The Canterbury Tales- Chapter 4: Dead Drunk

[Deuce Traveler]

The party charges over the hill, expecting to see a field of battle and chaos. Instead they see an old man in tattered farmer's clothes standing on a worn walking trail and facing the back end of a scrawny, chud-chewing cow. The farmer grunts loudly as he swings a thin wooden cane to the back of the cow, which creates a loud smack. He cries out loudly once more as he raises his arm and arches his creaking back to strike again. Upon seeing the party approach him at the bottom of the hill, he yells, "Oh thank Allah! Warriors! Come quick! We must defeat this monster before he kills again!"

 

[Theroc]

As Alwyn saw the 'battle' his expression notably dropped as he looked confusedly at the man, approaching to speak in a level voice.

"Why don't you tell me why you're beating a defenseless cow? I see no monster here..." He murmured, searching for some signs of magic or deception as he rubbed the sore part of his arm, before letting his tunic cover it from sight again. If a battle would erupt, the boy would call upon the Betrayer to protect him as he was promised, then strike assured at his success.

 

[ethandrew]

Francis looked disapprovingly at the man, but not because he was beating a cow, or seemed deranged. He did, afterall, praise Allah. Not that Francis was a pious man at all, quite the contrary. Working closely and being around the church for so long has left him a little jaded, seeing how truly corruptible men can be in the name of God. But he can't quite recall ever seeing any of them beating a cow with a cane.

"Sir, I beseech you, let us take this wretched monster off your hands where we can slaughter it without sullying its filthy blood on your fertile soil," Francis lies, with the full intent of using this cow for milk or meat, or if possible, a trusty steed.

 

[HolyMan]

Winded from his run up the hill the Professor puts down his suitcase and tries to catch his breath. *pant* *pant* "Umm... it's a cow." he says noticing the man and his cane.

 

[Fenris]

Richard followed the group along as well and rounding the hill took in the scene. He smiled as he saw the man with the cow. But he waited to speak until the farmer spoke yet further.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

The man strikes the cow once more with his cane, elliciting another grunt from him and a bored tail switch of the cow's tail. He pokes Alwyn in the chest with his cane, and says of the female animal, "He's not just a cow. He's a fell beast. A hellspawn cow!" Eyeing Francis suspiciously he retorts, "Oh take the cow away to slaughter, huh? More like take him to safety, I bet! Does the cow speak to you? Are you his servant or his doom?" The man begins to froth himself into an angry lather.

 

[Dragonwriter]

Duncan's is momentarily crestfallen as he sees it's only a farmer driving a cow before him. As he listens to the old man, Duncan grows slightly confused. While he remembered his cousins cursing and cursing about their cattle, he'd never heard somebody actually claim a beast to be hellspawn. Remaining silent and skeptical, Duncan watched the old man carefully. Over his time on the road, he'd learned how to "read" people, after a fashion, and tried to learn a little more about the man, and his cow, through studying both of them. His eyes also brush over his companions, remembering how it always helps to study your fellow travelers also...

[sblock=OOC]
Coming up with a justification for Detect Evil... Doing a surreptitious scan of everyone in the vicinity, starting with the farmer and cow, and going over everyone else afterwards...
[/sblock]

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Duncan
[sblock]
The cow, the farmer, nor your comrades radiate a feeling of evil.
[/sblock]

"You're in on it, aren't you?! You're in league with him! Well I'll show you! I'll take you all on!" The old man lifts his cane and swings a downward thrust at Francis, who easily dodges to the side. The excitement seems to much for the farmer, though, for as he stops his clumsy charge and regains his balance he clutches at his chest, wheezes, and falls flat onto his back. His body twitches, then lies still as the man seems to collapse from a heart attack. As the party stares in astonishment, the only sound that can be heard is the wind and a cow bell as the nearby animal continues its chewing.

 

[Dragonwriter]

Duncan gasps, completely taken by surprise as the old man suddenly keels over. The young man quickly dismounts and tries to help the old man up, even though he's pretty sure there's no use. Still, it's in his nature... After trying to give some assistance and determining the man is far beyond his help, Duncan looks at his companions and the cow.

The young Scot shrugs, saying, "It seems like a perfectly normal cow to me... I would suggest we try to find the old man's home, even if it's just to return the cow to any family he may have."

He walks back to Gaoth and swings up into the saddle again.

 

[Fenris]

"At least we know Francis can deal with any more old farmers we meet" says Richard wryly, though with a smile that shows he was only making a jest.
"Still I believe Duncan is right, it will be bad enough to lose the head of the household, best to make sure they have the cow."