IC: The Sun Never Sets, IC thread for The Sun Never Sets Options

[pbangarth]

Stogie works while thinking things through. "No, I didn't get a response. Aside from the mage up the hill, there was at least one other I saw at the beginning. Who was that, and is he or she still likely to be out there hunting for me or my teammate?"

Jake. Go find. He presents a clear image in his mind of Ellesar and points in the direction He last saw Ellesar. Any danger, come back. No fight.

"I'll want to eventually go get your magician. Don't want to leave him up there to attract scavengers. There's things out there that prefer human flesh. I can hide his scent better here by the fire and water."

Once the fire is set and the injured are placed as well as they can, Stogie sets about to do what he can for the damage the three have taken. "OK, CO. I'll start with you. This will be like physiotherapy, but with a little magic thrown in. Sit here." He points to a smooth rock by the fire. Before he starts, he waits, nervously, to see what Jake finds.

[Tecumseh]

Jake doesn't like the idea of leaving the range of his attunement link with Stogie, but will do as he's told. He runs off.

CO says, "I don't know that there's anyone left, man. You saw what the women did to us. Anyone that hasn't walked out of the woods yet probably ain't gonna." Stogie detects a Southern twang. Perhaps the man is from the CAS. He wonders if what the man says applies to Ellesar too.

While Jake rushes to find Ellesar, Stogie returns to where he shotgunned the magician in the back. He finds a sword and a gun, along with a commlink capable of playing BTLs. The man also had magesight goggles and materials for a magical lodge. Whatever his tradition, the magical lodge materials seem aggressive: there are small knives and ink and tattooing implements, even a few small bones that look like they could be crushed into powder. He also has some stim patches which might be useful for reviving the downed men by the river.

Stogie returns to find Jake but no Ellesar. Jake wags his tail nervously. Wounded troll. Almost dead. Smells like Ellesar. But no Ellesar. Jake conveys what he saw, namely a troll that had been sufficiently bandaged to not bleed to death, but no trace of the elf. Jake tries to track him but couldn't follow the experienced woodsman without Stogie's powers.

Stogie thinks about the troll, wondering how long it would survive if left in place. There's no good way to move an injured troll, although gravity would do some of the work. The four men might be able to drag the troll in a coordinated effort, but first Stogie would need to revive LT and R.

He goes to work, massaging and laying on hands. The process is slow and gets off to a rough start. CO is no better for Stogie's efforts, but things improve when LT and R revive following their sessions.

LT wakes up last. He grunts, then spins his head trying to get a grasp of the situation. "Status report!" he barks to no one in particular, his eyes still struggling to focus. R and CO look to Stogie, since he's the one in charge now.

[pbangarth]

Stogie scruffs Jake and moves into LT's line of sight. He chuckles at the man's air of command.

"Status is your team had the drek beaten out of it. Gunny has buggered off and left you here to die. The magician here is dead. You three are wounded but ambulatory. " Stogie loves that word, 'ambulatory'. He uses it whenever he can. he thinks it makes him sound medical. "Your big guy," he continues, "the troll, is up that hill bandaged but close to death. I've pulled the lot of you together here and my dog and I are staying to keep you alive through the night. The troll should be brought down here, too, 'cause up there he will be food for something. But, I can't carry him by myself. Even beaten up as the three of you are, together we might be able to bring him down here to the fire. I have a few rations left that should feed you all enough to hold off starvation. Can't hunt tonight. More like to be hunted myself.

"Tomorrow you will have to make your own way back to your vehicle. I can help you put together a strong enough travois to carry the troll with you. CO here can fill you in on how the last of the fight went after you went down, but we should get the troll soon."

He stands back a bit, hand close to the slung shotgun, and waits to see how things go down. CO is reasonable, but there are, after all, three of them now including his boss. Yes .... maybe it would be best to be ready. Stogie draws the magic. Speed and accuracy, not strength now.

[Tecumseh]

LT makes no sudden moves. If anything, the status report seems to ground him in reality. His looks around, sees the motley remains of his crew and accepts the facts of the situation. He looks deeply troubled at the news that Gunny ran off, borderline disbelieving, but doesn't openly comment about it.

