Take Back the Crown

"First come first served, dearies!" The imp said to the three. "I made this wagon my home first and if you want anything from it ya could at least ask!"

soundofmind said:
Bo didn't know why he was so happy to be setting up tents but he was very glad that Phaedra wanted his help. There was only one more tent to set up though. He laughed, "Uh, this is the last one. The others are already set up," he pointed to them, still smiling. "But I can help show you how to set it up so you don't have as much trouble from now on."
He gave a similarly disapproving glace to Gore, who had yelled at them for 'intruding.'


"Sorry, Gore," he decided to speak with less hostility than the others. While she did practically scream suspicion, he thought he'd play good cop [they don't have cops but I can't think of a better term right now]. "We didn't mean to disturb you, but this is where stuff is that we need to get. That's simple imp courtesy!"

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"See! this giant knows respect, unlike you two!"


Gore moved herself away from Bo and beckon him to take his items.


"Thank goodness one of ya has manners. Take your things Bo. You're more nice than these two!"

 
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"...Oh."

Phaedra's eyes followed Bo's hand as he gestured at all the tents that had already been set up. Where had she been this whole time? Clearly embarrassed as her cheeks flushed and the air around her flustered chaotically as she attempted to get herself together again. In her embarrassment, Gore had completely left her mind.

"So, sorry about that.. Er, yes, please show me how to set it up."

With that, she followed Nameen (but not without another disapproving frown at Gore), who had graciously taken the tent without complaint despite Phaedra repeatedly apologizing to the woman and Bo for the trouble... and asking numerous questions about the incredibly simple process of setting up a tent.

Afterwards, she decided to stay near the campfire, away from Gore. She was not particularly impressed with the awful creature. Perhaps she was just hungry, so it made her cranky? Phaedra did not know and did not want to ask directly, lest Gore decide to poke and prod with her nasty words again. Just thinking about the horrible knee-high-ankle-biter made her hair raise up... Literally.

Still, she was close enough to listen to everything, but out of Gore's eyesight.

@RP Marshall @soundofmind @Rydellius
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She popped her head up, doing a double-take up at Valeiah, startled. Phaedra had been so absorbed in her frustration that she hadn't even heard the other woman approach.

"Ah.." Phaedra didn't really want to make relations between herself and the imp any worse by speaking ill of the creature while within earshot, so she hesitated. "I'm just.. a little frustrated about the journey ahead. It isn't that I was expecting it to be easy, but.. it's so odd and almost irritating to think that one of the stones had been near my home this whole time."

She wasn't lying. She simply voiced another frustration of hers in place of the other. It was hard for her to think that maybe she could have made the search that much easier - at least by a small amount - had she been able to find it during her life in the mountains. That way of thinking was completely irrational and not in the slightest bit helpful, but who didn't succumb to a wee bit of self-loathing now and then?

@Danika
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Though Valeiah's words were few, Phaedra did find some comfort in them. It helped simplify the overwhelming emotions she had boiling within her frail form. Over the past few hours, they were nearly coming to a tipping point. It was easy for her to tell by how easily her patience could be worn thin, especially in the case of the imps. It didn't help she was hungry. Her stomach growled loudly, making its wrath known to all who were near. Phaedra sighed heavily.

"You're right." She said, ignoring her stomach. They would likely have days where they would have little to eat and drink, especially with their next destination laying within the shifting sands of the desert. "It isn't something I can dwell on."

Noticing Valeiah's wardrobe change, Phaedra raised her eyebrows with interest, looking her up and down. She had to admire the care that went into crafting the clothes.

"No more riding skirts, hm? When did you get those?"

@Danika
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Valeiah wasn't very good at offering comfort, but she tried. "Oh. I borrowed them from my brother." Borrowed was a lie. She stole them from her brother. "They fit pretty well, eh?"


@TeeKay
 

Phaedra nodded her agreement with a small smile.

"They do. Surprisingly well, since they are your older brother's.. He must be around your height, no?"

She had to admit that she was fairly curious about Valeiah's family, but she still didn't wish to push too far with her questions, still keenly aware of her recent loss.

@Danika
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Still flustered from the three rude intruders, Gore felt her stomach growl with an unearthly rumble. She held her thin belly and licked her lips. Snapping her finders together, she remember something tasty that she had seen among the supplies. Fumbling to the bottom of the wagon, the imp captain unsheathe her spear and with three swift thrust she immediately raised her weapon to reveal three skewered rats. Pip eyed the three juicy rodents and inhaled the wonderful aroma of fresh blood that was dripping onto the supplies.


