Senkyou mounts Dulacth with such ease, waving to them. "Get up here, and hold on."
Keziah scrambles up onto Dulacth. Hey, being adragonback is pretty sweet.
Senkyou smiles, as Dulacth dives down pulling up and seeming so pleased with his ability to be agile.
Petrified Woods
Keziah slides down off the dragon and looks around as she peers at the… trees? Wait a minute here "This isn't a forest." she murmurs as she looks at the stone. "Is it?"
Neamon slides down Dulacth's side and looks around with vague interest. "It's marginally cleaner than camp. We can stay here."
Senkyou dismounts her dragon, hmming and looking at the two. "Ok, welcome to the hike. You two must traverse these woods, looking for a way back to camp." Dulacth rumbles, and she smiles. "We saw felines earlier, so don't get eaten. In case of emergency use firelizards to communicate to base, you may not let the firelizards lead you that is called cheating, and it's frowned upon." Dulacth seems anxious to leave, like he sense something bad or eery about this place. "If you give up send a firelizard and someone will find you within the next couple of days, incase of death or loss of limb your team may be marked off. Please bring back proof of death, including some remains of the person preferably big enough to prove it was that person, and not someone else." So now their maybe dead people here to? "when you're ready grab the stopwatch and start. " Smiling she mounts her dragon.
Neamon gives a long suffering sigh, before he shrugs. "You're leaving me with a girl?" An arch of his eyebrows to indicate Keziah. "Hopefully, she'll be quiet."
Keziah eyes Senkyou "Oh gee, that's wonderful." she murmurs as she shifts her pack a bit on her back and then pulls it off. She eyes Neamon "No, I'll be caterwauling day and night thank you." she notes brightly "I can scream so you'ld think a feline was hunting you down."
Neamon grumbles again, as he looks for the stopwatch to start this. "So. If you can be quiet and not bring the ravening beasts that live out here down on us, we might get home sometime tonight."
Neamon randomly picks a direction as he looks around. "I vote we go east. You have any better ideas?" He idly looks at the trees and shrugs. "Not like there's a lot to see here, but stone trees."
Keziah snorts at Neamon "Don't be such a girl she remarks as she digs in her pack for something and then sticks it in her pocket and then slips the pack back on her back. "Sure, why not. Sounds as good as any direction I suppose." she remarks. "Just don't get us wondering in circles.
Rolling Plains
Neamon is puffing slightly as he wanders on out of the stone forest, looking around. "Well, we found grass. Lots and lots of grass." He grouches slightly. "You still around, woman?"
Keziah looks across the plains and then whistles softly "Wow." she murmurs as she idly picks a long bit of grass and starts chewing on the stem. "No, I'm still back with the stoned trees." she states "And I'll say you certainly found grass. No doubt about it. Good job."
Neamon sticks his tongue out at Keziah. "Well, I don't see you finding anything else exciting. Well, back west is the trees. "So, Northward, ho?" A mildly interested look in her chewing habits. "You'll ruin your teeth of you do that. All the silica in the stems."
Keziah looks thoughfully at Neamon "And you care about how my teeth are?" she asks curiously and then pulls the little pouch that she had in her pocket from outta the back and checks the compass on it and then makes a few notes on the bad and a very rough sketch. Map making skills aren't her forte, but it helps her. "Sure. North we go."
Neamon nods his head, leading the way once more.
Lake Shore
Neamon ponders. "Water. I think this is the end of the path. Unless you'd care to go swimming. I'd pay money for that, actually. Did you bring a suit?"
Keziah peers at the water "I think there's one in here. Can't remember if I did or not. Don't often think about that since Reaches lake is generally too cold to really swim in. But wouldn't need a suit, but yeah lets go swimming. That'd be sweet, especially after sleeping on the ground and all." she admits. "You can pay me though if you want to go swimming."
Lake Shore
"Are you finished trying to drown yourself, woman?"
Keziah snorts a little "Drown? Hah. Just because you can't swim." she states.
