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The march resumes. The mood is foul. Everyone seems to have either chosen sides in the confrontation or have decided to walk on eggs lest another blow-up occur. To add to it, the rain stops and the flies begin to bite. It is a choice between a stifling cloak or being eaten by bugs. The beasts may take small comfort in their short fur coats.
Hastik and Doom arrange their men fore and aft of the merchants. It is a pity that no one can take advantage of the increased security to enjoy each others' company.
Finally, Hastik gives the nod to Doom who says, "All right. We got abou an hour of daylight. Lets get tents up and animals penned. Stretch! Lefty! Take a couple of 'volunteers' and put up some stakes. I want an abattis, and I want it neat. I'm gonna come by and stand on 'em. They fall over and you've got extra guard duty. The rest o' you lot: we got company, so put on your company manners and get this area policed."
There is a flurry of activity as the soldiers work like bees.
Soon there is a cozy camp, protected by a ring of outward-facing spikes. There is fresh water, a fire and a lumina lantern. The fire is smokey, but Doom explains that it will cut down on the bugs, most of which likely carry deadly diseases and poisons.

After offering any services he can to Beka, he sits down near the fire. Nervously, Vagrant looks around and then removes his spirit cloak. Wet from various things he attempts to dry out his garments. He keeps to himself and avoids eye contact with any of the others unless directly addressed.

Faliol plops down on a log close to Vagrant. He has never gotten a good look at what's under all those layers...

"How are you feeling, Vague? You don't mind if I call you that, do you? We've known each other for some time and have been through some horrific battles, but I don't know your actual name. We foxes aren't the brightess critters, but I am guessing your sire and dam didn't name you 'Vagrant'."

OOC: Faliol isn't trying to pester/annoy, but has noticed Vagrant's standoffish behavior and is naturally curious.

Vagrant winces a bit to the company but attempts to recover quickly to not look too standoffish.

"You are correct, my parents did not name me Vagrant. It's mostly a handle of sorts to use for my peddling. Name recognition was quite important in my old world. I figured it would help here as well. Odd, thinking about the peddling now, I haven't made a deal in some time. I'm more of a fighter then a trader...I guess I gravitate back to what I know. I was more of a soldier then a salesman in my time."

Slowly he reaches out for his cloak and slips it on covering his bandages and feeling a bit less exposed he turns to the little fox, "If you'd like you can call me James. That's what my "sire" called me."

Casually overhearing Vagrant, Nuyok cocks an eyebrow, a bit surprised at the release of information from the mysterious cloaked one from another time...

Faliol smiles (no teeth) and replies, "James...nice name. A strong name. Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Thank you, Faliol. The name was my father's. He was a good man, I miss him. "

Vagrant pulls his cloak around him again and stares off into the fire.

"Maybe it's time I used that name again. God, Faliol, I miss my home."

The fox looks off for a moment...

.oO(If I am not careful, I will learn firsthand how he feels)

Looking back, "James, those in the circus had a saying 'every week, a new town but the same home.' You are a human while I am of the beasts. Our differences are many. But we share a love of familar surroundings and more importantly, friends and family. I guess what I am trying to say is this, 'if you cannot go home, if you cannot return to your family, maybe it is time to make a new home with a new family.'"

Faliol looks at the quiet man, hoping that he hasn't been too personal and wishing he could help him.

Beka walks up behind the two and gently rests her hands on their shoulders.
"Welcome back Faliol, welcome here Vagrant." she whispers.

Faliol looks up at their leader with a wry grin on his face, "So I am not in trouble for fighting with Big Chin?"

Whispering to Vagrant, but letting Miss Beka hear, "You got another one of them loud noisemakers you used on the roof? I promise to only injure him in some body part he doesn't use very often... No, I am not talking about his brain!"

.oO(It feels good to kid around with them once again)

Vagrant flinches slightly under Beka's gentle touch. He looks up at her and at Faliol and then back to the fire.

