Norla quirks a smile when Runt admits that his first impulse is to flee rather than fight, though there is no malice in the expression.

"I suppose that I should not be surprised that is your answer.  Nor should you be forced at such a young age to hold your ground against grown adults.  But fate does not line our path with infinite choices Daniel.  We do not get to choose how and when our fights come to us.  To flee is a choice, but it is the choice to hold ourselves above all else.  But when we fight it is for a higher purpose."

Norla holds for a moment, her eyes still boring into Runt's own.  Though a moment later her smile widens for the briefest of moments, before she turns and grabs the painting of Jesus off the wall.

"Someday I hope you will be prepared for fight for something greater than yourself.  I will teach you...  Until then, make yourself useful."

She turns, handing Runt the canvas before squaring her pack across her shoulders and striding quickly out of the room and back up the stairs.

Runt follows at a half-jog, the painting which is nearly as large as him clasped between his hands.

Norla heads back up the stairs, then through the hall and up another set before Runt finds himself back again near the canyon entrance to the caves.

She keeps walking, all the way to the grand room with the table where Runt had earlier set his stool.

All about, both men and women roll tapestries and stuff cloths into sacks.  Norla bids for Runt to seat himself as she throws her own pack on the table and walks towards the back of the room, conversing with the others in low tones.

OOC:  It looks like we have at least a half an hour of down time.  If there's anything that you want to do in this time period feel free to let me know, otherwise, I'll fast forward.  Nothing definite yet, but at least I can get you moving again.

Runt followed along behind Mistress Norla, struggling more than a bit with the large (for him) framed painting.  He propped it against the wall and sat down waiting for additional instructions.  He watched the ongoing work with interest, glad that all the great art was being packed.  He really hadn’t seen much art in his life, outside of what was in churches, but he knew that it was bound to be worth a lot of money, and he hadn’t gotten any of the stories about the pieces yet.  He was sure there were some good tales to be learned.  After a few moments of watching the others pack, he figured that he should do the same with his possessions and quickly got all his stuff situated, ready to go when told.  The only thing not packed and tied to his body was his stool, which he sat back down on.  He hoped that there were wagons, but he could carry it if necessary.

OOC - No problem, fast forward as needed.  Things will happen when they happen.
 

Runt sits upon his stool, watching as the goings on occur around him.

Though Runt had now been in Norla's caves for over twenty four hours, he finds himself surprised that he knows so little about any of the other inhabitants.  He had met Ashe and Hugh of course, and sort of some of the others, Ishara, Tishpak, Mendel, the unruly sleeper who had burst in on him the previous night and demanded he be quiet...  though the men and women wandering around, heaving out small chests and sacks, Runt finds he recognizes only about half.  All told, working in the room, Runt counts six.

He notes Ishara, who has two short blades strapped high across her hip, and walks and talks as much like she owns the place as Norla seems to.  Hugh also bustles around, carrying various heavy objects as he has his own weapons, a large-bladed axe and a metal-rimmed shield, fixed on his back.  Norla continues to talk and move about the others, her pale white staff in hand.  The other three are men, all dressed in leathers and carrying various weapons, swords, knives, a staff...  Each of the workers carries their cargo out from the grand room and back towards the entryway, returning some six or seven minutes later to find more items to carry.

This goes on for some thirty or forty minutes, and the room has been cleared to the point where there does not appear to Runt to be much more to carry out...

But the proceedings are interrupted from an echoing voice from down the hall.  ""They're here!  To arms!"

Norla immediately raises a hand to call for quiet.  "Drop whatever goods you have, they will have to be left!  We leave now, be ready to fight!  Ishara and Drake to the front, the rest, do not fall behind!"

OOC:  Thanks for the patience.  Norla is clearly addressing the others as opposed to you, not to mention she specifically instructed for you to keep the painting for now.  I just want to get a last check of what you have on you and if you have any preparations/actions before you leave.

Runt watched all the hustle and bustle going on around him.  He stayed out of the way, seated on the stool by the wall where he had propped the painting he had been entrusted with, figuring that if someone wanted him to do something else, they would tell him to.

When the alarm came, he was surprised.  He had honestly thought that his former companions would keep their word, but it now seemed that their word was nothing and that anything they said or promised couldn't be trusted.

