When Arren starts advancing towards her, Emma wraps her tail around one of the pinecones in the area and lobs it in Arren's direction. The throw is forceful but inaccurate, and the pinecone lands nearby harmlessly. Emma then makes a hissing sound at Arren before running northwards.
Bryn hears Emma's response in the same fragmented and distorted manner as before: 'I... return... I'm... again... must... follow...' Nonetheless, there is more decisiveness in her voice now.
Commandant Nattensbarn, who had just pushed Lieutenant Tireur forward so she could also see the interaction, arrives in time only to see Emma turning and running farther north. "Aleshi and her damned tricks!" She exclaims. "That thing sure is fast! But as long as it's not headed to Ersta, I think we can let it be. It's best that it doesn't change its mind and decide we are delicious or dangerous enough to attack us."
While she runs, if Bryn tries to follow her, Emma picks a small branch with her tail and lobs it in Bryn's direction. Again, forcefully but inaccurately, the branch hits one of the nearby trees in front of Bryn's path, producing a faint 'thump' and falls to the ground.
Emma runs to M-17. Bryn may keep pace and reach S-17 or its vicinity, if he wishes (though I'd like you to confirm in your next post).
Arren arrives at N-8 (unless he stops at N-4); Lieutenant Tireur and the Commandant arrive at N-7 and N-6, respectively.
Arrenhalts (N8), his gaze shifting from Emma to the pinecone that's landed harmlessly nearby. He blinks in surprise, then eases his stance. If they weren't dealing with a creature capable of ending them all in an instant, the moment might almost be comical.
He turns to his superiors and says dryly, "Well, I guess that's as clear an answer as we're ever going to get." A short pause. "I have to say, I've never been thrown a warning pinecone by someone turned into a killing machine before. There really is a first time for everything."
He waits a moment to see what the Corporalwill do, assuming that if he's heard the Commandant, he might halt his pursue as well. (ooc: will edit if this is not the case!)
Then, suspecting the Commandant may have missed part of the exchange with Emma, Arren explains what just happened. "It looked like Emma was trying to answer my earlier questions—one flick or slam with the tail for a yes, and two for a no. She definitely seems more in control than ast night. And I believe she really was trying to communicate and to warn us not to get too close."
The Sergeant glances in the direction Emma fled before speaking again. "Should we wait back at the alcove, Ma'am? When I asked if she thought she'd return to her Human form in time, her reply was uncertain. But that looks like our best bet right now. Especially since chasing her seems off the table."
Once again it takes a moment for 'Tace' to decode what Emma is saying, and he stays where he is as he is doing so. I will return when I am me again. You must not follow me?
Instead of following Emma, he respects her wishes, especially after he hears the Commandant come the conclusion that they should let her go as well. He does keep an eye on her as se moves, but unless her path changes such that she would get to Ersta he simply moves to join the Commandant, Lieutenant and Sergeant.
He nods in agreement that Emma seemed in more control this time, and then chimes in regarding where they should head now. "Emma, the usual Emma, would not return to Ersta. I believe waiting at the alcove is the only way to make contact with her again without hunting her, Ma'am and Sirs", he says respectfully.
He is careful not to suggest a particular course of action, just the facts regarding what Emma might do as he sees it.
(OOC: No, Bryn does not move to S17 in the previous turn)
Emma continues to run northwards until she's out of sight.
"I think I've seen enough." Commandant Nattensbarn declares. "We'll go back to Ersta and find a messenger to send word to Tus. You two," she briefly gestures towards Arren and "Tace" so that there's no mistake who she's talking to, "should stay here and wait for her to return. In the unfortunate event that Emma reaches Ersta in her current state, I hope you'll hear the Lieutenant's firearm and get there in time to save whoever you still can. Expect it to take several days before a convoy from Tus arrives, so find a way to make yourself comfortable in here. I will expect a report from one of you each day at sunrise."
Once she's finished, the Commandant turns back towards the alcove to gather her things. ((You can still speak with her before she goes back to Ersta, if you wish.))
