Maya spends the day trying to make sense of everything and dealing with the loss of Rick. As it is, the Orcs seem to have settled down again under the, perhaps temporary, leadership of Klarisa, something that Maya is very grateful for. The Orks have sent out three hunting parties to help with their food stocks. Sim has tallied and sorted the food remaining in the camp and Pierre has been of great assistance in organizing the rest of the non-radiated people still in the camp. All in all, things are going about as well as she could expect them to. Summer is keeping in touch with Aria and lets Maya know that Lindsey and the girls with her are heading in the general direction of the structure that Nora had spoken of. Maya has passed on her wishes for their success.

Moving about and keeping busy is good for her and it is not long before she completely forgets that she is still naked, being reminded of it only when she catches someone staring at the scars on her body. Raferty is working on another bow, so Maya leaves him to it. He seems very self conscious of her scars the one time she goes to see how he is progressing, so she stays a bit away from him so he is not discomfited by her disfigurement.

[Nim - 5th day - Main Camp] #17

After a few hours of hunting and gathering I have found a bundle of wild onions and tubers. I also have game, two squirrels and three hares. I grab one of the kids "need fire and water in....eh" I make a big circle with my arms then act like I'm holding something invisible and start stirring. I start cleaning the animal and prepare the onions and tubers..

Day 5, Late Afternoon, Man made structure

After the eventful reunion of Addie, Dana and Lindsey’s posse the group of girls make your way south and west towards the site identified by the spirit…the trees loom around you, looking woebegone, as if the life has been leached from them…

At first you don’t see it, the general debris underfoot is masking everything…but there’s a road, an honest to goodness tarmac road…it’s cracked and heaved where roots have pushed up from underneath, and the whole stretch is only visible for a hundred yards before it disappears under the pine needles and assorted crap that has hidden it from view…

And just beyond it, again barely visible, there is a structure…tentatively getting closer you can see it might once have been a rest stop for hikers, or perhaps loggers given the surrounding trees…but there’s no telltale hum of electricity and nothing that resembles a matrix connection…whatever it is, it’s well and truly dead now!

[Cailin - 4th day - Main Camp] #163

In the middle of the afternoon, Cailin stops what she was doing. She seems a bit surprised at first, but stands up - a bit unsteadily for a moment - before going to the group of sick people. Her cheeks burning once again, she tries to look everywhere but directly at them, when she says "I'm ready. You'll just have to come to where I was, it'll be much easier to cast my spells there. Even if it's an easy one. Come..."

Some eager to get this done, or not feeling too good, some more hesitant, follow Cailin to the stick of wood she put in the ground. She holds her hand out, for the first volunteer to catch. Then, on each one, she casts two spells. The first one doesn't seem to do anything much at first, its effects only perceptible after a while. The second one has a more visible effect though: when she drops the hand of a kid, his hair has grown to a decent length, and is nicely done if it's a girl. In fact, each kid is now perfectly cleaned up.

Maya watches as Cailin does her magics on the sick kids, comforting those that might be a bit scared at first. This becomes much less of a chore after the mage regrows the hair of the first couple of them and cleans them up as well. She waits to be the last to be cleaned and is very glad to have her hair back, feeling it grow down her back and covering some of her scars there. "Thank you very much, Cailin. You have saved some lives today that might have been lost without your effort and dedication." Maya looks around at the kids standing near her and adds, "Do you think that your spell will work on the clothes as well? Would you need to do each one individually or can you touch several at once and do the magic?"

[Cailin - 4th day - Main Camp] #164

Cailin seems a bit ill at ease, and mumbles a "You're welcome. It didn't take much out of me as you can see..." She pauses then grimaces and shakes her head "But for the clothes, I can't do anything. This spell targets... Erm. Let's say it only works on living organisms. Can't you wash them or something?"

Maya nods. "I see. Well, yes, they can be washed, and have been, but I would not think that would remove the radiation from them. If it could, you would not have needed to study the spell to clean us but could just have kept the showers on longer. Hmmm. Well, that is a stumper. Any ideas to help keep these people from having to walk about naked?"

She looks over at Raferty and the others then walks over to where the rest of the camp seems to be gathering. "So, Cailin has removed the radiation from us, but can do nothing for our clothes, so right now we have a dozen people that are naked. Could you please round up some of the flats that are no longer needed and bring them to us so we can at least be clothed. We can work on a more permanent solution later." Soon, all of the kids that were irradiated are wearing borrowed flats and feeling a lot better. Maya is pleased to see the relief on the faces of those who had been sick reflected from the faces of the rest of the people in the camp. She personally thanks everyone who has shared their flats.

[Cailin - 4th day - Main Camp] #165

Cailin shakes her head "I could make new clothes with pelts or leather, but I don't think I'd be able to remove the radiations from the clothes. Maybe it won't be dangerous in a few days?"

Cailin clearly hesitates to give her flats. She has her body suit below so it's not like she'd be naked or cold, but... Well... She feels naked with just that... In the end, she is relieved - and a bit ashamed to be - to know that she doesn't need to give her flats. Hers are too small to fit on anyone who jumped on Rick, and got irradiated in the process.

"Well, Nym has been out hunting and has a number of pelt that could be sewn together. It would be a start. I do not know much about radiation, but I think that the clothes are toast for years if you cannot fix them with magic. I will ask Dana to dig a hole for them when she returns."

When he heard that Cailin could purge people of radiation through magic, Pierre had to come and watch.

Well, watch for a while. It ended up being disappointingly bland. He didn't know what he'd expected, but should magic look more magical somehow? Or do something to tell you that it was working? Could you design a spell with a better user interface to give more information about how it was working? Not that he'd ever be designing spell or learning them, but it seemed like an interesting question to look into some day. Assuming he got out of here, of course.

That thought got him off his butt and back to work gathering thatch to provide some degree of roofing for whatever Dana built next, or else just for a few more lean-to. They'd found out last night, in all too much damp, muddy, detail, how NOT water proof the amount of branches they'd put on Dot's lean-to was, and the patch he'd put on the tent had been only a little better. Still they'd been better than just sitting in the rain, and had held in some of the heat. A thicker layer of branches, maybe crunched down denser, might do a better job. He wondered if any of the kids had lived in countries where there still had some thatched huts around, and if they knew anything about how the thatching was done? He was getting a feeling that it was a lot harder than it looked.

Eventually he overheard the discussion about the clothes, and weighed in.

"I would think the clothes would be safe enough to wear at least pretty soon. Washing should have gotten off anything that got on them, and the materials they make those things out of shouldn't be all that susceptible to being changed to dangerous isotopes, and the most unstable -- hence radioactive -- of those will have already decayed. Plus there isn't a lot of mass on them. I'm not saying they are perfect, but given the risks of getting cold or hurt, I'd take a chance on them soon. Maybe wait until tonight, then put them on for the warmth."

