[Quest] An old Address (Harlequill)

[Jaquise Emittere]

Jaq nodded at this bit of wisdom, acknowledging that the dangers in the wildlands were many. Only the sudden rain kept him from pointing out that they knew little of this threat, accept that it was of course a very serious threat. It seemed all the more ominous for its timing. Thankfully Jaq was wearing his hat when the downpour started, it was broad rimmed enough to keep parts of him dry. He pulled his jacket, draped over his shoulder up until then, on and looked to Allen once more. "When we take our first break, I'd ask you to send over whoever knows the most about this creature. Any information might be useful. Thank you for the forewarning." With a bow of respect he moved away from Allen's cart, taking his position a bit farther ahead with Shi'ala and V. Shi'ala had drawn a hood from her uniform over her head, and was carrying what looked to be V's robe. Where V had been was a fully grown she-wolf, with brown fur matching V's brown hair. V-wolf looked to the boy Jade with excitement, like any puppy might at a child at play. Jaq thought it was only Shi'ala's presence that kept her from leaping into a puddle near the boy and joining in on the fun. Shi'ala watched the wolf to, and with an exasperated sigh said, "Restrain yourself, we are working." Despite the serious words and the tone that carried them, Jaq though he saw a hint of a smile play across Shi'ala's face. V, head sunk in disappointment, loped away toward the front and began her vigil. Jaq watched the she-wolf move until she was almost of eye sight. Despite her mature appearance she seemed not but a child. Jaq looked to the skies once more, ignoring the rain wetting his brow. Another child to protect. One with teeth and claws, but a child nonetheless. Jaq sighed and his attention forward once more. Shi'ala had stopped to watch him for a moment, perhaps understanding his feelings. Perhaps annoyed he was the captain. Either way she waited until he started moving again and feel in step beside him. Jaq waited until that night to inform the others of what had happened, and together they pooled their information to devise a simple plan, one that can be adapted or changed easily enough. Shoot at it with every ranged weapon they have and hope to drop it before it gets to close. The rain continued on into the night, not getting any more severe but not decreasing in strength either. For the first time since he was a child Jaq felt little of the peacefulness rain usually brought to him. As he step off the first watch to grab four hours of sleep before his second watch began, Jaq felt a chill travel down his spine that had little to do with the weather.

[Harlequill]

