[django]

(Welcome Back Rilla )


"Perhaps. It would be something." Trinita smiled weakly back a Warwick. The mention of a woman not among then them pulled at some hearts stings. He couldn't help but feel like he was betraying Ilnari'se by leaving this city. But he could go out and look for her. She could be dead or far removed from here.

He shrugged at Wre'kesa "It might be worth a try but I ..." He stopped mid sentence as an Olath called out to the group... could it be... IT WAS!

"Ilnari'se!." The little wolf shouted as he ran over to his Mate and gave her great big hug. "Goddess, I thought I lost you when the crowd separated me from the goup." Despite trying to hold his composer Trinita could help but choke on a few sobs of relief. He was so happy.

[Alric]

"Define 'dicey'," deadpanned Vithar to Warwick's query. They could have used a few experienced female Raiders or Explorers with them, but so far it was nothing they couldn't handle. It better stay that way.

Vithar was about to climb into the wagon himself and take a look at the chest when he heard Ilnari'se voice from behind him. At least she was safe and sound, and Trinita's mind would be on the task at hand knowing that she's safe.

"Get aboard, we're getting out of here before more enemy soldiers show up. We can continue with the teary reunion when we're on the road!" Vithar urged, offering a hand to quickly pull them up into the cart. He couldn't say much for the smell, though.

[django]

(Just to get this moving again.)

It was long and dangerous trek, but the group managed to leave the burning city in one piece. The drows are lucky, the rebel army was more intent on pillaging and lost all discipline. Some even took this chance to settle personal grudges. Then to watch the walls and do their job.

But it wasn't easy going for the group. They haven't had a decent cooking fire since they left the city behind them and two of the weaker and younger children have been bed ridden with sickness. Trinity has did his best to help them, but he didn't expect them to see the sun rise.

[Dice Warwick]

Warwick sat quietly as she tending to the ill children. Her face looked blank with a hint of confusion, as help the two children be comfy. She was just not use to taking care of others, it was something commonly left to others in the caravan, along with many other things, well most things, and being relayed on to such an extent was something Warwick just didn't do. All she felt she could do was keep them comfortable as they fade away, not much else.

[Rilla Treespirit]

The big wolf sat quietly. She felt a pang of pity for the sick children but there was nothing she could do for them now. It had been a long walk, on little food it made her wonder how long the rest of the children would last. Ilnari'se handed her waterskin to one of the healthier children "Drink, kids." She started looking through her pack for her rations. Dry biscuits, a dried mushroom (how long had she had that in the corner of her bag?), 5 precious eggs she'd found and wrapped up carefully. They'd set some traps earlier. Might as well go check them now even if the chance of them having caught anything was minimal. She'd baited them with crumbs. "Going to check traps." the announcement was made and the sand made scrunch scritch shff sounds as she got up to leave. They should reach water in a day or so and with it bushes and trees for wood, she hoped.

[DeadPigeonGolem]

((Wow. Where did the alert for this go in my email?!))

Wre'kesa sighed tiredly. His mana was lower than he'd like it to be. Despite being quite old and, therefore, having a large mana reserve, the constant bleeding of mana was wearing on him faster than he'd expected. He sat on a promontory facing away from the camp, scanning for anything of interest as the first lookout of the evening. He didn't really expect anything.

The children were doing about as well as he'd hoped. The weaker ones weren't going to make it, but Green Eyes was doing well and keeping the small group of kiddies together. Water was supposed to be use around the corner, so barring any difficulties with local tribes (nothing a crossbow or sword couldn't fix), they should recover nicely before continuing onwards.


((Any thoughts on meeting the other raiders?))

[django]

((Lets just the NPC wolves ones didn't make it.))

"Alright, take care." He said to Ilnari'se as he pulled up a blanket to cover a shivering child. Trinita was so tired and hungry from all the fighting and walking in the desert, he felt he was just drunk off of something. Maybe he should have had more water the past few day but they were down to their last bit.

"How long have we been out here Wre'kesa? How long have been suffering this human war." Trinita wasn't sure why he was asking this. He knew the answer. But he guessed he just needed to hear his clansmen option about their situation and to know he wasn't alone when he thought to himself, fuck I wish I was in the underground right know. Fuck the surface world.

Trinita didn't realize it but he was nodding off, while he sat by the wagon.

* * *

Mean while by the traps. A desert hare was hanging off the string wire trap they set and its dumb relatives hanging around it, like if nothing was wrong.

The barren land scape around them, was vast and stretched out in every direction. If it wasn't for the distant lights of a far off sea port, it would look like every direction was the same, and never ending.

[DeadPigeonGolem]

"How long have we been out here Wre'kesa? How long have been suffering this human war." Trinita wasn't sure why he was asking this. He knew the answer. But he guessed he just needed to hear his clansmen option about their situation and to know he wasn't alone when he thought to himself, fuck I wish I was in the underground right know. Fuck the surface world.

"Too long, Trinita," sighed Wre'kesa, drawing himself up into a ball as the chill desert air creeped into his cloak. "It wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't... if the city... if. Well. Yeah."

The Pack was gone. That spoke volumes in and of itself.

"What do you think we'll find at the oasis?" Wre'kesa asked, changing the subject before it got too uncomfortable.

[django]

"Rolling sand dunes... maybe some nomads and refuges..." He said sleepily while raising his head, trying to fight off any notion of sleep his body kept demanding. "Well have a few more days of travel and we should see the coast and get us a ship back home."

