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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3042783" data-attributes="member: 35788">Chapter Nine: A NOVEL ROUTEThe night shifts for the watch and the following sunrise came without any effort on the party’s behalf.  Semeion had long since studied his magic and fell asleep mid-meditation once his shift was over.  Rhema’s turn had come and gone.  Charis had awoken to Rhema asking to be relieved.  In turn Charis woke Ischarus for the final shift.  Ischarus had the pleasure of watching the first sunrise for this trip into such a dangerous land.  He had found a cozy spot sitting in a low branch about ten feet above the ground when he first saw the golden rays trying to break through the foliage above him.Before Ischarus could truly enjoy the sight he jerked his head around to where the party slept.  Suddenly he was overcome with a feeling as though they were not alone.  His eyes focused first to the place where Rhema slept.  She was laying and resting easy on the ground.  Her chest rose and fell slowly in her typical pattern of uninterrupted sleep.  Ischarus looked next to Semeion.  He knew that Semeion was far more fragile that Charis.  Semeion slept with his mouth gapping open, but at least he was not snoring.  Ischarus glanced to Charis last.  He hoped to find that she was also sleeping soundly in spite of his feeling of not being alone.  Ischarus was not disappointed.  Charis slept on her left side.  He could tell that she slept nervously even if she was unconscious.  Charis’ right hand gripped the joint on her pick where the handle met the pointed crosspiece.A sudden snap of some small twig alerted Ischarus to his right.  His eyes peered through the lower branches of the trees and focused on the ground but he could see no movement.  He peered hard in the area where he was certain the sound had come from.  In spite of his best efforts to carefully examine the area he was unable to locate any sign of movement.  Perhaps even worse, he had a nagging feeling that they still weren’t alone.  He was sure there was someone watching him from in the midst of the party.  It was only a feeling, however.  He could find no physical reason to believe his superstitions.Knowing that the sun was up and the party could begin to move to the west and follow the mountains back to the area that the red dragon controlled, Ischarus slid out of the tree and landed hard on his feet.  Rhema and Charis immediately woke up from the sound and the vibration through the ground.  Rhema looked up towards the noise but remained calm.  Charis, on the other hand, stood quickly and let her grip loosen on her pick until the handle comfortably fell into place within her fingertips.  Her head snapped around and she exhaled heavily as she noticed Ischarus recovering from the jump from the tree.Ischarus looked in Charis’ direction when he noticed her hand grip the handle of her pick.  “Shhh!”  He cast Rhema and Charis a serious glance and balanced without making any more noise.  The forest around them was quiet, especially after the sudden movement of Ischarus jumping out of the tree.  After a few minutes of standing in silence and straining his ears, Ischarus figured that he had better offer up some kind of explanation to his friends.  “I didn’t see anything, but I swear that when I was sitting up in that tree I felt like there was someone standing in the middle of our camp looking up at me.”Charis relaxed her pose and Rhema decided to stand up and prepare herself for their upcoming journey through the dangerous land.  As Rhema stood and begin packing, the movement was close enough to Semeion to finally cause him to wake.  He spoke as he was startled awake.  “Huh?  Oh, morning already.”  Charis snickered as she realized that he was clueless about what had transpired before he woke up.  Charis continued the conversation where Ischarus had left off.  “Just a feeling, then?”Ischarus nodded.  “Yeah.  It was nothing more than a subtle nervousness, really.  I just felt like I was being watched.  At first it didn’t necessarily bother me and I didn’t get scared or anything.  But the more I sat here and felt the presence the more it started to get under my skin.  Even now, I just don’t feel right.”Rhema smiled at Ischarus as she finished rolling up her mat.  “You’re just creped out, Ischarus.  It’s your first morning in Quehalost and you’re being overprotective.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful.  I’m not trying to demean you or your instincts.  You and I both know you’d rather emerge out of the tunnels at daylight so you can put some distance between the tunnels and yourself.  You’d rather scout out the area before we are going to set up camp.”Ischarus still wasn’t all that convinced that is was simply his nerves.  However, he still nodded and relaxed his position.  Charis added to Rhema’s reasoning to try and help Ischarus relax.  “Besides, Ischarus, we’re all awake now.  We’ve got eight eyes, eight ears, four noses, and a plethora of weapons against any threat we might perceive.  