The slowly circling drone isn't quite a sitting duck for Ellesar, but a slowly circling duck is still easy enough to hit for an accomplished marksman. Ellesar takes an extra moment to steady his breath before firing for the drone's fuselage. The rifle jumps in his hands and he know immediately that he aimed well.

The drone immediately banks, then wobbles in flight for fifty yards before finally righting itself. Ellesar frowns to himself, knowing that the shot he just made would have downed off-the-shelf version of this drone, which usually comes unarmored. Someone has made upgrades to this model, adding additional armor. The man or woman behind this drone is not an amateur hobbyist interested in nighttime woodland scenes.

The drone accelerates, banks, and climbs, doing its best to gain altitude to make itself harder to hit.

Still rubbing sleep from his mind, Smohalla notices the movement in the sky as the drone flies away.

He turns, looking, not seeing anything but the glare of the campfire in front of him.

What is going on Ellesar?

Ellesar's focus on the drone directs Stogie's gaze upwards. The drone looks too far for a shotgun blast, so Stogie opens his perception to the astral. If there are mechanical scouts, there could be spiritual ones, too. "Smohalla! The machines are for Ellesar. The spiritual realm is your stronghold. The machine will have told its master we are here and shooting at it. Astral forms are likely to come soon." It's fun to talk like Smohalla, even when in danger.

Jake picks up on Stogie's watchfulness and covers Stogie's back. He thinks Stogie has his, not gazing into the astral.

Smohalla swings his head to stare at the fuzzy shape of Stogie and Jake merged into one blurry form by the campfire's glare.

He nods at what Stogie has told him and reaches out to Brother Thunderbird, asking him to join them in this fight.

After his call is made, he lets his astral form slip from it's mortal shell and climbs the thermals of the aether, searching for any signs of danger.

Stogie sees Smohalla's astral form dart through the astral, along with the summoned spirit. Good. Two in this realm, so I can flip back to the physical. He returns his attention to the physical plane and waits, watching.

Ellesar attempts to reload as he watches the drone fleeing from him. He fires off another round before calling out again. "We need to get ready, we might have trouble soon! Someone let the others know if you can!" The elf tries to stay as still as possible, hoping the drone didn't know of his presence.

Stogie readies his shotgun, widening the choke to give as wide a spread as possible. Maybe I can't hit the broad side of a barn, but if I hit with the broad side of a barn, I might not miss.

"Jake. Fetch Ellie. Go on, boy. Bring Ellie." He whistles the 'Away' command followed by the 'Gather' command, and adds a mental image of Ellie.

Jake darts off towards the women's shelter.

Smohalla slumps back down, seemingly back asleep, his body empty while his mind projects itself. In the astral world he is greeted by Thunderbird, a powerful, obedient servant willing to follow Smohalla until the ends of the earth or one kilometer, whichever comes first. Smohalla is reminded of the fate of Thunderbird when it last attempted to exit the locally aspected domain.

On the astral, the drone is very difficult to see. The lifeless metal is practically invisible against the dark night sky. Smohalla's spirit shoots up a kilometer, looking down to try to spot the drone as a silhouette against the powerful glow of Earth.

Ellesar slaps the bolt action on his rifle, chambering another round. The drone has accelerated and is taking evasive maneuvers now, making it a more difficult shot than the first. Still, Ellesar manages to line up his sights and lead the target, firing a second round that blasts through the tail of the retreating drone. It shudders with the impact and begins to falter. The drone stutters uncertainly and starts to lose altitude. It limps north; a crash seems imminent.

Stogie signals to Jake, who responds in a flash. Jake leaps in the direction that the women walk to excuse themselves. He follows the trail away from the campfire, through the surrounding berms and earthworks that have been constructed for the site's defense, and then... nothing. Their scent disappears. Jake, surprised and befuddled that such a strong scent (an ork and a troll? c'mon) could just stop starts to circle. He retraces his steps, then runs laps around the surrounding forest. But no, they're gone. Or, if they're not gone, they're beyond his ability to track. He woofs at the night forest, sending a request to Stogie for the Super Sniff Power, please!

Stogie weighs whether he should lend his enhanced perception to Jake to find the Sisters, or retain it for himself to keep an eye on the surrounding forest.

Smohalla circles the campsite area at a very high elevation.

As measured on the physical plane, anyway. On the astral, who can be sure?

He asks Thunderbird to patrol in a route that is counter-directional from his own.

Together the two would try to spot incoming threats before they arrive.

