define('WP_CACHE', true); {"id":371,"date":"2014-06-04T03:00:36","date_gmt":"2014-06-04T11:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crossed-paths.com\/logs\/?p=371"},"modified":"2014-02-01T22:50:44","modified_gmt":"2014-02-02T06:50:44","slug":"chapter-75-warning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crossed-paths.com\/logs\/archives\/371","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 75: Warning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 75: Warning<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

In Which\u00c2\u00a0A Cryptic Message Is Discovered.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrin: The three continue along the better part of the week, casually bantering amongst each other and forming something along the semblance of a friendship. Finally, on the fifth day, as evening grows closer and the sky begins to darken, Soquan turns to his two companions. We should start looking for camp.<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret nods, searching around for a suitable camp. Away on the left is a small rocky outcropping while a little further ahead and to the right is a small stand of trees. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Two choices,\u00c2\u00a0 one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s closer the other’s about another thirty minutes worth of walking.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst shrugs. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Either.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan thinks for a moment. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tell me about them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra pauses for a moment, scanning across what has since changed from forest to scrubland to now near grassland. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The closer one’s a ridge of rocks, looks pretty sheltered and out of the way enough. There’s a couple old trees around. The other looks like it may be near some more water. Denser trees too, though it’s a bit more off the trail than the first.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: The otter nods. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I vote for the further one. Softer ground.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: The fox nods and a short time later he’s placing his satchel near his chosen spot.<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan places his pack on the ground and stretches out his back. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why don’t I start making dinner. You wanna go look for firewood Joz?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret dumps her own pack on the ground and rolls the slight stiffness out of her shoulders. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sure.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d With her long knife at her hip, Jozra makes her way back around the way they came, looking for dry wood.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst gets a few things out for Soq and places them within paw’s reach. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So what’s it tonight?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: He settles on the ground. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was thinking of cooking up that pheasant we found today. There’s no use in lugging around that carcass for long before it goes bad.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret makes her way towards the path, away from the source of the water that lets such large trees grow in grassland. The firewood pickings are slim, it looks like the wooded area has been picked through several times before. Here and there she finds a few limbs that have been downed but aren’t soggy. Obviously she’d have better luck at the dead trees further away.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst leans back and lets the otter work his cooking magic, constantly scanning the trees and listening for incongruous sounds.<\/p>\n

Arrin: Without fire, the otter can only do too much, and for the time being, he busies himself with preparing the unfortunate bird.<\/p>\n

Catamount: The way out is a lot quicker than the way in as she is unburdened without her pack. Across the path and back the way they came a little, Jozra comes across the scattered stand of dead trees. She starts collecting what branches have already been felled, looking for something that might be easy to drag back to camp.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst blinks as he watches Soq. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Might as well do something productive…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He pulls out flint and tinder and nurtures a small twig fire along.<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan pauses in his task to grin at the fox. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thanks Holst.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Working back towards the camp, Jozra has nearly an armful of moderately sized branches and is dragging one that’s too long to fit in the crook of her arm when she runs across a large snag quite near the trail. Evidently she wasn’t paying nearly enough attention when they passed this particular tree the first time otherwise she might have had a hard time hiding her astonishment at finding a very specific symbol burned into the trunk.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst cocks a crooked grin at Soq. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hey-now, don’t get any warm fuzzy ideas. I gotta eat, the fire just helps that along.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan continues to smile. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153As much as your fire helps. I can’t go any further until Joz comes back with more wood.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: As it is, she drops her bundle of lumber and then realizes how obvious that would look to anyone on the path. Fortunately, there’s no one but she covers it anyway by faking as though she had stumbled over a rock. Of course, what with that symbol on the tree — cleverly disguised of course, any non-Scorpion would consider it just a fire scar — there was bound to a rock somewhere around here. Probably a flat one, palm sized or so…<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst’s eyes turn cold and logical as his mind ticks a logic process over to a conclusion. He piles a good amount of twigs on his embryonic fire and stands.<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan starts to hum softly to himself, clearing away the “extras” in the preparation.<\/p>\n

Catamount: Aaaah… there it is. The river stone was placed in a rather unobtrusive spot near the roots of the tree. Jozra chances another look around, though there is nobody to be seen for miles out in the open grassland, and flips the rock over, reading the encoded message there left by one archer fox called Azrun. The ferret frowns severely but after reading it a second time, she uses a piece of charred bark to sketch in her symbol and replaces the stone.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst turns and looks in the direction Joz headed off in. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I’m gonna see if Joz needs any help. He begins walking off.<\/p>\n

