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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 6067483" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 67 "The Shepherds” (Episode Two, Chapter Twenty-seven) - Saturday, September 10, 1882, 10:30 A.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Cetan and Abby head southeast, staying clear of the Nile and towards the rockier terrain where the livestock grazing is done. They soon come upon a field with nearly four-hundred sheep of the Tunis variety. A quartet of shepherds approach. They have long knives attached to their belts and the hands move to the knife handles as they watch the centaur with looks that vary from curiosity to hostility. Abby held her hands out to her sides, palms facing the approaching men and stopped moving forward. "Looks like we're going in the right direction," she muttered to Cetan.</p><p></p><p>She waited until they would be able to hear without the need of raising her voice and said in Egyptian. "Good afternoon. We mean no trouble to yourselves or your charges. We have information we would share with the Druid who protects the King's lands and flocks." One of the shepherds steps forward and says, "Meren would be with her charges, for what reason do you seek her company?" Abby states, "I have learned of a threat to her safety, and to that of the King himself. I wish to give her warning."</p><p></p><p>He appears to still be very skeptical and says, "Who are you? Why would anybody wish harm to the shepherdess? She is the most gentle of souls." Abby replies, "They consider her an obstacle. Many French have come to Egypt. Most have honorable motives, but a few seek to take advantage of this war to assassinate the King. One of these has whispered in the ear of Abdullah the fanatic, and Abdullah marches on Cairo at dawn.</p><p>Two French wizards will use his attack to move unnoticed. Their plan involves using the Royal flock to gain entrance to the Palace. To do this they must remove the flock’s guardians. They consider Meren a danger to their plans."</p><p></p><p>He says, "That may be true, but you still have not told me who the two of you are, and what your involvement is in this situation." Abby shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry. My name is Abigail Marsters, my companion is Cetan. I'm a student and archeologist, and I recently became employed by a group who is concerned with protecting places of importance, like the temples here. After we arrived I helped to rescue some innocent people who had been imprisoned by the French, that's how I learned of this plot. We, especially I, could not let mass murder happen without trying to stop it. I could not live with myself if I did."</p><p></p><p>Cetan smiles at the little two legs with hands on their knives. Cetan says in Druidic, "We are friends of nature, and friends of those that work the druid ways to the betterment of mother earth." He is looking to see if they might be trained in druidism or recognize the sound of the speech druids’ use. The man calms noticeable as he smiles from Cetan to Abigail and says, "Ah, truly you are kindred spirits and I sense that you speak the truth." He gestures to the smallest of his companions and states "My brother Ababbas will take you to Meren."</p><p></p><p>Abby let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank you." She looked over at Cetan and nodded. She didn't know what he'd said but it had certainly helped. "We're grateful to you and your brother." Cetan makes small talk with Abaddas as they walk. He asks how the flocks are, how long they've grazed here, when will the next rain come, mundane stuff, in Druidic.</p><p> </p><p>Ababbas leads them for approximately three miles, passing several other fields with grazing sheep. He waves to the various shepherds as they pass. Along the way he tells the two how the Royal Flock are a group of special sheep, a breed raised only for the King, and that it is a great responsibility for Meren to watch over them. He says that she is a wise woman, that all of the shepherds of the region look to her for guidance and spiritual support. Abby says, "I could see from yourself and brother your deep respect for her, and to earn such respect she must indeed be wise, skilled, and kind. It will be my honor to meet one so worthy of respect."</p><p></p><p>They reach a place where the trail ends by a small mountain with a sheer cliff. As they approach the young man waves his hand and casts a Druidic spell that Cetan is not familiar with. A cave opening appears in front of them. Ababbas says "It is not an illusion, the wall was solid. You are indeed worthy individuals, it would have remained sealed if the earth sensed that you were not. Come, we will meet with Meren." He steps forward into the darkness. "You are well protected here," Abby said as she followed him into the darkness. It occurred to her that she had been pretty free with information, and that Ababbas could very well be working with the French for all she knew. But she didn't really suspect that and followed him inside willingly. Paranoia was no help here.