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| Details |
| Author: | Luridel |
| Summary: | Blue Squad attempts to meet up with White Squad and see what else needs doing. A lot of things need doing, mostly to do with grummles. Dane identifies a Zandalari scout. Blue Squad learns about luckydos. Estel gets everyone to pick their own luckydo and choose a grummle name for themselves… eventually. Iphindra takes a banner. Almeiria does not appreciate being called big and fragrant. Shun expresses his opinion on the Black Prince. White Squad is late. ~5.1k words. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
Atley sits atop Hal'vyr in the center of Westwind Rest, sipping from a waterskin as he waits.
Shun glances up at Dane, nodding once.
Iphindra joins the group. "Hi, Blue Squad!"
Atley puts the waterskin away and spots Shun, nodding. "How's the day?"
Estel wanders over, leading Menace. "Hey."
"The day is," Shun states. "What is our assignment today?"
Almeiria eyes the horse and prepares her own mount.
"With the Monastery purged, and the Ox Gate secured, we'll be taking the eastern road here to link up with White Squad. See wot' else needs doing," Atley says.
Shun nods and grabs the goat.
"Cool, okay." Estel mounts on up.
Iphi gets on her polar bear. "I'm h- happy we'll be seeing White Squad soon!"
Atley grunts. "Let's get moving."
They get moving.
Atley regularly sits up in his saddle to survey the landscape.
Atley pulls the reins sharply. Hal'vyr skids to a halt. "Oi. Troll. That's no Darkspear."
Shun eyes the nearby troll.
"How d- do you know it's not a darkspear?" Iphi asks.
Shun squints, "Is… he skulking?"
"Thicker arms and legs. No Amani, either — not out this far." Atley says.
Atley shakes his head at Shun. "Seems to be scouting about. White Squad confirmed the Mogu are in league with the Zandalari."
"Put him down. See wot' he's carrying," Atley says.
"Oh! h- he's trying to find something about the pandaren, then?" Iphi exclaims.
The scout fights back, summoning vengeful spirits and raining meteors.
Iphindra doesn't die hit by a meteor.
Totally.
Almeiria mutters curses as she steps around meteors between casts. "Renewing their old alliances maybe?"
Atley crouches and pats the Warscout down. "Aye," he says belatedly to Iphindra. "They've got plans here."
"Possibly," Shun utters.
"Ugh." Estel makes a face.
"White Squad's confirmed as much," Atley says with disdain, standing up.
Atley nods ahead. "There…" he observes with a squint. "An Un'goru Pteradon…?"
"It's b- beautiful!" Iphi exclaims.
Atley shakes his head. "I've not seen its like. We kill it, then the big facker'."
As the Silentstrike Pterrorwing falls, Atley rolls his shoulder. "Properly sized. I warrant the Explorer's League'd have use of this thing. Pity they're not about."
Atley glares at the Zandalari Warbringer. "I don't know the beast its own. But we can kill it. You lot ready?"
Shun grunts.
Estel flexes her fingers and nods. "Yep."
Iphi gets into position. She's ready.
Almeiria glances at Dane and waits. She's probably ready, too.
Atley charges in to engage the Zandalari Warbringer and his mount.
Shun shadowsteps onto the back of the beast, right behind its rider to start attacking.
Almeiria begins channeling her spells, aiming for the rider over its mount.
Iphi stabs her spear into the ground. Green light spreads all around her, and plants heal her allies.
Estel starts out with Shadow, but gets repeatedly interrupted as she has to run and dodge more meteors.
The Zandalari Warbringer winds up his weapon and unleashes a thunderous, electrical shockwave in front of him!
Estel tosses a spectral feather at Dane's feet, giving him a speed boost.
Atley leaps out of the way of the shockwave, and dodges a meteor. He strikes at the Warbringer's mount, lopping off a horn!
Iphi turns into a tree and spreads spores all around her, protecting her allies.
Once the Warbringer falls, Atley stomps over to inspect the mount. "… Has a bloody shield for a face," he says, complimenting the strange beast.
"Any orders in the saddlebags?" Estel asks.
Shun starts to root through them.
"A spiked shield, perhaps," Almeiria mutters, eyeing the horns.
Atley shakes his head and grunts. "More strange sigils. Like the scout. I'll take these to Admiral Taylor, in time. Let's get back to the road."
Shun nods.
They get back to the road.