Later, when he gets a chance, he pulls Caillin aside to say "I'm so glad you are here, and have the magic to help with that. I know enough to know how dangerous radiation can be, but not enough to know how dangerous this radiation is. Being able to be safe, then have people cleared and hair grown back, it makes me a lot happier that I wasn't taking too many othe risks with their health for fear of the invisible. Thank you."

"But I also have a question about the hair growing thing: how hard is that, and how long could you grow it? There is a lot we could do with some decent cord, and hair is really strong, so if we cold grow people's hair long enough and then harvest it, we might be able to make something useful."

It had been hard enough for Raf to approach Cailin for his treatment. Like most of the other nude kids, he was most self-conscious around the majority that still had their clothes. And of all those, he was most self-conscious around Cailin. It didn't help that she hated him. But he kept his eyes up, one of the first to step forward and take the cure. His nausea immediately ceased, but when along with growing his hair back she'd cleaned him up - the mud he'd covered himself in was the only thing giving him a shred of modesty...

He thanked her quietly and quickly retreated, returning to his solitary work on the next bow.

Later, he heard the dwarf called Pierre talking about how, in fact, the flats were safe to put back on. Could be true. Or Maya could be correct that they weren't. It was a moot point since Maya had by then gotten all the naked kids flats from the others, all of whom had the high-tech, custom-fitted body gloves. It was a sign of how exhausted he was that he hadn't thought of that much earlier. He didn't know who exactly his current set of flats had come from, but he wasn't about to trade them back to the body-glove-wearing donor for a chance to play radiation-expertise-roulette with his old ones.

So he kept whittling away, still at war with himself over the very act of it - it represented an assumption of being here for some while. And as long as the current political trend was for keeping the whole group together, then they'd be here for a long while indeed.

Addie, Day 5, Man-Made Structure

Addie had volunteered to help carry the tent, a task that the other girls were glad to share. What Addie hadn't counted on was just how tired she was. Despite her 'ware helping her hold up better than most people it had been a physically and emotionally exhausting day, and gradually the fatigue just began to wear her down, pulling away the sparkle in her spirits that her time with Dana -- on the ground and in the air -- had created. She just felt grey.

Then the girls got excited at the site of road -- even an old and overgrown road. They put the tent down, and then Addie finally realized what really had her down -- the entire land around them. The vegetation looked ill, twisted but sickly. The greens were dull, there wasn't insects, there were no berries or anything that added colour to the drab scene.

Paradoxically this made her feel better -- she'd been reacting to the environment more than having hit her own limits.

When they saw the building ahead, Aria shuddered and said "It feels so dead." Gem commented "If a boyo said 'comma wit me this place, 500 nyen' I'd spit in his filthy face and have blades out case he tried the rough way."

Addie had been distracted as she'd checked for matrix activity, at first eagerly and then with growing disappointment. Into the little silence that followed Gem's admission that she'd walked the streets, Addie threw in "I'd say your instincts are good. Maybe it was a nice place once, but it doesn't feel that way now, does it? I guess we'd best check it out, anyway, but I don't think I'd want to sleep in there?" She looked to Dana and Lindsey "Does magic tell us anything else?"

Still a little peeved at the two newcomers showing up and just assuming they were welcome, Lindsey shrugs and waves an arm at Dana, "Don't look at me, I can't do magic. Looks like a building to me... although abandoned." Relenting a little, mainly due to her own curiosity, she directs her friend to search the inside of the building for anything living or magical and the translucent male form shoots ahead of the group and disappears through the wall of the structure. Trying to reassert her authority, she continues, "He'll check it out and make sure it's safe. Once he's done we'll have to try and search it for any clues before the sun goes down. Might as well set up camp here while we wait." She starts directing the girls to set up the tent and arrange the supplies.

Day 5, Late Afternoon, Man made structure

(after Dana's confession before arriving)

Dana looked at Addie and said "This is kind of heavy, I do not expect anyone to relate. Let's just fly, it will be fun." With the little elf carrying Addie's clothes Dana changed Addie and then herself. They did not directly flew to Lindsey, instead they stopped at the previous next to Dana's clothes. These took a bit to find but eventually, the earth had very little secrets from the young mage. Body glove found Dana seemed happy. Caillin has made that one look especially worthy of a warrior with a shade that resembled the earth more.

She did not wear the clothes right away, but instead piled them also on the little spirit.
"How was it? can you handle it again ?" she asked, and Addie nodded perhaps excited with the unique perspective.

Once they arrived Addie seemed distanced and quickly placed herself under the load of the tent. Dana instead was happily chatting with Nora, perhaps too happily. She did not care, not about radiation or about ill plants, toxic mages. Nora had all sorts of food, and when Addie arrived she quickly offered her some nutrition bars and seemed happy to see her.

"She is so pretty..." Whispered Nora to Dana, as the two walked beyond the group carrying the tent.
Dana tried to come up with poker face 'she's okay', but was not sure how reliable that was. She was uncertain what kind of relationship she and Addie had now, if at all and how she should behave around her...

Does she expect me to be all girly all of a sudden? That makes no sense.

"Why do you feel so strongly about me?" Asked Dana bluntly, just to shift the conversation away from Addie.

"Excuse me?" asked Nora.

"You obviously have strong feelings toward me, you do not breath normally, it is like you consider every word."

"
"It is not your fault Dana, but if you must know I am terrified of you, or of what you may become."

"Afraid of me, but why ?"

"Look around you silly... everything is corrupted, the animals have odd number of limbs and the plants look sick, Aria told that there was a toxic mage attack - do you think that that mage was always toxic? Perhaps she was once an attractive ginger girl with good intentions, just like yourself. This place changes the animals and the plants, it sure is changing us as well... and it is not personal but mages are already borderline crazy Dana... "

"That is depressing, so you hate me because things that I may do in the future? "

"I don't hate you, but I look at you and my stomach twists with fear. It is not just you, it is Lindsey as well with her powerful spirits. I mean, sure they are nice and useful now - but how nice are they going to be in the longer term? If our lives were not so dependent on magic, I'd rather having all you awakened freaks as far away from me as possible, but there is no matrix, no tools no nothing - how can we possibly survive without you? We are like mice that go after the cheese despite all evidence showing that it is a trap." she sighed.

Dana said "That is not easy to hear, but thank you I guess" She wanted to runaway and cry because there was some piece of truth in what Nora had said. She couldn't, so Dana just doned her tough girl face and remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Dana looked at Lindsey and said "You are more powerful than you claim to be, most of your spirits are probably more knowledgeable about magic than I can possibly be. They have abilities far beyond my understanding and their bodies are more resilient than mine and can simply ignore of mundane attacks, including rocks, spears and even most bullets. Do you really believe that people see you any differently from me and Caillin ? "

To answer Addie's question Dana said "Nothing in particular that I can do with magic, perhaps helping you clean this place once we decide that it is safe. I think it may be better than a tent and until we have someplace else to go to. We'll need proper roof as winter comes. Caillin may say more, she has spirits that can glimpse into the past and tell us what happened to this place."