The next few days were wet but not unpleasant. It was as if, in spite of the comfortable temperatures and moderate winds, a personal raincloud had attached itself to the wagon train to join in the journey. Each morning dawned dimly amongst the foggy wood and each evening was spent listening to the pitter patter of rain on the canvas of the tents. Jade had taken to hanging out near V, Jaq, or Shi'ala when they were no longer on duty. The boy did not speak. His presence was not intrusive, he was merely there. When they woke up from snatches of rest stole in the middle of the night Jade would be there with his silent smile and a breakfast basket packed by the head quartermaster. When they let him he would sit with them and eat his own breakfast, and when they were too busy he would return to playing in the rain around his caretaker's wagon. On the third day a wagon wheel was shattered. The expedition was now traveling through unsafe and sometimes perilously narrow trails in the wilderness to reach their destination. A hole, concealed by water and mud, engulfed the front right wheel of the lead wagon and snapped it into tinder. It took the better part of a full day for the men and horses to drag the damaged vehicle out of the mud and repair it. Once the job was done it was agreed that many were too exhausted to continue for the day. Camp was pitched just beyond the accident site. For those who had not worked on pulling the wagon out of the mud this seemed a welcome break, and a time to break out what low-quality alcohol remained to them. Snatches of music were heard floating on the breeze as men pulled out their flutes or drummed out beats on their thighs. Quiet singing and quiet drinking marked the rest of the evening, except for the mercenaries who were unable to sneak some behind their captain's back. Jade and Tenner spent this time with the cooks, arranging a special meal to rouse the spirits of the men. Allen and Ben were aloof from the men after that. A teamster was called from among the additional laborers, and the brothers spent their time organizing something within their wagon. Whether they were perusing maps or preparing tools was unsure. At least once a day they made an appearance, but they often did not speak or did so only in response to a direct question. On the fifth day they were forced to ford across a swollen stream. Harold, who had scouted this area before, guided the first wagon across. Battling through the rushing waters would have cost them a full team and wagon but for the heroic intervention of Alicob Cooper, the Akalak. With great care the startled animals were muscled out of the water and onto the far bank. Another day was lost resting the horses and rubbing them down with blankets to avoid damaging their muscles. The stream was mountain fed, and this close to its source it was still possessed of a bone chilling cold. Five days had passed and the group had traveled for three. No matter the weather conditions damp gets to a man after its been that way long enough. Everyone felt an ache in their bones when they rolled out of the tent to greet the mist. Rain no longer came every day after that, but the misting damp and the choking fog was seen every morning after the fifth day. They were now following the bank of the river. According to Allen the settlement they wished to unearth had been built upon the river several days upstream. On the morning of the sixth day, looming out of the mist, they found the gutted and devoured corpse of a mountain lion. The konti sisters examined it and informed their captain that whatever had killed it did so with one powerful blow to the spine. Either it was faster than the mountain lion or it had been able to surprise the great cat. Neither prospect made for good sleep at night. They had reached the territory of what the mercenaries had dreaded facing since the news was shared with them. Jaq recalled the words of Harold, his tracker and the man whom had survived the scouting expedition hired out by the brothers. "Whatever it is I'd say its bigger than a bear. Its tracks were familiar, but I couldn't place them. The monster ranges many miles out in every direction. In terms of speed it caught and killed three mounted men. Mind you these men were scouts, not warriors." Around this time the chopped and nervous sentences of the large tracker trailed off, and he stared into the fog. When called back to his senses he shuddered and continued. "Thats all I know. I did not stay here to study it." The man could say no more and so they found themselves traveling deeper into the mist with only vague hints and suspicions to frame their defense. The Brothers were once again visible driving their wagon, their weapons close at hand, but were still not speaking. Jade was tagging along near Jaq, scampering off in silent laughter whenever he was scolded by Tenner or told to leave by anyone else. Something could be heard moving out there. Unfortunately for Jaq, mist plays tricks with sound. It could be right upon them, or it could be hours away.

[Jaquise Emittere]

Jaq looked up as the sounds reverberated off the wall of mist in front of him once more. The she-wolf that was coked her head as well, probably trying to gauge the distance from the origin of the sound. Shi'ala looked around for a moment, as if expecting to notice something that had escaped her attention the first time they had heard that sound. It seemed she saw little more then Jaq did beyond the plane of mist before the group. The only thing that any of them could deduce was that the sound came from somewhere ahead. Jaq turned and gave the boy Jade a look he had come to recognize as the, Go back to Tenner signal. Despite his reluctance to leave the mercenary's side, he complied willingly enough so as to not disappoint his new heroes. Since they had started traveling along the river, Jaq had been planning. If they brought the expedition force through the beasts territory it might retaliate, despite the impressive numbers before it. After all it was fast enough to catch a mountain lion and strong enough to kill it with a single blow. It had the potential to do serious damage before the group could put it down. However hunting it down wasn't an option either. V and the other trackers had tried twice to follow its tracks but both times they lost the trail. The wolf kelvic was unhappy with her failure, having prided herself on being a skilled tracker. The rain made it hard to find anything but the most obvious travelers through this forest. Jaq turned to Allen and his brother Ben. "Have you to come to a decision about what to do?" Jaq referred to a conversation he and Shi'ala had with the brothers earlier that day. They had been weighing the options of what to do. There were few of them, and the most prominent discussed was continuing on as a whole, using the river to guard one side and all but one of the teams to cover their other side. With any luck the creature would think it to large a target. That meant they would have to worry about it trying to pick the group up one at a time with stealth though, taking the stragglers as a predator might. The other was taking either two or three teams forward as bait, trying to get it out in the open where it could be dealt with. It had been pointed out that it would diminish the expeditions strength and leave it a more vulnerable target for the beast itself. Either option had there pro's and their con's, but ultimately it was up to the brothers themselves to decide. Considering Jaq's position thought, he guessed it would his job to advise them. "If you haven't reached a decision yet I had a suggestion." Jaq moved closer to them and began speaking lower, the unnerving feeling of being spied upon stealing over him, "A feint. The next break we take in our movement, we move three of the teams out across the waters, as if we are scouting out a camp site for the night. All the while we take two of our trackers with us, and using there skills we make it look like we traveled for a while. In fact we will only be hiding on the other side of the river, waiting for the creature to attack the seemingly diminished force. I of course volunteer my services as the group that goes hides. Should the beast discover the ruse that group will be in the most danger. I am not the kind of man to send others into danger I myself am not willing to face, though sometimes I wish I was." Shi'ala and V, human and covered in her robe once more, stood next to him. "Why such a tactic? It carries the risk of both plans together, with no added benift?" Shi'ala, despite her words, seemed hopeful that Jaq had some brilliant idea up his sleeve. The pale man did have something up there that would give the group an advantage, but it did not lie in his rather simple plan. "Perhaps it is risky, but it gives us a number of advantages neither of the original plans hold. We can choose where we make a stand, and we can be ready and waiting for the beast when it arrives. It also offers us the element of surprise."

