The Forgotten Wish

The caravan falls to a momentary halt, both to watch the spectacle, and to wait and allow Slick do his own business. Rick for his own part decides to just halt as well, having enjoyed either the company, or the additional protection, or both, so far. Besides, it turns out that he may have a decent enough reason to not mind losing a little bit of time, as Pallen points out when Sylvera asks if they'd really care to wait for this entire mess.

"...Well, we're probably staying the night in Passley anyway, I'd guess," Pallen states, pointing to the small city already within sight. Judging by the current time of day and the remaining distance, it was more than obvious they'd arrive well before evening.

"We could potentially keep going, but there's no way we'd get to Mossley before nightfall, so we'd be camping out in the wilderness. I suppose the next day we could just pass Mossley and maybe save some time that way, but," 

The elf paused for a long moment. One of his hands, which still seemed to have some movement, reached down, and grabbed a side of his leg. There was a very subtle frown.

"...I believe we should have the time."

He gives a slight nod to Khond's reasoning as well, seeming to heavily agree with the centaur's principles, and unaware that Breldo and Nuria were watching from just a little up ahead with similar sentiment, the halfling likely a better beast whisperer than the two wannabe cowboys. Still, it appears that the two of them become somewhat aware of the crowd watching them by this point, which finally spurs some action. At around the same time, the merchant and farmer seem to cut a deal, and the merchant sets off in the direction of Mezzra, fully loaded, as the farmer seems almost giddy to sell to Khond next.

"So, two bags? Smaller purchase than I'm used to, but don't see why not. That'd go for about a gold?"

But while the deal starts happening, had one of the farmhand duo climbed over the fence, lasso in hand, feeding the far end of the rope out to his friend behind the fence. The bull up ahead reared it's head, snorted, stretching its stance wide. The kid for their part realized they probably shouldn't get much closer when it was in such a defensive stance, and instead threw that lasso from there. It arced through the air, going straight for the bull, and over its head.

Or, rather, partially over its head. It doesn't quite go all the way- Slipping over one of the bulls horns, but not the other, when the rope snags it somehow snags only around its horn, making the beast far less inclined to give in as it rears, then charges- The farmhand in the pen can only barely get out of dodge, and the other farmhand trying to pull on the rope is having little success, struggling to not be dragged instead.

Rick is distracted by the bull spectacular happening and can barely answer on Khond's behalf in time,

"Rick thinks 8 silver is fair...and friend Khond gets a sniff check first."

Persuasion: 9

Khond starts getting loose from the wagon, "That's already not looking too good."

Breldo sighs. "I'll see what I can do. Lass, stay outside the pen and observe."

The halfling heads off towards the pen, slowing as he approaches to not further spook the bull.

((Actual actions to depend on what he finds by the time he gets there.))

"Boss Palin? Rick sees the little guy is getting in the pen with the bull."

Oren, shakes his head and tries to get out of his quiet sullen mood he was in for no good reason, walks a bit further away from Pallen and goes closer to watch what is happening with the bull.  "Oh, man.  I really do not want to fight a bull.  Get out of their guys!" he says to the farmboys.

(Sorry for delay, I am back)

Nuria nods to the halfling, following him until he reaches the pens. She hangs back away from the crowd but makes sure she is in a position that she can see what is happening.

Relative chaos breaks out when things go wrong on the ranch. Breldo and Nuria rush over immediately, oren taking a more tentative approach. Khond, too, is working on getting over but needs a moment to actually get himself loose... And Slick, of course, is still trying to make a deal while this happening distracts even the farm owner, who was about to answer Slick when the mess started, and he quickly turns.

"Adam? You alright?! Jacob, get him out of there!"

And seeing that at least one of their companions was about to head into the pen as well, Slick helpfully points this out. The scowl Pallen gets on his face is the first time that the elf has seemed genuinely upset- And it's clear from his motions that he tried to get up, only to find that his limbs were not cooperating enough to do so without help. Even if he had, he'd likely have been able to do little.

"Yes! What are you standing about for?! People are going to get hurt!"

At the pen meanwhile, things develop before anyone could even get close enough to do anything. The younger of the two, Adam, is knocked down, but quickly works on getting up, and tries to run off. This sadly causes the bull to give chase, and as he's running in the direction of Jacob, the latter can't pull on the rope fast enough to try and distract the bull, one of the farmhands letting out a cry as the bull buts him right in the back. Only then, moments before the apparently crazed bull could just stampede all over the downed man, does the farmhand at the end of the rope manage to give a hefty tug on the rope, pulling against the bull's horn, and redirecting its attention... Firstly by snagging its head back in the other direction, and almost causing the farmhand to let go. Breldo arrives next to the farmhand as this is happening, with Nuria right behind him. Oren is not too far behind, and if Khond worked on getting himself loose and then rushing over, he wouldn't be too far behind him as well.

