It's Written in the STARS pt4

Elena's horse has farted off into the woods! The badgers do at least give up their chase but you're going to have to calm Elena's horse down. And get to her, of course, in the first place.

Elena might have gotten the horse under control again -- were it not for that branch coming out of nowhere and smacking her in the face, helping her lose herself for a moment. She manages to stay on the horse -- just barely -- but getting the thing under control would seem to be beyond her skills, right now. Especially as she's half out of the saddle as it is. She whispers to the thing in soothing Sildanyari words, but it seems rather ineffective.

She may need assistance.

Sabina tries her best to stay in the sadle as well and keep at the pace they're all running at. "You know.. I like.. wagons better!" She says while nearly bouncing about. The bird on her shoulder is /not/ happy.

Edinaz is really just trying to hold on to his horse. It's not pretty.

Burai is a barely competent rider himself. He seems to have a bit more luck than most in soothing his horse, when it gets too excited. But every time he tries to spur it forward its eyes roll and it surges ahead almost uncontrollably once more. Finally he gives up and lets it gallop after, hoping to calm it once they reach Elena.

Lysos laughs. The laugh might be a little bit shrill, perhaps just a little bit inspired by terror, but there is joy as well. She's been soaked and muddied, shocked and thrown out of a hole and into a poisonous bush. But this.. the horses' flight almost makes it all worth it. When Elena's horse harries off in another direction, she almost pulls her reins and joins the others in going after her.

Elena at least manages to stay in the saddle, and with a little luck and a bit of elven grace, she'll even manage to get right back into it, in time. But the horse is moving fast, and nothing that she is saying is calming the creature.

GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (15)+5: 20

GAME: Burai rolls perception: (11)+11: 22

GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (14)+10: 24

GAME: Elena rolls Perception: (4)+6: 10

GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (17)+4: 21

It takes some time, but eventually you do reunite with Elena and her horse, the latter of whom is looking a little worse for wear from being slapped in the face with branches and so on. They've come to rest at the foot of a massive oak tree, where the horse leans forward and begins to nose the ground. Hey, grass!

In any event, you're able to reunite.

Of course, there's also kobolds nearby that you're keeping a watchful eye out for. No sign fo them *yet*.

Bina slows down and pants softly. Not as bad as her poor horse. She blinks and looks around to the others and then as calmly as she can states to Elena. "My dear. You need to /slowly/ back the horse away from that tree. It's not just a tree. It's a plant creature of some sort." She manages to smile comfortingly on top of it all.

Now looking more closely, even Elena can see the vines loving wrapped around the tree's base that are starting to reach out towards her.

And her horse.

Edinaz curses, reining in. He gets controlled in time to start backing the horse away. "Elena," he says in a calm voice, "That tree is trying to hug your horse."

Lysos's eyes go right wide when she pulls her horse up short, definitely not wanting to get anywhere near the trouble Elena's horse has gotten the half-sil into. "Don't let the vines get you!" she blurts.

Burai eyes the vines. He tugs his heavy curved sword off of it's clips on his back. It's a blade that seems made for chipping through vines, yet he still seems cagey, keeping his horse well away from the tree either.

Elena only barely has time to collect herself, one danger passed as another presents itself. She jumps to her feet as she sees the vines start to move, grabbing for the horses' reins and working to pull the thing away from the tree. Even the thing getting spooked is better than letting it get injured.

GAME: Elena rolls Ride: (12)+-6: 6

GAME: Elena rolls Ride: (16)+-4: 12

Elena manages to jump back into the saddle, turning the horse and getting the thing away from the creeping vines as she looks to the others. "I think that we had best get back to the road as quickly as possible," she says. "We have no Tenders of the Trees, and this forest seems -- unfriendly."

Lysos agrees wholeheartedly... still eyeballing the vines around the tree as Elena manages to get away without being horrible eaten. "Has anyone seen those kobolds again? I feel like we keep playing their game."

Edinaz pulls one sword free, and agrees to Lysos. "Agreed. This is for their entertainment." He's happy to keep backing away.

Burai nods in approval. He begins the needlessly long and needlessly complicated process of turning the horse around until it is facing the direction back to the road. Then he carefully, gently nudges it forward.

Sabina carefully follows the others back to the road, tryingto keep a look out. "One wonders if the young girl we're chasing after is as innocent and delicate as her father lead us to believe. I mean we've had nothing but trouble. She's either lucky or us so very unlucky."