He jumped up and lifted the painting, ready to follow along with the rest.  Giving his stool a last glance as he joined the exodus, he was saddened to leave it, but there was no way that he could manage it and the painting and Mistress Norla had given him the responsibility for the work of art.

OOC - No problem, just finally the others finally got their act together.
 I just hope that this gets finished before you have to deploy.  As to what's on him, well aside from the painting he's got everything else that he owns including Conal's lute.
 I do figure he's a bit overburdened.  Any other actions will have to wait since they will be completely based on what happens.  “Laissez les bon temps rouler!”

Runt was no stranger to moving out, and quickly.  Much of his life energy had been focused entirely on befriending those who had power over him, recognizing those who he could not influence, and then avoiding those who were trouble.

Deng was just the sort of person who had put Runt in this exact sort of situation before.

Painting in one hand, Conal's lyre in the other, and with pouches and wrappings tucked in and tied all across his body, Runt had the look of a traveling salesman.  Or perhaps, more appropriately, like a homeless boy who couldn't afford to let anything he owned be forsaken as trash.

It made Runt sad to think that he couldn't take his stool with him, but he simply did not have the hands to take it along.

The small company makes a sort of line, two across as they make their way back towards the entrance of the caves.  Runt keeps himself close to Norla, who herself stays near the back, her posture stiff and her eyes darting.

The company has barely made it out from the main room when the next scream echoes in from up the corridor.

"Tishpak!"  It's a woman's scream... one that causes the whole column to pause and go rigid.

"Stay together."  Norla says, her voice tight.  "And keep moving."

OOC:  Keeping you updated for now.  Not sure if you have any actions that are going to weigh on the overall situation, but at the very least you can sponge in part of what is happening.

I've added your equipment (including Conal's lyre) back on to your character sheet.  Let me know if there is anything I'm missing.  I figured both the lyre and the painting would require at least one hand to carry... the rest could be stowed away somewhere (though you really should get a real bag at some point).  Just note that if you do want to grab something else (like a weapon) you'll have to put something down.  Let me know which hand you want which item in if it makes a difference to you.

OOC - Just a quick ooc here, I'll put up an ic post later today.

I love this sentence, just great! "Or perhaps, more appropriately, like a homeless boy who couldn't afford to let anything he owned be forsaken as trash."

The equipment looks right to me except you left off his large knife, lol.  And he did have a backpack for a brief while.  It belonged to Hamish and no one else claimed it, but he left that and his cloak with poor lamented Macchus so that is lost.  I figured that he had the lyre fastened across his back with a improvised strap made out of lengths of the cord/string he has and was carrying the painting with both hands as you described it as big to him.

Fun, fun, fun!

Runt carried the painting carefully, not wanting damage to come to something that Mistress Norla cared a lot about.  He had to walk at least partially sideways so he could see where he was going.  It wasn't a problem at the moment since the group wasn't moving too fast, but he worried what he might have to do if everyone started running or got into a fight.

He froze in place along with everyone else when he heard the scream from up ahead.  Normally he would consider going in a different direction, but he didn't want to show fear in front of the group and especially his Mistress.  He still didn't want there to be a fight.  He still didn't want anyone to get hurt or killed, even his former companions.  But they were causing this.  All they had to do was leave, like they had said they would.  Instead, it seemed like they had gone back on their work and were attacking.  So, whatever happened to them they were bringing on themselves.  He could only hope that it wouldn't end too badly for them.

The whole column moves forward with a determined anxiousness, listening for sounds or screams from the fight happening ahead.

"Shit!"  A woman's voice.

"The Fuck?"  A man's.

Several moments pass, before a scream...  Again a woman's though a different voice...

"Nisir!"

Though her complexion is always pale, the stress of the moment seems to have made Norla all the more ashen.

"Ishara, Drake, Hugh, Molkar!  Go!"  Norla's voice is shaken but stern, and it does not take even an extra moment for the four to ask when or where.  The four leaders of the formation break out into a sprint, weapons drawn as they careen down the long and wide hallway.

"Hurry."  Norla adds without taking her eyes from ahead.  Now there are only three of them left, Runt, Norla, and another woman who's whole body is strapped with knives of all size.  Norla breaks in a jog, letting the four ahead of her gain some space ahead.