"I had no idea that there were more rats hidden in the carriage."


Tossing one of the meaty rats in her jaws, Gore politely offered the second one to Pip. The stone imp bowed in thanks and bit into the dead rodent's head. It's stringy flesh split apart in the imp's rock hard teeth All that remained of the creature was the long tail hanging out of Pips mouth, like a tongue.


"Mmm... Delectable!" Pip mumbled, while the rat tail hung from his lips.


The stone imp, waving to Bo @soundofmind , said, "Sir... May I offer you a rat? It is quite succulent."


Pip, without asking permission from Gore, yanked the rodent off the spear and handed it to Bo.

 
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"He's actually a few inches taller than I am. Still a shortie though. We get it from our dad." Valeiah smiled. "We tease our father a lot, calling him a dwarf and such. It's all in good fun, though."


@TeeKay
 

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. It seemed that the moments that Valeiah smiled were few and far between and she truly enjoyed seeing witnessing them. Despite the tragedies she had suffered, Valeiah was strong to smile at the memories of her family - living and dead - and she admired her for it. It suddenly dawned on Phaedra that Valeiah had joined out of a necessity that the group had, not necessarily because she wanted to..

"I see. It seems that you are all very close." Phaedra returned Valeiah's infectious smile, but she quickly turned the conversation down a more serious path. "So.. what made you change your mind, Valeiah? What ultimately made you stay?"

@Danika
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Valeiah's smile faltered. "Stay here? With the group?" She looked at her hands, which were shaking. "There's not.. Uh..." Her voice cracked. "There's not enough of us to clear out the bodies. In my tribe.. I didn't want to see them anymore.." She bit her lip and looked up. "And I like to help. I may not have thought of coming in the first place, but I'm happy to be here."


@TeeKay
 
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Svetlana miraculously heard the shy maid's request to join them over the deafening sounds of the river that she was getting closer to, "Yes, yes! Of course you may!" She yelled over the noise, "Just follow me!"


She led the three down to the sandy bank of the river, showing them which plants she wanted (jenber berries that grew in bushes by the shore, and cattails, which usually grew in the calmer waters of the river). When she was finished, she started her work and decided to aim for the cattails first, going shin-high in the chilly water to get to the good ones.


@plasticlizard022 @L1d1ja @QueenSaiko





"A sabre cat, eh?" Yaroslav asked, visibly impressed, "I must say, now that I know that, I am even more excited to be hunting with you... Taking down one of those would require much skill and patience."


He hopped down into a small stream that blocked their path, "Thankfully, we are only hunting deer this time. Hopefully there will be no sabre cats or bears waiting around the corner. Though, I do not doubt we could take them down together." He said, looking up at her with a small smile. "Now, let us get started." He muttered noticing some trademark deer prints in the mud.
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Stupid, huh? Hjalmar thought to himself and deflated. It was worth a shot anyway. "Look," He said with a more genuine tone, "I want to see the crown restored as much as you do, and this adventure has been exciting and quite enjoyable, at least for me... but I really, and I mean really, need that money." He tried to make himself seem as serious as he could be, this wasn't acting. He really did need that money, his life sort of depended on it. But at the same time, he hated revealing parts about himself that were supposed to remain a secret... Perhaps if he stole some items whenever they were in a town, he could send them to at least appease his master's wrath. Either way, he was in a bad spot. He didn't want to have to reveal his situation to be taken seriously.


@Queen of Fantasy
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"O-oh." Bo had taken to sitting in the wagon, and was actually not paying much attention to all that was going on until he was addressed by Gore. And now he had a rat in his hand. "Thanks." He said with about as much confidence as a whale trying to walk on land. He honestly had no idea what to do with the rat. He wasn't like the imps - he didn't just eat things raw and whole. Sure, it would be swell if he could. It would certainly make things easier, but it would also take all of the fun out of the preparation, i.e. cooking.


