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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3346853" data-attributes="member: 35788">Four long days passed from the time that the foursome had given their dramatic performance in the Shrouded Tenor.  They had managed to meet up back at the burned villa without difficulty along the way.  During the day, Rhema’s father had made significant progress in planning for his new home.  He had even gone so far as to wade through the nearby forest and mark trees that would likely be good for producing lumber for the construction.The party had decided to stay away from Fingerdale for a few days and see if their performance brought about any results.  It didn’t make sense to repeat the performance in other areas within Fingerdale because there would be the risk that the residents of Fingerdale would grow suspicious.  If they gave the performance too often it would become obvious that it was simply just a performance.Through the use of the horses, the stones and the burned out timbers were easily cleared.  The site for the new villa was well on the way to being prepared for the time when the servants returned from Ausaphaborishan’s Valley.  Iasho had received word that the servants had left from Barghost and were due to return in no more than two week’s time.  If they worked hard, then they could have the new site prepared in addition to having the fields sown with seed once more.  If the seeds could be sown, the coming servants could focus on helping to build the villa while the seeds germinated in the ground.On the fourth day since the performance, Iasho and the foursome were in the fields planting seed when a sudden movement caught the eyes of Iasho and Charis.  Both Iasho and Charis stood up and focused on the movement.  Rhea, Ischarus, and Semeion saw the curiosity of their friends and they turned.Semeion spoke quickly to his wife.  “Charis?  What is it?”Charis didn’t speak in reply, but she did nod in the direction that she had seen movement.  As she nodded, everyone saw a tall figure dressed in leather armor and a dark gray cloak emerge from the woods.  As soon as the figure realized that he had been spotted, he stopped and examined the situation.The figure wore a confused look upon his face.  It appeared as though he had not been expecting to find five people standing around the fields.  As the party studied what little they could see of his face from the distance, they noticed that his face appeared deeply scarred.  His hair was clipped short, and it revealed several scars left over from strikes taken to the head.Ischarus stepped forward and spoke.  “Bloodseeker?”  His voice rang through forest as he called across the field.The figure stepped back into edge of the forest and began to run away.  Ischarus, Rhema, and Iasho immediately began to pursue the man, but the soft ground of the burned field made it difficult to follow with any speed.  Semeion and Charis could tell immediately that they didn’t have much chance to catch the figure on foot if they had to run across the field first.Semeion called out to the rest of the party.  “Keep pursuing him, he might be the one we were looking for.  Charis and I will go get our horses and circle around the edge of the forest.”Ischarus nodded as he ran.  Rhema and Iasho struggled to keep up with the speed that his powerful legs were able to generate in the loose soil.  However, even with Ischarus’ strong legs the unknown man was easily escaping through the forest.Within seconds Charis and Semeion were mounted atop their horses and riding along the edge of the field towards the forest.  They were able to keep to the untilled ground and thus ride the horses hard.  Charis yelled to Semeion as he followed closely behind. “I’ll circle left, you circle right.  We’ll eventually both get to the road that leads back to Fingerdale.  If we can get there by going around the trees before he can get to the road by going through them, we can contain him!”Charis could tell that Semeion had heard her directions by the sound of the horse hooves behind her.  He hadn’t replied, but he did guide Thana to the right.  The thundering of Thana’s hooves upon the ground was growing further away.  Charis dug her heels into Abijou’s side and spurred him to the forest edge.She reached the spot in the forest where the man had first appeared.  She was slightly behind Ischarus, Rhema, and Iasho.  As she crossed the edge of the forest behind them she called through the trees.  “Drive him through the trees toward the road.  Semeion and I will be on the other side waiting!”Iasho stopped and turned around.  He yelled to his daughter as he slowed.  “Keep pressing forward.  I’ll go back and protect the other three horses!”Ischarus was already pushing forward with effort, and he didn’t hear his father-in-law call the directions.  Rhema did hear him, and she paused long enough to turn around.  “Be careful, father!  If he circles back to retrieve our horses, you’ll be alone!”Iasho nodded and turned back to the location of the villa.  