Ramiro gives an innocuous look towards Ulf with his glassy, clear blue eyes, a few strands of golden curls flow down one side his forehead in a delicately combed but carefree manner. His blanched lips crease into a gentle smile, in exquisite politesse, "Thanks for your hard work, Ulfie. Take care of the boys."
He goes back inside the wagon to continue his spell, and finishes summoning the new horses.
Eleriel hops down from the front of the wagon, standing in a relaxed stance, but making a point to rest a hand on the greatsword at her side. She keeps her eyes on the wagons stopped far in front of them, only briefly glancing over her should to talk to the others. "Are we trying to wait them out, or was this simply a ploy for the horses?"
Ulf looks up as he moves the horses, "A ploy. We don't want to have one disappear in front of them. They might just be having a break in their journey, or there might be more to it. If they delay us, it could be a problem. With fresh horses we are...safer."
Thalia pokes her head out the back of the wagon cover to address those outside while Ramiro finishes his spellcasting. "It's probably nothing, but if things go poorly up ahead...Do we want to run or fight?"
Ramiro tilts his head. His spell finishing up, and two large quiet and serviceable steeds stand straight and spirited. The horses' coat oily and sleek, and their mane thick and full. As far as magically-summoned-quasi-real horses go, they appear to be quite majestic stallions.
"I'm not a fan of violence." He says, corner of his mouth a lazy smile, "Counterproposal, we run. If we can't run... well, we'll figure something else out."
Ulf stares at Ramiro a moment, then glances at the others before speaking, "I don't see much choice, if we can not talk our way through.If they are common bandits we will do the world a service, if they serve the absolute then we can not leave them alive. If we flee at speed, then the nature of the horses will be revealed."
"That's what disguises are for, hon." Ramiro raises a questioning eyebrow. "What are they going to squeal when they don't know who we are? And what are they going to do to the horses when they can't even catch up to us?"
Once the last horse is summoned, Ulf hitches it to the wagon leaving the saddle in place if possible.
Before he climbs aboard again to take the reins, he spends a moment calling on the spirits of the wilds to aid him. As he climbs back into the wagon he appears as little more than a human warrior, a study in grey and brown: Hair and eyes and, now, a beard all brown, his cloak grey and his weapons all serviceable but non-descrript.
When everybody is ready, he places his bow across his lap and signals the horses to resume the journey, but this time at a more natural pace.
As the wagon begins to roll along the road, Aiden has to briefly trot to catch up before falling back into an easier pace. He maintains his position behind the wagon, looking self-important as he imagines most bodyguards for high rolling citizens do. While the wagon blocks those ahead from seeing him, he summons a glaive to his hands, forgoing the usual frills in favor of a plain looking polearm.
Resting the polearm across his shoulder, he pulls back further from the wagon, so he can see around it a bit as they approach the group ahead.
Ramiro quirks his eyebrows in interest at Ulf's new appearance, his pale lips slightly parted in shape of a silent "wow". He waits until the man gets back onto the wagon and greets him with a jewelled kind of bright smile. "You should do this more often." He says to Ulf, shamelessly, "The pointy ears really detract from your... brick-and-mortar type of aesthetics."
In the time that passes while your party waits for the horses to finish summoning, the group ahead maintains their position. At this distance, Ulf is able to make out more details. The total count comes out to 10 people, not accounting for any that might be within the covered portions of one of the wagons. By their clothes - not quite the simple tunics worn by laborers, but also not the fine silks of nobility, you sumrise that they're most likely merchants. A few of the men are armed, wearing leather armor with curved shortswords at their hips. One carries a crossbow, who takes glances in your party's direction every now and again.
One of the wagons has the covering taken off and is currently been turned onto its side, with a group of three men clustered around the front axle. The crates, sacks, and bags that it had been carrying are stacked around the opposite side.
As you draw nearer, the two armed with blades stop moving about, standing next to the crossbow wielder at attention as if to stand guard. They watch you warily as you draw close, but make no moves against you.
You continue down the road, and it appears you'll be able to move past them without trouble...
Ulf nods at the merchants, shaking his head sypathetically at the repairs, then calls out as they approach, "Good day, good people. Any news of the road ahead?"
The three standing guard seem to ease up a bit, but don't move from their position. One of those working on the axle turns, and you can see an angry red blotch of frustration on his neck. "Bah, good day my ass." He points down the road you're currently heading, and where they had clearly come from. "About a mile out the road has been torn to shits. As you can see." He says, gesturing towards the damaged axle of the wagon. "Absolute knows what did it, the gashes in the ground are unlike any tracks I've seen before."
Ulf nods, and makes the sign of the Absolute, "Thanks for the warning. We'll go cautiously." He points back down the road, "The road's clear the way we've come. Safe travels to you." With a nod to the guards, he clicks the reins and the horses move on, still maintaining the slower pace while they are in sight of the other wagons.
Once they are a few hundred feet away, he hands the reins to someone else and pulls out his spyglass again, "Keep it slow" he says.
He checks the forest borders for movement, as well as the air for flying creatures. After a few minutes scanning, he turns his attention to distant hills and mountains, looking for anything that might be capable of gouging the road.
Ramiro lounges comfortably in the back of wagon, his long legs casually stretched out and crossed at the knee. He holds his crystal ball in one hand and watches the mist roiling around in the glass. After a minute, he asks Ulf, "How far does the wreck stretch?"
Ramiro gives an innocuous look towards Ulf with his glassy, clear blue eyes, a few strands of golden curls flow down one side his forehead in a delicately combed but carefree manner. His blanched lips crease into a gentle smile, in exquisite politesse, "Thanks for your hard work, Ulfie. Take care of the boys."
