Kobal turns to face the father of Nixa and Sand Fox.  "If Storm Bulls come, so much the better.  Then they can speak to the truth that these harpies bear no taint, and bear the word elsewhere.  They would be helpful too in rooting out any Chaos which yet lurk in this place."



"The Black Shields are allies of the Prairie Thunder, and those bonds have drawn the two clans closer.  I cannot speak of intentions.  Firstly, I am a young brave and am not privy to such discussions, nor would it be my place to speak for my clan or the Black Shields.  Secondly, I have been away from my clan for much of the recent seasons, and truly have not heard news for some weeks."  Such as my arranged marriage to a Black Shield...  "However, it is my hope that my marriage to your khan's daughter will bring our two clans, and also the Black Shields, together."



Kobal turns back to the priestess.  "Aye, praise to Waha, who first dug a canal, Wise One."  He thinks it strange that the gift of water in this harsh land would ever be seen as a chore, but holds his tongue in that respect.  Maybe it is because he follows the path of Waha while Brinna worships Eiritha.  "The pools will be cleansed in time, I am sure.  But the Temple has limited attendees and we Wandering Rangers have our own duties, both to the Earth Witch and our own clans.  We work so that in future, water will not be so hard to access, either here or anywhere across Prax.  Then will the Wastes need a new name."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:47, Tue 01 Mar 2016.

Food is brought for the three Rangers and the small groups settle down for a friendly meal, not something that Kobal would have thought possible a season ago. Conversation is kept as unpolitical as possible, with talk of herd health, recent raids and what the Lunars were planning next.

Once more Kobal feels eyes on him and after sometime spies a small group of women watching from just outside the tent's light. He suspects that in their midst is his future wife.

Noticing his look and giving the chieftain a quick glance Brinna suggests "Now that the meal is over why don't you and your friends take some air Kobal?"

Eating with the Red Thorns was not something Kobal expected.  They're not so bad, he thinks, except for that shaman and his followers.  Still, he's not completely at ease as he eats, even though he tries to affect the demeanour of a comfortable guest.

Without trying to be obvious, he peers now and then into the cluster of women to see if he can work out which is Jella.



With a nod, and finishing his last mouthful, he gets up.  "Khan, Wise One, thank you for sharing your food and drink with us.  Unless there is anything else you wish to speak of, we should return to our brothers and sisters.  I think they are even now working on cleansing the pools.  I look forward to my wedding day."

At the spirit's request, Voras turns and moves to retrieve the ensorcelled javelin he cast over to the island before.

"It's no axe or spear, but now we can see better and I can defend us with more than fists and feet."

Once he has the javelin planted in the earth at his side, he continues to help Sand Fox attend to Ohanzee.

It takes but a moment for another light spell to be cast, javelins recovered and arrange for the Harpies to come and lift the three braves to safety.

Once on the other side, Ohanzee is placed gently on the ground, where his terrible wounds are there for all too see. Except for his blue arm his skin is totally gone, removed by the Toad's digestive juices. Thankfully he's unconscious and oblivious to what has happened.

Landing gently at his side the Harpy Queen inspects the fallen brave. This is the first time  that Melock, Voras and Sehana have seen the feathered creatures up close. The Queen's attendants, white feathered and uncharacteristically clean, surround their leader. Strange bird and human hybrids the women cluck and caw protectively as they mill about.

The queen on the other hand is brown feathered and towers over all present, surrounded by a charismatic magical field that magnifies her beauty tenfold.

"You must get aid. My divine gifts have been used up and he will need special magic for this."

Sehana almost weeps to see what has become of Ohanzee. Though she can hear the Harpy Queen -- and behold all her radiant beauty -- Sehana kneels beside the blue-armed brave and takes out her mortal and pestle as quickly as her hands can fumble them. She delicately places all the paste she can grind on the skinless form and chants as she casts the last of her magics.

He watch's, from the tunnel entrance, with wide eyes as the harpy queen lands with Ohanzee, "Thank you Hilimaz Mushen for bringing my fellow raven back to safety." He looks at Ohanzee and shakes his head while smiling, "Always trying to out do me. It's nothing but a flesh wound." He turns on his heel and runs to the entrance of the temple hoping to find an axe sister who can get the Earth Witch.

Sehana's spells help Ohanzee, bringing the Raven brave to full consciousness and a whole heap of pain, just in time to be joined by an old Impala woman, who coming fresh from healing Greeshar can only sigh and raise her eyes to he sky in exasperation.

"Looks like you boys are going to keep me busy all week. How about you steer clear of the water like we all do, eh?"

She looks at Sehana "You have done a good job, but he will now be scarred for life. Some times it is better to wait and heal everything at once. Though I suspect this one will carry this reminder with pride."