"Fire! Look." One of the children said while pointing towards something in the distance. Trinita forced him self on his feet to see what was all the commotion, and there was indeed several camp fires in the distance. "Shit... that could be anybody."

It was hard to make out for his drow eyes but he could see large horse like shapes among the the fire. "It could be cavalry of some kind... or some nomads."

[Rilla Treespirit]

A trap had caught something, a tasty dish for them with a few more running loose nearby. She could feel herself drooling over the thought of cooking some nice, delicious meat. What she wasn't too sure about was how many of the critters she could catch, It wasn't like she had a net to throw over them. She chose the only sensible option she could think of and slowly moved up to the group. She caught two, the first had its life snatched away unawares for the second she threw herself one top of it as they darted away from her, they were well away from her when she threw a knife for a third which inevitably meant a lost knife and nothing to show for it. Including the one in the trap she had three desert hares. No one could complain at that. She examined the scrapes a kicking leg had caused on her arm, there was no blood so she gathered up her prizes and headed back to camp. She never even glanced in the direction of the distant lights.

"Look here guys!" The hares were raised up. Not her usual behaviour but Sharess she was happy, they'd cook it up and get some food inside of them - no fire, damnit.

[DeadPigeonGolem]

"Rolling sand dunes... maybe some nomads and refuges..." He said sleepily while raising his head, trying to fight off any notion of sleep his body kept demanding. "Well have a few more days of travel and we should see the coast and get us a ship back home."

"Fire! Look." One of the children said while pointing towards something in the distance. Trinita forced him self on his feet to see what was all the commotion, and there was indeed several camp fires in the distance. "Shit... that could be anybody."

It was hard to make out for his drow eyes but he could see large horse like shapes among the the fire. "It could be cavalry of some kind... or some nomads."

"Cavalry... would they still be lighting fires at this point? I'd have thought that any soldiers with sense would be hiding their campfires. I'd guess nomads."

A trap had caught something, a tasty dish for them with a few more running loose nearby. She could feel herself drooling over the thought of cooking some nice, delicious meat. What she wasn't too sure about was how many of the critters she could catch, It wasn't like she had a net to throw over them. She chose the only sensible option she could think of and slowly moved up to the group. She caught two, the first had its life snatched away unawares for the second she threw herself one top of it as they darted away from her, they were well away from her when she threw a knife for a third which inevitably meant a lost knife and nothing to show for it. Including the one in the trap she had three desert hares. No one could complain at that. She examined the scrapes a kicking leg had caused on her arm, there was no blood so she gathered up her prizes and headed back to camp. She never even glanced in the direction of the distant lights.

"Look here guys!" The hares were raised up. Not her usual behaviour but Sharess she was happy, they'd cook it up and get some food inside of them - no fire, damnit.

"You know, we could go see if those people would give us some wood. I can still light a fire, but I need fuel."

[django]

Trinita looked over at Wre'kesa and thought about it. I could be nomads but that didn't mean they were friendly. "It could be, but people this far into the desert dont use wood for a burning fuel." "Woods too valuable, they use Camel dung. It burns really well."

Turning to Ilnari'se, Trinita rummaged through his pack. "We still have a... yes here it is. A heat stone." The same kind they use to cook under ground "Its not much compared to a camp fire but its less viable. In any case I'm starving for a real meal... not just another sarghress ration."


* * *

The camp fires were indeeds a group a nomads. Who travel across the desert with their live stock. Their women are not covered up like the city folks around them and the men are lean. Water is more precious to them then Gold.

[Dice Warwick]

Warwick leaned over to Trinita from the wagon, her clock now being used to come some of the children, her regular cloths visible with all it's were and tare of travel, half of it no-longer wight. "so do you think these Nomads would be friendly, well not kill on sight friendly I mean?" Warwicks own condition was not doing well, hearty as she was, she was no solder, and was feeling the effects of prolong fatigue in her hole body, with rest only giving her a mild feeling of recovery.

[django]

Trinita jumped a little as he was surprised to hear Warwicks voice above him. She looked like hell... as they all did, and it still brought him guilt looking at her, she could have been back in Chel or Raven if it wasn't for him. "I'm not too sure..." He stood up and leaned on the wagon. "Nomads here tend to be just herders of some kind. Perhaps they would like to trade with us, perhaps it finally worth opening that chest and getting some trade out of it. We could get more water and food."

Trinita climbed into the wagon and was attempting to force the lock open again. Until one of the children came up to him held up a set of key in front of him. Could it be... It cant be! "Child were did you get this?" Trinita asked. "I found it on the ground by the dead merchant in the city." he quietly answered "I thought it might be important."

The old hinges squealed as Trinita wasted no time opening it. At first glance it was filled to the rim with clothing but after some digging he found three pouches filled with gold and jem studded silver goblets and brass plates. Holy Sharess, it wasn't worth much in the under world but on the surface it could get them back home with enough money to spare.

[Rilla Treespirit]

Ilnari'se set about getting the hares ready for cooking. Having the heatstone was a relief and a surprise, and fortunately they had a small pan to go with it.
The talk of the nomads was something she saw no need to get involved in, it was more important that they get some food in their bellies. One of the kids tried to snatch at one of the animals, not even waiting till it was cooked. She knocked the child back and he started to cry harsh sobbing noises which quickly died down. the poor thing was skin and bones. If she'd known they had the heatstone she'd have cooked the eggs she'd found earlier. Trinita climbed back up into the wagon, and spoke to one of the children, it seemed he'd found something. "Found some rations or water we missed?" she called up hopefully.