Tucked in a horseshoe bend in the road ahead is a small, muddy village. Hide tents, straw-thatched stalls, and rough log fences crowd around the more permanent structures of an inn and a grain silo. Shaggy yaks mill in paddocks; pandaren merchants argue vociferously with smiling, laden pack-grummles. The frosty air is chaotic with smells: in addition to the usual smells of Yak and Mud are the pungent scents of pine, sharp herbs, incense, and greasy campfire smoke.
Shun blinks at the outdoor grummle market.
Atley grunts.
Iphi goes to see the yaks. She exchanges a word or two with them.
"Hello, big luckydos!" greets the grummle stable-master at the edge of the camp. "Good fortune to you! You need guides? You buy yaks?"
Estel looks at Dane.
Atley shakes his head. "Good fortune. We're not looking to buy."
Shun just sort of furrows his brow.
The grummle looks them over. It feels like he looks them over, anyway; it’s hard to tell with the hat. "You smell of good fortune. You go and talk to Lucky Eightcoins, yes? He needs some brave luckydos like you."
Atley briefly glances back at the squad before he nods. "Very well."
"That's a Darkspear," Atley points out as they approach. He doesn't seem happy about it.
Shun eyes as a Blacktalon wanders by, "Some of the Dark Prince's agents are here."
The silver-haired grummle grins at them. "More blue luckydos come to the Grummle Bazaar! This is most fortunate. We have need of luckydo help."
Atley glances back at Shun and then to the Blacktalon Watcher. He grunts and glares.
Atley shifts his gaze to Lucky Eightcoins and sits up slightly in his saddle. "Wot's a 'Luckydo,' then?"
Estel grins, waving. "Hey. You Lucky Eightcoins? What'cha need?"
"A luckydo? It is a person, place, or thing of good luck and fortune. It is most highest compliment from grummles to be called luckydo. Usually a luckydo has a special smell to it. Grummle noses very good for finding luck! I am called Lucky Eightcoins. I am named for my best luckydo, the one that gives most pungent-smelling fortune." He leans in confidentially. "Never trust unsmellable luck. Sometimes that luck is for someone else."
Iphi seems to take a mental note of that.
Atley furrows his brow under his helmet.
"…What does luck smell like," Shun asks.
Lucky Eightcoins grin. "You know it when you smell it!"
Iphi nods. She gets it.
Almeiria probably rolls her eyes, but the shadowform makes it hard to tell.
Shun deadpans.
"The yaungols stole our luckydos," Lucky Eightcoins tells them. "Riders with spears took them from our brothers coming down the Burlap Trail. This is very bad fortune. Yaungols must not discover the secrets of luckydos, or grummles will be in big trouble! If you will go to the yaungol camp that is north and west and south of here and recover our luckydos, we will pay many fortunes to you."
Atley sets his jaw and ponders for a moment. "We'll do it."
"And how will we tell if we can't smell them?" Almeiria asks.
"W- we can, I'm sure!" Iphi nods vehemently.
Atley grunts mildly.
From across the yard a grummle hails them. "Yoo hoo! Most fortunate smelly friends!"
"We sm- smell like luck to them!" Iphi beams.
Estel sniffs. She mutters to Iphindra, "Do I smell?"
Shun sighs.
Iphi smells Estel. "I c- can only smell Menace."
"We've all a scent," Atley says before focusing on Slimy Inkstain.
The grummle beams at them. "I am called Slimy Inkstain. I trade many lucky things. When the yaungols came to the steppes, they began to dig up oil. What kind of oil is this, I wonder? Perhaps it is a thing of much undiscovered luck. This I must know! You take this vial and when you go to the yaungol camp that is north and west and south of here, you fill it with this oil from one of their windmills. I will give you many fortunes for this." He beams and holds out a vial.
"Slimy…Inkstain…" Shun repeats under his breath.
Atley deadpans Slimy.
Estel reaches out to take the vial. "Sure."
She does not question 'north and west and south'.
Iphi looks worriedly at Dane. He's the leader, so her worries go to him.
Atley eyes Iphindra and nods. "We'll handle it."
"I'd not figgered' the yaungol for digging oil," Atley states.
"So," Estel says as they ride out of the camp, "If grummles are named after their own luckydos, what would our grummle names be?"
Atley grunts thoughtfully.
"I am not really sure I fully grasp what a luckydo is exactly," Shun says.
