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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:03 pm
✦ THE SCHOLAR ✦ 
((OOC: Mood song.)))
With the others springing into action, Alto didn't know where to focus his attention. He certainly didn't want to get in anyone's way; in the chaos of battle, a halfling might accidentally trip one of his allies. Besides, he was easily outmatched by any of their opponents.
"H-Help..."
Alto spun toward Mei's frightened cry. Without another thought, he gripped his shortsword and launched himself at her attacker. Surprise barely registered on the bandit's face as both man and halfling tumbled out of the cart. Alto's grip on his sword failed and he shouted in pain as the man's back crushed his hand against the ground.
"What in blazes...?" The bandit groaned, blinking slowly as he regained his bearings.
Alto tore his arm free and dropped on top of the man, fumbling to wrench the mace from his opponent. The mace swung toward his head. Alto pulled the arm holding it closer and bit down until he tasted blood. With a sharp cry, the bandit dropped his weapon and struck out with his shield. The blow caught Alto's jaw and knocked him on his back with silver spots dancing before his eyes.
His vision cleared in time to see the bandit lurch to his feet, the shield hanging between them. Alto glanced about for either his sword or the mace, but both were too far out of reach. The bandit would be on him before he could reach either.
As the bandit took an unsteady step toward him, Alto kicked up hard against the shield. The wood cracked against the man's skull and he fell, his head hitting the ground with a heavy thunk. The only movement was the rise and fall of his chest.
Expelling a gusty sigh, Alto got to his feet and stumbled to get his sword before he leaned wearily against the cart. "Miss Mei, are you alright? How badly are you hurt?" Eyes darting around, he remained alert for the next threat.
A part of him couldn't help wishing he was back at home, savoring a hot meal by the fire instead of spitting the blood from his teeth. His hand hurt, as did his foot, and his whole face throbbed painfully. A split in his lip stung as he ran his tongue over it. Oh yes, one adventure was quite enough for him.
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:48 pm
 ((OOC: Stole Alto's mood song. ))
Of all the people to come to her aid…Mei had not expected that it would be their financial keeper, Alto.
Perhaps Brida and her fearless axe. Maybe even Dez with his obvious physical advantage over others. But…certainly not the gentlemanly and scholarly, Alto. Mei hadn’t even realized that the halfling knew how to fight!
Well. Here she was…the heiress of Ang Enterprises and trained in the family’s traditional style of martial arts since the age of four and she couldn’t even defend herself against a highway bandit. So, who was she to make assumptions about people?
“I-I’m…” Mei started, her voice trailing off as her large brown eyes welled with tears at the sight of the halfling. He got hurt…all for her sake. A fluttering inside her made the human blush. She should be more concerned with the fact that her leg was probably broken and there was blood coming down the side of her head…oomph. She was beginning to feel light-headed and dizzy. And maybe it was because of the light-headedness that her thoughts turned to more light-hearted things.
She had thought Alto was charming and cute. But wow—she hadn’t noticed how handsome he was until he’d rushed in without another thought to help her. He hadn’t put a single thought for his own safety. He’d just been an unassuming knight in shining armor. And even now, with a split lip and aching body, he was still making sure she was okay first. No reprimand, no disgust at her own weakness…
“I’m okay.” Mei affirmed as she sat in the cart. She spread her injured leg out in front of her while the other bent at the knee to form half of a “W”. Lifting a hand to wipe some of the blood away from her eyes, the performer hiccupped and fought back tears, “I’m sorry for…for getting you hurt…”
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:42 pm
✦ THE HERMIT ✦  Musicccc if ye want it
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Dez had been waiting just outside the gate for a few moments before the rest of the party arrived.
It wasn't difficult to locate them. There was an awful lot of clamor, excited chattering, and squealing over..... a mule.
Some stealth mission this was turning out to be.
On the road, things weren't much different. Dez found himself drifting ahead of the party, not engaging with the others but not fully tuning them out, either. He was used to traveling alone, so the animated conversation, bursts of song, and other colorful snatches of noise was enough to throw him off guard. Especially the young bard girl- with all her talk and whimsy, you'd have thought she was setting sail on some fantastical journey to Unicorn Island, or something.
Still, he hadn't expected any conflict-- not on the main road, not this soon, and not so close to the city.
He would not be making that mistake again.
So, when the first arrow shot out, he fumbled with his own gear. The bandits were too close now for arrows, so instead he had to draw his other weapon-- a large, cleaver-shaped hunting knife-- but even this automatic switch took too long, and he was beset upon by two of the attackers quickly.
