Momma Told Me To Stay Home

[Devon]

Lucid nodded and concentrated on making a small precise stream of water to snap the bowstring. To distract the archer, Lucid cracked his whip twice more before firing the high pressured stream of water at the bow string.

[Kender Bard]

The ploy worked, with the archer moving to avoid the snapping of the whip. The look on his face as Lucid's sudden stream of intense pressure water suddenly sliced through his bowstring was... priceless.

"Ha!" Valkor laughed nastily, striking the archer full on in the chest with a blast of his own water, forcing the man to land before the stream slammed him against a tree.

[Devon]

"Good idea," Lucid said, cracking his whip at the archer's feet. "You have two choices, leave us and don't come back, or join the rest of your group," Lucid told the archer. This was all new to him, threatening someone that is, but he had already shown the bandit he wasn't an easy target and if he didn't try there was no telling what the bandit may do.

[Kender Bard]

"I'll go!" the bandit yelped.

"Just kill him, he's criminal scum," Valkor protested. "And if you let him live, he'll just come back and try to kill us or rob us when our guard is down."

[Devon]

"I gave him a choice and he made his decision so its final," Lucid said to Valkor. Looking to the bandit he said, "Go, you won't be getting a second chance if we see you again," he warned.

[Kender Bard]

The bandit left, running off with the swiftness that only a Wind could achieve.

Valkor made a disgusted sound as he surveyed their losses.

Most of the bandits had been killed or were in the process of dying. The numbers suggested a couple may have fled and gotten away. They had lost three of their own, two dead and one, an older man, clutching a belly wound.

[Devon]

Lucid went to the man with the belly wound. He wasn't great at healing water, but hopefully he could create a bit that could help the man out. "Do we have any bandages? We can't let him go like this," Lucid said to the others.

[Kender Bard]

One of the others rummaged in their back while another knelt and made some healing water over the wound. The downed man made pained noises.

"Gut wounds are the worst," Valkor noted a bit impassively as he studied Lucid's reaction to the gruesome wound.

[Devon]

Lucid stayed beside the man, helping the others as best he could to keep the man alive. When the bandages were ready Lucid soaked them in the healing water that was made and wrapped them around the wound. It was bad enough they had already lost two people, Lucid hoped they could save this one.

[Kender Bard]

Once the bandages were set and the healing water had been donated (though one refrained, needing to use it on himself), the group considered what to do next.

"We need to make camp," the remaining woman said. "He won't be able to be moved until his wound heals and we can't very well carry him further."

[Devon]

Lucid nodded to the woman. "Valkor and I will get some materials for a small fire while the rest of you set up," he told her.

[Kender Bard]

Valkor beckoned to Lucid and walked off the path they had been taking, heading towards the nearest tree to look for dead wood. "So why'd you let that trash live?" he asked Lucid with a disapproving frown. "The bandit, I mean. The world is better off without people like that in it."

[Devon]

"He was cornered and he practically surrendered," Lucid said. "It isn't my place to completely decide a man's fate like that. Giving him a choice was the fairest thing I could do," he explained to Valkor.

While gathering some materials, Lucid paused for a moment and looked to Valkor. "You don't seem to like me very much, why would you agree to guard me then?"

[Kender Bard]

"I need the money," Valkor replied shortly with another frown shot at Lucid as he shifted a few long sticks under an arm. "Your mother may not have a great deal of money with Ronduin being what it was, but she's still The Mother and I don't forsee that changing soon. Once Ronduin's on her feet, her word for a handsome payment will still be good. Considering what she promised, she clearly wants her precious child to stay safe for his little trip into the big, scary world." The last was said with a slight sneer.

[Devon]

Lucid stopped, and stood up facing Valkor. "Working for money I understand, I didn't always know I was the son of The Mother," he said. "But what did I ever do to you?" he asked Valkor.