"How is a slimy inkstain lucky?" Almeiria asks.
The rough path that leads upward is lined at intervals with sticks of pungent, smoldering incense. And also tigers. It is also lined at intervals with tigers.
Ahead lies a yaungol camp of crude yurts gathered around the slow-turning painted sails of a pair of oil derricks.
"I wo- worry about what the yaungol are trying to di- dig up," Iphi says. "Given what's in Pa- Pandaria's land."
"Thunderfury," Atley says, dismounting. "That's my bloody luckydo."
"It's like… the thing in your life that's the luckiest." Estel tilts her head. "Okay, so Dane is Thunderfury…"
Shun furrows his brow.
Atley eyes Shun. "Your daggers, p'raps."
"My daggers are not lucky. They are only skill," Shun says.
[Shun]: "…."
Estel grins. "I would be Shun."
[Shun]: "No you are the lucky one, Estel."
Atley grunts with light-hearted disapproval. "If ours can be people then I'd choose my own family."
Estel beams at Shun.
After slaying yaungol, Atley ventures into a yurt and spots a small, marked bag. He swipes it up.
"Oh, please, you are all being too obvious about it," Almeiria says. "It's entirely possible that our Atley dear is actually named Trimmed Chinhairs, to the grummles."
Atley grunts thoughtfully and itches his chin with a bracer.
Estel fills a vial of oil.
Iphi is a little too worried at the potential Sha oil to think about her luckydo.
"This oil. S'wot they used against us at the wall. The yaungol may not have their own 'Earth Mother,'" Atley says.
Estel does her best to pick up things that smell interesting.
"What's your grummle name, Almeiria?" Estel staaaaares at her.
Almeiria does not answer.
Atley examines the oil rig for a moment before he smashes one of its wooden beams and moves on.
"Oi. Have a look. A banner." Atley says.
Shun examines the sigil and tilts his head.
The banner reads:
Remember the fields of flame.
Remember the strength we wielded.
Remember the champions we served.
Remember the kingdoms we burned.
"Yaungol, yaungol, yaungol," they cried,
Until they were out of breath.
"Yaungol, yaungol, yaungol," they cried,
In fear and flame and death.
Estel glances at the banner, but she seems more interested in waiting for Almeiria to pick a grummle name.
Atley squints at the banner for a time, and waits for the others to read it, before pushing it over.
Iphi tries to read the banner, tilting her head.
"Well, they certainly are a violent people," Almeiria says.
"Fear, flame, and death. If they keep seeking us as enemies, they'll get their bloody allotment of all three," Atley says.
"Oh, another one here!" Iphi points at a banner in a hut.
Atley grunts and marches forward. "We'll scour the camp for any others 'fore we bugger off."
Shun nods slowly.
This banner reads:
Before we are a tribe, before we are rivals, before we are a father or a mother or a child, we are first yaungol.
A yaungol is strength!
A yaungol is courage!
And a yaungol is resilient!
We stand in the shadow of the greatest enemies of Azeroth, and we thrive. We thrive together.
Let no yaungol declare war on any other yaungol. Let no tribe war with any other tribe. In this we must remain brave.
Let those who would fight each other fight alone. Let he who would rule, place a banner, and defend it alone. So we remain strong. So we remain united. So we remain Yaungol!
Estel collects more luckydos.
Estel probably picks up several objects that are not luckydos. She's just guessing.
Almeiria reads the banner and frowns. "The greatest enemies of Azeroth," she repeats. "The Sha? Or…"
"Old ones?" Shun shrugs.
"P'raps," Atley says the Almeiria. "Or the mantid. The mogu. Either way, these yaungol are united. T'least they claim to be."
"O- or Pandaren?" Iphi looks a little worriedly.
"Not impossible," Shun says.
Iphi gently detaches the banner, rolls it up and takes it with her. Maybe they'll need it later, for research.
"Regardless, they're marauders. The same on any continent. Prey upon the weak and consider themselves stallions for doing so," Atley growls.
"Back to the Bazaar, you lot. We've put this place to the sword," Atley says.
"We've got your…" Atley takes a moment. "Luckydos."
"We think," Almeiria adds.
Estel sets out a whole lot of things in front of Lucky Eightcoins. Most have a scent. Some may actually be luckydos. Some may be trash. Who can say.
"My fortunate friends!" cries Lucky Eightcoins. "Yes, yes, you are fragrant good luck. You have found the luckydos!"