“Bazzguraak!” he swore in Orcish as one of the werewolves lunged at him with the sword, slicing deep into his hip. Dez swung back with his blade, slashing across the creature's hide. It roared and swung at him with its massive fist, colliding with the side of his head. His eyes slid out of focus, and fireworks danced in his vision, but Dez hacked blindly at it again, this time aiming for the chest.
He must have cut deep, because the thing howled, and fell.
Dez bared his fangs, whirling to the side as pain shot through his wound, and turned his attack on the human male who advanced upon him.
The man drew his sword and slashed down, but Dez dodged, chopping at the man's leg. Instantly, the man crumpled with a scream.
That was when he heard the shriek from the wagon.
Without taking the time to catch his breath, or let the pain of his injuries linger, he bounded towards the attack, cocking an arrow to aim at the bandit menacing over the girl.
But, to his great surprise, the man fell seconds later- knocked out by his own shield, and the halfling, of all people.
Still, Dez loped quickly over to the wagon and beheld the scene before him. It seemed the others were holding their own and had fended off the attackers well enough. There were a few injuries, but nothing terribly serious that some healing potions and rest wouldn't clear right up.... That is, besides...
The human girl- Mei- badly injured and nearly crying, and the halfling rushing to her assistance.
Dez scanned the girl up and down.
She was not in good shape. Leg bent at an unnatural angle, blood all over her face. Based on what he had witnessed of her fighting abilities, combined with some concerning bits of conversations he had picked up on...
“Where are you from?” He interrupted bluntly.
“There's no point in searching for a missing girl if we get another killed on the way. You don't belong out here. We can take you home first.” There was no anger in his voice; he was simply stating an objective fact.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:36 am
✦ THE WANDERING WIZARD ✦ Jalen hadn’t had time to stop his work to help the sleeping girl but thankfully, he hadn’t needed to. He’d heard her scream out and had just about torn away from his handling of the orc when Alto had swooped in like the half-pint hero he apparently was. This had afforded Jalen enough time to see to it that the orc was gone before her turned his attention on the other bandits—Mei was in good hands.
Brida was taking down one were, Mouse was handling the other human, Dez one were and one human. The hackles along his spine stood on end beneath his cloak, daring him to shift. Instead he turned his attention to the cart, assessing the damage. Mei was bloodied and broken. Fantastic. Would she still keep the same resolve she’d had just hours ago? Eyeing her broken leg, and hearing the pained yelps as the were then the human went down, he fumbled open the bag he’d carried on him and dug through his pouch.
Dez was beside him before he found was he was looking for. Jalen’s golden eyes lifted briefly before returning to his pouch as he continued digging. Whether Dez’s words were justified or not, Jalen was of a differing opinion.
”You heard how long she’s been missing,” he responded, his voice deep and even, distracted. ”If we divert to take her home, we won’t be looking for a girl, we’ll be looking for a body if we’re not already.”
He fished a vial out of his pouch finally, eyeing the milky white contents through the bottle. After giving it a tilt or two to make sure it was viscous, he handed it over to Mei. He didn't look at her, eyes darting between the bottle at her oddly angled leg.
"Put this on your leg over the break. It'll help the bone heal properly."
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2020 1:53 pm
((OOC: Mood Song. ))
“Huh?” Mei said in surprise when Dez asked where she was from. Her carefully plucked brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the half-orc continued. Pink lips pursed together in irritation, though whether it was directed at Dez or herself, Mei couldn’t tell at the moment. Yes, she had been absolutely useless in this fight. But that didn’t mean he had to humiliate her like this! Everyone had a bad day! She would do better next time…wouldn’t she?
She’d just never fought anyone before…and…
Father didn’t accept excuses either.
She never wanted to fight anyone. She just wanted to sing and dance and make people laugh.
Muddy eyes turned to the wizard as he spoke and poked through his pouch. She felt her blush deepen as he…in his own way…defended her? Some people wouldn’t take it as that, but Jalen’s words were definitely in defense of her against the big meanie half-orc.
“Aaah…thank you.” Mei said as she held out both delicate hands to accept the vial. Once the cool glass was placed in her palms, the human cradled the potion to her chest as one might accept a sacred treasure.
Her first gift from Jalen. Wow. And it was something to help heal her. Was her life a romance novel or what? Seriously, she couldn’t make this stuff up.
Wrapping the vial in a fist, Mei used the strength of her arms to push herself up against the front of the wagon and leaned her back against one of Alto’s chests of luggage. She spread both legs in front of her, wincing as she moved her broken leg. “I don’t need to go home.” Mei pouted in response to Dez, shooting the ranger a glare that had as much bite as a small puppy, “I know that I’m not as strong as the rest of you, but I…” The young woman lifted a hand to her head, fighting off the lightheaded feeling and intaking a breath, “I’ll be fine! And I’ll be useful. You’ll see!”