He pauses for a long moment and then his back seems to tighten and he shakes his head negatively, "I do appreciate everything the caravan has done for me, I really do, but none of you can understand my position. Everyone I knew is dead...long dead. My memory of them fades with each new day. The strength to look again for connections is tempting but far too scary. I thank you again, but, for tonight, this is all I can stand."

He abruptly throws himself to his feet and leaves the pair. In his effort to make a hasty exit it nearly runs over Celeste and ends up falling over bandages he forgot to tie. Struggling to his feet he stammers an apology and heads to the most secluded area he can find.

"Geezus, James. Get a fucking grip."

.oO(Stupid kit! Think before you open your muzzle!)

Faliol hops up and begins to follow James, "J...Vagrant! I am sorry! Please believe...."

But James is gone and Vagrant is not far behind. The thought occurs to him that chasing after him would just aggravate the situation. He would try again...later.

"Miss Beka, I didn't mean to do...whatever it was I did."

Celeste had been observing the exchange from the other side of the camp, out of hearing range. .oO(That's odd that he would remove his cloak with so many others around...) She watches as Beka approaches Faliol and Vagrant and his subsequent reaction. Momentarily her gaze is drawn away from the three and as a result she is caught off guard as Vagrant rushes by her. She turns to watch him stumble away into the dark. She would go after him, but given that he chose to leave the camp area, she realizes that he must want to be alone. She will advise any who try to follow him to let him be.

When Lekchock noticed the the mysterious one known as Vagrant removing his coverings, his natural curiosity brought him closer. Not knowing as much about Vagrant as the rest, most of it is lost to him. When Vagrant gets up, the forrest man almost feels a kinship for this man. He too has lost his home, and everyone he cares for is also gone. This introspective moment is brief as one of the soldiers walks by with something Lekchock has never seen and must find out more about. This leads to another soldier with something different and so on and so on.

OOC: Sorry folks I had some issues and was gone for awhile, but I'm back now and trying to catch up 108 freakin' posts is gonna take awhile

OOC: Most of which are mine! Muhahaha! Massive Experience, come to Daddy!

When the opportunity presents itself, Nuyok will approach Doom when he is available and not with a retinue and inquires "so how is the state of things at the fort? Any new developments with your new neighbors?," Nuyok being intentionally circumspect.

OOC: Why is it always 'Last Camp'? It seems so foreboding. Couldn't it be 'Recent Camp' or something?

OOC: Last Camp?
Camp after the last on so therefore Next Camp?
Camp formerly known as last but now choosing to be Before Camp?

Lost Camp...we left the Last Camp behind and now we cannot find it...therefore, this camp is Lost Camp.....or maybe it's Lost Comp....I put my computer down over here and now it's gone.....

After the camp is prepared and bellies are full, Riccoco is lounging about the fire with his rumpled wine skin of Berry Ale (anyone who wants could be nearby.) He's just finished recounting his tale of single combat with a Yaraza witch, again. Suddenly, after the spattering of applause he jumps up and raisies his cup, "To Mako's men o' the Lizard! It be bein' a right sort that saves the likes o' Merchant Riccoco from the maws o' impendin' Doom at the Jaws o' a Gator! My thanks, Men o' Mako!"

Faliol grabs that berry ale bag and slugs one down...

.oO(Demon Kings! It didn't taste half bad that time. My taste buds must be in a coma...)

Standing up, Faliol shouts, "To the Men of Mako!" He throws the berry ale to Celeste...

[EDITED on Fri June 4, 2004 @11:25 AM (CDT)]

Given the nature of the days events, there is a confusion of responses to the toast. People who didn't happen to have a drink handy look about for one. Those who held animosity to some others suffer a momentary dilemma between honoring their escort and drinking a toast alongside people they are ostensibly angry with. In quick time, however, everyone has echoed or followed the toast. Yes, even Konnur. The only one who refrains from drinking is Wickersticks, by necessity. Instead he gives a deep and inhuman bow.

Faliol now notices something odd. Will looks decidedly different than when he left. His body is far wilder and cruder. Bits of twig and leaf stick out at odd angles and apear to have been culled from a half-dozen types of wood.