He slowly rises to his feet, his joints protesting. He's fighting the aches and pains of being put through the wringer by the Sisters, especially the water spirit that tried to drown him before Gunny punched it back to the astral plane. His clothes are still wet and Stogie can see that his skin is pale. It's the first sign of frostbite: the freezing of skin and the body tissue just beneath it. LT moves instinctually to the fire, pushing forward so closely that Stogie wonders if he's going to step into it.

LT looks up at Stogie. "It seems like we owe you, stranger. Lucky for us that you stumbled by." Stogie realizes that LT has no idea that Stogie was involved in the fighting. LT seems to be wondering how Stogie knows about Gunny and their vehicle, but is logical enough to realize that he must have been unconscious for a while, giving time for R or CO to fill Stogie in. He looks to R and CO.

"We need to get BH," he says, seeming to refer to the troll. "What about WS? OI?"

"MIA, sir," R answers. "Presumed KIA." Oh, these military folks and their acronyms.

"Let's not presume, let's know," LT responds. "R, do you have anything left?"

R looks sadly at his drone in the middle of the river. "Just the Kanmushi, sir," he says, producing a small, bug-like microdrone from his pocket. "Certainly not suitable for searching such a wide area."

LT nods, gritting his teeth. He turns to Stogie.

"Stranger, I don't know what a travois is but I presume it is some kind of sled. I agree that we should get BH - our troll - soon. Along the way we may stumble across OI, who was also stationed in that direction." He points to the west, not far from where Jake found the troll.

He stands, shivering but cognizant of the work that needs to be done. He looks to Stogie for direction about his "travois" suggestion.

[pbangarth]

"You'll wanna get out of those wet clothes. The moisture will wick your body heat away faster than the dry air will. Sounds odd, I know, but you don't wanna freeze, I bet." Stogie keeps talking, waiting for LT to comply.

"As far as lucky me bein' here, yeah I guess you are. But I didn't stumble by. I'm part of the crew that's stood with the women here for the last few tries at takin' them out. Your mage here," he points to the body, "that's my doin'. But CO here will attest I don't want to do any more harm than I have to. I stayed here to help keep the rest of you alive through the night. This is not a place to be vulnerable any time of day, much less after dark. There's some friends of the women out there, some probably watching us right now. I'm here, so they're probably holdin' back because of that.

"You've all been fed a line to get you out here. The women are no more Toxics than you are. They are a feisty lot, though, and quite capable of givin' as good as they get, as you know from today's song and dance. We were one of the first crews Gunny sent out after them, but decided to talk first, not shoot first. So we learned instead of died. Gunny's got a real hard on for getting rid of these women, but I don't think he's told the whole story to any of us he's sent here to die. Me, I think, someone's gotta get him to come clean on all the whys and wherefores.

"Anyway, let's see if we can get your team together now. A travois is a sled, basically a couple of long poles with lashings across the middle like a stretcher, closer together at the carry end and farther apart at the drag end. reduces the amount of weight you gotta carry with muscle power. We'll build one in the morning. Right now, let's all go and get... what, BH? ... the four of us, back to this fire and stay here to warm up. Jake here," he points to the dog, "tells me he's still alive up there. I got a bit of food left should do till morning, when you can start home."

Stogie starts up the hill. "you lead the way, boy." he says to Jake. "Show me the hurt one that smells like Ellesar." To himself, Stogie worries what has happened to the elf.

[Tecumseh]

LT looks like he's had enough SERE training to agree with Stogie's recommendation, even if he's hesitant to remove his armor in front of the man who admittedly shot his mage. LT seems to be taking a while to process that confession, but in his defense the whole situation is confusing. Led into the woods, caught in an ambush, left for dead by his superior officer, then seemingly rescued by one of the men who shot up his squad.

LT strips and hangs his clothes around the fire. He tightens into a ball to conserve body heat and flexes, blowing into his hands and doing his best to ignore the cold wind. He looks to his remaining squad. R is a dwarf but a small one. In fact, he looks like the technical type who neglects himself, with small musculature by dwarf standards. CO is also relatively thin. Quick and agile, but not strong and also nursing his shoulder wound. That leaves Stogie and LT. LT is well-built and in good shape, but he doesn't look optimistic about the prospect of dragging a troll downhill between them.