With that Dana approached the building and tried to find some opening to explore it.

Pierre, day 5, main camp

They'd fussed for a while about whether to move the tent-with-a-hole closer to where Maya's camp was. In the end they decided that they couldn't really move the lean-to, and a lot of the kids didn't want to move closer to the radiation, so they'd kept things where they were.

Actually, it had been kind of a wasted morning, so far as Pierre could tell. With the absence of clear leadership and the presence of new dangers, people were mostly reluctant to leave camp to go foraging or hunting. They should probably move to somewhere better, but they had to wait for Caillin to learn her spell, and presumably Dana was going to be coming back here and Pierre was pretty sure everyone was hoping that she'd make them new places to sleep.

He thought of dragooning a few of the kids into helping him gather branches to give some sort of roof to the shelters, but in all honesty they'd stripped most of the easily breakable branches near the camp already, and he had to admit he wasn't comfortable going farther afield right now either. This was going to be a problem soon, but it sounded like problem of social organization and magical protection, neither of which were his areas.

Eventually he noticed Raf, working on a piece of wood. He was the kid with a bow, so probably working on a new one? Now that sounded like something he could be helpful with.

He wandered over and sat down, which was probably rude, but frankly he probably didn't care. "I've never made a bow, but I know some carpentry -- had to learn to make adapters for my height at the factory, tabernac. Can you use another pair of hands? Someone to do some grunt work while you rest your hands? Basically I need to do something productive, can you make use of me somehow, before I go crazy from waiting, osti?"

[Cailin - 4th day - Main Camp] #166

Cailin follows Pierre, but doesn't seem comfortable doing so. Nothing to do with him specifically, but more to the simple fact that he is pulling her. She listens quietly, and shrugs uncomfortably "You're welcome I guess..." She looks longingly in the direction of the camp, then answers "For the hair it's not difficult at all. As long as it's something the body could do by itself. But growing that much hair? I don't know... I obviously never tried..."

It was the dwarf called Pierre - the one that seemed to know something about nuclear physics. Raf had seen him questioning Cailin about something earlier.

Another pair of hands would certainly be welcome. Raf had been practicing bowyery with his father for four years now, and wasn't sure how much he could show the dwarf in a short time, but it was worth gambling a few straight sticks.

"Sure, glad for the help. I've gathered these sticks. They're all hard enough wood, for now, though we might fire-harden the points later. Of course none are straight enough, but each of them has a long and straight enough core, so you need to whittle them down to that. That would be really helpful. Have you got a knife?"

Happy to have made tentatively positive contact with one of Maya's group, Pierre leaned closer and whispered "Yep, I've been stashing all the tools away when I can -- especially when the trouble happened I got everything I could out of sight before it walked off. We have a bigger knife, a small saw, and many thing's that won't help with the bow -- folding spade, one of the flint and steel sets, a hammer, the first aid kit, some of the water treatment tabs..". He shrugs, then offers " Once we get the leader thing sorted out they can decide what to do with everything, but if you can use any of it before then, glad to pull some out for someone who is doing something."

Lindsey snorts, "Sounds like you know more about them than I do. They typically help me out but they've never mentioned magic before, so how would I know what they know? Normally they just want to talk about me for some reason... " She shrugs, "I certainly can't transform, or fly, or do anything else on my own, so yeah, I'd bet people do see me differently."

As Dana heads to explore the building alone, Lindsey calls out after her, "There's the difference right there. I have dangerous friends. *You're* dangerous..." Returning her attention to the other girls in the group she sees a few of them staring after Dana but quickly gets everyone working to get a camp set up on a clear patch of ground just off the path.

Dana said softly "Well I am your friend and I am dangerous too.
She paused and then added "Shape change is a powerful ally, one that I learned in order to understand the way that different animals fight. Helped me come up with my own style but I have it to share it. I will change you if you ask me to"

Then the curiosity was too much and Dana quickly struggled a bit with the door, the building has either sunk into the ground, or was covered by something - but it was nothing that a little earth manipulation did not solve...

The door was unlocked... whomever left that place obviously did not plan to ever go back.

Dana stepped in, bold and exploring, smelling the smell of a decaying dinner on a small table, whomever left that place did so in the middle of dinner without even doing the dishes. Yuck... Dana opened some windows to let in some air. It was a kitchen and there were supplies in the closets cans of some sort - but without label it would have been anyone's guess.

The second room was a large bed room, with sleeping bags and matrices and blankets a small treasure given their conditions. The third room was once a small hiking shop, though most of its shelves were empty. Some of the shelves in the shop still had some cheap camping gear, though it was evident that the climbing gear was emptied as well as most of the weapons. Dana took a hat and placed it on her head, there were plenty of these. There were also some arrows scattered on the floor, possibly fell off as someone was emptying the place. Dana picked them up and ordered them in the empty weapon vault. "Perhaps Rafferty would be happy with these arrows", she thought.

The register was hastily emptied. It had an old looking matrix terminal and a a bunch of cheap comlinks, that were probably nothing more than paper weight. As Dana searched the registry she accidently stumbled on a loose floor tile. She checked the tile carefully and discovered a lighter and a large plastic bag filled with weed. Dana exited the home to invite the rest. "it seems safe, she said and you will have plenty of room here." Grinning she waved the plastic bag and said "and we even have weed, though I am not sure if it is still good though."

Addie, day 5, at the tourist hut

Addie was torn when Dana went in. On the one hand she was both curious about the building and felt that somebody should have Dana’s back, but on the other Dana hadn’t asked for support and might not want anyone in the way?

Anyway, by the time Dana gave the all-clear, Addie was busy with the rest setting up the camp site. Lindsey was still giving her the cold shoulder even though Addie was doing her best to keep a low profile and be helpful. For example, Addie had doubts about camping in this stricken piece of land, but she kept them to herself and helped gather firewood. At least with so many dead trees around, that part was easy enough.

Eventually, however, curiosity got the better of her. Lindsey was still ignoring Dana and the building even though the tent was up, they had a good start on firewood, and there wasn’t a lot else to do. She dumped her latest armful of branches onto the pile and announced “I’m going to go in and take a look around.”

She tried to be casual as she strolled toward the door, but all the same she seemed to feel multiple eyes looking at her back. She’d almost rather have dealt with the rampaging orcs that with girl-girl politics!

