Lost Scout

[StarrNico]

Charles was off balance as his hand closed around her arm, so when she fell, he fell right beside her and lost his grip on her arm. "Stop it!" he said, trying to grab her around the waist before she could get up, thinking only of wrestling her back to the ground so that he could get a firm grip on her again.

Hearing the commotion, Laethros cursed under his breath and turned, heading back up to the top of the trail. "**** fool kid, can't even keep a girl in line."

Raven was pulled back down by his arm around her waist. She kicked out blindly, trying to get free again. Her breathing was quick and shallow as she tried to get enough air, nearly to the point of having a panic attack at the thought of going down the cliff. Still unable to force words past the lump in her throat she could only make a small distressed sound as she tried to regain her feet.

 

[Frundette]

Barash turned from where he stood at the door to the cook house and looked at the human. He tilted his head and glanced around the room then went to get a dipper to give him a little water. Silently he brought it over and held the dipper through the bars for him. He grinned and waited for the human to try to drink the stew water.

(Did Barash bind Aelfric's hands in front or behind?)

He was fairly certain the orc intended to pull it away as soon as he got close enough to take the dipper, but the chance for water was too tempting to pass up. The adrenaline from the fight was mostly worn off and his body felt a mass of pain as he forced himself awkwardly to his feet, fairly certain that one of his ribs was broken. The few steps toward the dipper felt more like a mile, but he managed to get close to the grinning orc.

 

[StarrNico]

(Did Barash bind Aelfric's hands in front or behind?)

He was fairly certain the orc intended to pull it away as soon as he got close enough to take the dipper, but the chance for water was too tempting to pass up. The adrenaline from the fight was mostly worn off and his body felt a mass of pain as he forced himself awkwardly to his feet, fairly certain that one of his ribs was broken. The few steps toward the dipper felt more like a mile, but he managed to get close to the grinning orc.

(Front)
Barash calmly waited. He knew the humans didn't like the stew or any of the other orc foods, and wanted to see his reaction to it.

 

[Frundette]

Raven was pulled back down by his arm around her waist. She kicked out blindly, trying to get free again. Her breathing was quick and shallow as she tried to get enough air, nearly to the point of having a panic attack at the thought of going down the cliff. Still unable to force words past the lump in her throat she could only make a small distressed sound as she tried to regain her feet.

"Ow!" Charles said as her foot connected to his shin, but he refused to let go this time and clamped his arm tighter around her. "I ain't gonna throw you over the cliff, girl!" he exclaimed, thinking the girl assumed he had intended to kill her.

 

[Frundette]

(Front)
Barash calmly waited. He knew the humans didn't like the stew or any of the other orc foods, and wanted to see his reaction to it.

Aelfric picked his hands up to the dipper to take it and put it to his lips. It smelled worse than Barash did, but Aelfric figured if the orcs drank the stuff that it probably wasn't toxic and so downed it quickly, thinking it tasted like horse piss. He coughed and sputtered, but managed not to gag at least. "Good stuff," he said, handing the dipper back to Barash. At least the bloody taste in his mouth had been replaced, but he wasn't sure it was an improvement.

 

[StarrNico]

"Ow!" Charles said as her foot connected to his shin, but he refused to let go this time and clamped his arm tighter around her. "I ain't gonna throw you over the cliff, girl!" he exclaimed, thinking the girl assumed he had intended to kill her.

Raven continued to struggle in his hold. But fighting both him and the panic had the effect of making it even harder to breath. She started to see black spots and her struggles weakened. She only barely heard his words over the ringing in her ears, not that she would have believed them anyway.

 

[StarrNico]

Aelfric picked his hands up to the dipper to take it and put it to his lips. It smelled worse than Barash did, but Aelfric figured if the orcs drank the stuff that it probably wasn't toxic and so downed it quickly, thinking it tasted like horse piss. He coughed and sputtered, but managed not to gag at least. "Good stuff," he said, handing the dipper back to Barash. At least the bloody taste in his mouth had been replaced, but he wasn't sure it was an improvement.

Barash grinned and took the dipper back to the pot then returned to the door, looking out over the camp quietly. Seeing the man's reaction had made his mood better, but he was still not sure what to do with him.

 

[Frundette]

Raven continued to struggle in his hold. But fighting both him and the panic had the effect of making it even harder to breath. She started to see black spots and her struggles weakened. She only barely heard his words over the ringing in her ears, not that she would have believed them anyway.

"You're gonna be fine, Raven," Charles said, still trying to reason with the panicked girl. As she quit fighting him quite so hard, Charles transferred his grasp from her waist to her arm, keeping a tight hold to try to keep her from running off again, then stood up.

Just as he was pulling her to her feet, Laethros trudged over, eyes narrowed, angry over the delay. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her... hard. "Listen!" he said, making sure he had her attention. "You're going to walk down that path, cause if you don't then, I swear to the gods, I'll push you off the cliff myself. Would sure make my life a lot simpler."

 

[Frundette]

Gomez continued downstream at a much slower pace to avoid slipping on the moss covered rocks. He was purposely taking a longer and more difficult route to the cave to make Gytha think that he was deliberately trying to fool the orcs as he had told her. In reality, of course, the orcs knew exactly where the cave was. Conveniently, Gomez actually knew more about the girl scout then most of the people at the settlement as she was Charles' scouting partner. It couldn't have worked out any better. Knowing that she wasn't an idiot, and was probably still looking for a reason to distrust him, he diligently kept up the act of secrecy. The rocks would have made their scent trail harder to follow, and the noise created by the water would mask the sound of their footsteps. He hoped that she noticed this, otherwise the sore feet he would have from walking across the rocks would be all for not.

Since the orcs treated him reasonably well, he wasn't feeling the same hunger that she was. Not particularly concerned about her well-being, he didn't stop and offer her the chance to find food.

The care that Gomez took to keep their path concealed was not lost on Gytha and did indeed further convince her that he was taking a huge risk by helping her return to the settlement. She could repay him, she thought, by ensuring that he was not mistreated when they finally arrived. For surely the people there would be leery and suspicious of him. She wondered again what he really was. A half breed perhaps? She shuddered inwardly to think of his poor mother, used by the orcs in worse ways than she had been.

'Splash!' Her boot slipped off the mossy edge of a rock. Luckily, the water was not deep there and the only damage was a wet boot, but she mouthed a silent 'sorry' toward Gomez.

 

[StarrNico]

"You're gonna be fine, Raven," Charles said, still trying to reason with the panicked girl. As she quit fighting him quite so hard, Charles transferred his grasp from her waist to her arm, keeping a tight hold to try to keep her from running off again, then stood up.

Just as he was pulling her to her feet, Laethros trudged over, eyes narrowed, angry over the delay. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her... hard. "Listen!" he said, making sure he had her attention. "You're going to walk down that path, cause if you don't then, I swear to the gods, I'll push you off the cliff myself. Would sure make my life a lot simpler."

Raven pulled back from Laethros, eyes wide and focused on him. "No" She said finally able to get a word out past the fear. She shook her head and closed her eyes saying it again "No"