The shaman summons several wren spirits to act as additional watchers and messengers, as needed.

Stogie feels Jake's confusion so deeply he almost gets dizzy. It doesn't take Stogie long to decide. Three of us here looking for trouble. Only one dog looking for the girls. He wraps the psychic link with Jake around his mind and synchronizes his senses with Jake's. Then he draws back from them, leaving his magic with the dog.

Better beef up my reflexes if I'm gonna be half blind here. Mana flows from the ether into his muscles and nerves.

Smohalla sends instructions to his spirit, sending it in the opposite direction, staying well within the aspected domain at all times. He follows the drone north, which fights to remain airborne. It seems to be losing that battle, and looks destined to crash into the trees or the river within a minute. Still, within that minute it will travel 2 to 3 kilometers. It is flying far faster that Smohalla could in physical form, although it's no issue to keep up with it astrally. But if Smohalla continues to follow it, he will leave the aspected domain. Thunderbird is on a half-kilometer tether, so Smohalla will have to be careful about how far he travels if he wishes to keep his powerful spirit.

Stogie flexes his muscles, waiting for a boost that doesn't come. He feels dry, like he's squeezed all of the magic out of him. But then he takes a deep breath, inhaling the wisps of mana from the surrounding forest. It does what his own Talent could not, swelling his nerves and tendons and sinews with ethereal power. Stogie, enjoying the pleasure of physical movement, begins to move like liquid metal, scanning the dark forest night with his dim human eyes.

Jake woofs again at the reception of Stogie's enhanced perception. This power is a great favorite of Jake's and the sharing of it is a special treat. Jake's world of smells is already in color compared to the black-and-white scents that humans have. But then take Jake's Technicolor world, jack it up to 10, and make it 3-D with a laser show, and that's what life is like with Stogie's powers. Jake is out of his doggie mind with excitement and barely contains himself, but somehow refocuses on the mission at hand. He retraces his steps once again, smelling the magnificent scent trail he left behind him moments ago. Then he whirls through the forest like a vacuum cleaner, snorting up every molecule there is to find and still... no Sisters. Jake stops, dumbfounded. Their trail is like a bright pink line against the dark brown and green forest floor. Following it is the easiest thing in the world, until it just... stops. It's gone, as if they shot up into the trees like a rocket. Jake points his nose up in the air, but no, there's no trace of them in the trees above. Jake, cleverer then most, goes into full border collie mode and begins to dig, just in case the Sisters somehow sunk themselves straight down into the Earth. But no, they're not there either. They are gone, and are outside of Jake's ability to find.

As he watches the drone sputter out of reach Ellesar decides to return to the camp. He attempts to keep his eyes away from the vibrant flames of the nearby fire in order not to hinder his vision. Any weakness given to the enemy could be a fatal one. If hiding and eliminating targets from the shadows was to be his role this evening he would gladly take it. Leave the rampaging through the forest to those that possessed the power. The mana may now be a stranger to him, but the inner strength coursing through Stogie was obvious enough.

Ellesar walks over to Smohalla's limp body and bends down to inspect it for damage. His mind locked into survival mode, he makes a few inquiries of the only nearby cognizant being. "Even if we bring that drone down we could still have problems shortly. Have the sisters been told of this yet? We can't stay too far in the light as it will make us easy targets, but I'm not sure if we can just leave him here like this." He glances back to Stogie before scanning the treeline in a paranoid fashion. "Can he be moved if necessary?"

"Jake's having trouble finding the Sisters. It's like they just disappeared into thin air. Don't know how they did that." Stogie looks over at Smohalla's body.

"Moving Smohalla is no problem for his health, unless he has trouble finding his body before he times out in the astral. That happens, we have one big, dead bird.

"You have any idea how badly you dinged that drone? I couldn't see much. Can't see much anyhow. I've given Jake my magic senses. I'll go see if I can figure out what happened to the women if you can keep an eye out here. Won't be long."

"Jake! Show me, boy. Come."

The eagle shaman marks the edge of the Sisters' domain and proceeds no further.

With a thought he recalls Thunderbird to a location nearby.

If the drone travelled in this direction, it is likely that more trouble will come from the same.

Smohalla takes what measures he can to position himself appropriately.

He wants to patrol this area without being too obviously a patrolling entity.

Stogie follows his mental connection to Jake. He finds the canine in the dark, snuffling about the woods. It's so dark here that Stogie can't make much of things. Stogie's a good tracker but working in the middle of the night is going to be tough.

