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| Details |
| Author: | inkie |
| Summary: | White Squad rejoins Lorewalker Cho at Onekeg to embark on their journey up the mountain to Seeker's Point. There are just a few preparations to be made first. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
"Ho there!" Arric calls out as he spots Shine. "How's the missus doing?" Rica is tagging along just behind him, her bright turquoise eyes moving from grummle to grummle as though she is sizing them up for snacks.
Shine looks up from his place on the bench by the bonfire and smiles faintly at Arric. "She's well. Recovering nicely. Yourself?" He does the not-exactly-moving-over shift again and nods down at the bench.
He is not dressed in his usual blue-dyed armor today but substantially warmer-looking gear: layers of wool and fur and dull, dun-colored leather that blends in with the steppe colors around them. The hood of his heavy fur cloak is folded back.
"Wait there, Rica," Arric says, pointing, and then has a seat. "There was a lovely sort of storytime here last night," he says. "Learned a great deal about grummles. Met your wife's apprentice, lovely woman."
"Melancholy was here?" Shine raises his eyebrow.
"Yes! Ah, I wish I could write my sister about her; I think they'd be fast friends." Arric shrugs, a flicker of, well, melancholy, passing over his face before he finds his usual amiable expression again. "And I shared a bench with a lovely pandaren, one of the Gui Wei. A most pleasant woman."
"Heard some of the grummles are refusing to go up Neverest," one of the pandaren seated nearby mutters to another as he warms his paws at the bonfire.
Arric's brow shoots up as he eavesdrops shamelessly. He glances at Shine.
"Can't blame 'em," his comrade says. "No word from Kota Basecamp and no Shado-Pan to be found?"
Shine has tilted his head slightly to one side but is gazing absently into the fire as he eavesdrops… well, also shamelessly. But less obviously.
Arric just stares at the conversing pandaren, apparently in hopes that they will notice he is eavesdropping and invite him directly into the conversation.
"I remember when I used to guard the Burlap Trail," one of the pandaren conversationalists says loudly, apparently having noted his audience.
Arric turns his attention to the alleged former guard.
"Drinking isn't guarding," scoffs one of his comrades, and the alleged former guard grumbles and subsides into dour silence.
Arric unsuccessfully attempts to suppress a smile.
Shine extricates himself from the false reverie of eavesdropping. "Melancholy's an… interesting young lady. Lena seems pleased with her."
Gwenivene scurries over to the fire. "Gets a bit chilly up at this elevation, doesn't it?"
Shine glances up from where he is sitting hunched under his fur cloak and nods at Gwen. "Aye."
"Do you need an extra cloak?" Arric asks Gwen solicitously. "I believe I have one somewhere…"
Bun, who has been curled discreetly beneath the bench unfolds himself to snuffle out and investigate Gwen for snacks.
"Oh, thank you, Arric! I think I'll be alright once we get moving and my blood is flowing. You would think I'd be more accustomed to it, spending so much time in Northrend," Gwen says. "But Dalaran is magically warmed. It's sooo cozy."
Anareline walks over towards the group at the fire, from the direction of the flight master.
Shine nods respectfully to Anareline.
Anareline nods respectfully back. She looks fairly warm in heavy armor.
Gwen giggles softly at the cute tanuki. She kneels down and puts her hands together. They glow, and conjure up a mana biscuit, which she places on the ground for Bun.
At precisely, uncannily on time, Colson approaches. "Good afternoon, everyone."
Bun is devouring a mana biscuit. Do not speak to him. If you cannot make biscuits appear magically between your paws, you are now dead to him.
Arric rises to give Colson a firm clasp on the shoulder in greeting, since Colson likes touching, it is known!
It is known! Colson smiles faintly at Arric, and returns the shoulder clasp warmly. It's almost like a side hug now.
Anareline considers the manly affection with a very subtle, approving nod.
Shine gets to his feet and collects Bun (and the Gollum-clutched remains of his biscuit) from the ground, setting the tanuki on his shoulders.
Arric moves to stand alertly next to Anareline, going into Work Mode.
"We should check in with Lorewalker Cho," Anareline says. "It seems that it may be time for our journey."
"Understood," Colson says.
Arric lowers his goggles to cover his eyes, both improving his vision and protecting his eyes from the biting wind.
Bun drops biscuit crumbs into the folded hood of Shine's cloak and begins scrabbling at the fur impatiently. Shine picks Bun up from his shoulders, turns him around, and sets him down facing the other way. Bun is not fooled! There is still biscuit in the cloak!
Arric says, "Rica, follow."
Rica follows.
Anareline leads the team over to Lorewalker Cho, and nods a polite greeting.
“My friends!” Lorewalker Cho greets heartily. “So good to see you! You are ready for our journey? Uncle Cloverleaf tells me all is nearly ready.”
Colson bows politely to the Lorewalker.
Arric smiles warmly at the Lorewalker.
Rica sniffs Colson.
"We are prepared," Anareline confirms. "That is… nearly all?"
"Ah," says Cho, “there were some last-minute things that I believe Uncle Cloverleaf wanted some help with. I told him that you would be happy to volunteer! You should go and see what he needs.”
Arric salutes smartly.
"Uncle Cloverleaf, yes," Anareline says, looking around for the particular grummle. "We will help, of course."
Shine nods politely.
Gwen conjures up a mana cookie and surreptitiously offers it to Bun.
Bun falls off Shine's shoulders in his haste to clutch at the mana cookie. He manages to get hold of the cookie firmly before he hits the ground, so he does not seem at all discomfited by the situation. Cookie achieved!
Shine, on the other hand, looks startled.
Gwen winces at the tumbling tanuki… then looks away, trying to seem innocent.
Arric notices that Rica is about to try to nibble on Colson's shield.
