IC: Vein of Truth, An adventure into the wilds Options

[JaronK]

Paris, weilding his AK-97, walks carefully out of the van. He scans the area, noting the bear, the evidence of a fight, and the condition of the various participants.

"Looks like we missed the fun. Anybody hurt?"

He speaks to the group, but as he does so his eyes dart out into the wilds, scanning for further interlopers.

[tisoz]

Skeeter looks at Raven almost oblivious to her blown-up state. What about me? he thinks, the adrenaline still coursing through his system.

"Thanks Sed-rick, but you could have got bad hurt," Skeeter says, then raises the tomohawk high overhead in a two handed grip and swings it down as he drops to his knees, putting everything he has into the blow to the creatures neck. "Sammy always said, 'Got to make sure dead things stay dead'," he says as he hacks away at the bear things neck.

[Misfit Toy]

Stepping from the brush only a few moments after Raven's arrival, Belfast looks the area over.

"What' the fook is going on here?"

When he sees the mental incompetent crudely hacking away at the corpse of one of Gaia's children, his already aggitated mood worsens. "And what the 'ell are ya doing to that poor bear ya fookin' retard?!" He then begins heading towards the ork with a mission and with his sour mood clearly painted on his face.

[FXcalibur]

Evans sits on the edge of the van door once everyone has gone out. The 10 hours in the van had cramped him up somewhat, and he was busy rubbing his shoulders, looking on rather disinterestedly at the mage and ork squabbling, hoping he wouldn't have to patch anyone up.

He spots Raven then his eyes shoot open, and he gets up and walks speedily over to her. "Hey, what happened? You need any help?" Evans goes over to help her, propping her up or propping her down against something if (IF) she needs support.

[tisoz]

Skeeter chops one more time and the head rolls away from the body. "Sammy says, 'take its head, make sure its dead,' 'cause it don't want to fight me no more, but it almost got Sed-rick. And I don't think I coulda got it off'n Sed-rick. And Hell...Hell-cow must have been sleeping or somethin'."

Skeeter sinks the tomohawk into the ground, rises and turns to face the man who screamed at him, releasing the pent up feelings. Letting loose his anger at the smirks and ugly looks some have been casting upon him, the under their breath barely heard snide remarks and scathing comments whispered to each other. "And I might not be the smartest person here, but I was unloading the 'quipment and helpin' Sed-rick, not run-runnin' off into the woods after some, some slitch ya lazy bastard! And how smart are you retards runnin' off into the woods? I listened." very professionally Skeeter reminds himself, "when Mr. Johnson said there were people in the woods. And if it was so easy to do what he wanted, why is he paying us so much to come here? And why were you splitting up the team even more?"

The adrenalin has run its course and Skeeter is about out of steam. "I mightn't not be the smartest person here, but damn me if I'll take drek from a half-hooped fragger like you."

[Chance359]

Looking down at the bear at his feet, Sedryk exchanges the half empty magizine for a full one from his web gear. Kneeling beside the corpse, he uses his Fine Blade knife to remove the three longest claws from it's right paw. After placing the claws into a pocket on his web gear, he picks up his spent brass from the ground.

"We're fine. How many did you come across? Any idea where their camp is Raven ?"

Hearing Skeeter's rant at Belfast, he reaches up and places his hand on Skeeter's shoulder. "Nows not the time, we gotta be professional about this." Leaning in closer, "You alright? Once you're done skining it, we'll bury here." gesturing to the hole he was working on.

Turning back to his hole in the ground he continues digging. Without looking up, "Belfast, did you call your spirit away from here, leaving the rest of us undefended magically? 'Cause if you needed it, and it sounds like you did, I understand. And don't call him a retard."

[Shadow]

Somewhat surprised at the Evan's reaction, Raven let's him lead her to a tree and prop her up as he looks her over for wounds.

"Got anything in that kit for pride? I got caught in a trap, an explosion of some kind. Totalled my bike. Luckily that and my armor took most of the damage," she points at Belfast, "he healed me some as well. Feels like a busted a rib though."

[Misfit Toy]

Belfast doesn't even bother responding directly to the imbecile as he approaches the bear. He squats down near it and rests his elbows on his knees as he gives it the once over. After a moment, he stands up and addresses the others, ignoring Skeeter as if he were the mindless piece of shite he perceived him to be.

"Whatever you've already unloaded, load it back up and get ready to move. We can't stay here. The rednecks the skirt," he paused to jut a thumb at Raven "torqued off on the scouting mission will doubtlessly be looking for us near the river, and thanks to Einstein's carving open of this poor bear here, every carnivore in a hundred square miles will be heading this way. If anyone's seriously wounded, patch 'em up so they can move then get to work. We're leaving now."