But Stogie has a new power now, doesn't he? He can instinctively sense the mana of a place, feeling how it bends and flows. He can't use it to find astral forms, likes spells or spirits or sha(wo)men, but still... He seems to feel the mana warp here, right where Jake indicates that the trail stops. Stogie can't definitively say where they went, but this does seem like a powerful spot for them to conduct their magic.

Smohalla watches the drone continue to descend. It skims the tops of some tall evergreen trees before finally performing a belly landing in the river. It's actually not much of a river at this point. In the six months, fed by melting snow and spring rains, it will be significant. But now, in the midst of a dry spell, it's not much more than the runoff from a glacier on the north side of Rainier. Now that it is laying on rocks in the river, Smohalla can no longer make out the shape or location of it - the background is not bright enough to create a silhouette of the metal shape anymore.

Ellesar, Stogie, and Jake hear the distant cracking of tree branches and the final metal-on-rock crash of the drone - the sound reverberating up the river valley and off the walls of the surrounding mountains. There's no explosion, just a booming echo of noise followed by nothing.

Smohalla contemplates this development for a split second.

One wren-spirit he sends to the crash site, with orders to report back to him (with details) if anyone approaches the downed drone.

He hopes the watcher won't be dissipated if it leaves the confines of the Sisters' domain. Only time would tell.

Another wren he dispatches to his teammates, with a message.

He also tells the watcher that it should return to him if there is any response.

The machine has crashed into a river, I will stay watching to see if any others approach it.

Please tell this spirit what plans you would like me to follow.

Stogie memorizes the location, and scans astrally to find any identifying details. Then he pats Jake on the head and signals a return to the campsite. "Come on Jake. Let's get back to the campsite. Sorry, boy, but I need the special senses back." He strokes the dog's neck and chest as he draws the power back into himself.

They head back.

Smohalla sends the first tiny wren off to the crash site, which promptly rips itself apart as it tries to exit the aspected domain. The surviving watchers have grave expressions at the tiny bird's fate; Thunderbird communicates its displeasure to Smohalla and brusquely requests that it be spared from the same demise.

Stogie pulls his powers back from Jake, receiving an angst-filled melancholy along with it. Jake feels that the rescinding of the powers reflects his inability to find the Sisters, and he worries that he has let Stogie down. Plus, he would have preferred to keep the powers for himself. It's not like Stogie can use them to see in the dark.

Returning to the campsite, a small, pretty, visibly-relieved wren materializes with a pop over the campfire so that it won't be unseen. Clearing its throat, it does its best Smohalla impression for Ellesar, Stogie, and Jake:

The machine has crashed into a river, I will stay watching to see if any others approach it.

Please tell this spirit what plans you would like me to follow.

The spirit bobs up and down like a cork in a lake, waiting obediently for a response.

Ellesar watches warily as Stogie and Jake return to the campsite, with no sign of the sisters. His face shows obvious signs of concern. No rest for the weary.

"This does not bode well. If we cannot warn the sisters then we may have to deal with the potential threat without them. If we fail a trap will surely be set for them." His thoughts are interrupted by the appearance of the small bird perched over the campfire. He listens to the words of the spirit, allowing for a small smile at the impersonation.

After the bird has finished its piece Ellesar addresses Stogie. "Any suggestions? Personally I'd love to go setup by the downed drone and wait it out for the owner. The problem being that anyone with any sort of tactical sense would see that coming, unless they believe it outran us. Another issue is if they have more drones, especially armed ones, then they could just search for us carefully from outside our range."

"If we fail, what befalls the sisters is beyond our caring anyway.

"I'm not sure I want to leave the camp. We would be losing an advantage we have and making ourselves more visible to whoever is out there. If I weren't afraid the drone had a beacon, I'd say let's see if Smohalla's spirits could carry it back here. Maybe we could learn something from it."

Smohalla soars in the astral, slightly feeling the strain of being removed from his meat body.

He wants to check out the downed drone, but the edge of the Sisters' domain halts his actions.

The first unpleasant feeling of being in a cage tingles at the back of his consciousness.

Smohalla circles astrally. He's not bound so much by the constraints of the Sisters' domain so much as his summoned spirit is. Brother Thunderbird is the tether here, and its desire not to be dragged out of the aspected domain. Smohalla may leave Brother Thunderbird behind, but should he do so he could only leave it with one set of instructions. Once those instructions were complete, all other services would be lost. But that would allow Smohalla to venture forth himself, leaving the warm mana of Sisters' campsite behind. The power Smohalla wields near camp is a great comfort, especially when confronted with unknown men and their unknown motivations, but its psychological effects cage his thoughts to his great discomfort.