</p><p></p><p>The cave is completely dark, with no light at all from outside visible. They follow the young man's voice, and soon exit the opposite side into a secluded valley surrounded by cliff-side. The valley is approximately one-half-mile by three-quarters of a mile, and filled with grazing sheep of a reddish-brown breed neither Abigail or Cetan had ever seen before. Cetan knows that some sheep are bred for the meat and others for the wool. This particular breed appears to be a dual-purpose flock. The entire flock appears to be a cross breed of two types, one of which is clearly the red-coated Tunis breed, originally from Tunisia and common in this part of the world. He is uncertain of what the Tunis was crossed to that produced the superb animals before him.</p><p></p><p>They continue to follow the young man past the flock, heading in the direction of three small cabins. As they near they see five people, two male and three female, gathering around wooden stands on which three sheep are secured and having their wool shorn off. Tethered to a tree nearby are three other freshly sheered sheep. These are the people the guide is leading them to, and Cetan gives the full greeting "May mother earth and father sky continue to bless you," followed by introductions. </p><p></p><p>The older of the three women steps forward, a woman in her late thirties, and says, "I a Meren, chief representative to the Phoenix Valley, welcome to our home." Abigail gave her a slight bow. "We thank you for the kind welcome and the trust you have shown us in allowing us into your beautiful home." Meren says, "I will have to apologize for my colleagues, we need to get these animals sheered as quickly as possible, so will not be able to break to show you our full hospitality. But I can spare the time, come, I will offer you some tea." She gestures for them to follow her to one of the cabins.</p><p></p><p>Thoughts of fitting into a two-leg sized cabin and sitting down to tea in such a place, seems a set-up for social catastrophe. Cetan excuses himself, with a small shudder and swish of tail, to go sheer sheep while Abigail and Meren have tea and talk. While they sheer the animals the shepherds explain that these are animals of the Royal Flock and that six need to be transported to the King this afternoon as the main course for an upcoming feast. </p><p></p><p>Cetan makes small talk as he helps those working with the sheep. Asking “What will the wool be used for, is this a special occasion?” They explain that this is a special breed of sheep, cross bred from the Tunis breed common to north African nations and a breed exclusive to one of the Greek islands. It was originally bred for Alexander the Great and then later for the Egyptian Kings. The color spun from its wool is a unique reddish-brown, and it is against Egyptian law for anybody else to attempt to dye regular wool to match the shade. Wool garments from this yarn are therefore exclusive for the Royal Family.</p><p></p><p>This breed also is used for meat, with it having a rich flavor. Taking sheep from the flock is only done on special occasions. It is therefore necessary to sheer the sheep first, so that the wool will not go to waste. In fact, none of the animal will go to waste, as the shepherds and druids will collect the bones and unused portions of the carcass and find uses for them as well. Even the blood drained from the animals will be used, as a component to a special series of elixirs.</p><p></p><p>Abby continued on with Meren. "I'd enjoy some tea. I hope what I've done to tell you doesn't upset your plans too much, but I do believe we've arrived in time for our information to be helpful to you." They enter the sparsely furnished cabin. A cast iron stove has a kettle full of hot water. She pours them both a cup of a Peppermint-based herbal tea. Meren asks, "So what brings you to our valley?" Abby says, "I wish it were just the desire to meet you. Since we encountered the first of the shepherds we've heard nothing but praise of you." She took a deep breath, then a sip of the tea. "I'm not sure how far back to start. I'll give you the short version, then I'll answer any questions you have. </p><p></p><p>I came here with a group of Americans. I'm an archeologist, and our concern was to protect some of the important sites here in Egypt from the war. Through a series of events, I ended up helping rescue some British archeologists from a French camp. I was disguised as Sarah Bernhardt, a French actress and wizard. Her teacher was there, and apparently my disguise was good because I fooled him. He thought Sarah was there to object to the mission she'd been given. I don't have all the details, it's hard to get someone to give them when they think you already know them, but the French actress and a compatriot named Sardou are to sneak into the Palace and poison the feast. They are supposed to get yourself and the shepherds out of the way somehow. I think they plan on delivering the sheep themselves to get inside.