Lysos keeps her mouth shut as Sabina starts talking about 'us' and 'unlucky', and tries to avoid looking at anyone directly though her eyes do shift around a little bit... maybe just to see if people are looking at her askance.

Back to the road, then, at last.

The road is at least clear enough and the mountain you're aiming for is looming closer. Thankfully, the tip has not exploded into an array of demons. The good news is that mountain is still on the other side of the chain.

Day passes into evening once more and you're starting to look for a good place to camp as it grows darker. The longer days is certainly helping, to give you more time both to travel and to find appropriate places. Indeed, for once, you're in luck. A trapper's lodge seems to be available. One of those open cabins that are intended to be stocked by passer bys and used by people in the area for shelter.

Burai says, "That's true. This journey has been much different than I expected." He doesn't elaborate on what exactly he had expected. "I have no idea if we are even gaining ground on her, with all of these complications..."

Edinaz resheaths his sword as the day goes on, trotting along. He reins in at the trapper's lodge. "I don't know if I trust this. I can keep looking for a place to can, if you like."

Bina looks at the trapper's lodge and hmms. "Perhaps give a good going over to make sure those pesky kobolds haven't done something to it? I'd hate to be trapped in a trappers cabin. That would be too ironic for words. And I'm the Tarien priest."

Elena pulls up to the lodge, glancing at the others. "Trust it we shouldn't," she says. "But its solid walls and shelter are still a better option against come what may than oilcloth tents or open air and bedrolls." Elena seems to have made her decision already, climbing down off the horse and looking for a place to tie it for the night. "It's at least more defensible than other options, short of building another on the other side of the road, or conjuring one out of thin air."

GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (10)+5: 15

"Unless those nasty little kobolds have fixed it to fall on our heads, or blow up, or set itself on fire," Lysos says, throwing her hands up. Though her heart really isn't in it. She dearly would like a good night's sleep. Or as good a sleep as one can get on the road. While the ointment may have saved her from the worst of the effects of the itchvine, she's still bothered by it. And slimy to boot. And frazzled. And bruised.

GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (17)+10: 27

GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (18)+4: 22

GAME: Elena rolls Perception: (5)+6: 11

GAME: Burai rolls perception: (7)+11: 18

It seems likely that the kobolds have been here, after a perusal. They're in the area. It's hard to imagine that they've missed the trapper's cabin. Still, an inspection shows it to be solid and unmolested, filld with jarred pickles and what not. Long lasting persihables to snack on. They don't appear to have been tampered with, but then, it's hard to be sure given kobolds reputation for ingenueity.

A symnbol belonging to Dana and another to Gilead are inscribed on the ceiling.

Edinaz gets down from the horse, and sets to searching it thoroughly. Really thoroughly. Like pair-of-white-gloves thoroughly. He finally gives up. "Expect an ambush, but at least the walls are solid."

"Well we'd be silly not to set a watch in this area. Shall we use it then?" Sabina asks of the others.

Burai walks slowly around the cabin as he inspects it himself. He seems to be appraising it first for its structural strength. Tugging at features on the outside. Kicking the base of the walls in a few spots. And even grabbing the edge of the ceiling and pulling himself up until his head is above the roof and he can look. Then he nods. "An ambush, but some kind of trick rather than a full-on attack," he guesses.

Elena moves into the shelter once her horse is secured, pulling her hood down and generally starting to relax a bit. Though she glances up at the ceiling, briefly, curious as to the symbols there, following their form as she tries to work out whether any magic applies to them.

"We'll have to keep an eye on the horses,"

"We'll have to keep an eye on the horses," Lysos adds, though she certain seems warmed up to the idea of spending the night inside. "I'll take first watch, unless someone else wants to?"

Edinaz nods to Lysos. "Agreed. I'll take a middle watch." Then, he starts spreading out a bedroll right under a window. He is suffering from a trust-deficit at the moment.

Sabina says, "I'll take last then. Me and the Lord Emp that is." She says speaking of the bird. "Joy!"

Taking advantage of the trapper's cabin works out for you for the moment. It's walls are definitely secure enough for the time being, and there are no giant pits under the floorboards, nor old wells with trapped undead. At least, not apparently.

Lysos is having such a great time. Learning about so much flora and fauna. Shocker lizards, itch vine. Man eating plants. And now... well, that wasn't a cat. Wasn't even close. She manages to keep the spray from hitting her eyes, at least.

