The Summit Road Campaign Thread

Druhdaar catches Akuma's look and answers it with a curt nod. He then slowly stands up and says soberly: 

" New girl looks like she can handle herself. Fine by me. One little thing, though... "

He turns to look squarely at River:

" You need to tell us what is the matter with you. Now. "

His eyes are calm, but his look brooks no refusal.

 " Don't even think about running, either. " he adds grimly.

"crr I coo Don't crr Want coo To crr Talk coo About crr It." The Kenku punctuates each word with an exaggerated coo or caw. "crr I refuse to be bullied coo by the likes of you."

“Druhdaar. If River doesn’t want to talk you can’t make her. Nobody has made you talk about why you’re a gruff outdoorsmen. You can’t force her to talk. She’ll tell us in her own time.” Vishal replies quickly stepping in to protect her. 

Druhd nods to River's words, his eyes a little sad.

" Call it what you want. But after what happened yesterday with The Hand, you're a liability to me and to all of the group, until you convince me otherwise. "

He looks at the Kenku, his eyes still calm and his body perfectly still. 

" So convince me. I'm listening. "

To Vishal:

" You wanna go into a mission with a partner that could be mind-seeded or possessed, or worse ? Suit yourself, but I'm not taking any chances. "

"crr I refuse to be bullied coo by the likes of you." She repeats simply.

Ishhareth clears his throat. "If I may briefly interpose myself," he says, in a slightly pointed tone. "If River were mind seeded, she would not be here right now. As the Hand was personally in her mind and still has not had River taken to confinement or otherwise treated as compromised, and she has been given full run of the Keep, with no restricted movement, I feel that particular theory can be fairly well put to rest."

Druhd crosses his arms and grunts. 

" Well, even so... I say this whole thing smells like trouble. Something's off here. "

“River isn’t going to say anything if you bully her into talking. So why don’t you stop for now and we’ll address it when she feels safe enough to tell us.” Vishal says as he moves and gives River reassuring head pats. 

River nuzzles into the head pats, the smoke coming off her blade fading away.

Akuma watches the group bicker curiously and tilts her head with an amused smirk, her eyes focusing on River with curiousity. "Very true. Ishhareth is correct. I'm sure whatever is bothering... River... Will come out in it's own time? If she's still here, she doesnt appear to be TOO much of a threat to the general well being in the eyes around here." She keeps her eyes on River but is definantly paying attention to everyone else. 

Caelius, who has been watching with a frown, raises a finger and makes a series of decisive hand gestures.

River cocks her head slightly, only understanding a few choice words from Caelius' gestures.

With the stand off, Taran had retreated, trying to make himself unnoticed and keep to the edges of the group. There was a tension in the air, like they would come to blows. Scenarios ran through his mind in a flurry images, fighting his allies, his teammates in a mass brawl. Blades and blood flying.

By the time Mister Caelius started signing he was quaking in place, eyes darting around the room, only his hands were still, waiting.

"U-U-U-Um, M-M-M-M-Mister C-C-C-Caelius is s-s-s-saying, w-w-well, um, h-he's s-s-saying that, e-e-even th-th-though th-th-this isn't the time or p-pl-pl-place for th-this, u-um, w-w-well, h-h-h-he un-underst-stands it is h-h-hard, fr-from w-what y-you s-s-said before," Taran takes a breathe, briefly glancing over at Mister Druhdaar, "and w-well, h-h-he says h-h-he's b-been in a s-s-similiar situation, an-and, I-I d-d-don't kn-know if I h-h-h-have, b-but I un-under-understand s-s-some of it, and h-h-he d-d-doesn't th-think it is f-f-fair to f-f-force you t-t-to t-talk wh-when you aren't r-r-ready, b-b-but h-h-he, and I-I-I am t-t-too, and I th-think M-Mister Dr-Druhdaar is as well, w-w-we are w-w-worried about y-your safety. Th-That k-k-keeping thing in an-and not t-t-telling us is h-hurting you, m-mentally and e-e-even physically." Taran gulps a bit and takes a deep breath.