We’ll stay alert as we walk.”Semeion finished tucking his traveling magic book into a pouch and like Rhema finished rolling up his mat.  He had been the quietest party member so far this morning, but he was also aware that invisible opponents happened to exist in the world.  In truth, many of them were also quite aggressive.  Master Sathwright had begun to teach him in those areas and he took them seriously.  As he rolled up his mat and attached it to Thana’s saddle he watched the ground for footprints that didn’t seem to belong to anyone in particular.  His eyes were watchful, but even he didn’t perceive anything in particular.The rest of the party followed Semeion’s work and before too long the few remaining embers from the previous night’s fire were scattered so as to hide any trace of their being present in Quehalost.  Leaves were scattered over the area and a few broken branches were brought in to makes the spot look naturally undisturbed.  Once Ischarus was content that there would be little means of following them the party set off.  Of course the horse hoof prints would be easily enough followed, but they were also much more likely to occur than an organized fire pit.  The party slowly picked their way through the forest and kept the mountains on their right.  Ischarus was careful to avoid any signs of civilization, including roads and blazed trails.  Surely anyone that would be met on the roads or a path would only delay their quest.  The denizens of Quehalost were not known for being particularly friendly regarding intruders.The foursome picked their way along the edge of the mountains for several horses before Ischarus signaled for the group to stop.  He glanced backwards over his left shoulder and made eye contact with Rhema.  She knew that look well as Ischarus had used that same glance several times in their adventures.  In response to Ischarus’ look she spurred Shauvry ahead of Elistra several paces and kept a stern watch as Ischarus slid out of his saddle.Semeion and Charis approached Ischarus’ position, careful to not draw too close and potentially ruin what had caught Ischarus’ attention.  Charis approached closer than Semeion, allowing Semeion to remain behind to keep watch along the party’s rear.  As she approached Ischarus, Charis spoke softly.  “What caught your attention, Ischarus?”Ischarus looked up.  He had clearly been staring at a small pile of discarded meat beside a couple of well defined footprints.  “Goblins, Charis.  Little ones I think.”  His eyes darted to a small mount of crushed grass.  “And apparently there were big ones, too.  It hasn’t been long since they’ve been through here, either.”[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]Chapter Nine: A NOVEL ROUTEThe night shifts for the watch and the following sunrise came without any effort on the party’s behalf. Semeion had long since studied his magic and fell asleep mid-meditation once his shift was over. Rhema’s turn had come and gone. Charis had awoken to Rhema asking to be relieved. In turn Charis woke Ischarus for the final shift. Ischarus had the pleasure of watching the first sunrise for this trip into such a dangerous land. He had found a cozy spot sitting in a low branch about ten feet above the ground when he first saw the golden rays trying to break through the foliage above him.Before Ischarus could truly enjoy the sight he jerked his head around to where the party slept. Suddenly he was overcome with a feeling as though they were not alone. His eyes focused first to the place where Rhema slept. She was laying and resting easy on the ground. Her chest rose and fell slowly in her typical pattern of uninterrupted sleep. Ischarus looked next to Semeion. He knew that Semeion was far more fragile that Charis. Semeion slept with his mouth gapping open, but at least he was not snoring. Ischarus glanced to Charis last. He hoped to find that she was also sleeping soundly in spite of his feeling of not being alone. Ischarus was not disappointed. Charis slept on her left side. He could tell that she slept nervously even if she was unconscious. Charis’ right hand gripped the joint on her pick where the handle met the pointed crosspiece.A sudden snap of some small twig alerted Ischarus to his right. His eyes peered through the lower branches of the trees and focused on the ground but he could see no movement. He peered hard in the area where he was certain the sound had come from. In spite of his best efforts to carefully examine the area he was unable to locate any sign of movement. Perhaps even worse, he had a nagging feeling that they still weren’t alone. He was sure there was someone watching him from in the midst of the party. It was only a feeling, however. He could find no physical reason to believe his superstitions.Knowing that the sun was up and the party could begin to move to the west and follow the mountains back to the area that the red dragon controlled, Ischarus slid out of the tree and landed hard on his feet. Rhema and Charis immediately woke up from the sound and the vibration through the ground. Rhema looked up towards the noise but remained calm. Charis, on the other hand, stood quickly