Riding the thermals in a state of bliss, Smohalla begins to feel the exhaustion from the previous night's activity.

He attempts to catch some drafts that will help keep him aloft with less effort on his own part.

Despite his advanced age his eyesight is still sharp as ever as he continues scanning the terrain below.

Hester and Selene give guttural grumbles to Stogie's use of Or'zet. He can't quite tell if they're inclined to respond in turn or if he's affronted them with "their" language.

Ellie listens to Stogie's report, puts her hands on her hips, and gives him a mildly annoyed look.

"Now see here. If what you say about this bounty is true, then we're wanted women, the countryside is crawling with bounty hunters, we're not safe anywhere, and there will never be a good morning to go shopping again."

She huffs a bit. "You know darn well that we can't run a proper eco-terrorist operation without flour, sugar, eggs, and tea." Stogie blinks once, trying to detect any irony in her voice; he doesn't find any. He gets the impression that not shopping is a worse prospect than shopping and having to kill four men to do it.

"Besides," she says with a proud jut of her chin, "I like our odds. And we have some tricks up our sleeves too, don't we ladies?" She gives a curt nod to finalize the point. Hester and Selene smirk at the prospect, not at all deterred by the notion of some fisticuffs.

Ellesar manages to spot a few ground animals. There's nothing alarming, like a team of trained bounty hunters, or a cannibalistic Infected troll. At least, none that Ellesar sees.

Smohalla, on the other hand, sees quite well. He doesn't spy Toothy from the air, nor any hikers that might fall victim to Toothy. What does Toothy do in the long winter months when tourists are few and far between? A disconcerting thought.

Smohalla finally makes it over the final ridge to see North Bend. The clouds have moved in and visibility is dropping. He gives a pass over the field where the men were but they're gone. It's the same field where you met Gunny several days ago. Smohalla sees tire tracks in the dirt so he follows those until they reach an asphalt road. He loses the trail there, not able to follow them on pavement. As best he can tell they drove back into town, but that's not much help. He passes over the small downtown area but doesn't see the men, their vehicle, or any astral trace of them. Are they on their way already? Or are they just out of sight for the moment?

Smohalla lands in a tree top to rest and consider the situation. Just days ago he was at this place to hear about the bounty from Gunny, and now he's back with quite a different objective in mind. What would he do if he found Gunny? Could Gunny be convinced? Or removed? Or is he just the messenger, the Johnson for some larger organization? Resolving this will not be easy.

The failure to locate the men weighed on Smohalla's mind.

The only comfort was that it seemed they weren't headed towards the Sisters yet.

Although the idea of them fetching reinforcements unsettled him again.

After a brief rest he takes to the skies once again.

He will return to the camp with no news of the runners.

Despite receiving no signals from Stogie, Ellesar returns to the campsite. He's a bit more at ease having not seen any signs of danger. He strides into the clearing with an expression of anticipation. "Oh, good morning ladies. I was not aware that you were up already."

Stogie and Ellesar:

Smohalla:

Smohalla lands in the clearing near the Sisters and shifts into human form.

Modesty is not on his mind, but rather curiosity.

He approaches the trio and smiles a greeting.

Good day to you, Sisters.

Where do you travel to?

Smohalla:

I would be honored to join you in your rituals.

This is an opportunity to broaden my understanding and relationship with the Great Spirit.

Also we will be able to work together to see Mother Earth healed.

Safe travels to you, and we will speak more when you return.

And thank you for the offer, but today I will find my own meat.

With a final farewell, Smohalla shifts and takes to the skies.

The mention of lamb has his stomach rumbling - he will hunt before returning to the campsite.

Smohalla flies back. He scouts the mountainsides but is unable to come up with anything more interesting than a squirrel. That the squirrel was up and about and not hibernating is notable in itself, likely another sign of the Indian summer. But the dry spell will end soon, and the winter snows will blanket the area. There will be little game in the snow-covered mountains. The Sisters don't seem to be living off the land, which could be a vulnerability whenever they need to restock.