He began to walk, knowing that it was not necessary for him to hurry.  Rhema turned back to find Ischarus.  He was trying to follow the man’s trail as quickly as possible.  If she flanked his position she would be better able to prevent the man from doubling back upon her father.The chase through the forest lasted for more than a mile before reaching the road to Fingerdale.  The horses riding around the edge of the forest traveled far more than a mile in their route.  In spite of the greater distance, both of the horses were able to make it to the other side before Ischarus and Rhema could make it through.The road had been cut through the forest almost a century earlier in an attempt to enable quicker trade routes.  Semeion circumvented the forest on the edge closest to Fingerdale.  As he rounded the forest and brought Thana onto the rode, he saw a small cart coming in his direction.  The cart was driven by an elderly woman and pulled by a simple mule.  The woman was dressed in a simple tattered cloak and was only armed by an old prodding stick.When the woman spotted Semeion coming towards her from the edge of the forest, she called out in a raised voice.  “Stay back, bandit!  I have leprosy!  You may wish to rob me, but if you come close enough to touch me you will steal more than you bargained for!”Semeion smiled and muttered to himself in a soft enough tone that there was no possible way that the woman could have heard him.  “Leprosy, huh?  Yeah, I bet that it’s leprosy.  More than likely it’s a rouse to keep me from searching the cart.  I smell something foul.”Semeion smiled politely and directed Thana to approach from the front.  “I’m actually tracking criminal movement through these woods, ma’am.  I’ll respect your leprosy, but I will ask you to stop your mule and leave your cart for inspection.”The woman smiled politely.  “If you insist.”  The woman pulled back on the mule’s reigns to get it to stop.  “But just be careful.  Leprosy can spread by touching any part of my skin whether it is attached to me or not.”Semeion dismounted and left Thana to wander about ten feet from the cart.  He drew back his cloak and revealed his blade.  “If you don’t mind, I can use steel to search for criminal signs.”The woman backed up upon hearing Semeion’s assertion.  She abandoned her cart and allowed Semeion to approach and search it.  Despite a thorough search, Semeion only found a few fruits and vegetables.  There was no place for anyone to hide within the cart.His eyes narrowed as he looked at the short woman.  “I’m sorry for holding you up, ma’am.  You’ve been more than patient and cooperative.  Are you heading to Fingerdale?”The woman approached the cart as Semeion backed away to return to Thana’s saddle.  She smiled as she sat upon the driver’s bench.  “Indeed I am.”Semeion nodded to the woman as he swung himself up into the saddle.  “Have a safe travel, then.  Hopefully your mule can get you there before the sun goes down.”The woman smiled and moved further down the road.  Semeion traveled in the opposite direction towards where he was sure the man would have to emerge from the forest.  Several minutes later he came upon Ischarus, Rhema, and Charis standing on the side of the road.  Charis was still mounted.Rhema waved Semeion over when she spotted him coming.  “No luck?”Semeion shook his head.  “No.  I didn’t see anyone except an old woman driving a mule cart down the road.  You all didn’t find anything?”Ischarus looked alarmed.  “No, we didn’t.  Although we do know the man came out of the woods here.  Did you investigate the woman?”Semeion nodded.  “Yeah, pretty thoroughly.  She claimed to have leprosy, so I didn’t touch her.  But I rummaged through her cart and couldn’t find a thing.”Charis peered down the road, but the woman was well out of view by this time.  “But the woman, could she have been the man disguised?”Semeion shook his head.  “No way.  She was old and decrepit.  She was hunched over, even.  And even had she been able to stand up straight, she was a full foot shorter than the man.  She was tiny, that man was tall.  Not even the best disguise can alter a person’s height.”The other three frowned.  Ischarus spoke the inevitable conclusion.  “If the woman wasn’t somehow disguised, then we’ve lost him.  He clearly came out of the forest here, and didn’t go back in.  He didn’t cross over the road and enter the forest on the other side.  One way or another, he seems to have just vanished.”Rhema nodded in agreement.  “Yeah, I agree.  And if that was the Bloodseeker, we may have just tipped him off to disappear.  If he was coming to find Darkbringer and found us instead, he would have known it was a trap.  If that was Bloodseeker, then the trap won’t work anymore.”Charis sighed heavily and offered a hand to Ischarus.  “Well, we aren’t going to solve anything standing her all depressed.  Ischarus, ride with me.  Rhema, ride with Semeion.  Let’s get back to the villa and make sure Iasho is alright.”The frustrated foursome slowly headed back to the burned out villa.  It would take a fair amount of planning to decide where to go from here.  