OOC:  We keep puttering along.

Runt continued on with the now reduced group.  Anxiety building, he wondered what he would do with the painting if they got into the fight ahead.

OOC - Yeah, not much here but I really couldn't think of anything else.  At this point he really is just along for the ride though I'm sure that will change.

General warning, things are getting extremely busy for me.  Starting Friday, I'm managing an arts collective holiday show and will be working there every day through the Christmas Eve.
 So my replies may be slow in coming.  Feel free to just move things along if needed since the deadline is looming. 

Runt quickens his own pace to match Norla's, the painting in his hands bouncing along uncomfortably against his body.

The hallways turns, and as the last three of the group hustle towards the entrance, they see the four ahead turn a corner and run out of sight, with their weapons bristling at the ready.

"Aaaaaeeeeeeiiii!"  A woman screams, sounding more of rage than of anything else.

The voice is met by another woman's shout.

"Curse them!"  Norla seethes gripping her jaw just as hard as she holds her staff, her pack bouncing along jauntily on her back.  "They will pay for this!"

OOC:  Still going.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:49, Fri 02 Dec 2022.

Runt continues along with Mistress Norla.  Any moment now he expected to be in the fight.

OOC - Thanks for keeping me in the loop.  I know there just isn't much for you to add at the moment.  I'm guessing that you will probably be starting a Chapter 30b thread when both groups are in engaged.  Or not, lol.

At any moment, Runt expects to turn a corner and be in the fray, though the long hallway still spreads out in front of him, the eerie red lighting showing only empty space ahead.

"Kira!"

Runt hears a woman's shout.  It's the distinctive raspy tenor of Ishara he thinks...  Not far ahead, the battle rages...

Almost to reflect his thoughts, Norla continues to murmur in low tones -

"They're in the cave Celeste.  Be ready to use every spell you have..."

OOC:  More nothing.

OOC - lol, nothing from me either.

Gustav and Rolf join the thread

Norla strides forward, the sounds of battle seeming to quicken her steps.  Steel rings on steel, and the hollow clunk! of shields ringing with deathblows seems to sound from just around the corner.

But as Runt, Celeste and Norla reach the end of the long hallway and finally turn down the slope towards the central hallway, Runt can hear the sounds of the battle turning.  Sajaa's scream sounds out first, ”We should take Terri and flee!!”

The voice is met with relative silence for a moment, before Sajaa sounds off again, a definite note of panic in her tone.  "FLEE FOR GOD'S SAKE! FLEE!"

Lisa now responds, ""Sister! Help me move her!" though there are words shouted and screamed everywhere such that Runt can no longer tell who is speaking.

"Fall back."

"Rolf,  Back Out!"

""Son of a bitch!"

"Flee!"

A grin sprouts on Norla's lips as they reach the bottom of the slope and turn, heading out towards the main entrance of the caves.  Though Norla had been convinced the fight was in the caves, the way now appears clear, and Runt wonders if the others have indeed been able to flee.  But rushing along, portrait of the Christ in his hands, Runt has only a matter of time before he figures it out...

The three make the last turn towards the cave entrance.  Sunlight spills out from the afternoon sky, highlighting the forms of the four soldiers who had just left their company, Ishara, Molkar, Drake, and Hugh.  With them is another woman, who stands at the edge of the plinth, holding a massive bow aloft, her right arm drawn back to her ear and the arrow pointing downwards towards the base of the canyon.

Laying on the ground, three other soldiers lie strewn with odd weapons and shields everywhere...  None of the men are familiar to Runt...  One of them has a gruesome wound to his face which bleeds in buckets across the stone floor, another sprouts and arrow from the back of his arm and slit throat that pools crimson all around him, the last has a wide laceration straight through his chainmail that seems to have felled him...

Norla stands forwards towards the edge, looking downwards into the canyon.  Runt steps forwards too, and he sees with some satisfaction that Ashe's unmoving form lays at the bottom, the slope disturbed in his wake as if he fell and slid all the way to his current resting place.  There is another too, still at the bottom of the slope.  This one with a long-shafted arrow sprouting out of the small of his back.