His clothes aren't drying quickly, so LT instructs Jake and Stogie to lead the way. LT follows wearing only his boots, hoping that the physical exertion will help keep him warm. CO and R follow, exchanging uncertain looks about following a naked man into the forest where Stogie warned them man-eating animals lurked.

Jake leads the group to the troll. BH's wounds are grave indeed and the troll seems to be in a coma. The wounds have been bandaged in a way that makes it clear that they were done by a third party; no man wounded this badly could have patched himself up this effectively. The troll isn't getting any worse but nor is he going to survive without medical attention.

LT checks the troll's possessions. BH was carrying flash-paks, plasteel restraints, containment manacles, and security tags, but precious little in the way of survival gear. LT groans to himself but takes some comfort in the troll's Mossberg CMDT and Ruger 100. If LT is going to die naked, at least it won't be defenseless.

A strategy is formed. Stogie and LT will each take a shoulder while the other men grab the troll's massive arms. That will leave the troll's feet dragging but neither CO nor R look strong enough to pick him one of the troll's legs. It's only a couple hundred yards to the campsite, but the going is tough. The troll's boots snag on every bush and root. Crossing the river isn't any easier; although the water level is low, the rocks are slippery and the footing is unsteady.

The team eventually makes it back to the campfire, where they collapse in a heap. R and CO sink to their knees by the edge of the river, bowing their heads and drinking thirstily. Stogie and LT situate BH as comfortably as possible. LT kneels by the fire and shivers deeply.

"R, CO, we need cover for the night," LT says after he warms a bit. "Usually we'd dig a ditch but in this case I think it's going to be easier to build a wall. Take stones from the riverbed and make a tight perimeter. We need a wall to reflect the fire's heat and to act as a windbreak. It will also give us some firing cover if we need to defend ourselves. Get to it; I'll be with you in a minute."

LT turns to Stogie. "We need to talk about what you were saying. The Sisters not being Toxic. If you took the job to zap them then you received the same intel that we did. The young student in the firewatch tower that burned. The mining overseer and his family that died when a freak storm hit their house. I'm not a magician and I don't have an according-to-Hoyle definition of Toxic, but that doesn't change the fact that the Sisters are murderers, plain and simple. Assassins that struck first without warning and without cause. Now these may be tribal lands but they still have laws, and murder is against the law even here. There's no law-of-the-jungle defense, or anything else that will hold up in tribal court. So, seeing as you must know this as certainly as I do, will you please explain why you are siding with them?"

Stogie detects an edge in LT's voice. LT is armed now with the troll's shotgun. Perfectly reasonable, given the presence of man-eating beasts in the woods - and Stogie would certainly appreciate some fire-support of Toothy makes an appearance - but still a risk. Stogie wonders if he could make it if they all decided to rush him. Shooting LT first would be the tactically sound approach, but what if CO and R got him to the ground? Sure, Jake might help, but what if BH recovers enough to throw his weight around? Stogie will have to walk a fine line, especially given his admission of shooting the mage. Damnit, where the hell is Ellesar?

[pbangarth]

Stogie pulls his thoughts together. Another turning point in a day of them.

"The info we all received was incomplete. Especially the part about no warnings. We talked to a man from the town, we found one of his dogs and reunited them, who told us everyone in the town was sent a message in their dreams that night to get out. They woke up and were able to get out, without anyone being hurt, before spirits went through the town setting everything on fire. Lots of property damage, but no personal harm. So, if the Sisters were out for murder, saving everyone in the town doesn't make sense. And if that info is incomplete, then maybe the rest of the story is lacking too.

"Look, I don't know the whole story yet, but I do know that Gunny sent us out here without telling us everything. So I'm inclined to give the women a break and Gunny the back of my hand. I can't imagine you feel all that loyal to him, either.

