin is almost full of viscous silvery liquid, shimmering like oil. The inside of the lid is stained with the stuff. It smells like cold and metal.

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The tin was labeled as silver. Also, the apples are in the sack. They smell like apples.

[Strawberries]

Audric seems almost on the verge of following the girl, but changes his mind at the last moment. What would you do about it anyway? He definitely doesn't want to harm a little girl, and it seems she already has people to help and support her. He sighs and passes an hand through his hair, shooting a look at Rana to see if she wants to go after the little Halfling, then looks through the crowd to see if he can spot where Mari is... or any sign of the strange cloaked Halflings that had seemed so nervous earlier on.

spot - (1d20+3)[6]

[Jallorn]

Antal, however, does chase after the girl. Frozen by uncertainty and indecision before, he is finally motivated by the girl's own uncertainty and fear. He can help her, he's sure he can, assuming his understanding of magic is as good as he thinks it is.

[Savannah]

Rana stands up slowly, looking rather a lot sadder and more tired than she did when she first crouched down. She looks back at Audric. "The truth about the world is never easy when you are that age."

Shadow, meanwhile, has been sniffing around the camp and spots the pen of dogs. He trots over to sniff noses.

[Strawberries]

Audric starts shaking his head at her. "It doesn't have..." he starts, but then he actually thinks about what he's saying. Who am I trying to fool? She's right, of course it has to be like that. I tried to find another way and I lost everything. And then, on the wake of that thought You have to tell them, you know that, right? It isn't perhaps the best time, but he has to get that weight off his chest.

"Rana, I..." he swallows, uncertain of how to continue, then he realises that's probably better if he switches to elven, to try and guarantee at least a modicum of privacy. "[You... you asked me what was wrong, before. I think... I... I really have to talk to you]". To all of them, actually, but somehow it seems less daunting to start with her.

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((Yeah, yeah, he'll tell you. Just give him a second to gather his courage. ))

[Savannah]

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Oh, that talk. Right. I forgot about that talk...

Rana looks at Audric oddly, unsure for a moment if this is going to be about the things she'd said to the girl... Then she nods. "Alright, let's go make sure Shadow doesn't get in trouble with those dogs." She points to where the wolf is cautiously sniffing the halflings' riding dogs, over at the edge of camp where there are fewer people.

[DeafnotDumb]

Sorry, Jess thought, rarely regrew tongues or made survivors into young girls again. Looking at the fleeing child, she makes her decision, and takes Blackie off her shoulders and hands her to the nearby children with a chatter of Halfling before heading off after the mute girl. The black cat yowls furiously at her traitor mistress before getting enveloped by several curious hands.

Halfling

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"Gotta go and help someone. Halfing hospitality, you know? So I'll trust you to return the favour and look after Blackie here for me. She's my friend. Blackie, don't bite."

[Ajadea]

Audric cannot figure out where any of them went. It seems like all the halflings look the same - curly hair and leather armor, smiling and scarred.

The lone halfling starts when Shadow appears, but when he realizes that the wolf poses no threat, he allows Shadow to pace around the fence and sniff at the other dogs.

Blackie looks hurt and betrayed, but she grudgingly consents to being petted, or at least poked at. The children seem to have forgotten their resentment altogether, and are for now, immersed in playing with this fuzzy creature.

The halflings pass the dried apples Llaars offers around, each taking one or two chunks - at least, that you can see. The chunks of fruit are tough, as dried fruit tends to be, but sweet. One carves fat slices of rabbit, dripping with juice, and places them on serving platters. While the halflings serve themselves from one plate, a second one is passed to another halfling wearing an apron. She adds a ladle of boiled vegetables and a slab of crusty brown bread before passing the entire serving plate - now bearing a hearty human-sized serving of food- to Llaars.

Antal and Jess chase after the girl, catching up with her near the edge of the wagon circle.

Antal and Jess

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The girl stops when you catch up, staring up with wide fearful eyes. She fidgets, looking left and right, perhaps instinctively seeking an escape. But she does not say anything, yet.

[DeafnotDumb]

Jess crouches down, going to eye level with the girl, and then picks a rock up, making sure to hide what she is doing from the circle behind her. She throws the rock up and down a few times, and then winks as the rock hovers in the air for a few short seconds before dropping back down. She winks again, and holds a finger to her lips.

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Casting Mage Hand. I assume that Jess can hide what she's doing from people not the girl and Antal, either by keeping the hover short and relying on them not caring enough, or by hiding the action with her body?

[Strawberries]

Rana (and anybody who's near enough or wants to get near enough to hear)

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It is pretty clear that something has shaken Audric deeply. He looks exhausted - to be fair, he's looked exhausted since they've left Diamond Lake, but now there are tears in his eyes, and he seems to have difficulties holding her gaze.

(In Elven) "[I...]" he passes an hand through his hair, and tries again. "[There's something I have to tell you. I am not... I... Aldaran has turned from me. I am not a paladin anymore.]" It sounds so strange, hearing it said out loud. Audric clenches his hands, trying very hard to avoid shivering.

[Savannah]

Audric

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Rana's eyes widen and she looks sharply around. "[What?! How did they find out? Did you talk to them or did they find us? Did we lead them here?]"

[Strawberries]

Rana

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Audric frowns, deeply confused. "[I...what? Who do you mean?]" He tries to follow her gaze, trying to understand what she's looking at.