Raf was duly impressed with this Pierre's inventory of useful items. In his mind, he conceded that this idling of capital was testament to how much they needed some sort of reliable management...He supposed that was Maya...of course it was Maya....no one else was stepping up....or at least no one viable, no one with the tenacity to stay at the leadership thing amid all the slings and arrows tossed up by anyone with a petty disagreement or who just chafed at authority.

But then that same chafing had been what had driven their smaller group away in the first place.

So Maya. Not the best manager. Or at least not by any textbook standard. But was he himself stepping up? He'd been trained to his entire short life...but he wasn't. Somehow, when his hard-earned skills were most needed...he was making bows and arrows. Useful? Certainly. But the resource multiplier that he could be? No.

And he knew that wasn't going to change. He'd learned that about himself.

"The leadership thing will never be 'settled,'" he said. "It never is. What we have now is what we have now. You should tell Maya about the things you've wisely set aside."

Addie, day 5, tourist hut

Stares may have followed her into the buiding, and there may have been some muttering, but nobody actually objected, so Addie slipped through the door that Dana had wrenched open and stepped inside -- and immediately moved off to one side to be out of line of site. She called out to Dana "Care to give me the grand tour?" then she added the best smile she had in and some more words pitched only for Dana's ears "Too bad we can't lock the door and ensure a little privacy ..."

As Dana briefly showed her the limited charms of the building Addie did let herself stay close to her, brushing her hand or her hip in passing periodically, taking comfort in the closeness. At the same time she pictured an old fashioned well, and threw into it the mental voices that objected that she wasn't gay, that this wasn't appropriate, that she wasn't being independent, that this just wasn't her. She could still hear them, so she pictured putting a big stone on top of it, after which she only caught a whisper of them. Well, she was probably going to have to deal with whispers from others over this eventually; she might as well practice on ignoring the whispers in her own mind.

Besides, she had distractions -- the building was a treasure trove of useful items, at least compared to what they'd had to work with. She was soon exclaiming "Three pots and two frying pans, that is going to help so much -- we can make soup of any game the hunters catch, and cook up more things properly. And dishes, and cutlery! Not enough for everyone, but we can share. And a salt shaker, and let me look, yes, half a box of salt!"

And it built from there. The cans could be mugs or bowls whether or not the food in them was still good, the lids could be used for scrapers or signalling mirrors or who knew what all else. Bedding could be bedding -- and she couldn't avoid a quick image of her and Dana sneaking off with a blanket or two at some point -- but could also be raw material for clothes, bags, or other things. There were a few old-fashioned items around with electrical cords that could be cut off and used as cords of a sort.

And then the shop. "Real hats! I don't have to go around with pine branches perched on my head anymore!" And she plopped a faux-cowboy on her hat with a happy sigh. There was a trove of other small treasures, starting with things to carry those small treasures in. The plastic bags had broken down to a state of uselessness, but there was one backpack with a broken strap and half a dozen canvas bags on which she could still vaguely make out a picture of some sort of evergreen tree -- although if they'd ever been stamped with the the location that part had unfortunately faded.

It did look like people had ransacked the place quickly, as some items were strewn around the floor and even under the shelves, while many of the shelves and displays were empty. A broken window had allowed rain and small animals in, so much of what was on the floor looked ruined, and a lot of cheap electronic items would be of no help even if she could power them.

That didn't mean the store wasn't a full of useful items, however. One area she soon paid attention to was a rack of distractions for children. For starters there were a few mesh bags of cheap children's plastic toys. The sand shovels were too small and weak to probably be very useful, but the plastic buckets were bound to find a use, and the mesh bags themselves still seemed to be strong enough for light carrying duty. Next to them were some yellowed coloring books packaged with small boxes of crayons. Not great writing materials, but again better than they had.

Near to the cashier's desk there was a mostly intact display of sundries, which included 5 sets of boot laces and 12 for shoes of various types, nine toothbrushes, four containers of dental floss, some faded cartons and bags that turned out to contain apparently indestructible feminine hygiene products, nail clippers and files, combs and hair-brushes, several colorful hair clips, along with a lot of expired, dried up, or flat out indistinguishable odds and ends. And next to that was a gross looking clear fronted cooler containing long expired bottles of various drinks -- surely enough that once they'd cleaned them well enough every kid in camp could have their own water bottle.

Maybe something could be salvaged from the stuff on the floor? Most of it looked to be beyond hope, but looking under one shelf she exclaimed "Match books! I wonder if they are still good?" But when she opened one up she got even more excited "Even better, travel sewing kit! One, two, ... four of them. That makes eight needles, twelve safety pins and a bunch of bits of thread. We aren't going to put together ball gowns with that but we could fix that back-pack and do some other repairs."

Finally she took a look at the commlinks. Unfortunately some of them were a model designed purely for wireless charging, but a few did have a back-up charging port. Carefully she aligned the heel of her hand to the port on one and let a trickle of power flow into it for a couple of minutes.

While she worked on charging up the link she turned to Dana, her eyes glowing with excitement, and exclaimed "We really need to thank Lindsey for finding this place and insisting on visiting it. This stuff is going to make surviving, like, a lot more possible. Not easy -- but it is going to help bunches, so we owe her bunches of thanks."

She falls silent for a minute, chewing on a thought as well as making sure to control the flow of electricity carefully. Eventually she adds "You know, that was half the problemL: we were trying to get a big group to all agree, so we didn't do much of anything. I think Lindsey was right to do what she thought was needed.” She gave Dana a bit of a flirty smile then continued “Are you up to any more magic today? Lindsey is setting up camp here for the night. What if we were to fly high up and get a look at the lake where this toxic shaman is supposed to be? See how terrible it looks, would it be possible to sneak up, anything else that we should know? I’m not saying that going after him is the right call, but what if we just go and get more information –that has to help make a better decision, right?”

Dana enjoyed Addies closeness and happily granted her request for a tour in the house. For a moment pretending as if the two lovers were renting a new apartment together. it was evident that she allowed the beautiful teen inside her personal space. Even occasionally stealing a touch or a stroke with her. It was uncharacteristic of the elven girl that sometimes felt like people are too intimidated to actually approach her, especially after the publicity Nora gave her.



Dana looked at Addie flirtatiously and bit her lower lip, implying just how much she was going to enjoy such privacy.

When the two were in the kitchen Dana said "I can cook, I am decent at it too... Perhaps we can make soup, or even a meat stew." When Addie discovered the slat, Dana felt excited as it was going to make food taste so much better. She found herself playing along with Addie's exploration just to be near her for a bit more. Dana enjoyed the findings but she knew that all these were good if there was some long term survival in their cards.



Dana picked up a hat for herself, and told Addie "It looks good on you..." gesturing at her hat. Well - everything looked good on her. At least that was how Dana felt. When the approached the cashier Dana was excited by the tooth brush - proper hygiene and she quickly pocketed one.