He gave a weak smile to Pip, the little stone imp that had handed it to him. "That's really nice of you guys. But I think you'll enjoy it more than me. I uh, haven't quite acquired the stomach to eat raw meat. I know, I know," he said with a wave of his hand and leaning his head back and forth. "It's not very impressive for a giant, (he didn't forget being called that... he's been called that a lot) but what can I say. I guess you guys have stronger stomachs than me." He shrugged with a hint of a smile on his face, hoping that they would catch on that he was being kind of facetious.

 
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While Phaedra could not relate, she still felt a wave of empathy wash over her. It was unusual for her, since Phaedra often was of the 'oh well, time to move forward' mentality, but looking into the other woman's eyes, she could almost see the mutilated bodies of her family, her neighbors, children she taught... All of them lying where they had been found all because she couldn't bear the thought of that being her last memory of them - the touch of their cold, stiff bodies as she dragged them to their graves. Yes, while Phaedra could not relate, if she thought for a moment of the same thing happening to her with her own father....

"I see.. I can't speak for all of us, Valeiah, but I am glad and relieved to have someone with your skill along with us." She gently patted Valeiah's shoulder, offering a weak smile. It was hard to give anything more than that, considering the topic.

It was then that she had overheard the imps trying to feed Bo. Turning to see what that was all about, she saw a dead rat in Bo's hands.

Her eyes met with Bo's momentarily - she was probably almost as bewildered as he was - before he turned to return the rat to one of the imps.

"...Maybe.. they should make rat jerky for the long journey ahead instead. Why eat it all now?"

Clearly, she wasn't on the same train of thought as Bo.

@Danika @soundofmind @RP Marshall @Rydellius
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"Thank you.. I'm glad I'm some use." Valeiah coughed. It was crazy how she'd gone from a crazy screaming threat to a fiery emotional wreck with an attitude. In about a day.


@TeeKay
 
But why. I'd done such a good job of avoiding the idea of eating rats altogether and now you suggest rat jerky?? I hope you just mean for them and not me. "Mmmaybe they're hungry." Bo awkwardly answered quickly, averting his eyes.

 
soundofmind said:
"O-oh." Bo had taken to sitting in the wagon, and was actually not paying much attention to all that was going on until he was addressed by Gore. And now he had a rat in his hand. "Thanks." He said with about as much confidence as a whale trying to walk on land. He honestly had no idea what to do with the rat. He wasn't like the imps - he didn't just eat things raw and whole. Sure, it would be swell if he could. It would certainly make things easier, but it wuld also take all of the fun out of the preparation, i.e. cooking.
He gave a weak smile to Pip, the little stone imp that had handed it to him. "That's really nice of you guys. But I think you'll enjoy it more than me. I uh, haven't quite acquired the stomach to eat raw meat. I know, I know," he said with a wave of his hand and leaning his head back and forth. "It's not very impressive for a giant, (he didn't forget being called that... he's been called that a lot) but what can I say. I guess you guys have stronger stomachs than me." He shrugged with a hint of a smile on his face, hoping that they would catch on that he was being kind of facetious.

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"Well suit yourself," Gore said as she happily took the rat for herself. "But ya don't no what your missing! Nothin' like a good ol' rat to keep up your body moving."


She plopped the rodent in her mouth and swallowed it whole. After this, Gore sat on a sack of potato's and rubbed her stuffed belly. Exhaling, she closed her eyes and grinned with pleasure.


Pip slurped up the rat tail and added, "I personally do not need to eat... I am a statue after all. However, once every few years I will consume a rat or two... Just to break the monotony of life. Observing travelers is a tedious assignment, especially if they bore me. But you and the rest of the group intrigue me..."




TeeKay said:
"...Maybe.. they should make rat jerky for the long journey ahead instead. Why eat it all now?"
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"Bleck!" Gore, still closing her eyes, bellowed out at Phaedra's unappetizing suggestion. "Why do that? The juices inside are the best part! Besides, an imp's stomach stores food for a long time. We don't eat until its all gone."


"Envision a camel's hump," Pip explained. "We store food the same way a camel stores water."
 
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Tetra stretched, yawning as she looked at the camp. She called to Bo, "Tell Svetlana when she gets back I will return in the morning." She ran from the camp and disappeared into the night. (I am off to sleep and she is off to eat a boulder)
 
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"'Some'? I beg to differ. You are very useful, Valeiah." Phaedra's smile broadened a margin and she gently squeezed the shoulder that her hand rested on.

Turning her attention back to Bo and the imps in the wagon, her eyes widened slightly with intrigue.