</p><p></p><p>Sardou is whispering in the ear of Abdullah, and he plans on marching on Cairo tomorrow. They hope to blame the deaths in the King's household on the fanatic. Meren, I don't know enough about this war to know who may be right or who's wrong, but I know I cannot let a mass murder happen." Meren says, "We received the summons just a few hours ago, to prepare a half-dozen of the Royal Flock and deliver them to the palace for an upcoming feast. We optimistically interpreted that to mean a celebration ending the war. If what you say is true, it appears this is a plot to prolong the war, with the King as innocent as we are. My loyalty is to the King, I will do whatever I can to protect him."</p><p></p><p>Abby replies, "The battle was starting as we left Zakazik. I don't know what's happened since. Merimee, the man who told me the plan, didn't say anything about sending a fake request for the sheep, but it makes sense with the rest of the plan. I have friends looking for Sarah Bernhardt in Heliopolis, hoping to stop this before it starts. What the French who are plotting this really want is to be the shadow rulers of the country. There's upheaval in France, and it may become unfriendly to wizards there."</p><p></p><p>Meren says, "The request was legitimate, the man who came here was known to us, and outsiders would not have been able to get into the valley. We are planning to leave for the palace within the hour." "It seems too coincidental," Abby said thoughtfully. She paused and sipped the tea. "There are a lot of French wizards in Egypt right now that belong to a powerful fellowship. Mrs. Parker thinks only a few know of this plot, but many may have small parts to play. It's possible they have taken actions to help the British on behalf of the King, hoping there would then be a victory celebration...But that doesn't matter now. I hope you might allow Cetan and I to accompany you as you move the sheep. I am only an apprentice wizard, but I'm good with a sword if there's one I could borrow, and we can be extra eyes, ears, and hands on the journey."</p><p></p><p>" We would welcome your presence," she replies. "Thank you," Abby said and sipped the tea again. "I have to say you're taking this all quite calmly. I suppose working for the King, you learn to keep her head about you."</p><p>More paranoid thoughts raced through her mind, wondering if Bernhardt had already infiltrated here, if there was more in this valley than she was aware of. For now she resolved only to keep her eyes and ears wide open. Casting even a detect magic would seem suspect just now. </p><p></p><p>Merem smiles and says, "Our valley is safe. Even if somebody came here disguised as one of us, while the people might be fooled, the animals would know." "Animals have amazing senses like that," Abby said. "Am I so transparent?" Meren says, "You are a good person, I like that. Let us head back outside and I will speak to my companions. We must take extra precautions given what you have told us, bringing additional weapons and armor. You should speak with your friend as well, his senses and speed might be useful. They head back outside to confer with their allies. </p><p></p><p>Cetan says in French to Abby,” When there is time to meditate, I'll be able to detect poison three times in a day. If we are in trouble I can usually just run right through most two legs. I'm not sure what the bad guys’ plans are. Seems like normal security would be checking for poison. When we head out I think I should scout just ahead of Meren and the shepherds for an ambush." Cetan asks Abby in French, " What do you think about taking the sheep to the feast?" "Will we be ambushed, or do you think they are going to poison the meat as it is prepared?" </p><p></p><p>She replies, "I think we'll be ambushed. The French have tried to get into the Palace in magical disguises and were caught. They're going to try mundane disguises this time, and I think they need to get Meren and the shepherds out of the way so they can take their places. Merimee said they weren't to hurt the shepherds, just get them out of the way." He asks, Abby, what skills do you have that might help avoid an ambush?” She answers, "Little to none, skill that is. I've been a city girl all my life, I learned other things. I'm good with a blade once a fight starts, but not much good at helping avoid it." Cetan thinks he should simply 'scout' ahead of the group. "Cetan be scout for two leg armies for many moons."