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DESERT EDGE - MIDDAY
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Louma had made no stops since midnight, and the progress for that time showed. She's reaching a point of exhaustion after continuing so long, but she knows that she's well outrun the range of her escort for a few hours, at least. Crossing the scrubby desert, she's found the edge of some woods that seem to be struggling to hold the desert back, and has begun following this border in a mid-height glide, hoping water can't be too far out. She's well aware of a few unfortunate creeks that run out of the hills only to vanish into the sands... If not knowing exactly where they are from here.
Baldwin and the remainder of his scouting team have been progressing extremely cautiously back towards Respite after the ambush by Nyzai and her fellow pterosaurs. The mood among the group has been grim, what with them having to move under cover of darkness while bunkering down during the day to avoid enemy scouts spotting them. Currently, they're trying to get what sleep they can while pulling rotating watches just at the edges of the woods that will make their travels much easier for the rest of the trip back home.
Baldwin is currently the one on watch, his bow already strung and nocked with an arrow as he scans the horizon from under the shadows of a tree. Decently camouflaged, but not perfect... but mistakes are bound to happen considering the group's lingering exhaustion from their full-speed retreat from the west.
Louma scans the ground, narrowing her eyes as she sees an outcrop from the line of foliage. She can't tell if there's water there, but a growth like that could be surrounding a creek of some sort. Maybe. She banks, her shadow sliding across the sand as she begins a careful spiral down towards the trees. She can't help but occasionally scan the skies and ground where she'd come from, hoping that she doesn't see anything. From below, the sun is behind her, leaving the guard mostly in shadow.
Baldwin scans the land, then notices, with a shiver, an alarmingly shaped shadow racing ahead of its owner. His eyes shoot wide as he rapidly looks around for the source of the shadow, then squints as he directs his eyes towards the west. Gritting his teeth a bit when he can't get a good look at the person in flight, he withdraws deeper into the shadows of the treeline and whistles quietly to get the attention of the other guards.
Louma is hesitant to land, not seeing any water through the canopy, but also not really willing to give up yet. Her tail brushes through the highest trees, sending a shiver up her spine as it brings back a flash of her crash. She manages to shake that feeling for now, raising up again as her flight slows to an easy glide, a form of feathers and scales landing with a graceless skidding on stunted grass as she immediately approaches the underbrush.
Baldwin has scrambled with the rest of the scouts to take up concealed positions nearby, all bows ready to ambush whoever might have found them. However, when Louma lands, he isn't quick to draw. Instead, he furrows his brow in confusion and just watches the lesser coatl for the moment.
Louma slows as she approaches the foliage, squinting for a moment before suddenly turning away, looking up and back long where she'd come from. Her heart settles after a moment of seeing nothing, but it certainly feels like she's got something over her shoulder. The only belonging other than the saur-ish styled clothes she's wearing is in her hand; a short knife. Not ideal for combat, but all she has to defend herself with.
Baldwin eyes Louma suspiciously, noting her unfamiliar clothing and the knife in her hand. He spends several seconds just thinking, knowing that the rest of the guards are ready to fire at a single command. However, instead, he silently signals them to hold off and stand down for the moment, then tries to quietly move to another spot, just to pull attention away from where the others are as he lets out a quiet whistle.
Louma had barely started to settle when she starts because of the whistle, turning around to face the general direction it had come from. She's had experience hunting, and of course, the signal whistles of her own troops are familiar to her. Still, in the moment, all that trips in her mind is that it's a signal of some sort. She hunkers into a ready stance, holding the knife at the ready before calling out. "Who is it? Show yourself!" Her voice is raspy from thirst, but mostly recognizable.
Baldwin hesitates for a short moment, but steps out into view, his bow held down but at the ready in front of him. "...Captain Louma?"
Louma looks about ready to pounce when she hears the foliage rustling, only to freeze at the sight of Baldwin. She blinks a few times, not sure if she's seeing things or not. "B... Baldwin? Is that you?" She coughs, trying to clear her throat every few words. "Really? Not a vision?"