Dana looked at Addie being useful, fascinated. She could make electricity too, but it was not effortless the strain felt like somebody kicking her from the inside. She definitely did not control it well enough for charging comlinks. No, she was happy not to kill anyone with it. "You wanted him dead" whispered a voice in Dana's head it was her inner beast, that just had to share his unconventional wisdom with her. The beast added "He used you, you killed him, you are the alpha predator - not some victim" Looking distracted, and trying silence her inner beast she asked Addie"So will that comlink actually work now?"

Then she commented "Yes, I appreciate Lindsey very much for doing what her heart desired, while I think it is tactically safer to be close together for security reasons, It is impossible to manage so many people directly.
Hunters will always have their autonomy and if some of the children feel safer with the people they trust, I fail to see why it is such an issue, we are all in comlink range of each other and the girls are safe here with Lindsey and her spirit. Moreover, there are beasts within the camp not just outside. None of us has the perfect answer about how to survive. "



Dana smiled at Addie and said "I thought you will never ask, once that creep murdered Rick, I just knew that I would have to face him. Not sure if to actually fight him, but we need to reach some understanding and establish some boundaries between us and him, he should know that attacking us again will come at a terrible cost for him, but that we are not warmongers like Rick and he has nothing to fear us as long as he keeps his spirits to himself.

Would you like to leave right now?"

Addie, day 5, tourist hut




It suddenly struck Addie that Dana just did everything fast. So different from Addie's own process of trying to line everything up, get all the background checked, everyone in agreement, and so forth. It was refreshing -- and a bit terrifying.

She told herself "Take a chance, say yes!"

What she actually said was "Ummm, almost? Give me a few more minutes trying to charge this thing, then a few minutes to stretch and warm up. I want to see if that makes a difference in how the flying feels -- and it will let me focus my thoughts better. While I do all of that I'm going to send an inventory off to Aria here and Nora back in the main group, then maybe we can plan on signals like 'go back' 'get lower' 'land now really quickly' or just 'look over there.'"

Then they heard a cough and approaching footsteps. Gem appeared in the door to the store portion of the building and said "Some of the others, they is wanting to come in and see. I said they should wait until you two gave the OK for anyone else to come in." Her voice was matter of fact, her face bland, but Lindsey was somehow sure that Gem had figured out that something was going on between Addie and Dana and had been making sure nobody would walk in on the two of them making out.

Trying to control her blush, Addie replied "Yes, it is fine, but we should make sure everything people find goes into a common pool of stuff for now. No race to claim things personally first, you know?" After a moment she amended that "At least, that is my suggestion, but probably you should talk to Lindsey, let her set the rules for this. She found it and got the group here and everything." She had to remember, stop telling people what to do, it always turned out wrong!

She headed back out of the building with Gem, then split off to give the commlink to Aria, explaining "I think we managed to get a bit of a charge into it, hopefully enough that it would run for half an hour or something, if it works at all. Can you see if you can bring it to life? Even if it won't work as a link, if the camera will work, or the flashlight feature, or even getting the screen to give a bit of light, those could all be of some use."

She spent a few minutes stretching, and sending a summary of what they'd found to the others who had links, then told Dana "Sorry -- now I'm ready."

Dana looked at Gem quizzingly as if she did not understand the question, but then Addie started blabbering and blushing, so Anna just looked at the two failing to figure out what it was all about. She thought "We verified, that it is safe, both with magic and with physical eyes. What more approval do they need? ... but Addie is blushing so perhaps they are giving us some alone time? Are we that transparent? I hope that Addie is not ashamed in me." She thought but did not mention it.

Instead Dana waited patiently until Addi doing inventory and reporting it to the other camp, charging the comlink and stretching up. Clearly Addie was thinking differently, and had this urge to manage the situation. When Addie said she was ready Dana extended Addie her hand, and then walked with her for several minutes enjoying the sun, and the company.

Once the two were out of sight she said with a devious smile. "strip, gorgeous you know how it goes" if Addie is going to like the shape change, she is going to spend plenty of time naked. The thought itself sent some pleasant tickles down Dana's spine. Something clearly changed by the way she looked at the shorter blonde girl, if she was attractive before, now her allure felt realistic and thus considerably stronger. In fact, Dana prefered to just explore Addie's body and get to know her better instead of going after a murderous toxic mage.

Once Dana took off her body clove she folded hers and Addie's clothes into a neat package and ordered her spirit to materialize. Introducing her "Addie, this is Dror - and he will carry our clothes when we change. I am a begginer in the art of conjuring, and have only learned the very basics but Dror will follow us until sunset or until his services are up. What ever comes sooner." She explained

She looked at Addie, now naked and sexual and held her hand, she whispered "Ma rabu masseicha ha shem" a Hebrew phrase that meant "How great are Your manifestations o Lord" . It was a phrase Dana used to describe aww from God's creations, and at that moment she was awed by Addie and what the two were about to do.

It only took a moment before the two were changed and took off to see where that toxic mage lived.

[Nim - 5th day - Main Camp] #18


Seeing that no one knows about any pots I set about building a fire. Fishing out the dried grass and small twigs and branches I had gathered to start it. I set a flattened branch with a carved divot down and pile up the tinder on top. I take a second stick and place its carved point into the divot on the flat branch. Then I start rolling the stick back and forth between by palms pressing downwards to cause friction. I continue to do this until smoke begins to rise from the tinder. I blow gently to feed it oxygen to get a flame burning. Then slowly I add small twigs and sticks then some branches saving some y shaped ones for a spit.

I look to Maya and/or Cailin and ask,

I spear the cleaned animals with another branch and prepare the spit.

Maya watches Nim with interest, recognizing someone who is able to live off the land and goes over to her. She fetches some of the wood gathered and stored to keep dry asks Sim to come with her. She kneels near the Elven girl and says in her best basic Sperethiel, "Thank you for all you have done to help here. Much of the available wood in the area has already been gathered, but there are teams out looking for more. Here is some that can help. This is Sim. He uses a type of magic that can increase the heat of the flames without consuming the wood faster. Would it be helpful for him to see what he can do for you?"

She pauses for a bit. "I do not think that we have been introduced. If we were, I am afraid that my anxiety of the past few hours have chased the memory from my mind. I am Maya and I understand that your name is Nim?"

Day 5, Late Afternoon, In Flight

Dana and Addie wheel through the rising thermals of the overly hot afternoon…despite the rain of last night and the early morning there is no moisture in the air, which make the slightly purple clouds on the horizon all the more threatening, particularly when you think you can see lightening discharging inside them…

Heading more or less south, judging from what you can see of the sun, you quickly see the lake where you believe the toxic is lurking…the land is even more blighted around it, the water looks oily even from this great height…and something obviously sees you too as a ball of light streaks up towards you like a surface to air missile…

[Nim - 5th day - Main Camp] #19

Nimlaniel'Erudima Aduelwa oder Nimlaniel...Nim okay I say with a shrug. With a sigh I go back to Sperethiel . I pull out my "plate", a flat rock that I've polished and washed that I set the tubers and wild spices on and place it in the fire on the edge. I nod over at Raf and Pierre.