</p><p></p><p>Three of the shepherds are soon ready to depart with Cetan and Abigail. Each has a small rucksack which they wear on a strap over a single shoulder. Meren warns all of them to be alert, but adds that it is two-legged wolves rather than four that they need to be wary of. They make their way through the cave and out the hidden entrance with the half-dozen sheep from the Royal Flock. </p><p></p><p>Cetan scouts ahead. Making a circle to the left and then to the right of the route the Shepard’s are taking. He'll take time to trot over any spot that might be a good spot to lay in ambush. He expects to see the ambush, but if he doesn't, he'll be stepping on anyone laying in wait. He also gets with Abby and the Shepard’s to let them know if he sees trouble he'll leave an arrow in their path. If it points left or right they should be careful and go around the trouble following the arrows. If it points back, they should head back. If it points forward go cautiously forward. An arrow stuck in the ground means wait here. Cetan makes sure they know what his arrows look like.</p><p></p><p>Abby walked with the others, keeping her eyes sweeping around their surroundings. The beautiful country and pleasant company kept trying to lull her into comfort and she wished she could have been here only to enjoy it.</p><p>She kept her hand on the hilt of her borrowed sword and waited for the ambush. It was almost more frightening to think that it might not happen, that Bernhardt and Sardou had changed the plan and all their effort to get here and give warning would have been in vain.</p><p></p><p>Traveling the first three miles south proves uneventful. Cetan successfully scouts out each potential area for ambush well in advance of the shepherds. They begin to exit the countryside and its fields and start to head back into a slightly more settled areas, with homes still spaced well apart, approximately a quarter mile between large multi-story stone homes, surrounded by smaller garden plots and vineyards. Some of these have a small number of people working the fields or making repairs to the houses. Other buildings appear to be lived in but no people are present. </p><p></p><p>Meren explains that these structures were originally build as dormitories for student-priests studying in Heliopolis, that each building housed students specializing in their own deity in the Egyptian pantheon. Religious students now reside primarily in the city, and these buildings now serve as seasonal vacation homes for wealthy sheiks, businessmen and nobles who reside in Cairo and Alexandria. </p><p></p><p>The more populated the area becomes the more Cetan stays close to the shepherds. He suggests the shepherds lead the herd through less populated areas. A quarter mile later, while passing what appears to be a vacant estate, the sheep and all of the shepherds except for Meren suddenly collapse onto the ground. "Damn, here it comes," Abby said quietly. She quickly turned her back so she stood in a rough circle with Meren and Cetan and cast detect magic, looking for where the attack had come from.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 6067483, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 67 "The Shepherds” (Episode Two, Chapter Twenty-seven) - Saturday, September 10, 1882, 10:30 A.M.[/B] Cetan and Abby head southeast, staying clear of the Nile and towards the rockier terrain where the livestock grazing is done. They soon come upon a field with nearly four-hundred sheep of the Tunis variety. A quartet of shepherds approach. They have long knives attached to their belts and the hands move to the knife handles as they watch the centaur with looks that vary from curiosity to hostility. Abby held her hands out to her sides, palms facing the approaching men and stopped moving forward. "Looks like we're going in the right direction," she muttered to Cetan. She waited until they would be able to hear without the need of raising her voice and said in Egyptian. "Good afternoon. We mean no trouble to yourselves or your charges. We have information we would share with the Druid who protects the King's lands and flocks." One of the shepherds steps forward and says, "Meren would be with her charges, for what reason do you seek her company?" Abby states, "I have learned of a threat to her safety, and to that of the King himself. I wish to give her warning." He appears to still be very skeptical and says, "Who are you? Why would anybody wish harm to the shepherdess? She is the most gentle of souls." Abby replies, "They consider her an obstacle. Many French have come to Egypt. Most have honorable motives, but a few seek to take advantage of this war to assassinate the King. One of these has whispered in the ear of Abdullah the fanatic, and Abdullah marches on Cairo at dawn. Two French wizards will use his attack to move unnoticed. Their plan involves using the Royal flock to gain entrance to the Palace. To do this they must remove the flock’s guardians. They consider Meren a danger to their plans." He says, "That may be true, but you still have not told me who the two of you are, and what your involvement is in this situation." Abby shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry. My name is Abigail Marsters, my companion is Cetan. I'm a student and archeologist, and I recently became employed by a group who is concerned with protecting places of importance, like the temples here. After we