Their best lead had just managed to slip through their fingers.[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]Four long days passed from the time that the foursome had given their dramatic performance in the Shrouded Tenor. They had managed to meet up back at the burned villa without difficulty along the way. During the day, Rhema’s father had made significant progress in planning for his new home. He had even gone so far as to wade through the nearby forest and mark trees that would likely be good for producing lumber for the construction.The party had decided to stay away from Fingerdale for a few days and see if their performance brought about any results. It didn’t make sense to repeat the performance in other areas within Fingerdale because there would be the risk that the residents of Fingerdale would grow suspicious. If they gave the performance too often it would become obvious that it was simply just a performance.Through the use of the horses, the stones and the burned out timbers were easily cleared. The site for the new villa was well on the way to being prepared for the time when the servants returned from Ausaphaborishan’s Valley. Iasho had received word that the servants had left from Barghost and were due to return in no more than two week’s time. If they worked hard, then they could have the new site prepared in addition to having the fields sown with seed once more. If the seeds could be sown, the coming servants could focus on helping to build the villa while the seeds germinated in the ground.On the fourth day since the performance, Iasho and the foursome were in the fields planting seed when a sudden movement caught the eyes of Iasho and Charis. Both Iasho and Charis stood up and focused on the movement. Rhea, Ischarus, and Semeion saw the curiosity of their friends and they turned.Semeion spoke quickly to his wife. “Charis? What is it?”Charis didn’t speak in reply, but she did nod in the direction that she had seen movement. As she nodded, everyone saw a tall figure dressed in leather armor and a dark gray cloak emerge from the woods. As soon as the figure realized that he had been spotted, he stopped and examined the situation.The figure wore a confused look upon his face. It appeared as though he had not been expecting to find five people standing around the fields. As the party studied what little they could see of his face from the distance, they noticed that his face appeared deeply scarred. His hair was clipped short, and it revealed several scars left over from strikes taken to the head.Ischarus stepped forward and spoke. “Bloodseeker?” His voice rang through forest as he called across the field.The figure stepped back into edge of the forest and began to run away. Ischarus, Rhema, and Iasho immediately began to pursue the man, but the soft ground of the burned field made it difficult to follow with any speed. Semeion and Charis could tell immediately that they didn’t have much chance to catch the figure on foot if they had to run across the field first.Semeion called out to the rest of the party. “Keep pursuing him, he might be the one we were looking for. Charis and I will go get our horses and circle around the edge of the forest.”Ischarus nodded as he ran. Rhema and Iasho struggled to keep up with the speed that his powerful legs were able to generate in the loose soil. However, even with Ischarus’ strong legs the unknown man was easily escaping through the forest.Within seconds Charis and Semeion were mounted atop their horses and riding along the edge of the field towards the forest. They were able to keep to the untilled ground and thus ride the horses hard. Charis yelled to Semeion as he followed closely behind. “I’ll circle left, you circle right. We’ll eventually both get to the road that leads back to Fingerdale. If we can get there by going around the trees before he can get to the road by going through them, we can contain him!”Charis could tell that Semeion had heard her directions by the sound of the horse hooves behind her. He hadn’t replied, but he did guide Thana to the right. The thundering of Thana’s hooves upon the ground was growing further away. Charis dug her heels into Abijou’s side and spurred him to the forest edge.She reached the spot in the forest where the man had first appeared. She was slightly behind Ischarus, Rhema, and Iasho. As she crossed the edge of the forest behind them she called through the trees. “Drive him through the trees toward the road. Semeion and I will be on the other side waiting!”Iasho stopped and turned around. He yelled to his daughter as he slowed. “Keep pressing forward. I’ll go back and protect the other three horses!”Ischarus was already pushing forward with effort, and he didn’t hear his father-in-law call the directions. Rhema did hear him, and she paused long enough to turn around. “Be careful, father! If he circles back to retrieve our horses, you’ll be alone!”Iasho nodded and turned back to the location of the villa. He began to walk, knowing that it was not necessary for him to hurry. Rhema turned back to find Ischarus. He was trying