"And from what I have learned, there's something out here people with a lot of money and power could use to give themselves more of both. Everything that lives out here that could talk to us has said they don't want that thing spoiled. So, in terms of local law, I think the women have that on their side. They've been nothing but kind and helpful to me and my friends, because we talked. Others have been burned to a crisp. My friends and I talked to a bunch of rank amateurs and convinced them to go home and live. Gunny seems to be sending anybody and everybody out here he can, and telling them whatever story he has to get them to come. Promising them whatever payoff he needs to.

"You men were tough. But you got beat and the women didn't even call in their friends from the forest. Now, one of my chummers and I came along to help, and made it easier for the women, but I sure as Hell don't want them mad at me. If I thought they were the kind of people, or things, Gunny told us both they are, knowing what I know I'd get the Hell out of here and let some other damn fool come hunting for them.

"So, here we are, In the middle of the woods, in the middle of the night, in the middle of things that think we're food. We gonna argue about right and wrong, or stay alive till morning so you can head home to ask your own questions? That's assuming Gunny made it out all by himself. If he didn't, then no answers, no payout."

Stogie moves over to the drying clothes and begins rearranging them, replacing dry areas close to the fire with wet ones. Jake. warn me if kill sticks point at me.

[Tecumseh]

LT listens to Stogie's explanation but it is clear that he is less than convinced.

"I don't know about where you come from, but where I live burning down a whole town is against the law, even if nobody was killed in the process. Those are people's homes and possessions, their memories and their keepsakes. How would you feel if someone burned down your house, because it was in the wrong place? You would want justice, and for that not happen to anyone else."

Stogie does a double-take, glancing at LT to see if the man is somehow alluding to his ranch. Does LT know who he is? Or is the point he's making simply a coincidence with Stogie's personal history?

"And that's just Greenwater. It doesn't account for the people who weren't warned, or who were explicitly executed, like the student, or the mine overseer and his family. Perhaps the Sister are not mass murderers, but they are murderers nonetheless."

LT checks his clothes again. Either they are dry enough to put on or he's cold enough to want them anyway. He looks more comfortable once they are back on, and returns to the fire while R and CO slowly build a rock wall around the site. LT turns to Stogie again.

"The bounty is set. Others will come, and will keep coming until the world is empty of people who are willing to risk their lives for ¥15,000 a head. If the Sisters keep killing, or burning, or destroying that which they oppose, then the bounty will only grow."

He stands, picking up the Ruger 100. He looks like he's going to help R and CO with the wall.

"But, as you say, our time out here is done. Our new objective is to survive the night and return home -".

He is interrupted by Jake barking. Loudly but slowly at first, then madly. Stogie has told Jake to warn him if anyone were to point a weapon at him, but Stogie can clearly see everyone. He stands and turns to see Jake barking furiously at the river. From the water, shapes are forming. A man made of water rises and another made of stones rise up from the waves, mere meters away. They advance on the men building the wall, who - in their cold and wounded states - are slow to react. Stogie checks the astral. They are spirits sent from Hester and Selene. They do not look like they are there to help.

[pbangarth]

Stogie shakes his head. "Fuck!" He draws his knife, the magic one, and steps between the injured men (Yeah, like he isn't injured, himself) and the approaching spirits.

"Sisters! These men surrendered to me. If you attack them, you attack me. What do you think comes next? What about the others, especially Smohalla? You think he will respect those who attack prisoners, and his teammates?"

He hopes the women will think about this, at least to give him time to beef up his physique for an insane fight.

[Tecumseh]

The spirits stop in mid-slosh. They don't seem much bothered by Stogie or any of the guns pointed at them, but they are fixed on Stogie's Cougar Fineblade Knife with the streak of orichalcum infusing it with astral energies. Stogie moves the knife slightly and watches the spirits follow its path.

The men have readied their weapons. Fighting spirits with mundane options is usually a desperate cause, and they are in no hurry to trigger a fight if it can be avoided.

The seconds tick by. Stogie floods his muscles with mana, and feels his arms and legs bursting with the pump. The spirits take note of this too.

Finally, they step back. The spirits recede into the waves, and then are gone with the current. Stogie checks the astral to confirm that they have departed and aren't simply waiting to re-materialize behind him. They are gone.

LT exhales and lowers his rifle. CO and R are both shaking with adrenaline. They sit down to gather their wits. Jake races up to Stogie and presses against his leg, making sure he's alright.