But what draws Runt's attention is the thick bodied conglomeration of three forms, flying low at the base of the canyon...  Rolf, Terri, and Gustav, the man on either side of Terri, holding her slack body aloft.  But as Runt watches, Gustav seems to slacken mid-flight, his body peppered with wounds.  He slows, then falls, coming to a rest on the canyon floor...

Twang!

Runt nearly jumps out of his skin as Kira's arrow fires, bound for the clump of forms that has just lessened from three down to two.

Out in the span of the river, Rolf briefly sees the form of Lisa, running at a haggard limp down the far bank...

---

Rolf flies with desperation.  Almost there!  He thinks to himself, wrapping an arm around Terri to share the weight, hoping to hurry Gustav along.  But something is wrong.  Rolf knows Gustav is injured, but this is far worse than he had anticipated.  Gustav sags, then sinks all together, falling to the canyon floor and leaving Rolf with the whole of the burden.

Rolf feels himself slow to a crawl.  He is exhausted, pained, bleeding...  He desperately needs rest...  Almost there!  He thinks to himself again, though Terri's form slips in his grasp.

Twang!  Rolf can barely hear the sound of the bowstring over his his own thrumming heartbeat.  He turns, seeking to dodge the weapon as it sails towards him, though the burden is too much, the arrow too small to truly see.

The shaft hits low on his side, smashing into the tough leather of his worm-skin and ploughing deep into the flesh just above his hip.  Rolf feels his arms reflexively slacken, though he holds on to Terri just by the fingertips, her body skimming low over the ground as he attempts to carry on!

OOC:  Gustav has failed an HT roll after a few seconds and has fallen to the ground unconscious.  I brought you over to the thread so that you could see what was happening as getting no information when you are unconscious is bunk.

Rolf has taken a major wound to the torso that has brought him below 0 HP.  I realized that I missed some info from your last post in my last sum up (that you had always intended on helping Gustav move Terri) so I reran all the numbers for both of you carrying her, not to mention taking a different flight path (so that she didn't get shooting down bonuses to range) though in the end it made no difference.  Kira (the archer) simply made her shots by too wide of a margin.

You get the same deal as Gustav.  No need to roll vs. stun as I already rolled that for you and succeeded.  Please roll vs. HT until you fail.  Each passed roll is another second you stay conscious.  You can continue to carry Terri during this, though it significantly changes your encumbrance and lowers your speed.  Please let me know if you have any questions.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Mon 12 Dec 2022.

Runt followed Mistress Norla and Celeste as they went towards the sounds of combat.  He heard a lot of noise and people shouting, some he could make out what was being said and less that he was sure who was saying it.  As the three got to the entrance to the cave complex, Runt carefully but quickly leaned the painting he was carrying against the wall just inside and divested himself of most of his possessions that he was burdened with.

He hurried to catch back up with the others.

Taking in the scene in front of him, he could see five of Mistress Norla's band standing on the open area just outside of the entrance and three down.  There were also another two down that he noticed once he got to the edge and looked down.  Ashe was the only one he readily recognized.  He didn't really feel any sorrow for Ashe, the man was both stupid and mean, but then again if there had been time for Runt to get to know him better then he might have been alright.

His attention was really drawn to the three people he saw out in the canyon.  Flying, really flying off the ground.  He could just make out Master Rolf and Master Gustav with Mistress Terri between them.  It looked to him like the two men were carrying her as they fled, flying off the ground.  As he watched, Master Gustav slowed and then fell to the ground still, probably succumbing to his wounds.

He jumped, startled by the loud sound of Kira's very large bow firing.  He followed the flight of the arrow as it sped, hitting Master Rolf.

He glanced around for the others and could make out Lisa running raggedly by the far bank of the stream but didn't see Sajaa anywhere.  He scanned the area to see if he could find where she was.  One other person he didn't see was Elkins.  He wondered where he was.

OOC - That's it for the next couple of seconds or so unless something happens that demands his immediate attention.  He is somewhat expecting Sajaa to jump out from somewhere and make a suicide run at Norla.  Interesting.

Rolf helps Gustav carry Terri as best he can.  Though he is hurt and wants nothing more than to fly as fast as possible away, he can't leave his friend to carry his burden alone.

He glances down at Terri and feels a tinge of anger well inside him.  What were you all thinking! he ponders incredulously.