Arren, thanks to his long-time comradeship with the Commandant, and Bryn, thanks to his natural acuity, notice that the Commandant isn't as confident and stern as usual, and though she tries to act like it, both see through the act and know she's unsettled from the sight of Emma turning right in front of her. Arren was present in times when she faced danger before - though it was his job to make sure that doesn't happen and so far, he'd been doing it well - and it usually does not shake her like so.
"On the bright side," Lieutenant Tireur suggests in a low voice before following after the Commandant, who had already started walking away, "maybe I can get her to eat and rest more while we're here. It's not often that we stay in one place for this long, except for when in Pyorre."
'Tace' listens to the Commandant with mixed feelings. Emma needs help for sure, but being locked up in Tus? Is that really the way it has to be? Could that make her condition worse, rather than help her gain more control?
Despite his thoughts on the matter, he knows it is not his place to bring it up amongst his superiors. If I wasn't stuck in this charade, what would I do? Offer to accompany Emma on a journey to find Briethe? Risk my life and the lives of everyone we come across? No.
He clears his throat a little, "If I might make a suggestion, Ma'am?"
Assuming she doesn't cut him off, he says, "It is possible the manacles delayed the monsters rage long enough for Emma to exert some control, as it struggled with them. Perhaps we could reach out to the blacksmith in Ersta to see if he can help. A replacement set in case she has broken them, for example, or some way of making them more comfortable for Emma whilst she is herself. Perhaps he could create a shackle point we could attach to the wall in the alcove, and provide a chain so if Emma does change again she can't run off? I confess I don't know how long that would take, though. And if it could be done before the convoy arrives"
He awaits a response, wondering what the Commandant would even say in her missive that could explain the danger the convoy would be in. Surely they would have to provide some sort of cage to transfer Emma in.
After they make it back to the alcove and the Commandant states her orders, Arrendoesn't say much at first, beyond acknowledging the given orders. Emma's transformation—new to the Commandant and the Lieutenant, and different from the night before for the Corporal and himself—has left them all more shaken than they care to admit.
In Arren's case, he's glad the Commandant has settled on contacting Tus, as he'd suggested. But he still doesn't feel entirely at ease. What's going to happen to Emma once she's there? Will the personnel be properly informed—and more importantly, willing—to look past the monster and see the woman? Will they now pursue a permanent solution to her condition?
Corporal Peite's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "That's a great idea, actually,"Arren says with a nod. "Not only would it increase everyone's safety, but also her comfort. And the better Emma feels, the less likely she is to turn—or to lose control if she does."
He glances toward the Commandant, watching for her response. "That said, we need to decide what we're going to say in town. We've been able to deflect the townsfolk’s questions so far, but given how they feel about Emma, that won't last. Especially once they see the convoy from Tus."
Arren pauses. "Which brings me to another question—and do forgive me, Ma'am, for adding more to your plate."He hesitates, clearly aware of how rattled she seems, but continues all the same. "What are we going to say in that letter to Tus? Or when they arrive? I only hope whoever ends up in charge can see past the monster and treat her for what she is: a woman forced into a situation she never asked for. Emma has shown signs of progress, and it would be a shame if all that were lost because she ends up in… well, incompetent hands."
Arren considers asking about Breithe Staidear, but with everything they've already asked, it feels like too much. And seeing the Commandant's expression, perhaps what he should ask is a simple "Are you all right?" But something holds him back from doing just that. Not now. Not yet.
When Walnuts chimes in with his usual optimism, Arren can't help but smile slightly and nod. Good old Walnuts. Even after all this, he still finds a bright side.
Having sat in one himself, Bryn knows prisoners in Katto, as in Levicka, are transported by cage wagons. Those are usually constructed of wood, which might not be strong enough to hold Emma should she attempt to escape, but it would not be unthinkable that some are made from metal to contain the more violent prisoners, or those with magical abilities that could potentially burn a wooden wagon. Arren had seen such wagons passing by in the past and knows of them as well.
"Yes, go ahead." The Commandant seems eager to go already, having retrieved the few items she dropped on the ground when Emma turned, but she listens to "Tace's" suggestion. "That's... not a bad idea." She replies once he finishes. "I'll check with the smith after sending for Tus. But... until then, and only if you're feeling confident, you can try wrapping some cloth around the iron. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it should be better than the raw metal. It might require you to unmanacle her, so consider carefully whether it is worth it."