"Wait there, Rica," Arric says, pointing.
Anareline raises a hand in greeting to the grummle by the fire.
“Ah!” The black-bearded grummle snuffles the air. “You smell of good fortune! This is lucky, because travel to Seeker’s Point will require many good fortune indeed. Do you have your luckydos?”
Colson sets his hand over his heart for some reason. "I do," he confirms.
Arric gazes at Rica, perhaps trying to determine if she is his luckydo.
Bun has a luckydo but he is eating it.
Shine just nods.
Anareline glances to the sky, but there are no stormcrows visible right now.
Gwenivene takes her [Infallible Tikbalang Ward] from her pack and shows it off. "I have my luckydo right here!"
Anareline peers at Gwen's amulet skeptically, but nods.
“Most important thing,” says Uncle Cloverleaf seriously. “It is very bad fortune to travel mountain paths without good guide. We grummles make the best guides! But many have run away. They fear the mountain pass now. Many good grummles disappear up there. Grummles are good at many things! But not very brave. This fire lotus incense is very strong smelling brave luck. If you take some to the Howlingwind Caves, maybe grummle guides stop hiding?”
"Ah," Colson says.
Shine steps discreetly back. The fire lotus incense is, indeed, strong-smelling.
"We need to… lure our guides to bravery?" Anareline asks, faintly puzzled. "With brave luck. I am not certain I fully understand, but I do understand the instructions."
"So it would seem," Colson agrees mildly.
Uncle Cloverleaf thrusts some incense sticks at Anareline and nods gravely. "Brave luck. Follow instructions, all is simple."
Gwen nods. "Simple."
Arric sneezes.
Ana sniffs the fire lotus with mild curiosity. She also sneezes.
"Can a raptor be a luckydo?" Arric asks Cloverleaf, as though this is a very serious question.
The grummle looks in Rica's general direction. "Very good fortune smelling raptor, yes."
Arric beams. "Come along, Luckydo," he says.
“Also before you go to the Howlingwind Caves, you talk to Big Sal and to Ji-Lu the Lucky. They are both having some bad fortune with the sprites in the caves. Maybe you can share your good fortune with them!” Uncle Cloverleaf grins.
"Happy to spread the good fortune around!" Gwen grins.
"Good fortune is made to be shared," Anareline nods politely,
Uncle Cloverleaf beams and gently shoos them away.
Colson is gently shooed.
Big Sal looks much like one would expect a pandaren named Big Sal to look. His expression at the moment is thunderous as he stands in the middle of a near-empty shop, his arms folded. As soon as the squad steps through the door, though, his manner smooths and he bows obsequiously. “Welcome, travelers! You look like you might be interested in some fresh spices! Perhaps some books for your journey? Supplies are limited right now, but I assure you Big Sal only accepts the very best from the traders.”
"Uncle Cloverleaf sent us over," Anareline curtails his salesman speech. "He said you had some bad fortune we might alleviate?"
Big Sal slumps. “Cloverleaf? All right, what’s the use of kidding? Between hozen attacks and the sprites pillaging what few supplies we get, my stock’s dwindled to practically nothing. But if you’re heading up to Howlingwind Cavern and willing to retrieve some of my goods from the sprites there, I’d be more than happy to outfit your journey handsomely.”
"Oh dear. Yes, of course we'll recover whatever we can, sir," Gwen says.
"Yes, we will help," Anareline nods once. "And we will accept what help you offer in return."
Arric politely buys like 8 bags from the guy while they're here.
Big Sal looks rapturous and showers blessings on Arric.
"Now for the other one, Ji-Lu the Lucky," Anareline says. "Perhaps inappropriately named."
"Ji-Lu is the name of a fellow in the inn," says Shine.
“Hello!” calls the innkeeper, Chiyo, cheerily. “Can I interest you all in some piping hot tea before you leave?”
A gloomy-looking pandaren slumped at a nearby table looks up. He squints at the group.
"Oh that sounds lovely," Arric says, "but I doubt we'll have the time."
"Thanks, but not today," Anareline says.
Chiyo nods genially. "When you come back, then!"
Anareline looks over at the pandaren and the grummle at the jihui board. The grummle is sitting on an enormous book for boosting.
Arric frowns as Rica crowds Colson again. "Would you stop that?" Arric says.
Colson looks mildly at the raptor, and then at Arric. "Is there something I should do differently?" he asks Arric discreetly. "Forgive me, I believe I am distracting Rica in some way."
"I honestly don't know why she's bothering you," Arric says to Colson in a low apologetic murmur. "I'll talk to her about it later."
"I am not bothered. Perhaps she smells something of interest, or perhaps she has thought to mimic you in some manner?" Colson says quietly, and attends to the situation.
"Ji-Lu?" Shine asks.
“I’m Ji-Lu, yes.” The pandaren squints at them.
"Uncle Cloverleaf told us you were having some kind of trouble," Anareline says.
Ji-Lu sighs deeply. “My journeys through Kun-Lai have taught me two things. First: Never sneak up on a sleeping yak. Second: Having luck on your side is both necessary and hard to manage.” Ji-Lu gestures at the grummle sitting in placid silence on the book across from him. “The grummles believe in carrying lucky trinkets with you at all times. As a precaution, I like to carry many. The more luck the luckier, right?”
"Hm," Colson says.
Gwen nods, "That makes sense…I think."
"It has a certain logic," Anareline agrees.
Ji-Lu sighs. “Not long after I got here, those little menaces from Howlingwind Cavern ransacked my baggage and took all of my luck! I’d be truly grateful if you could get it back for me.”
"Ah, retrieving luckydos," Anareline says, very seriously. "We can certainly do that."
Arric heads out to scritch the head of his own luckydo, who is waiting politely outside the inn.