Before long Gustav falters and stops, leaving him to carry Terri by himself.  Mere moments later Rolf hears an arrow come whizzing his way but he is too slow to move out of the way.  The sky blackens as he feels a deep pain explode in his side.  The mage lets go of Terri, loses consciousness, and moves no more.

OOC:  Rolf missed his first HT roll.

Runt watches as the gliding form of Rolf first slips his grip on Terri, letting the woman drop to the ground, then sags himself, dropping as his body falls limp onto the grasses of the canyon floor.

Norla makes a simpering nod of satisfaction as she watches Rolf fall, though she does not spend long gloating in the small victory.  Instead, she turns towards Ishara, who is now stuffing her knife and sword back into their sheaths, and asks in a cold and demanding voice, "What happened?"

Ishara shakes her head before answering.  His attention now fully on her, Runt notices that the woman's middle is slashed open about the ribs, exposing a large crimson stripe which she holds down with her left arm.  For her part, Norla seems to take no note.

"It was just Kira when we got here."  Ishara answers in her gravelly voice.  "We made five of us versus two of them.  The fighter and the mage down there."  She juts her chin forward towards the unconscious Gustav and Rolf down below.

"They ran... or flew I suppose, pretty quick after we showed up.  I'm not sure what happened before."  Ishara finishes, gritting her teeth, visibly in pain.

"They snuck up on us."  The archer says turning around, and after a moment, Runt understands the woman to be Kira.  "Ashe and Tammin were down before we even knew what was happening.  Tishpak fell too, hit by an arrow I think.  Before we knew what was happening, that Wazifi bitch had cut his throat where he lay like a fat pig.  Wer and Nisir might be okay...  though they took some nasty wounds."

The archer turns back again, surveying the canyon floor.

"Kira hit the last of them as they ran."  Ishara adds.  "She is a wonder with that bow of hers."

"Not the last"  Kira corrects, her eyes still scanning down below.  "Hiding, the cowards are...  Oh...  Speak of the devil."

In a fluid and quick motion, Kira brings her arrow back to her cheek.  Runt looks down as well at the valley floor, and poking out from the scrub some seventy yards on, Sajaa and Lisa emerge from their cover, pausing for a moment as they return Runt's look.  Sajaa is riding her black arab horse, while Lisa is mounted on Lilly, Rolf's steed.  Just behind them, Gustav's mule follows.

OOC:  Pausing here for a moment.  Runt should be the only one responding at this point, though I will leave Gustav and Rolf in the loop for the moment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:00, Thu 15 Dec 2022.

Runt listened as the others explained what had happened.  Though it seemed to him that Mistress Norla's fury had subsided, at least for the moment.  He certainly wasn't experienced in battles like this, or even large fights, just the occasional scrap with other kids and a time or two watching street gangs rumble a bit over turf.  But it seemed to him that his former companions had been seriously overmatched and that was before Mistress Norla even had a chance to enter the fray with her spells.  Plus Celeste, who he now recalled Mistress Norla told to use her magic.

He continued to scan the area for sign of Sajaa, and finally spotted her and Lisa on horses, looking like they were trying to get away.  Kira the Archer drew back for another shot, aimed at which of the two fleeing women he did not know.

Maybe he should speak up, but he was sure that he would be ignored.  Blood had been spilled; violence had been given where it need not have been and that required payment.  He thought that he might be able to ask, no beg for mercy after everyone calmed.  But for now, he needed to wait.  Though he did finally voice what he been going through his mind since the fight had started.

"This just din't haf to happen."

OOC - Sorry folks, he just doesn't think he can really do anything at the moment to change the outcome here.

"Kunn fatat, sarieatin!”  Sajaa yells, spurring her midnight horse at the flanks, sending the beast dashing forward in a sprint towards her fallen comrades, the mule behind sent into a canter with the jolt of his lead rope.

Lisa, behind her, jockeys her horse tepidly deeper behind the scrub.

"What did she say?"  Runt hears Hugh ask from behind him.

"Some woman empowerment nonsense."  Ishara offers in her deep and guttural voice.

"Kill the heathen bitch."  Norla says without hesitation, and without so much as turning her attention to Kira, but watching downwards to Sajaa as if breaking eye contact may also break some spell.

