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Ysalone knew the others wanted to find the landmark - and maybe whatever they had spotted was it. But the thought of walking off and leaving their backs unprotected from whatever was moving about in the distance... that sounded like a terrible idea, and everything that Roamer had ever taught her was yelling at her to not ignore the creature out there.

Better to face your fears than leave them in the unknown, she thought.

"If the entire group ends up determined to go to the landmark, we should stick together," she said. "But... my personal thought it... that landmark isn't moving anywhere anytime soon. This thing is and I'd rather not be caught unawares."

Everyone had spread out to search for shelter, or information, or something - and really, Ralir had been so convinced that there was something more than pups in this den that it was almost disappointing when the angry little squeal he heard turned out to be...ah, well, it was just a little lump of brown and white flesh, right now.

A very, very little one. It seemed almost cruel to leave it, and Ralir tugged it out of its den with care, making his way back to Viltalta's group almost furtively. Listen, he knew how awful dire rats were, but there was a difference between healing Vykeli - something he was happy to do - and killing a new life, which had never done anything more than sleep and squeak helplessly. It was a child.

So he tucked it into his cloak without a word to anyone else, paying more mind to keeping it hidden and, well, safe enough that he couldn't be responsible for its death than to what anyone else might be up to. He set up for the night in the same distracted manner, not really minding anyone else's injuries, and when he got up in the morning, he winced. He'd been right after all, to wrap his cloth loosely, and he was glad to do it again, though he kept a tighter bundle around the warm body that'd spent the night pressed against his own.

It was so very, very small.

That occupied his thoughts again as they began to travel today, and he moved his hoofs in the middle of the pack as though he was on auto-pilot. He was supposed to be looking out for landmarks - and he was, kind of, vaguely, glancing into the horizon. But he couldn't seem to focus until the buzz of voices was building up in the group - bones, some were saying, and large shapes, moving in the distance. Viltalta called a vote again, a surprisingly democratic leader.

Ralir looked at the nouls who'd spoken so far. He was startled to recognize Ysalone - had she been here before? It'd been so dark, when they were walking last night, and in all his distraction today he hadn't really managed the task of surveying the group. It was good to see her, and he managed a wan little smile, at both her and Aldwyn - coincidentally the very nouls he was speaking up in support of. "I agree with Aldwyn and Ysalone," he said, gesturing unconsciously with his tail to each of them in turn as he spoke. "We're a large party, and nouls are already quite noticeable compared to anything else that might be found out in the barrens. Chances are that we've been seen - and even if we head off to those bones, they'll quickly be on our tails. It's better to head them off where we can, and at least choose where we'll be confronting them."

He shook out his mane. It should be obvious enough by now that Ralir was no skilled fighter. Still, he didn't like the idea of hurrying toward their destination with a known variable on their tails. "There may be danger lying ahead, too, and I wouldn't want to double dip."

[ banked: +1 to future roll. vote to track down the creature. ]

She was a little bit stressed. It wasn't a common state of mind for Ysalone, whose default mode seemed to be to seek joy in everything she did. But she'd never been in a situation quite like this, far from home and handling things all on her own. Much as she'd been learning from Roamer, knowing that he would be there to help her out in a pinch had been more of a mental crutch than she'd realized. Now that he wasn't here to bail her out... Ysalone felt more tense than she wanted to.

So it was a relief when she heard a familiar voice behind her. The doe whirled around with a little more drama than intended, and managed to break out into a bright smile.

"Keirin!" Suddenly the tension and stress seemed to melt away. She'd found a friend! Surely that meant everything would be fine. The little tendrils of doubt that had begun to snake into her mind simple disappeared as she bounded over to the buck and returned his nuzzle with equal enthusiasm. "You made it! I'm glad. This is going to be an adventure."

Her eyes sparkled in a way that suggested she had (perhaps worryingly) all but forgotten about the prospect of danger that lay ahead. Gone were the creeping fears that she might not be able to handle herself without Roamer's constant advice in her ear. Instead, she was now on a fun trip with a friend, and it was all going to be awesome.

Viltalta watched the distant figure with slitted eyes. It remained on a ridge of sand for a moment, then dipped down below it and out of sight. It curdled her stomach that they might be followed, but her party was torn, and she needed to make a decision for them.

