04.03d - "On the road again"

The Merchant train was ready to get moving in the morning, and Able approached Brynne and Bismark. "How goes it? Any signs of our friends?" Brynne shook her head.

During the 'drive' Blak was making his way up and down the train doing his best to brighten people's day and look for signs of cultists as he went.

Bismark went to report in with Leda before the train pulled out

As the train began moving, Leda sat astride her horse, watching over as the 23 carts begin the rumbling journey towards the Fields of the Dead. She barely gave Bismark a glance, ignoring him for a moment before sighing and acknowledging him. "Can I help you?"

Bismark nodded his head and said "I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday, captain. And have come to see what it is you would have me do, since you removed me from my charge. I don't mean to presume, maam, but I would like to offer my services at half the agreed on rate if I could be restored to my position. Respectfully, maam." he said with a nod of respect.

Leda rolled her eyes "As Captain, before a journey the merchants come to me with a list of requirements and looking for me to pair them with a quality bodyguard for the dangerous road ahead. Your behavior not only speaks ill of yourself but insults MY reputation, Gustaf. You're out of your fuckin' mind if you think I'm gonna start paying you more than a standard guard makes. We've 700 miles more to go. At least, this train does, We'll see if you aren't asked to leave at the first major layover, powerful friends or not.  I don't give a flying fuck if you can heal the unprovoked wounds you cause with some magics. It does not give you the RIGHT to disrupt MY caravan. You ride along with this caravan at my pleasure. Remember that.” She looked like she had more to say, but shook her head and as the rear of the train passed, curtly turned her horse and clucked to a fast walk to head back to the front of the train.

Bismark shook his head and trotted up to hang around near Orvuestra's wagon but not close enough to make it obvious. Orvuestra, at one point happens to glance in Bismarks direction and give a friendly wave before she seemed to remember herself, then turn back to a conversation she was having with Hendren.

Bismark nodded to her.

Bismark rode up to where Brynne was riding in the train for a moment. "thanks for talking to me earlier, brynne"

Brynne nods back at Bismark, "Anytime!" And hitches her pants up. "Bin thinkin', yer pretty handy wit leather, eh? Mebbe you could help a woman out"

Bismark patted her on the back, trying to sneakily slip the gem into her pocket, since she snuck the gold back to him. As he tried to do this, She felt a bump has their shoulders meet. The horses investigated one another and she felt a slight tug at her belt.

She leared up at Bismark and said, "i figure it's tha least you kin do, tryin ta git yer hands in me pants after sharin' jus' a biscuit"

"I... no..." Flustered, Bismark fumbled and barely caught the gem before nearly dropping it to the ground. From Able's perspective the next wagon back, It looked like Bismark was drunk on his horse.

Ach'reny looked at Able and spit off to the side. "Fookin shame someone like him is with us. Can't even hold his breakfast liquor. heard he tried to stab that sparkly prancy fellow in the back"

"Ya like older women then, eh?" Brynne said with a wink.

Bismark caught the gem and just turned his horse around, red faced, to ride back to where he was. As bismark rode past, Able started to undo his pants. She mirthfully calls after him, "I \*did\* just take me bath this mornin'!"

"If she's turnin you down, I'm still available! HAR HAR HAR!" Able said, and high fived Archie.

When he got back, Bismark put the gem back in his pouch and pulls out his rabbit skull and tied it to the reins of his horse so that it's facing back at him. They trotted along slowly off to the side of the train.

Brynne turned in the saddle and hollered back at Able, "Better be careful, Able--- i jus' migh' call yer bluff!"

Ach'reny. Post high five, listened to this exchange, and looked between Brynne and Able. "be careful lad . . . laid with a dwarf once i did . . .didn't walk straight for a week"

Able coughed awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Noted" Able glanced down at a squeaking sound coming from Archie's wagon. "boss, I think you've struck a stone. Wheel is all cracked” he said pointing at the right front wheel.

"Bah, that sound means i got a few more miles yet. Let me know if it starts to really creak" Ach’reny said.

"You got it" Able replied. Able rode his horse a bit further away from the wagon. One of the Teamsters with Ach'neys wagon gives Able a knowing nod

A few wagons back, Bismark looked down at the skull. "vell, I have it coming. talk to me." The tiny skull spoke softly but clearly, "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge, you just gargled." Followed by Talis' familiar laughter.

Able looked up with a frown. "Do you all hear laughing?" He spat on the ground angrily. Ach'reny gave him a side eye as he pulls a tabac pouch from his coat. "Gorram Fields of the Dead. I hate it here. Just gonna get worse as we get closer"

The teamster, within earshot, glanced up from the wheel he was inspecting. "What's that then?"

"I said it's only gonna get worse. You've been here before, right?" Able asked him.

"No sir,” the teamster answered. “first time on the north road, usually I handle the eastern road out of The Gate"

"Oh. Well then you're in for a treat." Able told him. "As you approach the Fields, shit starts to get...less normal Birds sing the wrong songs. Trees bloom the wrong times of year. Nothing serious, but more than passing strange. Closer in, folks report stranger occurrences. My mate from the campaigns up North swore he saw a snake born from a chicken egg they were cooking for breakfast."

The teamster gulped.

"And with my own two eyes I saw a pack of fawns tearing at the corpse of a wolf like they'd never tasted anything better. And that's all on top of the damn bandit dukes, the Giants, and the feral druids. You know, the regular stuff."

The teamster's eyes were now as big as saucers as he listened to Able's tale by the early morning sun. Everyone nearby was listening, some of the older guards nodding to themselves, the younger ones looking like they were trying to figure out what they got themselves into.