"With pleasure, ma'am."  Kira answers, her own eyes just as intent on her prey below.

”RUNT!"  Sajaa screams from below.  WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS! DON’T LET THEM KILL US!”

"For Tishpak."  Kira murmurs, letting loose the arrow from about her cheek with a merry thrum!

Runt watches as the arrow leaps from the bow, sailing straight and true towards the black horse and the heroine mounted on her.  In his head, Runt pleads.  Sajaa isn't looking, but now she is looking too late!  At the last moment it looks as if Sajaa is making to jump from her steed, but the arrow buries itself in her leg, high and near the saddle, ushering a terrible scream from her lips!

"Good shot!"  Celeste exclaims, but Kira is cursing with a flash of her teeth as she retorts, "Should have gotten her in the heart."  But she is already reaching towards her quiver to rectify her error.

For her part, Norla smiles a thin-lipped grin as she releases her gaze upon Sajaa below, instead turning towards her side to where Runt stands.

"Well Daniel," her eyes are pools of the deepest blue, her crimson painted lips arcing ever so slightly upwards.  "What do you think we should do with them?"

Something tells Runt that Norla is not really asking for his opinion, but instead that she already has an answer in mind...

OOC:  I've sort of mashed two posts together here...  I would have liked to let you (and Norla) see what happens to Sajaa before I asked that last question, but I opted to just ask it now for a few reasons - 1.  This will give you a little more time to chew on your next post and 2.  I don't really think that any action that the good guys take can affect your thread significantly any more.

Also consider this your last chance to affect their thread.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Norla wants you to say "let's kill them!  I never liked them anyway."  If you want lead her in a different direction than that, please roll vs. fast talk.  Hero points usage is highly encouraged if you take that route and fail.  Similarly, higher margin of success probably will have better results.  Feel free to incorporate your own story/excuse in your post to give your roll depth, but don't get too wound up in crafting the perfect narrative.

Runt thought quickly.  Mistress Norla might have her mind made up and whatever he said might not matter, but he had been asked.

"I think you should not kill them.  That ain't gonna teach them any lesson.
 Catch 'em instead.  Take all their stuff that be good to make 'em pay for what they done did.

He paused very briefly, his mind racing to get out what he thought he should say.

"I think they was gonna do like they said and leave but I is betting that Elkins done somehow talked them into coming back so they not take him back to Three Corners an him getting put to the Question and executed.  He be a coward.  He probly tole them all kinds of lies making it sound like he not really want to be part of Niall's gang or something.
 

He paused again to catch his breath.

"An I kind of owes them.  Master Rolf was real nice to me an healed me up three times when I was hurt.  Master Gustav din't pick on me or anything an he be the only one to really listen to me when I said we should get the caravan animals an wagons.  Mistress Terri was just here cause they hire her I pretty sure.  Lisa was nice to me on the trip with the caravan.  She not baby me or anything.  An Sajaa think she be doing what was best for me even if she was wrong an I want to stay here with you an learn magic.  If we catch them an let them go then we is showing Christian Mercy like it say in the bible.  Plus then, when they haf to go back to Three Corners with none of their stuff they gonna be real humiliated, (he carefully sounded out that word) "an I bet they gonna get laughed at by lots of people there.  Nobody gonna trust them to do anything important for a while.  They gots some good stuff and horses that gotta be worth a lot of coin.  An if you don't think that be enough then you can have all my money an stuff an if that not enough then I work off the rest.  An I gonna make them swear to give one coin in four that they make for a year to the shrine of Saint Martin in Craine.  God will get them good if they break that promise."

The boy finally stopped his stream of words, really hoping that what he said might have made a difference.

OOC - I hope that between his Fast Talk roll and what he said IC, that it worked (beg, plead, LOL)

22:58, Today: Secret Roll: Runt rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,6,2.  Fast Talk.
 If there are penalties to the Fast Talk, I'll use Hero points as needed.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:55, Fri 16 Dec 2022.

As the group on the ledge watches the scene unfold below, Runt begins to talk, fast and expressive before anyone has the chance to cut him off.  Though he thinks he is doing well, it's hard to be sure as everyone's attention is focused on Sajaa below.