arrived I helped to rescue some innocent people who had been imprisoned by the French, that's how I learned of this plot. We, especially I, could not let mass murder happen without trying to stop it. I could not live with myself if I did." Cetan smiles at the little two legs with hands on their knives. Cetan says in Druidic, "We are friends of nature, and friends of those that work the druid ways to the betterment of mother earth." He is looking to see if they might be trained in druidism or recognize the sound of the speech druids’ use. The man calms noticeable as he smiles from Cetan to Abigail and says, "Ah, truly you are kindred spirits and I sense that you speak the truth." He gestures to the smallest of his companions and states "My brother Ababbas will take you to Meren." Abby let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank you." She looked over at Cetan and nodded. She didn't know what he'd said but it had certainly helped. "We're grateful to you and your brother." Cetan makes small talk with Abaddas as they walk. He asks how the flocks are, how long they've grazed here, when will the next rain come, mundane stuff, in Druidic. Ababbas leads them for approximately three miles, passing several other fields with grazing sheep. He waves to the various shepherds as they pass. Along the way he tells the two how the Royal Flock are a group of special sheep, a breed raised only for the King, and that it is a great responsibility for Meren to watch over them. He says that she is a wise woman, that all of the shepherds of the region look to her for guidance and spiritual support. Abby says, "I could see from yourself and brother your deep respect for her, and to earn such respect she must indeed be wise, skilled, and kind. It will be my honor to meet one so worthy of respect." They reach a place where the trail ends by a small mountain with a sheer cliff. As they approach the young man waves his hand and casts a Druidic spell that Cetan is not familiar with. A cave opening appears in front of them. Ababbas says "It is not an illusion, the wall was solid. You are indeed worthy individuals, it would have remained sealed if the earth sensed that you were not. Come, we will meet with Meren." He steps forward into the darkness. "You are well protected here," Abby said as she followed him into the darkness. It occurred to her that she had been pretty free with information, and that Ababbas could very well be working with the French for all she knew. But she didn't really suspect that and followed him inside willingly. Paranoia was no help here. The cave is completely dark, with no light at all from outside visible. They follow the young man's voice, and soon exit the opposite side into a secluded valley surrounded by cliff-side. The valley is approximately one-half-mile by three-quarters of a mile, and filled with grazing sheep of a reddish-brown breed neither Abigail or Cetan had ever seen before. Cetan knows that some sheep are bred for the meat and others for the wool. This particular breed appears to be a dual-purpose flock. The entire flock appears to be a cross breed of two types, one of which is clearly the red-coated Tunis breed, originally from Tunisia and common in this part of the world. He is uncertain of what the Tunis was crossed to that produced the superb animals before him. They continue to follow the young man past the flock, heading in the direction of three small cabins. As they near they see five people, two male and three female, gathering around wooden stands on which three sheep are secured and having their wool shorn off. Tethered to a tree nearby are three other freshly sheered sheep. These are the people the guide is leading them to, and Cetan gives the full greeting "May mother earth and father sky continue to bless you," followed by introductions. The older of the three women steps forward, a woman in her late thirties, and says, "I a Meren, chief representative to the Phoenix Valley, welcome to our home." Abigail gave her a slight bow. "We thank you for the kind welcome and the trust you have shown us in allowing us into your beautiful home." Meren says, "I will have to apologize for my colleagues, we need to get these animals sheered as quickly as possible, so will not be able to break to show you our full hospitality. But I can spare the time, come, I will offer you some tea." She gestures for them to follow her to one of the cabins. Thoughts of fitting into a two-leg sized cabin and sitting down to tea in such a place, seems a set-up for social catastrophe. Cetan excuses himself, with a small shudder and swish of tail, to go sheer sheep while Abigail and Meren have tea and talk. While they sheer the animals the shepherds explain that these are animals of the Royal Flock and that six need to be transported to the King this afternoon as the main course for an upcoming feast. Cetan makes small talk as he helps those working with the sheep. Asking “What will the wool be used for, is this a special occasion?” They