Family reunion?|Fara, Reave

[Northen Light36]

Amaro's been leading the group for serveral days now, stopping for the night whenever the group starts to look tired and hunting with Talon whenever possible so as to not use up the group's rations. They're making good time today, but suddenly Faith, currently perched on Talon's shoulder, starts to hiss and growl loudly.

[adris]

Vortai has been silent for most of the trip, albeit noticably less distant then before. He does go out of his way to chat with Alethia and Amaro at the campside fires whenever he feels bored or just wants a friend. He does, however, keep Talon at arms length, never speaking unless spoken to and almost always in as few words possible.

[Kender Bard]

Talon tenses, hand immediately going to touch his knife, a reflexive assurance. "What is it, Faith?"

Alethia clutches Spice just a trifle closer to her chest; whenever Faith is upset, something is very wrong.

[Northen Light36]

Faith hisses some more before gathering her composure enough to reply, ~I smell smoke on the air... And humans passed here recently... Injured humans and angry humans. This is not a human place is it?~ Amaro frowns.

"The nearest town to here is back at Humontis..."

[adris]

Vortai was up in arms about how violently Faith reacted, but if it was just settlement there could be a million reasons for it. He dosn't even clip his hook to his chain quite yet, even though his guard is raised.

"We are close to the beastlands, maybe it is a Savannah tribe or something? A herd of zebra affinities? The pain might be due to a predator attack... I never understood those beasts."

Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he had no other reason for there to be a village out here.

"I can get a closer look, a lifetime of work gives me certain... talents when it comes to the shadows."

[Northen Light36]

Amaro hesitates, as reluctent to let his little brother scout as he once was to let Acqua. Still, he does know Acqua's work as a thief also made her an talented scout. "Very well, but take Faith with you and be careful," he agrees at last. Faith wastes no time in jumping down from Talon's shoulder and troting over to Vortai.

[adris]

Vortai didn't mind having Faith along for the trip, and when everything was ready he took off. He left his pack behind so it wouldn't slow him down, he hoped that Amaro or someone would pick it up. He went to the town, staying under whatever tall grasses and trees that his frame would allow until he finally got to a building he can hide in the shadow of.

"Now, let us see what is going on here."

He made sure that when he moved forward between the close parts of buildings, if there was a storage box or something he could find all the better. He didn't want to move to the rooftops because of how flimsy they currently looked. He just wanted to find out enough to report back, any citizen or conversation would be enough.

[Northen Light36]

One of the slavers can be seen marching up to a young boy who'd made the mistake of sitting down to rest. "Who told you to sit down slave?" he demands of the child, who shakes in fear.

"No-n-nobody M-m-master," the child stutters, then cries out as the slaver swiftly deals out four or five lashes with his wipe.

"Get back to work," the slaver snarls and the boy hurries off.

---

Five slavers, Mathew among them, have spotted Amaro, Talon and Alethia and begin closing in on the group. One lifts a blowpipe to his mouth at Mathew's signal and fires off a dart at Amaro, who Mathew's looking at with utter hatred.

Struck in the neck by the dart, Amaro collapses instantly, suddenly finding it difficult to breath and impossible to stand, a state Talon might reconise from the pair's early days as companions. "Alethia... Talon... Run!" Amaro manages to gasp out.

[Kender Bard]

For a moment, the two of them are standing still, completely stunned. Talon's the first to react, though, who spins around and gives Alethia a shove. "Run!" he orders her. Frightened, she clutches Spice close to her body and takes off. Talon doesn't chase after, though. He's too busy chanting and covering her with a protective wind shield to keep the darts off of her. Distractedly, he pulls out his dagger and whispers to Amaro, "Best if we give them two targets instead of one."

He sprints off in a different directly, but more slowly, and looks for targets to distract to better give Alethia a chance to get away.

[Northen Light36]

Mathew strides out of the bushes and stands over Amaro, looking coldly amused. "Well, well, look what's come crawling back..." Amaro glares, it's all he really has the ability to do. "Search him, remove his weapons then tie him up," he orders the other slavers, his voice carrying on the wind to Talon.

"What about the other two?" one of the slavers ask. Mathew considers for a moment.

"Forget the woman," he says at last. "I'm not intrested in some whore and her spawn, more trouble then it's worth. But the male might be useful. Search around and see if you can find him."

[Kender Bard]

Talon had made his passage and was surprised he hadn't run into anyone; no matter. He'd make a wide circuit to ensure his wife and son were safe then return with a vengeance. He started to head back, but making a wide arc of a path as he did so, wary and tense.

[Northen Light36]

A couple of the slavers go off in the direction Talon ran, but this area is close enough to the beastlands to still be mostly forest and they know that their would-be slave has probably found a place to hide by now. In the meantime, the other three slavers strip Amaro, remove his weapons then haul him to his feet and bind his hands tightly as the drug begins to wear off enough. Amaro casts his uncle a dark look.

"How typical of you, uncle" he hisses. "Going to silt my throat now that I'm bound?" He gives Mathew a disgusted look. "Coward." Mathew's expression darkens and Amaro braces himself, but the first strike of Mathew's cane still nearly knocks him over and by the time he's dragged back to the village, he's out cold.

(I'm going to make a new topic for Mathew and Amaro. This one's Vortai and Talon now I think.)

[adris]

Vortai saw the beating, eyes wide with fear. In a moment he knew exactally what they have stumbled into, and with that he had to hurry back to Amaro and the group. They had to go around this village, FAR around this village. The horror in his eyes when he saw that he is too late was overwhelming though. He fell to his knees, looking for some discernable sign of where the others left.

[Northen Light36]

Faith snarls, but she sniffs. ~Storm-kit, get up,~ she orders. ~I do not think all were caught by the trappers. I can smell kitten's litter-sister's trail. Follow me quickly. Trails disappear fast in such territory.~ With that Faith carefully leads Vortai through the trees to Alethia.

[adris]

Vortai, heartened by Faith follows her closely, not even giving her time to stop and look back for him. Alethia is an excellent start, from there they could find Amaro. He hoped that all is well, if he messed up again... if he was once again too late to save his friends... he didn't even want to think of it.

Thank you Faith, my skills at tracking are almost non-existant unless I am trailing close to a mark.