Kai says "this will be a long uncomfortable wait why don't you take the others and my horse back and return here at half an hour before local dusk I will take these two far enough out into the desert to prevent their untimely return and then return here to make sure he does not leave before the planned time if i must follow him i will leave simple signs pointing the way that dax can easily track" Without waiting for a reply, he dismounts smoothly while sliding one of his twin daggers from its sheath, and after checking the binding on the two prisoners (are they gagged? He'll make sure of that, this proximity to the camp may have been unexpected...) begins walking them in the opposite direction of the Jade Clan Just before leaving Mirtil walks up to Kai and talks to him briefly. Dax responds, to Mirtil, "He is correct. It is foolish to wait here under the sssun, when the Elf does not leave for hours. I will sstay until Kay returns, but the ressst of you, and your animals, should ssseek shelter insside." It is incredibly hot, perhaps 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Centigrade/Celsius), and you all notice within moments that your mounts have begun to sweat in the heat, despite little activity. The desert sun is nearly directly overhead. Mirtil is satisfied with Kai's oath, and Kai departs with the Elves. Dax takes up a position overlooking the Jade encampment, and watches over Kai's horse. Manon agrees it would be wise to take up shelter at the chateau for now, and Mirtil returns with Manon and Beren using the wand. A few moments later, Mirtil returns to the same spot in the desert. He then casts a spell, and disappears. "Hey, Manon. Is there a problem?" Mac asks. Smiling towards Mac the count answers "No, not at all." Noticeable sweaty and a bit out of breath Manon says "Well, good we choose too return. That heat would have taken its toll on both men and horses." Finding a water skin Manon drinks quenching his thirst. "Now, we have to wait until dusk" At about 1330, Mirtil appears from the summoning chamber. "Did you complete your task?" the count asks "And where is Kai?" Looking around to see who is present. If Mac is here, Mirtil says: "There is your wand", handing it to Mac. "Reconnecting it you will appear just inside the temple. I told them about your possible arrival, so they wouldn't be too shocked. Oh, some of the paladins are really kind of nasty tempered lot. One nearly drew his sword upon me. I will take some rest and then return to the desert, if nobody needs my help for now. " Saying this, Mirtil goes to the nearest chair, sits here and takes rest. To no one in particular Gwar states "I'm going to get in my armour.". He heads back up the stairs. Manon sits down and waits for Mac, Mirtil and Gwar to enter the chamber and depart and for Mirtil do return once again. Mirtil waits for Mac and Gwar, while he himself is resting. When Mac and Gwar are ready, Mirtil says to Mac: "Before we leave, please, remember, that every sundown I will try to contact you using telepathy, so we can exchange news. Please be ready to accept the contact." Mirtil, Gwar, and Mac enter the chamber. A moment later, they are gone. Mirtil returns to the chateau, obviously fatigued. It is now about 1345. Present at the chateau are Kirion, Manon, Beren, and Mirtil. "So my friend" Manon greets Mirtil "how did your trip go?" "Greetings, gentlemen," says Mirtil with a courtly smile, while taking a seat in a closest chair with obvious relief. "Well, Mac and Gwar are in Richport, talking to protectors of the Ankh, and I believe they're going to have a speech with Primia, who is a high priest in Richport. The priests said they will cure Gwar's wounds, too. Dax is still waiting in the desert, and he reports that nothing have changed until now. Here, sir Manon, take the wand, please. I believe it will be wise if you have it, as I can use my own means of travel, if necessary, and in the case we would be divided accidentally I can make it back on my own." Mirtil hands the wand to Manon. Hours pass. Afternoon turns toward evening. It is now 1500, and Kai should most likely have returned to the desert by now. You've rested, fed, and had time to talk in the interim. At 1500 Manon steps in to the chamber and breaks the wand. Leaving with the words "I'm going to check on Dax and see if Kai has returned". Mirtil darts in to the chamber and accompanies Manon to the desert. Kirion opts to remain, saying "Come for us if we are needed. We will be ready to track the Elf tonight" Kai arrives back at the site where the wand was last used, and meets up with Dax. Dax explains that the others returned to the chateau due to the heat, and will return before dark. Kai joins Dax in observing the camp to the north. A few minutes later, Mirtil and Manon appear, Manon carrying the intact wand. "Greetings," says Mirtil with a grin. "Everything is well? I have an idea. I expect that the elven mage is sleeping now and resting, and that he plans to travel during the night. I don't know very much about Reptile men, so tell me if you see some obvious flaw in my plan. I can stealth to the village, possibly under a spell of invisibility, find the elf's sleeping place and, when I'm close enough, I can cast different spell and search his mind. This way we can find where he is bound and what does he want without interfering. I myself would really want to know what happened to the Tix. So, what do you think about it?" Before anyone replies to Mirtil, Dax hisses quietly