24 Chirreb 4385: AGH PLANNING

[delight-in.livejournal.com]

We knew roughly the route Nightbloom and Outcast were to take so we started on the back half of their circuit. I did my best lash-a-bill cry which is not particularly like a lash-a-bill -- it's more like a stuck wudgeon -- but there's lots of things that make weird noises even in the Flats so the important part was that it was loud and not-prime-sounding. We kept our heads below the level of the hosh grain in case the ghempoch was near (good thing it's not harvest season!) After the sixth cry, we heard an answering lash-a-bill cry.

"Is that Outcast, or an actual bird? ♥" Trust asked me.

I shrugged. We headed off in the direction of the cries. It was Outcast! And Nightbloom! And a person suspiciously in waterform despite being dry and in the middle of a hosh field.

"Hi oh good you found the norren mage," I said.

"Norren?" Nightbloom said.

"You're not mad, are you? Rashdashsplash said we shouldn't talk to strange primes about our species," the norren said.

Outcast interjected here to introduce us: "Secret, this is There's-No Delight-in-Boredom, our Locador mage, and Trust, our healer. Trust, Delight, this is Secret. She saved the primes of Eriach from being obliterated by the ghempoch."

"We're not mad," I told Secret. "Also I'm not really a mage-mage. Will you help us get rid of the ghempoch for good? It's still lurking around looking for primes to kill."

"Oh dear."

This is when I missed Mirhandrax most and even Purrzhon kinda. Not because they're the best fighters among us although they are but because now someone ELSE had to plan.

Trust tucked his tail between his legs. "How can we get the ghempoch to go back to the Verticals?"

"How will we. Find it again?" Nightbloom asked. "Do you know. Where it went?"

"Perhaps we should find the missing Herethroy. It's most likely looking for them," Outcast said.

I shook my head at Nightbloom. "No I don't know where he went but he was heading roll'gainst from the village that's towards the Verticals so we don't have to keep him going MUCH longer for him to reach the edge of the branch. Can you trick him into heading that way for maybe an hour Secret?"

Secret shook her head. "No. It shook off my best spells in less than a ninth."

"Maybe we could send him after the nearest city because good city walls can surely handle a ghempoch?" I suggested.

"That would take deceiving it. For even longer than to reach the Verticals."

"We could use Illusidor to lure it into an ambush, though," Outcast said.

"Maybe we could send for the nearest city guard and they could fight him Secret do you know how often guards patrol here?"

Secret wiggled one of her paws. "Once or twice a week? I think the guards are only four to a patrol, and they were here yesterday."

"So they won't be back any time soon ARGH." I tugged at my hair in frustration.

"It'd take us days to get to the city."

Trust whined. "We can't leave the ghempoch out here that long! <\3"

"I KNOW we have to do something but WHAT he's got exploding fire bats coming out of his ears!"

"If we put an ambush by the river, we could minimize the damage from the fire bats. I know some simple but effective anti-Pyrador spells that I could cast in advance, as well," Outcast said.

"Perhaps we should. Look for the village Herethroy," Nightbloom said. "There might be retired adventurers among them."

"That's a good idea do you know where they went to hide?" I asked Secret.

The norren shook her head. "We have a bunch of Orren friends, but the Herethroy are a bit distant."

"Hosh farmers often have a small well-hidden storage area for seed grain near their fields, on the opposite side from the grain silo for sale. That'd make a good bolt-hole," Outcast said.

I made a moue at Secret. "If we can't find the villagers maybe the ghempoch can't find them either?" I suggested optimisticly.

"So it will find. The caravan instead?"

"At least the caravan has Mirhandrax and some other guards ARGH I hate planning!"

"Maybe we should try Outcast's plan, then? ♥" Trust offered.

Nightbloom and I looked at Outcast. "You have an idea?" the tall dark Herethroy asked, dubious.

He smiled. "A few. Yes."