Chapter 4: Turncoat

[Ismaels-Legacy]

The guard retracts his hand quickly as Wolf howls in pain again, clenching his eyes tight. The youth stands and retreats back to his companions who have formed an armed perimeter around the pain-wracked mage. When Wolf next opens his eyes, he is staring at Carson's sword point, leveled directly at his throat. Carson's demeanor is relaxed, though his arm is slightly bent;ready for a lethal thrust if necessary.

"Master Wolf, would you be so kind as to cease your yowling and explain to me what is going on?"

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Slade sends a flickering glance of worry toward Dee. "What was that sound?" He is torn between looking at the camp and looking for the source of the returned howl. "If these beasts are as big as their tracks seem, the two of us may not be able to slay them, especially if they have masters with them." Indecision is slowly giving way to panic in Slade's eyes. He looks ready to run as soon as he decides which way to go.

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Carith thunders into camp like a raging bull, axe held before her, bloodlust in her eyes. "WHAT in the name of the Black Hells is going on?!" She bellows. Seeing the ring of people gathered around Wolf, she approaches.

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In a the split second that it takes Callan to glance at the crumbled form of Wolf, Grace and Karen have disappeared. Literally. There's no sign of them, though he can still hear Karen's cries. "Let me GO!"

[Jenara]

(OOC: Nothing to do then...lol)

Carith glares at Wolf, charging past the people surrounding him she stands besides Carson. "What the hell is happening in this place!?" She growls, "This is what comes with working with amateurs!"

[Stik]

Callan reacts immediately, not even bothering to guess what has happened.

Grace and the child (whose name he never bothered to learn) may have disappeared, but they haven't gone. He can hear the child's voice, and she's complaining about Grace holding onto her, which means that Grace must be within arms reach of the source of the voice. So if his eyes are useless, he'll use his hands...

He pulls off his cloak and whips it around like a retiarius wielding a net, swinging the hem towards the child's voice, and barking: "Call out, child! I will make her release you."


[OOC] With any luck the cloak will strike one or both of the girls. Once they're found, it's a matter of swinging it down on top of both of them, then figuring out which of the two lumps under the cloak is Grace. [/OOC]

[Ismaels-Legacy]

"Amateurs, perhaps, but I'VE dealt with lycans before!" Carson snarls under his breath to Carith. "Be so kind as to flank him. Just in case he decides to bolt."

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Callan's cloak whips out, smacking a few figures that are not otherwise apparent. As he turns to throw the cloth over top of them, Karen appears, a look of panic on her face. Before Callan can react, the girl is shoved toward him.

[Jenara]

"I was not referring to you Master Carson." She growls, her eyes glowing brightly, her whole body exuding rage, moving to Wolfs Flank she keeps the axe aimed for his body.

"He will not bolt, will you?" She purrs, licking her lips, somehow coming across as being overly sexual, Lycan, doubtful, everyone had something dark inside them these days.

[Breila]

(ooc: you will tell me when Hedra arrives, I guess)

[Talyn]

Wolf swallows and can't take his eyes off the sword, but there is no fear in his eyes. He looks up at Carson and his eyes are hard and flicker gold in the light. "You know nothing of me." he says angrily. He starts getting to his feet and doesn't even look at Carith as he speaks. "I have no intention of running." he says, his voice firm and determined.

(( Playing it by ear here IL, not sure if I am still wracked by pain or if it has passed. Assuming it has. ))

"Now stop looking at me and go rescue the girl!" he says angrily pointing in the direction of her voice.

[Ismaels-Legacy]

Wolf's legs buckle beneath him as he struggles to rise. What ever caused the pain trully scrambled his mind and body. With some assistance he could rise, certainly.

As Wolf collapses to his knees again, Hedra and Dorir thunder into camp, breaths heaving like bellows. "WHAT THE NINE HELLS IS GOIN' ON HERE!?" Dorir roars. He stalks into the circle and grabs Wolf by the lapels, lifting him to his feet, staring him in the eyes. Quietly, his voice just above a menacing hiss, "Wolf's eyes, eh? What kind of game are ye playin' here, boy?"

[Stik]

"Listen UP!" Callan shouts, cutting through the chatter. He moves towards where he thinks Grace is, still whipping his cloak about in an attempt to snag or at least find her, and continues speaking. "Wolf is not the issue here. Grace is. She has turned on you, and become invisible somehow, and is trying to escape right now."

[Talyn]

Wolf hisses in pain before he answers. "If I knew, I would tell you." he says quietly in return to Dorir. "Just... help the child. I won't do anything, I give you my word."

[Breila]

Hedra throws her arms up, her face and voice a picture of furor and indignation.

"Ferflukht sollshsain, frettere! Brennesollsh indrhell!"

Repeating this over and over, she stomps closer, trying to block the way directly opposite Callan. Her voice becomes higher with every repetition, until the words become shrieks of rage. It is absolutely clear that this is meant to be a powerful curse, quite the opposite of the calming and reassuring chants Hedra sings each morning and night.

[Jenara]

"Very well." Carith says quickly with a shrug, "Hedra, do what to have to do." she says nothing else and charges towards Grace's voice, falling to Callan's side in an instant.

(Can she hear or see signs of movement?)

[Ismaels-Legacy]

The camp is beginning to slowly devolve into chaos. People who were previously milling about in the commotion are now scampering around in near-panic. Hedra's curses are echoing through the trees, causing more panic since most of the travelers don't know dwarven. As Carith finds Callan's side, Ignatius has a sudden stroke of genius; "The light! Look for a light!" he squeaks as he blows the whistle with more intensity than he mustered before.

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Wolf collapses to the ground, doubled over in pain, clutching hands to his ears. Carson, now more concerned for Wolf's safety, lays his sword aside (though does not sheath it) and drapes his own cloak over Wolf's head. While it does dull the pain from the sound, it doesn't eliminate it. "Get me some water" he calmly says to the closest, non-panicking, bystander. "Dorir, get this camp in order. The last thing we need at a time like this is a riot."

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Like a blazing star in the night, a bright red glow erupts in mid air beside a group of slowly milling pedestrians. They look slightly startled, but Callan picks up on the sight immediately. He dashes forward just as several of the pedestrians are pushed to the ground by an unseen force. The blazing light starts to move quickly away from camp, into the woods, leaving a glowing trail behind it.

[Jenara]

"Hedra, be quiet, and calm these people down!" Carith shouts before darting off to follow the light, she keeps up with Callan easily, her eyes flashing brightly.

Watching the light disappear into the woods she darts to one side, attempting to run around and overtake, allowing her and Callan to effectively cut her off.

[Stik]

Callan takes off at a run towards the light. As he runs, he will grab anything he can grab in passing. It doesn't have to be a weapon, just something, anything, that he can throw - a bottle, a hunk of firewood, anything. If the opportunity presents itself he will throw it at the light in an attempt to slow Grace's progress. It may not do any real damage, but being hit from behind by anything substantial should be enough to break her stride.