[Savannah]

Audric

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Rana frowns as well, apparently just as confused. "[The....paladins. Who kicked you out. You didn't go back to the temple after the incident with Yistin, so they must have come to you. Or are you just saying that what happened with Yistin will get you kicked out when you go back? Because I thought we already knew that.]"

[Strawberries]

Rana

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He looks at her strangely for a couple of seconds before realising the misunderstanding. "[No, I... I did not speak to anyone.] ". She is a druid, and an elf. He shouldn't have assumed that she knew anything about paladins, really. "[What I meant is... we... we are what we are because... because A-Aldaran blesses us...them... w-with the power to enforce justice in the world.]" His voice breaks and he has to swallow a couple of times in the middle of the sentence. He is clearly very near to tears. "[I do not have that power anymore. I... I am not in His light anymore.]" he repeats, hoping she will understand this time.

[Savannah]

Audric

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Rana is clearly still confused. "[But...how do you know?]"

She shakes her head slightly, as if dismissing her own question, and takes a step closer to Audric, reaching towards him but not quite daring to hug him.

[Strawberries]

Rana

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He seems too upset to actually realise that she has come near him with the intent of hugging him. He doesn't step back, but he doesn't make any move towards her, either. "[You have seen me using my... Aldaran powers]" he explains. "[Every time I healed you. Every time I was a-able to sense magic auras.] " A couple of tears are running down his cheeks, now. "[I tried to do it before, to p-perceive if Mari was a sorceress... and I couldn't. That is when I knew.] "

[Savannah]

Audric

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"[Oh. I...see...]" Rana stares at her toes, rubbing a small spot on the ground, not quite sure how to react.

"[I...I could teach you my magic? That way you can heal again, at least?]" She sounds rather doubtful, but it's the best she can come up with.

[Ajadea]

Antal, Jess

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The girl breathes in sharply, eyes wide in surprise. It is the most sound either of you have heard her make so far - even so, that is nearly drowned out by the clamor of activity around you. She smiles back, hesitantly, and mimics Jess, putting a finger to her lips.

[Jallorn]

I can't show off any tricks like that, Antal whispers, hoping the sense of secrecy might be a little fun for the kid, but I've learned a little magic, and I've found that an outsider's view can be quite illuminating. Your form of communication, for example, can be dangerous, I might be able to help you learn to control it.

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Here's hoping he's not promising the moon and has at least some idea what to do to help.

Knowledge (Arcana)+Inspiration: (1d20+12)[23]

[Strawberries]

Rana (And possibly Tayet, if he's eavesdropping)

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Audric stares at Rana for a moment, before making a sound which is half a sob and half a chocked laughter. That's pretty much the only reaction he can think about having while still preserving a modicum of sanity. He wipes the tears from his eyes and attempts a smile. It doesn't come out very convincing "[I... Thank you, but... no. I could not use your kind of magic].". He can't turn his back to his belief just like that.

And what use exactly would you be, now, if your allies needed you? a tiny little seed of doubt at the back of his head challenges him. Audric shakes his head in the attempt to shut it up. By some miracle, he succeeds. "[I would have to...]"meditate, he guesses. Pray. Not something he has ever been particularly good at. "[...to think about what to do, I suppose]". He tries putting on a brave face, but he is still clearly frightened and distressed.

[Ajadea]

Antal, Jess

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To her credit, the kid seems to understand the large and complicated words Antal has thrown at her. Her 'voice' comes at a whisper, little more than a subconscious thought - you aren't even sure if it is possible for others to eavesdrop on what she has to say. "I do not hurt. Never. I have been hurt. I do not hurt. I will not..... I do not want to do, the things that the outside have done to me." Her words sound like a silent plea.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

There's a brief moment where the big man is registering the contents of the tin to himself before quickly popping the lid back on the container. "Eheheh... wrong container..." And with that he reaches for the sack of dried apples and allows them to be passed around the fire.

[Jallorn]

Ajadea, Jess

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That's good, in fact, that's excellent, Antal smiles widely, trying to put the girl at ease, Judging from your ability to whisper, I don't think it will take nearly as much work as I'd feared. Why don't we start by getting to know each other better?

[DeafnotDumb]

Ajadea, Antal

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"I'm Jess," Jess says, smiling, "and this is Antal. What's your name?"

[Ajadea]

Antal, Jess

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"Eri," she whispers, smiling back. Her posture is more relaxed now, though not entirely so.

[DeafnotDumb]

Ajadea, Antal

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Time to test out a theory. "Do you know how to write, Eri?" Jess asks, still with a smile on her face.

[Ajadea]

Blackie is being passed around like a fuzzy doll at this point - the children seem quite enamored of the small black cat. Around the fire, the average volume of conversation has steadily since the meal began. Whatever they're talking about, they aren't being quiet about it. Second and third helpings are freely offered, and any suggestions of a plate being empty are quickly smothered under another slice of bread or scoop of vegetables.

Antal, Jess

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Eri bites her lip and shakes her head, looking ashamed.

Considering the amount of people at the fire, you're honestly surprised it isn't louder. A conversation with that many halflings more often than not deteriorates into a wave of interruptions, interjections, and tangents, but this one seems focused on recent events - fire, strange bigfolk showing up, and destinations.