"This can't be good," CO says with despair. "They'll come for us when you're asleep, or along the trail when we're walking back tomorrow. Even if we get back to Greenwater and make it back to civilization, they'll come for us one-by-one, like they did for the others - the student and the foreman. They'll send spirits to assassinate us, our friends, our families." He looks off into the distance with a thousand-yard stare.

LT doesn't look like he appreciates the negative speculation, but the look on his face says that he was probably thinking the same thing privately.

"We'll get back," LT says with decent conviction. "We'll find Gunny, inform him of what happened. Others may succeed where we failed. Let's get back to work."

LT does his best to keep the men busy, to keep their minds and bodies occupied with the task at hand. Slowly, the rock wall rises, and you have some passable shelter for the night quickly approaching.

[pbangarth]

Stogie watches the tired, broken men work, as he helps build the wall. Not the best state of affairs for nighttime in hostile territory. CO seems particularly upset. "No, chummer, they won't hunt you down back home. This is where they live and they won't venture beyond the local area. And they see runner teams as tools of 'The Man'. Once the hammer is set aside, why bother breaking it, especially when there are unlimited other hammers available? No, once you get out of these woods, you'll be safe from them.

"Here, tonight, is a different story, though. If you boys can work two or three hours for me to rest now, that'll be enough for me." He glances at LT, making sure the boss knows he should set up the schedule. Give the men a task and they will keep busy.

"Jake will be a great help too, if something tries to sneak up on us. I'll make his senses extra sharp to help. Once I've had some rest, I'll keep watch the rest of the night." Stogie imbues Jake with his magical senses, and tells him watch. He finds a nice soft rock to curl up on. Shotgun and knife are handy. A few hours rest and his strains and bruises should have healed. Yeah, it doesn't look so bad.

[Tecumseh]

CO looks uncertain about Stogie's claims that they'll be safe once they're out of the woods.

"I don't know, man, I don't know. They came into North Bend and geeked that mine foreman. They wasted Greenwater. Seems to me they're willing to leave the local area." He looks around nervously, jumping up with a yelp when he spots a larger-than-average wave in the river. It's just a wave, not a spirit, but in an environment like this, everything - the rocks, the trees, even the water - is a potential enemy. It's going to be a long night.

Stogie lays down to rest. Earlier, it might have been unwise to close his eyes on them men who had tried to kill him (and whom he had shot in return), but the situation has changed. Staring down the water spirits seems to have made an impression on them. Maybe they don't like Stogie and maybe the resent him, but right now they're not in a position to be choosy about their allies. If the old guy with the dog can get them through the night then he's clearly the lesser of two evils.

Stogie is in the middle of the circular rock wall. The others sit or kneel around him, nervously watching the forest and mountains for signs of their impending doom. Jake lays next to Jake, keeping a wary eye on the men lest they change their mind about Stogie's intentions. Jake can smell their fear and agitation.

The men, coupled with the walls, act an effective windbreak. Their huddled proximity lends warmth to the ring. As Stogie sleeps, a dream comes to him.

A bobbing spirit. Tiny, invisible to everyone else, even Jake. It's a small eagle, like Smohalla but not. It circles Stogie's head; in the dream, he is as gigantic as Gulliver. The spirit perches on his shoulder, then his ear. "Stogie, be merciful," it says. "The end comes for us all. Let it come quickly to those who would suffer. Do not delay the inevitable. The Wheel turns, and all turn with it."

Stogie opens his eyes. It's night, dark and cold. There are no spirits, no watchers, nothing but the fading fragments of the dream. The men look relieved to see him awake.

[pbangarth]

Stogie rises and stretches. Fragments of the dream remain, and Smohalla's directive, if Stogie interprets it correctly, will be one of the hardest things he could ever do. What's more, there remains a sense that he must decide once and for all about the current situation. The Sisters have their problems, but the core issue remains. Yet, if they carry on this course, they will eventually be destroyed. The only way Stogie could prevent that is to change their ways. That doesn't seem possible, as evidenced by their last few conversations, and the encounter with the spirits earlier. Alright, then. One more try, and be done with it. The men here need help getting home, but Smohalla's situation needs to be dealt with. After he delivers these people to relative safety, Stogie will return and see if anything can bring Smohalla back. If that fails, a quick end to his entrapment will end Stogie's good friend's misery... forever.

