Riku nodded at Kree's motion.

Seems that our damsel has been following us since we left with the chests, she said.  She raises her head proudly.  Though, I think she not a foe, more a friend looking for companionship or work.

She looks at Shadowmist.  Unless I'm mistaken.

She crosses her little arms.

 She looked at the three of them, studying their faces, their eyes, their body language to see how they reacted to her.

 "As they said I am able to sneak and lurk in shadows. I can fight if I must, but I prefer not to. I can kill if someone deserves it, depending upon their crimes. I am fast, and quick with my hands. I can climb and jump. I do not claim to have skills like your Crimson Arrows though."

  Kree stops  abruptly , turns  to  Shadow Mist, he digs out a pouch that  looks worn, yet still strong of purpose.

  He   opens in and hands his Bow  to  Brie, then  pushing the items  around in his pouch. Finally Hi picks out a pin, When she looks around  she can see pins, broaches, even  and earing, but they have a common thread.. an Arrow made of ruby...

  Holding the pin out in his left hand,...Killing people, is about 70% of our  contracts....the rest involve protection...transportation..and even exploration...but.. i have never had a contract yet, that did not involve the death of those who stand in our  way...

  ..by taking this Pin, your  name  will be added to the charter..which may help you, should you run afoul with the law....The pin also hurts you.. all companies..by law..are required to show their  insignia ...thus, a compnay that is an enemy to the Arrows  will spy you right away..just as those  companies, who are , our  friends....we have one standing order..at least in my unit.... we complete the  contracts ...but? Should  we  find slavers, we will step away from that contract to deal with them....along those  lines.. the  Razorhawk motto  still stands, ..." leave no live enemies , behind you.."

  ..should the time come. for you to wish to leave the arrows, you have only to give the  pin back...should you go rogue, and blacked the name of the Arrows..then you will be consider  the  main target of all Arrows...

 Ivy speaks,..um..cousin?..Is it possible   for our name to  be any further, blacken?

 Kree smiles,..it is true, our name does not carry favor  with the very rich..since, mor eoften then not.. those we  kill  or otherwise , end  their Business....tend to have  coin flowing to and from those folks...but?  for the most part..we have the good graces of the  common folks... and that, Is  of more import to me.

Congratulations.  You have found a home for a time. Lafisual smiles at her and nods as he heads to the front to assume his normal scouting position.

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg # 138):

 "Does that include pick pocketing when necessary, or would that blacken the arrows? Because if someone has a letter or something you need swiped I could do that..."

 If he is ok with what she said, she'd take the pin and add it to her cloak.

Brie watches the pomp and circumstance of the handling of the insignia.  It was like a celebration everytime.  She always wondered if everyone felt as important as she did when she finally received hers.  She handed Kree back his bow when he tucked the pouch back into hiding.

It is a welcome sight to see a new one, she said.  I'm quite certain that it could be blackened more.  Though let's not test that theory either, Ivy.

 She thanked Kree first then turned to smile at Lafisual because she had befriended him first, then nodded and smiled at the others. "Thank you Sir. Thank you all for the welcome. I will do my best not to let you down."

 She pinned it to her cloak before straightening and looking at the others again.

 "Where do you want me?"

  For Now, stay with the  main body, give yourself a chance to know yor comrades...we will be   making camp by day's end... the closer  we are to the Trees, the better i will feel.

  The sky is as blue as it has been in some time, as if the harsh storm from the day before  had cleansed it.

 Now  and then, LArge  winged things  could be seen rising  from the trees, gliding, then diving back in...

 Ivy points to the Highpeaks,..looks..its in the air again! a small dot above the   tips of the mountain, was soaring a bit... when it turned  just right..glimpse of wings   could be  seen, by those , sharp of eye.

 ...for us to even see it at all...it must be a dragon....

 Ivy nods, his  smile not as bright,one has to wonder, what put it in the air?

 ...with luck?..Hunger.....if Anger brought it  forth... we  could be hearing from it soon.

 She nodded then looked at what they were pointing at above the mountain. She squinted at the distance unsure what the dot was.

 "Is that a dragon? Whatever it is I hope it isn't angry, or hungry!"

  Kree and Ivy seem  a bit more ...enthused . As they follow   the path By Lucy and  Laf.

    It is not  Until 2 hours or so after  Midday, that  Kree calls for a stop and whistles  for   the forward scouts  to come in pointing to  one of the 'stops' other travelers have made, he says, we  will eat and  rest here  for an hour or so... then we  will continue  until  the sun falls  well below the tree line... it will get darker hear first..with  the Sisters' Luck, we should readh the entrace to the Black Timber, this time tomorrow.. ...


