Subject: Re: Leaving the town behind; riding through the night

Pensive says to the men gathered near him. "The Shadow is subtle. If it reaches for you, you may not notice it." He remembers how _right_ it felt. How. . . justified. "The first time I felt it, I was watching a group of boys bully a younger boy. I tried to stop them, and the Shadow touched one of them. It fed his aggression and anger." He swallows. "And mine as well. I was ready to kill him. It felt so. . . right. Justifiable. The Shadow does not place its own thoughts in your head. It feeds the thoughts that are already there, the equivocations, the small miseries, the furies that spin about in one's mind.

"We are all vulnerable," Pensive says, but he is looking at Rennick. How far could the halfling be trusted, wild as he was? Certainly, he had a good heart-- Pensive had seen it at the farm. That would have to be enough. He hoped it would be enough. Hoped that the goodness in Rennick's heart would win out over his wildness when the proving time came. "I met an old woman who shrugged off the touch of Shadow-- though her life had been bitter, still she was able to push it away." The reverence in his voice is clear-- and he is touching Elvira's holy symbol, openly displayed on his chest.

"Blood and Stone will abide," he finishes. "I know what Sand and Shadow feel like, and what words they whisper. And I will stand against them with you all. I will warn you when I feel them, and help protect you all."

Subject: Re: The wizards plus one; almost to Gully's

Well, as my posting on various fora has obviously demonstrated, I'm back online and not confined to public libraries any more. While I don't have many kind things to say about the process of moving, at least I'm online again.

Anywho, were we waiting for me to add something before moving on with the wizards, or are you swamped at work again, Ty?

Subject: Everyone moving toward Gully's

The Wizards and Kasen

Kasen wakes the wizards up by making a lot of noise with the breakfast preparations. Sa'id rises feeling better than he has in days, a feeling amplified by seeing his friend also wake up. Farron still looks gray and drawn, but there is a hint of color in his cheeks, and he seems to be able to move about without help. Once again, he eats like a starving man, making apologies the entire time.

Kasen takes a twig from the breakfast fire and lights a lantern. Now that they are under the thick canopy of trees, the faint light coming through the heavy cloud cover is almost non existent. Fortunately, the path the knight found is well worn and clearly visible. The group has only been following it for a few hours when Kasen calls a halt. He gestures Sa'id forward and asks, "Is that it?"

Sa'id can barely see it through the thick growth and dim light, but there is indeed a wooden building thirty or so feet ahead. He rides forward a little bit, and it comes into focus. It's one of the outbuildings. Probably the smokehouse. They have arrived at Gully's.

Unfortunately, the trading post is quite dark. No smoke from the chimney. No lights come from any of the windows. It is also very quiet.

[Let me know what you want to do]

*************************************************

Garyth, Rennik, Osred and Pensive

The men retire to their bedrolls. Robert had clearly been sobered by Osred's words, and had spent his time at dinner staring morosely into their small fire. It was so out of character for the usually chatty Falcon, that even the taciturn Munch tried to draw him out with jokes. But Robert would just shake his head.

Vincy had gotten a chance to speak to Osred to one side, and said "Sergeant, you know Robert and Pickle were close. You couldn't have gone a little easier on him? Not that I question your understanding of things spiritual, mind you. You are a true man of the Gods, and no mistake. But maybe now wasn't the time for the harsher side of religion?"

Osred grabbed the corporal's shoulder roughly. "Now is exactly the time. Now, when good and evil meet so openly, and with such high stakes. Now, when all our lives may be forfeit. Now is when the truth must be spoken, Vincy. No mincing, no hiding harsh realities. Face the facts of your existence head on, or turn around and go back to the town. Or do you think that demon will be careful not to hurt your feelings?" Vincy did not reply.

In this state the men went to their beds. The following morning, they speak little.

Rennik once again leads them at a hard pace, putting miles behind them very quickly. The horses are beginning to show signs of weariness, but they are given no rest. If they fall over dead at the trading post, they will have served their purpose. No horses would go with them into the jungle.

They stop once again for a short lunch, but this time when they are ready to leave, Rennik whistles and calls to Tichenor with no success. The wolf seems to have disappeared. Garyth is prepared to wait and let Rennik find him, he has not forgotten how useful the wolf has been as an ally, but Rennik shakes his head and climbs on his pony. "No. He is full grown. No need to coddle him. He'll rejoin us when he wishes." But the Halfling can't hide the worry on his face as he says it.

The rest of the day passes without incident, and when the group stops, Rennik declares them less than a days ride now from Gully's. "We will see it by afternoon tomorrow." As he is speaking, Tichenor suddenly appears, trotting over to his master, his mouth open in a big wolfish grin. Rennik grabs the wolf roughly by the fur around his throat, and thumps his flank. "Where have you been?" The wolf just sits down and begins licking its chops. Though, when Rennik pats his flank in one spot, Tich gives a little yelp. Rennik searches under the fur and finds a wound. Narrow, shallow, and long. A knife cut, or possibly an arrow graze. He looks the wolf over more carefully, and finds blood on the wolf's muzzle and face. Not his own blood.

"Who did you get in a fight with?" But the wolf doesn't answer, he just continues to grin.

[Stopping for check ins]

Subject: Re: Everyone moving toward Gully's

"Is that it?" Kasen asks.

Sa'id nods. "Yes," he says, quietly. "It looks like he's gone, his wolf would probably have greeted us by now. Wait a moment."

He dismounts, rummaging in his component pouch. "I will cast a pair of glamours and look."

OOC: I don't have my list handy, but I want Pro' Evil and Mirror Image if I've got 'em. Then I'll go around to the front door and have a look. I'll also look in any windows I pass by.

Subject: Re: Everyone moving toward Gully's

Kasen shakes his head. "We should go together, Sayeed, if the owner has fled or been consumed the undead army will have moved on. If they lie in wait for us, well, Elise has a very good idea of what tricks we three have up our sleeves. I doubt we'll be able to approach undetected. Better to go on as one."