Pascal

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Even though Adrianna requested to be notified when the foreman was ready to meet with them, no such notice came. She learned from the barkeep that the town was having problems with tigers, but then he walked away before providing much else about the foreman and his likelihood to help the shipwrecked people. The other crew member who had followed her into the bar, fortunately took his drink and brought it to a spot where he could see outside through a window.

“Oye!” He called out, and Adrianna looked over to see the man pointing. “There’s a guy talking to Ethan. He looks… like he might be important.

Adrianna walked over, taking another large sip of her drink in case she needed to finish it quickly. The man, himself, was broadly built and he was accompanied by two guards. Of course they were moving ahead without her. “Ugh.” Adrianna groaned and finished downing her drink quickly. She left the mug on the bar along with a few coins, and stepped out to catch up with the group. She approached just as the foreman told Ethan to deal with the tigers in order to get aid.

Gesturing to the children with their group, Adrianna interrupts before the townswoman can reply to the foreman. “You want US to go out and kill a bunch of tigers that you lot couldn’t manage in order to get medicine and aid carrying more than a dozen injured to safety?” Adrianna asks, her arms crossed incredulously. Fortunately, she sounds more like a moody teenage boy than an exasperated healer.

“I’m Adrian, by the way. I was aiding the medic with the injuries from the wreck. Since you seem fit to question that it even happened, I can show you some of the blood I couldn’t get washed off before I set off for help. Or recount a list of all of the injuries I attended to.”

A woman, who had come over to talk to the girl with her pet moorcat, turned to Ethan then, asking more details about the shipwreck. She wasn’t going to interrupt until the woman asked about the injured. Ethan wouldn’t be able to answer that question competently, given what he said to the guards when they were trying to enter the town. “We have four who were near dead when we left. They might not make it, and certainly can’t walk. One has a twisted ankle, though he can walk with support, and another one with a more grievous leg injury. One woman I stitched up had gotten bits of wood from the ship embedded in her stomach. Some were uninjured, and a few had minimal injuries, like a guy we put together a makeshift sling for after his arm was dislocated.”

“I would say we are looking at 7 who can’t walk independently, and another 8 who are injured in some fashion but can walk on their own, albeit slow.” Adrainna summarized. “But your foreman said we weren’t getting anything unless we took care of some tigers that seem to be bothering you locals.” She glared at the foreman again, bewildered at his demand from help from the strangers.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

I was midway though a post, waiting on vena to respond to a pm message with question for collaboration. Will edit and adjust, having her come out midway through this so she can hear the questions.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Seriously?!

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

@mogtaki Just to remind you, everyone *should* think my character is a guy.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Adrianna was a bit surprised they made it to the town before dark. Though she knew the trek was not long or arduous, they had gained a few children along the way, and none of them had a map with which to help them navigate. In any case, “town” was a bit generous of a name for their location. They had passed a mill, and the small cluster of buildings was surrounded by a set of gates, a big investment for such a small place. The men’s armor was far from quality. It was possible the town had been plagued by creatures and bandits, causing them to create their own band of relatively able-bodied guards to protect the women and children inside. But it was also possible these men were mercenaries, exploiting the town’s people. They might also be bandits themselves. The town could have been abandoned, and these men could be using it as a trap to make their targets overly accommodating.

Ethan stepped forward to talk to the men while Adrianna considered her options. If they demanded the groups’ weapons, she would take this for a robbery. Hell, they could be slavers. But they had children with no weapons…sort of, with them. If it were just her, she would have been making a few demands of her own. But in this group, it was better to just follow along. She looked over at the children while Ethan spoke, curious if either of them would step forward and speak colloquially with the guards. She had imagined at least the boy was from here. After all, how many small towns were around to just let their children run off into the wilderness?

The guards critiqued Ethan’s story, and Adrianna was hesitant to provide completely accurate information in his stead. If they were bandits, and they learned of weak people unable to defend themselves nearby, what would they do with that information? Could they go and take what little the survivors had? She could have stepped forward and interrupted the man with the actual numbers of survivors and insights, but the guards walked off to go check in with their foreman. Good. If they went inside and spoke to someone with a bit more authority, perhaps she would feel as if this was more than just a set-up to rob them.

Ethan seemed oblivious to the possibility that this was a big trap. He sat down, and let his guard down completely as they waited. Adrianna stayed standing, hand on the blunt weapon affixed to her waist. Perhaps it was coming from her previous company, but Adrianna tended to focus on the ways people could trick and deceive each other rather than ways in which people could be generous and kind.