Maya nods. "There are a few cooking utensils, or were. I do not know where they are just now. Pierre, that nice young man over there working on the bow with Raferty,took control of some of the things left behind when some of the other left the camp. He may have some cooking items left. There never was much, though, and some have disappeared in the commotion yesterday. As you saw, things were very disorganized for a bit."

"Yes, they are making bows, and doing a good job of it, too. Raferty has already made one and is making that one for me, unless someone else can use it better. I agree with you and am very concerned about over hunting this area, which is why I strongly support leaving here as soon as we can organize ourselves. I have hunted and set traps in the wild, but I do not believe that can be said for most of us here, but that does not mean I think I know all about survival out here. You seem to know a lot about it, probably more than me, so would you please stay and help us survive?"

Flying was going better this time. It was the weirdest sensation, because while Addie had not the slightest idea of how to fly, her body seemed to know. So as long as she didn't think about what she was doing, and let her body take care of the details, things seemed to work OK. Fortunately this was something she had learned in gymnastics so it wasn't so hard, just weird.

In fact, she'd even begun to enjoy the whole process. The experience of being lifted by thermals was borderline exhilarating, and as they gained height and the landscape unrolled beneath them, the whole process was bordering on magnificent. She was even able to relax enough to pick out the tourist hut, then see how even once nature covered the road it was possible to tease out the line of it in places.

Then she realized that Dana had moved on ahead, gliding to the next thermal, and she hurried to catch up. Hurried maybe too much, instinctively trading height for speed, meaning that when she found the thermal she was far enough below Dana that she'd have to spend some time -- hunh, her sense of time seemed shot, she didn't know the units of the time required -- to spiral her way back up to that level.

Looping around the spiral to face roughly south again she realized that they could see a lake in the distance, the woods around it looking half dead and all wrong, somehow. Perhaps the water is odd, too? Trying to look at the lake more Addie inadvertently drifts out of the spiral.

Then a molten ball of fury charged up from the lake in their direction, travelling far faster than anything that was climbing so steeply had any right to do. Addie didn't know if her instinct had been to duck like a human or dive like a hawk, but either way she suddenly found herself tumbling through the air.

Her first instinct was STOP! leading her to spread her wings wider, grabbing more air, and adding a spin to her tumble without stopping the tumble. Then instincts from gymnastics blended with those of her bird body and she bent a bit here, stiffened a bit there, and suddenly she everything straightened out into a pure dive. A pure dive towards the ground at ever increasing speed. She knew that she wanted to pull out at the last minute and hide under a tree, but she wasn't sure if she could do it reliably ... but the memory of that thing charging their way made her sure she wanted cover as soon as possible -- and a more rational corner of her mind said she needed to get to the ground so Dana could drop the spell on her, so that Dana could put all her attention toward the attacker.

Checking the dive she managed, but then she was streaking through a forest at high speed, trying to stop, to land. Suddenly branches were in front of her ...

Dana felt the tickle that the 'thing' approached - a spirit or a spell who knows. She gave up all hope of dodging it accepting her fate. Flying was not easy and sustaining two spells made it difficult for her - she had to keep her concentration to just maintain the spells and not crush. She saw Addie dives down but there was little she could do, so Dana descended after her slowly but surely - mentally accepting the possibility that she might be hit with some spell and knowing that no matter how painful it will feel - she is not letting Addie go before she hits the ground.

Day 5, Late Afternoon, Crash Landing

Apparently satisfied that it has scared you away the screaming ball of light hovers over the position where you touched down, giving voice to its displeasure in a strident cry that fills the valley…if the toxic didn’t know you were in the area before he certainly does now…perhaps discretion might be the better part and all that…?


Day 5, Late Afternoon, Camp Site

With Caillen’s healing of any potential radiation sickness and a re-distribution of clothing for those most in need, the late afternoon dipping sunlight highlights the fact that yet another day has been wasted and you’ve barely moved away from the spot where you were dumped in this benighted space…if you hope to reach somewhere, anywhere, you are going to need to get moving, and moving fast! Although it is hot now who the hell knows what season you are in and how changeable they might be. Being on the side of a mountain when autumn draws in isn’t going to prolong your already all too short lifespans!

Dana only blinks at unpleasant the astral construct if you have to shoot shoot don't talk - she had no intention of sneaking up the mage anyhow. She wanted to talk, to understand to only kill if there was no alternative. She quickly helps Addie get up, and seeing that she is wounded, Dana embraces Addie close to her bosom and cast the heal spell to close Addie's wounds.

The spell has little visual effect, just a faint yellowish glow that envelops the injured knees and head and a warm intoxicating feeling that Dana personally enjoys very much when she is in need of that spell itself. Kind of like getting morphin after an injury - only in this case not just the pain goes away but the injury itself. Just being so close to her new lover comforts Dana and brings her mind to peace. Reluctantly, few moments after the spell ended Dana said "Let's get it over with" and she wore her body glove. In the meanwhile Dana asked her spirit to locate the mage and said to Addie "Let's go looking for him, the pollution here is very big, so that mage must be close.

With the new temporary camp set up and all the various associated menial tasks attended to, Lindsey turns her attention to the building as her spirit finally returns to camp with news that other than Addie and Dana, there's nothing living or magical in the structure. Frowning that the two girls have been in there so long unsupervised, she starts to head towards the entrance before Gem hurries up and stops her, "Let me go check on them; Sarah needs you to look at the latrine pit real quick to make sure it's done right." Lindsey frowns as Gem continues past without waiting for a response but turns back to camp as requested. Finally done, she looked back to the building just in time to see Gem headed back and the two other girls disappearing into the forest. Heading to intercept Gem she raises her eyebrows questioningly at her only to be met with a shrug, "They seem to have organized some of the stuff in there but then apparently had something else to do..."

Lindsey shrugs as well and shakes her head with an internal "Good riddance," before turning back to the camp and calling to the other girls, "Okay, camps all set up, lets see what's still usable in this place!" Herding the rest of the group, they retrace Gem's steps and crowd through the doorway, eyes lighting up at the sight of the assorted sundries, especially the sleeping bags. "Gather anything that might be useful. If you find anything that might give us a clue as to what we're doing here, shout. If there's not enough of something for everyone, bring it to me. Now hurry up before it gets too dark to see in here!"