Smohalla may watch the area of downed drone from a distance - the lifeless drone itself being nearly invisible - although details are impossible at this range. Time passes. Nobody comes for it. But perhaps nobody would? What would one do with a drone that's crashed into a mountain river in the middle of the night in the middle of November? It was large - the size of a man - and surely heavy. Smohalla barely comprehends the ways of men, let alone their mechanics, but even he understands that such a machine would be difficult to retrieve under such circumstances.

Ellesar and Stogie return with Jake to camp, setting up a perimeter - or as much of a perimeter as you can with two men and a dog. The night passes, the cold pressing into them now that they're away from the relief of the fire.

Smohalla continued his vigil.

He awaited his friends' reply.

That, or he would have to return to his body soon.

Stogie considers the situation for a moment more. "You know, if it crashed into a river, it probably is shorted out six ways from Sunday. Let's leave it till daylight and the Sisters can be up to defend home base." He turns to the spirit.

"Little bird, say to your master,'They wait in the camp. The Sisters are gone away. Watch till it is no longer safe to be away from your flesh. They will guard the camp.'"

Smohalla listens to the reply, cocking his head on the astral as a matter of habit to hear the spirit better.

He thanks the spirit and asks that it stay around with the other spirits, patrolling the area.

The shaman himself continues his vigil, more and more feeling the pull of the physical world.

It's a long night. Ellesar and Stogie keep watch in the physical realm, protecting Smohalla's body while he monitors the astral world. It's cold, it's dark, and there's an awful lot of forest for mercenaries, animals, and cannibalistic wendigos to hide in. Smohalla and his watchers are limited to a kilometer, a tight constraint for an eagle whose natural habitat runs the length of the sky.

Nobody's getting enough sleep, not even Stogie. Jake might nod off now and again but Stogie's alertness keeps him from fully resting. This new reality of "constant vigilance" is exhausting. Will you get used to it in time, or it simply the price you pay to be a part of the Sisters and their plan for the world? There's too much wilderness for three men to monitor effectively, even with their canine and astral helpers. The forest is good for hiding, but that advantage has switched sides. Whoever was piloting that drone knows where you are but the reverse is not true. He, or she, could be anywhere along that ridge just a klick to the north, or that peak that butts up against the lake to the south, or maybe they're on their couch somewhere in their underwear, watching trids and eating crisps and brushing the crumbs off their belly. Smohalla would see them if they were close, wouldn't he? Or would the brightness of the astral forest mask the approach of a party as certainly as thick treetops do? Smohalla is sharp eyed, but would you bet your life on his eyesight? Or have you already? Such are the thoughts that come to men protecting outlaws at night in the woods in November.

Five freezing hours pass before Smohalla is forced to return to his body. There are no signs of anyone else during that time. The drone lies in the river where it crashed, and you're jealous of the rest it's receiving. Surviving is challenging enough without short sleep rations.

"Welcome back, chum." Stogie stretches for the dozenth time, and rubs bleary eyes. "Haven't been this sleepy in a long, long time.

"The Sisters are off somewhere Jake and I couldn't track. Just disappeared into thin air. No sign on the astral either. If we are going to stay here, we're going to have to figure out how to contact them when the drek hits the fan.

"I don't fancy this waiting for that to happen. This night was miserable."

Having grown tired of staying still hours ago, Ellesar had taken to pacing the campsite. Though young and vigilant his mind wandered and his senses dulled. The lack of sleep and frigid temperatures wore on his body and he longed for rest. A shame he couldn't find it.

"The nights here are miserable enough without added paranoia. This lack of sleep will cost us. Perhaps the sisters will have some insight when and if they return."

Smohalla's body lurches with a pulse, like a man hit by a defibrillator. After being perfectly still for so long - no rolling over, no adjusting like a man asleep would - the spasm is alarming. His frail form jumps again, this time with his nose carving into a beak suddenly and feathers popping out of his skin, but then the body is still and the eagle's features return to a human's.

Jake looks alarmed. Stogie looks at Smohalla on the astral. He sees the form of an eagle circling around the body tightly, trying to merge again with his terrestrial host. The body won't take his astral self. Smohalla's astral image looks understandably concerned. He's been projecting for hours, and it's common knowledge that magicians away from their bodies for too long do not survive. But how long exactly? And how does the mana of the place affect the matter?