Lysos is having such a great time. Learning about so much flora and fauna. Shocker lizards, itch vine. Man eating plants. And now... well, that wasn't a cat. Wasn't even close. She manages to keep the spray from hitting her eyes, at least. Clearly she should have stayed inside. Watching from the window or some such. But when the bush started rustling, curiosity got the better of her... and now, thanks to the skunk, everyone is probably going to regret it.

Elena doesn't even have time to call out. Lysos is outside, on patrol, with Elena by the door. The bush moves. Lysos goes to check. And then -- that smell. That oh so familiar musk that the adventurers now have to deal with. The cleric just rubs at her face, sighing deeply as she steps out after Lysos. "Well. If they didn't know we were here before, they probably know we're here now."

Edinaz awakens, grumpy and a little groogy. Middle shift is never a fun shift. He lays there, nostrils belling. What the fu--. He closes his heads, then opens them and gets up, readying himself . He murmurs to Lysos, as he dares to get close enough. "You'd better deal with that now."

"I'm sorry, sorry!" Lysos tells Elena, trying to at least keep her distance. So much for sleeping inside tonight after all, it seems. And when Edinaz wakes up and approaches her to talk to her, she throws her hands up. "How! I don't even know! I've tried magic.. it doesn't seem to work very well." Indeed, there is a hint of a magically summoned scent.. and maybe, just /maybe/ the skunk smell isn't as bad as it could be. But that's like saying a kick in the back of the head isn't quite as bad as a kick in the face.

GAME: Lysos casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

GAME: Lysos casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

GAME: Lysos casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

GAME: Lysos casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

The Tsuran woman known as Sabina has smelled enough skunks durring her time on the wagon of her family. Likely been sprayed herself (that we won't talk about). She rolls over once with a complaining sound and then silence. Lord Emp gives sound to a complaint and then stuffs his head under a wing.

The /second/ watch is uneventful, of course.

For one, Lysos has already suffered enough, and for two, Edinaz is less likely to poke at bushes knowing there are skunks aboiut.

That brings us to the final watch: Sabina's.

In th edistance, a singular wolf howls.

Edinaz settles back down, checking on the others, even the highly-scented Lysos, before bedding down. He rests ALL of his heads on his backpack, and tries to rest.

Bina is awoken for her watch and can scent the skunk. And her head turns towards the Lysos with a small sigh, guessing what has happened. She ensures that Lord Emp is awake and starts her watch and trying to remain vigilant.

Lysos tries to at least be as considerate of the others as she can... so when it's her turn to sleep, she's curled up in her blanket with the horses rather inside the relative safety of the trapper's cabin.

GAME: Sabina rolls percpetion: (17)+percpetion: 17

GAME: Elena rolls Perception: (13)+6: 19

GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (20)+4: 24

Rembmber that sweet scent of horseflesh and horrible stink from Lysos mixed with it?

Remember that little wolf howl you heard earlier?

It is apparently not so little, as you've been identified by scent -- but the three, very large wolves that have appeared at the edge of the tree line, staring at your horses and making the tied off beasts incredibly nervous (right there with Lysos, mind you), aren't approaching. Also because of Lysos.

Because yikes that's a terrible smell.

These are *big* wolves. Very big. And they look hungry.

Bina blinks slowly, slipping on her mask and staring for just a second at the very large beasts outside. Then she's moving and shaking Burai and calling out to the others. "Wolves! Big wolves! BIIIG wolves! Get up. Getup!"

Edinaz jerks awake. "Fuck." His eyes snap open and he grabs his swords. He sits up, taking a moment to listen before he charges out.

"The horses!" Elena shouts. Because they're going to need those.

Sabina says, "And Lysos!" Sabina calls out.. cause she's out there too."

Lysos is definitely awake. Perhaps all the yelling helped. But really, mostly what woke her up was the panicking horses kicking mud all over her and her blanket. She's doing her own yelling, though it's less words and more... just... yelling. And moaning. And otherwise making sounds of pure, unfiltered rage and frustration. No, that's not quite right. An actual word is repeated once in a while in the slew of incomperhensible noises she is otherwise making. And that word is 'why'.

....the horses are startled. Did someone say 'giddyup'? Of course not. They're hitched, so nothing comes of it but a lot of pulling and mud spray.

... mud spray all over Lysos. Hey, at least it might soothe the itching, right?

EIther way, the wolves are now growling, starting to paw at the earth...

Horses. Prey.