[Harlequill]

Allen and Ben listened intently as the plan was laid out, and they paused for one last moment to confer with each other. The sound of paws beating on the earth thundered all around them. Leaves shook among the trees and a breeze caused the mist to eddy and swirl. Something massive was among them, and it had come from the side of the second wagon. It looked like a gigantic cross between a bear and a weasel. As its claws sank into the side of the wagon the wood splintered and the entire vehicle collapsed. This beast was fast, and it was big. It looked to be nearly thirteen feet long, hulking above the height of a man at its shoulder and heaving with rage and adrenalin. As it turned its wild eyes on the caravan it was recognizable as a giant wolverine. Every ounce of muscle that its smaller brethren possessed was magnified in this monstrous beast's body. Tenner's white fly-away hair could be seen jumping out of the rubble with the boy Jade in his arms. Jaq's mercenaries had been instructed well, and were prepared for such an attack. No matter their speed, unfortunately, the Wolverine was faster. The claw rose high into the air and Tenner's toothless mouth opened to shout. "Jaq! Protect the boy!" With all the strength left in his old body Tenner turned and flung the child toward the mercenaries. The paw connected with the old man's back and claws the size of daggers split him into five uneven pieces. Blood, muscles, bones, and organs flew in every direction as a single tuft of white hair floated peacefully toward the mist-covered ground. The creature now stood amongst the wreckage of the head quartermaster and his wagon. In a fit of rage it rooted its nose down into the remains and flung them high into the air. Wood, tarp, corpse flesh, and an injured horse rained down among the train. Where the mercenaries were rushing into combat the laborers were doing the opposite. Panic gripped the civilians, who fled in every direction without order. Ben and Allen acted nearly as quickly as the mercenaries. Jaq found them standing at his side with their weapons at the ready. It would be up to him to decide whether it would be worth the risk to utilize their skills during this combat. If they were to die then there would be no one to pay him, but if everyone were to die then there would be no one to pay. In the early mist shrouded morning the scene seemed surreal. Ear-splitting roars and the sound of death and fear assaulted the ears of those present. Though less than a minute had passed since the creature had broken their lines, time had seemed to slow and stretch that minute into eternity. Jade was flying through the air toward Jaq. Tenner's arm was floating down toward the ground. A horse was rolling on its back. V was a blink of shimmering light. Two wild eyes locked with Jaq's. Combat had begun.

[Jaquise Emittere]