He goes back inside the wagon to continue his spell, and finishes summoning the new horses.
Ulf does his best to.tug a nonexistent forelock, "Aye, m'lord."
Eleriel hops down from the front of the wagon, standing in a relaxed stance, but making a point to rest a hand on the greatsword at her side. She keeps her eyes on the wagons stopped far in front of them, only briefly glancing over her should to talk to the others. "Are we trying to wait them out, or was this simply a ploy for the horses?"
#edbd00 - Gold
Ulf looks up as he moves the horses, "A ploy. We don't want to have one disappear in front of them. They might just be having a break in their journey, or there might be more to it. If they delay us, it could be a problem. With fresh horses we are...safer."
Thalia pokes her head out the back of the wagon cover to address those outside while Ramiro finishes his spellcasting. "It's probably nothing, but if things go poorly up ahead...Do we want to run or fight?"
Ulf considers for a moment, then shrugs, "Kill them all if we can. Run if we can't."
Ramiro tilts his head. His spell finishing up, and two large quiet and serviceable steeds stand straight and spirited. The horses' coat oily and sleek, and their mane thick and full. As far as magically-summoned-quasi-real horses go, they appear to be quite majestic stallions.
"I'm not a fan of violence." He says, corner of his mouth a lazy smile, "Counterproposal, we run. If we can't run... well, we'll figure something else out."
Ulf stares at Ramiro a moment, then glances at the others before speaking, "I don't see much choice, if we can not talk our way through. If they are common bandits we will do the world a service, if they serve the absolute then we can not leave them alive. If we flee at speed, then the nature of the horses will be revealed."
"That's what disguises are for, hon." Ramiro raises a questioning eyebrow. "What are they going to squeal when they don't know who we are? And what are they going to do to the horses when they can't even catch up to us?"
Ulf looks at Thalia, "I believe the question was `... if things go poorly up ahead...' Clearly, if they go well, we have little to concern us."
Once the last horse is summoned, Ulf hitches it to the wagon leaving the saddle in place if possible.
Before he climbs aboard again to take the reins, he spends a moment calling on the spirits of the wilds to aid him. As he climbs back into the wagon he appears as little more than a human warrior, a study in grey and brown: Hair and eyes and, now, a beard all brown, his cloak grey and his weapons all serviceable but non-descrript.
When everybody is ready, he places his bow across his lap and signals the horses to resume the journey, but this time at a more natural pace.
As the wagon begins to roll along the road, Aiden has to briefly trot to catch up before falling back into an easier pace. He maintains his position behind the wagon, looking self-important as he imagines most bodyguards for high rolling citizens do. While the wagon blocks those ahead from seeing him, he summons a glaive to his hands, forgoing the usual frills in favor of a plain looking polearm.
Resting the polearm across his shoulder, he pulls back further from the wagon, so he can see around it a bit as they approach the group ahead.
Ramiro quirks his eyebrows in interest at Ulf's new appearance, his pale lips slightly parted in shape of a silent "wow". He waits until the man gets back onto the wagon and greets him with a jewelled kind of bright smile. "You should do this more often." He says to Ulf, shamelessly, "The pointy ears really detract from your... brick-and-mortar type of aesthetics."
Ulf Perception: 31
In the time that passes while your party waits for the horses to finish summoning, the group ahead maintains their position. At this distance, Ulf is able to make out more details. The total count comes out to 10 people, not accounting for any that might be within the covered portions of one of the wagons. By their clothes - not quite the simple tunics worn by laborers, but also not the fine silks of nobility, you sumrise that they're most likely merchants. A few of the men are armed, wearing leather armor with curved shortswords at their hips. One carries a crossbow, who takes glances in your party's direction every now and again.
One of the wagons has the covering taken off and is currently been turned onto its side, with a group of three men clustered around the front axle. The crates, sacks, and bags that it had been carrying are stacked around the opposite side.
As you draw nearer, the two armed with blades stop moving about, standing next to the crossbow wielder at attention as if to stand guard. They watch you warily as you draw close, but make no moves against you.
You continue down the road, and it appears you'll be able to move past them without trouble...
Ulf nods at the merchants, shaking his head sypathetically at the repairs, then calls out as they approach, "Good day, good people. Any news of the road ahead?"
The three standing guard seem to ease up a bit, but don't move from their position. One of those working on the axle turns, and you can see an angry red blotch of frustration on his neck. "Bah, good day my ass." He points down the road you're currently heading, and where they had clearly come from. "About a mile out the road has been torn to shits. As you can see." He says, gesturing towards the damaged axle of the wagon. "Absolute knows what did it, the gashes in the ground are unlike any tracks I've seen before."
Ulf nods, and makes the sign of the Absolute, "Thanks for the warning. We'll go cautiously." He points back down the road, "The road's clear the way we've come. Safe travels to you." With a nod to the guards, he clicks the reins and the horses move on, still maintaining the slower pace while they are in sight of the other wagons.
Once they are a few hundred feet away, he hands the reins to someone else and pulls out his spyglass again, "Keep it slow" he says.
He checks the forest borders for movement, as well as the air for flying creatures. After a few minutes scanning, he turns his attention to distant hills and mountains, looking for anything that might be capable of gouging the road.
Ramiro lounges comfortably in the back of wagon, his long legs casually stretched out and crossed at the knee. He holds his crystal ball in one hand and watches the mist roiling around in the glass. After a minute, he asks Ulf, "How far does the wreck stretch?"
Ulf Perception: 24