Bun is now following Gwen for some reason instead of Shine.
"Up the mountain path, I think," Anareline says, and clicks her tongue for her nightsaber. The cat slinks up for her to mount.
Arric mounts his evil stallion.
Gwen climbs atop Gethennis.
Tenacious is Ready! Maybe there will be STAIRS! UP THE MOUNTAIN DIRECTLY! HE IS READY FOR THE GOAT CHALLENGE!!
Shine calls Khamsin over and looks around for his tanuki.
It's Gwen's tanuki now.
Gwen is happy to let Bun ride with her and stuff him full of delicious magical pastries.
The path up is pretty easy, and even the snow has already been cleared from it. Sorry Tenacious.
"I do not carry my luck with me, except in my heart and my soul," Anareline says, frowning. "I do hope that is enough for their standards."
"As do I, and tattooed upon my skin, so I shall hope for the same," Colson says mildly.
Shine glances over at Colson, faintly surprised. He nods.
Arric's luckydo comes to stand next to Win-Win. She's so big now, Arric can scritch her head from the saddle.
Anareline reaches up to touch her face tattoos. "I hadn't thought of those being a kind of luck, too."
"Aye." Shine flexes his hands.
Colson inclines his head, flexing his left arm.
"Is it a coming-of-age tradition, among humans?" Anareline asks politely. "Skin markings, that is."
"Rica," says Arric, dismounting, "you can hunt those sprites if you like. Perhaps work off some energy." He points, and Rica nods(!) and charges at one.
"No," Colson answers. "It is a personal decision."
"Sailor's tradition, where I come from," Shine says.
"I er, I do not have … any tattoos," Arric says as though embarrassed.
"It is a tradition for women, in my culture," Anareline explains.
"I did try once," Arric says. Then winces slightly.
"It is not a comfortable procedure," Colson says, sliding in an early consideration for Understatement of the Year.
"One has to want it more than one wants to avoid the pain," Anareline says, considering.
Shine fades into the shadows and Bun, suddenly regretting his choices — Shine lost?? — eeps and goes scrambling after him.
Amid a trove of stolen supplies, a lidded basket shivers. “I’m a little basket, filled with grain…” it whisper-sings.
"Oh dear," Arric says sympathetically, regarding the basket.
"You don't need to be afraid," Anareline says. "Come out to us."
"Oh no…that must be one of the poor, scared guides." Gwen pouts.
“Grummle is safe in here!” says the muffled voice.
"Heroes have arrived," Arric announces confidently.
Colson kneels near the basket, setting a hand on the trembling thing. "The incense?" he says quietly. "I do not sense any wounds."
Anareline brandishes the fire lotus incense near the basket.
“HRRAAAGH!” The basket explodes into slivers as the grummle bursts out. “TIME TO BRING THE LUCKYDO!”
Arric sneezes.
Anareline leaps back, startled.
Gwen jumps in surprise. "Oh, cheese and crackers!"
Colson brushes the basket remnants calmly from his armor as he stands back up. He didn't even flinch.
Arric only didn't jump because he was too busy sneezing violently.
"That was… effective brave smelling luck," Anareline says, and looks over at Arric. "Are you..? Colson, is it something you can cleanse?"
"Oh, sorry, no, it's — I'll be fine. Just a reaction to the incense I think," says Arric.
"It is very strong," Anareline nods.
"If I keep a bit of distance it's not so bad," he reassures her.
"Hm." Colson attempts a [Cleanse] over Arric.
“I CALL THIS MOVE ‘THE SNOWPLOW!’” shouts the grummle as he barrels toward an attacking sprite.
Meanwhile, Colson's use of the Light has attracted an Unlucky amount of sprite snowballs.
Bun snaps at a sprite's leg.
Anareline spots another trembling basket.
“Nothing to see here!” whispers the basket. “Be moving on!”
Arric clucks his tongue in a noise half sympathetic, half scolding.
Colson holds a hand out near it again. "I sense no wounded," Colson says. "They are afraid, but not hurt."
"Aww, poor things," Gwen says.
"Arric, stand back," Anareline says, before she pulls out the incense.
Arric stands back. He also pinches his nose shut.
“I AM READY!” roars the liberated grummle. “COME AT YOU LIKE AN AVALANCHE!”
"They seem quite confident, afterward," Anareline says, faintly puzzled. "As long as they are uninjured, perhaps that is fine."
“HOW MANY YEARS OF BAD LUCK FOR BREAKING YOUR FACE?” the grummle roars at a sprite.
"Here's another one," Anareline says, spotting another trembling basket. "Shall I just incense him right away?"
Colson checks once more. "Uninjured," he confirms.
Anareline incenses the basket with fire lotus.
“YOU HAVE INCURRED THE WRATH!” bellows the liberated grummle.
Arric chuckles.
"… it does seem to incense them," Shine observes.
Arric chuckles more.
Gwen giggles.
Colson chuckles.
Anareline looks a little puzzled. Then it hits her and she exhales a brief ha.
"I think Pookie could help carry these supplies." Gwen's hands glow as she conjures up her arcane familiar.
Rica makes a raptor aggro sound at Pookie, then calms down and sniffs the famliar, then gets stressed again when it doesn't smell like anything.
Pookie stares impassively at Rica.
Anareline glances at Rica and gives a slight approving nod. Treat the arcane with wariness, little raptor, as is good and proper.
"YOUR LUCK JUST RAN OUT!" shrieks an enraged grummle guide at a sprite.
"Ah, and Arric thought to purchase several bags. We could use them to put on Pookie," Colson suggests.
"Great idea!" Gwen nods.
"Oh capital idea," says Arric. "Er…" He stares at the famliar, then just hands some bags to Gwen.
