Chapter 3: a Wolf in the Fold

[Jenara]

"I.. Ahh..." Carith responds, totally unsure how to act, she stands rooted to the spot, the caravan Moving past her.

"Thank you." Carith flushes with actual emotion. "Hedra, your name is Hedra right?" Standing on the spot, she pulls the tunic over her head.

"I was a bitch to you, wasn't I?" Staring at the dwarf, she lowers her head, "I'm a bitch to most people, wouldn't worry.." keeping her head down.

"Can you help, I need to make something from this.. Then.. This lort need training, I nearly fucking died!" She raises her voice, her head raising.

[Breila]

Hedra takes Carith's hand in both of hers, looking her straight in the face, her own face lit up with a smile of pure joy.

"Carith, I know that if people are angry and mean at everybody, it's generally because they've been badly hurt in their past. It is a kind of armor for their souls. And I am very happy you can cast away some of that armor now, because it is a heavy burden. And it doesn't really help.

So if you have a story to tell, I'm there to listen. And if you want to say nothing now, that's fine as well."

Hedra lets go of Carith's hand. "And yes, when we make camp, we can train. I need more practice with tall folks like you." She grimaces. "I bet we'll have a lot of spectators. Men usually love to watch women fight, I've been told."

[Ismaels-Legacy]

The day draws to a close and the caravan makes camp, this time directly in the road for want of any place more suitable. Carith and Hedra step away from the camp a bit in order to spar, but Carith realizes that she is still without weapons.

As darkness draws near, Torina's angry voice can be heard echoing through the trees. "What do you MEAN it's gone!?!?"

[Breila]

Hedra looks at Carith and makes her way back to the camp, to see what Torina is shouting about.

[Talyn]

Wolf perks up at the angry shout, his gaze slightly unfocused while he concentrates on what was said. "That does not sound good..." he mutters.

He starts walking in the direction of the shout, curious what has gone wrong this time.

[Jenara]

Cairth, used to making clothes from nothing, fashions the blanket as a short skirt, the skirt extends mid thigh length, revealing her toned rear whenever she leans over.

She rushes to see what is going on with Hedra "They better not have lost my damn axe!" She shouts to anyone who can hear.

[Ismaels-Legacy]

As each person arrives, they see Torina pounding her fist on the barred door to the quartermaster's wagon. "I have far too many people that I need to feed for you to be stingy with your supplies, Ignatius! You give me some of that grain RIGHT NOW!" She continues on this rant until Carson walks up and places a hand on her shoulder. She wheels about, arm raised, ready to strike. When she sees who approached her, she immediately calms, he face turning from anger to despair. "Carson, I don't know what to do. He says we're out of food!" She's on the verge of tears, now, her eyes welling up with emotion.

Carson approaches the wagon's door, raps three times solidly upon the door and says "Ignatius. It's Carson. Open this door and talk to me." The slide panel opens and Iggy looks out with a panicked gaze. "Master Carson! I'm glad you've arrived! We seem to have a.....err......problem." He stammers with uncertainty. "You see, the umm....the grain.....the meal....the salted pork.....eh.....erm.....it's...*cough* ...it's gone, sir."

Carson calmly keeps his gaze level with Iggy for several breaths, showing no emotion. Finally he simply says "Open the door." Ignatius slides the panel closed and there's a few thumps as if someone were walking heavily within. A grating noise of deadbolts being drawn and a crinkle of chain and the gate slowly lowers. Standing there before you is what has become legend in your own lives: a gnome. One of the fabled lost fey.

[Jenara]

"What in the name of the Gods....?" Cairth stands slightly amazed. "We have no food? What sort of.... " she trails off, turning away slightly, almost holding her tongue.

[Breila]

While Carson goes up to Iggy's wagon, Hedra approaches Torina and whispers in her ear: "I have an emergency supply of grain. It's not much, but with roots and herbs from the forest, it should make a soup for us all."

When the gnome appears, Hedra is dumbstruck. No one in the dwarven world had heard of any gnomes surviving.

[Talyn]

Wolf lets out a angry growl when he hears the food is gone. His eyes though are fixed on the gnome, he read about them in books... but like most, he thought they had long ago vanished from the world.

"Why did you have the gnome locked up?" he asks Carson with a calm expression, though he is fighting the urge to start hunting for food.

[Stik]

Callan looks on, concerned. A caravan, like an army, travels on its stomach, and this one would be no different.
If this were a group of fit soldiers, well, a strong man can go without food for a time, as long as water is available. But for a group including children and old folks, the hardship is multiplied. If the provisions were stolen, unless the thieves were still in sight, they are gone, as there is no telling which way the thieves went, and no chance of catching them, either, not with a whole caravan of refugees in tow.

If there are no settlements nearby to provide food, another source will have to be found. And it's not as if a long search is necessary. Callan ponders which of the group's pack animals is the least valuable/necessary.

Upon seeing the gnome, he gives a little shrug. "Life finds a way, apparently."

[Jenara]

Carith makes a little "Humphhh." Noise, stamping her feet, "Where in the name of the Horned One is my Axe!" She mutters loudly.

What the hell was going on? This was madness..

(OOC: POKE Ish!)

[Ismaels-Legacy]

Ignatius seems to withdraw in upon himself, slowly starting to cower away from the entrance. At Carith's outburst he visibly flinches and cowers in fear. Carith on the other hand, realizes that she just swore an oath to a deity that she previously had no knowledge of. How did that slip out?

Dorir, at his wits end, simmers in his anger. Carson reacts in a calm calculated manner, though. Without taking his eyes from Ignatius he speaks to Carith. "Your axe is fine, sword-maid" (He uses the proper term of respect for a woman of the blade). "We are keeping it safe until you were once again able to swing it. We seem to have more pressing matters at hand, though."

As the investigation progresses, it is discovered that slowly the grain supplies as well as the meager amount of meat has dwindled to dire portions. Ignatius does not know how it could have been removed since he remains locked in the wagon at all times. The only time he opens the door to outsiders is to admit his assistant, Grace. Carson seems satisfied with Ignatius's story and vouches for both he and Grace.

Carson turns to Callan and says, "It seems we are in need of your calculating mind. Can you put your talents in strategy to find a way to root out the source of our dilemma? In the mean time, I need everyone's assistance. Anyone who is capable, I ask that you begin to hunt for game. No one is to travel alone. Go in pairs. Anyone who isn't able to hunt will be immediately drafted into guard duty."

[Jenara]

Carith nods in understanding, she had not meant to react that way, her previous experience had left her somewhat shaken. The cry to the "horned one..." That scared her.

"I understand Dorir, please understand the shock was great." Missing grain, really was that something she could help with? Someone had taken it, that was clear, whoever took it should be punished.

[Stik]

Callan's back stiffens upon hearing Carson's command, but he says nothing for the moment. When Carson has finished, he quietly asks: "A word, sir?"

[OOC]Assuming that Carson is willing[/OOC]:
"All due respect, but are you sanguine as to the implications of sending this bunch out hunting game in dangerous territory? As I see it, if a pair runs into trouble, the best thing that can happen is that they die quickly, without revealing our position. Worst case, they retreat back here and bring a horde down upon us.

"People can do without food for a few days if need be. The pack animals won't manage as well as we, but I we can't exactly hunt for grain, so they're going to have to make due by grazing. That'll slow us down, but there's nothing for it.
[OOC]how far is it to the nearest settlement?[/OOC]