After listening to Arren's questions, the Commandant tries to answer, but she briefly rubs her temples before she does, a sign Arren has learned to recognise, which means, most of the time, that she does not have a good answer. Or that she has a headache, sometimes. "Leave those matters to me." She finally answers, though she sounds already lethargic as if knowing it'll be a pain to manage. "It is my role to take care of these issues. You just have to make sure nobody - including yourselves - gets hurt during the next few days."
Usually, she'd leave things there, but perhaps the mention of incompetent people, which she so detests, drives her to add: "We cannot control who will manage this matter, but I cannot imagine any situation in which Emma leads a happy life from here, unless we are somehow certain that she'll never hurt anybody again. On top of that, once we reach Pyorre, I must report on this issue, and I imagine quite a few people will find great interest in Emma. I believe her accommodations in Tus will be temporary only, though I do not know whether what awaits her afterwards will be better or worse. I do pity the woman, but... there's just not much that I can do for her."
Emma will return several hours later, a little past noon. By then, she had reverted to her normal self. She doesn't seem hurt and, fortunately, is not covered in blood when she's back. Likewise, her hands are still manacled. The tail she grew when transformed had disappeared, and the only sign that anything happened at all is the small tear in her dress, about where the lower back meets the pelvis (about the top of the tailbone). Arren and Bryn notice that she tries to keep her backside away from them, but if at any point she happens to turn, they'll notice that the tear is closer to a slit than a hole in shape, and so not much can be seen through it, to Emma's relief.
"Thank you, for... for not chasing after me. I feared it... I...might respond if you did." She says, a little sheepishly, when she returns.
'Tace' listens as the Commandant echoes his own words to Emma herself not that long ago. That perhaps being incarcerated and left alone was the best outcome, but she unlikely to be left alone. Not by the Katton army and others who want to understand or control the power she holds. I assume she means that the army might want to harness or control her. I wish there was something I could do to help her avoid that fate.
His mood is sombre whilst he waits for Emma to return, not offering up much in the way of conversation and staying alert in case it is not the human version that appears. He does take the Commandant's suggestion on board, and tries to fashion some padding for the manacles, possibly by cutting a strip off a blanket.
"You showed great control, Emma. You probably saved our lives by being able to restrain the creature. Mine for sure", he replies to her gratefully. "I don't suppose you have any idea what triggered the change? It all seemed to be going quite well until it wasn't".
When he notices her trying to hide the dead in her clothes at the back, he looks about to see if there is anything clan and dry enough to drape over her.
Commandant Nattensbarn's reply doesn't offer much comfort to Arren, who simply sighs and gives an understanding nod. Like her, he pities Emma, but recognises there's really nothing more they can do, aside from ensuring the wait for the convoy is as calm and safe as possible. Seeing the Corporal's somber mood while they wait, Arren imagines similar thoughts must be weighing on his mind too.
While they wait for Emma to return, the Half-Elf does little beyond keeping watch and resting. They may have avoided a fight, but the pursuit hadn't been without tension, so even if it's still early in the day, he takes a moment to sit and listen to the quiet of the forest while he keeps watch, listening to the occasional birdcall, the wind in the trees, and the sound of Tace working on the manacles. (ooc: I'll take a short rest if that is okay? To recover the expended Second Wind.)
At one point, breaking the silence, he asks the Corporal quietly, "So, you have a kid? How old, if I might ask?" He doesn't press further. It's just a quiet question, meant to get to know him a little better, if he feels like sharing.
When Emma finally returns, he listens as Tace speaks to her, and then adds, "Maybe it was the Commandant's questions that triggered the change?" He pauses. "She can sound rather cold when analyzing..." he catches himself about to say the word problem "...a situation," Then, more thoughtfully, he asks, "The tail. That was new. At least for us. Has that happened before? Or was it new for you too, Emma?"
When Arren notices his Elf companion looking for something to cover Emma, he says, "Since we'll have to return to Ersta, we can bring more clothes. And more food than just potatoes." He glances at Emma as he says that. Maybe it'll cheer her up a little.
He avoids mentioning the convoy, at least for now. Though he doesn't doubt she'll ask what comes next soon enough.
Arren can take a short rest. Bryn, too, if relevant.