Baldwin shakes his head as he slowly relaxes his stance a bit. "Not a vision, no..." He pauses as Louma coughs, then reaches to his side and pulls out his canteen, which he tosses over to her. Familiar face or no, he's not risking approaching just yet, "Here... sounds like you need that before we can really talk, Captain."
Louma catches the canteen, not giving a second thought to it as she pops the lid free and takes a deep drink, her body physically relaxing as she does. Louma leaves about half the water in the canteen, sighing and not taking a moment to wipe the drops from her bill as she looks back to Baldwin. "Yes... Thank you, Guard. Er... I hope you're not alone out here, it's not safe."
Baldwin shakes his head again and whistles. After a few seconds, rustles come from all around as the rest of the scouting party slowly emerge into view, about another seven in all, for a total of eight scouts including Baldwin, all with their bows at the ready. "Of course not, Captain. We know it's not safe..."
Louma nods, seeming relieved that the guard hasn't been wandering about alone. She pauses after a moment, saluting the familiar faces. "Excuse my uniform." She takes a quick mental count, looking to Baldwin again. "Have you sent runners back to Respite?" Her tail remains somewhat tense, dark scales showing their colorful sheen in the midday sun where she's stood. A bit of water and a few friendly troops haven't put her at ease just yet.
Baldwin shakes his head as he casts his eyes down a bit. "No, Captain. We got ambushed while scouting to the west, by some winged creatures." He draws in a breath and lets out a heavy sigh as he settles into that detached reporting mode, "They had bows, and outnumbered us about two... maybe three to one, and they knew how to stagger fire. We managed to get some shots in while we were pulling back, but... we lost Vencel and Indrani after they got hit during our retreat."
Louma lowers her gaze for a moment, before seeming to stiffen slightly. She takes a breath, shaking her head slightly. "Not the first, and... I don't think the last, but we will remember them properly when we are all home. I assume their bodies could not be brought back?"
Baldwin shakes his head again. "No, we weren't able to shake our attackers for a couple of days. By the time we lost them, we were already halfway back to Respite." He pauses, his grip on his bow a bit tight, "They're still back out to the west."
Louma shudders, looking over her shoulder at the expanse under the harsh sun. "Understood... After this is all over, we'll send someone to look for them..." She clears her throat, taking one last sip from the canteen before offering it back to Baldwin, though the two are a few steps apart from eachother. "Well. I'll follow your lead if you'll have me, Sergeant."
Baldwin steps forward to accept his canteen back and nods as he stows it away. "Understood, Captain. We're heading back to Respite to regroup, and with you coming along, we'll have a lot more information to work off of than before." He gestures at her outfit, "Especially since you seem to know where their settlement is."
Narrator: Outside the treeline, a dozen or so harrowing shadows begin to appear on the ground, racing towards Baldwin and Louma's position. Looking up, the figures are revealed against the sky. Large Pterosaurs, all of them, with Nyzai in the middle heading the pack. . .But where are Nyzai's smaller ones?
Narrator: One of the other scouts, still wary from their terrified flight from the west, notices the shadows appearing on the horizon and whistles before pointing towards the approaching pterosaurs.
Louma glances down at her long tunic, it's design of sharp lines and colorful shell accents certainly not typical of Respite. The last thing she was wearing when the 'plan' went through. It bears a few tears, both from snags as she was fleeing on the ground, as well as any remotely sharp decorations being ripped off before she was transported. She's about to chuckle and respond, but the high strung nerves make her turn at the sight of movement from the corner of her eye. She's caught the sliding shadows as well, looking up at the scout's alert. "Damn..." She mutters, looking around for a way out. She looks... terrified?
Baldwin looks over at the scout, then in the direction they're pointing, only to curse as he steps forward and grabs Louma's arm, then works to drag her into the shadows of the treeline. "Damn it, how'd they find us?! Positions, we need to drive them off!"
Louma follows along with Baldwin's pulling, hissing under her breath. "They... Were probably told to find me... I just escaped and... Well... I'm sorry, I didn't know you all were here or I'd have continued on... I'm so sorry." She's lost all pretense of being their Captain as she follows along after Baldwin, losing that composure which was admittedly already a thin veil.