Neamon hrrrmphs. "There's dolphins in the water. Who'd want to swim with them? Anyhow. Follow me. I'll get us lost just as quickly in another direction. You're noting where the lake is though, right? So if we're thirsty we can come back?"
Rolling Plains
Petrified Woods
Neamon gripes. "WEll, East, it ain't. What way now, woman?" He's tapping a foot, waiting on Keziah again. "If you think you can do better than me."
Keziah eyes Neamon "Dolphins. In the lake? Are you sure you didn't asphyxiate yourself trying to drown or something and started seeing things?" she asks as she follows him back "And yeah, I know where the lake is, but don't you have some water with ya?" She asks as she eyes the trees again. "Why not northwest?"
Neamon shrugs and points, idly. "Lead on oh fearless, something."
Jungle's Edge
Neamon continues talking. "Well, at least it's different. I bet there's tunnelsnakes this way. You're probably trying to get us both bitten, or eaten, aren't you. Well, what way are we going now?"
Keziah looks around around a bit "Well, least we've found some real trees." she states as she looks around. "Better than grassland, since I know we're not camped in grassland." She eyes Neamon "You are such a girl, aren't you? I say lets keep on the same track." she notes and continues towards the northwest.
Jungle Trail
Neamon continues to talk, idly looking around. "You found people. But wait, I did that as well." He nods toward Kacen. "So, what way do we not need to try?"
Neamon is busy yelling. "Woman, over here. What way now, since you're leading?" The other girls are ignored and he looks around. "Lot more choices it looks like."
Brighid looks back over her shoulder toward the southeast, "We just came from that direction…" She sounds like she's just about had it, "It seems like Kacen and I've been walking forever." She looks around, her spirits visibly drooping further, "And there's so many ways to go now…"
Keziah hmms a little as she looks around "Well, seems we can't continue on the same path and all, but since you're such a wuss, I'd say we go deeper into the jungle." she notes as she eyes him a moment. "Maybe something will eat you. You're worse than a girl."
Neamon hrrrmphs again. "Nobody'd want to eat you. You're probably all bones and bad attitude." He sighs. "You're in charge until we come to another dead end and it's my turn again."
Keziah rolls her eyes at Naemon and nods to Brighid "Yeah, we cam from there as well." she notes "It ain't too bad. Though iffen you go back that way and all you could find the lake, nice cool water. Good for a swim and all." she states as she starts heading for the southwest and into the thick jungle.
Thick Jungle
Neamon continues to shrug as he follows along. "Well, why are we stopping here? Don't see anything of note, beyond it got dark all of the sudden and such. And I'm not a girl. You're the girl, in case you've forgotten."
Keziah shakes her head and murmurs something about over his head and below his knees and through both his ears. "I stopped because I was waiting on you." she notes as she looks at him "Course I could just leave you here and all and maybe something would kill you and then your firelizard, do you have one, could go back and maybe prove it's your body and they'll come pick you up. Come one wuss."
Deep Dark Jungle
Neamon continues to whine. "My feet hurt, you're a slave driver, you know that?" He glances around. "More tunnelsnakes I bet. Or carnivorous wherries or something." He shakes his head. "Well, if we keep going south, where do you think we'll end up?"
Keziah rolls her eyes a bit and then stops suddenly and turns around to glare at him "You dead and me wanted for murder. Thats what." She snaps at him and then turns back to stomp off and then switches directions suddenly and heads towards the east. Through the bushes. That'll teach him.
Deserted Renegade Camp
Neamon is just like a pest, or a no see 'um, or something like that. "Did you think you'd really get rid of me that easily? Come on now. I want to go home. I really want to go home."
Keziah isn't listning to him now, in fact she's staring at something on the ground and is actually backing up a bit. Well least she didn't seem to be listening to him and she stumbles a little as she catches her foot on some brush. "Umm, yeah. Home." she murmurs.
Neamon sighs heavily and points out the nice, wide trail right there in front of them. "Can we quit stomping through bushes and follow that? I'll even take renegades at this point."
Keziah stares at Neamon a moment and then turns around without a word and heads back through the bushes muttering something about insensitive and blind idiots.