Emma seems conscious of the slit in her dress, but since she cannot see it herself, she doesn't know that it's actually rather small and that, beyond perhaps the colour of her skin, nothing can be seen through it. But should Bryn insist, he could use any of the clothes they've been wearing so far (including the coats which they may have doffed during the day), as well as the bedrolls. Not exactly its intended purpose, but it can be wrapped around her waist. There are also Emma's discarded clothes she wore before Arren brought her a new set, but you believe she'd refuse to use those again.
"I told you before," Emma remarks on Bryn's thoughts, "sometimes it happens... without any clear trigger. It just... happens. And it is exactly during those times that I can direct it. It's also because there was no trigger that I was able to warn you, even if only at the last moment. I told you before. If it happens as a response to something... There will be no warning.
"As for the tail, that was new for me, too. Like I said, I... I direct it, but I do not control it. The destination is the same, but the path is... I'm not the one who chooses it. Not entirely. And so, when I... turned, I wanted to first get away from you. I feared that you, or the other two, will respond and that if you hurt me, I'll lose control entirely. So I wanted to get away, but then it tried to move my hands, which... it couldn't. And in response... In response, the tail came out." She seems a little uncomfortable talking about the whole matter, as if it is embarrassing that she had a tail. More embarrassing than the rest of the things she's going through. "But it hurt. It hurt a lot. I nearly blanked out. That's why, even after you didn't immediately react to my change, I felt I had to get away. I didn't know what would happen if I lost it from the pain."
When Arren suggests bringing more clothes and food, Emma's face brightens slightly. "I'd appreciate that, thank you. Though I hope I won't need to change my clothes so often. Else, I'd run through the whole wardrobe within a few days." Arren and Bryn both doubt that, since, for starters, Emma will probably not need her old clothes a few days from now, and second, for a woman in her standing, she has quite a lot of clothes. Probably thanks to Hector's connections with other merchants. "As for the food... Just... don't bring me anything with meat. Please. If you must, could I ask that you eat in town? The mere thought of it makes my stomach turn."
Tell me once you're done interacting with each other/Emma, and if there's anything else you'd like to do within the next 3-4 days. In particular, mention if you want to play anything out in detail or just mention that it is something that your characters did during that time.
'Tace' looks over to the Sergeant at talk of his child, a little taken aback by the question but making sure not to show it in what is visible of his face. Of course, Emma unwittingly revealed more about Tace's personal life in her questioning.
Quickly thinking back to the letters he read and what Emma had mentioned, he tries to piece it together. How did the real Tace feel about being away from his child so much. When was the last time he saw him?
"Carmelo", he ends up saying, not quite answering the question in one go. "He's a teenager now", he then adds a little vaguely but offers no more. Let's hope the Sergeant mistakes my vagueness for emotion at being away from him so much.
'Tace' listens as Emma explains once again how the transformation happens and how she sometimes changes without reason and in those times has a little warning. And that she can guide the actions of the beast a little, but is not in control.
She seemed to have more control this time. And if not for the pain, perhaps she needn't have run away. Not that I want to test that theory.
He offers the makeshift padding for the manacles, if she agrees looking to place it without removing the manacles by threading it through around her wrist.
Looking to the Sergeant, "Am I to stay, Sir, whilst you collect what you need from Ersta. It seems like you have things in mind".
He is in fact happy with that arrangement, rather than being the one to report back each sunrise, but will not argue if the Sergeant assigns him the task.
If 'Tace' is ever alone in Ersta during the next few days, he will look to do a bit of shopping, and perhaps take another look in Emma's house (with her consent but without mentioning it to the Sergeant). If he gets to, he will make sure to cast detect magic as he does so. He will also take up Emma's suggestion to eat in town at least once as well, to get a decent meaty meal.
When he is alone with Emma, he will ask what she knows about the real Tace Peite, and if there is anything she can tell him to avoid being tripped up by the Sergeant's inquisitive nature. As the days pass, he will also speak to her again about what is to come for her, and ask if there is anything he can do for her. He will also tell her that he will look for the man who did this, and come and find her if he ever gets answers.
He will of course follow through on the plans for the new manacles / shackle point if he is able.