Narrator: As Baldwin and Louma move Louma further into the treeline, the smaller Pterosaurs make themselves known. A half-dozen volley of bowstrings snap, arrows whistle through the brush, all aimed at Louma. After their arrows, they immediately take off, shaking the brush where they were hiding as they flutter up above the canopy to reposition. Meanwhile, the large fliers continue to close the distance.
Louma is interrupted in her apologies as two arrows find their marks in the top of her tail, letting blood loose over her dark scales, but thankfully not seeming to hit anything vital. She slows, looking back over her shoulder, her wings tucked tight against her back for moving through the brush.
Baldwin hears the incoming arrows and moves to shield Louma. One arrow catches Baldwin right in his shoulder, piercing clean through the light leather armor and lodging itself in place. He lurches a bit from the force, but sweeps the sensations aside as he calls out to the rest of the guards. "Coordinate fire, focus on the closer ones first! Keep the Captain safe!" He grits his teeth but raises his bow, the arrow in his shoulder thankfully not disabling his arm completely. He draws and fires at the closest target.
Narrator: Baldwin's aim is true, the slowest Pterosaur taking off catching the arrow directly in the chest just as they clear the canopy. They fall out of the sky with a squawk, crashing and crackling down the brush until the soft thud of the ground stops them. The five remaining smaller ones each land much further into the brush, popping under the canopy at random places, such that the enemy is between themselves and Nyzai's rapidly approaching forces. Being further back, their shots are less likely to find their mark, though also less likely to be hit in return. They continue to fire one arrow each, before flying and repositioning yet again, again still aimed at Louma.
Baldwin grimaces as he realizes Louma still got hit. "Captain, stay in cover, if you can. I don't need you bleeding out just after finding us." He draws another arrow from his quiver as he talks, preparing to fire at another pterosaur, "Push them further into the forest! Keep to cover! Make your shots count!"
Louma slithers past as Baldwin stops, turning forward and keeping her movements random. She almost stops when she hears the squak, thinking it may have been one of the guards, but the whistle of an arrow near her head keeps the captain moving. She does as Baldwin says, trying to find the largest tree she can to hide behind, to no avail. The plants around this area are just too young or too stubby to provide anything for her large body. She clings to the knife, breathing hard as she looks at the arrows standing proud in her tail.
Nyzai's forces begin to descend on the canopy. Once there, Nyzai herself stays above the canopy, preparing for if Louma might attempt to take off. Seven of them begin to harry Baldwin's forces, attempting to keep them occupied such that the smaller ones can keep taking shots at Louma without risk of return fire, while the remaining four go after Baldwin and Louma.
Baldwin sticks close to Louma as his scouts continue to pepper their attackers with focused fire while staying in good cover. He starts taking shots as quickly and precisely as he can on the approaching four pterosaurs. "Don't take to the air again, Captain. They're bound to have overwatch."
Louma ducks from another arrow nearly finding it's mark, pulling her tail in as she listens to the shouts of the guards. Even if she's terrified, years of service don't leave her unable to coordinate herself. Fleeing on the ground between the majority of shots, Louma deliberately slams the uninjured bulk of her tail into one of the narrow trees an arrow seemed to come from, repeating this a few more times, hoping to hear at least one smaller archer lose their balance.
Narrator: Louma's rampaging tail is capable of catching the first pterosaur off-balance, falling partway out of the tree before they catch themselves in mid-air and begin to fly again. The larger saurs are much more resilient than their smaller brethren, each capable of taking a couple of arrows at least before going down. They begin to talon each member of the scouting party one on one. They're not aiming to win, just keep them occupied for a good ten seconds each or so. With Louma seperating herself from the main scouting group, the two after Louma viciously attempt to kill her.
Louma catches a limb across her chest, clinging to it as she goes until it swings free behind her. A moment before, she feels a blade run across the back of her tail, near where her body shifts from scales to feathers. As soon as the branch is clear of her back, Louma stops dead, turning with a rage-filled cry, the gifted knife in hand as she takes a deliberate jab at one of her pursuers.