Smohalla returns to the camp to find Stogie and Ellesar and Jake. Smohalla looks down at the bedraggled squirrel and then looks at Jake. Hmm.

As the Sisters rush off into the wilderness, Stogie remarks to Ellesar, "Some days I kind of wish I had that kind of magic. Really amazing things they can do. But it doesn't last long. I have a great time doing some of the things I do, especially the connection I have with Jake... had with all of my dogs." A sadness comes over his face.

"So, I'm content with what I have. There are things I experience the Sisters never will.

"I gotta say, though, life here in the mountains is going to get pretty cramped once the snows come. Unless the Sisters have a way of keeping the paths open, we who don't fly could be trapped here for the duration of the winter. I don't know about you, but I don't much fancy being stuck here in this camp for a few months till the paths open up in the spring. Not sure how we are going to carry on a working relationship with the Sisters if they do stay here and we don't. Unless, I guess, they fly out."

Returning to camp, Smohalla seeks out his companions to report his findings.

I saw no trace of the others headed this direction.

They drove their vehicle onto a road going towards the town of North Bend, and there I lost their trail.

Smohalla eyes Jake, assensing the canine coming as naturally to the eagle shifter as riding a thermal.

Something is different with the dog. Was his bond to the Great Spirit stronger now than before?

The shaman holds the squirrel out to Jake.

If you can count for me how many are in your pack, you may have this for your breakfast.

Jake eyes the squirrel intently. Stogie decides to have some fun. Jake... pack mates ...bark ...

Jake looks at Stogie with a cocked head, then *bark* at Smohalla.

Again... *bark* at Ellesar.

Again ... *bark* at Stogie.

Again ... *run in a circle chasing tail* ... *sit* ... *bark*

Very good Jake! You've earned your reward.

Smohalla smiles at Jake, and leaves the squirrel on the ground at the dog's feet.

All the while eyeing Jake with a speculative eye.

If the mana was so potent here...

Was it possible that Jake might be on the path to full sentience as well?

To his 2-legged teammates, Smohalla says

I saw the Sisters in the forest, on their way to retrieve fresh supplies

"This is turning out to be a fun-filled day," Ellesar remarks. "The Sisters are flying about, potentially showing their faces off to the world, and we're stuck worrying whether we'll be stuck here six feet deep in snow or put six feet into the ground by an enemy we can't find." He sighs loudly to show his distaste for the situation. "Not to mention all the little details that we've yet to flesh out. It would seem the spirits have it out for us, eh gentlemen?"

The elf reaches into pocket and grabs one of his knives. In one swift motion the sleek metal blade sails from his hand towards a nearby tree. As the knife strikes Ellesar begins to laugh as his mood lightens abruptly. "But who has time to fret? There's so much we have yet to do. Now, what's first on our agenda?" He smiles wide as he glances around at the others.

A good question.

We can't spend all of our time in fear of attack.

Yet we should also be aware of the possibility.

Are there things we can do to prepare ourselves?

I would like to try to commune with the spirits of the place.

Perhaps they can aid in the defense.

Other than that I have no knowledge of what to do.

Smohalla's question hangs in the cold mountain air before the group, the puffs of his breath floating visibly before dissipating to rejoin the frosty sky.

The sun cracks through the clouds periodically throughout the day, but it's so low on the horizon that it's largely blocked by the surrounding mountains and ridges. The Indian summer is fading and it takes an extra bit of effort to pull yourself away from the campfire. Stogie is familiar with the weather patterns around these parts and his best guess is that the first snows are on their way, maybe even within the next day or two. They're overdue as it is.

Lunch is hard to scrape up. The nearby lake has a few small fish but the crusty edges of the water tell you that it will freeze over soon. Jake's squirrel gets turned into a poor-man's stew with what little remains of the Sisters' potatoes and carrots, but it's meager fare.