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When Arren starts advancing towards her, Emma wraps her tail around one of the pinecones in the area and lobs it in Arren's direction. The throw is forceful but inaccurate, and the pinecone lands nearby harmlessly. Emma then makes a hissing sound at Arren before running northwards.
Bryn hears Emma's response in the same fragmented and distorted manner as before: 'I... return... I'm... again... must... follow...' Nonetheless, there is more decisiveness in her voice now.
Commandant Nattensbarn, who had just pushed Lieutenant Tireur forward so she could also see the interaction, arrives in time only to see Emma turning and running farther north. "Aleshi and her damned tricks!" She exclaims. "That thing sure is fast! But as long as it's not headed to Ersta, I think we can let it be. It's best that it doesn't change its mind and decide we are delicious or dangerous enough to attack us."
While she runs, if Bryn tries to follow her, Emma picks a small branch with her tail and lobs it in Bryn's direction. Again, forcefully but inaccurately, the branch hits one of the nearby trees in front of Bryn's path, producing a faint 'thump' and falls to the ground.
Emma runs to M-17. Bryn may keep pace and reach S-17 or its vicinity, if he wishes (though I'd like you to confirm in your next post).
Arren arrives at N-8 (unless he stops at N-4); Lieutenant Tireur and the Commandant arrive at N-7 and N-6, respectively.
Varielky
Arren halts (N8), his gaze shifting from Emma to the pinecone that's landed harmlessly nearby. He blinks in surprise, then eases his stance. If they weren't dealing with a creature capable of ending them all in an instant, the moment might almost be comical.
He turns to his superiors and says dryly, "Well, I guess that's as clear an answer as we're ever going to get." A short pause. "I have to say, I've never been thrown a warning pinecone by someone turned into a killing machine before. There really is a first time for everything."
He waits a moment to see what the Corporal will do, assuming that if he's heard the Commandant, he might halt his pursue as well. (ooc: will edit if this is not the case!)
Then, suspecting the Commandant may have missed part of the exchange with Emma, Arren explains what just happened. "It looked like Emma was trying to answer my earlier questions—one flick or slam with the tail for a yes, and two for a no. She definitely seems more in control than ast night. And I believe she really was trying to communicate and to warn us not to get too close."
The Sergeant glances in the direction Emma fled before speaking again. "Should we wait back at the alcove, Ma'am? When I asked if she thought she'd return to her Human form in time, her reply was uncertain. But that looks like our best bet right now. Especially since chasing her seems off the table."
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Once again it takes a moment for 'Tace' to decode what Emma is saying, and he stays where he is as he is doing so. I will return when I am me again. You must not follow me?
Instead of following Emma, he respects her wishes, especially after he hears the Commandant come the conclusion that they should let her go as well. He does keep an eye on her as se moves, but unless her path changes such that she would get to Ersta he simply moves to join the Commandant, Lieutenant and Sergeant.
He nods in agreement that Emma seemed in more control this time, and then chimes in regarding where they should head now. "Emma, the usual Emma, would not return to Ersta. I believe waiting at the alcove is the only way to make contact with her again without hunting her, Ma'am and Sirs", he says respectfully.
He is careful not to suggest a particular course of action, just the facts regarding what Emma might do as he sees it.
(OOC: No, Bryn does not move to S17 in the previous turn)
Movement: To N9 to speak with the others.
Emma continues to run northwards until she's out of sight.
"I think I've seen enough." Commandant Nattensbarn declares. "We'll go back to Ersta and find a messenger to send word to Tus. You two," she briefly gestures towards Arren and "Tace" so that there's no mistake who she's talking to, "should stay here and wait for her to return. In the unfortunate event that Emma reaches Ersta in her current state, I hope you'll hear the Lieutenant's firearm and get there in time to save whoever you still can. Expect it to take several days before a convoy from Tus arrives, so find a way to make yourself comfortable in here. I will expect a report from one of you each day at sunrise."
Once she's finished, the Commandant turns back towards the alcove to gather her things. ((You can still speak with her before she goes back to Ersta, if you wish.))