Gwen smiles, taking the bags and handing them right off to Pookie. The familiar drapes them from her arms like a mobile rack.
Colson sets stolen supplies on the Pack Pookie Pony.
Bun sidles over behind Pookie to investigate the supplies.
Rica makes a series of baffled noises.
"I don't really understand what it is either, Rica," says Arric patiently, "but to a point we simply must trust our allies, hm?"
"Trust and watch," Anareline says quietly, an aside to the raptor.
Shine vanishes again. Footprints in the snow follow close beside Anareline.
Bun charges at a sprite in a flurry of snow.
Shine stuns the sprite before the tanuki can reach it. Good fighting, Bun.
When the sprites reach a certain critical mass of aggression, Arric releases his little clockwork dragon.
Once the group is safely out of the cavern, Arric puts the mechanical dragon whelp away.
Outside the cavern, the grummles mill around for a moment in the sunlight. “Good luck to you, friends!” one of them says meekly, and they all smile uncertainly before trotting away down the road.
"I think we have retrieved our guides, the supplies, and luck," Anareline says, waving at the emboldened and departing guides.
The nightsaber waits at the entrance and sidles over to Anareline. It is not a cave cat.
Tenacious stamps a hoof. He is a cave horse! He could have gone!
Shine picks Bun up firmly this time and sets him in Khamsin's saddle. Bun gazes longingly toward Gwen.
Gwen conjures up a handful of biscuits as she rides.
"Let's stop by the inn first," Anareline says. "You may grab a hot tea, if you like, after the incense and the snow."
"Wait there, Rica," Arric says, pointing.
Gwen 'stealthily' sidles over toward Bun and drops the biscuits.
Bun halts outside the inn to frantically gather dropped biscuits and stuff them into his face with both forepaws.
Ji-Lu is waiting expectantly. “Did you find my luck?”
"We found some things on the sprites," Ana says, handing over an odd collection.
Ji-Lu beams with relief. “Thank you! And it seems my trinkets are lucky for you, too, because while you were getting them I did not gamble away my cart and the last of my coins. A reward for you!” He offers a few coins out.
"That is… indeed lucky," Anareline says, and reaches forward for the coin.
“Now,” says Ji-Lu, arranging his many luck charms on the table and raising a gimlet eye to the placid grummle across from him. “Time to win some of my goods back.”
"Now, we can unload Pookie," Anareline says, pronouncing the construct’s name with perfect solemnity.
"Hm," Colson says.
Big Sal is waiting in his mostly-empty shop. “Welcome!” he says. “You won’t find a better selection of — oh, it’s you. Thank goodness.”
Anareline gestures to Gwen and the construct. "We found many boxes scattered in the cave. I hope they are most of your things."
Arric smiles and bows.
“Thank you!” Big Sal inspects the somewhat sprite-damaged goods rapturously. “While you were gone, I sent some supplies for the journey to Uncle Cloverleaf. I’ll get the rest on the cart now!”
"Thank you," Colson says politely.
As they exit, Anareline murmurs, "If I am hearing this right, we just secured our cart and supplies. These 'last final things' are a substantial part of the journey preparation."
Arric says, "Rica, follow."
Shine picks up Bun, who air-paddles and whines unhappily at the biscuit-crumbs still on the ground.
Arric stares, amazed, at Bun's gluttony.
Uncle Cloverleaf is seated by the campfire. Whether he is leaning against his hugely-heaped backpack or being held upright by it is not clear. He grins at White Squad’s approach. “Friends! Of the grummles!”
[Anareline]: "Of course, and of you in particular," Anareline nods. "The guids made it back safely?"
Colson inclines his head politely to Uncle Cloverleaf.
Rica studies Colson, then inclines her head at Uncle Cloverleaf.
The grummle rises to his feet as easily as if the backpack were hollow. “Yes, lucky friends, guides come back to the village! Your journey is time!” He beams. “Lorewalker Cho goes ahead already. He says hurry, catch up!”
"Ah," Colson says.
Shine tilts his head at this information.
"He —" Anareline looks sharply over to where Lorewalker Cho once was. She sighs. "We'll catch up, then."
"I see," Colson says mildly. He doesn't seem annoyed. Which is either true, or his face. It could be both.
Uncle Cloverleaf begins ushering them toward a cart at the village’s edge. “Mountain pass is very dangerous. You will need much luck to survive. Perhaps is lucky day to travel, though. Wind blows from the east. Grummles always travel best when east wind blows.” He stops beside the cart and pats it fondly. “Nephew Bentnail and his yak will show you the way. You ride safely in here. Mountain pass too steep for foreign legs.” He laughs uproariously.
Arric looks with interest at the yak.
Shine nods politely to Uncle Cloverleaf.
Anareline looks skeptical at the idea that her foreign legs can't handle mountain passes, but she nods politely as well.
Tenacious is Deeply Offended. His legs are perfect! Nothing is too steep! He is a GOAT! A YAK! COLSON!!! COLSON WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!
Colson is going on the cart.
Anareline leaves her nightsaber behind.
Gwen unsummons Pookie to allow for more room on the cart.
"Rica, you run behind," Arric says.
“This your first trip up Neverest?” calls Nephew Bentnail over his shoulder from the driver’s bench of the cart. “Mine too!” He kicks his furry bare feet happily. "Fasten your seatbelts! Just kidding, we don't have seatbelts."
Arric laughs heartily.
Shine turns the look he was giving Bentnail on Arric instead.
Anareline holds the side of the cart with a tight grip.
Rica trots along behind the cart.
Bun sits up with his forepaws on the cart's edge and turns his face into the wind so that his fur ruffles regally. Majestic.
Colson holds onto the side of the cart with a steady grip.