raises his fist, then gestures to the ground, palm open and pointed downward. Kai and Manon quickly crouch down, as Mirtil looks at Dax, curiously. A second later, Mirtil catches on and gets down as well. The three of you crawl over to Dax, who moves out of sight of the camp, and hisses, "Lisssten. Voices from the wesst." The three of you go silent, as does Dax, and when the wind shifts, you can pick up something that might be voices, or it might be shifting sand, coming from the far side of dune to the west. As you listen, you again can hear whispery sounds that you can't make out, but which sound like voices, or perhaps just a trick of the sand. Without getting closer, you don't think you'll be able to make out what is being said. Very carefully Manon peeks over the dune's top. Mirtil still waits, keeping one eye on the knight, ready to act if there is a sign of troubles. What about the sounds? You slowly crawl up the dune, and upon reaching its crest, you see two figures, sitting under the shade of a propped up cloak, quietly speaking. They are both humanoid, but you can't tell for certain if they are man or elf. Their attention seems focused northward, but they are looking about from time to time, and it is likely you will be seen if you remain. The two are about 20 meters from the crest of the dune, where Kai is lying. With a delicacy belying his normal wooden movements, Kai snake crawls up the side of the dune, pulling his dagger from its sheath, a yard of blade from an eight inch container. Before cresting the hillock of sand, he halts, arm outstretched, with the tip of his narrow sword poking up over the top. There is a tug at the Count's shoulder, Kai's outstretched sword hand rests on his shoulder. The rich voice of the Hawk, unfiltered by the air which ordinarily robs it of its tones, murmurs "duck down, good Manon, and I will apprise you of what I see." The count slowly slides back down below the edge of the dune. Manon concentrates and waits for something to happen. Mirtil waits as well, observing Kai for signs of trouble, ready to do something if needed. "Manon my friend, why do you not return to Mirtil and tell him what we have seen here" suggests Kai after the pair seem to have settled in. "They are not moving anytime soon, most like not until evening. What are the two of you doing here so early anyway?" Being very cautious Manon gently gets Mirtil's attention by tugging his sleeve. Not uttering a sound Manon signals Mirtil to back down from the dune top as the counts himself crawls backwards. Whispering the count informs Mirtil there are two persons sitting talking on the other side of the dune. "Kai will keep an eye on them" Manon concludes. "Stay here" the count whispers as he tries to crawl back up next to Kai. Mirtil stops the count, whispering: "Human, elves or reptile men? I think I would go to look, too..." Manon replies "It's not possible to see... and we are sure to be spotted if we all crawl up to that dune. Let Kai do the watching". He then proceeds up the dune. Mirtil whispers with a smile: "I know my deal about stealth, and I can be invisible... let's return to Kai." "Do not forget that steps in sand are plainly visible even though you might not visible yourself" Manon cautious Mirtil.
At the top of the dune when the count settles, Kai rolls onto his
side, steadying himself with his sword hand on Manon's shoulder.
After a while Manon returns down to Mirtil. "Kai prefers not to walk
down to these two persons. He think they might be waiting for someone
to emerge from the camp, as we are. Let us return to the castle and
come back to the desert some hour before dusk."
Mirtil says: "They don't know me. I can walk to the village freely,
suppose the Reptiles are not hostile to newcomers. So I can go there
and talk to them with no danger. I'm going up to talk to Kai."
As Manon and Mirtil converse, Kai rolls onto his back, sword back up
to full extension over his head. His stylised leather hawks face mask
sparkles with a few grains of sand, cranes forward to his chest to face the trio
below. With his left hand, he lifts the heavy black crossbow from his side, moves
it up close to his shoulder and pumps it twice, quickly, business end
pointed over the top of the dune in the general direction of the pair on the other
side. Ever economical in gesture, he replaces the thing at his side, then
flips his hand over, open, flat, back down, at hip height. Like the bird it is
a seeming of, the hawk head cocks over to the left, and stops.
Mirtil silently climbs up the dune to the Kai, lying down close to
the top and crawling the rest, so he can't be spotted from the other
side.
Seeing Kai's actions Manon puts his hand on the handle of his mighty
sword and draws it gently out of its scabbard. Ready to rush over the
dune Manon awaits Kai's reaction.
Dax, who is still positioned in an overwatch position of the Jade
camp, hisses softly, and waves for someone to come to him.
Manon silently crawls up to Dax, and looks over the dune top.
Mirtil gestures to the count to support Kai, and then runs silently
to Dax, expecting that anything concerning the elven mage is
happening there.
"Patrol arrives from eassst..."
Dax points to the Northeast.
Looking beyond the dune, you see a group of perhaps a dozen Jades
spread out in a sort of wedge(point facing westward) coming toward the camp. As
you watch, the group forms up in a small congregation, and the apparent
leader speaks with two figures who have emerged from a tent.