The sun has passed behind a cliff and the sky is rapidly darkening by the time your stomach signals it's time for dinner. Almost on cue, three figures emerge silently from the forest. Visibly they look nothing like the Sisters but astrally it's clear that it's them. Ellie is in the lead, looking something like the old crone from Snow White. She clucks and cackles her success, leading Hester and Selene - who have been transformed to look like men - back from their shopping expedition. Ellie throws off her traveling cloak and drops her spell, stepping into the light of the campfire with a mischievous glint in her eye. The spell falls from Hester and Selene too as they shrug off their large burlap sacks. Jake races around, barking at first in alarm and then later in anticipation of what mysteries await within the bags. He dips his nose down into one, his hindquarters raised with his tail swishing about excitedly.

"Yoo hoo! We're back!" Ellie greets you with a wave. "Dinner's ready!" She proudly produces two paper bags. One says "Bee Burgers" and the other says "McHugh's".

"We weren't sure if you had a preference," she says to explain the two different bags. She unbags the items quickly but pauses momentarily to cast a small spell over the food before passing it around. The food is hot to the touch, leading you to think she just reheated it magically. Ellie takes her seat on her log in front of the fire, crossing her legs and unwrapping her cheeseburger. It's an incongruous scene - this small, immaculate matron sitting in the November woods enjoying a hot fast food burger from who knows how far away - but her contented sigh lets you know she's not thinking too hard about it.

"So," so says between bites, taking care not to speak with her mouth full, "what did you do today?" She takes a sip of her milkshake through a straw.

The eagle shifter waves off the offer of food with a polite gesture.

We've been discussing how best to protect this land.

Also, it is obvious that winter is coming.

Do you have plans for wintering here?

We should prepare for this.

Stogie considers how much to tell. Well, if they are to be teammates, they will find out soon enough. His gaze moves to include the men, who don't know yet either.

"Last night an amazing thing happened. I developed a link to the mana totally different from anything else I ever experienced. If I concentrate, even without opening to the astral I can... feel... the mana and the energy coming from the mountain and moving on in a line out over the horizon. I think ... I think... the mountain just Initiated me!"

Ellesar starts at the thought of fast food. How long had it been since he had a burger? Odd that the sisters of the forest on the mountain would be eating such processed food. Not that he would complain, of course. Food would soon be even more scarce than it already was for them with winter drawing near. The news of Stogie's initiation only brought his expression of surprise out further.

"Well, that's quite the news. I'm sure you will use your power wisely." He gives Stogie a small smile before turning to the sisters. "Thank you for the food, once again. I think we're all just happy to be eating. As the sky father here says, we have spent most of the day wondering about the wanderers from last night. How was your shopping adventure?"

To Stogie's statement, Smohalla nods his head slightly.

This could explain the difference he sees in Jake.

It seemed they were all benefiting from proximity to such a powerful source of mana.

Ellie lights up with a pleased look at Stogie's news. "Why, that's wonderful!" she exclaims, with so much enthusiasm that he momentarily wonders if he's being mocked. "That's really very special," she continues. "I remember my first initiation so clearly." She trails off, lost in thought for a moment while she bites her hamburger again.

"Our shopping trip was very productive, thank you," she answers Ellesar. "Root vegetables, apples, mmm... autumn! So cozy." She gazes contentedly at the fire. "We'll have to do some baking!"

She turns to Smohalla. "I dare say that we shall bear the winter tolerably well, Sky-Father. It will be our fourth in this location. Magic makes life considerably easier, as you know." She gestures to the ever-burning fire, which seems to crackle a little bit more in response. "It is not without its risks, but those risks protect us as well, do they not?" She looks to Ellesar, as if to confirm her tactical thinking. "The snows insulate us, barricading us from these men that concern you. I would not expect them after the first storm of the season. Lowlanders are generally poor at winter mountain survival."

Hester and Selene smirk at the thought, likely imagining frozen corpses of street samurai littering the river valley leading to Greenwater.

Smohalla smiles at Ellie's mild rebuke.

I meant no disrespect to you three or your abilities to survive.

Only now with double the mouths to feed, perhaps more planning would be needed.