The girls all surge ahead, descending first on the bedding and then on whatever catches their fancy. A few things are brought back to Lindsey for apportioning, mainly toiletries and small consumables like the sewing kits, and she doles them out to the core of her group: Niyaf, Gem, and Nora. There are enough things that the others get some stuff, but it's clear where the lions share of the desireables ended up. With no clues as to their situation forthcoming, the 'shopping spree' winds down and the girls start trickling back outside with their haul. With a last pass around the interior, Lindsey and Gem collect the few items that are more useful to the group as a whole, namely the cooking implements and salt, before heading outside and handing them out to others to carry.

"Well, that wasn't what I was hoping for, but at least we're better off now! It will be much nicer sleeping here tonight with all this stuff! There's no way we can carry everything that was in there though... Aria, can you let the girls still back at the old camp know what's still here so they can come get it if they want to? And find out what they're planning to do now also." Looking around at the group, she asks, "I'm open to suggestions from here..."

As the sun begins its decline in the afternoon, Maya begins to gather the various smaller groups still in the main camp, bringing them all together so that they can try to determine the future direction of the group. When she has everyone where they can hear her, she asks for quiet and begins to speak. This will take some time, as she translates her speech into several languages.

"Thank you all for being here. We are gathered together so that we can try to select a leader and come to a consensus on what we see as the direction we should try to take that might have the best chance of survival. The events of the past few days have been dramatic and chaotic, to be sure. Many of us have made errors, some serious ones. We have seen the group split, come together, and split again. Leaders have come and gone. People have died. At this time I feel it is vital that we make some decisions that will affect all of us. There may be people here with differing opinions and all of them should get a chance to get their opinions heard. To make it official, I am putting myself forward to be the leader of this group. If selected, I will do everything I can to get everyone to safety. I will not take Rick's tactic of forcing everyone to follow me and those that want to stay or split off may do so, but I am of the solid opinion that will lead to weakening all groups and might lead to fewer that survive. In the event that I am elected, my intent is to gather all we can and depart this place tomorrow morning, looking for a way out of these mountains. I will not attempt to negotiate with or fight the toxic mage. Everyone in the group will be expected to pull his or her weight to help us. No slackers and no hidden agendas. We just do not have the luxury of these societal ills. We are very few, and we need to work together. I am not a dictator and firmly believe that everyone in the group has a say in what we do and has the right to give an opinion. I really do not have much more to say, so I open the time for anyone else to say something, whether it is in support of me as leader or if they want to nominate another for that position. Thank you for listening to me."

If Maya was going to actually get them moving, then Raf was unreservedly behind her.

"Maya took the hard path early on, rejecting autocratic rule from the outset, and at great risk to herself. Those that went with her remain a tight-knit group. Since our return, she has consistently been a voice for unity and inclusion. Any cohesion this remaining core group has is largely thanks to her patient efforts. But we do need a leader - someone with something of an executive mandate. We should place that trust in someone knowledgeable, and, more importantly, someone that has shown over and over that they won't abuse that trust, nor be corrupted by the influence it brings."

Addie, day 5, post-flight crash site


Addie leaned into the hug for a while, possibly clinging to Dana’s strength. Even after Dana spoke about going after the shaman Addie hesitated for a bit, before finally, slowly, saying:

“I’m not so sure that we should? I don’t know if I trust my judgement anymore, and yesterday, or even this morning, I would have been ready to go do it. But suddenly now, now I see reasons not to.” She grabs Dana’s hand, and counts them off on Dana’s fingers.

She looks a Dana with a bit of a shy smile “First of all, I don’t want to lose ‘us.’ One of us could get killed, we both could die. We only just started, and I’m greedy for more. I know its selfish, but just think of what a corny trope we’d be, coming together, only for one of us to be tragically killed?” Despite her effort to keep her tone light, her smile trembles a bit.

“Second, we just got a truce offer. We were flying high, I know you are a great fighter, but if it had really attacked, we would have been in trouble. That was ‘stay off my lawn’ not ‘I’m coming for you.’ I know he killed Rick and hurt others, but I think that was like the first warning, this was the second. I mean, he didn’t send a second spirit to possess someone else during all the confusion that it sounds like they had after the first one, right? So I think we have a real option.”

“Third, if we attack and fail, then he’s more apt to go after everyone else, and without you to protect them.”

“Fourth, if we attack and fail and they do get away from the Shaman, they won’t have you to protect them from everything else.”

“And fifth, you just nicked a toothbrush, and I’m looking forward to kissing you again when I don’t taste like beetle.”

She pulled Dana’s hand up and gave it a light kiss, before finishing “If you feel this has to be done, then I’m with you -- and I want to be at your back because sometimes everyone needs someone at their back. But please consider that sometimes the brave thing is to walk away and chance that things can be worked out otherwise.”

Dana waited patiently when Addie was giving her reasons, trying to listen carefully despite the allure of the girl. She gave up when Addie reached the fifth reason for not going after the mage. Luckily there was no sixth reason, instead Addie kissed her hand. It felt nice and Dana was conflicted, on the one side - she was uncomfortable with the existence of the mage on the other side were Addie's considerations.

When Addie mentioned the toothbrush Dana deviously smiled and answered "I also nicked some toothpaste"
... The mere thought of spending more time with Addie, excited both Dana's body and mind. With a more serious tone she replied "Addie, I do not want to lose 'us' as you taught me with a single kiss, things that escaped me in years of reflection, meditation and practicing...

Yesterday, I would have gone here even alone and if I could not talk to that man I would kill him or die trying. I did not feel like there was much to lose as being a warrior was the only value I saw in life. Right now, I just want to be with you."

Dana took a deep breath and confessed "My point is - if we can avoid this danger then I'd rather be a coward and keep you than be brave and lose you.

I will change you back when you are ready, if the mage keeps harassing us we know where he is. "

Addie gave Dana a strong hug and whispered into her hair “Thank you – and I think maybe sometimes bravery is choosing to muddle along with life, taking it as it comes. Or maybe that is just rationalization. But I’m glad I turned back from that cliff, and I’m glad you are willing to leave the toxic alone.”

Stepping back with reluctance she added “And now we really should get back to the others, and not linger here where we might be provocative, I think.” She put on an exaggerated pout to show her opinion of ending their alone time. “Besides, we need to help transport the haul from the tourist hut to the main camp, and help get everyone moving. I think you lot had the right idea in getting down into that river valley, where we should find more of everything we’ll need to survive, and it shouldn’t get as cold either. If the valley you were in was the same as the one I looked down into, maybe I’ll even get to look at those falls from the other side.”

Dana said "Sure, we can help with that. Stream will also have running water - but these are just my hormones speaking. " She said and changed the two, sending them back to Lindsey's group as birds. The two girls stopped a short walking distance from the group and potentially hidden from mundane sight. They got dressed and then approached the group. The girls were very loud, and long before they could be seen - they could be heard. They were having some loud argument - but from their distance and lack of context it was unclear what about.