Deep Dark Jungle
"Ow!" Raelin gets pricked by something, well, prickly. She whimpers as she clutches her arm. There's a long red streak where a deeper cut was made, blood beginning to flow. Her shirt is more torn. Her resolve starts to shatter and she sniffles, blinking away some tears. "I don't like this anymore," she says, seemingly to no one in particular.
Neamon whines. "IT's my turn to lead. Since you got us to a deserted campground." He points west. "That way. We've not been that way, yet. And Faranth knows, we've been every other way."
Tropical River
Keziah is still quiet after that camp and what she saw. "Well, you found more water. You're good at that at least."
Neamon is gritting his teeth. "Are you keeping up, woman? And well, I don't want to be thirsty. That is a concern of mine. Should be one of yours, if you don't want to die out here, because of NO WATER."
Neamon sticks his tongue out and heads west.
Western Bank
Keziah peers at the water as she pulls a skin out of her pack "Yeah, that's why you bring water dummy." She notes and then puts it back in her pack "Well, would you look at that."
"Always with the water. Always water. Why can't I ever find oh. Our camp? That'd be pleasant." He looks around. "I'm still for heading as near we can to the west. You?"
Overgrown Path
Keziah shrugs a little "You're leading." she states "Till you get us to a place we can't go any further with." she adds as she continues to mark things in her pad. Mainly notes though little pictures here and there. "Well, this is a lovely place."
Neamon is trying not to trip as he continues to navigate, now forced to turn somewhat northerly on the path and way from the south westerly course they were taking.
Crossroad
Neamon says "Coinflipping time, I think. What's your best guess? We can go north east, or east. I honestly don't have a preference, beyond if you get me home, I might even remember your name.""
Keziah shrugs a little as she looks around "I say lets try east." she notes as she looks around a bit. "Might be fun going that way."
Neamon jerks his shoulder and heads east. "Alright. Can't be worse than this any other direction."
Western Marsh
Neamon shrieks. "Good going woman. You found us a swamp. Of all the dirty, icky, nasty places. You would pick here. I bet you just love mud, don't you?"
Keziah looks cute "Me?" she asks ever so sweetly. One only had to take a look at their location to know a marshy area was this way. That and a breeze helps too. Yes, she can be vindictive.
Neamon sticks his tongue out again. "Well, find the path out of here, lazy no account, female."
Keziah tilts her head a little "Don't stick it out, less you plan on using it." she states sweetly and then looks around. Path out? Ahh, be much more fun to stay in the muck. Just to make him suffer." She hmms a little and then strikes out north.
Northern Marsh
Neamon says "More swamp? You must like them. Do they feel like home? I bet you miss them all the time you're at Xanadu, don't you?"
Keziah eyes Neamon "You don't know much about Reaches, do you?" she asks with a tilt of her head as she hops from solid clump to solid clump and pnce about loses her boot in the much. She shakes her foot and then looks at Neamon and sighs and then heads towards the east.
Eastern Marsh
Neamon waves a hand. "Remember me. Your brave, swamp follower? Were too, oh, fearless leader? I'd rather not stop here and get eaten by the midges, you know."
Keziah glances at Neamon and then picks up some muck and heads towards him with it on her hand "Just spread this on you nice and thick. That'll keep ya from getting bit." she states as she tries to slather it on his arm.
Neamon winces at the slap, and then bends down to get his own handful of muck. "Well, we can't leave you out of this, you know. So here. Have some for your hair."
Keziah squeals momentarily, she couldn't help herself, but then she forces a grin on her face and smears it a little more on her head "Why thank you. You really are such a sweet little honeybun." she says in her most sickenly sweet voice and then turns and trudges on.
The Dead Wood
Neamon says "Great. You found the end of the swamp. Nice going, woman."
Keziah looks around and then she just starts to laugh. "Want to go for a swim? Doesn't seem to be any life around here to eat you up."
Neamon shakes his head. "Can we just head back out of the swamp, you're so fond of and maybe get home before I like, have to die?'
Northern Marsh
Keziah ahhs "Is the poor baby out of sorts?" she asks as she follows along behind him again. Her boots squishing through the lovely, lovely muck.
