Lost Scout

[ChickieBooBoo]

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.

Gomez looked back for a moment to make sure that the splash hadn't been Gytha actually falling into the river. When he seen that it was only her boot he shrugged casually and gestured towards the water with his hand, indicating that the sound likely blended in with the gurgling river. Once she had regained her balance he stepped onto the next rock and continued in a west, northwest direction following the river.

Knowing that he was leading Gytha towards trouble, Gomez didn't feel particularly sympathetic towards her cause. For some odd reason the plague which had wiped out so many of his kin had left him without empathy, and nearly empty inside--leaving room for the orcs to fill the empty space with hatred, distrust, and cruelty.

 

[Frundette]

Laethros looked a bit surprised at the girl's answer, but his hard look returned. "Fine," he hefted the girl up and over his shoulder, carrying her back toward the edge of the cliff.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Jasper mounted quickly and turned Duke after Panago, but the colt needed no encouragement and eagerly followed Panago out of the ravine. "If we can make it back to the road before it gets dark, we should have an easy time of it," the boy said, fully planning on riding all night long if they had in order to reach the settlement before the sun came up again.

Ezra nodded, thinking the same thing. Thankfully the orc tracks were even easier to follow now since the horses had been down the path once, so it made for a reasonably easy ride through the forest. He was most worried about Danielle, and how Aelfric and Strider were making out with the rescue attempt. Part of him was praying that he would find Danielle back at the settlement, and that someone else had taken Duke and her coat.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Strider glanced to the two girls then looked back outside, checking for orcs before leading them out and away from the camp.He glanced to them constantly, keeping his speed to one they could both keep up with.
Ruby waited for Danielle to go before her, following the other girl closely, ready to help her if she needed it, though she was tired and sore from the last few days herself.

Danielle stumbled after Strider, not as much injured as she was still in shock. She wanted to go home...

 

[StarrNico]

Laethros looked a bit surprised at the girl's answer, but his hard look returned. "Fine," he hefted the girl up and over his shoulder, carrying her back toward the edge of the cliff.

"No" Raven screamed and struggled to free herself from his grip.

 

[StarrNico]

Danielle stumbled after Strider, not as much injured as she was still in shock. She wanted to go home...

Strider smiled at her once they were a safe distance from the orc camp "I'm Kane. You can call me by my scout name, Strider. Are you Danielle?" He asked and glanced around for Aelfric or the other freed prisoners.

 

[Frundette]

"You can't just..." Charles began, thinking the older man really intended to throw Anna off the side of the cliff. Instead, Laethros clamped his arm tightly around the girl's legs to keep her from kicking him as she struggled, then started making his way carefully down the narrow path.

"Might want to knock that squirming off, lass," he told her. "You knock me off balance and that's the end of both of us."

 

[StarrNico]

"You can't just..." Charles began, thinking the older man really intended to throw Anna off the side of the cliff. Instead, Laethros clamped his arm tightly around the girl's legs to keep her from kicking him as she struggled, then started making his way carefully down the narrow path.

"Might want to knock that squirming off, lass," he told her. "You knock me off balance and that's the end of both of us."

Raven froze when they started down the cliff path. She gulped a breath then tried to hold onto him as he made his way down the trail. She closed her eyes and a distressed sound escaped her throat.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Strider smiled at her once they were a safe distance from the orc camp "I'm Kane. You can call me by my scout name, Strider. Are you Danielle?" He asked and glanced around for Aelfric or the other freed prisoners.

"Umm," Danielle stammered. "Yeah, I'm Danielle, how do you know my name?" She looked strangely at Strider. This was not the man who she had seen leaving with her Father, where was Ezra and Aelfric?

--

The freed prisoners had stayed together as a group and were a little bit further ahead of Strider, Danielle and Ruby. They were making their way roughly north towards where they knew the road was.

 

[StarrNico]

"Umm," Danielle stammered. "Yeah, I'm Danielle, how do you know my name?" She looked strangely at Strider. This was not the man who she had seen leaving with her Father, where was Ezra and Aelfric?

--

The freed prisoners had stayed together as a group and were a little bit further ahead of Strider, Danielle and Ruby. They were making their way roughly north towards where they knew the road was.

"I met up with your father and Aelfric on the way to find Ruby." He smiled at his daughter. "You alright baby?"

Ruby blushed and nodded "Well, enough, father."

Strider nodded and looked to Danielle again "He went back to the settlement to give them warning about these orcs."