Arren, thanks to his long-time comradeship with the Commandant, and Bryn, thanks to his natural acuity, notice that the Commandant isn't as confident and stern as usual, and though she tries to act like it, both see through the act and know she's unsettled from the sight of Emma turning right in front of her. Arren was present in times when she faced danger before - though it was his job to make sure that doesn't happen and so far, he'd been doing it well - and it usually does not shake her like so.
"On the bright side," Lieutenant Tireur suggests in a low voice before following after the Commandant, who had already started walking away, "maybe I can get her to eat and rest more while we're here. It's not often that we stay in one place for this long, except for when in Pyorre."
Varielky
'Tace' listens to the Commandant with mixed feelings. Emma needs help for sure, but being locked up in Tus? Is that really the way it has to be? Could that make her condition worse, rather than help her gain more control?
Despite his thoughts on the matter, he knows it is not his place to bring it up amongst his superiors. If I wasn't stuck in this charade, what would I do? Offer to accompany Emma on a journey to find Briethe? Risk my life and the lives of everyone we come across? No.
He clears his throat a little, "If I might make a suggestion, Ma'am?"
Assuming she doesn't cut him off, he says, "It is possible the manacles delayed the monsters rage long enough for Emma to exert some control, as it struggled with them. Perhaps we could reach out to the blacksmith in Ersta to see if he can help. A replacement set in case she has broken them, for example, or some way of making them more comfortable for Emma whilst she is herself. Perhaps he could create a shackle point we could attach to the wall in the alcove, and provide a chain so if Emma does change again she can't run off? I confess I don't know how long that would take, though. And if it could be done before the convoy arrives"
He awaits a response, wondering what the Commandant would even say in her missive that could explain the danger the convoy would be in. Surely they would have to provide some sort of cage to transfer Emma in.
After they make it back to the alcove and the Commandant states her orders, Arren doesn't say much at first, beyond acknowledging the given orders. Emma's transformation—new to the Commandant and the Lieutenant, and different from the night before for the Corporal and himself—has left them all more shaken than they care to admit.
In Arren's case, he's glad the Commandant has settled on contacting Tus, as he'd suggested. But he still doesn't feel entirely at ease. What's going to happen to Emma once she's there? Will the personnel be properly informed—and more importantly, willing—to look past the monster and see the woman? Will they now pursue a permanent solution to her condition?
Corporal Peite's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "That's a great idea, actually," Arren says with a nod. "Not only would it increase everyone's safety, but also her comfort. And the better Emma feels, the less likely she is to turn—or to lose control if she does."
He glances toward the Commandant, watching for her response. "That said, we need to decide what we're going to say in town. We've been able to deflect the townsfolk’s questions so far, but given how they feel about Emma, that won't last. Especially once they see the convoy from Tus."
Arren pauses. "Which brings me to another question—and do forgive me, Ma'am, for adding more to your plate." He hesitates, clearly aware of how rattled she seems, but continues all the same. "What are we going to say in that letter to Tus? Or when they arrive? I only hope whoever ends up in charge can see past the monster and treat her for what she is: a woman forced into a situation she never asked for. Emma has shown signs of progress, and it would be a shame if all that were lost because she ends up in… well, incompetent hands."
Arren considers asking about Breithe Staidear, but with everything they've already asked, it feels like too much. And seeing the Commandant's expression, perhaps what he should ask is a simple "Are you all right?" But something holds him back from doing just that. Not now. Not yet.
When Walnuts chimes in with his usual optimism, Arren can't help but smile slightly and nod. Good old Walnuts. Even after all this, he still finds a bright side.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Having sat in one himself, Bryn knows prisoners in Katto, as in Levicka, are transported by cage wagons. Those are usually constructed of wood, which might not be strong enough to hold Emma should she attempt to escape, but it would not be unthinkable that some are made from metal to contain the more violent prisoners, or those with magical abilities that could potentially burn a wooden wagon. Arren had seen such wagons passing by in the past and knows of them as well.
"Yes, go ahead." The Commandant seems eager to go already, having retrieved the few items she dropped on the ground when Emma turned, but she listens to "Tace's" suggestion. "That's... not a bad idea." She replies once he finishes. "I'll check with the smith after sending for Tus. But... until then, and only if you're feeling confident, you can try wrapping some cloth around the iron. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it should be better than the raw metal. It might require you to unmanacle her, so consider carefully whether it is worth it."