“Dook ‘em, boys!” howls a voice, and suddenly hozen are pouring down the mountainsides like dirty meltwater, and flowing in pursuit. More seem to rise from behind every ridge and rock.
“Oh no!” wails Nephew Bentnail. “Punch! Punch hozens off cart! Protect yak!”
"Rica!" Arric cries. "I've changed my mind! In the cart!"
"Ah. That does not bode well," Colson comments neutrally as the hozen descend.
Rica hops up into the cart with the people. It's… awkward. Arric steadies his rifle and starts shooting hozen.
Anareline reaches briefly for her sword, and then a jolt of the cart proves that's a bad plan in close quarters with friends. She keeps her grip with one hand, and tightens the other into a fist.
Bun sets up a furious rising-and-falling growl. Let him at 'em! (Do not let him at them.)
An arc of holy lightning hits a hozen that gets too close to the cart, and a hammer of the Light stuns another, Colson's expression not altering even slightly.
Rica's tail most likely whomps someone as she turns around to face the hozen.
Anareline dodges Rica's tail as best she can. Another hozen catapaults into the cart from a ledge, and Ana lands a punch directly in his face. He collapses off into the snow.
[Arric]: One of the hozen finds that it has leaped directly into Rica's mouth. She gives it a good shake, then tosses it out of the cart.
Colson judges a hozen with a frown. It's super effective!
Shine shifts and draws back the edge of his fur cloak to reach for his hip. A moment later, a spherical object tumbles off the cart and down the road behind them. And then explodes. The nearby cliff-face shudders and drops a heap of snow.
"Oh, capital!" Arric cries.
Shine eyes the cliff-face warily.
Anareline glances sharply at Shine, and then nods. "Careful with the mountain."
Arric puts away his rifle and starts searching for his own explosives.
Shine nods back at her and reaches for a dagger instead. "Careful," he repeats to Arric.
Gwen tries to aim arcane missiles at the pursuing hozen with an audible, "Pew pew!" But the shaking off the cart throws off her aim. "Hmph, fine then!" She whips her hands in a circular motion and blasts a pack of hozen with a cone of cold!
There is a tremendous, rock-rattling roar, and a huge, horned figure lopes out onto the path.
“YETI ON THE TRAIL!” shrieks Bentnail. “Throw! Throw things! Keep him away! Do not set on fire!”
"MonkeyFEATHER!" Gwen blurts out. "That thing is enormous!"
"Ah," Colson says. "Of course. The wisdom."
"Throw things?" Anareline looks around the cart. The only 'things' are their supplies. She lifts a crate and heaves it at the yeti's face.
Colson throws the Light at the yeti. It's sort of his thing.
Arric, who has just found a grenade, lobs it directly at the yeti.
The yeti roars and bats the grenade away. It rolls down the edge of the trail and explodes. The cliff shudders again and seems to slump downward, depositing ice and snow and a couple of boulders. The yeti is long past, unscathed.
"Careful," Shine warns Arric again, and gestures with his dagger at the mountains around them.
Arric looks up and nods. He gets out his rifle again, and aims, trying to find ouchy spots on the yeti.
Rica makes a loud grating screech. She is not good at throwing things.
Anareline hefts a bag of grain, and flings it at the yeti's face.
The yeti is gaining on the cart, and Nephew Bentnail turns desperately to heave a sack of potatoes at the yeti.
The supplies seem to give the beast pause, as it hesitates for a moment to brush grain out of its fur and inspect the potatoes before resuming the chase.
Rica leaps down from the cart and attempts to hamstring the yeti.
"Rica, be careful!" Arric cries.
Colson concentrates harder, taking time to imbue a holy hammer with a crackling energy of holy lightning contained within a denouncing energy, and sends it directly into the yeti's chest with a paladin's full retribution.
The potatoes also get a holy jolt of energy. Mm. Holy potatoes.
"I told her to stay in the cart…" Arric says, tears of worry springing to his eyes as his disobedient teenage daughter attempts to Bite Yeti.
The yeti swats Rica away with a kick and comes loping after the cart once more. Shine kicks out himself and sends a crate of what proves to be turnips rattling down the trail at the yeti.
Colson sends out a Holy Shock to Rica instantly.
"Rica!" Arric cries. Rica, stunned but okay thanks to Colson's timely heal, takes a moment to shake snow off her head, rolls to her feet, and sprints back toward the cart.
The yeti pauses to pick turnips out of the snow. Red patches blossom in its fur where some of Arric's shots hit home, and there is a slightly singed smell from Colson's holy lightning.
Anareline grits her teeth, looking at the raptor with clear worry. "Rica, you must listen."
Rica leaps back into the cart, momentarily throwing it slightly off balance. She hangs her head apologetically at Arric. He ignores her, still shooting.
Rica thoroughly wilts, sinking to the floor of the cart. Dad is Mad.
"Quickly!" Nephew Bentnail tosses another sack of grain and then one of tea leaves. "More! Throw!"
"What a monster!" Arric says, half-admiring, as he keeps shooting.
Ana looks around for something else, and get a sack of carrots. She tosses them at the yeti.
Gwen unleashes her arcane blasts once more. A target this big is hard to miss, even with all the jostling. "Pew pew! PEW PEW!"
Shine cannot reach the yeti with his daggers, so he sheaths a knife and obediently resumes heaving distracting goods at the monster as the ranged fighters whittle it down.
Colson casts out a Hammer of Wrath. Ping.
Bun snuffles along the cart floor toward Rica. May he offer you piece of a stolen, sort of withered carrot in this trying time?
Rica stares at Bun. She seems to have no use for the carrot piece, but recognizes a gesture of comfort when she sees one. She nudges Bun with her nose and makes a little trilling sound.