explain that this is a special breed of sheep, cross bred from the Tunis breed common to north African nations and a breed exclusive to one of the Greek islands. It was originally bred for Alexander the Great and then later for the Egyptian Kings. The color spun from its wool is a unique reddish-brown, and it is against Egyptian law for anybody else to attempt to dye regular wool to match the shade. Wool garments from this yarn are therefore exclusive for the Royal Family. This breed also is used for meat, with it having a rich flavor. Taking sheep from the flock is only done on special occasions. It is therefore necessary to sheer the sheep first, so that the wool will not go to waste. In fact, none of the animal will go to waste, as the shepherds and druids will collect the bones and unused portions of the carcass and find uses for them as well. Even the blood drained from the animals will be used, as a component to a special series of elixirs. Abby continued on with Meren. "I'd enjoy some tea. I hope what I've done to tell you doesn't upset your plans too much, but I do believe we've arrived in time for our information to be helpful to you." They enter the sparsely furnished cabin. A cast iron stove has a kettle full of hot water. She pours them both a cup of a Peppermint-based herbal tea. Meren asks, "So what brings you to our valley?" Abby says, "I wish it were just the desire to meet you. Since we encountered the first of the shepherds we've heard nothing but praise of you." She took a deep breath, then a sip of the tea. "I'm not sure how far back to start. I'll give you the short version, then I'll answer any questions you have. I came here with a group of Americans. I'm an archeologist, and our concern was to protect some of the important sites here in Egypt from the war. Through a series of events, I ended up helping rescue some British archeologists from a French camp. I was disguised as Sarah Bernhardt, a French actress and wizard. Her teacher was there, and apparently my disguise was good because I fooled him. He thought Sarah was there to object to the mission she'd been given. I don't have all the details, it's hard to get someone to give them when they think you already know them, but the French actress and a compatriot named Sardou are to sneak into the Palace and poison the feast. They are supposed to get yourself and the shepherds out of the way somehow. I think they plan on delivering the sheep themselves to get inside. Sardou is whispering in the ear of Abdullah, and he plans on marching on Cairo tomorrow. They hope to blame the deaths in the King's household on the fanatic. Meren, I don't know enough about this war to know who may be right or who's wrong, but I know I cannot let a mass murder happen." Meren says, "We received the summons just a few hours ago, to prepare a half-dozen of the Royal Flock and deliver them to the palace for an upcoming feast. We optimistically interpreted that to mean a celebration ending the war. If what you say is true, it appears this is a plot to prolong the war, with the King as innocent as we are. My loyalty is to the King, I will do whatever I can to protect him." Abby replies, "The battle was starting as we left Zakazik. I don't know what's happened since. Merimee, the man who told me the plan, didn't say anything about sending a fake request for the sheep, but it makes sense with the rest of the plan. I have friends looking for Sarah Bernhardt in Heliopolis, hoping to stop this before it starts. What the French who are plotting this really want is to be the shadow rulers of the country. There's upheaval in France, and it may become unfriendly to wizards there." Meren says, "The request was legitimate, the man who came here was known to us, and outsiders would not have been able to get into the valley. We are planning to leave for the palace within the hour." "It seems too coincidental," Abby said thoughtfully. She paused and sipped the tea. "There are a lot of French wizards in Egypt right now that belong to a powerful fellowship. Mrs. Parker thinks only a few know of this plot, but many may have small parts to play. It's possible they have taken actions to help the British on behalf of the King, hoping there would then be a victory celebration...But that doesn't matter now. I hope you might allow Cetan and I to accompany you as you move the sheep. I am only an apprentice wizard, but I'm good with a sword if there's one I could borrow, and we can be extra eyes, ears, and hands on the journey." " We would welcome your presence," she replies. "Thank you," Abby said and sipped the tea again. "I have to say you're taking this all quite calmly. I suppose working for the King, you learn to keep her head about you." More paranoid thoughts raced through her mind, wondering if Bernhardt had already infiltrated here, if there was more in this valley than she was aware of. For now she resolved only to keep her eyes and ears wide open. Casting even a detect magic would seem suspect just now. Merem