Lucky Eightcoins looks deeply relieved. Probably. It’s hard to tell. "A luckydo is a thing of much good fortune. Yaungol know nothing of how to use luckydos. Yet."
"I would venture they still wouldn't know even if you explained it to them," Almeiria says.
Estel grins.
Iphi beams at Lucky.
"Ey," says the troll standing nearby. "Ey, psst, get a load a me, mon. Griftah be back in business! Want tah by the best ‘luckydo’ ya ever smell? Well step right up and don’ be talkin’ to these grummles. Griftah will lead you right."
"What is that smell?" demands Lucky Eightcoins. "What is that smell? Is that you, Griftah? How can you have that smell? This is most offensive. Most offensive, yes." He shakes his head with disapproval. "Do not troll the luckydos."
Atley scoffs with amusement at Lucky Eightcoins' treatment of Griftah.
"Oh, t- that's not a nice thing to say, Lucky Eightcoins," Iphi says.
"The truth is not always nice," Atley states mildly, briefly eyeing Griftah before he looks to Estel. "Let's return that oil sample."
"No thanks, I've got my luckydo already," Estel says cheerfully. She crosses the camp to find Slimy Inkstain.
"D- do you feel som- something in the oil?" Iphi asks Estel and Almeiria.
Atley looks over.
"I do not," Almeiria says, shaking her head.
Iphi sighs in relief.
"Just oil," Estel says. "It's sludge, not wispy."
"Oh," says Slimy Inkstain, looking puzzled. "This is most strange-smelling luckydo. Yaungols have very strange fortune." He hands over a purse. "Here is your reward. May these coins bring you good fortunes."
Atley grunts and leans forward to accept the purse, inspecting its contents.
Slimy Inkstain strokes his beard and studies the vial. "Hm. What to make first? Incense? Everburning candle?"
Estel smiles. "That's up to you, luckydo."
Atley grunts and looks to the others. "We'll have a quick look about the place 'fore we press on."
"OH!" Iphi exclaims loudly. "I f- found my luckydo!"
Estel looks at Iphindra.
Atley glances around at The Two Fisted Brew before he looks to Iphindra. "Mm?"
Iphi pulls out an acorn from her bag. "I got it from my fr- friend Linwel!"
"Oh! Acorn, that's a good luckydo." Estel nods approvingly.
Shun tilts his head.
Atley gives her a firm nod, a warm look in his eye. "There you are. A proper luckydo, then."
"Hello!" shouts a purple-hatted grummle. "Hello, big fragrant luckydos! You can give good fortune to the caravan grummles?"
Atley marches over. "P'raps."
The grummle beams at them from beneath his hat. "A luckydo remembers to bring incense on a journey in the mountains. The smellier the luck, the better. If you go up the road toward Onekeg, you can light the incense you find along the way? This will give good fortune to grummles. When you go to Onekeg, speak to Brother Lintpocket for many rewards."
"I would rather not be called a big fragrant anything," Almeiria mutters.
Shun grunts.
Atley nods slowly. "Very well. We're making for Onekeg."
"But it's a good th- thing from the Grummle!" Iphi smiles.
Atley lowers to light a Lucky Burlap Incense.
"Tigers," Atley observes.
"This could be where the Shado-Pan acquired their first mounts," Almeiria says.
"Curious that these are white. Would figure the standard orange would blend in better with this environment," Shun remarks.
Atley grunts and looks out over the hills.
"There is snow further up the mountain," Almeiria says.
"They ma- may have been moved from further up the mountain? Hunted by the yaungols?" Iphi hypothesizes.
Estel leads Menace along the trail to Onekeg, keeping her from trying to eat every prickly bush she passes by.
Menace wants BITE.
"P'raps," Atley says to Iphindra. "Horde banners up on the cliffs back there."
Up a slope ahead is the village of Onekeg. A gray-bearded grummle stands by the road into town.
"Al~mei~ri~a," Estel singsongs. "You never picked a luckydo."
Atley glances back at Almeiria as they approach.
Almeiria makes a disgruntled sound. "Ancient Book," she says eventually.
Estel grins and gives her a thumbs-up. "Hell yeah."
Atley nods and approaches the grummle "Brother Lintpocket?"
"Yes, yes, Brother Lintpocket is me! Welcome to Onekeg! Most scenic fragrant gateway to Burlap Trail and Mount Neverest!" He sweeps a grand gesture around the muddy, three-building settlement.