We four are experienced in living with nature ourselves.

And so I foresee no great trouble in this area.

He pauses for a moment.

As long as we are prepared for what comes next.

Your actions recently, as well as our actions in the near future, are sure to draw more attention.

Snows and cold wind might not be enough to keep us safe this winter.

Ellesar's face lights up. "Wonderful, I haven't had any decent baked goods since my wife was taken from me. She was quite the cook; her pastries always held a special place in my stomach. I look forward to seeing what you have in mind. Which reminds me, is our friend the wolf not going to join us this evening? I imagine we should want him here to discuss our plans for the winter if you deem him an ally."

Stogie smiles at Ellie's dig. Like when he tells the teenagers, 'Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer, too.'

"Actually, it's not my first. But definitely my weirdest." He looks around the camp and the surrounding wilderness. "I think we have to take this threat a little more seriously than we have so far. The losers have come and gone, but there are some very dangerous people out there. And if the money is good enough, they will come after you no matter how much snow. They will have machines like you haven't seen, and magic like you have never faced. Ones like that came for me and mine, and I had nothing to stop them."

A moment of silence and staring off into space ensues. "But we are strong, and we know they are coming. I, for one, look forward to a little sparring with the thugs. Sisters, I'm ready to party."

Smohalla nods at Stogie's reply.

It seems our recent encounter last night could signify what we will face.

Flying machines that will not be bothered by rain or snow.

Those with vehicles that can navigate this terrain.

We are strong in magic, but seemingly weak in knowledge of technology.

Stogie nods back. "And that technology is perniciously resistant to magic. A smart opponent looking to go after magicians will rely heavily on such machines."

"Yes, I have no doubt they will send drones," Ellesar chimes in, "and if they send footmen then we can expect them to be more than capable of handling the environment. Fortunately, we have the home field advantage. It would be nice to know exactly what we're facing though."

The words his companions speak are troubling to the shaman.

I will meditate on this problem.

Perhaps the Great Spirit, in his wisdom, will show me the Path.

Smohalla looks around him with a smile.

I would be hard pressed to find a better place in this world to do so.

Ellie nods along, listening to the back-and-forth. She seems to dwell for a while on the thought of drones and other remote killing machines, a small frown crossing her face.

She waves off Ellesar's inquiry about K'wa'iti. "He comes and goes as he pleases," she says. "And, personally," she adds, leaning in and lowering her voice, "I don't mind it if he's not around for supper." She makes a face indicating her feelings about K'wa'iti's diet. You're reminded of the dismembered arm that he was gnawing on the previous evening.

"So what magic might we expect, Stogie, if it's not too sensitive to ask? Talol has taught us much. I do not know what men may learn in the city, but I'm willing to lay odds on what women may do in the country!"

Stogie chuckles. "Cute, Ellie.

"No, I expect there will be physical damage spells. Everybody seems to like those. I suspect those who came before were high on that kind of action. Actually, we would be lucky if that were the worst of it. I've seen a lot of magic that controls the mind. That scares me. A lot harder to resist for most people. Being a good shot sucks drek if you are being made to shoot at your partner.

"And the smart ones, both magical and mundane, will bring force multipliers... drones and spirits. Four people come, but suddenly they are eight or twelve. Send the expendables in first to locate us, figure us out, soften us up and use up our resources.

"As much as I hate to say this, as it would have worked against Ellesar, Smohalla and me, having scouts out to locate them first, and hitting them before they get here and set up their full attack could save us some grief. We have defenses here, but they are two dimensional, and the enemy will work in all three physical dimensions and the astral as well.

"One other advantage we have is the powerful channeling of mana around here. That should probably get in the way of contrary magic and spirits by reducing the force of their spells and their spirits. We sit where its good for us and bad for them, and we can maximize our advantages. Now that I can sort of 'see' those lines, I wanna map them out so we can use the astral terrain to our advantage too."