And where the hell is Ellesar?

"OK, men. Take your rest. I'll watch for the rest of the night. We can get an early start at sunrise." He unhitches the shotgun and gets comfortable. Jake curls at his feet, ears twitching.

[Tecumseh]

The men look visibly relieved once Stogie is awake again. The situation has not magically improved while Stogie slept. CO, the man Stogie shot, shivers next to the fire, the blood loss making it hard to maintain his temperature. BH, the troll, is still unconscious. R, the dwarf, seems to be doing okay physically. Mentally, he might still be in shock.

LT is doing the best at keeping his composure and gives Stogie an update. "BH's isn't doing great but at least his body mass is keeping his core warm. Now that you're up I'm going to order the others to huddle together."

He turns to the group. "Alright, everyone, clothes off. I want skin-to-skin contact. That's an order! Otherwise you're not waking up, simple as that."

CO grudgingly complies, although his objection might be the pain from moving his damaged shoulder. LT has to shake R out of his funk before the dwarf begins to disrobe. The dwarf has about has much body hair as Jake, which bodes well for his survival.

LT eventually gets them lined up next to each other, as close to the fire as can be done safely. They are covered with what clothing and space-blankets are available.

"I have a sleep regulator," he says after the others have settled in. "I can watch with you for a bit, talk things through. What exactly are we up against? What can we do to maximize our chance of survival?"

[pbangarth]

Stogie strokes Jake's head. "Here, close to the women's base of operations, we are always potential subjects for their magic. I don't think anything more will come from them tonight, though. If we set out at first light we should get out of their sight, out of their minds. They'll chalk it up as driving away another set of killers. Not as satisfying as killing them all, but a win just the same.

"Out in the forest in general, there is a pack of wolves led by a shapeshifter. He is totally loyal to the women and will have no trouble picking up our trail. We avoided conflict with them on the way in, and I hope I can talk my way past them on the way out, too. If it comes to a fight, taking out the alpha will be the key. Of course, because he can regenerate that won't be easy. That brings me to the worst problem on the way out.

"Near the end of our exit, we will be going through the territory of an troll infected with HMHVV. I think they're called Dzu-Nu-Qua or something. The fragger is next to impossible to kill because he's tough and regenerates to boot. And there's some kind of mind trick that goes on, too. We drove him off with concentrated fire that was doing damage faster than he could regenerate. He tore one of our team almost in two with one hit. Our guy survived only because he too can regenerate. Seems like that kind of thing grows on trees out here. If we meet the troll, I sure as hell hope your crew can shoot straight.

"The best tactic will be to move as fast as we can. The less time in the forest, the less time the hunters will have to find us. Once you're back to your vehicle, you can make your own way home. Then I'll have to figure out how to get back to my teammates, or at least to find out what the hell happened to them. Not looking forward to that trip, I can tell you. But Jake and I can be quiet when we want to. If there's any firepower or gear you can spare for me that can help keep me and Jake alive, I would appreciate it."

[Tecumseh]

LT and Stogie stay up late talking things through. LT does not look encouraged at the news of a wolf shapeshifter, nor an Infected troll that's probably still hungry. He takes the news well, which is to say he sets his jaw and sits quietly.

"Tactically, we're in a tight spot," he says lowly so as to not wake the sleeping me. "The Sisters took our packs and weapons. We basically have what BH was carrying with him, plus what the magician had on him. A couple survival knives, a couple shock gloves. There's a Mossberg AM CMDT with buckshot, plus a Ruger 100. There's also a bow that I don't think any of us are strong enough to draw except BH.

"CO is probably too injured to be using a longarm. We can give him the katana and the Yamaha Sakura Fubuki we took off the magician you downed." Stogie doesn't miss the reminder.

"R isn't much of a shot; we might have to give him the Mossberg and rely on him for covering and suppressive fire. I can take the Ruger. For accurate, concentrated fire, I think it's just you and me."