"We've seen to the incense by the trail," Atley explains.
"Thank you, pungent luckydos, for the lighting of incense. I will give you this of your own, for great luck!" He offers them each a stick of incense.
Atley reaches out to take one. "Cheers."
"Thanks." Estel smiles at Brother Lintpocket.
Shun furrows his brow.
Brother Lintpocket sobers and lowers his voice. "I must tell you, it is good you light the road incense. Most bad fortune for grummles today. Hozen have begun to ravage! They attack our supply line to the Serpent’s Spine. We are not fighters. We are grummles. Good fortune to those who help grummles. You can help? Go with grummles to the Burlap Waystation? Grummles will reward. Grummles always reward."
Atley furrows his brow as he listens. "I cannot commit my people to that quest. Not yet. We've come to see to others of our Company. Foreigners, like us."
Brother Lintpocket says. "Yes, yes, other tall ones. Look around, you may find! We don't leave yet…"
"But they arent he- here yet, right? We could help the Grummles while we wait!" Iphi nods.
"Have you seen White Squad?" Estel asks. "Five people, tabards like this." She gestures to Dane as an example.
"There are hozen here too, hmm?" Almeiria says, glancing down the trail.
"Hmmm. I hear talk the other foreigners have gone into the mountains! No plans to be back, not for some time." Brother Lintpocket explains.
"That so," Atley says, stroking his beard in thought. "Then you can count us. We'll accompany the caravan."
Iphi was already looking at Dane with puppy eyes to convince him to help the Grummles. She beams when he agrees.
"Hadn't expected Hozen this far up. Keep the caravan safe, you lot," Atley says.
Estel falls in with the caravan.
Iphi protects the Grummles as if her life depended on it.
Shun slips away to ambush the ambushers.
The Burlap Waystation is a small, crudely-fenced area just off the road. There is a little yard with hay and water for yaks, and the debris of broken wagons and damaged tents litters the ground.
The grummle pack-bearers mill with relief around one grummle at the end of the waystation path. He holds up a hand in greeting to Blue Squad. "Many thanks and fortune to you, friends of the grummles. But the journey to the Serpent’s Spine is not safe yet. You will help us more?"
"Sure," Estel says, and glances at Dane for confirmation.
"O- of course!" Iphi smiles. She then looks at the rest of her squad.
"Aye," Atley says.
Brother Trailscenter nods. "The Broketooth hozen stole our Rabbitsfoot! He was the grummle with the biggest luckydo. This is very bad fortune indeed. Please will you search the Broketooth Outpost? Get our Rabbitsfoot back?"
"Which way is that?" Estel asks.
Brother Trailcenter gestures behind him. "That way. Bad fortune that way, too. Always bad fortune with hozen."
"Let's move, you lot," Atley says, drawing Thunderfury.
Estel gives Brother Trailscenter a thumbs-up and follows Dane. "Yep."
A grummle is hanging upside down by one ankle from a crooked tree at the edge of a hozen encampment. In defiance of all natural law, his hair somehow still covers his eyes.
"Hello," he says hopefully. "I am Brother Rabbitsfoot. You smell of good luck."
"…Well…" Shun stares.
"Ah," Almeiria says, seeing him.
"Hi!" Iphi waves.
Atley scoffs with amusement. "We ought to. We're your rescuers. Shun, cut him down." Atley marches underneath Rabbitsfoot to catch him.
"Hello," Estel says cheerfully, approaching the rope. "I'm Estel, this is Almeiria, Shun, Dane, and Iphindra."
He is cut down.
Rabbitsfoot shakes his foot anxiously to restore circulation. "They took my most strong luckydo," he says. "Their leader hozen Mo Mo stole my rabbitsfoot. This is most bad fortune for grummles. My rabbitsfoot is a big luckydo for grummles everywhere. If hozen learn how to get luck from my rabbitsfoot, then all is lost." He wrings his hands. "Please can you get it back?"
"We will!" Iphi nods. "We need yo- your luckydo to be in good hands! To s- save Pandaria!"
"I do hope it is not an actual rabbit's foot," Almeiria says.
Atley nods slowly. "Make for the station. We'll meet you there."
"Let's see to these hozen then, you lot," Atley says, poking his head inside of their huts.
Estel starts looking for a rabbit's foot.