Arrin: The otter gives a wave. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alright then.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Lost in thought, the ferret gathers her bundle of wood back up and exchanges the branch she had been dragging for a far more suitable one. Now the question is how does she convince her companions of the need to go to Afrin? Because there was no question of the urgency in Azrun’s message.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst peers through the trees as he pads through them softly, staying the clinking of his chain.<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra is soon back on the path, though moving slower than before and not just due to the weight of the branches.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst breaks out of the forest onto the path and spies Joz. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh there you are.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He eyes the load. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You got that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra isn’t exactly surprised by Holst’s appearance, though she does feel as though she’s been rudely jerked back to earth. And then she realizes she’s been dawdling.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153…um, yeah. Though I won’t object if you want to carry some.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: He grins and takes a good chunk of the load. He’d learned there was a fine line to walk with Joz as to whether it was generous or belittling to offer help.<\/p>\n

Catamount: With a lighter load — and her head out of the clouds — the way back to the campsite goes much quicker.<\/p>\n

Arrin:\u00c2\u00a0 The otter’s head turns towards the pair as they approach. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah, back then?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst dumps the wood and feeds his almost dead fire. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No worse for wear.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: It’s not long before Soquan has the meal going on a makeshift spit above the fire, and soon, he turns towards his companions. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dinner!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra diverts her attention back to her companions at Soquan’s call, having let her mind wander again. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Smells good, Soq.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst pounces over.<\/p>\n

Arrin: The otter beams. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Eat up both of you, I don’t want to have to continue to lug this bird around.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra takes her own portion and a somewhat absent minded bite. Of course, after that first bite, her undivided attention is focused upon her meal. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153’s delicious!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst shows no mercy to his meal.<\/p>\n

Arrin:\u00c2\u00a0 Soquan digs in with gusto, and discreetly removes some of the meat for a nice lunch for the trio the following day.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst leans back with a full stomach. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This otter knows how to cook.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret polishes off her own meal and chuckles at Holst’s comment. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That he does.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan gives a sleepy, yet satisfied noise and begins to pack away supper things. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m ready to clink out right here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst nods and looks to Joz. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can take first watch if you want you want some shuteye now.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra lends Soquan a hand with packing things back up. She shrugs at Holst, distracted by her own thoughts once again. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sure.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: Once things are put away, the otter begins to settle down. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You feeling alright Joz? You seem a bit off tonight.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Sands! She’d forgotten how perceptive Soquan could be. Spreading out her blanket the ferret shakes her head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I’m fine. Just… Thinking about home.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: He gives a slight nod and brings his cloak over himself. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alright.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst’s eyes harden while he’s on watch. They always came back at night. He sighs, another long night.<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret sighs almost inaudibly and beds down, still turning Azrun’s message over in her mind.<\/p>\n

Chris: Nightfall on the travelers’ camp pads in on velvet paws, a cloak of cloud cover dulling the glinting stars and cooling the night air.<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra had finally drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Azrun’s message still on her brain. The symbol on the tree kept flickering behind her eyelids and no wonder, it was a symbol that was easy to disguise but it meant that a terribly urgent situation had arisen. Of the kind that threatened everything about Oparanth.<\/p>\n

Arrin: A few feet away from the ferret, Soquan struggles to slip into slumber. Somehow he knew the ferret was being less than honest with him, and while it bothered him that she didn’t trust him enough to confide in him, he realized that the matter shouldn’t be pushed, just like the other times.<\/p>\n

Catamount: Had anyone actually been inside Jozra’s head to observe, the distinction between her preoccupation with the day’s discovery and the dream would have been very hard to make.<\/p>\n

The flickering gradually became more pronounced until it was obvious that it was caused by an outside source. Azrun flung the torch he was using to scar the tree at a snow-dusted, thatched roof and quickly knocked another arrow as Jozra backed him up, stabbing the tree — which had somehow become a squirrel — with twin long-knives.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the usual nightmare, until a pack of hares ambushed the fox and carried him away before the ferret could react.<\/p>\n

Jozra spun, ready to give chase to aid Azrun, who between cries of help was divulging state secrets to the hares, notably the location of their desert home. Her way was blocked by a certain otter who looked at her expectantly at first, and then with disgust and horror. A heavy paw landed on her shoulder and she whirled again to face The Badger whose face was marred by the hilt of one of her knives protruding from an eye socket.<\/p>\n

Shrieking, she stabbed at it with her remaining knife as other members of the ill fated colony of Ostoria jarringly grabbed at her with disjointed and blackened limbs while above it all, Azrun still pleaded for help.<\/p>\n

It was one thing to battle beasts, quite another to battle those that were quite obviously dead. Fighting desperately to save herself, Soquan and Azrun, she’s thrown completely off guard when a chain wraps around her neck and jerks backwards, pulling her off her feet and making her fumble her knife. She gurgles and then, catching her breath as she fumbles for her knife by her side, she lunges up towards her adversaries, screaming out her fear, pain and frustration.<\/p>\n

