The Morning After

[dannylam4]

Yin stretched as the morning sun rose. He looked over at Nihael, Vavrin, sleeping against Onyxia, all fallen asleep quickly after the twins took their shifts. Yin walked into the wagon, returned to its upright position thanks to Yang, and collected his things. Yang walked up the slight hill, one of the wagon wheels in his hand and a large chunk of wood in the other. He sat down on the seat of the wagon and felt the wheel with his hands. Yin examined the wheel with his eyes and relayed the image to Yang's mind as he continued picking up his scattered items. After a few minutes, Yang managed to carve a perfect duplicate of the wheel. He hopped off the wagon and replaced the wheel he removed as well as the broken one. After a few touch ups, the wagon was all fixed.

"Rise and shine," the twins said to the other members. Yin tossed some fruit at them that he managed to collect from the nearby trees as Yang collected the war horses and guided them to the wagon. "We figured we could use the wagon to ride to Yazuac. It's the closest area and we should make it there in a few hours."

Yin unrolled a map and set it down against a flat rock, drawing points of where they most likely were to Yazuac.

[Vavrinec]

Vavrin arose, stretching her arms over her head. She picked up the piece of fruit that was tossed in her direction, but didnt eat it. She didnt have much of an appetite anyway. Looking to the sky, it seemed the rain had passed. The sky was an orange-ish hue as the sun started to rise, its warmth dancing on her bare arms. She frowned at it and turned her back.

She didnt remember falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was cleaning her sword, and exchanging a short word with the Rider. She did, however, recall all the things that had transpired the day before.

Vavrin saw the wagon, right-side up, and the horses swishing thier tails casually. "Yazuac. Good." she said, walking past the twins and over to her war horse. She rubbed his head lightly and said, "We're going to be setting off again, today. Also, I may have come up with a name for you, finally."

[Nihael]

Withdrawing the dirk he had left lying underneath him as he rested, Nihael speared the fruit as it came flying towards him. "I see we are ready to get back on our way? Before we leave for Yazuac, there are two things I would like to take care of, the prisoner, and the bandits camp. We could always do with some extra supplies and get some reparations for the trouble these oafs caused us." Nihael took a bite out of his fruit and slowly started picking up the gear he had shed the night before.

[Vavrinec]

Vavrin placed the piece of fruit in the bag that was strapped to her horse, Indy, then hopped in the wagon to retrieve her snakeskin cape, and placed it in the bag, as well. She went back again to get Nihael his cloak that he had removed, then walked over and handed it to him.

The Shade smiled thinly and replied, "Ah, the prisoner. I'd very much like to put my new hooks to good use. Perhaps we could squeeze some valuable information out of him."

[Nihael]

Taking the cloak from the Shade's outstretched hands, he thanked her for bringing it to him. "I hope this prisoner will be of some use, I tried to get a better one, but he was already dead, the wolves got to him by the looks of it."

Grabbing the bound prisoner, Nihael hefted him into the wagon with the rest of the belongings that had been removed from the horses. "I am sure he will expel any information he possesses after a few minutes of what is held in store for him, although that doesn't stop us from continuing torturing him." Winking at Vavrin, he double-checked the bindings on the prisoners arms and legs.

"Hmmmm... I need to recharge my crystals, be right back." Walking into the nearest section of trees, Nihael connected with all the living things in his vicinity, grasping a hold of them with his mind, a sudden quiet fell over his surroundings as everything around him died. From the grass to the trees and the insects to the birds. Several tiny bodies bodies falling out of now dead tree branches and with a gigantic crash, a mighty tree limb plowed into the ground. The crystals in his swords, belt and bow started to glow as the power coursed into them and Nihael himself started to glow with a reddish-black glow as the energy flowed through him to the gems.

In a matter of moments, everything within several meters of himself was blackened and a pall hung over the place as he stepped out. "That is more like it. I feel much more rejuvenated." With a smile on his face, Nihael walked back towards the now-loaded wagon, passing a point where the destruction seemed to abruptly come to a halt.

[Vavrinec]

She nodded as the Rider disappeared into the trees. Vavrin turned and sat in the grass not far from where the twins were eating breakfast. She took out her dagger and busied herself by scraping the dried mud off of the underside of her boot.

After a few moments had passed, she got up and wiped the blade clean, replacing in on the inside of her boot. Vavrin joined the twins and and spoke quietly with them for a while as she waited for Nihael to return. She told them that she planned on testing out her new hooks on the prisoner as soon as they reached Yazuac, and that it would be a good idea to let the man rest in the wagon. "Wouldnt want him to die on us before we glean anything of importance from him," she explained.