"That'll be the Chieftain, then," Atley says, before he kneels and slowly ransacks the corpse.
Atley grunts and holds the luckydo up. "'Tis a bloody rabbit's foot."
Atley packs the luckydo away. "That'll do, then. Back to the Waystation."
"I fail to see the fortune in that," Almeiria says. "It didn't do the rabbit any good, at least."
Atley grunts.
Estel shrugs.
"M- maybe it didn't smell right for the r- rabbit!" Iphi says.
Brother Rabbitsfoot is waiting anxiously by the edge of the Waystation, among the litter of ruined tents. "Hello," he says glumly. "Look what Broketooths and Knucklethumps did to grummle waystation. Hardly a luckydo to be found."
"Well, we found yours," Estel says.
Brother Rabbitsfoot’s face lights with relief. Probably. It’s hard to tell. "Oh happy day of fortune! Grummles named for the luckydo that gives most fortune to specific grummle. It is most important that hozen not steal a grummle’s luck."
Atley inclines his head.
[Brother Rabbitsfoot]: "Grummles had a deal with hozen. We give them food, and they don’t ravage. Whenever they think to ravage, Shado-Pan remind them not to ravage. But Shado-Pan are gone away a long time. And hozen want more food than grummles have."
Shun grunts.
"Ahh…" Estel grimaces sympathetically.
[Atley]: "You cannot appease their like, Brother Rabbitsfoot. They'll only push you harder and further," he says. "But the Shado-Pan will make a return. We've seen to that."
"Th- that is not how symbiosis works. If they attack and kill you because you don't bring e- enough food anymore, they'll just stop getting food altogether…" Iphi shakes her head.
"Assuming they don't continue to have their hands full with the yaungol," Almeiria says.
"We've seen to the yaungol today, too. Back to Onekeg, you lot. White Squad ought to be there," Atley says.
Estel nods and mounts up. "Hope so."
Atley tongues the inside of his cheek as he looks around. "We'll look in the inn."
Atley disdainfully eyes one of the Blacktalon Agents.
Atley looks around at the interior of The Lucky Traveller and shakes his head.
Estel asks the innkeeper and finds that no, the travelers have not returned.
Shun looks around One Keg, then shakes his head as well.
"I warrant something's taken Anareline's interest and she's led them into the mountains." He marches out and turns to glare up at the snow capped and mist blanketed peaks.
"I- I hope so," Iphi says.
"Take heart. They're a sturdy lot. I'm quartering here until they return. We'll give them time," Atley says.
"You're right." Iphi nods. "They'll be ba- back soon!"
"Sure, okay." Estel goes to sit down. "Should the rest of us?"
"Aye." Atley says. "I don't want anyone buggering off to find them on their lonesome."
"I had a thought," Almeiria says, settling by the fire.
Estel looks over. "Yeah?"
Atley removes his helmet and takes a seat at the bonfire, producing his stash of jerky. He eyes Almeiria and shreds through a piece.
"If mogu are similar to vrykul, in that they were made by the Titans, should there not be evidence of the Titans here in Pandaria?" Almeiria asks.
Atley frowns in thought at that.
"I mean, maybe we ain't found it yet." Estel shrugs.
"Or so- someone destroyed it all, for a reason or another?" Iphi looks into the fire.
"It's possible we have come across Titan sites, but we've merely not recognized them," Atley says.
Mordecai wanders out of the inn, approaching the campfire.
Atley turns and doubletakes before he pushes himself up. "Hullo', Bishop," he growls warmly.
"Hello," Mordecai says, ducking his head a little shyly.
"Hey, Mordecai." Estel waves lazily.
Shun glances to the side, "Mordecai. White Squad has not come through yet, right?"
"Strange, I haven't seen you since your promotion." He marches forward and extends a gauntlet. "Congratulations."
"H- hi Mordecai!" Iphi waves.
Mordecai shakes Dane's hand. "Thank you. I, um, haven't seen them yet. But it's still a little early… right?"
Atley grunts and briefly looks past Mordecai, at the trail. "'Tis. I'd expected to meet up, but I trust their duties have taken them elsewhere. You ought to be familiar with Blue Squad."
Atley gestures to Blue Squad.
Mordecai nods, giving the team a little wave. "Mmhm."
Atley swings his leg back over the bench and gets back to his jerky.
"Join us, if you like," Atley says.