For all her bravado, Mei felt a fear grip her heart. Did she really know what she was getting herself into? What if Alto hadn’t come to help her in the nick of time? What if there was a next time and she was totally on her own? Would she really make it out of this alive?
It wasn’t too late to get dropped off in the next city and go home. Papa would take her back even after she ran away home…
But something stopped her. Soberly and more quietly, Mei continued, “I want to help Mr. Langley find his daughter.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2020 6:14 pm
✦ THE SCHOLAR ✦
At the mention of Mei's leg, Alto turned to look and immediately wished he hadn't. A shudder ran through him and he had to press the back of his hand to his mouth to keep from retching. Poor girl. He tried to keep his attention on her face and not the unsettling angle in her leg, but even the blood oozing from her head wound made him queasy.
He scrambled into the cart and dug through its contents until he found some plain cloth he could always rely on for a quick sale. A smarter man might have packed actual bandages. But Alto had not imagined things would go this way. "Ahem. You'll want to press this to your head, Miss Mei." He kept his gaze averted and all but dropped the folded cloth into her lap in his haste.
Alto looked between the wizard and the half-orc, repressing another shudder as he caught a glimpse of a gash on the latter's side. Taking another handful of cloth, he passed the makeshift bandages to Dez.
It was hard to feel grateful for his own minor injuries in the face of his companions' misfortune. He, who had dropped his own weapon in the middle of a fight! Ugh. Far from his finest moment. If he'd not had so many siblings and cousins and nieces and nephews who enjoyed pouncing on him for a playful wrestle, what would have stopped the bandit from hurting him as bad as Mei?
"You don't belong out here." Even though Dez's words weren't directed at him, they still twisted a knot of guilt in Alto's stomach. He was, despite his wishes, a merchant. He had been lucky this time, but he'd be foolish to think their journey would be any less dangerous as they proceeded. What did he really have to offer, besides a wagon to carry them? What use was a merchant on a rescue mission?
"Mr. Jalen and Mr. Dez make fair points - both worthy of our consideration, I think," he said haltingly. "Later. In the morning, perhaps. But I think our wounds deserve our immediate attention before any other discussion of staying or going takes place."
He cleared his throat awkwardly and turned away from the others. Otto needed his attention. The poor mule had the nerve to stay put during all the action, but needed reassurance now that the excitement was dying down. And, if Alto was being honest, he could use his friend's comfort, as well. His hands shook as he reached for the mule's mane, stroking the beast's neck and murmuring soothing words to calm them both.
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The Meadowlark Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2020 7:33 pm
✦ THE TANK ✦ Brida wiped her axe blades on the deep-green sash at her hip. Hefting the weapon onto her back, she approached the cart, beaming despite the blood trickling down her neck now. She nudged past the two larger males to sidle up to Alto.
"By ol' granddad's beard, there's fight in this one! Ha ha!" she whooped, clapping him on the back with a few sporting slaps. "Ne'er a thought I'd see the day a halfling tore into a man with naught but his own biters! Ha ha! Wot a feisty wee squirrel you are!"
The dwarf turned her proud smile to the others around her, fists resting on her hips.
"Am glad to see we've all got scrap! Even you, lassie." She winked at the petite dancer and hooked her elbow in her direction. "Any less pluck in ya 'n we'd've had to revive a fainter. Ye've a strong heart to keep awake, lass, 'n that's nae falset!"
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:35 am
✦ THE HERMIT ✦ Music sorry i'm kpop trash and this is a wee bit dramatic but whatever haha
Dez's lips tightened, pursing painfully over his exposed lower tusks. He inhaled sharply.
“Fine.”
He hesitated, keeping his gaze locked steadily on the girl.
“But if you change your mind, let me know. I'll escort you wherever you need to go. I can catch up with the others-- this group would not be difficult to track.”
He nodded tersely at the halfling, accepting the bandage, and stepping aside as the loud dwarf elbowed her way into the conversation. Surrounded by the three of them, Mei seemed to be in capable healing hands.
Dez began to administer to his own wounds in silence. The halfling- Alto- was right. He wouldn't be much use to anyone right now, with a weeping gash across his torso. They needed time- at least the night- to rest and heal.
“We should set up camp soon, somewhere off the road. Or make our way to an … inn, or village, if there's one nearby.” As unappealing as the latter sounded, it might make for speedier recovery. Though, his presence would probably cause more harm than good. No matter. He could always sleep in the woods.