"Oh… oh! Pookie!" Gwen conjures her familiar again. "Pookie! Pick up sacks of vegetables and throw them at that yeti!"
Pookie obeys, and hurls a sack of potatoes… wildly missing the yeti.
Gwen sighs. "No, AT the yeti! The big hairy thing!"
Pookie looks around and eyes Bun. Hm…no, that is a small hairy thing.
"Ugh, nevermind!" Gwen unsummons the familiar again.
The yeti is slowing, staggering now, its fur spattered with blood and grain and tea leaves. The trail around it is a litter of root vegetables and splintered crates.
"I would not want to be the one to have to clear this trail," Arric says, sighting down his rifle. He shoots, then says, "It's us, isn't it. We'll be doing that later, won't we."
"That depends upon what the Lorewalker wants with us," Ana says, staring grimly at the yeti.
At last the monster shudders and, with one last, diminishing howl, sinks to the snow among its confetti of produce.
Arric cheers!
Rica makes a questioning trill at Arric. He ignores her.
Colson frowns faintly, and then looks over the others again, ensuring that no injuries occurred through potatoes and carrot heaving.
Shine settles back, relieved, and collects Bun from the cart floor. He is not hugging the tanuki, he is just holding the tanuki quite firmly.
Gwen slumps down on a pile of potato sacks. "Oof. That was scary!"
The cart — one wheel cracked and wobbling, one side rail splintered, trailing a trickle of grain from a torn sack — limps to a stop at a tiny, tattered campsite.
“What?” shrieks the grummle who awaits them. “What is this? You throw our supplies? Why not weapon? Why not fancy spells or punches or kicks? Kickpunches? Why the supplies?!”
Arric jumps down from the cart. Rica follows and rams her head into his side. "Not now, Rica," Arric says sternly. "We'll talk later."
Colson raises his brows at the grummle, and then glances back at Arric. "Ah. Forgive us," Colson says.
"Nephew Bentnail advised…" Anareline frowns. "I am sorry."
Shine looks to Nephew Bentnail for an answer to the question, but Bentnail is already hustling off to attend to the yak. He is not taking questions at this time.
The grummle folds his arms. “Now we have not enough food to survive us. Especially since Bentnail! He eats like three depressed yeti.” He gestures angrily down the path. “More cart wrecks down there. They are wrecked but at least they did not throw all their supplies at yeti. You throw supplies, so you go get supplies.”
"That is… fair," Anareline says. "We do have somewhere to be, but we will do what we can to help you survive."
"Rica, wait here with the grummle," says Arric, without clearing this with the grummle.
Rica hangs her head pitifully, but obeys.
The grummle tilts his face up toward Rica like he is suddenly having second thoughts about sending the group out again.
Rica tries to make a reassuring noise. Raptors do not really have reassuring noises.
The wreckage litters a narrow pass overlooked by some of the familiar mogu lion-dog statues.
Anareline eyes the statues warily. "Is this… part of a ruin of some sort?" She rests a hand warily on her sword-hilt.
Arric keeps his rifle handy, eyes searching the perimeter.
Gwenivene shivers, crossing her arms and pulling her cloak tightly around herself.
"Ah, yes, similar to the ruins of the mogu statues," Colson agrees.
Shine sets a hand on the hilt of a knife and eyes a statue warily.
"In any case, this is clearly a wrecked wagon," Anareline says, looking at the shattered wood. "I don't see much in the way of supplies…"
“You survived the mountain pass only to die here!” roars a voice, and a mogu bursts out from cover between the rocks. “Awaken, my pets! Feast on their flesh!”
The quilen statues seem to ripple, and then they are on their feet and charging at the group.
"Mustard burps!" Gwen exclaims as the statues come to life.
Arric raises his rifle. It trembles slightly in his hands, but he fires.
Anareline swings around with her sword, steel hitting what is probably hardened clay.
Shine whirls around to strike at a quilen with a dagger and then vanish immediately.
“I will see to your demise myself!” bellows the mogu, and attacks in a thunderclap of power.
Colson inhales sharply as a shockwave forms, hastily casting a Holy Radiance over the group as a massive cleaving energy strikes them all.
Anareline shouts wordlessly at the mogu, cleaving through one of the quilen to attack him.
Arric focuses on the mogu, accustomed perhaps to having someone to watch his flanks; he gets knocked over by a quilen.
Shine reappears behind the quilen and plants a knife between its shoulders with a twist that shatters its clay spine. He vanishes again and reappears behind the mogu.
Arric scrambles to his feet and takes aim again, watching his periphery more carefully since there is not a Rica to do so.
Trails of orange flame follow Gwen’s fingers as she casts, and the ground erupts with a burst of fire. It's a little toasty to her friends, but a searing burn to her foes.
Colson is a little toasty, but otherwise preoccupied mostly with ensuring the others are healed swiftly.
"Damned lion-dogs!" says Arric as he shoots at one.
The fallen quilen lie in bloodless fragments in the snow.
Anareline flinches at Gwen’s magical fire, more than she does at the mogu general. She knocks him back with a blow of her shield, and advances with a devastating sword strike.
The mogu general staggers, snarling, beneath the group's force, and falls. Not bloodlessly.
Arric sinks onto his butt in the snow after the battle is over. "I… was not expecting that," he says. "I should have been."
Shine inspects a knife, wipes it on the edge of his fur cloak, and sheaths it again. He surveys the glaring snowscape around them warily.
"There was no reason to expect a mogu attack," Anareline says firmly. "But we met it well, nonetheless."
Colson steps over to Arric, and places a calm hand on the other man's shoulder with a healing radiance of the dawn imbuing it. "Well fought, Arric. It was unexpected."
Arric pats Colson's hand warmly when it rests on his shoulder.