Iphi beams at Mordecai. "I- I've survived Sha attacks! I think it's thanks to the training we did, M- mordecai!" She pats the space on the bench next to her. "Cme sit with me wh- while we wait for White Squad!"
Mordecai smiles and goes to sit next to Iphindra. "I've been reading the newsletter, um. You were helping the Shado-Pan."
[Atley]: "Officially, you lot are dismissed. Well done today. Stabilizing the grummles stabilizes the entire area. There are many moving parts to it all — the Sha, the yaungol, the Shado-Pan. The more problems we solve, the better we're left off."
Shun grunts.
Atley side-eyes a patrolling Blacktalon Agent.
Shun is also idly tracking the Blacktalon movements.
"Aye," Atley says to Mordecai once the agent has passed. "The Sha took their Monastery several days ago. We took it back." He nods in the direction of the Blacktalon Agent. "You get to speak much with them?"
Mordecai blinks at the woman being indicated. "Oh, um, no, I don't know her."
"Not really. The Black Prince had… less of a following last I saw him," Shun states, "It seems he has gained quite a few followers."
"It's g- good, right?" Iphi tilts her head. "He was friendly last time, given who his father was."
"Hey, Mordecai. If you were a grummle, what would your luckydo name be?" Estel smiles. "They're named after their luckydos."
"I don't trust him," Dane says, eating another bite.
"The Light?" Mordecai guesses, looking at Estel like this might be a trick question.
Estel looks at Dane. "Has he done anythin' to make you not trust him or is it just who he is?"
Atley shakes his head. "I've heard some," he says, referring to Ivrianna in a clandestine fashion. "But I don't like how familiar he was with us. He'll be wanting something from us before long. And we all had dealings with his father."
"I do not blame you. I do not think his intentions are poor necessarily. But…" Shun pauses, trying to think of how to best put things. "He is kind of a little shit."
Atley grunts at Shun. "Aye. Bit of a cunt."
"He's my friend," Estel says, frowning. "He's allowed to be familiar."
Iphi listens to the conversation, unsure of who's right here.
"Whether or not he's a friend of the Company has yet to be proven. Along with whether or not the Company is a friend of his," Atley says.
Mordecai fidgets with his fingers.
"We'll mean him no harm unless the situation changes," Atley says, waving a gauntlet, before he eats some more jerky.
"I see no issue with him using us, so long as we have something to gain from him in turn," Almeiria says.
"Sure, but he's my friend," Estel says. "Did you know dragons are born knowing how to talk? And they understand what's going on around them while they're in the egg?"
"He has apparently learned a great deal in his," Shun murmurs.
Atley nods. "He may be your friend. But that does not entitle him to a full knowledge of who we are and wot' our movements are," Atley explains patiently.
Iphi looks to Mordecai. He is the voice of reason she will trust in this conversation.
Estel nods. "I haven't been, like, reporting to him," she says. "Just to put things into some perspective here, like, he's never really had a chance to be a child. He was hit with the weight of legacy right off the bat. He doesn't want to show weakness."
Mordecai is just listening, rather than saying reasony things.
"If you're worried, Atley, dear, why not ask for some personnel to keep an eye on his movements in turn?" Almeiria asks.
"I'm not worried, Almeiria. I helped kill his father," Atley says calmly.
Iphi glances at Dane at that. He doesn't have to say it like that.
"But I won't order a surveillance detail. I merely don't trust him. That may change. He may be prove better than Deathwing. Time'll tell, won't it," Atley says.
Estel nods. "Yeah, that's fair."
"I won't fault a cautious approach," Almeiria says with a nod.
Atley grunts and responds with a nod of his own.
Estel gets to her feet and stretches. "Okay, if we're staying here, we better go pack up our tent and stuff," she says to Shun.
Shun nods and goes to grab the black goat.
"But Wh- White Squad hasn't arrived, yet…" Iphi stops them.
Atley nods at Iphindra. "No matter. I'll wait. Do wot' you need to do, Iphindra. You're dismissed."
Mordecai takes out a pocket watch decorated with a little butterfly and checks it. "They're late. I'll be waiting, too."
"If you'd like to wait with me, you're welcome to," Atley says.
Estel nods and waves. "We'll be back!"
Iphi looks at Dane, frowning sadly. When he says she can stay, she nods. "I- I'll go get us some tea from the inn!"
Atley grunts. "I'd like that."