[Nihael]

"Wouldnt want him to die on us before we glean anything of importance from him."

"I think I could keep that from happening." Nihael answered from just behind the Shade, still glowing with a reddish-black hue. "Is everyone ready to go "check" out the bandits camp? And before we all decide to pick up and leave, someone is going to have to stay behind to watch our belongings and the prisoner." Nihael extricated himself from his armour, leaving the thin leather padding underneath, and donned his cloak. "I would rather travel light, incase we find ourselves returning with more than we left with." Nihael stated with a broad wink.

[Vavrinec]

Vavrin turned a bit and said, "I am ready to go. I suppose the twins will stay behind and keep an eye out on the prisoner as well as our belongings." She leaned into the wagon to take a good look at the bound prisoner, he was either asleep or still unconcious.

She rejoined Nihael at his side and crossed her arms. "Now, behave whilst I am gone, lads. Dont do something like last time." she teased, giving a sly grin to the twins.

[Nihael]

"Should we head off now that that is settled? We have wasted enough time talking already, we should leave soon, before any scouts spot us." Nihael turned and began to walk away, calling over his shoulder, "As Vavrin said, don't do anything stupid again, or you will feel the back of my gauntlet swiftly across your face." Turning back, Nihael quickly strode towards the tree line with Onyxia beside him.

They soon came upon the area where Nihael had slaughtered the previous men, all that remained of them were a few gory bones and chunks of meat. “Seems that the wolves and other scavengers have already gotten to them. A fitting treatment for the life they led.” continuing on into the trees, they came upon the clearing that served the bandits as a base-camp before they had decided to attack.

[Vavrinec]

Vavrin's arms fell to her side as she began to walk beside Nihael, casting a wary glace at the twins from across her shoulder. She was pretty sure they wouldnt do anything weird, unless they had somehow gotten ahold of more sour wine. She then glanced at the Rider from the corner of her eye. "I see your tolerance of the twins has not grown." Of course, she knew very well that it wouldnt.

She did not speak again until they had reached the base camp of the bandits. It was oddly quiet, not even a bird or a rustling branch dared make a sound. The sound of her own breathing was the only thing that she heard, and her eyes were focused keenly should anything decide to move. Everything was just as the bandits had left it, before they died not too long ago.

[Nihael]

Nihael swept the camp with his mind, searching for signs of life as he had done the previous day when he first encountered tha bandits. Fining nothing, he sligthly relaxed himself, but still keeping an alert mind out for danger. Entering the nearest tent to the point they had entered the clearing through, he found nothing but a pile of soiled clothes. The second tent tent was hardly different from the first, and only when he entered the fourth, slightly larger tent, did he alight on anything worth taking. He examined the thick leather armour and the bland but powerful looking sword, lying across what must have passed off as the owner's bed.

"This might come in useful should I need to travel without wishing to draw attention to myself."

[dannylam4]

Yin and Yang munched down on their breakfast as Vavrin sat down next to them, cleaning her blade and speaking of the hooks. Yang retreived the hooks from his bag and tossed it to her as she began to leave with Nihael.

"As Vavrin said, don't do anything stupid again, or you will feel the back of my gauntlet swiftly across your face," Nihael had said as they left. Yang growled as he drew a dagger from his side pocket and held it like a throwing knife. Yin held out his staff to block Yang's way and shook his head. Yang growled and put his dagger away as he drew his blade, a coat of dried blood still on it. Yin walked into the wagon and grabbed the leather Nihael had left behind as well as a skin flask of water. He tossed both items to Yang as he started to clean his blade, wiping the blood on Nihael's items. Yin layed back down on the ground against the wagon, still slightly exhausted from the night before and started resting his eyes.

[Vavrinec]

Vavrin looked around at the messy tent as Nihael took the sword and armour and ducked out, walking across the field. She entered another tent directly across from the last, though it was no bigger. There was a pile of discarded khaki undershirts and such, a blanket tossed to the side, and a candleholder whos candle was nearly gone.

She left after finding nothing of interest and entered another tent off to the left, slightly farther than the rest. This tent was different. It wasnt in disaray, and there was no sign of clutter. The bedroll was made up neatly, and there were no clothes to be found. There was a small chest on the floor upon which loose pieces of paper sat. She set the papers aside and lifted the chest open. Inside were a couple of wineskins, three candlesticks, and a rusty lockpick. "Interesting." she mused, taking the wineskins in her hand, unscrewing one to take in the aroma.

[Nihael]

Nihael kept rifling through the few meager belongings left behind by their previous owners.
"There is nothing here of much worth, it must mainly be in the leaders' tents." Nihael called out to the Shade as he picked up an extra quiver of arrows.

