Stalking the Crybaby
Subject: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Rennik moves to the front of the group, with Farron close behind to whisper directions from Jack in the Halflings ear. Mission brings up the rear.
In the camp, Garyth moves to quietly wake Sa'id and Cadfael, and tells them in a whisper where the others have gone.
Once Farron is a few minutes outside the camp, he hears the crying again, though this time both Rennik and Mission are able to hear it as well. The closer the group gets, the more it sounds like a kid sobbing to himself. Once they have gotten close enough, Rennik stops the group and moves forward by himself as quietly as his ranger craft will let him. In the blackness of the jungle at night, he uses his other senses as best he can to move without giving his position away. After moving about 30 feet from his companions, the air tells him he has moved into a small clearing, and the crying creature is not more than ten feet away. The crying stops suddenly, and a small Halfling voice says, "Who's there?" Terror is thick in the voice.
[To Rennik, it sounds like a young Halfling male. All three could hear the question.]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Farron will remain completely silent, listening. He will leave it up to Rennik to respond.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Rennik tries to keep his voice as calm and comforting as possible, speaking above a whisper but not at full volume.
"I am Rennik of the Chorrdath, small one." It suddently dawns on him that this boy may be on a rite of passage of his own, similar to that which Rennik went through at his coming of age. "My companions and I thought you might be in distress, and we came to make sure of your safety. What is your tribe? Have you been separated from your people?"
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Those waiting for Rennik hear his gentle words, and then the young voice says, "Chorrdath? Maki non Logi!" Then there is a long burst of Halfling speech and what sounds like wrestling.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Rennik hurries the boy back the way he came, moving back towards camp. He holds the boy against his side and shushes him to be quiet, while speaking again in that half-whisper.
"Friends Mission and Farron, this boy is of my neighbor tribe! He may know more of what happened to my kinsman and the other halflings. We must get him back to camp."
As they walk, Rennik holds the boy closely and makes a show of checking him for wounds. As he pats the boy down, he is sure to check for a scroll case hanging about his neck.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Rennik finds no scroll case on the boy. In fact, the only possessions the boy seems to have are an empty knife sheath, ratty leather trousers, and an astonishing array of bumps and knots.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Mission is quiet, torn between relief that the child is not Promise. . . and frustration that the child is not Promise.
He had hoped. . .
He ducks beneath a stray branch just in time to feel it fuzz the top of his head. He didn't know what he hoped.
For now, he hoped to make it back to camp. He hoped the halfling child would be healthy and whole-- and not pathless. And perhaps, might be able to tell them of the black pillar.
And his son. His Promise.
Mission follows the others back to camp.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
Sa'id sits quietly in the camp, legs crossed and eyes closed. He appears to be either praying or meditating, but it is impossible to be certain which.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Cries in the night; stalking the crybaby
The boy will return to camp with Rennik. What do you plan to do with him there? Once you get him into the light, you will see that he has been beaten regularly for a sustained period of time. He has old bruises covered with new ones, and a variety of lumps on his head. He also appears hungry and dehydrated.
Other than that, he looks like a Halfling boy of about 14, skinny and wide eyed, and dressed only in his torn leather pants.