"I don't think there are any supplies here…" Anareline looks around. "It seemed like an ambush, but… they would have had to know we were coming. Maybe it was chance."
"Mogu might have taken the supplies," Shine observes. "Left the wreckage for bait?"
Colson nods. "I agree. This appears to be a trap."
Anareline nods to Shine and Colson. "You're thinking in the same direction that I am. But was it a trap for us or for whoever passed? Grummles?"
Shine shrugs.
"I am uncertain. It seems opportunistic to me," Colson offers.
Colson holds out a hand to Arric to stand back up when he is ready.
Arric smiles gratefully and accepts Colson's help in rising.
Bun is disappointed by the lack of supplies, and attempts to gnaw on a quilen-fragment angrily. It is not a success. Don't chip a tooth, Bun.
"Either way, let's get back to the camp," Anareline says. "If it was opportunistic, we should warn them."
"These mogu seem to want to dominate everyone else. Even the grummles, I imagine," says Gwen.
Anareline nods to Gwen. "It is a barbaric drive."
"They think they're superior to everyone," says Arric with disgust, because he would know nothing about that.
The little grummle camp-master is waiting impatiently.
"Hello — we did not find any supplies," Anareline says by way of greeting. "The wreckage was placed deliberately, it seems. We were attacked by a mogu."
"It is dead," Arric assures the grummle.
“Attacked by a mogu?” The grummle clutches at his beard. “This is terrible! You picked up no supplies while you were fighting with the mogu?”
"There were no supplies," Arric says flatly.
Anareline shakes her head grimly.
Gwen shrugs apologetically. "Sorry."
The grummle sighs theatrically and pats his own hat with both hands, a gesture of despondency. “Your pandaren friend, I think, will have some thinks about what mogu are after? He came here before you but now he is gone up, up the mountain. With no guide!” The grummle visibly disapproves. “He says you must go ALSO with no guide.” Disapproval intensifies. “He says you go to the shrines along the way to honor them, carrying only your thoughts. This is good because there are no other supplies, and your thoughts will be very light.”
Colson's brows raise.
Arric stares at the grummle.
Colson's thoughts are always Light.
Anareline stiffens, and then bows politely. "We will do as he has instructed."
The grummle points the way. “Please be careful! The path is marked by flags, but it is very dangerous even with many, many luck.”
"We will be very careful," Anareline says reassuringly.
"Light be with you," Colson says to the grummles, blessing them with a Blessing of Kings.
Rica is waiting like a good raptor. She is so good. Did Arric notice how good?
Arric just says, "Follow," to her without looking. So maybe not.
Ana turns to the others. "It seems the last part of this journey will be on foot."
"So it would seem," Colson says. He doesn't appear bothered.
Shine puts Bun on his shoulders again. Your feets too smol for this trail, buddy.
The steep and winding path is little more than a sparse trail of packed footprints on the snow, marked sporadically by tattered red flags.
Rica's claws slip a bit on the ice, but she recovers and presses on. She checks to see if Arric noticed how brave she is.
Anareline steps heavily in the snow, her boots leaving clear footprints.
What appear to be… gigantic snowballs? are being hurled from the mountain heights to explode into white powder on the path ahead.
"Hm." Colson glances up at the snowballs.
"Falling snow," Ana says. "Take care."
Colson takes care.
Shine puts his hood up, rearranging Bun carefully in order to do so.
Anareline glances over her team, humans, raptor and tanuki, to make sure all are faring well enough in the snow.
Rica checks to see if Ana has noticed how brave she is.
Ana nods to Rica. She has noticed.
Gwen is still shivering as they ascend to even colder heights.
Colson's aura has shifted to [Warm Cozy] aura as the paladin attempts to battle off the cold with pure vibes.
The shrine is a small stone structure, its peaked and painted wooden roof sheltering a bell within. It is inscribed with pandaren characters and hung with silk tassels. The paint is weathered, the tassels faded and brittle.
Anareline drops to her knees before it, clasping her hands together respectfully.
Arric mimics Ana.
Rica shivers pitifully.
"We meditate?" Shine looks up at the heights from which the snowballs are being thrown, and then, dubiously, he kneels as well.
"A moment with our thoughts," Anareline nods.
Bun did not bring any thoughts with him.
Arric closes his eyes. Rica eyes him, then closes hers too. She is probably not meditating, though.
Colson kneels respectfully.
A voice on the wind seems to whisper, "Each bodily injury endured is a lesson learned. Each defeat is an opportunity to grow."
Anareline rises stiffly. "Further up the trail, when you are ready."
Arric looks over at his miserably shivering teenage daughter and sighs, pulling a spare cloak out of his bag to drape over her.
Snow boulders continue to rain from the heights, but now the path is also scoured by thin vortexes of icy wind that lash at them with a razor chill.
"Watch for the winds," Anareline says.
Colson watches for the winds.
Shine takes Bun from his shoulders and tucks the tanuki inside his cloak, hugging the little animal close.
The second shrine looks almost identical to the first. It seems to list slightly to one side, slumped with age and neglect.
Arric kneels.
Colson kneels respectfully before the shrine.
Anareline kneels before it in respect, regardless of its state of disrepair.
Shine kneels again, silently this time.
Rica is physically incapable of kneeling; her legs do not bend that way. She sort of squats, though.
"Finding peace within will allow you to see obstacles with reason," the wind echoes distantly.
Colson quite literally glows faintly with a holy Light, visible through the snow.
Gwen gasps as a shadow passes over them and looks skyward to see a black wind serpent. "Holy shinbones…"
Anareline pushes to her feet again in the snow and freezing wind, and turns to face the last leg of their journey.
The final stretch of path is very, very steep — a sheer climb in places — and the frigid air is increasingly thin and hard to breathe, numbing their faces and seeming to crackle with cold in their lungs.