Years of experience brought Jaq into action even though he felt like doing nothing but watching the rest of Tenner fall to the ground. He had seen the rage in the giant wolverine though, a knew to hesitate would mean to die. The boy, Jade, flew right into Jaq's waiting arms, which immediately deposited the him between the two brothers. "Keep the boy alive." Jaq thought perhaps they would be more useful whittling down the beast, but if the 15 mercenaries couldn't handle it, there was little chance two more individuals, not matter how skilled, would make much of a difference. if it could be avoided. Already everyone else was moving into formation around the creature. Those with bows had already begun feathering it with arrows from a distance. It wouldn't do as much damage, but the plan didn't call serious damage all at once. Those with swords waited drew their weapons and waited for it to turn around. Despite the overall plan of action not being decided, the mercenaries had devised a strategy that would work with any number of large beings. They were going to imitate a wolf pack, attack from one side and let it chase after them, then attack from the other. It was simple, it was clever, and it was perhaps the only way they could take such a creature down. Jaq moved in quickly with the rest, drawing Memoria and dodging aside from a blow aimed at him. A blur of brown fur shot forward and took a bite out of the arm that just missed Jaq. The monster reared its head back in a roar and was about to attack again, an attack that would have probably killed both Jaq and V, when at his hindquarters the Akalak Alicob had stuck it with his longsword. The thing whirled around to deal with the new threat, but just as it started to bring its arms around toward the akalak Jaq moved in and swung down on its vulnerable side. Memoria barley penetrated the things fur, but when he took a jumping step back he noticed it was covered in blood. More arrows hit it around the same spot and the monstrous being rared around to chase after Jaq. Howard was ready though and immediately charged in with his spear. Just as before their weapons Struck Jaq noticed a shift in the wolverine's positioning. It reminded Jaq of the warning V had given. Animals caught on pretty quickly to such a tactic and would try and catch one of the attackers as they moved forward instead of chasing after those retreating. Those who are attacking must move back as quickly as possible. At the last second Jaq realized Howard had put to much into the attack, hoping to deal a serious blow. The whole of the mercenary team had been told quick, light attacks. They had to wear it down, then kill it or risk ending up like the mountain lion they had found. The tracker seemed in another world though, perhaps thinking back upon the mounted men. Jaq watched as the thing simply backhanded Howard. Despite the fact that he was almost reached the beasts shoulders in height, the force of the blow sent him flying away like a rag doll. From where he stood, the pale mercenary thought he could actually here the crunch of bones. Jaq took a deep breath and along with Niva, who had stepped in beside him, moved in for another attack. The giant wolverine reared as the suvai and katana cut into to its side once more. It once more tried to swipe at Jaq, but thankfully several arrows to the arm it had brought to bear distracted it. With a howl that seemed to shake the very ground it brought down its paws on one of the heavily armored mercenaries from team five, having been to slow in his cumbersome armor to dodge. The man was knocked to the ground several feet behind where had been standing, landing on his back and remaining there. It had inflicted two fatalities in such a short time, and despite the damage the mercenaries were doing ti was becoming a battle of attrition. Jaq had a sickening feeling that it could take more hits then the group had sword arms. He sheathed Memoria and took several steps back. Luavina moved in next to her sister, giving Jaq a withering glance that spoke volumes about what happened to cowards. The pale wizard wasn't retreating though. Despite the fear he felt, Jaq never thought of abandoning the fight. Rather, he was moving closer to the river. It was there he would join the salvo the bows were dealing out with a weapon of his own. A weapon Luavina had no way of knowing Jaq possessed. Magic!

[Harlequill]