The priestess proceeds to heal Ohanzee's wounds and true to her word the brave's skin, bar his magical blue arm, is now rough to the touch. He's not a pretty sight at all, though she says this will calm down over time...

"No more prodding around the pool young man, you hear me? Old Croak gonna take more than the likes of you to get rid off. Wiley old fella he is."

A funny look comes over her face as she stares at the brave's hands still clasped firmly together

"What you got there?"

The Copper Man mas not come to speak with me for a long time. He said he must go away to fight a great evil. He tried to tell me of this evil but his words were lost, what do I know of such things, what do I know of going away, I am here, I have always been here, I will always be here.

Screams! The frantic beat of wings and the legs carrying the shadow vanish into the element above. Beasts, humans, birds, I hear panicked cries! What is happening, why do they flee? My surface is shattered in a hundred places as the hooves and feet of the running try to make a run from one side of me to another. No, not through the middle little ones, I'm too deep there, too deep and too wide you are not strong enough swimmers, why do you throw your lives away?

ARGH! What is this feeling along my bank? It is... all possibilities and no future... it is change without no purpose but change itself... it is all corrupting... is this the evil the Copper one spoke of?

It infects those it touches, spreads through them if they give over to it, destroys them if they resist. Run, fly swim, get away all of you! I cannot run nor swim, nor fly, I have always been here I will always be here, I will endure.

ARGH! Deep, I will go deep, too deep for the corruption to follow. Come friends, come with me come deep. I will protect you all, come with me. My surface is touched not by the light of the Bright Treasure now it is covering with the smear of corruption and death. The young ones are trapped now, no where to swim to, the corruption comes from all sides and is nearly upon them. I must save their souls, I must swallow them and keep their souls clean within me to save them.

Come little ones, do not be afraid, swim deep with me and we shall endure together. Deeper, deeper, that's it, do not worry about the air, I will fill your lungs and you can stay safe with me, pure, clean, endure.

No Croak always the greedy one this you cannot eat come deep with me. No! Damn you you foolish creature I told you could not eat that, now it consumes you! ARGH! My old friend is no more, but what he has become even eats me! Deeper, I must go deeper with those I keep safe, deeper, keep clean, keep pure, keep them clean.

Ohanzee sits up gasping for breath and immediately regrets the reflex action "Argh!" His gaze is distant but he slowly focuses as he speaks "I'm here... still here... deep..." He at the old priestess as her words slowly flow into his conciousness "It's still here". He lowers his gaze to his hands and at last opens them "So deep but still endures." and there cupped in his two hands is a beautiful blue gem the size of a tangerine.

Amara stood in shock at the state of Ohanzee. She knew that there was nothing she could do for him to speed him on the way to recovery. A tear streaked down her cheek, as her concerns grew. "If he's not dead, I'm going to kill him." she muttered under her breath. The tensions showing in her posture and eyes....and then he spoke....and at once the relief overwhelmed her.

Amara moved forward to Ohanzee's side and kicked him hard "Don't you ever go doing this again."

Hovering nervously at the edge of the group, wincing at Ohanzee's hurts but giving those more skilled some space to do their work, Hoskar winks as Ohanzee's hands unclasp and he catches a glint of something shiny. Going to make someone the happiest girl alive? he murmurs into space; only to wince as Amara's foot hits raw flesh.

He takes a step forward, as if to intervene, then stops; retreating to his old position and for once keeping his mouth firmly shut.

As Amara's foot connects with the Raven braves still raw flesh it is all that he can to to stay concious as he roars in pain reflexively gripping the gem tightly again in his hands.

Amara looked uncomfortable as Ohanzee roared. "It seems like pain itself isn't enough of a teacher for you to stop. What are we supposed to do with you? You go hunting in the places and drag us all into your little plans, whether we wish to or not, to save your hide. I've lost count of the number of times we've had to go save you. You'd be part of the wind many times over if it weren't for us...and do you learn?" Amara scowled, as she got angry at Ohanzee "No, you don't. Some day, you will get yourself into trouble that not even we can rescue you from....and then vaunted River King, you will be nothing."

Amara clearly wanted to hit Ohanzee again, but sighed heavily thorugh her nose and walked just out of reach to avoid the temptation of hitting him again.

From one of the tunnels Salen emerged, frowning and rubbing his head like he'd just been kicked by a Bison, or perhaps a horde of them. He looked like he would throw up at any moment. The sight of Amara kicking someone - Ohanzee this time - was hardly a surprise, but the Raven looked in bad shape himself. It didn't stop the Vingan from getting into it verbally...which made Salen smile through his own discomfort.

"You two really do act like an old married couple! You'll still be arguing like this when you're sixty-four!

So, what happened?"