"H-H-He also s-s-says we, um, w-w-well, he s-s-says w-we won't b-be sc-scared of y-y-you, an-and th-that w-w-we w-w-will st-still, um, h-he s-s-says we- w-w-will st-still, l-l-love y-you, b-but I d-d-don't kn-know if th-that is r-r-right, I-I m-m-mean w-w-we are fr-fr-fr-friends, r-r-right? O-Or at-at least comrades, a-and w-w-we d-do c-c-care about each o-other. M-Maybe, m-maybe M-Mister C-Caelius th-thinks w-w-we are k-kind of l-l-like a f-f-family, b-b-but I g-g-guess only h-h-he and Es-Esteemed V-Vishal w-w-would re-really know w-w-what th-that is like, um, th-that, um, that w-w-w-was m-me, um, h-h-he f-f-f-finished b-b-by s-s-saying he tr-trusts you an-and that h-h-he h-h-hopes y-y-you tr-trust us e-e-enough to t-t-tell us... I th-th-think h-h-he meant, j-j-just, y-y-you kn-know, us s-s-since w-w-we j-just met M-Miss A-Akuma and w-w-we do-don't really kn-know her th-that well, um, b-but of c-c-course we would tr-trust you, Tr-Trailblazer Ishhareth, s-sir."

Taran starts to take a step forward, but pulls back when he realizes he'd be inbetween Esteemed Vishal, Mister Druhdaar and Miss River. "U-Um, and I-I kn-know, um, e-e-everyone e-e-else has m-magic and th-they c-c-can d-do s-s-so much. I-I'm, I'm b-b-barely g-g-good enough to st-stitch w-w-wounds, or s-s-set b-b-bones, y-y-you kn-know, j-just the ph-physical st-stuff and I'm the l-last p-person who sh-should b-b-be w-w-worrying ab-about h-helping s-s-someone el-else, you kn-know, e-e-emotionally, b-but..." Taran looks up and meets River's eyes, "Y-Y-You, I-I d-d-don't h-have many fr-friends... s-s-so wh-whatever you n-need. If i-it is t-t-talking o-or g-g-going somewhere, I-I know th-the tunnels r-r-really well, and th-the mountains. I-I could f-f-find you s-s-somewhere to b-b-be alone, t-t-to hide and n-not talk. A-And, I-I w-w-wouldn't c-c-come back... j-just... wh-whatever y-you n-need. T-Tell me. Okay?"

River cocks her head and coos slightly before reaching up to pat Taran's head reassuringly.

"coo Friends."

Taran nods, and puts a hand on River's shoulder, "Y-Yeah, fr-friends..." he says awkwardly.

“Good. I think we can all agree that we’re a ragtag family. And that anyone of us can come to any of us to talk about anything. And that we won’t push each other to talk if we’re not ready. We’re all concerned about each other but let’s not make someone talk just because we’re concerned. Now.....perhaps we can talk about our next mission and if we have any time to prepare before we ship out again.” 

Ishhareth nods. "About your next mission. You don't have one, not yet. We want to fully interrogate Riikana, and if she has information that needs to be acted on immediately, we want a team on standby to do that, rather than us having to assemble one. So you're on brief leave here. Stay relatively close to a monastery so you can be contacted, and don't plan any long departures from Kasshta, but you've got at least a few days off while we work through questioning Riikana. I would suggest taking at least some of the time to get to know each other and assimilate Akuma into the group, so you can learn each others' patterns and habits before your lives depend on them. But essentially, your time is yours to do with what you please. Enjoy your time off, you've more than earned it."

"Un-understood, Trailblazer." Taran says with a quick bow, before turning to Akuma, his tired eyes sheepish. "Um, if-if y-you w-wish to sp-spare, M-Miss Meishu, um, I-I've g-gotten better about pr-proper technique an-and e-etiquette. Um, on-once y-you are d-done c-coordinating with ev-everyone else, of c-course. Y-You w-will likely find m-me at the m-medical center, or um out c-collecting reagents. Is, is th-there s-somewhere I-I c-could l-leave, well, messages, if th-things change?"

Akuma's eyes shift to Taran as he talks and an amused smile crosses her face  "I wouldn't have taken you for the sparing type. That's interesting. Although I'd be cautious about that offer. Sometimes I don't know my own strength." She tilts her head in what appears to be a funny thought, the corners of her lips curling up slightly more before she continues. "However, I'd be up for it if you are. As for where I'll be? Preferably the training area. Alternatively the library or my quarters. If the need to discuss is emergent, I'm sure there are other methods of contacting me long distancely. "

River coos softly before her stomach rumbles, the small Kenku looking away in embarrassment before looking to the Trailblazer for any other information before she could leave, remembering the scolding she got last time she left prematurely.