Celeste deftly catches the bag and takes a small drink before passing it on to the next person..oO(I will never get used to the taste of this stuff. )

OOC: Prune juice, now there is a 'warriors drink!'

This encounter only takes place between Faliol and Konnur, but a series of PER rolls indicate that some of you are close enough or awake enough to perceive. You may include yourselves if you think your character would likely intervene. Otherwise, you are observers.
The night has fallen and the meal is eaten. One by one the merchants and their folks have drifted to sleep. By virtue of your escort, you are afforded an opportunity rare in the Wilds. You can all sleep the night through. The soldiers will handle the watches. (Although Nuyok and Cadbury are requested to be alert if they are awake.)
Soon the soft sighs and snores of slumber drift across the little barricaded area.
There appears to be a slight bit of low conversation going on near the Bergen Wagon. Umbra is sternly speaking to Konnur. He appears to be stubborn, but she is more so. She makes a low pointing gesture at Faliol and then crosses her arms. Konnur sighs. He turns to walk towards the recumbent yet wakeful vulpine, when she taps him on the shoulder. She points at his sword belt. He hesitates, looks about the jungle and then unbuckles it and sets it carefully against the wagon.

He slowly and quietly walks over to Faliol, where after a brief look back at Umbra, he crouches and whispers.

"Faliol. If you are awake, it appears we must have words. I will not break Hastik's peace if you won't."

Faliol sits up and nods to Umbra then turns his head to Konnur.

"Please speak your mind. I will not break Hastik's peace, either."

Audio Clip
Warning 1.1MB download!
You may have to adjust the volume; I really compressed this.

Konnur pauses, then as if feeling Umbra's eyes boring through the back of his skull, he speaks. "Pray listen to all I have to say before answering. Before we get too far, this is not an apology. I regret nothing I have said. I will take back one title, however, and I think it is the one that bothers you most. You are no coward.
"I have endured ten insults, nay a score for every one you have perceived of me. But I intended no insult. I am a survivor. To survive in the Wilds requires a group. You deserted us and left us to the killers. What you hold as insult, I call speaking the truth. I do not use flowery words, nor veil my meaning in weak pleasantries. Perhaps this is a fox's way. Perhaps it is the way of Tallon."

Though his tone is calm, his face is hard as he continues:
"I have seen too many folk killed because they denied a weakness, or covered it with well-oiled speech. If I see a problem, I call it out. Your friend Cas is disturbed. If you deny this, you deny the evidence of your eyes and her own speech. I see this as a threat, and I make sure we are all aware. You took a horse that did not belong to you and abandoned the group. This makes you a thief and betrayer. I know of no other words for such actions. --Hist! before you call me out, I understand your need to save your kin. If Jareek had been-- had been Drummel, I might well have done the same.
"But I would not expect the group to trust me again. They would have no reason to. There is one thing you can trust me to do, though. That is to speak the truth as I see it, whether anyone likes to hear it or not. To do less is to court death."
He stands.
"If you wish to finish what you started at the Fort, I will stand ready, though I believe it will neither solve nor change anything. I doubt we will ever be friends. If you wish to insult me or accuse me of some kind of beast-hate, you may do so now."

"There is both truth and half-truth to what you say. I will not dispute that I am a thief and a betrayer, for I am both. I will state that I am not capricious, but reluctant in my thievery and my betrayals. To stay with the caravan, meant letting Jareek die. A fox that saved me as a kit from a short, but very ugly life as a slave. A fox that gave me a home and love when the rest of the world couldn't give a crap whether I lived or died. To let him die meant one type of betrayal. To save him meant betraying the rest of you. No matter what I chose, I had to betray someone. I made my choice and I will pay the price."

Looking sadly at the sleeping (or pretending to be sleeping Hamilton caravaners) "For the record, I do not expect anyone in this group to ever trust me again. It saddens me, but I do not blame them or you. Since you have taken back the insult of calling me a coward, I am satisfied with letting that matter drop."