After listening to Arren's questions, the Commandant tries to answer, but she briefly rubs her temples before she does, a sign Arren has learned to recognise, which means, most of the time, that she does not have a good answer. Or that she has a headache, sometimes. "Leave those matters to me." She finally answers, though she sounds already lethargic as if knowing it'll be a pain to manage. "It is my role to take care of these issues. You just have to make sure nobody - including yourselves - gets hurt during the next few days."
Usually, she'd leave things there, but perhaps the mention of incompetent people, which she so detests, drives her to add: "We cannot control who will manage this matter, but I cannot imagine any situation in which Emma leads a happy life from here, unless we are somehow certain that she'll never hurt anybody again. On top of that, once we reach Pyorre, I must report on this issue, and I imagine quite a few people will find great interest in Emma. I believe her accommodations in Tus will be temporary only, though I do not know whether what awaits her afterwards will be better or worse. I do pity the woman, but... there's just not much that I can do for her."
Emma will return several hours later, a little past noon. By then, she had reverted to her normal self. She doesn't seem hurt and, fortunately, is not covered in blood when she's back. Likewise, her hands are still manacled. The tail she grew when transformed had disappeared, and the only sign that anything happened at all is the small tear in her dress, about where the lower back meets the pelvis (about the top of the tailbone). Arren and Bryn notice that she tries to keep her backside away from them, but if at any point she happens to turn, they'll notice that the tear is closer to a slit than a hole in shape, and so not much can be seen through it, to Emma's relief.
"Thank you, for... for not chasing after me. I feared it... I... might respond if you did." She says, a little sheepishly, when she returns.
Varielky
'Tace' listens as the Commandant echoes his own words to Emma herself not that long ago. That perhaps being incarcerated and left alone was the best outcome, but she unlikely to be left alone. Not by the Katton army and others who want to understand or control the power she holds. I assume she means that the army might want to harness or control her. I wish there was something I could do to help her avoid that fate.
His mood is sombre whilst he waits for Emma to return, not offering up much in the way of conversation and staying alert in case it is not the human version that appears. He does take the Commandant's suggestion on board, and tries to fashion some padding for the manacles, possibly by cutting a strip off a blanket.
"You showed great control, Emma. You probably saved our lives by being able to restrain the creature. Mine for sure", he replies to her gratefully. "I don't suppose you have any idea what triggered the change? It all seemed to be going quite well until it wasn't".
When he notices her trying to hide the dead in her clothes at the back, he looks about to see if there is anything clan and dry enough to drape over her.
Commandant Nattensbarn's reply doesn't offer much comfort to Arren, who simply sighs and gives an understanding nod. Like her, he pities Emma, but recognises there's really nothing more they can do, aside from ensuring the wait for the convoy is as calm and safe as possible. Seeing the Corporal's somber mood while they wait, Arren imagines similar thoughts must be weighing on his mind too.
While they wait for Emma to return, the Half-Elf does little beyond keeping watch and resting. They may have avoided a fight, but the pursuit hadn't been without tension, so even if it's still early in the day, he takes a moment to sit and listen to the quiet of the forest while he keeps watch, listening to the occasional birdcall, the wind in the trees, and the sound of Tace working on the manacles. (ooc: I'll take a short rest if that is okay? To recover the expended Second Wind.)
At one point, breaking the silence, he asks the Corporal quietly, "So, you have a kid? How old, if I might ask?" He doesn't press further. It's just a quiet question, meant to get to know him a little better, if he feels like sharing.
When Emma finally returns, he listens as Tace speaks to her, and then adds, "Maybe it was the Commandant's questions that triggered the change?" He pauses. "She can sound rather cold when analyzing..." he catches himself about to say the word problem "...a situation," Then, more thoughtfully, he asks, "The tail. That was new. At least for us. Has that happened before? Or was it new for you too, Emma?"
When Arren notices his Elf companion looking for something to cover Emma, he says, "Since we'll have to return to Ersta, we can bring more clothes. And more food than just potatoes." He glances at Emma as he says that. Maybe it'll cheer her up a little.
He avoids mentioning the convoy, at least for now. Though he doesn't doubt she'll ask what comes next soon enough.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Arren can take a short rest. Bryn, too, if relevant.