 Taking off the pack, he pulls out the loaf  of bread, still wrapped in the  dish towel....Cut this  to slices so all may have, with whatever else we have to eat... Brie, Ivy and Myself  will try to gather  some more  wood  from the scrub trees.... and..if  luck smiles... find  some game...everyone  else  settled  down and rest...

Brie walked up to Kree and Ivy and looked where they spoke of.

Unless "she" has followed us, she said.  She shrugged slightly.

 She dug into her pack and brought out a hard loaf of bread. She sawed thin slices off it and offered bread around too. It's filled with seeds and nuts and dried fruits and bits of chopped jerky meat. It's very dense and heavy and filling. She offered some to everyone who wanted to try it.

 She took a slice of what Kree offered and gave him some of her travel bread in turn. She offered Brie and Ivy a slice too, and looked where they looked. No one had answered her earlier question so she didn't ask again.

 "May I offer you some travel bread? It's full of energy producing good things."

   Kree takes a slice, stick it in his teeth  and grins  as he goes off to Hunt  for wood and maybe some game.

I shall wait until i return... shakes his head..don't know how he things  he will get  Game , while chewing up a storm...

  This  leave the rest of the party and their  Good  in the small clearing  , with the  Crude stone fire  circle.

Lafisual sits down near the others and tries Shadow's bread.  You are right, it's good.  Thanks for sharing.  Alas, I don't have anything extra to share food wise.  But, if it seems safe enough, I can play a little bit of music. He pulls out his recorder and sets it aside for later.

In reply to Lafisual (msg # 149):

Diana takes the time to relax.  She has nothing to offer food wise, and gladly accepts what is offered.

She takes the long reprieve to just lay back and relax.  Something she doesn't do very often.  She eyes the new comer up and down, and then goes over and introduces her self.

"Hi, I'm Diana." She says.

Lucy was scouting ahead, when she heard Kree's whistle.  She started back to where the group was resting.

She accepts the bread, finding that, indeed, it is good.

"You know, even up north, we've heard of the Black Timber and the Trace elves.  Their reputation is like that of the Tarakians.  Around 400 years ago, whenh the Elven-Human-Dwarf war ended, one hand of humans and one band of elves came together to live in peace, harmony and all that.  They are among the nastiest sons of bitches you want to cross." She said with a smile.

"When it comes to war, they only know one way to fight, and that's to the death.  No quarter asked, none given.  Between Elven archers and human infantry and cavalry, and the best damned horse archers you will ever see, nobody has tried to conquer them in close to 100 years." She said.

"And when it comes to slavers, bandit and the like, rarely do I feel sorry for their ilk, but to be captured by Tarakians I do." She said.

"But, I digress." She said, going back to eating.

She wasn't exactly sure how the elves of the Black Timber would react to her.  Sure, half elves might be seen, but how many were half elven and half Tiger?

 "Hello Diana. I am Mist. It is nice to meet you. Can you tell me a bit about the people here?"

 She offers the woman another thin slice of the travel bread, then munches on her own bread, switching between what Kree had given her and her own meal. She offered Diana her water bota before she takes a drink of her own.

  As the  unit  sits by the fire circle ..there is a slight  breeze coming  down from the south...The smell in the air is  the drying Grass lands , while tempered  with the Rich smell the flowers that have evolved to  stick their brightly colored  heads , a bit higher then the  4 foot tall grasses.

 Ivy is  heading  back from the North, a bundle of  scrub wood a small creature.

(( the  creature looks like a cross between a gopher and a rabbit..but is rather
Plump ))

 I got a root eater...would have  had a couple more, if my first shot  did not scare the others....

 pointing to the  small spot that was Tou, next to the Glistening LAke, he adds,..saw a glimmer for a  second or so from the gates... could be  sun on Armor, of  some one leaving the Town..i do not think there is reason to worry, but we should have  our guard  up as well.

Brie had ventured off once everyone started settling in and relaxing.  She had went deep into the woods before she realized she was pretty far off from everyone.  She became so entranced with the forest and all its beauty.  It was breathtaking and mesmerizing all in one.

The first she had found a small colony of rabbits but either it was Brie's nervousness or anxiousness that scared them off as she crunched on a small stick just above them.  She grumbled at herself but kept trudging on.

She'd come along a small herd of deer and her first target, a large female, was way off and the sound of the click of the metal tip against a boulder scared all the good ones off.

So, she decided to just meander around, if she found something good.  When she reached a small creek, she reached down and grabbed a handful of water, smelling it to make sure that it was safe to drink and then lapped at it like a dog.