Colson keeps up a steady healing through the group.
Small whimpering noises emerge from within the folds of Shine's cloak. Shine is not making them.
Anareline seems like maybe her foreign legs have in fact met their match. Still she continues upward.
Arric is shivering as miserably as Rica, but he presses on.
Colson marches steadily, using momentum, his expression serene.
Gwen's jaw trembles with shivering breaths. She pulls her hat low and tucks her hands into her sleeves as she trudges up through the snow.
The shrine that awaits them is identical to the other two, wearing the faded and weather-beaten facade of great age and neglect.
Anareline again kneels in the snow, her breath frosting in front of her mouth.
Shine kneels.
Arric kneels, stiffly.
Colson kneels respectfully, and with the sort of comfortable familiarity of a man who kneels a lot in prayer.
"Wisdom can only penetrate a heart that is open to it."
"S-s-so c-cold…" Gwen murmurs.
Beyond the shrine, the path levels out onto an icy terrace. Part of a broken cart lies to one side of the path, its lost wheels scattered and half-buried in the snow. There is the smell of smoke on the wind, and the ruddy glow of a campfire is visible through the snow-blown air ahead.
Anareline pushes to her feet and turns to the terrace. Her silver gaze brightens at the sight of fire. "Gwen, Arric, there. Warmth."
"Fire!" Arric gasps.
Shine is no longer walking silently on the snow but trudging through it like an ordinary, noisy mortal. He trudges a lot faster at the sight of the fire.
Gwen drops to her knees and huddles over the fire.
Colson sends a Holy Radiance through the group, murmuring a prayer to the Light.
Anareline also seems very glad of the flames’ meager warmth.
Rica crowds close to the fire as well. And the people. The warm, warm people.
A little cloud serpent dances merry loops around the fire.
It takes a long moment before Anareline really registers the little dragon. She peers at it.
Mishi chirrups a greeting.
"Hello," Arric says gently to the little serpent.
Rica looks at Mishi the way Win-Win always looks at Tenacious.
Colson's main concern is still on the group, as he works to ensure that frostbite is kept at bay with the power of the Light.
Mishi twirls in a dazzling loop.
Lorewalker Cho is ahead, among a group of standing stones beneath the laden boughs of two mountain pine trees. He is grinding incense in a mortar at a table beneath the largest standing stone.
Anareline straightens. "Lorewalker!"
“My friends, you made it. I knew that you would, and that you would pay honor to the shrines along the way.” The Lorewalker looks up. His expression is somber.
Colson's expression is neutral, but that might just be his face.
Arric bows solemnly.
“I am sorry to have been hasty and cryptic, but I think now you have seen why. I could not let the mogu know my true purpose in coming up here, or predict my plans," the Lorewalker tells them.
Gwen pushes herself to her feet, looking longingly back at the fire as she approaches Cho.
Colson bows to the Lorewalker politely as he moves with the others, still paying more attention to his charges.
Anareline bows slightly. Her armor might not bend as much as usual in this cold. "We have honored the shrines… but what is our purpose up here?"
Rica tries to 'accidentally' swat Mishi with her tail, but Mishi is far too quick for such a childish ploy.
"The mogu are seeking something in the valley below. Plundering the tombs of their old kings for relics of power. I could not observe them alone for long before having to flee, but I did manage to recover a relic of my own.” Cho pulls a rune-marked stone from within the folds of his robe and shows it to them. “This is called the Tongue of Ba-Shon. It is a very powerful item, but in order to harness it, I must spend some time in ritual and contemplation to attune it to myself. It is likely this will take me some days. Mishi can return you to the village while I work, and you must act as if all is normal — do not let anyone know what I am doing here. Come back to me in a few days’ time and we will proceed, I hope, against the mogu.”
Anareline's lips thin as she presses them together.
Shine looks like he might be thinking a bad word. Politely. In Kul Tiran. He just nods stiffly at the Lorewalker.
Anareline nods. "We were attacked by one, on the way up. They have some hint as to your purpose, or perhaps they simply seek to kill pursuers."
Colson frowns faintly. "Ah. I am not accustomed to keeping secrets from my husband, and he would never divest them to the mogu."
Cho peers sternly at Colson. "You must use your own judgement, of course. I trust you, my friends. But know that the mogu are at work and their eyes are everywhere!"
"I shall say nothing," Arric assures him. "You have my word."
Colson inclines his head. "Thank you. I understand," Colson says. "I will use the utmost of caution."
"If you have been attacked already, then perhaps even my precautions were not cautious enough." Cho sighs. "It is very important that you return to the village and give no hint. For now."
"I will likely tell my husband as well," Anareline says with a nod. "But he would never repeat it to anyone."
Gwen nods in agreement. "N-next time… will definitely dress warmer!"
Shine, who thought he had dressed warmly, nods at Gwen.
Colson is dressed like a paladin and will be dressed like a paladin in the future. That's just his brand.
Bun will get a little sweater.
Rica will continue to be a reptile.
"Let's get back down to Onekeg, before the cold sets in," Anareline says, looking to Mishi.
"Yes pleeeease!" Gwen hops up and down, hoping that might generate some warmth.
Colson inclines his head. "Understood," he says, setting another Holy Radiance over the group, with the warmth of the Light.
"And when we return," Arric says, turning to Rica, "you and I are going to have a little talk."
Rica shrinks slightly. Uh oh, Dad still mad.
Shine nods at Anareline. Is he keeping the tanuki inside his cloak warm, or is it keeping him warm? Or are they both f*cking freezing?
Mishi awaits her passengers, frolicking.
Anareline turns to the small dragon.
Colson also turns to the small dragon. He doesn't know how this is going to work, but he trusts the process.