The lion figurine quickly grows into a large male lion only black in color. unlike any lion any of you have ever seen. Even the whites of it's eyes and teeth are black. It comes to sit in front of the Falcon,clearly waiting for instructions.

A'kos stares at the black figure of the lion, his eyes intent, as if he's silently communicating with him, then grins broadly and looks at the others.

"I think the beast wants to hunt," he says.  "Anyone care to join us?"

"Go play with your pet, Falcon," pouts Jaleh mischievously.  "I'll be here keeping warm by the fire."

"It is a wondrous creature. I will remain here and rest while you watch. Wake me when you return."

The onyx lion tilts it's head back and roars at A'kos but it not a roar of anger instead somehow it conveys a sort of fondness and good will to all who hear it.

The beast goes from standing to sitting and just waits for A'kos to move out.

Nodding to Jean, A'kos measures the trail and turns toward the way they've yet to tread.

"Come, Leo," he says, and jogs quickly into the darkness.

The onyx lion bounds into the hills with A'kos in the lead. The rest of the party continue to make camp. It is a relatively warm night and the moon is bright.

Balthazar takes out his copy of the 'Papers and Paychecks' rpg from his backpack to pass the time. "Anyone want to play?  I've got an adventure lined up where you all get to play rich businessmen in an industrialized society who try to cheat the masses out of millions.  It's hard not to win this game, because if you screw up the government bails you out anyway."

Zmija takes some time away from his usual quiet meditation and sits next to the Hedonite..."A game? What sort of game can one play with a book, where are the game pieces, the gameboard?"

"Nonsense Balthazar! No King would allow such foolishness!"

Loukas has interest in his eyes, but he conveys a certain dubiousness in his tone, "'Paychecks' I know of paper, but what are these other things? My family's company is rich, and I admit that my older brothers happily kept me out of their affairs, but I am unsure I have heard of such. I agree with Jean that such things sound rather unusual. Perhaps you Magi are spending a bit too much time with the magical ingredients?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:48, Thu 17 Dec 2009.

Before Balthazar can expound on his strange game, there is a rustle in the brush and out pops A'kos holding a small onyx statue of a lion.

A'kos approaches the fire and says, "But a short ways is a narrow aqueduct running in the direction of the city - likely a freshwater inlet because I didn't smell sewage and it was being patrolled by cavalry.  Something to think about as we move out on the morrow."

Stowing the lion he moves to sit next to Jaleh and makes himself comfortable.

Zmija sits up when he hears A'kos speak of the aqueduct leading into the city. "This could be very important information. you and your feline companion did well to scout ahead this night."

"Of course," nods A'kos sleepily.  "I would have followed the patrol, but they were on horseback and would've outrun me.  The thought occurs even now that Storm's Wind could catch them up, but I would not risk him throwing a shoe or worse on the rough ground this night."

"Yes, good work, A'kos. It is not only useful information for tomorrow, but tonight as well. Even if the aqueduct is a ways away it is useful to know that enemy patrols are not far from us. We will need to be attentive in our watches."

Jean sleeps in preparation for his own watch.

Sleepily, A'kos looks at the sleeping Frank knight.

"Jean, I'm back...your turn to watch."

With that the Falcon rests his head upon Jaleh's thigh and tries to fall asleep.

Jaleh hardly stirred as A'kos laid his head on her thigh. She had been simply listening to the discussion herself with little to add, so thus, said nothing. She stroked A'kos hair while trying to position herself a bit more comfortably to sleep.

The night passes and all remains quiet. Various members of the group rotate taking turns with sentry duty and sleeping. Zmija does not sleep.

 A glow can be seen to the south beyond the city in the dark if one strains hard enough to see it.

The morning is quiet an unseasonably warm. Zmija has prepared some sort of buckwheat gruel that is actually quite appetizing.

Up with the dawn A'kos stretches wearied muscles.

"Oy," he mutters.  "Nothing like the soreness of the saddle when you haven't been riding in awhile."

"What's this Zmija?" he asks, approaching the fire.  Taking a spoonful of the gruel he sniffs it suspiciously, then sticks a finger in and tastes the concoction.

"Hmm, it tastes...healthy."

Shrugging, he begins to eat.

Balthazar says, "I look forward to the day's mission.  Been a while since I cast a spell in anger.  So what exactly is our mission again?  Just to find out anything useful, or do we want to make a meaningful stab at disabling those towers that guard the harbor?"

Jaleh, upon awakening joins the others by the fire and helps herself to some of the gruel while listening to Balthazar. He was getting right to business, which she was quite happy with at the moment.

Tucking into his breakfast, Loukas replies to Balthazar, "Our mission is to climb the wall and drop a rope to our boys on the ground. Simple, eh?"

"Ah, gotcha."  OOC: I totally missed that earlier.  Glad I asked.



Yeah, the kidding around has been found but now it's time to kick this game into high gear.