Faliol's eyes get very cold, "But, I want to be crystal clear on this next point, Cas is my friend and under my protection. It is not her fault that she is different and she is trying her best to overcome her infirmity. That deserves respect. Not cruelty. Here is where your half-truths are plain to all. You, by design or subconsciously, seek to inflict pain on others by disguising personal attacks as the "truth". It is abundantly clear that you have suffered a great loss and while I am no Adept, even I can tell that you strike out in your pain. Many people here have overlooked this in sympathy. But they forget that you are inflicting pain on others for no constructive reason. It might be different if you appeared to be working this grief out of your system, but I see no evidence of this. You call it "truth" but everybody knows you don't have to say those hurtful things in that particular fashion. You CHOOSE to call me 'betrayer, thief, and coward', to call Cas 'crazy'. I can only imagine the pain you inflicted on the others these past several days. I stand against that willful harm you inflict on others. You look down on me for my many faults...fair enough. I despise you for being a cruel, vicious little bastard. If you stop hurting Cas and the others, I will not challenge you again. But if you continue to persecute them or call me a 'coward' in the guise of 'truth', then I will attack you without hesitation. Bergen may have forgiven me, but my fate will be decided by Mako. I may end up in the mines for the rest of my life for stealing that horse, so I have nothing to lose. I will defend them from you, if you force my hand."

Sighing, "I am sorry that your brother died and that you are in pain. But that is no excuse for being cruel to the rest of us."

[EDITED on Fri June 4, 2004 @10:44 PM (CDT)]

"Very well. I expected no more nor no less."
With that cryptic and somewhat lame pronouncement, he returns to Umbra and gives her a short placatory bow. Then he takes his sword and belt and retires. Umbra looks from one to the other, human and fox. Then she throws up her hands and also retires.

What you're gonna spend them on I don't know, but that was great....except for that metallic creaking noise when Konnur stood up....I could have sworn Iron John was there.....

OOC: I kid around a great deal, probably too much. But I am completely serious when I say that I missed gaming with all of you during Faliol's ride to and from Ft. Lizard. True, I had a world-class GM to keep me company. Keith did his usual stellar job (Barb gets an rousing 'Amen, Sister!' for her observation on Keith's GMing) for which I am thankful. But I have had so much more fun since Faliol returned to the caravan. GMs and players of your caliber, all together in one setting, is a rare gift to this 40 year-old geek practicioner of nerd-fu. Thank you.

Apologies to anyone who has seen some of the following material twice. It's repeated here for full visibility.
At sundown, Brother Cadbury says the Evening Prayer. The soldiers are working, but stop long enough for the final response. The squad also prepares rations. They are simple, but plentiful. Umbra volunteers and does much to make them more palatable. The meal is mostly eaten in silence, due to continued hard feelings.
One by one the merchants and their folks drift off to sleep. By virtue of your escort, you are afforded an opportunity rare in the Wilds. You can all sleep the night through. The soldiers will handle the watches. (Although Nuyok and Cadbury are requested to be alert if they are awake.) Soon the soft sighs and snores of slumber drift across the little barricaded area.

Anyone who wishes to have a whispered conversation with anyone else, PC or NPC may do so. I'll step in where needed, but we won't reach the Lizard (Prometheus Willing) until Monday.

Celeste sleeps through the whispered conversation between Faliol and Konnur. Sometime after, she awakens and walks quietly about the camp, checking to make sure all members of the Hamilton caravan are accounted for. When she spots Vagrant asleep in his tumble of rags and cloak, she returns to her spot to resume her sleep. (Unless someone else is awake as well)

Cas is going to check up on Wickersticks and see how he is doing. She would like nothing more than to get a story from this animate fellow, but she will not ask, let alone pry for this information.

Nuyok will take some time on watch, just in case of gators in the night, but he is not overly concerned with half the night split with Cadbury.

ZZZzzzzzZZZZ!

The cargo is well until at least Fort Lizard.
+ Faliol has returned.
+ Good sleeping and easy travel until the Lizard.
+ Nip o' Berry Ale...

Ricco is once more down and out, slumbering happily.