Ohanzee straighten himself up having barely managed to keep his footing and turns back to the rhino. He walks slowly from its nose to stand beside it, all the time his hand on it.

"Will you abide to have a rider atop? Will you let me ride upon your back? " he says as he runs his hands onto the breasts back and presses down, though with his size and its he can apply little weight.

Of it does not react badly the he tries to vault onto it.

And before he knows it Ohanzee is atop the male Granite Rhino. It just stands there awaiting orders.

It's not much bigger than his last Rhino but it's two horns and rocky skin give it added advantages.

"Come, meet my herd." he says to the Granite Rhino "We travel now to the Walled City of Pavis. This is my queen, Angelika Snowspear. We are escorting her and these others" here points to the Sages and the durulz then starts pointing to the members of the Wandering Rangers naming them as he does so "These are our actual herd, members of the Wandering Rangers, Kobal, Temush" Too late he realises that by naming each Ranger he has left out the names of those not present, Amara and Melock but falls silent hoping that Angelika will not notice that their names were not said.

"I think that you will have to stay outside of that place. Rhinos are not welcome, but I think too many would welcome the chance to trap you."

"I will call you Feldspar."
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 13:59, Wed 22 Feb 2017.

Angelika is not so stupid...Growling out the question

"Where's Amara and Melock?"

"You have heard of Waha's Covenant, Wise One?"  She might not have been born a Praxian, but she must have spent enough time among us to know the history...  Besides, hopefully it will distract her from thoughts of Amara.  "In the dark times, not all could survive as before.  Man and Morokanth won the game of bones against the animals.  In this way declared by Waha, all were able to survive, but man became effectively master of the beasts.  But is this stone rhino outside the Covenant?  I do not know..."



"This beast would bring much honour to your clan, and we Rangers, Ohanzee - if it will join us.  But it will probably bring many envious and jealous eyes as well, haha."

His chant concluding with a drawn-out drone to the words Hail horns of the world, Hoskar looks around, his face shining with joy.

Sorry. Carried away. What's happening? How magnificent. Stone-borne for hope and stone-bourne against foes he burbles, barely conscious others have spoken.

Henal stares at the beasts while trying to make sure his unfamilar mount does not bolt or throw him, then he resumes keeping watch around them.

"Had to be rhinos not something that we'd want to ride" he jokes.

"WHERE IS AMARA AND MELOCK" shouts Angelika.

Temush breaks off his inspection of the Sages' inspection of Feldspar to head for some local prominence which might afford a view of Amara or Melock (dismounting if he needs to scramble or climb).

In reply to Angelika Snowspear (msg # 924):

Hoskar starts, blushing to the top of his forehead as realisation dawns he's been too absorbed to hear the Lady Snowspear properly; his face a mask of contrition.

He looks around hastily, and stutters I'm...I'm sorry, my...my lady. All I saw was the stone rhino. Dis...distracted thinking it was something else. Sorry. I don't know.

Having moved a fair distance from where Amara and Melock descended and the cliff face not being straight Temush quickly realises that he won't be able to spot them. What he does see instead is a walled settlement below hugging a dry river bed within a small valley, the sides of which are some 200m high, probably the continuation of the dry waterfall they'd passed earlier.

He can make out settlers going about their business and what looks like nine towers, which he knows to be retirement towers for their priests.

Fixing Hoskar with the look she answers in a much scarier whisper

"Well go find them!"

Not knowing what unsuspected ears may be flapping about in the spirit world, Temush rides back to report 'I saw no sign of them from up there, but I found were are only a few bow shots from a stone camp of the Sun folk who farm the land below. There may be scouts.'

In reply to Angelika Snowspear (msg # 928):

Still blushing copiously, Hoskar does his best if hurried mounted bow. At once. Of course he blurts nervously.

As he hops to it, hurrying to retrace steps scanning for signs of departure, examining terrain for routes away and the ground for tracks as he moves, he glances around the Rangers and the caravan before returning to a search; asking urgently any help, anyone? I can try and track back for their tracks, but it'll take time and I'm not a hunter. Who saw them last? Any likely routes, Temush? Come on - we've an order here.

"I'll help you!" replies Ohanzee n to put some distance between himself and the furious priestess. Angelika angry was not good even if that anger was not directed at him for a change!

"Let's go Feldspar, we have wayward herd members to track down."

He encourages his new mount to a trot after stopping to collect a couple of essentials from his zebra. Catching up with Hoskar he pretends to watch the ground, really having no need to look for he remembers roughly where they split off.

After backtracking for twenty minutes in a Southerly direction, the two riders come to the spot where Amara and Melock obviously made their descent. It's a steep and dangerous looking path, it's ground carrying the obvious tracks of their quarries' Zebra and Bison.

"Well go with those two and make sure they don't get scouted" answers the priestess before turning to the other Rangers "Go on then, I know you all want to!"

Henal needs no more prompting to turn his mount and follow the others.

Temush complies, trying to catch up in time to tell them roughly where the populated village is located, and to warn of possible patrols.

Kobal thinks of telling Angelika that he's got no interest in going down to the settlement, particularly not because of the girl, but decides that the Snowspear isn't in the mood for any other opposition of any form, silently rides down the path, looking for Amara and Melock.

Haaro, once you can sense Spot, tell Amara that the Snowspear is on a warpath...

The Rangers make their way down the twisting and turning path, it's dangerous but each of the Rangers are skilled riders by now. At the bottom they cross the dry river bed and follow the tracks of their friends towards the nearby stead.

Soon they're passing through the date orchards, with the walled compound and barns just visible some way ahead through the trees.

From the direction of the buildings come the sounds of agitated Baboons.

"That does not sound good."  Kobal turns to those around him.  "Those of you with bird familiar.  Some scouting now would be good.  I've half a mind to charge in now, in case Amara and Melock are outnumbered."

Temush's owl quickly returns with the news that there is a dead Baboon just ahead at the edge of the orchard and that the other Baboons seem to be either in the main farmhouse or in the vegetation behind. No sign of Melock or Amara. He's too worried about getting any closer to the Farmhouse in case someone tries to attack him.

Henal sits with his hawk, still not awakened perched on the saddle and casts a charm to detect life.

"Rikki and Blue eye can you sense Spot up ahead of us?"

"No, but they need to be close if we are too" comes back the reply