A ghostly version of Smohalla's eagle form wavers into the physical world. He can still manifest himself, at least. He opens his beak and... caws. Communication might be difficult.

The sky begins to lighten ever-so-slightly in the east. With luck the sun and the Sisters will rise soon.

Stogie jerks alert. "Hey, Ellesar. Smohalla just tried to return to his body from the astral, and failed. That manifestation is him from the astral, trying to talk to us. If he doesn't get back into his body soon, he will die. I'll try to communicate with him in the astral."

Stogie projects his perception into the astral. He knows there are no 'words' there, but he tries his best to get the emotional sense and message across to Smohalla. Buddy. What is wrong? Is this place keeping you separate from your body? Do we have to get the two parts of you out of this area of power? That's a long way off.

Wait! Follow me!

He returns to the material world. "Ellesar! Help me carry Smohalla's body." He kicks Jake into action. "Follow the Sisters, Jake. Go back to the Sisters." He know the way, but Jake can help him remember the quickest path. He continues with Ellesar, "There's that place where the Sisters just disappeared. Maybe that's an easier place to pass between the worlds. Let's see if Smohalla can get back together there."

Stogie watches Smohalla on the astral. The eagle demonstrates his situation again, bouncing off his mortal form ineffectually. His surprise and anxiety are evident in his aura. If he has any theory as to why this is happening, he cannot communicate it.

Stogie grabs Smohalla's shoulders while Ellesar takes his feet. The frail body is not difficult to lift, although it sags in the middle. The men stagger behind Jake, following him to the site where the Sisters' scent vanished without a trace. Jake lets off a ferocious barrage of barking, his raise-the-alarm bark to alert the Sisters, should they be within earshot.

The men set Smohalla's body down. His astral form attempt to rejoin it but fails yet again. Stogie looks around. There is nothing appreciably different about this area, nor is does his new metamagic indicate that there's rift between worlds here.

After five minutes, the forest begins to shimmer in front of you. The Sisters emerge out of nowhere, not in the sense of being teleported but more like they were always there but the lens of the world was out of focus. They slowly come into view, looking tired and rumpled. Hester and Selene rub their eyes and look irritable. Ellie, in her nightgown and a fuzzy pink robe to ward away the early-morning chill, openly yawns and looks bleary-eyed. Stogie notices a powerful spirit evaporating away with the first rays of morning light. The world seems to shift and sharpen as it departs, taking its Concealment with it.

"What's all the fuss?" Ellie asks, looking at Jake with a mixture of headache and concern. It's clear that his barking has stirred them. In response, Jake indicates the inert form of Smohalla. Stogie explains the situation as best he understands it, while the eagle form manifests on the physical plane.

Ellie nods. "This is not unheard of," she says. "Hopefully it will pass in time and he will be able to rejoin his body as usual. Luckily, the mana here sustains us far longer on the astral than other places. I daresay a powerful shaman like Smohalla could last the entire day here. But, certainly, keep his body within the confines of the campsite or he will certainly perish. If we are patient, the problem may resolve itself."

"OK, well we can keep his body safe for now. But I'm afraid we may be getting company. A downed drone that probably saw our fire is likely to have given notice someone is here. Not too many options for who that someone is. If they're looking for you, Sisters, they will check it out. And daylight is here.

"Let's put Smohalla's body where it is out of sight and safe. Then let's have some breakfast. Who knows when the next meal might come."

Stogie sets to figuring how best to use Jake ... and keep him alive.

Jake senses Stogie's concern. 'Whuf!' I stay close. Protect the flock.

Ellesar sits at his usual spot around the campfire, releasing an audible sigh in the descent. "This whole situation is exhausting. We have to do something, but for once in my life I'm at a loss for ideas."

Ellie goes about preparing breakfast. Her manner is calm but Stogie is perceptive enough to notice her preoccupation about Smohalla's condition. She heats a pan, throws some sausages in it, and starts to work on some coffee, but there's none of her usual conversation or engaging banter. Perhaps she's tired from being woken up early by a barking border collie, or perhaps her mind is racing regarding Smohalla's situation.

Hester and Selene head off into the forest in the direction of the downed drone. They're gone for a while. Ellie sets out the sausages and coffee for the men. She does some quick flapjacks in the pan grease, making sure everyone is appropriately carbed up for the day. She eats very little herself, just a bite out of a couple sausages before offering the remainder to Jake. Jake has no objections and wolfs down everything Ellie offers him.

