"Because I've never heard of any other man doing it." There's a note of smugness in his voice, "When it's rider wakes up, I'm sure it'll come back."

Ohanzee nods and then looking at his arm replies "Yes, a bit of a story at least."

Then looking up he adds "That tale includes a theft too and is a long one but I'll start not at the beginning, but at Corflu where that chapter started."

He coughs "Got any thing else that might wet a throat though, perhaps something a little more mundane?"

A skin of oasis date wine is placed in his hand, given by Mal the Calm.

"It's safe..."

Keeping watch

Looking one way then another as Kobal responds and hastens to aid one exigency, Hoskar whimpers; momentarily out of control; then turns to Elwood .

Please stay and watch he implores. Without a witness to the big fellow's behaviour, someone will probably kill him on principle. Besides, later I can tell you the tale of Melock's achievements. You'll scarce believe how often he's saved our necks to your family's credit.

If he roars, flee.

He scampers off in search of missing Raven.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:06, Sun 10 July 2016.

Still looking around everywhere, eyes wild, Hoskar spends precisely time enough to check his friend will live, then remarks Well done. If you're lucky she'll let you keep your cock. Dried. As a pendant. Winking once, he scuttles into the night to see how his intended watch is going.

From just over Hoskar's left shoulder and with a hint of worry, "She won't be that upset, will she?" His voice become lighter and worry free, "If she can't see me, she can't hurt me." There's a sound of hands being rubbed together, "Now what else can I do tonight?" His ensuing laughter fades into the darkness.

"Cheers" he says taking a swig from the skin. Then as the warm nectar flows down his throat he composes his thoughts, remembering what to tell and what to leave out of the tale.

And he starts "It is a tale of trickery and theft, of revenge and counter revenge, of glamours and cheats, of exile and of love, of foreign sorcerous magics and bargains struck."

"The story continues as we arrive at Corflu, a more fly infested place I've never known. We were advised to keep a low profile by the riverfolk we went with, but telling a Raven not to do something is like telling the river not to flow!"

"So I ended up in the market of that stink hole, a place filled not just with river folk, but foreigners of all types, Moonies for the most part."

He smiles at the memory "Now I may not know their language and I may not know their way, but one thing I do know is a schemer when I see them at work and I know glamour when I see one!

"And that's just what I saw, one of the Moonie merchants was a schemer and no mistake and he was using a glamour to make his wares seem far more valuable than they were. So there I was watching when she turns up looking for something to trade for; I'd have said a bargain, but I think the coin was no problem for her either way." He smiles at the memory and there is a slight sigh.

"He tried to scam her, but didn't reckon on two things. Firstly he being there to spot his scam and secondly her stealing my heart."

"So I stepped in, pointed out the trickery to try to get myself noticed. Foreign she was, but the daughter of one of the foreign khans no less and this was another thing that the cheating trader hadn't counted on."

"When I spoilt his scheme it cost him the cloth he was trying to sell, his reputation and his place in that town."

He puls back the sleeve on his top to reveal the scar at the shoulder where the poisoned bolt had struck "That is where the envenomed crossbow bolt struck" he points towards his stacked gear "Fired by that very weapon!"

"He sent his goons after me and they damn near killed me. Luck would have it though it was witnessed by a sorcerer from over the waters, a Man-and-a-half no less!"

"Some of the others had blagged their way into his good books and he cured the arm with his foreign ways and turned it blue at the same time!" There is a strange smile that suggests that he is boastful at having foreign, even taboo magics used and not being afraid or changed by the process.

"I served him for some time as we headed north up the river which was okay because it was what we were doing anyway." He grins wickedly "And Raven was smiing because it put me on the same boat as the merchant and his goons who were fleeing from the place north."

"They didn't get far and I got their weapon." He laughs "And the group got their trade goods too!"

"When we got far enough North the Agamori sorcerer offered to remove the colour for the service done, but I told him to leave it. I like it and it suits the path I had started on even though I didn't know it back then."

He looks at the arm again and traces the Water runes on it with his finger "These though, these were a later addition and a whole other chapter in the story."

Amara sat seething in rage at Melock for doing what he did. It was one thing to ride someones mount with permission. It was quite another to just steal it. Her anger showed only in how tightly she clenched her javelin. Her eyes casting for any sign of Melock, she was rather unsure if she would try to kill him....and now he'd just made an enemy of the unicorn rider and caused her mount to flee.

"You are more confident than I that her mount will return. How could you?" Amara felt betrayed by Melock after all of the effort they'd put in to try to unite the tribes.

In reply to Amara Brightsky (msg # 951):

For once Melock is silent, perhaps not wanting to give Amara something to aim at, or perhaps he's not near enough to hear her.

Kobal rolls his eyes in exasperation and offers a silent prayer to Thunder Bird to protect him from invisible Ravens.  For added protection: Haaro, make sure Melock doesn't try anything on me tonight.  He doesn't want to be the butt of any of the brave's pranks.

Ohanzee's story captures all the new comers' attentions and there's applause at the end...Banging of thighs and knife handles on stones.