He paused for a moment as he dusted his jeans off and sneered in Skeeter's direction before moving off towards the van. When he manages to find Thor, he walks up to him instead. "All right, there's no way we'll be able to get this van anywhere near the mine as the forest is too thick to get it there without spending a few days clearing a path. We'll need to move a few miles further down river to find a new camp site. If this tin can of yours has the ability or the map you have is detailed enough, see if you can scan up or down river for a good place to land and hide both the van and the boat. I know the river gets a bit shallow further up, but we'll cross that obstacle if we need to unless you think it'd be better to just load everyone in the van and leave it here. Get to work on that while the rest of us get this place cleared up, savvy?"

[Misfit Toy]

After finishing with Thor, Bel gives an exasperated sigh when Sedryk decides to pipe up.

[FXcalibur]

The medkit goes on top of a nearby rock and Evans slides his hands smoothly through it as he had done countlessly in the past, flipping it open and drawing and snapping off a roll of bandage in one fluid motion.

"Now you just relax." He says. "Don't mind Miss, but could you remove your armour so I can bandage up your sides? I can't do much more for you since your injuries look to have closed up already. Magical healing by Belfast?"

The question was more or less rhetorical. Evans worked on her as the rest of the team packed up. After applying three layers of light bandage, he reaches into his medkit and pulls out a small bottle of ointment, then hands it to Raven.

"The bandages are already medicated, but that should help if you still hurt. I'd apply it for you, but, well, you never know how sensitive someone might be." He smiles, then folds up his medkit.

"It's my duty to tell you not to over-strain yourself, but realistically speaking that's not very possible now. Need a hand to the van?"

[Shadow]

"Thanks, Evans, you have a magic touch. I feel better already," she says as she puts her armor, and shirt back on.


"Sounds like a plan Bel, luckily it doesn't look like they got to much unpacked."

[Misfit Toy]

After finishing up with the burial, Bel nods towards Raven but pauses for a moment as if having a thought. A second later, and he's off to hunt down Brand.

"You mentioned something about being into explosives, didn't you? Think you can rig up a surprise or two within the next ten minutes for anyone who might wander by looking for us? If so, get to work on it."

[TinkerGnome]

Sedryk claims a few trophies while Belfast and Skeeter are arguing. The head and body, however, are quickly lost as Belfast causes the earth to swallow up the bear's body. The smell of blood is still strong about the area, though.

Moving the boat upstream, while a sound idea, is impossible because there is the last navigable point along the waterway. It may be possible to go back downstream and try a different path, though nothing is guaranteed.

[FXcalibur]

"I do what I can." Evans replies with a smile. He then plops himself back inside the van, since it seems the team didn't unpack very much yet. But already trouble had cropped up. Planning wasn't his forte, so he helped arrange the equipment in the van to better allow the riders to get a good rest, then waited. Non of the others seemed like they needed any patching up anyway.

[crechebaby]

Brand's vaguely bored expression suddenly vanishes, and her eyes almost seem to sparkle at Bel's suggestion.
She squints thoughtfully at the space behind his shoulder, pondering something while one hand starts rummaging through her duffle.

"Ahh. I think I've got just the thing.... yeah.. that should do it.."
Whatever she was thinking of amused her immensely, because she actually seems to be laughing quietly to herself as she withdraws to find a flat surface to work on.

[tisoz]

Skeeter starts digging into the earth where the bear was swallowed up.

"Now what do you think you're doing, oh scholarly one," Belfast says in his usual high and might tone.

"If you'd pay attention - ever, you'd see that you buried my tomohawk, yar highnie-ass,' Skeeter tells him.

[Number 6]

[Chance359]

Sedryk beings loading gear with Hellcow and then helps Skeeter recover his tomahawk.

After attaching the underbarrel grenade launcher to his Colt, Sedryk walks over to Belfast and speaks in a lowered voice. "For the record, I don't like you, and I have a strong suspicion that you don't like me." After pausing for a moment, The ork smiles, "But thats alright because right now we're being paid to do the same thing. So as long as you and your pets are able to handle your area of expertise, there shouldn't be any problem. Just as long as you let the rest of us do our jobs. And as I asked before, no more comments, sarcastics or otherwise about Skeeter's intelligence."

Turning to address the rest of the group. "One thing we should consider is that your little scouting trip might have shown us the opposition. Now, they maybe just a group of backwood breeders, but given that they are here, they should be looked into. I'm not saying that we find their camp and wipe them out, no reason to yet. But if they're here after the same thing we are, we could exploit that. If nothing else intel on them might be worth something extra to the Johnson, so he'll know who is neighbors are."

