CH. 1: Haven and Hell

[mgbevan]

"Mmm" Gregeddin nods in quiet agreement.
After stashing his token in his belt pouch he found his left hand resting on the butt of his sword. He was largely ineffective left handed - more a sign of unease. Didn't fancy playing any music at the minute.

[djhyland]

Darga follows the barbarian down the road, but disregards his advice to ignore the refugees. While he doesn't speak, he does meet their eyes. Most look as famished and squalid as his own people, but they have a hopeless look to their eyes unknown to the Aghar. Maybe losing a better life was more difficult than never having one in the first place.

Darga nods at the Seeker's words. "Desperate, they are. But they're still people." He opens his mouth as if to elaborate, but does not continue.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra looks down to the gully dwarf. She couldn't help but wonder, in that instant, why a gully dwarf was along for the ride. "Uh, you are right," she says. "But, I've seen what these people can do in their desperation," she explains. "Many times, it doesn't end well for either party, so it is best to just keep moving."

[JadedDM]

Some of the refugees move in toward the party to see them better. A few have a wild, desperate look in their eyes. But the sight of the party's weapons keep them at bay.

The barbarian, in particular, keeps his massive axe out and snarls menacingly at anyone who gets too close. This keeps the refugees at bay, for the most part.

[djhyland]

Darga nods sadly. "Yer right. But I been there before, and all've us could be them as well if things were just a bit different. Just because we can't help 'em now don't mean we should treat them worse than they already are."

[Haahque]

'There will be poor always, pathetically struggling, look at the good things we've got.'
"That was in a song I heard a troubadour sing once, it's rather depressing so I try not to think on it much. Its saying, even if I do help the poor and they become independently wealthy, there will always be others to replace them on the streets and in the cold, hungry and ill treated." Despite his words, Haahqae looks at the rabble of poor with more of a determined look then a sad one.

[JadedDM]

The party travels onward, the refugees everywhere slowing their progress down a bit. Even once they are clear of the ones camping outside of Haven, they encounter more down the road, small groups heading to Haven, still unaware the city has shut its gates to them.

After three hours of travel, the barbarian calls for a stop just off the side of the road. "We're nearly there. Another couple of hours, I'd warrant. Let's stop a moment, my stomach is growling and I missed breakfast. He starts digging through his pack and frowns. "Hmm, did anyone bring any food?"

=============

It is now Sixth Watch and the party has traveled 3 miles. They have 2 miles remaining to their destination.

[HorizonsDream]

"I knew I was forgetting something," Kendra says with a small shrug.

[Haahque]

"Aww I was hoping we'd be there by now, and you could have provided the food with your own accommodations near the mine. Oh well, I guess this is why I carry food around with me. Not gourmet stuff or anything, just dry biscuit and jerky." Haahqae pulls out two days worth of dry rations to share with the group.

[Just_Ice]

Wordlessly rustling through his bag his rucksack for much of the walk, Kynaston neatly re-organizes his pack- with the token at the bottom of the pile. He then produces three foodstuffs- a wedge of cheese, a very small amount of rock-hard bread and some squirrel meat, all yet to go bad.

"It ain't much," he mentions, "but y'can smear a bit o' cheese on a niblet of bread and stick a bit of squirrel meat on the end to make something that should take the taste of the jerky out of your mouth. I'm sure we'll still be wanting after this "meal", though, unless anyone else has something to add."

[NoTrammeling]

Since the others have volunteered their meals first Coroccoco remains silent about the bounty of fare in her haversack, removing a couple waybiscuits and a strip of stringy salted meat. She sits cross-legged in a patch of the driest ground she can find.

"If an armed force fell on Haven those refugees would be slaughtered like so many sheep and no doubt some pestilence is even now spreading through them." She worries at a bit of jerky with her sharp predatory teeth. "Mine owner... What are your name be, it is a good opportunity for cheap labor. Many would be grateful to work for food and security should we clear your tunnels."

[djhyland]

Darga shakes his head at the barbarian's question. "I didn't pack no food. I ate before I left th' tavern, and I figured we'd be back ta town before too long." Sighing, he eyes the others' food warily. "I could go an' hunt fer something ta eat, if yer hungry."

[mgbevan]

Gregeddin lays his pack down sideways. "A shame you can't eat these" he says lightly as he pulls a torch from the pack, sniffing the end of it.
"I can't help but feel awfully ill equipped, too used to creature comforts " he mused to himself.
Snapping out of his thoughts of taverns, he replaces the torch and stashes two knives into his breeches.
Stretching his legs out Gregeddin asks Darga quite plainly "how do you hunt? And know what is safe to eat in the... shrubs... And things..." he trailed off briefly thinking about what plants and stuff is actually in forests. "I can come and helpyou, but you'll have to tell me what to do." he volunteered.

[djhyland]

Darga looks confused at Gregeddin's question. "I hunt jus' like anybody else. Fer small things like squirrels an' such, ya set snares 'round where they're like ta be, and fer large things like deer ya kin use a bow. I don't have a bow, though, an' anyway, the refugees've probably driven off th' big stuff anyway. But animals're hard to catch and take some time, so I'd be lookin' fer plants. Ya kin eat a lot of what ya find out here; certain mushrooms an' shoots, an' this time a year there's berries an' such." He smiles, as if embarrassed to speak of such matters of survival. "If ya want ta help, ya kin come along with me if the rest of ya don't mind waiting a bit?"

[JadedDM]

"Ah, well, I suppose you're right," the barbarian says to Haahqae, crestfallen. "Still, I should have had the foresight to at least bring a bit of rum with me."

But when some of the group break out their own supplies and offer to share, he cheers up considerably. "Ah, well, a generous group you are! P'rhaps I should do all my hiring when three sheets to the wind!"

To Coroccoco he says, "Name's Bear. Least, that's what everyone calls me." He certainly looks the party--big and hairy. "As for hiring, I could use more workers once the place is cleared, sure. Although paying you lot to clear the mine will pretty much break me, but we'll see. But even I could afford to hire miners, there's no way I could offer a job to even a tenth of the folk out here."

As they talk and eat, a figure approaches from the north. The person is hunched back and moves slowly, using a walking stick for support, suggesting he is very old. He is walking directly towards the group.