Leaper looks down at Ohanzee and the up at Salen, a look similar to Amara's on his face

"Raven risking all our necks again. Though truth be told, any of us could have been snatched by that Toad. Big fella and it escaped back into the water. He's lucky yo be alive."

He bows to the Impala priestess who had just healed Ohanzee "Thank you honoured one, you are most wise and good. We do not take your gift for granted and I am sure Ohanzee will repay you most generously."

The Priestess had been examining the gem in Ohanzee's hand when Amara came up and kicked the brave. The look of compassion turns to one of fury as she turns on the red head.

"You dare kick someone healed by me...In the presence of a Priestess of Eiritha, in the grounds of a holy temple? A lay member of this cult and you show such disregard?"

"Guards hold her at once!"

Amara finds herself surrounded by four of the High Llama Axe sisters , long handed axes held at her neck.

When he see's Ohanzee moving around, Melock breaths a sigh of relief but still doesn't approach him and keeps glancing towards the pool and then back to Ohanzee. When he see's Amara's reaction to Ohanzee's injuries, he looks puzzled but then a big grin starts spreading across his face, which quickly turns in to a sympathetic wince as she kicks him. When Amara starts her tirade, he looks around at the others, "What did I miss while you were away? She's never cared about him that much before." He looks on in shock as Amara is surrounded by Axe sisters, but realises that there's nothing he can do to calm the situation down so, for once, he keeps quiet.

Amara whirled on the priestess "And you dare interfere in my business with my husband which does not concern you one iota. Yes, you healed him this time, but the kick I gave him wasn't going to kill him. I am appreciative of the aid you provided to him. My kick was intended to hurt him and serve as a reminder of the number of times I and others among us have hauled him from danger. There was no need for him to go poking his nose into the cliff toad and once again, the man without thought managed to get himself into trouble. Why are you concerning yourself in the business between a husband and wife. This does not concern you. Go away."

Amara hissed as the Axe sisters drew close "I am telling you once more. This is none of your concern priestess. If you had to rescue him from situations of his own devising, time after time, you might be upset at his constant lack of regard for his own life and the lives of those who go rescuing him. What I did here, was remind him that every time he does this, he puts more than his own life in jeopardy." Amara drew her sword "Now if you really want to start something here, then so be it."

The Harpy Queen looks on in interest.

"She is right, you showed much lack of respect Amara Brightsky."

Amara threw her sword on the ground. "Very well. Do what you must."

Keeping his voice low, so he doesn't attract the attention of the axe sisters, he whispers to the others close to him, "I've missed you guys, its been too quiet without you.

"One day Melock, you will look back on this quiet time and wish you could come back to it. Although, being Raven yourself, perhaps not! These two are headcases, but then again so are most of the Rangers. I guess its just Hoskar and I that provide the calm heads...Condor's way."

As Amara draws a blade - in the presence of an Earth Priestess, no less! - Salen actually smiles. He has seen this many times before.

"You think one day, one day she'll finally get it. At some point. But she's got Vinga and Thunderbird in her, but what looks a lot like Storm Bull and Babeester Gor too! So then you wonder if she ever will. Part of me hopes she doesn't, because she's way more interesting this way.

Barking mad, but interesting."

He smiles, "You're joking right? Do you know how humourless these Axe Sisters are? When Delenda cracked that joke earlier, I almost fell off my seat in shock. I think anyone who wants to join us is probably a bit mental," he points to Sehana, "Take her for example, she was willing to wrestle Akala."

Still shocked at Ohanzee's scream, Hoskar is again slow to react, standing blankly at first. Salen's words, however, penetrate his numbness and his memory flashes back to a campfire. Standing there saying nothing, Krakka and Amara glaring, no words of peace coming, disorder to follow. Learn, man, learn from past mistakes.

Calm heads, Salen? Yes, I suppose so. Sorry, Melock: need to make this one less interesting if I can.

Shouldering forward, making Issaries's rune with fingertips as he goes he stands as close as he dares to the argument, and speaks quietly in measured, calm tones.

Mercy and pardon we beg. That which seems ill can be fair: care in healing and care in teaching I have seen here, the smooth and the rough but two sides of a coin just as the earth cries out for healing and protection through the green.

In respect for the temple, for healing, and for the earth we cannot he lays down the Earth Knight's shield reverently upon the ground miss our grasp on one another. In respect for the sword of the protecting wind he unbuckles his father's sword, laying it equally carefully atop the shield we hold that the sword also saves.

He looks around, increasingly astonished at his own temerity.

Each day now, as I take up these tools from the earth and for the earth, I hope to honour all in work for the green.

His face increasingly nervous, glances flitting around, his voice cracks and nearly dries up.

I'm sorry. What is the price of harmony? he husks as his words peter out and he bends down; maybe in respect or maybe to retrieve the items he placed down.