[Misfit Toy]

When Hellcow decides to suddenly come to life and pretend that he's a leader, it takes every ounce of willpower Belfast has to keep his Irish nature under control. Combing his fingers through his hair as he inwardly counts to ten, he turns and stares the elf down.

"It's amazing how brilliant one becomes in hindsight, inn'it? I didn't see you coming up with any plans whatsoever, nor did I see you getting people off their arse so we could get the job done, and I certainly didn't see you shooting down the idea to scout the terrain ahead while the others set up camp.

"If the lot of you little... if the lot of you couldn't handle a single bear on your own and you're gonna sit about whining and backstabbing like a mosh of school children, you might as well be the ones to pack up and run home to momma. 'Cause I can assure you, if that," he gestures towards where he buried the horned bear, "was a major concern for you, you're gonna be shitein' your pants before the job's over. Savvy?"

His voice grow a bit louder as a few other meek voices suddenly start mewling out of nowhere. "Now from what Red Tom said, those hicks are mobile and most likely heading this way. So unless you," he stares daggers at Hellcow, "or anyone else has a better plan... pipe it with the fookin' bickering and get to work so we can get outta 'ere 'fore those fookin' hillbillies decide to come knockin'."

[Panzergeist]

"Well, nice to know you two have burried the hatchet," Swift Eagle quips. "Nice tomohawk by the way. So, sounds like we need to retreat and then march in on foot, or else go around the forest and find a road, eh?"

[crechebaby]

A silvery peal of laughter erupts from Brand at Swift Eagle's comment.
She looks up and winks at him before turning her attention back to her task.

[Chance359]

"We could move our main camp down stream like you suggested fearless leader, and leave a few suprises behind for your playmates. But I think we'd be over looking fact that we have a ready made trap for them right here. I'm not sure if it would help, but I'd like to have a better idea of why they are here and what it'll take to deal with them." Sedryk waits for a reply.

[Misfit Toy]

As he calms down a bit, largely due to Swift Eagle's jibe, Bel's accent seems to largely goes into submission again. But just before he was about to head off to find a few more fey folk to lead assistance, Sedryk intercepts him, and Bel turns to reply.

"I'm aware of that, and I'd love nothing more than to learn who those fookers are myself. But we have to prioritize outselves. We were forced to take one of them down when they ambushed us, so they're doubtlessly looking for some payback. Nothing we can do to change that now, so we're just going to have to deal with it.

"As for setting up a trap here, anything we can do to lower their numbers is a good thing. Even if it only takes one down, that's one less we'll have to deal with if we run into 'em again. Best of all, we'll know if they found the site and can prepare ourselves that much more.

"While we finish up here, I'm going to try and enlist a little help to see if we can learn a little more about them. Dunno if it'll be much help since they have quite a bit of magic on their side, too, but you never know.

"So yeah, unless you have any other ideas, I need to get this done so we can get out of here. Time for a cozy chit chat isn't a luxury we have at the moment."

[TinkerGnome]

Behind a steady undercurrent of infighting, Brand plants a few explosives as carefully as possible in the underbrush, trying her best to set the trip wires strong enough that squirrels and rabbits won't set them off.

Skeeter digs at the earth with incredible strength, though he doesn't seem to get much of anywhere. Red Tom seems to be having a good laugh from the trees (quietly) about the whole affair as he uses the spell he is sustaining to confound the boy's progress. After a few minutes, however, the saddness of the whole thing seems to sink through to him and he uses the spell to pull the tomohawk up just beneath the surface. Skeeter's camp shovel hits on it and he pulls it free, shaking the dirt off of the handle. The blade itself is as clean as the day it was dikoted.

Thor checks the maps and spots a possible alternate route and passes Sedryk the coordinates and some directions. The group mounts up and heads downstream, then back up a secondary channel. This channel ends in a somewhat less ideal lagoon than the first, but it is sufficient for getting the boat out of the water and establishing a base camp, if one is warranted. The van rolls up the rocky shoreline without too much trouble, as well.

After the long ride in closed quarters, everyone finds that their tempers have eased. This is about the job, after all. Fighting amongst the team would only screw everyone out of the payoff.

It is nearly 2pm by the time the group breaks onto the secondary beach.

[Shadow]

"I don't really see the need for a base camp. Since we now know there is opposition here we should stay close together. Maybe we can tie the boat up or something and hide the van. Either way we should head for the mine post haste, were running out of time."