The wolverine had taken many small blows, and it was becoming sluggish. Far from being finished, it appeared to be making mightier blows the weaker it became. A nearby tree was toppled by its massive arm as Alicob took another chunk out of the monster's left foot. Faster than the swoop of a bluejay the warrior leapt out of reach and circled around to the other side. The falling tree landed squarely on a second wagon, snapping the leads and sending the horses fleeing into the wilderness. Jade clung to Ben's neck as he took several steps away and put his back to the river. Allen stepped between Ben and their enemy, in case the line of the mercenaries should falter. At this point it was not an unlikely scenario. With the creature rearing and flailing about there were some shots that were just too tempting to ignore. Michael had edged himself too far forward in order to take a shot at the throat. His crossbow twanged and the bolt sank deeply into flesh. A swat from a massive paw missed him, just barely, but as he fell he twisted his ankle and found himself helpless to escape. Roaring, Gared broke rank and dropped his crossbow. Drawing a shortsword from his belt he stepped up on the side of the animal to stab it viciously in the flank and work the blade around. Taking advantage of this precious moment, which Gared had purchased her, Niva slipped her hands under the arms of the injured Michael and pulled him to safety. Gared escaped from the injured monster by backpeddaling and scrambling frantically through the dirt, but he left his sword behind and now found himself unarmed. If not for Jaq and Shi'ala the day may have been lost right then. Wolverine claws were poised to strike at both the vulnerable Gared and the escaping Niva. In two fell strokes they could lose three good men, one of which being a dearly needed medic. As an experienced mercenary leader, Shi'ala had one advantage. She recognized Res. "Wolves! Formation three! Rear it. Rear the bastard!" Taking aim at the creature's left eye she waited for the count of five. Both Ronald and Barry did the same. V seemed to disappear, a flash of brown fur in a sea of white mist. In rapid succession each crossbow fired. Shi'ala shot the eyebrow, Ronald shot the cheek, Barry shot the jaw. Suddenly there were fangs tearing at the opposite side of the monster's face, and V was arcing back toward the ground after her leap. Unable to take the relentless assault to its face the wolverine reared up on its back legs and roared. It was attempting to pull out of range to protect its sensitive nose and eyes. It had done exactly as the wolves had known it would. By rearing their foe, they had left the throat exposed. She had no idea what the Captain had in mind, but she prayed that he was good at what he did. The mist carried her whisper to him as the world went still in anticipation, "Get him Jaq."

[Jaquise Emittere]

Jaq had to focus. The Mercenaries were doing well enough, but he had already seen another close call and it wouldn't be long before another fell to the beast. Focus damn you! Jaq blocked everything out. The cries of the beast, the yells of the mercenaries, everything except the river behind him. His res was in the air now, he had his arms spread out on both sides of him, and out of his hands had come to separate glowing mists of bluish white fog. He had formed into two spears about 4 feet in length each, and perhaps a few inches thick. The pale wizard willed the res to call forth water. From the rain, from the river, from the very mist it pulled moisture. The heavy void of gray quickly dissipated as the res absorbed into and converted it into the water necessary for his working. All around them was a wall of mist, but any wisp that drifted closer immediately moved to Jaq. To a few of the more intelligent watching, it appeared to be the very eye of a storm. In the depths of his mind, behind all of his workings, Jaq heard Shi'ala barking orders, causing Jaq to open his eyes and look once more. He watched as the company forced the beast to rear back and let out a roar the louder then any of those that had come before it. The wolves had forced it to expose its neck. "Get him Jaq." The wizard needed no more prompting. Jaq froze the water now under his control. Then with a great mental push Jaq threw the res at the beast, adding even more power behind the projectiles with his air reimancy. The affect was spectacular to watch but taxing to perform. Both lances of ice exploded toward the rearing monster at incredible speeds. The first glanced off the side of the creatures neck and kept going, disappearing in the misty void once more closing in on the group. The second seemed to strike low, hitting the beast in the chest. The mercenaries as a whole stared as the beast landed back on its forepaws and turned to Jaq with hate in its eyes. The captain had missed the shot, and worse yet had pissed the thing off. The wolverine, seeing a threat that outweighed all the annoying beings that had surrounded him, began charging at the still form of the mercenary captain. All the mercenaries, cursing Jaq for missing, wondered why he did not move. Had he given up? The man wasn't even looking at the charging beast, mad with rage and pain, and was instead staring at the ground. V barked at the man, as if she could move him out of the way if she was loud enough. One of the Konti sisters, Luavina, cried out for the stupid man to move. As the lumbering beast neared, the world seemed to slow for everyone watching. It took a step forward, now only a few meters away from Jaq. The mercenary captain raised his head, and underneath the shadows of his broad rimmed hat he was smiling. He raised his hand in a gesture reminiscent of someone telling another to stop, and his mouth began moving. The words to a song, normally playful and uplifting, drifted through the mist past the mercenaries. Jaq was singing. While it appeared Jaq was mad to all those around him, the truth was he was thinking very clearly. The likely hood of hitting the beast in the neck was slim, despite the large target Jaq was still learning how to control water and air reimancy in combination. The chest shot was much easier. The beast was about to take another step when all of a sudden it toppled forward and fell, sliding the last meter between it and Jaq before stopping. The eyes, just a second ago full of anger and hate, were now dim and listless. Just to be sure though Jaq drew his blade, walked around the beasts head, and brought the blade down with all his strength. For a moment no moved, no one said anything. Then Shi'ala moved forward and looked down at the beast. Upon the left side of the body, up top near its neck, there seemed to be a thing layer of frost as one might encounter on the first snow of winter. The fur stood up, rigid like the blades of grass in a frozen field. She turned from it to Jaq and said, "What did you do?" Jaq looked from the beast to Shi'ala. His smile was gone now, the realization that they had lost two people weighed heavily upon him. "I froze his heart."