Hester and Selene reemerge from the forest with looks of steely determination. Ellie looks up. In return, Hester and Selene flash a series of hand signs. Smohalla knows some sign language and evidently his view from the astral is clear enough to figure out what the women are communicating. Ellie gives off a low murmur. Smohalla's manifestation zips to the north for an instant before zipping back almost immediately. It flies around Stogie, Jake, and Ellesar in figure-eights.

"It seems that your expectations were well founded, Stogie," Ellie says as she stands, brushing a few crumbs off the front of her robe. "It appears that we may have some guests joining us. They're currently at the drone, but it seems logical that they'll be here shortly, don't you think?" She hums lowly to herself as she moves away from the camp. "I'm off to get dressed. Can't have them see me this! Make sure Hester and Selene get something to eat."

Hester and Selene walk back to the campfire, the looks on their faces expressing something between excitement and adrenaline. Stogie mans the cast-iron pan for long enough to produce enough sausages to feed the ork and the troll. They exchange glances with each other before firing off sinister smiles. Ellie may not enjoy this much but they do.

Stogie doles out the hearty meals to the two Sisters. "Here you go ladies. Strength and endurance for the warriors."

Ellesar watches the two sitting Sisters as he eats. He wonders how safe they will be once the women become blood-lusted.

The women eat greedily, their appetites spurred by the approaching engagement. They wolf down their food, their tusks scissoring shut audibly, ripping the sausages into chunks. Each downs a cup of coffee, either as a palate cleanser or as a stimulant. The troll burps and the ork wipes the grease off her mouth. They stand and turn to leave just as Ellie reenters the clearing properly dressed. Hester and Selene walk out of camp with long strides with Ellie having the chase to keep up. It's the first time you've seen her walking behind the other two.

Stogie and Ellesar move to follow. Jake whimpers, running back to check on Smohalla's defenseless form. In response, an air spirit appears. Smohalla may not be able to rejoin his body but he can still summon from the astral. The air spirit materializes in the shape of an eagle and perches about Smohalla's still form. It watches over him, cawing to encourage the men to go.

Stogie and Ellesar have to race to follow the women. Hester and Selene plow through the underbrush aggressively, their long legs pulling them along faster than the shorter metahumans can easily follow. Stogie can feel the mana of the place changing as they get further from the camp, as it returns to its wild state. Within half a kilometer there is an invisible boundary that Stogie can feel. It's the place where the powerful spirits Smohalla summoned near the camp could not pass. It feels less like the Sisters and more like the forest primeval. Stogie will not have the same mana to command here, nor will the Sisters. They will be magicians still, but they have been drawn out of their lair. Hester and Selene seem to feel that a swift response - and the element of surprise - is more important than casting in their aspected domain.

Once outside of the aspected domain, the Sisters do their summoning without breaking stride. A fire spirit, water spirit, and air spirit appear next to them. The air spirit spins around the group, the men included, circling in an accelerating tornado. Suddenly the power kicks in; Stogie and Ellesar are reminded of chasing Toothy with Smohalla's air spirit boosting them. The effect is the same. Walking becomes effortless running, and the forest practically bends itself to get out of the way.

Soon you are at the river. The mountain walls are steep and forested on each side. Hester and Selene break off without a word, the ork going left and the troll going right. Ellie stuttersteps back and forth, unsure of which to follow, before settling on the right with the troll. They begin to head straight uphill, which seems impossible but the magic makes it easy. They climb the steep valley faces with little effort, gaining elevation to better survey the scene and provide sight-lines for their magic.

After getting into position, you look down at the river. It is shallow and the crashed drone is readily visible. Three men stand around it, one examining it closely while the other two observe. Glancing around, Ellesar sees a couple other guys watching the perimeter. They're all men, and they look military-esque. They wear camo and carry large assault rifles. One of the men observing the work on the drone stands with his hands on his hips and an irritated expression. Ellesar, with his fancy googles, and Stogie, with his fancy adept powers, can both see that it's Gunny.

Stogie can feel the mana building. The women look to be ready to strike.

Stogie smirks at the revelation. "Gunny, huh? Alright, then."

Stogie pauses, shakes his head, and starts over. Something was wrong at first - he was looking but he wasn't seeing. Maybe Gunny's presence threw him off, or maybe it was the thought of how a simple shepherd found himself as fire support for a team of witches who are about to ambush a paramilitary group. After refocusing his attention on the matter at hand, he inhales deeply and lets his Talent push through the world. He feels his eyes press forward a bit as they reach through the branches and the needles and the foggy mists to see just about everything.