and let her grip loosen on her pick until the handle comfortably fell into place within her fingertips. Her head snapped around and she exhaled heavily as she noticed Ischarus recovering from the jump from the tree.Ischarus looked in Charis’ direction when he noticed her hand grip the handle of her pick. “Shhh!” He cast Rhema and Charis a serious glance and balanced without making any more noise. The forest around them was quiet, especially after the sudden movement of Ischarus jumping out of the tree. After a few minutes of standing in silence and straining his ears, Ischarus figured that he had better offer up some kind of explanation to his friends. “I didn’t see anything, but I swear that when I was sitting up in that tree I felt like there was someone standing in the middle of our camp looking up at me.”Charis relaxed her pose and Rhema decided to stand up and prepare herself for their upcoming journey through the dangerous land. As Rhema stood and begin packing, the movement was close enough to Semeion to finally cause him to wake. He spoke as he was startled awake. “Huh? Oh, morning already.” Charis snickered as she realized that he was clueless about what had transpired before he woke up. Charis continued the conversation where Ischarus had left off. “Just a feeling, then?”Ischarus nodded. “Yeah. It was nothing more than a subtle nervousness, really. I just felt like I was being watched. At first it didn’t necessarily bother me and I didn’t get scared or anything. But the more I sat here and felt the presence the more it started to get under my skin. Even now, I just don’t feel right.”Rhema smiled at Ischarus as she finished rolling up her mat. “You’re just creped out, Ischarus. It’s your first morning in Quehalost and you’re being overprotective. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. I’m not trying to demean you or your instincts. You and I both know you’d rather emerge out of the tunnels at daylight so you can put some distance between the tunnels and yourself. You’d rather scout out the area before we are going to set up camp.”Ischarus still wasn’t all that convinced that is was simply his nerves. However, he still nodded and relaxed his position. Charis added to Rhema’s reasoning to try and help Ischarus relax. “Besides, Ischarus, we’re all awake now. We’ve got eight eyes, eight ears, four noses, and a plethora of weapons against any threat we might perceive. We’ll stay alert as we walk.”Semeion finished tucking his traveling magic book into a pouch and like Rhema finished rolling up his mat. He had been the quietest party member so far this morning, but he was also aware that invisible opponents happened to exist in the world. In truth, many of them were also quite aggressive. Master Sathwright had begun to teach him in those areas and he took them seriously. As he rolled up his mat and attached it to Thana’s saddle he watched the ground for footprints that didn’t seem to belong to anyone in particular. His eyes were watchful, but even he didn’t perceive anything in particular.The rest of the party followed Semeion’s work and before too long the few remaining embers from the previous night’s fire were scattered so as to hide any trace of their being present in Quehalost. Leaves were scattered over the area and a few broken branches were brought in to makes the spot look naturally undisturbed. Once Ischarus was content that there would be little means of following them the party set off. Of course the horse hoof prints would be easily enough followed, but they were also much more likely to occur than an organized fire pit. The party slowly picked their way through the forest and kept the mountains on their right. Ischarus was careful to avoid any signs of civilization, including roads and blazed trails. Surely anyone that would be met on the roads or a path would only delay their quest. The denizens of Quehalost were not known for being particularly friendly regarding intruders.The foursome picked their way along the edge of the mountains for several horses before Ischarus signaled for the group to stop. He glanced backwards over his left shoulder and made eye contact with Rhema. She knew that look well as Ischarus had used that same glance several times in their adventures. In response to Ischarus’ look she spurred Shauvry ahead of Elistra several paces and kept a stern watch as Ischarus slid out of his saddle.Semeion and Charis approached Ischarus’ position, careful to not draw too close and potentially ruin what had caught Ischarus’ attention. Charis approached closer than Semeion, allowing Semeion to remain behind to keep watch along the party’s rear. As she approached Ischarus, Charis spoke softly. “What caught your attention, Ischarus?”Ischarus looked up. He had clearly been staring at a small pile of discarded meat beside a couple of well defined footprints. “Goblins, Charis. Little ones I think.” His eyes darted to a small mount of crushed grass. “And apparently there were big ones, too. It hasn’t been long since they’ve been through here, either.”[/Sblock]</blockquote>

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