Ellie listens to Stogie, mm-hmming and nodding along. She "tsk tsks" under her breath when Stogie says "suck drek"; conversely, the expression produces wry smiles from Hester and Selene. They, too, seem to be paying closer attention to Stogie than they usually do. They have looks of bravado, not displaying any concern about the prospect of physical damage spells or mind-controlled teammates.

"I dare say we have little to fear from magic," Ellie says at the end, pouring after-dinner tea in mugs and levitating them around the circle. "The mana here favors kindred souls, as you have already discovered, and I wager that hired magicians will not find the ley lines to their liking. Their magic will either fizzle or it will backfire spectacularly. Both results are to our advantage."

She gets up and begins to work on dessert, using some of the newly-purchased ingredients to work on roasted apples with cinnamon sugar.

"What concerns me," she begins when she rejoins the circle once the apples are on the fire, "are these drones. We have little experience with machines. We have some defenses of our own" - a sudden, strong wind whips up, knocking the tree branches to and fro before settling back down as quickly as it arose - "but a swarm of machines surrounding us on all sides would indeed be a challenge."

The apples begin to steam and hiss over the fire, their skins splitting open from the escaping steam as the scent of baking cinnamon wafts throughout the campground. They smell delicious, but you wonder if that's what the shadowrunner you found looked like while he was being cooked from the inside out.

Ellie seems to consider Stogie's point about an ambush. "Given what you say, it seems we can ill-afford to be caught unaware. Unless you have friends who may join us in our cause, it seems to me that we must treat future visitors - mechanical or otherwise - with hostility. The hiking season has passed; Greenwater is gone. Those who come now must be considered threats, and handled accordingly." She gives a curt, definitive nod that leaves you wondering if your future holds an above-average number of cooked, drowned, and electrocuted shadowrunners.

I will meditate on the drone problem.

Perhaps the Great Spirit will guide my way.

Hearing Ellie's last statement, Smohalla shakes his head sadly.

No.

That cannot be our path.

Before causing harm, we must determine intent.

Otherwise we will defile ourselves and our cause.

"It's a fine line to walk, Smohalla. The difference between uncertainty and knowing could be marked by their first assault.

"Now, if we had a way to determine their intentions before they get to us then maybe we could save us some trouble and save our integrity at the same time. Any thoughts?" Stogie looks around the assembly.

Ellesar's face darkens as the conversation heads towards rampant murder without cause. It reminds him greatly of his family, in the worst of ways. "I agree that we should not walk the path of unbridled killing. You all may see it as a weakness, but there is strategy in it as well. Unnecessary death will only bring about more trouble for all of us. It only takes one mistake to turn a few bounty hunters into a special operations group funded by the family of a dead suit that decided to go hiking out of season."

"Well," Ellie says with a puckered expression, her tone souring slightly, "I daresay it will not be so hard as you make it out to be. Gentlemen hikers with hunting rifles are a different species than camouflaged mercenaries with drones and automatic weapons.

"And if, as you say, they bring wagemages, they will be easy enough to spot. A hermetic in the forest is as glaring as a bear in the city."

This is true Ellie.

And I want to protect us, protect this land the same as you.

Together, we can find a way to do this that also honors our Earth Mother.

The evening passes. Ellie and the ladies excuse themselves for their evening rituals. Ellie invites Smohalla to attend.


This leaves Stogie, Ellesar, and Jake by themselves for a half hour. Using some of the fresh ingredients, Stogie conjures up a pretty good apple pastry for dessert, the sweetness of it offsetting the salty nature of the burger and fries for dinner. Jake, defender of the environment, makes sure than none of the burgers go to waste. (Alternatively, all burgers go to waist.)

Smohalla returns alone from the ritual; the ladies, tired from their rituals and their day of travel, retire early. The men have the camp to themselves for a while before they need to turn in.

Tomorrow I will begin meditating on our situation.

I could be gone many days.

With that said, Smohalla lies down by the fire.

