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 Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 6:06 pm
The Caravan had pulled off the road and into an area with few trees. The children were busying themselves with playing or running around, while the infants crawled around to do some exploring. Having gathered some water for their various beasts of burden, the members of the caravan met in the center of their wagons.
They began to speak of random things they had seen while on the road, or things their fortunette had done or said. The one thing that no one mentioned, but was on everyones mind, was where they would be headed next. After a while of chit-chat, someone spoke up and changed the subject of conversation:
[Whoever is first to post can be the "someone" that initiates the discusion of where to go and why and all that...so...go for folks. As Oq mentioned in the thread, throw in Pros and Cons...it can be anywhere on the map...Let's make this interesting]
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:50 pm
DeArca, unable to really speak to the others openly just yet, was taking a look at his map as he ran his hand through his brown hair. "i think we all need to get across river, Ash, so we can supply ourselves with freshwater. What do you think?" He asked and Ash crawled over his map, nibbling it and DeArca pulled away. "No, Ash! Don't eat the map!" He asked, rolling it up and sighed. "Alright, I'll try and ask the others. taking a caravan over river might be the bad part though..." He said, looking at the group. "Um...excuse me?" He called, timidly. "Um...I...wanted to...ask if we could try this...uh path?" He held up his map.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:17 pm
"I agree- across the River Pythos. We've been north on this continent for too long. ...We should make a direct route to the sea, maybe through Port Tempranillo." Emelyn remembered something, and turned to Lesh. "Didn't that trader who sold you part of the trirune tell you that she'd gotten it at the sea, and there was another one somewhere around there?"
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:24 pm
Lorelei, who was just approaching the circle (Caelebre had seemed uneasy, and she'd taken a bit longer than normal getting him to calm down and eat), froze up at the mention of her home city. Slowly, quietly, she came to sit down by the edge of the group.
"... Tempranillo?" she said warily, after a moment. She was suddenly accutely aware of the faint accent she still carried with her from being one of the Tempranillo upper merchant class.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 9:59 pm
Caroline nods, thinking over what she knew of the geography of the land. "Mayhap pass through the Twiggle Forest as well--doubtless the earth and wood elements would enjoy the scenery, and there may be more food for our animals and ourselves in a forest," offers Caroline. "And after that I agree with Em--to the sea by way of Tempranillo sounds like a bonnie course of action."
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Anezka ears twitched around as she heard Emelyn mention the trirune. "Yes, she's right, Mum...Twinket stays in the water and follows it to do her trading, so if we do the same, we'll be sure to find the other pieces to my tri-rune!" Her golden-brown eyes went wide and she grasped onto her mother's hand.
Leshya'e laughed a bit and nodded, then looked to Caroline and nodded once more, "Yes...I think that may be a good route...Down from her, through twiggle and on to Tempranillo. I'm a lover of the trees, but for the sake of Ani and of good trading, we should make our way to the Port."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:47 am
Lorelei's eyes were wide and her face ashen. "Ah.... Tempranillo may cause.... problems..." she offered, quietly. To mention the fact that she was a wanted woman there, or the more general things?
"They're, er, not too fond of gypsies, especially the traveling sort. The ruling merchants see them as competition, you see.... er..." The explanation was half-hearted, a mask built up to hide her real fear.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 7:11 am
"Och, we're used to being competition," says Caroline with a wry grin.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 7:15 am
DeArca looked to Lorelei in confusion as he crossed his arms, walking to her. "I thought the Meij stuff I keep hearing about protects the gypsies from harm?" He asked, still new with everything he was learning. "We'll be safe in the first place because I can take care of anyone that wants to hurt you!" He offered. "Fighting crop thieves was a way of life back on the farm."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 7:21 am
Caroline laughs. "Easy, lad. Dinna get too worked up just yet. We're still in the mountains!" With a wink in his direction she adds, "Not to mention many of us ladies aren't..." here she clasps her hands and rolls her eyes and pitches her voice higher for effect, "Bonnie wee lassies wif no hope for defending ourselves!" She fails at stifling the giggle resulting from her work. "We can hold our own lad, should it come to fightin'. Pray to the blessed Meij it won't though, else we'll have nixed a port we might be able to trade with otherwise."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 7:29 am
"I understand, but if I could make a suggestion, on the map here, there is a forest and I think its a good place to arrive in for a campground. Especially if we can make it past the river...." He nodded, turning around to them. "I say that's the best bet since its much longer than taking the short path."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 11:44 am
"I... suppose you'll all be fine." She didn't include herself in that - the moment word got out that she was in the city (and she was rather easily recognizable), she'd be in deep trouble. Perhaps she'd ask to keep her wagon much outside the city limits... use the opportunity to teach Vanna how to care for the animals and help her learn to talk, or something.
It'd all work out, she hoped.
"Tempranillo is a good place for trading, at least. Many things pass through the ports from all over the continent and beyond."
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Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:40 am
Silver had been sitting quietly, listening to the conversation of her companions. She had tried to get Aisrhan to go play with Pierre or Ani, but she had refused. Ais had told her mother that Pierre was mean and that she didn't want to play with Anezka. When Silver had asked why to the latter reason, Aisrhan had responded grumpily, "She smells like rabbit" and glared at her mother. Now, she was sitting behind Silver (who had given her a light spanking for being so rude and a stern warning for her to keep her mouth shut if she couldn't do as she was asked) with her arms crossed in stubborn protest and a pretty vicious scowl on her face. Khevashi, however, was calmly perched on his mother's shoulder, turning his head this way and that as the others spoke, seemingly paying attention to every detail.
Silver noticed that Lorelei, who had situated herself but a few feet from Silver, looked almost terrified at the mention of Port Tempranillo, though she quickly tried to hide it and offer some explanation for not needing to go there. It didn't work. Caroline was right. They were used to being competition and there wasn't a single member of the caravan that couldn't defend themselves or their children well in a tough situation. The caravan as a whole had no reason for not going to Tempranillo. Silver glanced over at Lorelei as she spoke and heard the nervousness underlying her words when she gave up and began to talk of the good trading that awaited them in Tempranillo.
When the attention of the group was no longer focused on the woman, Silver leaned over. "Lor... are you okay? What's troubling you?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:31 am
Lorelei started, not expecting the concerned words. She turned and looked at Silver, biting her lip for a moment before whispering,"Tempranillo is... my home town." For a moment, that was all she said in explanation. Then, giving in to the need to talk about her anxiety, she added, "I didn't leave under.... good circumstances. Remember when Shamira and I found you all that time ago?"
She remembered having spent the night in Silver's wagon a few times before she'd begun to put her life back together. In some way, Lorelei supposed she owed the woman with an explanation.
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Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:50 pm
Silver nodded. "I see." So now Lorelei and Shamira's wary attitudes and rugged appearances that day finally made sense. "It'll be all right, hon. You're with us now. You can bet there's not a one of us who hasn't had to run from something, somewhere, at some time. We don't judge. The past is past. Though if it's the people of your home town you're worried about, as it obviously is, maybe you should speak to Val about it? She's cast a spell on the children before to make them appear "normal" to outsiders... Maybe she can do something to disguise you so you don't have to worry?" Khevashi hopped out of the way as Silver hugged the other woman and smiled. "Besides, we'd all miss you if you didn't come with us."
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