Her scream rings out through the waking world as she jerks up, slashing at the night air, knife in paw.<\/p>\n

Arrin:\u00c2\u00a0 Soquan is snapped quickly out of his lightly sleeping state, and after a brief struggle with freeing his legs from his blankets he makes his way over to her. Miraculously, while doing so he manages to somehow avoid the knife in her paw and while he gathers the trembling ferret close to himself he moves to gently disarm her while attempting to calm her.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst’s ears perk up as he’s ripped away from his thoughts by the shriek. He pads over swiftly, the weight of his chain gaining rotational momentum in his deft paws. He arrives expecting to draw blood, but his face contorts upon arriving. He tries to form words to express this, but Soq and Joz merely receive a blank, puzzled stare.<\/p>\n

Catamount: It takes a moment for Soquan’s attentions to fully wake the ferret and when she does, she drops her blade, horrified that she actually drew it in her sleep.<\/p>\n

Arrin: While Soquan continues to comfort the ferret, making soft shushing noises as he holds out the blade towards Holst, hoping the fox understands to hold onto the weapon for the evening.<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst pauses, the chain slowly loosing its rotational momentum. His mind clicks.\u00c2\u00a0 He pads forward and grasps the blade’s handle. He begins padding away. Stops, another pause. Thought. His padding continues off into the trees.<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret shudders, the smoke from her nightmare slowly fading away and clearing her mind. She grits her teeth and squeezes her eyes tight for a second, still terribly disturbed and now angry at herself.<\/p>\n

Arrin: The otter continues to hold his companion close to himself, rocking her slightly. Unable to really think of how else to comfort the poor ferret, he finds himself murmuring quietly to her. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Shhh, it’s alright Joz, you’re safe. I won’t let anything hurt you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst leans against a tree a little ways away. Absentmindedly testing the balance of Joz’s blade with twirls and spins. So I’m not the only one…?<\/p>\n

Catamount: Dammit, Jo, get a handle on yourself… She tries controlling her breathing first, letting herself believe Soquan’s words in the meantime. There was something to be said for siblings, even annoying ones too close to your own age: they had an uncanny way of snapping you out of ‘it’, even if it was just the memory of their voice and that look they’d get on their face.<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan continues to hold her a bit longer, and once he feels Jozra start to relax in his arms, he pulls away a bit. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Better?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra heaves a sigh and then nods. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: The otter gives her a bit of a squeeze. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That must have been one hell of a nightmare, I was sleeping close and everything.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He hugs her again. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you want to talk about it?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra shakes her head. She’d truly like to talk about it. There’s just so many secrets and lies to cover those secrets exposed by the nightmare that even just thinking of telling a vague version feels like treason to the ferret.<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan nods slowly and nuzzles her gently. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you want me to stay here for the rest of the night?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret rubs her face and responds somewhat hoarsely. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I’m okay, Soq. I think it’s time for my shift anyway…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Arrin: Soquan rises with a nod and heads back towards his \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbed.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alright, but I’m here if you want to talk.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: Holst remains leaning against the tree, Joz’s blade now still in his paw as he’s receded deeper into thought.<\/p>\n

Catamount: Jozra nods and stands, her knees ever so slightly wobbly but she soon brings them under control as well. She’s about to set up watch near where Holst had been keeping watch when she realizes she’s missing something she’d like to have, just in case they did happen to get attacked.<\/p>\n

Jozra quickly picks up on Holst’s trail, automatically falling into a silent, stalking mode. She realizes this before she gets too close to the fox and she purposely makes some noise as she approaches.<\/p>\n

Chris: He tenses momentarily before realizing that it’s Joz. He turns, holding out her blade, grip first to her.<\/p>\n

Catamount: She eyes the fox warily for half a second before accepting the blade back. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153…thanks.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Chris: He gives a crooked grin but his eyes betray him. He begins to speak. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uh…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d But a sigh and a couple pats on Joz’s shoulder as he walks away are all he has to give.<\/p>\n

Catamount: The ferret puzzles over the fox’s actions as he walks away. Evidently she isn’t the only one hiding something. She re-sheaths her knife, feeling acutely the missing weight of its twin on her other hip, as she heads back towards the sentry spot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 75: Warning In Which\u00c2\u00a0A Cryptic Message Is Discovered. \u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Arrin: The three continue along the better part of the week, casually bantering amongst each other and forming something along the semblance of a friendship. Finally, on the fifth day, as evening grows closer and the sky begins to darken, Soquan turns to his two … <\/p>\n