The two figures appear to be different races. One is obviously a
reptileman, though he seems somehow different from the typical warriors, and a bit
familiar. He wears nondescript robes and speaks to the patrol's
commander for a few moments, finally making a wide sweeping motion with his hand
in a sudden gesture, apparently referring to the landscape around the camp.
The other figure is obviously a human or elf. He doesn't look like the
Elf you seek, but another. He stands beside the Jade, arms crossed, and
doesn't appear to say anything.
Finally, the two turn and go back into a nearby tent. The patrol
leader speaks for a moment to the patrol, then marches back out eastward, but
veering somewhat to the south, resuming their wedge formation. All of this
takes about 15 minutes.
After the patrol leaves again, Mirtil moves towards Kai.
When Mirtil begins climbing up the hill, he can see that Kai is still
lying on his back, staring down at himself, Manon, and Dax. Kai's
right hand still holds his thin bladed sword back over his head, arm
stretched out full length. Note that Kai has never climbed up far enough to see
over the top, and is even now a good four feet from being able to do
so, should he roll back over on his belly. He is, though, in an excellent
position to see Mirtil making his way up the slope. Immediately, he
raises his left hand from its flat, palm up position, rotating to
present palm to the elf, fingers pointing straight up. He pumps it
forward and back a short distance several times, quite rapidly, then
folds all but the forefinger into a fist, pointing the remaining digit
at the Mirtil, then downward, then at Manon, back to Mirtil, and then
up to the beak of his hawk mask.
Mirtil goes immediately down, lying flat on his belly, looking up at
Kai. His lips moves without a sound, obviously mimicking a word,
possibly question.
After a moment, Kai's hand flip over, back to the ground,
and the four black gloved fingers fold up to the palm, back
out flat, back up to the palm a second and third time. After
this, it flips again, continuing the odd puppet show, the only
thing on the entire dark form of Kai to move at all, now palm
flat towards the ground, and pumping once downward.
Mirtil slips down close to Manon, then looks at Kai and draws
an odd rune in the air.
Watching Kai's and Mirtil's fingers dance the count keeps quiet and
still.
The hand, still moving as though independent of the statue-still bulk
lying next to it, turns halfway back up, palm towards the leg, cupping
slightly. The reach of the arm puts it just past the butt of the
outsized crossbow still slung across the shoulder. Starting with the smallest
finger, each in turn taps the leather clad thigh and returns to its position as
the hand hovers steady. When the forefinger completes its tap, the finger
on the bottom starts again, and the cycle repeats, again and again.
Mirtil turns to the count, whispering: "I absolutely don't
understand what does he want to say! Do you?"
Then he raises his right hand, palm turned to himself, fingers up,
looking at Kai. He moves his hand back and forth three times.
Mirtil looks puzzled for a while, observing Kai, then he draws
another rune in the air, similar to the previous one, but not exactly
the same. Now he closes his eyes while doing so.
Mirtil turns to Manon, whispering:
"Well, it's strange a bit - I really had a problem to contact Kai -
I never experienced this before, but never mind. Let's return to the
castle, my friend, if you don't mind."
Dax whispers to Mirtil and Manon, "Tell Kai, a patrol comes..."
If I sent the message about the patrol to Kai ("Kai, Dax says
there's a patrol coming"),
Mirtil says silently to Dax: "Kai is warned." and then to Manon:
"My friend, maybe we should leave as Kai recommends after we see that
the patrol passed without problems." Lying close to Dax and Manon,
observing the patrol.
Manon hides where he can observe the patrol and at the same time keep
Dax, Mirtil and Kai in the range of the wand so it can be broken and
return them all to the castle if needed.
Manon holds the wand in his right hand to be able to break it quickly.
Mirtil waits silently, lying close to Dax and Manon and sweating in
desert heat.
Manon and Dax are watching the camp. The patrol has by now moved
Southeast out of sight. Mirtil is silently watching Kai. Manon has positioned
himself between the other three such that he can bring them all back to the
chateau if need be. Kai is probably not close enough, but he might be. Manon
is not intimately familiar with the wand's range. Kai remains lying on his
back, sword arm and sword raised high above the dune, like a statue.
Suddenly, about 10 yards to the north of Kai, on the crest of that
dune(to the west of Manon, Dax, Mirtil) a cloaked figure appears. He has no
weapons out, is about 5'6" tall, and has a hood drawn up about his head. He
seemed to appear out of thin air.
Kai notices the figure immediately, as does Mirtil, who quickly points
him out to Manon and Dax. The figure apparently is surprised to see the
rest of you, but after a second he crouches down low and says, "Excuse me, are
you all you well" to Kai.
The story continues...