He watches the fire, his breath rising up in front of him in cloudy puffs.

"Moving quickly might be out of the question with BH. Frankly, I'd be pleased to make a couple klicks an hour while dragging him, especially in this terrain. More than enough time for someone to get the drop on us. It's a major calorie suck too, and we're low after the Sisters pinched our bags. I'm not one to leave a man behind but CO and R are mercs and won't endanger themselves for another merc."

Around 3am, LT finally gets tired enough to lie back and get some rest. The other men sleep fitfully but it's better than nothing. LT's modified hypothalamus allows him to drop off more easily and sleep deeper than the others. Soon, Stogie is alone with the night. Jake sleeps at his feet, yipping occasionally at a dream.

The sky starts to get light around 5am. LT is awake again by 6am. He starts to get the others up at 7am. You can't see the sun behind the surrounding mountains, but at least the temperature is on the upswing.

Stogie rises, his bones shaking off the depth of the cold and the stillness of the night. Getting out alive will be hard; returning alive will be that much harder. After that? Well, he'd fight that Awakened headache when he got to it.

[pbangarth]

Once people start rising, Stogie begins collecting appropriate branches and cutting strips of cloth from the magician's clothing. In a matter of half an hour, he has a functional A-frame travois put together. Not perfect, but hopefully strong enough to last the trip out. "This should make carrying BH easier, and our exit faster. When we are ready, we'll load him on and strap him in. We can take turns pulling him in pairs, to conserve our strength. The trees won't be as much trouble as the undergrowth. I'll try to navigate us around the worst of it. LT, why don't you figure out patrol order?"

He grabs a quick snack from his supplies and makes sure everyone has had something to eat.

[Tecumseh]

The motley crew assembles. CO is in no condition to be dragging BH: he's rather small and scrawny. Unfortunately, R is not much bigger, and is about as small as an adult male dwarf can be. That leaves LT and Stogie to do most of the carrying.

It doesn't take long for Stogie to assemble the travois. He grabs that skinniest poles he can find that will also support the weight. Long poles increase leverage but also increase weight and make it difficult to maneuver through trees. Stogie estimates that 4 meter poles will be the best compromise. He creates the triangle shape with enough cross-braces to tie the load and push against. A wider drag end is more stable and won't tip over as often but is more difficult to maneuver through trees. In the end, the tip of the A-frame is relatively slim.

The team rolls BH onto the travois and then it's the moment of truth: he picks up the poles and lifts, but it's too much. He puts the poles down then looks to LT for support. LT comes over and takes one pole to share the load. Even shared, the weight is like deadlifting Stogie's bodyweight. Stogie begins to doubt, but then rethinks his approach.

He goes back and slashes up the magician's clothing some more. Shortly after he has rigged harnesses for himself and LT to distribute the weight across their shoulders rather than on their hands. Lashed together, they begin to walk in march step.

The first two kilometers take an hour, at the end of which both men are drenched in sweat and no longer wanting to be wearing their armored jackets. They stop to refuel and LT pants with the altitude.

"We're looking at a consumption of 80,000 kilojoules," he says between gulps of water and bites of energy bar. "Each."

R and CO look on nervously, embarrassed that they can't contribute more. After a too-short rest, the procession begins again. Stogie can tell that it's going to be a long day; one of the most taxing of his life.

[pbangarth]

Sweat, dirt, insects (What the hell? This time of year?), more sweat, and utter exhaustion. Stogie calls a rest. They place the travois down gingerly, but then all of them collapse against trees, gasping and aching. After a few minutes, Stogie grunts up and walks over to LT. "Move over, and turn your back. I'll work out the aches so you can carry better." Stogie draws on the mana and spends the better part of a half hour healing LT's strains and sprains. LT looks at Stogie and shakes his head. "You've gone from killer to protector to healer. I can't figure you out."

Another half hour or so, and they've at least stopped sweating. Creaking and groaning, they stand, and Stogie and LT take up their burden. The group sets out. Stogie worries about the Infected troll.

Jake takes up the point, tail wagging. More walk? More walk? Yayy!