Emma seems conscious of the slit in her dress, but since she cannot see it herself, she doesn't know that it's actually rather small and that, beyond perhaps the colour of her skin, nothing can be seen through it. But should Bryn insist, he could use any of the clothes they've been wearing so far (including the coats which they may have doffed during the day), as well as the bedrolls. Not exactly its intended purpose, but it can be wrapped around her waist. There are also Emma's discarded clothes she wore before Arren brought her a new set, but you believe she'd refuse to use those again.
"I told you before," Emma remarks on Bryn's thoughts, "sometimes it happens... without any clear trigger. It just... happens. And it is exactly during those times that I can direct it. It's also because there was no trigger that I was able to warn you, even if only at the last moment. I told you before. If it happens as a response to something... There will be no warning.
"As for the tail, that was new for me, too. Like I said, I... I direct it, but I do not control it. The destination is the same, but the path is... I'm not the one who chooses it. Not entirely. And so, when I... turned, I wanted to first get away from you. I feared that you, or the other two, will respond and that if you hurt me, I'll lose control entirely. So I wanted to get away, but then it tried to move my hands, which... it couldn't. And in response... In response, the tail came out." She seems a little uncomfortable talking about the whole matter, as if it is embarrassing that she had a tail. More embarrassing than the rest of the things she's going through. "But it hurt. It hurt a lot. I nearly blanked out. That's why, even after you didn't immediately react to my change, I felt I had to get away. I didn't know what would happen if I lost it from the pain."
When Arren suggests bringing more clothes and food, Emma's face brightens slightly. "I'd appreciate that, thank you. Though I hope I won't need to change my clothes so often. Else, I'd run through the whole wardrobe within a few days." Arren and Bryn both doubt that, since, for starters, Emma will probably not need her old clothes a few days from now, and second, for a woman in her standing, she has quite a lot of clothes. Probably thanks to Hector's connections with other merchants. "As for the food... Just... don't bring me anything with meat. Please. If you must, could I ask that you eat in town? The mere thought of it makes my stomach turn."
Tell me once you're done interacting with each other/Emma, and if there's anything else you'd like to do within the next 3-4 days. In particular, mention if you want to play anything out in detail or just mention that it is something that your characters did during that time.
Varielky
'Tace' looks over to the Sergeant at talk of his child, a little taken aback by the question but making sure not to show it in what is visible of his face. Of course, Emma unwittingly revealed more about Tace's personal life in her questioning.
Quickly thinking back to the letters he read and what Emma had mentioned, he tries to piece it together. How did the real Tace feel about being away from his child so much. When was the last time he saw him?
"Carmelo", he ends up saying, not quite answering the question in one go. "He's a teenager now", he then adds a little vaguely but offers no more. Let's hope the Sergeant mistakes my vagueness for emotion at being away from him so much.
'Tace' listens as Emma explains once again how the transformation happens and how she sometimes changes without reason and in those times has a little warning. And that she can guide the actions of the beast a little, but is not in control.
She seemed to have more control this time. And if not for the pain, perhaps she needn't have run away. Not that I want to test that theory.
He offers the makeshift padding for the manacles, if she agrees looking to place it without removing the manacles by threading it through around her wrist.
Looking to the Sergeant, "Am I to stay, Sir, whilst you collect what you need from Ersta. It seems like you have things in mind".
He is in fact happy with that arrangement, rather than being the one to report back each sunrise, but will not argue if the Sergeant assigns him the task.
If 'Tace' is ever alone in Ersta during the next few days, he will look to do a bit of shopping, and perhaps take another look in Emma's house (with her consent but without mentioning it to the Sergeant). If he gets to, he will make sure to cast detect magic as he does so. He will also take up Emma's suggestion to eat in town at least once as well, to get a decent meaty meal.
When he is alone with Emma, he will ask what she knows about the real Tace Peite, and if there is anything she can tell him to avoid being tripped up by the Sergeant's inquisitive nature. As the days pass, he will also speak to her again about what is to come for her, and ask if there is anything he can do for her. He will also tell her that he will look for the man who did this, and come and find her if he ever gets answers.
He will of course follow through on the plans for the new manacles / shackle point if he is able.