"Rick is here to serve Boss Pallen!"

Rick will launch himself over the fence, using feline speed, cunning action and dash if needed to scoop up Adam.

Breldo will hop up onto the fence and clap his hands sharply together to get the bull's attention and shout at it, "Yaaaah! Settle down now!"

He'll stare down the bull, trying through sheer determination and presenting the unflinching front of a confident old halfling, that the bull will think twice... but he's ready to vault from the fence if it comes to it.

Animal Handling: 11

Rushing for the farmhand holding the rope, Khond grabs hold of the rope alongside the lad and starts bracing, pitting his own physique against the bull's to keep the boy from being pulled over the fence or losing grip should the beast decide to throw itself around again.

Breldo may have told Nuria to stay outside of the pens, but seeing the fallen boy struggle to escape only to be caught under the bull's hooves sparks something in her. She can't just stand by and watch, Breldo and the centaur are preoccupied with trying to control the animal, leaving her the only one close enough to help the stable hand. The small girl easily slips through the panels on the corral, then rushes over to try to help Jacob (I think he's the one who was knocked down?). Before moving him, she tries to see if he's still conscious. "C-can you stand? You n-need to get out of here..."

She tries to visually examine his wounds, while keeping an eye on the bull.

Perception: 5

Investigation: 14

Sylvera stands by, shaking her head slightly, "It was foolish to go in there with nothing but a rope." What were they trying to accomplish anyways? It wasn't like a kid could drag a raging animal out of a pen with nothing but his bare hands. Don't they have any horses around here to help with that? Perhaps they were too poor to afford one. She watches passively, but her hands are clasped together tightly as she does so. There is nothing she could do to anyways, so why put herself in harm's way? At least Khond was helping with the rope, he should have adequate strength...

Seeing the quiet girl (Nuria) running over to help get the trampled boy out of the pen, Sylvera grits her teeth, clasping her hands together more tightly turning her knuckles white for a moment. Then she lets out a hissing breath through her teeth and dashes over with surprising speed. Stopping in front of the fence, she shouts at Nuria, "Grab him under his arms and drag him over here. If you wait too long you're going to get trampled too." She reaches out as if expecting the girl to hand her something. "Get moving! I'll pull him under the fence." 

However, the tabaxi gets there first... grabbing Adam and dashing away from danger. Sylvera sets her jaw, not really wanting anything to do with the tabaxi. But she came down here to help that kid so that's what she's going to do, "Get him out of there." She waves to Rick, trying to get him to bring Adam over. Hopefully his back isn't broken. It wouldn't be surprising if it is. "Girl, help him if he needs it." 

Rick turns and brings his person over to the bird elf woman, or as near as he can get, and gives her a toothy smile.

Nuria nearly jumps out of her skin when Sylvara yells at her, but she quickly does as she's told helping the greasy cat man pull the stable hand over to the fence.

With everyone dashing about so crazily, and fast compared to him, Oren holds still and watches.  He however stands ready to attack the bull if needed.

(Held action to attack it if needed and its close enough, non-lethal damage)

Seeing people in genuine help, even the noble lady is found rushing over in case things go even more south as they already were, quickly beginning to take charge and dash out orders. Even before she arrives, some action is already being taken: Khond grabs the rope together with Jacob, and helps keep a stronger hold, prepared to try and pull again should it be necessary. Slick and Nuria in the meantime, quickly move for the guy, and work together to drag him close, then over to the fence. His painful grunts are mostly a relief, showing he's not only still alive but also conscious - Though not quite to the point he's rushing to try and get up. Oren joins in close to the other group, ready to help out should the bull still attack. The one farmhand still standing gives a worried look over toward the other.

"Oh thank you, thank you! I have no idea what's up with old Ron, he's never been this aggressive!"

And in the pen meanwhile, and no doubt part of the reason the bull has not attacked yet, is Breldo, trying to hush the creature. But a moment before it had let out another bellowing cry, and it had seemed as if it was going to outright charge again, already rearing up, before the small folk manages to somewhat calm it down. Even then, it clops one of its hooves, snorting, looking like it might still go for it if one's not careful. It occurs to the halfling that something evidently has to be wrong with the bull for it to be acting so aggressively - And perhaps, just ever so slightly through all the clear anger, catches glimpses of fear from the creature as well.

"Settle, settle...", Breldo says soothingly, while looking the bull over for any injuries or oddities to its gait or behavior.

Perception: 16 (if Medicine is more appropriate, subtract 2 from the roll.))

[Halfling Powers Activate!]

Perception: 18

Rick strokes the downed hand's hair, leaving it shiny and lustrous,

"Shhh...shhh...Rick has saved you!"

He will then look back towards the bull action, waiting to see who he will need to save next.