Exiting the tent, he saw that there were maybe a couple more tents between himself and the large tents set a short distance further away from the others. Walking up to the tent, he turned to Vavrin, he said with a smile and a flourish of his arms, "After you."

[Vavrinec]

The Shade ducked inside the tent, this one was much larger than the last. Instead of a bedroll, there was an actual cot with a fluffy down pillow. It was obvious how much better the leaders lived than thier inferiours. Small lanterns hung from the support beams of the tent, and there were 2 wooden chests, on short and squat, the other tall and slender. "And what do we have here?" she said, opening the tall chest first.

Inside, propped up were steel swords with what looked like heavy bronze hilts. They looked to have either never been used, or well kept. She took one in her hand to judge the weight and balance. She held it flat in her hands and offered it, handle first, to Nihael. "See if it is to your liking."

Vavrin then knelt down to open the smaller chest which was resting at the end of the cot. This one was locked. She murmured a word and with a click, it opened. Inside this was about 15 or so velvet bags and a few short swords. She picked up the heavy bag and grinned. It was very obvious what was kept inside. She bounced it in her hand, the contents clinking merrily.

[Nihael]

Nihael ducked in behind Vavrin, intiatially noting the spaciousness of the tent. Examining the area, he noted the luxurious furnishings in comparison to the squalid lodgings of the other bandits. He followed her to the two ornately carved chests that was most likely looted from a fine home.

"See if it is to your liking.""See if it is to your liking."

"Thank you" Grasping the hilt from Vavrin, he weighted it in his palm, sighted down the edge and gave it a few experimental swings and flourishes. Finding it to his liking, he slipped it into one of the leather sheaths that had been hung inside the closet. "These are fine blades." Hearing the jingle of coins, he looked over at Vavrin and noticed the dozen or so velvet bags lying in the chest, also taking in the the finely wrought short-swords lying next to them. "Seems like checking the camp out was a good idea eh?

[Vavrinec]

"Yes, a very good idea." Vavrin smiled as she watched him test the sword then replace it in its sheath. She placed two of the wineskins in the smaller chest along with the sacks of money. In that sense, she was somewhat relieved that the twins had stayed behind. It was also the first time since that drunken fiasco that she and the Rider were left alone. "Help me get this out of here. Maybe if Onyxia wouldnt mind, she could carry this back to our wagon. After that, I think we might enjoy this wineskin in this fine tent by ourselves." she said, subtly emphasising the last word.

Vavrin closed the lid of the chest and took hold of one of the iron handles that protruded from the side. It was a worthwhile trip, based upon all the things that they had decided to take. Looting amused Vavrin, especially when some of the things were hard to come by in local cities, and when you did come by it, they were either inferiour or overpriced. Half the fun came in obliterating the bandits, and the looting was just icing on the cake.

[Nihael]

"Help me get this out of here. Maybe if Onyxia wouldnt mind, she could carry this back to our wagon. After that, I think we might enjoy this wineskin in this fine tent by ourselves."

Nihael caught the slight emphasis that Vavrin placed on the word 'ourselves'. With a smile he stated, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind and I would be delighted to relieve the wineskin of it's contents. Maybe we could find a goblet or two in the tent?"

Onyxia, I have a favour to ask of you.

What is it?

Could you carry our new belongings back to the wagon?

I came here to make sure you didn't get yourselves inot more trouble, not to be your pack-mule!

I know, I know. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine and I don't think you are a pack-mule. A pack-mule wouldn't be able to eviscerate a man with a single swipe.

Don't try and placate me with your idle complements. I will carry it back, but I am not happy about it.

I'll make it up to you at the next city

"Onyxia said she would carry them back for us. Now how about we search for that goblet then?"

[Vavrinec]

Vavrin nodded and said, "Right. Perhaps they would be kept in a drawer, or maybe in the bottom of that tall chest?"

She glanced around the room. If she were to keep something breakable, she wouldnt keep it in plain sight. She walked over to the cot where there was a small nightstand, but there was only a candleholder. She peeked underneath the cot, but there was nothing. Frowning slightly, she turned and faced a dark cotside cupboard. She reached out to open it, and there were about 4 gold stemmed goblets. She took out two and turned to Nihael. "Here we go."

[Nihael]

Smiling, Nihael slowly poured wine into the glasses. Setting down the wineskin, he accepted one of the proffered goblets from Vavrin, examining the craftsmanship for a moment, he looked up at her, "To the Empire, looting, a prospective job well done and a interesting partnership!" Nihael found himself quickly ducking behind his goblet after toasting. I am bound to make a fool of myself if I don't tread cautiously. Appropriating a more solid composure, he looked back up at Vavrin.