When she looked up and where the creek was coming from a small humpty sized boar troddled to the water. He was less aware of her and more interested in the water.  Brie sat and watched it before she realized it would be a grand prize to bring back.  She quietly slipped out an arrow and knocked it back, balancing herself as much as she could with part of her footing in the edge of the water and the other on muddy ground.

As the arrow swift through the air, the boar had just looked up from his noisy lapping of the water before he realized that two arrows had already taken him down.

Brie got up and quickly stepped her way to him careful of any tusks or his teeth.  He seemed more surprised at arrows in him than her.  His eyes taking her in as she came in and took a kill show with her small dagger.

Blessed be, she said graciously to the boar, his kin, and to the Gods and Goddesses watching over her this day.  You will serve us well my friend.

She took her hand and closed his eyes as rigor mortis set in. Once he was ready to move, she hefted him up on her shoulders and carried him back to camp.

She ended up dragging him the last few yards as it was getting quiet heavy.  Guys, mind to help, she lightly shouted to the males in camp.

  Ivy Points  towards  Brie as she  walks through the grasses, shouting  for  some help with the Kill.


 Kree    is coming   a bit further  away with two  large bundles  of scrub wood from the trees that dot the  grasses..

 when he reaches them  he has a Bag some 28 pears... I could have  ha d more, but left a  good deal  for the beasties  to eat....

 He looks  at the   kills the other  two Made...Ivy?..Roast the root eater..  and  cut  the emat enough for all to have some...  The pears  and Baor  we will have tonight when we camp... be a goodly meal to have  on  a  night... use the wood you  bathered, we cahll tale  my two bundles  with  us for a decent fire this night.

 t Puling out his  Dirk, he nods a bit away from the  fire ring... Let us buther the boar,  and  Just carry its  meat..If  any one wants bones  and such, come along  and take what you will,  We chall be  cutting the emat close to the bone to get all we can for  the supper tonight.

Brie let Kree give out his orders before she approaches and begins cleaning her own items on a cleansing rag.  Should give you credit on that one in part, she said.  He snuck up on me at the creek a few  yards that way.

She points to the direction.  I'd never have had the guts or capability without you having taught me.  She leans over and kisses him on cheek and then goes to help with getting things prepped.

  He chuckles ..i would take the credit, if i thought it deserved... Your elven blood already gave you a head start, I merely  brought it to the surface.   he grins  at the   kiss and begins to   dig a hole for the bits of boar they would not be using...knowing the grasslands.. they would be dug  up and eaten  before the Moon was high.

  When he came  back to the fire... Ivy  had the rooteater on a stick, suing  some of the hide  to  catch the   drippings   and  pour it back over the    meat as it cooked.

    as he  began to cut slices off and  toss  them to folks  by calling their names, he said to Kree,..saw armor flashes from tou's gate while i was  scrounging,  I do not know  if it  is guards... travelers..merchants..or  our new friends from the Mages  guild?

 Kree  caught the slice  of  rooteater.. wincing a bit at the heat of the meat,  he  put it on a slice of  the Inn's  bread, took a bite  and said between  chews,we shall know soon enough, the trade road bends  back  towards Trace,,and meets with the road that heads to the coast...we know how much  human merchants  wish to travel to the Black Timber...so , if anything comes this way..its  either  the MAges... or  mercs...

 She thinks she'd have made root-eater stew herself but doesn't say anything. She gets up to help skin the boar she helps cut the heart and liver up to cook then helps dig a pit to place the boar in with coals from the fire and aromatic plants she finds around the edges of camp then shows how to cover the pit with the pig skin hair side down, covering the skin with the dirt dug out of the small pit to hold in the steam coming off the pig and the aromatic plants.

 "It should be ready for dinner. That was a good kill!"

 She cuts strips of the heart and liver places them on sticks and places them over the edge of the coals to cook slowly and get a smokey flavor. Once the liver cooked enough, she took a skewer and nibbled on it.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:53, Sun 02 Apr 2017.

Since folks don't appear to be overly concerned about noise, Lafisual begins to play his recorder softly while the food gets prepared.

 Kree  watched the Sun as the others   ate and  talked or simply enjoyed the rest, with the Music.

 after   30 minutes or so , he stood,..Cover the fire..do not water  water on it... Gather the food  we are taking with us, and let us be on our  way... we go, until an Hour after he sun is  below the trees... then we camp for the night, and have a ...more hearty..meal

 Ivy  gathering one of the Bundles of  wood Kree had  gathered....kree had the other.

 Scouts..stay close... if any thing attacks from the direction of the forest..it will be animals...enemies  will have to  come from behind us....