"I assume we have many long days ahead of us. If our enemies are watching then they will know that the Sisters are in a weakened state after their ritual. It would make for a good time to attack. We should be wary in the evenings, more-so than usual." Ellesar leans firmly against one of the thick trunks of a nearby tree, his eyes towards the sky. "Stogie, you and I are the only ones not affected by this daily."

"Yeah. We're the first line of defense. Lucky us, huh?" Stogie looks long and hard at Jake. Jake senses his concern and looks around, ears cocked. I watch, Stohgee. I watch.

The night descends. With little else to do other than watch their breath collect in frosty clouds above their heads, the men retire for the evening. The plan for the night watch is well established by this point: Ellesar and Smohalla will take the first shifts while Stogie gets a few hours of shut-eye, then Stogie - with his magical ability to work on three hours of sleep - will keep watch for the rest of the night.

Jake burrows into Stogie's sleeping roll beside him. The weather is sharp and chilly and it won't be long before the first snows arrive. The Sisters' magical fire is a blessing, but it's also a beacon for those who might be on the lookout for such things. Smohalla wraps himself tightly in a blanket near the fire, wondering if he might actually be warmer if he spent the night in the tree. Eagle feathers are remarkable things, with an interlocking structure that traps pockets of air that are then warmed by the eagle's body heat. The tight, enclosed pockets of warm air minimize heat transport through convection currents, much like a wetsuit. Yes, if it weren't for this fire it would surely be easier for Smohalla to sleep in eagle form.

Ellesar takes the first watch, left to consider his last spoken thought. He is unaffected by the Sisters' daily double rituals, but is he not affected by this place? He reaches his hand out again, the air almost thick with mana that he swears he can feel between his fingers. It's as if the air were full of puffs of cotton, softly floating along like dandelion florets passing in the breeze.

Ellesar:

Ellesar moves to his usual spot behind the nearby trees. He keeps his eyes towards the drone, watching to see if it makes any moves that differ from the previous night. He hides as best he can and stays as still as possible in order to use his suit to the best of its ability.

Jake snores quietly.

Ellesar watches the drone safely from his concealed spot, demonstrating his training as a Ghost and his instincts as a survivalist. He watches the drone approach the campsite, then circle overhead. Unlike last night, the drone does not make a pass and then depart. Instead, it loops around in broad circles, maintaining a constant line of sight. It does this for five minutes, then ten, then twenty. Ellesar gets the sense that it's not going away. It seems to be keeping tabs on the sleeping men. The drone makes no overtly threatening moves of its own. These drones can often deploy basic anti-personnel ordinance, but this drone isn't equipped with any visible weapon systems. Ellesar's experience with Combat Tactics suggests that the drone is serving as a spotter, and will keep the men in sight while someone - or something - else arrives.

Stogie begins snoring along with Jake. The harmonics are ... interesting.

The air is full of the sound of logs being sawed.

Luckily the eagle shifter is hard of hearing.

Smohalla's sleep is quiet and snore-free.

An impressive feat for someone with a nose of such magnitude.

Or perhaps it is exactly because of that said nasal configuration...

Looks like you don't want to play nice tonight, little pet, Ellesar thinks to himself. I hope your owner is as blind as you are. He slides the Remington from his shoulder and aims at the drone as it passes closer to him. He hopes to take it down or at least disorient it before it can get a good look at him. Breathing slowly, he takes a shot at the floating target.

As the round leaves the chamber he calls out to the sleeping trio. "Get up and get ready!"

The report of the firearm brings Stogie and Jake awake in an instant, Jake almost leaping up into the air from his repose. Experience of the last few months helps Stogie catch on to what is happening as Ellesar shouts out his warning. He reaches for his Enfield.

"What? Where?"

Thunderbird soars with Smohalla through the orange skies of the Never.

He turns to regard the eagle shaman with wise, knowing eyes.

Putting on a sudden burst of speed he shoots ahead, breaking the sound barrier with a loud crack...

...the inert form lying on the ground gives a jerk and begins to sit up.

With a cloudy mind still full of dream-sleep, Smohalla opens his eyes to the physical world.