Narrator: Baldwin's remaining scouts prove to be far more brutal in close quarters than initial perceptions from the first ambush. As the larger pterosaurs close the gap, the scouts take the offensive using their superior maneuverability on the ground to strike first with an assortment of daggers and knives. One unlucky guard, whose bow breaks while defending against a strike, however, improvises and launches themself at their attacker, using the bow halves and connecting string as a garrote to either subdue or strangle the pterosaur.
Baldwin does his best to keep Louma covered as she scrambles from tree to tree, any pterosaurs falling free are dispatched with a swift stab from an arrow held in his hand, but he doesn't waste too much time as he faces his and Louma's attackers. He holsters his bow over his shoulder and swiftly pulls out a dagger of his own and lashes out in an effort to keep them at bay.
Narrator: The smaller pterosaur that had fallen lets out half a squawk as they are impaled against the tree, their dying cry cut off by gurgles of blood filling their throat. The Larger pterosaurs find themselves quickly overwhelmed, though continue to do their diligence for the good of the mission. The one being strangled falls from their hover and lands onto the ground hard, trying to shake off their attacker unsuccessfully. Keeping an eye on the proceedings from above through the spotted gaps of the canopy, Nyzai lets out a series of clicks. Immediately, the remaining pterosaurs, with the exception of the one being strangled, disengage from the scout team and fly up above the canopy. Nyzai and her flyers quickly retreat, leaving the scout team with a potential captive.
Louma huffs as she watches the pterosaurs fly off, shaking her head as tears of relief try to well. She wipes at her face, turning to look to Baldwin. "Are you alright?" She mutters, gesturing at the arrow in his shoulder.
Narrator: The scouts take one last swing at their attackers as they break off, only to harry the retreating pterosaurs with arrows until they're out of range. The one doing their best to strangle the remaining pterosaur eases up on the throttling enough to keep their captive alive, if only at the edge of consciousness.
Baldwin gives his dagger a deft flip and grabs it by the sharpened point as the pterosaur he was engaged with breaks away. He winds back and chucks his dagger in a mighty throw, not caring about even trying to find that particular piece of his kit as anger from the first ambush finally bubbles over. Hit or miss, however, he glances over at Louma and nods. "Yeah... y-yeah, I'm fine... I'll probably pay for it later on, but that doesn't matter... You?"
Louma winces as the adrenaline wears off and the pain sets in, pulling her tail into a loose coil near her as she examines the arrows and a series of cuts. She leans against a tree with a shuddering sigh. "Well... Not great..." She immediately starts tearing at the already ruined tunic she's wearing, managing to make some long strips to wrap the worst gashes. "I'll manage for the moment... Call a regroup."
Baldwin pauses to catch his breath, bending over just a bit as he lets his muscles loosen a bit. Once he's recovered a little, he whistles to the rest of the scouts to gather back together.
Narrator: The scout with the broken bow remains in place, even as the rest of the scouts regroup with Baldwin and Louma, and they call out. "Got a live one here, Sergeant, Captain! We bringing it back alive or no?"
Louma blinks, pausing at the announcement. She looks to Baldwin, sighing. "Could have useful information. Could stab us in our sleep." She pushes away from the tree with a grunt, turning to where the call came from and slithering with a definite 'limp' to her movement. She glares down at the captured saur.
Baldwin nods at Louma and follows her towards the captive pterosaur. "Depends on how easily we can get them to talk. Of course... first things first." He looks at two of the other scouts and gestures at the talon daggers, "Ori, relieve them of their weapons. Valter, once Ori's done, truss the saur up. Turnabout is fair play, considering."
Narrator: The two scouts nod and get to work, ensuring the pterosaur can't attempt to do much of anything without anyone noticing. Before long, they're tied up and weaponless.
Louma nods back, keeping out of the way as she tends to her wounds. She manages to pull one arrow free with a pained whimper, putting pressure on the injury. "Report wounds, all. Then we move." She seems to have gained some of herself again, even if she's currently busy messing her white feathers with her own blood.
