Kore | Kingdom of Harmony | IC

[doghead]

By late mornoing the heat of the day has begun to materialise and sweat trickles down your neck and your underclothes are soaked. For Chen and Tharl, in their armour, it is particulary unpleasent. An early lunch is had in a small tea house located next to the river, and for a little while you enjoy some shade and a cool breeze before having to get moving again. The sake wasn't, you realise as the as the heat hits you again, such a good idea. But the teahouse owner was so insistant.

You ride on, past more farms, occasional copses of trees. The road winds on before you. Ahead the road begins once again to diverge from the river. This time to go around a small tree covered hill. Well, rocky outcrop may be more appropriate, as it only raises about 20 meters before falling back into the river off to the left. The road itself cuts through the trees across the tail of the hill.

The forest around you is light and sparse. By riding slightly off the path you can walk in the welcome shade of the trees. Its does slow you down some but you have plenty of time. The cries and rings of steel on steel are so faint that at first you are not sure that you hear them. It is a little hard to tell which direction they are coming from.

 

[Sam]

Listening intently to determine the direction of the fighting, Tharl raises his hand in a signal to stop. Whispering, he says "Do you hear that? The ring of steel on steel? Where is it coming from?" (OOC: Makes listen check (+3) to determine direction) He starts to ride in the direction he thinks it is coming from.

 

[Avatar_V]

Kaijia stops as well, and listens intently (+9). If he can tell more precisely where it's coming from, he'll motion to the others, otherwise he follows a short distance behind Tharl and ready his bow and prepare to dismount as he prefers to fight from the ground so that he can use his bow more effectively. He grits his teeth and wonders what the trouble could be.

 

[doghead]

So anyway, there was this man and he was ... er, I mean, whoops, double post.

 

[doghead]

Forest lies to the left and right of you. But the bulk of it lies to the left, covering the slight rise around which, you guess the river bends before rejoining the path ahead, out of sight. The forest is not heavy, you could canter through it but at some risk to your horse from hidden pitfalls in the undergrowth, and to yourself from low hanging branches. The sounds most definately seem to come from the left,the direction Tharl is now turning his horse, from the top of the small rocky outcrop. You can see about 50 yards into the copse, but you can see nothing.

OOC: The terrain is light forest (x3/4 movement rate). Spotting distance is about 45 yards. If you "Walk", you may also try to "Hide" (avoid being spotted), if you "Hustle" or "Run" you may not also Hide. Of course, you cannot try to Hide if you are on your horse.

From what you saw as you approached, the copse extends about 300 yards to the left of the road and 100 yards to the right. It rises slightly to the left, up to about 50 yards (the height of a 10 story building) above the plain before ending in a steep drop down to the river.

Please indicate which mode of movement you are using, and what you are carrying in your hands.

 

[DarkElf109]

Chen, realizing that he'd be the metaphorical 'bull in the china shop' if he were to find out where the noises were coming from, visually weighs Kaijia and Tharl. "Kaijia, you should go investigate the clashing over that way." He points in the direction Tharl is facing. "You seem to be the lightest of us, and bring a lower chance of being seen. Tharl," he turns in the direction of the priest of War and Strength, "Ready one of your spells in case Kaijia needs help." Chen dismounts from his horse and draws his greatsword from his back, leaving the greataxe and longbow on his mount. "I'll watch our backs in case we're being followed." He does as he says, believing his plan to be well-made, but is still open to suggestion.

 

[Avatar_V]

Kaijia nods at Chen. "That sounds good." And he slips off of his horse and walks slowly (hiding/moving silently) towards where Chen has indicated. He holds his longbow out and ready.

 

[doghead]

OOC: Sam, can you let me know how Tharl responds to Chens suggestion.

 

[Sam]

(OOC: Sorry, thought I had replied. I'm pretty sure I did. Maybe it didn't take. Kind of an inverse double-post )

Tharl agrees with Chen. "Yes, that's a good idea." Tharl readies his sword and shield and awaits Kaijia's findings.

 

[doghead]

As Tharl dismounts, Kaijia slips past him, heading up the slight incline and in the direction from where the sounds seemed to come from. Some late cicadas and the odd bird make it difficult to hear clearly.

Chen, also dismounted follows up behind Kaijia to where Tharl now stands, watching the forest into which Kaijia is moving. Chen gestures for Tharl to hand over the reins of his horse and to keep an eye on Kaijia while Chen ties up the animals.

As Tharl watches, Kaijia moves carefully but purposefully forwards, using the trees to provide cover and sweeping the forest ahead with his eyes. By the time Chen has finished looping the reins over a branch, Kaijia has moved some 25 yards further into the forest. Another 20 yards and he will be out of sight of Chen and Tharl. You move forward keeping the distance.

As Kaijia moves forward he once again hears the sound of a fight ahead. This time more clearly, although with the forest noises it would be easy to miss. Pausing behind a big tree, he checks his back and sees Tharl and Chen moving up about 25 yards behind him. Occasionally, he can hear a footfall or the clunk of armour. The road is almost completely out of sight, some 50 yards back.

Kaijia pushes on. Tharl and Chen follow, Tharl in the middle, Chen a little behind him, checking the rear. The forest air is still, and despite the shade, sweat is soon tricking down your neck and body as you move and crouch, sweep and move. You continue on. Your hands get slippery and need to be wiped on your pants. The road is now completely out of sight as are your horses. The ground is a little rocky in places and you need to watch your step. You guess you have gone some 100 yards, but is hard to tell as you must move one way then another, wait and move again.

Again you hear the sounds of fighting, but perhaps only a few people, it sounded like more earlier. How long have you been moving? A couple of minutes? Four or five? Its hard to tell.

Kaijia stops dead. There is a man up ahead, about 40 yards away. Crouched by tree, but he seems to be positioned to avoid being see by someone coming from over to the left. He carries a bow. The sound of fighting has died, but the voices you can still hear from beyond the crouching man. At least three.