Day 5, Late Afternoon, Camp Site at the Diner

The arguments go back and forth as the realisation that the answers aren’t likely to be coming any time soon dawn on some of Lindsey’s pack…suddenly it all goes quiet as a yip is heard from somewhere nearby…the answering call sends hairs on the back of necks prickling upwards…there is something very primal about the response to the sound of hunting dogs…particularly if it is you they might be hunting…

Day 5, Late Afternoon, Camp Site at the Diner

As Dana and Addie approach the girls they hear the sound of the hunting pack rapidly drawing closer…breaking in to a run themselves they suddenly see Aria, Niyaf and Gem scrabbling through the trees towards them… “Run…” they gasp… “The others are coming…”

Behind them somewhere screams ring out, desperate and then suddenly cut short in an ugly gurgle…

Lindsey emerges with a couple of the others

“Claire’s dead…can’t do anything…run…back to the stream…!” she manages…


Day 5, Late Afternoon, Maya’s Camp

Summer hurries over to where Maya is watching Raf whittle the bow shaft…the others are milling nearby waiting for some kind of real direction…

“Lindsey’s group have been attacked by a dog pack! I don’t think there’s anything we can do, they are too far south…maybe we should send some of us to them…bring them home? I’ll go, I can reach Aria for now, although possibly not if we get much farther apart. Addie too, she’s with them…I think they are about five kilometres away from here as the crow flies, although probably further in this terrain and on foot…”

Maya looks up from where she is helping count and sort what can be carried away. She takes a moment to consider her options then nods. "Yes, we should send someone. I am concerned as to why Lindsey's spirit did not protect them, but maybe the pack is too large. I will ask Raferty and the hunting party that just got back to go with you to help."

She stands and walks over to where Klarise is supervising the preparation of the food that the first two hunting teams had brought in. "Hello. It seems that Lindsey and her group have run into a problem. Not sure that we can do much to help, but I think that we should try. Can you please send one of your hunting teams with Summer here? I am going to ask Raferty to go with you, too, as he has the bow and some arrows and might come in handy." The Ork pauses for a few moments, perhaps about to refuse to help the runaways, but then nods and starts to detail some of her hunters to go with Summer.

Maya walks over to where Raferty is still working on the second bow. "Hey, it seems that Lindsey and her group are in trouble with a pack of wild dogs. I have asked some of the hunters to go with Summer to guide them in and perhaps deal with any of the animals that might still be following them. Would you consider going with them? Your bow and arrows could come in handy."

Raf was already up. He shrugged. "Hate to leave this group weak. But I suppose we know the others are in trouble, whereas danger here is only a strong possibility...no good choices out here. We'll get to them as quickly as we can, and then keep moving back to you just as fast. If speed the main camp in our direction as much as possible, it'll be faster and we'll be on our way out of here per plan that much faster."

Klarise came up with her group, handed Raf a short loadout of from their scant provisions, and they got underway without further ado.

With hands glowing from electricity Dana dashed toward the dogs, until she could see enough of them and had a clear path of fire. She channeled a terrifiying beastial growl as she channeled more and more electricity into her hands, shaping a huge ball of lighting that reduced a group of dogs to nothing but rubble. The spell itself was so powerful that Dana spasms as she channeled it, and her internal organs felt like they were around to blow, her nose bled and so did her eyes. "Lunchtime is over!"
she said, as she wiped the blood from her face, coloring them like some Indian war colors.

Dana looked around her, trying to count how many other dogs there are and figure an appropriate strategy.

The search of the diner having revealed no clues as to where they were or why they were put there, the girls regroup back at their camp with what they had managed to scavenge. The mood among the girls is mixed as the disappointment from not being any wiser wars with the excitement of finding the new gear. The girls end up situated into two rough groups, Lindsey and her inner circle around the fire pit and the other girls closer to the edge of the clearing.

Suddenly, the laughter of the central girls and the more muted grumblings of the others are abruptly cut short as the sound of dogs cuts through the clearing and they all turn to look in the direction the sound came from. Before Lindsey could ever address her spirit, it comes rocketing into the clearing warning her that more than a dozen animals are headed directly for them. Severely outnumbered, Lindsey decides discretion is the better part of valor, asks her spirit to keep any of the animals from attacking her, and leaps to her feet with a yell, "Run!"

Grabbing the pack from the ground at her feet, she takes off in a sprint away from the approaching creatures. The quicker witted of the girls follow her lead while the rest look around with expressions of fear and puzzlement. Their cries of confusion are cut short again again as the first of the 'dogs' burst into view in the clearing and barrel towards the camp. This proves to be the impetus needed to get the rest of the girls moving, although few are able to do more than turn and flee, abandoning their recent spoils behind them.

As Lindsey is passed by some of the taller, faster girls, there is a harsh cry behind her and, looking back, she sees Claire falling beneath a tide of rough furry bodies. Faltering for a second, she looks back ahead and keeps going. Rationalizing, she thinks, "I don't need to be the fastest, just not the slowest..." Ahead, past the forms of a couple of the other girls, she sees Dana and Addie on their way back to the camp. Trying to give direction to the others, if for no other reason than to make sure she didn't end up alone, she pants out a warning, "Claire’s dead…can’t do anything…run…back to the stream…!" As Dana starts to run in the opposite direction, Lindsey shakes her head and continues on with the others as the sound of electricity and smell of burning flesh wafts up from behind them.

Dana is already charging at the oncoming dogs while Addie is still trying to absorb what is going on. She starts to run after Dana -- to pull her back, to help her, Addie really doesn't know -- but then she nearly trips over Aria. Instinctively she grabs the smaller girl before she's sent flying from the impact, and by the time she's done there, she knows that she can't chase Dana.

She fears that she'll hate herself forever if Dana doesn't come back, but she realizes that Dana has bought them time at the risk of her own life, and her responsibility is to make that gesture count. She doesn't want to take command, but it looks like Lindsey is too shocked by what is happening to organize the others just yet.

"Group up! They'll go for anyone on their own, groups are safer. Grab a thick branch if you can, to keep them at a distance. Gem, take lead, you'll be able to see as the light fades, but watch your fragging pace, don't leave the others behind -- being in front won't make you safer if it means you are alone. I've got back for now. Keep the smaller girls in the middle."

She looks around, then lunges at Lindsey "Where is your fragging spirit that is supposed to be protecting the group? Find it, get it cover Dana's back until she can get back to us, or so help me I'll leave you behind in pieces to slow the dogs down!"

Hearing a whimper from one of the others about "but we need the spirit" she whirls around "If Dana goes down, they'll be on us soon, and all we'll have is the spirit and ourselves to fight them. If Dana can scare them a bit and we have her with us too, they might keep their distance for at least a while." Spinning back to Lindsey she snaps out "So save her, to save yourself, then get it together and get this group moving -- you don't want me give orders for long, it doesn't work out well."