smiles and says, "Our valley is safe. Even if somebody came here disguised as one of us, while the people might be fooled, the animals would know." "Animals have amazing senses like that," Abby said. "Am I so transparent?" Meren says, "You are a good person, I like that. Let us head back outside and I will speak to my companions. We must take extra precautions given what you have told us, bringing additional weapons and armor. You should speak with your friend as well, his senses and speed might be useful. They head back outside to confer with their allies. Cetan says in French to Abby,” When there is time to meditate, I'll be able to detect poison three times in a day. If we are in trouble I can usually just run right through most two legs. I'm not sure what the bad guys’ plans are. Seems like normal security would be checking for poison. When we head out I think I should scout just ahead of Meren and the shepherds for an ambush." Cetan asks Abby in French, " What do you think about taking the sheep to the feast?" "Will we be ambushed, or do you think they are going to poison the meat as it is prepared?" She replies, "I think we'll be ambushed. The French have tried to get into the Palace in magical disguises and were caught. They're going to try mundane disguises this time, and I think they need to get Meren and the shepherds out of the way so they can take their places. Merimee said they weren't to hurt the shepherds, just get them out of the way." He asks, Abby, what skills do you have that might help avoid an ambush?” She answers, "Little to none, skill that is. I've been a city girl all my life, I learned other things. I'm good with a blade once a fight starts, but not much good at helping avoid it." Cetan thinks he should simply 'scout' ahead of the group. "Cetan be scout for two leg armies for many moons." Three of the shepherds are soon ready to depart with Cetan and Abigail. Each has a small rucksack which they wear on a strap over a single shoulder. Meren warns all of them to be alert, but adds that it is two-legged wolves rather than four that they need to be wary of. They make their way through the cave and out the hidden entrance with the half-dozen sheep from the Royal Flock. Cetan scouts ahead. Making a circle to the left and then to the right of the route the Shepard’s are taking. He'll take time to trot over any spot that might be a good spot to lay in ambush. He expects to see the ambush, but if he doesn't, he'll be stepping on anyone laying in wait. He also gets with Abby and the Shepard’s to let them know if he sees trouble he'll leave an arrow in their path. If it points left or right they should be careful and go around the trouble following the arrows. If it points back, they should head back. If it points forward go cautiously forward. An arrow stuck in the ground means wait here. Cetan makes sure they know what his arrows look like. Abby walked with the others, keeping her eyes sweeping around their surroundings. The beautiful country and pleasant company kept trying to lull her into comfort and she wished she could have been here only to enjoy it. She kept her hand on the hilt of her borrowed sword and waited for the ambush. It was almost more frightening to think that it might not happen, that Bernhardt and Sardou had changed the plan and all their effort to get here and give warning would have been in vain. Traveling the first three miles south proves uneventful. Cetan successfully scouts out each potential area for ambush well in advance of the shepherds. They begin to exit the countryside and its fields and start to head back into a slightly more settled areas, with homes still spaced well apart, approximately a quarter mile between large multi-story stone homes, surrounded by smaller garden plots and vineyards. Some of these have a small number of people working the fields or making repairs to the houses. Other buildings appear to be lived in but no people are present. Meren explains that these structures were originally build as dormitories for student-priests studying in Heliopolis, that each building housed students specializing in their own deity in the Egyptian pantheon. Religious students now reside primarily in the city, and these buildings now serve as seasonal vacation homes for wealthy sheiks, businessmen and nobles who reside in Cairo and Alexandria. The more populated the area becomes the more Cetan stays close to the shepherds. He suggests the shepherds lead the herd through less populated areas. A quarter mile later, while passing what appears to be a vacant estate, the sheep and all of the shepherds except for Meren suddenly collapse onto the ground. "Damn, here it comes," Abby said quietly. She quickly turned her back so she stood in a rough circle with Meren and Cetan and cast detect magic, looking for where the attack had come from. [/QUOTE]
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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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