And who knew? Mei might surprise him and keep up her resolve til morning. He couldn't force her to leave. But if she foolishly stuck with them and got herself killed... Her blood would be on all their hands-- including his.
He shook his head involuntarily, like it would clear away his thoughts, but it did nothing besides make his temples pound angrily where he had been punched.
He wouldn't allow that to happen.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:36 am
✦ THE PERFORMER ✦ Mei barely had time to chirp a “Thank you!” when Alto handed her a cloth for her head. She felt bad for ruining a pristine cloth…oh, she probably looked wretched right now! Hopefully they would find place where she could freshen up. She needed a bath. As. Soon. As. Possible. But even so, she wondered if she’d have the strength to bathe. She was so tired and her head was pounding.
Brida’s brightness did wonders to the human girl’s spirit however as the dwarf came in with her praises and cheer. Despite the pain in her head, Mei found her lips spreading into a wide, grateful smile. While the men in the group had given her things to care for herself, no one had thought to tell her that she was, in fact, strong. That it was okay to have been scared. That whatever she had been able to do was good enough. Not that she deserved it, necessarily. She fully understood how useless she had been in the skirmish. Papa would have been disappointed in her and she might have even earned a slap to the cheek for the dishonor and trouble she caused.
But Mei lived for praise. And hearing Brida tell her that she’d done something right…well…that was all she needed to keep going through the night. Ah! She just knew that she and the other girls in the group were going to get along well!
“You’re the best, Brida!” Mei chimed and beamed at the redhead as she pressed the cloth to her head. She kept the vial Jalen had given her carefully in her lap as she attempted to straighten out her hair and clothes as best she could. She really needed to wash out all the blood that was causing her long hair to clump up. Ew. It was even starting to collect dust and dirt.
The entertainer’s eyes shot up however when Dez mentioned camping “somewhere off the road.” Alarm flashed through her body and her wide, brown eyes darted from companion to companion. “O-Off the road? I’ve never…I’ve never had to camp like that before.” There was a mix of terror and excitement. Sleeping in the woods would be so romantic under other circumstances. But she needed a bath! She wanted to be warm! She wanted to sleep on something soft after the ordeal they just went through.
Of course, she hadn’t been completely unprepared when she set out on her journey. She’d brought a blanket and pillow in the case of needing to sleep in a wagon or something like that. But just…outside and exposed to the elements?
“Brida…” Mei began tentatively and quietly, almost as if she was shy for her next words, “Are there lots of bugs that can bite us in the woods?” The human’s hands continued to work through her long hair, eventually deciding to tie it back so that the clumping and blood would be less noticeable, “And what about…” her face flushed as she looked down at her lap, “…what about taking a bath? Do you just…do that in a river or stream? Or something?”
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:50 am
✦ THE TANK ✦ What sort of sheltered wee dinnerplate did nae ken about bugs?! Surely the lass were just teasing. As for a bath, well... Not everyone had friends that could bend the elements at their convenience.
Brida nodded and wiped her nose.
"Aye! 'Less ye've got a way wi' the water, most folks wade 'n wash. Quite refreshin' if ye ask me. I'd be happy to oblige if ye be needin' assistance," the dwarf said with a wink.
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The Meadowlark Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:14 pm
✦ THE PERFORMER ✦ Brida had an interesting way of talking, Mei decided. But it wasn’t off-putting. In fact, the cheery and colorful way that the dwarf spoke made the human smile wider as she let out a small laugh. But that laughter was short lived as it made her head spin more intensely.
“We can take a bath together!” Mei said as cheerfully as her pains would allow, sleepiness and tiredness settling into her brown eyes, “Like sisters…my sister and I used to take baths together all the time…” Inhaling a deep breath, the entertained fully rested against the wagon, readying herself for the rest of the journey. Perhaps it would be okay if she got a little more rest before setting up camp. She was suddenly so tired.
She still wasn’t sure about sleeping in the woods. Hopefully they would make it to an inn before it got too dark and they could all sleep in nice, warm, and cozy beds. But, as long as Mouse and Brida were there to be her sisters…things would be all right, she supposed. Besides, camping usually meant telling fun stories by a roaring fire. And that, she could definitely be excited about.
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:14 am
✦ THE WANDERING WIZARD ✦ Hmm. Dez was alright—despite how intimidating he seemed. His words weren’t wrong per se but his image gave those words a negative bias that wasn’t really there. Alright then. Digging a bit more, Jalen pulled out a vial of viscous, red-orange liquid that was warm to the touch. He handed it over to Dez.
”Here. For your wounds. It’s an accelerated stitching salve. Basically a healing potion.”
Once Dez had accepted his offering, Jalen surveyed the rest of the group. Everyone seemed to be fine enough for them to get moving. With the question of woods or an inn on the table, Jalen closed up his pouch.