Baldwin grunts a bit as he rolls his wounded shoulder and takes a look at the arrow sticking out from behind him. "Just... just the one arrow, Captain, for me. Probably best if I leave it in for the moment."
Narrator: The rest of the scouts report some scratches and minor wounds, though there are a couple of arrow wounds, too. Overall, having had a bit time to prepare with decent cover, the scouts fared much better than the first time around.
Louma huffs, then chuckles quietly. "Curse of being a big target... And I know where their village is." She shoots a glare at the captive, then smiles at Baldwin. "Fancy, that." She pauses for a moment, then nods at Baldwin. "You're in command. Can't really take lead naked and injured."
Baldwin nods, managing a small smile that looks more like a grimace. "Right... Well, Valter, you're not too injured, so you're in charge of hauling the captive for now. Everyone else, gather up what you can, and let's get ready to move out. The sooner we move into the forest, the harder our tracks will be to follow."
Louma gives a semi-proud nod, tying off the last of her improvised bandages before she prepares to follow the others. Despite everything, she feels a great hope building in her. They can't be terribly far now...
Baldwin issues a few more orders and prepares to set out, their numbers now including Louma and their unconscious captive. "Eyes sharp, everyone. We're not out of the woods yet."
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PLUME'S APARTMENT - NOON
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Doc Plume finishes bringing out the small sandwiches and other light nosh and finally takes a seat at the table across from May. They pour tea for the two of them and give the clearly struggling stoat an encouraging smile. "So... how's work on the weather shield coming?"
Maybelline smiles, waiting on Plume to pour the tea before she takes the cup and carefully sips. She's looking alright, all things considered, but the time where Louma's been missing, with still no word on her fate, is clearly taking a toll. "Honestly? I think it's done. It's a hugely unorthodox device, but parts are limited, even before the... y-you know. But with Strix's help, it's basically done. It just needs to be mounted and the final actual field test and... and it's done."
Doc Plume smiles. "Well that sounds good. It'll be a nice bright spot for everyone to see the town feeling a bit more protected considering... everything." They sip their tea and start nibbling on one of the small sandwiches, this one with some smoked game from one of Nesseth's hunts.
Maybelline nods, taking a sandwich for herself. "It's... I mean, no shield like that is a permanent measure, the power drain would be completely impractical. But it's meant to be turned on to protect the town from storms or such... not... a war. Still, I hope folks can take some comfort from it, I suppose." She takes a bite of the sandwich, not really tasting it and more just 'eating because it's there'.
Doc Plume nods. "It's a symbol more than anything... but folks need symbols in times like this. It's why I have to watch how I go about my days, why Nesseth needs to watch himself even more. People are watching us, looking to us for... leadership? Inspiration? I'm not sure. But I'm doing what I can to help show that we won't be defeated by this..."
Maybelline blinks, "That... makes sense. They can't be looking to me though... can they?"
Doc Plume cocks their head before taking another sip of tea to consider this. "Maybe? I mean, you're not quite as visible, but you're still an important person in town. But you've also suffered a great loss, so I don't think anyone is expecting you to be stalwart and unmoving right now..."
Nesseth unlocks the door leading up into Plume's apartment and walks in, still dressed in his guard gear. He's looking quite tired at the moment, but still manages a warm smile upon seeing May and Plume having some snacks together over tea. "Hey there, you two. Wrapped things up at the barracks a little early, since we're still waiting on reports from the scouts out west."
Doc Plume looks over to Nesseth and smiles. "Ah, well, come join us if you want..."
Maybelline flinches at Plume's choice of words, fighting back tears. "I've not suffered any loss. She's just... Missing. But she'll be back. She'll be back." She sighs, before she glances at Nesseth and nods. "P-Plume said you caught and prepared the meat yourself... it's good. T-thank you."
Doc Plume frowns. "Oh May.. I didn't mean it that way. No of course she's not... just... lost as in waiting to be found again... not the other way. I'm so sorry." They reach out a hand and rest it over May's, giving a soft squeeze.