[Harlequill]

Under normal circumstances such folk would have shunned or at least distrusted a Reimancer in their midst. Not that most of them had any clue what reimancy was, other than the fact that he had just performed magic. These were not normal circumstances. A mighty beast, one which had killed three brave men and injured one other, had just been felled by that magic. Captain Jaq had saved all their lives, and they would not repay him with harsh feelings. At least not while they were all swept up in the euphoria of the victory. Two groups of laborers raised a cheer and began trying to piece together or salvage whatever was left of the wreckage. Another group moved out quickly to retrieve the horses which had fled. Jade could be seen moving forward to pick up one of Tenner's apples, looking at the remains of his dear friend with tears in his eyes. Reaching down he picked up that single tuft of white hair. Turning the wispy threads over in his hand he looked to Jaq and smiled through the tears. Allen moved toward Jaq and placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "Fine work Captain. You have more than earned your pay. Ben will join the guard if you need anyone to fill the gaps." The archeologist paused for a moment, as if realizing that his words came across as being heartless. With a sad look on his face he just shrugged to Jaq. There was not really anything that could be said to convey how a man felt about leading others to their deaths. With a sigh Allen went to help piece together what was left. If wolverine meat was edible then they would have plenty of fresh meat to last throughout the expedition. Jaq realized that the pelt could be worth a few gold mizas as well. It could not be salvaged as a whole, but perhaps one of the laborers could turn it into two smaller pieces of whole pelt rather than one which was in tatters. If nothing else it could not hurt to ask. Though it would take the rest of the day it appeared that the men would be able to salvage enough of their tools to continue, and redistribute them throughout the train. A burial detail would also be necessary. There just wasn't enough time to take everyone back to Syliras. If they had any family then they would be payed upon the return, and could be told where they were buried.

[Jaquise Emittere]