Suddenly a loud CRACK broke the silence as the wheel gave way snapping, Ach'reny's wagon twisting, dropping the front right corner down a few feet. A lashed box on the top broke free, and tumbling through the air it hit the teamster's leg from the side. Snap. Crack.

That’s when the screaming started.

"Ah, SHIT" Able spat, jumping off the horse and pointing at a nearby Teamster. “HELP ME. BISMAAAAARK!"

Brynne turned her horse to see if there was a threat to the train.

Able and another teamster tried to lift the wagon to better the angle to extract the injured man.

"Ah, Moridin's blessed chamberpot. There's a lad stuck under a crate.” Brynne said, looking back at the wagon. “Mind if I head over ta help?" She inquires of Tyjit.

"Off ye go!" was the reply.

Ach'reny, after only a moment of shock hops down from his tilted bench and looks around for a pole to use as leverage.

Brynne rode over and hopped down. "Whatcha need? More men? Drag it off wit tha' horses?"

"Drag if you got rope handy, otherwise we need to lift and pull free. That leg is probably pulverized. We'll save the man, not the leg" Able got the men organized, and began lifting and pulling. "Lift on my command! Say when, Brynne"

Brynne reached down and placed her hands under the kid's armpits. "Ready when y'are". Another teamster arrived and gave the wounded man a strap of leather to bite down on. Brynne said to the guy that brought the leather, "Go get tha' singer or tha' man it tried ter stab him. Both could help wit his leg"

Bismark rode up, tucking the rabbit skull back into his pouch.

"Get ready, Bis." Able told him.

"why are we stopped?" Bismark asked just before seeing the man on the ground, jumping off his horse, and over to the wounded man

Able and the recruited men get on the corners of the crate, while Blak, riding Ludo at a gallon from nearer the rear, reins up as word of the commotion quickly whipped down the train.

"What's the mat...oh" Blak said, catching a glimpse of what was going on.

Blak put his Zither on its tether on Ludo and dismounted.  "Did you help him Bismark?"

The man pulled free. glances down at his mangled leg and screams around his gag. Bismark placed his hand on the boy's leg, feeling it clearly broken. He held his amulet in his left hand, closed his eyes and began praying to helm, first attempting to cast mend on the bones, and then to heal the wounds. Taking the wound in his hands he cast. Nothing happened.

Just then, Leda, rode up, "The fuck is going on over here?"

Bismark pulled up his hands, looking at them. "What? ... "

Blak secretively cast a healing word at the injured man. The bone made another audible snap as it shifted a break back into place while Bismark was looking at his own hands.

"Shhhhh kido...shhhh, s'all righ'" Brynne said, doing her best to hold the guy still and calm him. He thrashed for a moment, before shivering and passing out from shock and confusion.

"Now's a good time fer fixin' boys" Brynne said. Bismark just sat there, and puts his head in his hands

"Oh Leda,” Blak said. “everything is fine.  My Lord Bismark has healed the child."

"Oh yeah? Hot damn!"

Able and the sweating teamsters set the crate down. "You're welcome" he panted.

A few teamsters patted Bismark on the back. "Fuckin' glad to have ye, mate!" He didn't respond, just staring at his hands and walks back to his horse

Ach'reny approached Able. "I shoulda listened to ya, boy. Ya make this trip enough, you get cocky"

Blak breathed deep and heads back over to Ludo. Brynne looked around a little surprised, then tried to rouse the unconscious man.

Bismark quietly cast thaumaturgy to try and make the sound of a crow off to the side of the train, but all that he heard was the teamsters working on repair and Ach'reny muttering to himself over his own stupidity. Bismark started breathing heavily and looking around semi-panic'ed.

The teamster began to grogily wake up. "Ehhh, there's a good lad! Yer arigh' now, thanks ter Bismark o'er there"

then hops on his horse and rides full speed back toward Orvuestra's wagon and checks in to see if she is okay. He rode up to see her speaking to Hendren. a concerned look on her face.

"Is everything okay here?" Bismark asked, looking around worriedly. Under his breath as he looks to the sides of the path away from the wagon he muttered "Helm, where are you?"

"Everything is fine, Mister Gustaf. Is everything okay back there?"

Fervently looking around the sides of the train back and forth, Bismark told him "There was... an accident... crate fell on someone and crushed his leg. I think a cart may have broken as well. was worried something may have been taking advantage of our stopping and wanted to make sure everything was okay back here"

"Hendren here has been taking care of me and telling me what to be on the lookout on the road ahead.” Orvuestra told him. He's made the trip several times. I'm in good hands, Mister Gustaf, and I thank you for your concern." Bismark smiled a fake smile, and then rode back up to the broken cart.

Able approached Bismark while the repairs were ongoing. "Thanks for your help. Sorry about yelling the non-cover name - I honestly forgot when the adrenaline hit. Nobody seems to have noticed, though, at least" Able, cunning conversationalist that he is, finally noticed that Bismark seems distraught. "Uh, Bis...er Gustaf are you okay, my friend?"

You just see him with a broken stick in his hand, two magnetic stones in the other. Bismark casts mend. "Helm, please..."

"That doesn't look good", Able said.

Bismark looks up at able with a vacant face. "He's gone." He looks up and down the train. "Able, do you know if there are any priests in this train?"

"Priests and I don't fraternize"

Bismark asked a guard nearby who told him that they were due to run into a train headed the other direction later in the day. Assuming the worst didn't happen, they should see the opposing train sometime this afternoon.