“Our first priority is to find Wanderlust,” she announced, turning toward the bleached skeleton in the west. “We’re aware someone else is out here. When we settle for the night, I’ll assign individuals to keep watch in rotation, but we should push on. I understand and agree with everyone’s concerns, but we’ve already lost time, and we shouldn’t let more sand drip from our hourglass on an uncertainty.”

Whatever had seen them might not be a danger, after all. Nomadic noulicorns wandered out here all the time, and exiled black horns… Viltalta snorted, feathers ruffled.

She led the party toward the skeleton, every step a slog through sand and heat. The bones gleamed against the barren’s insufferable sun, rising like the twisted carcass of a tree. She reached the crest of the dune and stared down at the creature with a flurry of cold sweat. It was massive. Large enough for their entire party to shelter under its ribcage. It’s head alone was twice the length of a noulicorn, with teeth as long as Viltalta’s leg.

“If Wanderlust made it here, any traces will be buried under the sand by now. Let’s quarter the area and search!”

It seemed that they were headed for the bones. This was good, a defensible position was something that they needed and not standing stagnant in the sands. As they approached, the Ascended spoke of clues that might be found in the sands. Draven glanced around before peering back at the others that were dispersing to the other bits.

"Come on Bluebell, lets check out the skull. See if we can't find anything of interest." Draven said, not minding that his companion had been speaking to another Noul.

"Large rats, many of the Nouls here got hurt." Bluebell looked towards the doe that was tagging along near them. "If we are, they have moved off and leaving us alone. For now.."

Bluebell shifted and sat watching to where they were heading. The skull looked a head of them as they walked closer. Bluebell dropped into the sands and scouted a head. Sniffing at the old bones before darting between what was left of its teeth. Draven himself walked around the skull before peering between the teeth towards his companion.

"Find anything?" he asked.

"I think so, will have to get it out of the sand first."


[[ Unused banked rolls +1

Hunting in the Skull]]

Tempest nodded to what the jack hop told her. Their leader then had them move out and head towards the bones in the distance. It was quiet a bit of a walk. Nothing that Tempest couldn’t handle, but the heat and dryness of the barrens was overwhelming when you couldn’t escape it. She kept close to Draven and his jack hop, Bluebell. And as they grew closer to the bones, was impressed with the sheer size of the beast they had once belonged to.

“Wow,” she said with cool reverence.

It was time to hunt for clues then as the group broke up to inspect different spots. She followed Draven again and was in luck as he headed for the massive skull and she just couldn’t wait to check it out. He seemed to have something not long after they arrive to look around it. She continued towards a large eye socket and murmured under her breath about how large the eyes had to have been on this thing.

She tilted her head curiously and peered inside the cavity. Was there something there? She blew the sand out of the way and set her feet up on the rim of the socket, peering closer. There wasn't anything there after all. Turning on her hoof she wandered off down the back of the skull and along the spin. She spotted another noul checking around the ribs and just stuck with along the spine.



WC: 242
Total: 1,241

[checking the spine]

Adahy moved to another part of the ribs and begins digging. Furry Tail being board decides to help dig in the hot burning sand. He does not last long though "Adahy the sand is so hot." he proclaims as he jumps back to his safe place on Adahy's back. "I know buddy." He was feeling the effects of the heat the barrens had to offer as well.

Digging a little deeper Adahy spots something in the sand but he can not quite make out what he is seeing. "Strange What could this be?" he questions as he counties to dig but is only able to see apart of the object beneath the sand. Sweat matted Adahy's main and dipped into his eye. "Ugh this heat is killing me." As if his gift knew better then he did a swirl of cool air surrounded him. "Oooohh Adahy that is nice." and it was. Adahy was not even certain how he had done it but it sure was refreshing and gave him the will to keep digging.



wc total:2755

Adahy now cold off digs in the same spot knowing there is something there he just has the reach it. "Ok you thing come on out." he grrs at the object as if it will leap out on its own. But it does not move. So Adahy keeps digging.

Finally with a great big pull, Adahy frees the object in a puff of hot sand. "Yes." He says panting form the effort made to free the object. Taking a few hot breaths in and out, Adahy retrieves the item and takes it to Viltalta to see what the clue or item or whatever it is, is.


wc total:2861