Almost in slow motion, Sajaa turns her beautiful black horse and kicks at the flanks, finally spurring the animal away into a steady gallop.  Sajaa lurches in the saddle, her right arm held fixed against her body while her left holds at the reins, her body swaying unnaturally with the motion, looking for the world like she may fall off at any moment.

”LID KUNT TURIDUNI YA ALLAH FAEALAYK ‘AN TUMARIS ALJINS MAE ALAKHRN!!!!”  Sajaa shouts, her words strong despite her faltering form.

Twang! "Shit!"

The word is out of Kiras mouth before the arrow has even fully separated from the bow.  Runt watches, still talking, while the arrow sails wide, planting in the grass a few yards to Sajaa's side.

Runt watches as Sajaa plows on, galloping ahead towards Lisa who edges on Lilly out to meet the retreating Wazifi.  They pass in a moment, Lisa reaching her arm out to touch Sajaa as she passes.  Runt takes a moment to pause in his speech, looking to the side, watching Kira who again has an arrow drawn back to her ear.

Runt again looks back down, watching as Lisa follows in behind Sajaa at a canter.

"Kiraaaa..."  Norla draws out the name like a warning... almost like the hiss of a snake.

Twang!

Runt watches this shot too.  And though he imagines that at this range, the shot must be impossible, horror grips at his stomach as he watches the arrow disappear in a perfect trajectory at the receding target, now well over a hundred yards away.

He even imagines the hollow thunk! as the arrow buries itself in Sajaa's flesh.

"Dit it hit?"  Norla nearly spits the words as the whole crowd watches.

The question seems to cause Runt to reassess the situation too...  He watches...  Sajaa does not falter, or even so much as slow as her horse charges around a corner and out of sight behind the brush, Lisa following behind at a slower speed...

The arrow missed.

"Do we go after them?"  Ishara's deep rasp asks, but Norla is already shaking her head.

"They are nothing."  Norla responds, turning to look at her side where Runt stands, the long, straight line of her mouth flexing momentarily in thought, as if she is taking in all of Runt's words in a single moment.

She sighs.

"Daniel is right.  Perhaps we'll use these as an offering to Mendel...  The fat bastard is an irksome fly, but he has his uses...  Better that we keep him close than have to send everything all the way back to Dekamera..."

Norla turns her head.

"Celeste, you go down.  See if those have anything of value before we turn them over.  And see if Ashe and Tammin can't be saved.  I'll see what I can do here to help the others...  But don't tarry...  Leonitus awaits us in Three Corners."

OOC:  Ok, this is my second to last post in this thread, mainly so that we can adjudicate whatever other help you can provide to the three unconscious down in the valley.  I did use a hero point for your previous fast talk roll, which was penalized.  You did manage to succeed however with the hero point spent.  While I normally would let you find the issues and come up with the ideas to fix them, doing things this way allows me to wrap up in a much more timely manner.

The crisis of the moment is that all three good guys are bleeding, and may rapidly go beyond -HP without assistance.  Please make the following rolls.

- Roll vs. Fast Talk again if you wish to go down with Celeste to look over the Gustav, Terri, and Runt.
- Let me know what order you want to take care of them in.  A first aid roll based on perception will let you know that Rolf is in the most dire straits.
- Roll vs. First aid for each character you want to bandage, you would remember that Gustav carries a first aid kit on his person, which allows you a +1 to the roll.
- Roll vs. Perception for each of the characters you want to search (perhaps with the motivation of keeping items safe until you can find the owners again, or perhaps with the intent of keeping cool stuff for yourself.  But if you don't take stuff, someone else will.)

I think that's it.  Please don't feel like these rolls limit your actions, you can do whatever (or whatever else) you wish if you have better ideas than I do, as well as use your last hero point on any failure you see fit.

OOC - I'm going to let you make this look good.  My brain is not working at all.
 These 12 - 14-hour days are killing me.  I know yo want to wrap this up quickly.

Runt wouldn't ask if he could go down to help, he would just follow Celeste.  And he would try to take care of Rolf first.  I had already decided that even without knowing who was hurt worst.


10:04, Today: Runt rolled 14 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,4,5.  Fast Talk.  Blew that one.  Use Hero Point.


10:05, Today: Runt rolled 13 using 3d6 ((5,2,6)).  Blew that one also.