Gunny's standing in the middle of the river chomping on a cigar. He's clenching his teeth and there's a vein in his neck that's throbbing. He's pissed, which is pretty normal.

There's a man standing with Gunny who looks like the second-in-command. They're observing a tech working to fix the downed drone. The tech points out the rifle hole in the drone's fuselage to Gunny. It's clear to them that the drone was intentionally shot down.

There are two guys watching the perimeter. Actually, scratch that, there are five. Stogie can't even see three of them. One of them is in a tree, surveying the scene. Stogie can hear him and how his rustling is out-of-sequence with the wind gusts rustling the trees. Another one is just a blotch of camouflage, but Stogie can see his rhythmic breathing. It's either a man or a living tree. Out here that's actually feasible, but under the present circumstances it's probably a man. The fifth and final man? He's upwind and Stogie can smell him. The man put on some bug repellent and, right now, that's all Stogie needs to go on.

All the visible men are carrying assault rifles, good for long distances. Correction, Gunny only has a sidearm and a mean expression. That makes eight of them and five of you, plus the women's spirits, plus Jake. Decent odds for an ambush, but these guys aren't street punks looking for a quick payday. They're scanning the trees, keeping watch for whatever goes bump in the forest. A werewolf? A carnivorous troll? A cabal of homicidal women? Out here, anything is possible.

Ellesar remains at his current distance, hiding behind a nearby tree. His stride is graceful and calculated, a flowing motion to keep from creating significant angles in his figure. He keeps his goggles on and his rifle ready for any sudden action. Getting caught off guard by any unknown forces would be catastrophic. The advantage may be their own but he learned long ago not to trust the fickle winds of change.

"There has to be a better way," he whispers almost inaudibly to himself, "There are too many people here that don't need to die."

Clearing his head and his Sight, stogie starts at the revelation.

What the hell have we here?

Having followed Ellie and the troll, as much for his own protection as theirs, he is glad that he can communicate with two of the three, anyway.

He hand signals Jake 'down' and whispers, "Ssst. Ellie. There are more of them down there, well hidden. Over there, in that tree," he points, "I hear someone hiding up in it. And over there, that bush is moving like it's breathing. Upwind is someone wearing insect repellant, but I can't see that one. Do you have any way of letting the other two on the other hill know this? I'll keep sensing to see if there are more, or if the ones we already know about move. I'll pay special attention upwind."

Jake, let me know if something comes from behind. Be quiet, but let me know.

Stogie has his enfield ready, and draws mana into himself, heightening his reflexes and smoothing his movements.

The ork glances at Ellesar with a vaguely distrustful expression. Ellesar and the ork are being quiet enough that Ellesar's comment, even under his breath, doesn't go unheard. The ork shifts slightly, the look on her face suggests that she's wondering if Ellesar has the nerve for this sort of thing.

Ellie, trying to remain quiet, puts her fists on her hips and gives Stogie an impressed look that says, Why, you've been holding out on us! The troll sits against a tree for a moment and drops into the astral plane. Stogie flips his vision quickly enough to see the troll circle the area quickly.

At Ellesar's position, a shiny version of the troll manifests itself in the physical plane. The ork looks at her and the two exchange some sign language. Ellesar knows enough from his military days to recognize that they're relaying enemy positions. Pulling his goggles over his eyes, Ellesar uses their magnification and their thermographic vision to identify the target in the trees that Stogie couldn't see but could infer from the man's shuffling.

The image of the troll dissipates as the troll returns to the astral and then to her body. Stogie sees her wake up and nod to Ellie. The troll looks more concerned than before she left; she flashes some additional hand signs.

"Looks like you were right, Stogie," Ellie says in a whisper, patting Stogie on the shoulder in approval. "They also have a mage with them, who has a spirit. The man who is upwind." She looks down to Jake and gives him a small reassuring smile.

"Do you want to signal Ellesar?" she asks, pointing at Stogie's commlink. "His hunting rifle will be valuable to us if they have magical defenses. And would you like to get closer yourself? The Enfield doesn't have an extended killing range. Or perhaps you'd like to visit Mr. Insect Repellent in person?" she asks with a sly smile.

Stogie smiles at Ellie's suggestion. "The forest will force shorter ranges for both me and Repellent Man, so the shotgun will be just fine." He switches on the commlink, and apprises Ellesar of the situation in case the 'MagicNet'© message was unclear. He continues, "Ellesar, the one upwind is a mage, and he has a spirit floating around. You might want to keep an eye out for a spirit to shoot down. I'm going to hunt the mage."