Despite the fact that Jaq had only used his reserve Djed in that casting, because he had used all of it he felt physically weary. He would have to avoid using reimancy for at least a day before he could safely perform even small workings. Despite the deaths that had befallen the group, the air about the expedition force had changed form one of ominous dread to one of happy relief. With a bit of luck Jaq found a man willing and able to work on the pelt of the great beast before he started collecting the meat from its bones. The man salvaged all that he could of it, perhaps only a third of the leather, and cleaned it. While the man was at it Jaq had him take both the skull and the claws of the beast, and had these cleaned off as well until all that was left was bone. The man seemed a bit curious as to why Jaq would want the skull and claws. Jaq responded by saying he wanted proof of what exactly he had tackled, and nothing quite held the ring of truth better then the skull itself. The claws were just a fancy. The man, believing the Captain would want to brag about his achievement here, packed it all into a bundle, wrapped it up, and placed it in the wagon with the rest of Jaq's supplies with a smile. In truth Jaq would only recall this day in his nightmares, to be added to the ever growing list of monsters that would chases him tirelessly every night. He had plans for a golem that could use the bits though, and if today was any show it would be quite an intimidating site. The rest of the day went by in a blur. What could be salvaged from the wreckage was, what couldn't be was left next to the now picked clean body of the giant wolverine. Bodies were buried and replacements found for those who were lost. Howard was a great blow to the mercenaries team. It left only two trackers to pick up the slack. The armored man, whom Jaq could now no longer ask for a name because it would seem insensitive he had forgotten, was no less devastating to Jaq and the others, but the offer of Ben being his replacement lessened the damage the loss brought upon the security force. Jaq had nothing to do with choosing a new head quartermaster, and with a weariness he resigned until he would be awoken for his shift. To tired to dream, Jaq drifted off into nothingness. When he awoke it was morning. The rain had slowed to a mere drizzle, but the clouds showed no signs of leaving. It was probably just resting. Jaq got dressed and stepped out side in order to search for Shi'ala, the one who was supposed to wake him for their shift. When he finally found her she was eating with a human V, and the rest of the wolves and a sullen Jade. "Why isn't anyone on watch?" Shi'ala turned to look at him and gave him a reserved smile. It seemed to say, sit down at shut up, please. Because she added a please at the end Jaq joined them and listened to what was happening. Apparently, having seen the mercenaries in such dire form had roused the laborers to take a watch that night instead. To make up for their inexperience they had 3 times as many people for each watch, but it was there way of showing there appreciation to the mercenaries. One of the wolves, the younger one Michael who had apparently sprained his ankle in the fight, said it was an unnecessary gesture since they as a whole were getting paid to deal with such threats. Whatever pity he had earned for the injury drained away in that moment and the rest of the wolves gave him a withering look. Shi'ala continued, saying that the mercenaries would be taking up the watch as soon as the expedition force began moving again. Ben would be joining them after Allen told them who the replacement for Tenner was. At the mention of the man Jaq looked to Jade, who had flinched at the name. He seemed to take a deep breath and looked to Jaq. In his eyes Jaq saw that a little of the boys innocence had died. Jaq, in a bit of dark humor becoming more and more common for him, thought it was ironic that he was brought on the trip to keep him out of an orphanage. Now when the trip ended that he his new home. At least Jaq knew the proprietor of the Welcome home was a good man. Jaq gave a nod to Jade and stood up to start stretching. They would be leaving soon for the ruins, and he still had a great deal of lives to protect.

[Harlequill]

Day six dawned with all the promise of a funeral march... Allen seemed to have taken recent events hard. His normally clean-shaven face showed stubble when he announced that he would be taking over Tenner's duties. They departed soon after this annoucement. It would be two more days at best before they reached the ruins. Apparently Jaq's negative assessment of their travel time had turned out to be entirely correct. Ben was an asset to the mercenary group. Though he bore himself with a scholarly appearance he wielded his two handed iron-bound club with skill and was as strong as any horse in the train. Well, almost. The downside to this benefit was that he seemed to be entirely too fond of the drink. He was never caught with alcohol on him, but it was not hard to smell it on his breath. Around mid-day on the seventh day Syna broke through the mist and the terrain in front of them cleared. The flora in this area was vibrant green. Leaves glittered with moisture and blades of grass shone in the light. Paths here were carefully chosen for the moss beneath the trees concealed many roots and sticks. By this time morale was once again high. Three men had died, and yet every man in the train felt as though they had already completed their mission. With a mercenary Captain who could defeat such a beast then surely the danger was over? The warriors were less optimistic, but they were careful not to share their feelings with the civilians. Letting one's guard down was never advisable, but the weather just seemed to be inviting everyone to do just that. The warmth of spring seeped through armor and into bone, warding against the chill of mist and rain which had plagued the expedition thus far. Birds could be heard singing in the trees and small fluffy animals could be seen scampering ahead of the train. This illusion of perfection was shattered the next morning when Jade reached down deep into the moss to retrieve a stick. When he pulled it free Jaq could see that it was a large portion of a human arm bone. As the child moved closer, waving his stick like a sword, the captain could see that the bone was made of stone. Whether from some ancient battle before the Valterrian, since the Valterrian, or because of the Valterrian itself, Jaq realized that the sticks and moss he had seen covering the last ten miles traveled were fossilized bones. Only investigation would yield the answer to whether or not all such bones were human. Who would really want that answer? Little time was allowed for him to ponder the macabre incident. The woods in front of him seemed the same as all the rest, but Allen raised his hand and called a halt to the column. When Jaq had moved closer he spoke, "The tomb is nearby. This settlement was not large, but we have no knowledge of the exact location they buried him at. Have your men secure a square mile from that point. We will await your permission to enter and make camp." That point turned out to be several roof slates which were crumbling on top of one another some two hundred feet distant.