Move 450: Camping in the Hook CavesHook Horror Caverns--Early, Day 42 (Marpenoth 25)
"The pool is just water," the tiger-man responded. "I have never seen anything threatening in it." Again, he started to respond to the question about his name and abruptly stopped when the woman with the sword indicated that she did not want to know. Arachne and Azrun walked over to the quaggoth skins, which were pulled back to reveal four ornate wooden coffers and a gem-hilted silvered long sword in an emerald-encrusted scabbard.
The business of getting the two unconscious party members settled in was started. Even though technically, it was still early in the day, the group had been up and about for several hours. Jana was visibly exhausted from not getting enough sleep last time they had camped, in addition to being hurt. Aloysius was still a mule.
The mule walked in the direction of the pool. Once he got to within about 10 feet or so, his shape once again began to change. The mule's form became markedly smaller with its limbs becoming much shorter and bony ridges rising on its back. Once the transformation was complete, a large snapping turtle stood where the mule had been. The turtle crawled towards the pool and slid into the water.
Echo motioned for Jana, and anyone else interested in hearing, to listen to her away from the tiger's ears. "Do we have a plan on what to do with him?" she asked quietly. "If not, I have a suggestion. It might not be practical," she admitted, "but I think it would get him out of our way."
Jana directed Tigger to a corner where she could watch him but still speak somewhat privately with Echo and anyone else who came over.
"I'd love to hear it," Jana said with a sigh. "Because frankly, we can't keep him with us. It's beyond foolish. If he gets free, he'll kill us, or at least try. Or run to get some friends and then kill us." She rubbed at her face then sipped some water, neither of which seemed to help.
Arachne stopped, held still and then shook her head. "I must be doing something wrong," she muttered.
Azrun picked up the sword and scabbard and studied it's design. He looked at the tiger man, "I'd just like to look at it. It looks very nice. What are in the coffers? Coins & Gems?"
The tiger creature nodded, "Mostly. There are some ornaments and trinkets in one of them."
Azrun smiled, "Thanks you." He continued to examine the sword. After a bit he smiled, "This is a very old sword indeed. Is it yours? Do you know the story behind it?" He looked down to the sword again, "A long tim ago, a wizard made this sword for a close personal friend of hers. He was a ranger who explored the Underdark. I'd be guessing that it has some interesting abilities. It's very pretty." Azrun put the sword back where he found it and then examined the cofffers.
Standing by Azrun's knees, Arachne peered in under the quaggoth canopy. She ignored the sword and coffers. "I want a purse," she said, in a low, intense voice. "I _lose_ things and I want a purse so that I'll know where I lost them. I also want a bucket. A clean bucket. Everybody's still injured and they're going to stay injured for a while if they only have me to do any healing so I at least want to clean those wounds. I want..." She sighed. "I want a nap..."
"I'm volunteering someone else for something," Echo also admitted. "Arachne can teleport him to the surface. Give him to Garyld or Lord whatshisname or even take him off somewhere secluded if you don't want to turn him over to authorities. If you or Blacky
goes, I doubt he'd try anything. Even if they let him go, he can't get back to us," she shrugged. "He wouldn't be our problem anymore.""Azrun probably needs supplies from town anyway. Maybe Kanon and Arachne too. I don't know how much they lost."
"I can live with that," Jana replied with a nod. "Of course," she added in a whisper, "whoever we turn him over to will probably kill him. But like I said, I can live with that." She raised her voice back up just a little. "Maybe Arachne can take me and Tigger and you. After we turn him over, we can buy up supplies while Arachne rests and you can, you know, see if your mom is still around?"
"Garyld seems to be a fair man," Echo shrugged. "He can deal with him in the right way. Honestly he didn't do anything wrong. Or any worse than us. We attacked first. I know that's probably because we beat him to it but you know," she shrugged again.
"Azrun should go with you if he needs supplies," Echo said, hedging a little. "Arachne can't take too many people. If she is willing to do it at all."
"I'm sure Garyld will do whatever's right. And I'm sure you and I can handle the supplies ourselves," Jana replied with an innocent smile. "We'll just make a list."
After a minute or so, the turtle emerged from the pool and crawled back onto the cave floor. The figure starting growing and changing into a golden-brown color. Soon, the turtle had transformed into a medium-sized dog that promptly shook itself vigorously in an effort to get the water off of its fur. After a series of vigorous shakes, the dog changed back into Aloysius. "Oh my, that water is cold," noted the mage with a shiver. "But I didn't detect anything alive in the water, nor did I see anything else of interest. There was, however, a current of sorts," he noted with interest, "but it was rather slight. Perhaps some or all of these pools are connected with one another." He examined his still wet clothes. "Methinks Stargazer had best change." He sat down near a wall and began rooting through his pack, looking for some dry clothes.
Azrun looked up from whatever he was doing, "I'd rather not go anyway....not for this at least."
"A list?" Echo asked. She shook her head. "I don't think I can go," she said very softly, tears coming to her eyes. "Like I said before. It's too soon for me to see her."
The small gnome glanced over at Jana in surprise. "Now?" she asked. "With everyone all beaten up and --" She waved a hand helplessly. "Well, if we're out of supplies, then I guess we're out and need to go shopping -- You want to take Saddam? Does he want to go? I'll need to rest first ..." She leaned against Azrun's leg.
Jana looked over at Arachne, surprised she'd heard her just-above-a-whisper comments. "No, not now. After everyone's rested."
Echo sniffled before she said, "I think there'll be time while Aloysius examines the rock. If he wants to use the spell I think he does, the one that makes the caster tired. It might help us figure out how to get Renn back." She managed a questioning smile in Aloysius's direction, but when she saw he was changing clothes, she looked away.
"Hey," Jana whispered, startled, "it's okay, you don't gotta. I mean, it's okay if you aren't, uhm, ready yet." Jana's expression was somewhere between confused and hurt. "Azrun can go and take Blacky with him. It'll be okay. They can deliver a message if you wanna. Or not, whatever you want."
Dalgaer said, "I think I'm the most awake, and least wounded, of the warriors. Let me guard him, Jana. You clearly need some sleep. After everyone is rested we can decide our next move."
Dalgaer gave Arachne an encouraging smile, "You should rest as well, beautiful."
Then he walked over to the beast and stood next to him ax in hand. "I suppose you should sleep as well."
"Huh?" Arachne stared up at him, even after Dalgaer turned to swagger intimidatingly over to the tiger-man. "But I'm a mess!" She looked up at the bard she was leaning against and asked very softly, "Do you think he likes me?"
Jana nodded reluctantly. After her conversation with Echo, she walked over to Dalgaer and spoke quietly with him. "I don't trust the furball. I don't know why some of the others are so ready to accept his word, but I'm convinced if he has the least little chance, he'll kill us all. I don't know if he has to read a book or something to get his magic back, but I don't recall us finding one so maybe not and we've already seen what his spells can do. Keep his hands bound all the time and I think it's safer to gag him, too. That gonna work for you?"
Aloysius stripped off most of his clothes and quickly changed into some other clothes he pulled from his pack. As usual, he didn't seem at all bothered by exposing 95% of his body to the others. Once he got changed, he spread his wetter clothes out on the floor. "I'll look through my things to see if I need any more supplies beyond the standard fare. Once we have rested a bit, I intend to analyze the rock formation. Perhaps I can look at that sword as well, and anything else of interest in the coffers." He looked at the tiger man. "Do any of the things in the coffers bear enchantment? Tell us where you obtained that sword."
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