He heads towards the smell and signals Jake through their Attunement, Away to Me, Boy. Jake rushes to the right and ahead. Take Time! Take Time! Jake slows and moves forward in a crouch. They move together as they have a hundred times in the forest, Jake staying 30 or 40 meters off of Stogie, slightly ahead, allowing Stogie to use momentary sense links to check for the prey's scent and sound in a triangulation. The hunt is on.

Stogie smiles once more, remembering the first time the two of them used this mental link in a sheep trial, not a single whistle or verbal command, yet the sheep were driven through the course and into the corral like clockwork.

He ensures the Enfield is in semi-automatic mode. Gotta get me some recoil comp on this thing when we get back.

Ellesar gives the ork a brief smile before replying to Stogie. "Roger that, I'll let you take the initiative once you get close. If I fire now it may hinder your advancement. If you get a chance send me a ping before you alert them." With that he turns back towards the targets, surveying the area between himself and them. "And don't you worry about me," he calls out just loud enough for the ork to hear, "I've seen my fair share of action."

He slowly brings the rifle up to its usual resting spot at his cheek and peers down the sites to double check a clear shot at the men. One mistake could mean fatal results and he had no reason to trust the skills of the sister behind him.

Stogie and Jake prowl through the forest on the hunt. Stogie's senses are so on right now that he has no great difficulty in nosing out the mage. Jake picks him up too and they converge on his position.

About 50 meters out Stogie can see the back of the man through the trees. He is turned away, watching the river scene intently. Stogie flips to the astral and sees that the man is jamming the mana in front of him, counterspelling Gunny and the repair team in the river. Nice of him to do so, but he should have grabbed a man to watch his own back because right now it's exposed.

Closing in, Jake's eagerness gets the better of him. He steps on some loose rocks which skitter down the hillside, clacking against other rocks. The mage whips his head to the side, breaking the counterspelling. Stogie, with his perception jacked up to 11, catches a peek of an earbud in the man's ear, no doubt improving his range of audio perception. A curious look crosses his face as he stares at a border collie in the middle of the forest. Jake freezes, knowing that he's busted. Stogie, on the other hand, is far away enough from Jake that he is still in the clear.

Shit. That fries the eggs. Ain't lettin' Jake take the hit for me on this one.

Stogie draws the mana to him to help his aim, hoping the cover of all the life in the forest and his attention on Jake keep the mage from noticing. Surprise, wiz boy! Stogie lines the red dot on the center of the visible mass and squeezes off his shot.

Stogie's aim is true. The slug wanders a a few centimeters over the long distance, so instead of center-punching the man's chest it slams into the back of his rib cage. His armored vest saves him from a killing blow but Stogie can see the burst of red mist that means the armor didn't stop the shot either. From the looks of it, Stogie nailed him just to the right of his heart, likely collapsing his lung. The man arches his back in pain and shock before falling forward face-first into the dirt.

The elf stares down the long scope of his rifle with an intense gaze upon the first of his targets. His red dot lingers on the man's left calf, a slight waver generated by his stance behind the tree. If his record was of any merit it had been quite a while since he last hit someone in their femoral artery. That pesky artery, always a thorn in... well, someone else's side. These men are only here for the money. If we can just make them see that it's not worth it maybe they will leave Gunny. He's the real problem here

The loud, familiar sound of gunfire signals his release. The leg still in his view he takes the shot, squeezing the trigger and hoping for the best.

The sound of Stogie's shot draws the immediate attention of men standing in the river shallow river. The rigger hops to side to use the drone as cover from whoever is shooting a shotgun. Gunny's right hand man dives face prone face first behind one of the larger rocks. It's probably safer there, but the icy river water rushing into his camo suit probably sucks. Gunny swivels his head imperiously, not deigning to cover. His eyes stare into the forest with a sour expression for whoever is so annoying to interrupt the repairs in progress. "Report!" he barks into the air.

Instead he's met with another scream from behind him. The shot from Ellesar's rifle is suppressed so it doesn't make a loud whip-crack when it is fired. It does, however, elicit an extremely painful reaction from the man who just had his leg shot out from underneath him. The bullet grinds through the man's calf and, in all likelihood, through the tibia on the other side. The man cries and falls, grasping at his mangled leg muscle while tumbling down the hillside.

Jake looks this way and that. Recognizing that the man that Stogie just shot is no longer a threat, he dives for cover under a nearby log. His eyes and nose emerge on the other side, keeping watch for assailants and other surprises.