"You store meals like that? How long until you need to eat again after a meal like tonight's?" Phaedra was deeply interested. She had never gotten the chance to ask an imp about their eating habits, nutritional needs, and reproductive processes all in one day.

@RP Marshall @soundofmind @Danika
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Thora kicked her shoes off and volunteered to wade into the waters for the cattails. Being as short as she was, the cool water splashed against her knees. She began to pluck the tall plants, sometimes pausing to play with the fluffy brown head and spray the seeds everywhere. She watched as the fluff slowly floated down the water before continuing to pick cattails.


When she had gathered up quite a few cattails (and played with the crazy amount of seeds) she waded a little deeper into placid water and began to pick at lily-pads. She pulled them up by their thick roots (leaves and flowers too) and collected them. She didn't know how to cook the leaves (the pad which could be tasty when prepared) but she figured that everyone would figure it out. She preferred the flowers and roots which weren't usually edible to most peoples and creatures. She was looking forward to making a water-plant salad-like meal when they returned to camp.
 
Oceana hummed in agreement, focusing on the forest sounds around them.


Birds chirping...


The stream at their feet gurgling..


The rustle of an animal or two...


She felt her sore, tight muscles relax and let out a silent exhale.


It almost felt like home.


Turning to the tracks at their feet, she bent down for a closer look.


The tracks were quite large and looked fresh from the sharpness of the edges cut into the mud. The left print had a strange ridge of mud where the hoof must have been chipped somehow.


She ran a finger along the edge of one print, looking up the bank at the rest of the cloven indents.


"Looks to be a white tail of good size." She gestured to the tracks, hopping forward. "A buck, for sure. See how the prints are farther apart at the front and closer together in back? Bucks have wider chests and narrower rears..."


She stood and followed the prints a ways up the bank, before staring into the tree line.


"Ah-ha!" She exclaimed softly, pointing.


She waited for her companion to catch up before she gestured to tree almost too far to see.


There, on the trunk of the tree was a patch of lighter wood, where the deer had scraped his antlers as a show of presence to other nearby deer.


"This is his trail, here." She said, standing in front of a narrow break in the forest vegetation.


@Lo Alyssa (sorry. She kinda stole all the thunder. For now )
 
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Bo's head swung around as he heard someone call his name. He couldn't really see Tetra, but he knew it was her, and he looked where he thought she was speaking from. Apparently he was good at being a message giver. Of course, only being asked to do that kind of thing twice, he wouldn't call it a trend quite yet. But hey, it must've counted for something.


He called out to Tetra, "Will do!" But he wasn't really sure why she couldn't tell Svetlana herself before she ran off into the forest like that. All mysterious and stuff.


When turned his head back to the imps Phaedra was



with the questions. He decided to just listen in.
 
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TeeKay said:

"'Some'? I beg to differ. You are very useful, Valeiah." Phaedra's smile broadened a margin and she gently squeezed the shoulder that her hand rested on.

Turning her attention back to Bo and the imps in the wagon, her eyes widened slightly with intrigue.

"You store meals like that? How long until you need to eat again after a meal like tonight's?" Phaedra was deeply interested. She had never gotten the chance to ask an imp about their eating habits, nutritional needs, and reproductive processes all in one day.

@RP Marshall @soundofmind @Danika
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"Let's see," Gore said as she tapped her head with a claw. "Uh... Two rats, of that size, times four days equal's umm... err! Pip can ya use your brains."


"Eight day's of energy..." Pip said with an annoyed frown.


The stone imp was becoming weary of having to correct the unintelligent imp captain.


"Yes!" Gore said with gratitude, as she turned back to Phaedra. "What he said. Eight days! But I would eat a whole ana- anacon... da, anaconda! Yes, that's it! A whole anaconda if I could!"


Gore's mouth watered at the thought of eating a juicy snake.


"Hey Bo @soundofmind ?" Gore said to the tall man. "You like snakes?"


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"I've never eaten one before." Bo replied, feeling a bit uneasy at the thought of eating one. He was open to it - as long as it was cooked. "But I can imagine one tasting alright if I cooked it right. It would have to be non-venomous though. I can imagine you could eat an anaconda though. Just one bite at a time."


Why was he even a part of this conversation. He didn't even know.



@RP Marshall (edited because oops im frantically trying to clean this up aaa)
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