"A good story indeed and I look forward to hearing the rest....Ah.... it seems like our stealer of Unicorns is back"

Choway speaks to the darkness beyond the fire, obviously able to see Melock even though others can't. With a snap of her fingers and the mumbled words of a charm Melock's shape glows from a well cast detection spell.

"So...Was it worth it? A true Raven going against conformity and throwing sense to the wind....I salute you and whatever horrible geas the beast and it's owner places on you for breaking a Taboo."

Ohanzee looks over at the glowing outline and smiling breaks into impromptu verse

"Melock rode a fine unicorn,
A beast with one great long horn.
But now that beast so proud is gone
And has it taken Melock's own horn?
Are his own riding days now all done?
Wild Pastures will be so forlorn!"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:30, Mon 11 July 2016.

Amara looked at Ohanzee wearily. It was all well and good to make fun of Melock, but the fool had just turned a very positive event into a disaster. How would they possibly unite all of the tribes of prax when they break the rules and for what? Amara wasn't sure what possessed Melock, but she was sure there would be a lot of fallout and grief for the rangers as a result. They may have saved the rider, but at the cost of losing her mount?

"Of course riding a mount few get to ride was worth it." The glow moves so there is someone between him and Amara, "Everything will work itself out."

"Breaking a Taboo usually does" laughs the other Raven as she stokes the fire with a wicked grin and a total disregard for the heat.

Hoskar finds Elwood carving a piece of bone with a short bladed knife. Pointing below the Humakti asks "So that thing that's following you about and what seems to be sleeping now. What are you going to do with it? Mostali you say?..:Saw one of them up in the Rubble once. Odd, with more Iron on it than is in the whole of the Wastes. Saw it kill a troll. One of the big 'uns too."

Below them Bigmouth snores amongst the Bison.

Henal grimaces at Ohanzee's song.

Joke all you want Raven, but to break taboo is bad and breaking hospitality is worse. How can you ride someones mount unbidden? Would you want your bison or rhino to be ridden by someone without your permission?

A sick traveller is with us and to take and ride their mount without asking and with no cause but your own desires? How can you do that and call yourself a Ranger?

Ohanzee takes another drink of the date wine returning Henal's gaze and then belches loudly before replying "You're talking to the wrong Raven." he nods towards the glowing outline.

"Thank you, I intend to joke about it as much as I can." The glow that is Melock moves its shoulders in a shrug, "I'm not that possessive about Stinky, as long as they return him, which I fully intended to do with the unicorn, I don't have a problem." The tone of his voice becomes serious, "I call myself Ranger, because Emesh-Ga calls me Ranger..." He seems about to say more, but stops himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:07, Tue 12 July 2016.

Amara snickered to herself, thinking about what Melock had done. "Hmmm, I have no idea what will happen to you Melock, but whatever it might be, you brought it on yourself. I have to wonder if Wild Pastures might see you as a fitting husband still. Will breaking the taboo affect just you...or all of your herd as well?"

A bit worried about Amara's comments, his voice becomes a bit uncertain, "Why would it affect anybody other than me? She'll be impressed with what I did."

Amara spoke solemnly "Because we are supposed to be the protectors of the green. It's guardians. We're supposed to help promote the spread of the Green....and the unicorns are intrinsicly bound to the Green too. As the green disappeared, so did they. They are the symbol of the Garden and sacred. And we...who are supposed to protect and encourage the sacred parts of it, the ones who's job is only complete when unicorns are strong and thriving...well...what did we do? One of us chose to think it might be fun to ride one as no other man has done." Amara's eyes narrowed "And fertility is bound to Earth, along with the unicorns. Your herd is part of you and part of the Earth....and you've delivered a deadly insult to it. Frankly, given what has just happened...I wonder if you'll ever see a child or a foal born in your herd ever again. But you just had to do it didn't you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:51, Tue 12 July 2016.

Ohanzee pipes up again

"When you're not up to the job
And Wild Pastures is feeling blue
Then Console yourself
It's me stepping in for you."

He laughs and then asks the visiting braves "Want another instalment?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:23, Tue 12 July 2016.

"You're right, we are all protectors of the Green. There's no reason why it won't effect all the Rangers as well." He lets that thought sink in, "I'd say our job will be complete when all around us is as green as it is by the permanent serpents, though if the lost tribes returned, that would probably mean we've done well." His glow starts pacing as he thinks about the other things Amara said, "Its not really a deadly insult, if I'd attacked it or killed it, that would be a deadly insult." He stops walking and picks up a small stone and chucks it at Ohanzee, "I'd be more worried about her running off with Greeshar than you." Laughing, he resumes his pacing, "Besides, as Choway said, it was a very Raven thing to do." a hint of uncertainty again creeps in to his voice, " They'll understand, I'm sure."

Ohanzee smiles "Everyone knows what Amara says, it is taboo for a man to ride a unicorn."

His smile broadens "And all but the stupid know that the reason is that they will suck the fertility from a man's loins as he sits astride their back."

He laughs "Wild Pastures carries your child already? You are lucky to have that one at least."