When they were invited in, Adrianna wanted to hang back a bit, wait to see if men were going to jump out and attack them, but she caught sight of the group of playing children and relaxed…slightly. One of the buildings was supposed to be an inn with drinks, and while the shipwrecked group likely didn’t have much in the way of spending money, she sensed a bit of…desperation in the man’s voice at the suggestion to go. What had happened here that made them low on supplies, and in need of business? Perhaps they had been raided in the past. The buildings looked in disrepair, though more from neglect than purposeful damage.

She probably should have stayed to keep an eye on the children, but she really didn’t want to be responsible for them. The girl at least had been brought to town, just as she wanted, and would likely wander off anyway. As for the boy…well, Adrianna wasn’t sure who he was or what his plans were. “Well…I’m going to get a drink. Grab me when the foreman gets here.” Adrianna said to one of the crew members standing near Ethan.

“Great! I’ll come with!” The man said. It was the same one who had banged his leg earlier on the trip. Adrianna shrugged her shoulders and turned to go to the inn. She had preferred to go alone, but whatever. The guy, Shay, followed her to the rather deserted inn, and up to the bar area. The barkeep was an older man, a big ragged and unkempt. He was cleaning up some mugs from a group who had left sometime before when the pair walked in. The pair ordered and paid for drinks. When the man returned with the beverages, Adrianna struck up a conversation. “So, what’s been going on here? I’ve only just gotten here and things seem a little…bit troublesome.”

“Business’ been slow.” He said, his voice gravely and accompanied with a bit of a cough. How pleasant.

“What’s made it slow?” She asked.

“Can’t get lumber for the mill. Onna ‘counna tigers showing up in the area.”

So it was true. Adrianna had thought perhaps the Ydran was making that up, or wanting to make them rely on her further because of the threat of an animal attack. But there really were tigers in the area. “I’m not local, but I didn’t think tigers were a local animal.” Adrianna said.

“they ain’t.” The barkeep replied gruffly. “you gunna get food”? He asked.

Adrianna shook her head, and the man walked off, not eager to continue the conversation with the stranger.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Sorry for the delays! I had some big stuff at work this week. Should have time this weekend though. :)

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

I hear ya, this weekend is busy with holidays and all. Just this 2 weeks between posts thing is killing me!

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Yea, I don't mind if we set a posting order, or if we just roll with whatever order seems fitting as we go. Anyone else have a preference?

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Hey all, who is up next? Last time I think it was @Mogtaki, but before that it was @raylah after me.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Adrianna had no intention of forcing the kid to join them. Frankly, it would have been a relief if she had decided not to join them. They had a whole ship-ful of hurt people they had to get help for, and a stray kid wasn’t going to make her job any easier. But the girl’s pet seemed to think that joining them was a good idea, as did the boy, so their numbers went up. The white-haired man introduced himself as Ethan, and after a brief back and forth with Yarri, Adrianna perceived a bit of a struggle as to who would proclaim themselves leader of this ragtag group. Fortunately, they would only be together for this walk, so she didn’t imagine things would come to a mutinous end.

Ethan decided, after a bit of back and forth, that Adrian would lead the group, and the children would be in the center. Yarri, with supposedly the keenest senses, would take up the rear and keep an eye out for tigers or stray children, as these forests seemed to be riddled with both. It wasn’t a bad suggestion, but the nature of it reminded her a bit too much of the most basic training done by the Church. Just a coincidence. She told herself. You’re being paranoid and seeing something where there is nothing. But paranoid was what kept her alive, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit more on-edge about being so close to the man.

“Sure.” Adrianna, unlike the sailors, made no fuss about the assigned post, and moved up to the front of the group. She set a somewhat brisk pace, though she slowed when she put too much space between her and the others. With everyone on alert, Adrianna didn’t begin to start up another conversation with the girl or Ethan, and the others were too far away. It was probably better to just stay quiet to not attract unwanted attention.

As they settled in more comfortably, Adrianna’s senses began to wander. She glanced back at Ethan, feeling something…off about the man. They had already been walking together for some time, and she hadn’t picked up anything before. But now… No, she was sure of it, he had gotten hurt. But how? When? All they did was make camp, and…well, he got run over by a child, but surely the boy couldn’t have caused that much damage. Adrianna turned back to see Cecil’s gauntlets. Well, perhaps he had. He clearly had some sort of modifications, and if the blunt ends of those things had smashed against the wrong part…Ethan could have gotten seriously injured. He likely wasn’t, in this case. All she could sense was some blood clotting in his chest. It would probably form a nasty bruise, but it was nothing worth fussing about. What’s more, the injury was not the type she should even be aware of.