to follow the man’s trail as quickly as possible. If she flanked his position she would be better able to prevent the man from doubling back upon her father.The chase through the forest lasted for more than a mile before reaching the road to Fingerdale. The horses riding around the edge of the forest traveled far more than a mile in their route. In spite of the greater distance, both of the horses were able to make it to the other side before Ischarus and Rhema could make it through.The road had been cut through the forest almost a century earlier in an attempt to enable quicker trade routes. Semeion circumvented the forest on the edge closest to Fingerdale. As he rounded the forest and brought Thana onto the rode, he saw a small cart coming in his direction. The cart was driven by an elderly woman and pulled by a simple mule. The woman was dressed in a simple tattered cloak and was only armed by an old prodding stick.When the woman spotted Semeion coming towards her from the edge of the forest, she called out in a raised voice. “Stay back, bandit! I have leprosy! You may wish to rob me, but if you come close enough to touch me you will steal more than you bargained for!”Semeion smiled and muttered to himself in a soft enough tone that there was no possible way that the woman could have heard him. “Leprosy, huh? Yeah, I bet that it’s leprosy. More than likely it’s a rouse to keep me from searching the cart. I smell something foul.”Semeion smiled politely and directed Thana to approach from the front. “I’m actually tracking criminal movement through these woods, ma’am. I’ll respect your leprosy, but I will ask you to stop your mule and leave your cart for inspection.”The woman smiled politely. “If you insist.” The woman pulled back on the mule’s reigns to get it to stop. “But just be careful. Leprosy can spread by touching any part of my skin whether it is attached to me or not.”Semeion dismounted and left Thana to wander about ten feet from the cart. He drew back his cloak and revealed his blade. “If you don’t mind, I can use steel to search for criminal signs.”The woman backed up upon hearing Semeion’s assertion. She abandoned her cart and allowed Semeion to approach and search it. Despite a thorough search, Semeion only found a few fruits and vegetables. There was no place for anyone to hide within the cart.His eyes narrowed as he looked at the short woman. “I’m sorry for holding you up, ma’am. You’ve been more than patient and cooperative. Are you heading to Fingerdale?”The woman approached the cart as Semeion backed away to return to Thana’s saddle. She smiled as she sat upon the driver’s bench. “Indeed I am.”Semeion nodded to the woman as he swung himself up into the saddle. “Have a safe travel, then. Hopefully your mule can get you there before the sun goes down.”The woman smiled and moved further down the road. Semeion traveled in the opposite direction towards where he was sure the man would have to emerge from the forest. Several minutes later he came upon Ischarus, Rhema, and Charis standing on the side of the road. Charis was still mounted.Rhema waved Semeion over when she spotted him coming. “No luck?”Semeion shook his head. “No. I didn’t see anyone except an old woman driving a mule cart down the road. You all didn’t find anything?”Ischarus looked alarmed. “No, we didn’t. Although we do know the man came out of the woods here. Did you investigate the woman?”Semeion nodded. “Yeah, pretty thoroughly. She claimed to have leprosy, so I didn’t touch her. But I rummaged through her cart and couldn’t find a thing.”Charis peered down the road, but the woman was well out of view by this time. “But the woman, could she have been the man disguised?”Semeion shook his head. “No way. She was old and decrepit. She was hunched over, even. And even had she been able to stand up straight, she was a full foot shorter than the man. She was tiny, that man was tall. Not even the best disguise can alter a person’s height.”The other three frowned. Ischarus spoke the inevitable conclusion. “If the woman wasn’t somehow disguised, then we’ve lost him. He clearly came out of the forest here, and didn’t go back in. He didn’t cross over the road and enter the forest on the other side. One way or another, he seems to have just vanished.”Rhema nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I agree. And if that was the Bloodseeker, we may have just tipped him off to disappear. If he was coming to find Darkbringer and found us instead, he would have known it was a trap. If that was Bloodseeker, then the trap won’t work anymore.”Charis sighed heavily and offered a hand to Ischarus. “Well, we aren’t going to solve anything standing her all depressed. Ischarus, ride with me. Rhema, ride with Semeion. Let’s get back to the villa and make sure Iasho is alright.”The frustrated foursome slowly headed back to the burned out villa. It would take a fair amount of planning to decide where to go from here. Their best lead had just managed to slip through their fingers.[/Sblock]</blockquote>

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