Don't know if any others will be allowed.


10:07, Today: Runt rolled 9 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,2,3.  First Aid to Rolf +1.


10:08, Today: Runt rolled 13 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,6,4.  First Aid to Terri +1.  Blew that one.

10:09, Today: Runt rolled 15 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,5,6.  First Aid to Gustav +1.  Blew that one.

10:10, Today: Runt rolled 12 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,5,1.  Perception - Rolf.  Just nope.


10:11, Today: Runt rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,3,5.  Perception - Terri.


10:12, Today: Runt rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,6,1.  Perception - Gustav.


Man, the dice roller is brutal today for me.

Sorry guys, I tried.

Wait a minute, Leonitus, interesting.  My brain is out of order, I can't believe that I missed that.  Another puzzle piece revealed,  Just not sure where it goes.  Now I'm going to be mulling this over for the next couple of years.

The next quarter of an hour seems a blur to Runt.  Standing there, just looking down upon Terri, Gustav, and Rolf his heart thrums upwards into his chest.  He says something to Norla, something about knowing where they kept their best stuff...  It must have been good enough, for soon he is scrabbling down the rock face under his own power, rushing straight to Gustav, who he knows has a first aid kit...

He is immensely thankful when he sees Celeste move towards Ashe first... checking to see if he's alive before she looks to loot the others.

Making a big ado as he points out Gustav's sword which had fallen in the grass (something that had been clear even watching from their perch), Runt rifles through Gustav's items, finding the first aid kit quickly and setting to work trying to do some bandages while covering his actions from above with his body.

He's no deft hand at fixing injuries - though he's had plenty of scrapes on his own before, and he's always made it out alive before... at least so far.

As he works, Runt sees a serrated flash of green from one of the knives on Gustav's hip belt...  He'd never seen the swordsman use it, but Runt has a feeling this might be something Gustav wants back.  He snatches it, stuffing the small blade into his trousers before tightening his belt and pulling his overlarge shirt back over to cover.

From there, Runt moves on to Rolf, wrapping around the arrow wounds feverishly, which stubbornly continue to bleed.  From there, he moves on to Terri, and though it's clear that she is still injured, Runt simply doesn't know what he can do to fix the massive bruise on Terri's leg and the bright red, angry chemical burn on her arm.  In the end, he simply wraps gauze around the burn and fixes it with a bandage.

"Feeling badly for them?"  Celeste asks, and Runt nearly jumps out of his skin, wondering for a moment if this means he is in trouble.

"Probably not worth your effort."  The woman smirks, looking down at the bandaging on Rolf as she pulls his arm out of the sleeve of his robe.  "...But this is nice."  She rubs her fingers in the material, for the moment forgetting about Runt.

"Where they're going though, they may just wish they'd died here."  Celeste finally finishes the thought, standing up.  "But like you said,"  She turns her head and flashes a thin smile.  "Maybe it'll teach them something."

OOC:  That wraps up this part of the Caves of Chaos!  Congrats Runt on making it out, and apologies to Gustav and Rolf, who are going to take quite a setback from this thread, though at least due to Runt's administrations (and your own rolls) you are alive.  Runt, you may post a closing post here to finish things off.

Runt was not happy at the way things had turned out.  He had been so sure that his former companions would leave the area and let Mistress Norla and her group go their own way.  That is what they had agreed to do.  But they had unfortunately broken their word and attacked.  So what happened was on their heads.

At least they were all still alive and that had been a close thing.  He hadn't been sure that Mistress Norla wouldn't just order them killed out of hand or that he would be allowed to keep them alive.

Celeste coming up from behind made him jump, but he had managed to hide Master Gustav's dagger.  He hoped to someday be able to get it back to him, and that Gustav would give him a chance to explain.  He was pretty sure that he would see the captives again, and they wouldn't be in chains either.  Heck, they might just get free before Mendel got them anywhere.

He did have some concern about going back into Three Corners.  What if he ran into Sir Magnus and Master Giles?  Surely they would have some questions for him, and he had no idea what he would say.  He would need to say something to Mistress Norla before they got there.

OOC - this has been an extremely fun thread, even if it has been one of the most difficult for me personally.  Kudos to you for making it work so well for everyone involved.