”I agree with Dez, somewhere off the road. Inns are busy and there are people always watching—we don’t want to give away that we’re coming after the Skull. We can make camp in the woods.”
*~*~*~*~*
They traveled just a ways farther—far enough away from where they’d been ambushed at least—and stopped to camp before the sun set. Jalen could hear the river from where they stood by the cart. Just through the copse of trees, he could see a clearing big enough for them to set up camp in. The fact that he could see it from the road wasn’t the best news, but with a cloaking spell or two, they’d be alright. He’d take watch for the night for a bit of extra protection.
”I’d recommend taking only what you need for the night from the cart,” Jalen commented to the others. ”In case we have to make a hasty exit come morning. Or sooner, you never know.”
He spared a glance at the group. Dez, Mei, Alto, Brida, Mouse. Dez was tall. Mei, Alto, Mouse, Brida…not so much. Climbing easily into the cart, Jalen came to kneel by Mei. They were closest in height, Jalen tall enough to give her a lift off her damaged leg but not enough to lift her completely off her feet. His words were very matter-of-fact and to the point but he tried to ease his seeming indifference with a half smile and an extended hand.
”Give me whatever bag you need off the cart and I’ll help you down.”
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2020 9:52 am
✦ THE SCHOLAR ✦
After Alto calmed his mule and persuaded the beast to pull the cart along a little while longer, he was glad when they finally stopped for the night. He was more rattled from the fight than he cared to admit. Somewhere in the cart, he knew he'd packed some tea and a kettle. That would be the first step to putting his mind at ease.
Though he doubted if his usual cuppa would do the trick this time. Dez's comment about how easy they were to track did not sit well with him.
But his spirits lifted as he began to dig through his supplies. A good meal would do them all good after their ordeal. Of course, he didn't want to use up all of his stores on the first night, but there was no need to be stingy when they were all in need of a warm belly. Besides, they were lucky enough to be so near a river; Alto never went on the road without his fishing pole. Just the thought of a crispy fish fry up made his stomach rumble.
"I'll get us started on supper!" he announced cheerfully to no on in particular. Once they were all fed, he could worry about finding his bedroll. For now, he had his hands full with getting a bucket of water for Otto, then bustling around beneath the trees to gather enough wood for a small fire.
He had it going in minutes, humming a little tune as he set up the kettle and a pot. He'd brought some vegetables, a few herbs, and a bit of dried rabbit that would go well together in a stew. If there was one thing the halfling could be counted on without a doubt, it was putting together a tasty meal.
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 9:33 am
✦ THE PERFORMER ✦ Mei was in and out of sleep the rest of the trip, the pain in her head and leg keeping her from being able to fully surrender to unconsciousness. Throughout the ride, she was careful to keep the healing potion that Jalen had given her in her lap, gently cradled by delicate hands. Once the cart came to a halt, brown eyes flickered several times before opening and adjusting to the darkness of the night. For others in the party, darkness probably wasn’t so bothersome. But for Mei, a human, she had to rely on the light of the moon and stars to illuminate shapes and forms.
“We’re here?” Mei chirped to no one in particular as she attempted to push herself up, only to stop with a pitiful whine when her leg protested. Biting her lip, the dark-haired woman clutched the healing potion in one hand while trying to keep her breathing calm.
Luckily, she didn’t have to force herself to try getting up again. Lifting her gaze from her leg to the presence that kneeled beside her, Mei’s cheeks became tinged with pink and she could only hope that the darkness kept her blush from being too obvious.
Jalen had to like her. At least a little bit. The idea that the wizard was only being nice flittered across her mind, but Mei easily dismissed it. Why doubt something when she had no reason not to?
Bringing a hand to the strap of her backpack, Mei held it up to Jalen with a shy smile, “I just have this bag…thank you.” Her blush deepened and she could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She had left home with the hope of finding adventure, a way to become a famous entertainer, and most of all…to find true love. Was it possible? Could it be? Would she find it here in her very first adventure away from home?
She was the luckiest girl in the world to be suddenly surrounded by kind, intelligent and eligible men.
Wait. Mei blinked at her thoughts as Jalen aided her off the cart. They were eligible bachelors, right?
Oh no. What if…what if…
“Thank you, Jalen.” Mei beamed at the wizard when she was set down on a small grassy patch where their campsite would be. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about sleeping outdoors. But there were suddenly much more pressing matters on her mind than if bugs got to her or if she froze to death.
She had to figure out if the men in this company were intended towards another or not. She would not go crushing on another woman’s man. Girl Code. Sisters before Misters.
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