Nesseth hums and nods as he shuts the door behind him. "Glad you're enjoying it, May. Stocks are running a bit low, but... well, I'll be able to go out and get more after all this is done. Once we get word back from the scouts, we should be ready to mount a rescue."
Maybelline lets Plume's hand cradle hers and nods. "I know... I know. S-Sorry." She takes a deep breath, "A... rescue. They... they think they know where she is? Where... everyone is, I mean?"
Nesseth nods as he goes about setting some of his gear down in his usual spot next to a bookshelf. "Xochi knows they're out to the west, but not where, specifically... The scouts were sent out to find out a definitive trail further into the desert. If they find a solid trail, or even the location itself, we're good to go. A small group of scouts can move faster than a large cluster of guards."
Doc Plume takes the time to finish their sandwich, happy to have May's focus diverted from their slip of the tongue. "They should be back any day now, right?"
Nesseth shakes his head as he takes a seat at the table, clearly happy to get the weight off his feet for a bit as he leans a bit more heavily against the backrest. "I'm not sure. It'll depend on how much ground they can cover, if they find anything of note, and whether they run into any trouble while out that way."
Maybelline tilts her head, "I don't know Xochi... but... any sign is good, r-right? Your scouts know what they're doing... you know what you're doing. Louma trusts you, Nesseth."
Doc Plume pours Nesseth a cup of tea and nods. "Sure."
Nesseth nods with a hum as he accepts the cup of tea. He takes a few seconds to just let the warmth seep into his hands before he takes a sip. He remains silent as he enjoys the tea's flavors for several seconds longer. "I trust they'll find something we can all work off of going forward, and report back as soon as possible. Whether that's tomorrow or next week, though, I can't say. The sooner the better, of course..."
Doc Plume looks between May and Nesseth. "They're not secretive about those they choose to kill, so it seems likely that anyone we haven't found yet is alive..."
Maybelline nods, shakily taking another sip of tea. "Of course..." It takes her a moment to fully regain her composure, flinching again at the word 'kill', but otherwise holding it together. "Have we sent word back to Sarn? To Orela? To... anywhere? For help?"
Nesseth nods. "Word has gone out with the Bairnell guards that arrived with the last caravan. I don't think we'll see much of anything unless this continues for several more weeks, though, considering the travel times. At best, reinforcements will arrive in about a few weeks at earliest."
Maybelline sighs, "Magic can move mountains, but it certainly can't speed up bureaucracy, I suppose."
Doc Plume sips their own tea and looks between the other two. "It also can't speed ships, sadly. Trust me, if it could, my family would know about it."
Maybelline sits a moment in the silence, staring at her tea before she abruptly changes the subject. "I... I'm going to go back home today. Back to our home, I mean, Louma's and mine. I've neglected it, n-not wanted to face being there alone. I need to get it cleaned up, though."
Doc Plume squints for a moment, mentally wincing at that thought. "Oh... I'd forgotten that you two had moved in together." They sigh a bit. "If you want any help with that... or is it something you need to do yourself?"
Maybelline gives Plume a sad smile, "If there's anything I've learned in Respite... it's that I shouldn't decline help from friends. I can handle it on my own but... having someone there just in case I break would be... appreciated."
Nesseth looks over at Plume with a smile. "I think I've got the time to help out as well, if we wanted to just do it as a group."
Doc Plume looks to May. "My last appointment should be done about half-past four today. I'll come by the generator and collect you then?"
Maybelline nods, "Sounds like a plan... it's probably just... a bit of dusting and such. But... I've been a coward about it."
Nesseth hums and nods. "A bit of light work just to get things tidy again. Should be quick and easy with a few extra hands, yeah."
Maybelline smiles at her two friends, her determination creeping in as she refuses to be kept down for long, "I mean... I want our home to be ready for her... when she returns."
Doc Plume nods. "Of course. Who knows what she's been through. She'll need time to relax and recover and unless... well, home will probably be the best place for her." They finish their cup of tea and pour another round for everyone as the conversation shifts to lighter topics for the rest of the rendezvous.