[Tecumseh]

Jake's enthusiasm gives Stogie a morale boost.

LT stretches out, nodding and looking impressed. "I'm not the massage type - not even a sports massage from a limber elven maiden - but that was alright."

The long drag begins again. After a while, the only thing keeping Stogie going is gravity. Even with his magically suppressed appetite, his stomach is roaring. He wonders if Toothy feels the same way.

Toothy. Stogie and Jake keep all of their spare senses attuned to what might be moving in the bushes.

Stogie looks up and sees a bit of late autumn sun through the trees. The Infected don't like sun, right? he thinks to himself. That didn't stop him from hunting a few days back - hunger will do that - but maybe it will slow him down, or make him think twice. Or maybe he's eaten since then.

The thought makes Stogie's heart sink. He knows that wishing Toothy had eaten was to condemn someone else to the fate that he now feared.

Stogie describes the threat to LT, who nods grimly.

"I'm not one to leave a man behind," LT says, "but there's no sense in us all dying either. If there's a fight and we're losing it, I think we should make a break for it. BH might not make it, but that's basic triage. You don't lose your whole unit for a man who might not make it anyway. I just want to make sure we're on the same page before things get FUBAR."

[pbangarth]

Stogie turns the practicalities around in his mind. "I don't know, LT. I've gone this far to get you men home. I don't cotton to the idea of dumping one of you as troll bait. I always ..."

He stops and squints into the forest. "Wha?"

[Tecumseh]

Stogie thinks he sees something in the distance. No, he knows he sees something, he just isn't 100% sure what.

It's big and it's in the trees, maybe 100 yards behind (south). Something sneaking up on the rear? Or something that was scared off when the team passed through and is simply now returning to its previous perch?

Toothy was huge, Stogie remembers, with a penchant for attacking from above. So it would make sense for him to be in the trees. It's still daytime, which is an allergy for these creatures so they usually prefer to hunt at night, but that certainly didn't stop Toothy from making a move last time. Food probably isn't very plentiful this time of year.

But what if it's a sasquatch? That tawny-orange one that was sitting with the Sisters when Stogie and Jake returned to camp one evening? The shy one that hid her head and then scampered off? Sasquatches are gentle and peaceful creatures, but are also like trees and are large enough to be confused for a troll at a distance.

Stogie debates. He's not certain it is Toothy, but which is it better to be wrong about: assuming that it is Toothy, or that it isn't?

[pbangarth]

"Okay, boys, time to take a rest." He sets down his side of the travois and encourages LT to do the same with his. "Don't want to alarm anyone, but there's something big in the trees about a hundred metres back. Big like a troll or a sasquatch. Big difference, I know. Just to be safe, I'd say it would be a good idea to get out a few weapons and see what comes our way."

Stogie unslings his shotgun, making sure it has slugs ready. He stands beside the recumbent form of BH, using as much cover as he can manage without leaving the injured man unprotected. "Jake, away right. Lookout." Jake ducks to the right under some bushes and watches back the way they came.

[Tecumseh]

The men, fully aware of the danger they are in, respond with professional efficiency. They draw their weapons and form a perimeter the best they are able.

The tension grows as Stogie scans the forest - especially the canopy - looking for movement or other signs of danger.

There is a sense of tension from Jake as he hears something move toward him. Before Stogie has a chance to advise, Jake finds himself face-to-shin with a tawny orange sasquatch. The sasquatch yelps in surprise, lifting up its leg in an instinctual reaction to something unexpected on the ground. Jake finds himself with a bottom-up view of a three meter sasquatch that looks like a walking rug and smells like something that would be amazing to roll in.

The sasquatch, defensive, responds with an incredibly realistic mountain lion roar in an effort to scare off Jake. This startles the men, who spin and aim their guns at the sasquatch, but they don't have good line-of-sight on it. They hold their fire for lack of a target. The sasquatch roars again; Stogie can see the hair stand up on the back of R's neck. The dwarf gulps hard. A big man can fight off a mountain lion, but a little man is in that much more danger.

[pbangarth]

"Jake! Come!" Stogie mentally calls Jake to safety.

"Don't shoot!" He says to his traveling companions. "This is not our enemy."