Neamon says "Oh, shove off. Just because you're a muck dweller doesn't mean the rest of us want to be. Why, I bet you could jsut move right in. And be perfectly happy here with all the bugs and the murk.""
Keziah rolls her eyes "At least they'd be better company than you." she states "I didn't realize guys could be such wimps."
Survival Camp - Campfire Square
Keziah is covered in muck, even in her hair and her hands are certainlya mess, and oh man the smell. Still she survived though, no thanks to the whiny brat by the name of Naemon who might never speak to her again after this, but oh well. She's happy and heads right for everyone else "That was fun!"
Senkyou comes to take Rae, and supports her, ready to carry her back. "She just needs some klah, and some bandaging up is all." Zekiel get a small nod, and she puts and arm under Raelin. "Hey Raelin, we'll get yu fixed come on." Dulacth moves closer and Senk shakes her head.
Wavering on her feet a bit, Raelin leans heavily on Senkyou. She winces as each of the cuts are aggrivated by the movement of Zekiel's jacket. Awww. It's almost like a boyfriend offering his girlfriend a jacket. How sweet. She mumbles something in reply to Senkyou, but seems too out of it to really formulate words.
Zekiel gives Senkyou a thoughtful nod, watching Raelin worriedly. "She's got a real bad cut on her arm." He notes with a nod to the arm in question. "I think something got into it, but I'm not sure." He dithers along beside the others, seeming more than a little fraught.
Keziah watches the others a moment and then frowns "What in the name of Faranth happend to you all?" she asks as she stares at Raelin "Something attack you?"
If only she had a good story about that. Raelin, attacked by… wild boar! Or something more cool than 'I explored, got soaked and scratched up, then a vine attacked me with thorns'. At the moment, all she can do is mumble her story to Keziah. She reaches an arm out in Zekiel's direction. "Don' go away," she manages to say towards the boy.
Senkyou takes Raelin and Zekiel into the leaders barracks, mostly just because Raelin is hurt badly enough she deserves a moment or two in their. "Come on, an' don't look so worried I ain't lettin her die. Though I might need to let her heal for a while." Entering the barracks with Zekiel and Raelin
Keziah arches an eyebrow a bit and well dispite having to deal with Naemon and that dead body, or well what was left of it. She didn't think it was all that bad. She flops down by the fire pit "I so need a bath." she mutters as she eyes the muck in her hair that's drying on the ends.
Harleanne stumbles through the marsh, icky grey mud on her boots and pants, scratches on her arms and things in her hair, and she looks utterly shocked — in a pleasant way — to have found her way out. She can't help but let out a delighted little scream, though, turning to Brighid.
Keziah starts at the sound of the scream and then grins "They made it! Yeah! No more dead bodies!" she exclaims and looks quite pleased about that. One long dead one was enough for her.
Brighid follows close behind Harleanne, squeeling with surprize at the other candidate's scream, her own voice holding a slight note of terror as she looks ready to bolt back into the marsh. She apparently doesn't even realize that they've found their way back.
Harleanne runs toward Brighid, ready to jump on the candidate, not even really registering anyone else's presence for the moment. Might be that her semi-reserved nature the rest of the time is stored for moments like this one. "WE MADE IT!" No mention of bodies from her: seeing them once was enough.
Keziah cheers for the pair "All right. I think that's all of us now." she murmurs "YOu all ain't hurt or nothin' like Raelin, are you?" she asks as she then looks towards the leader barrecks "Her arm didn't look too good. They dragged her off into there. I hope she ain't gonna die or something."
Other than a few scratches and a thorn pricks, Brighid looks pretty good aside from still looking a little panicy, but what Harleanne said finally sinks in and she looks around, a slow smile spreading across her tearstreaked and dirty face, "We made it! Oh my goodness, we made it!" She grabs Harley in a huge hug, "Oh thank goodness…" And now the girl looks like she's going to faint.
Keziah watches the girls and arches a brow a little "How long were you all out there anyways?" she asks after a moment. Sure her and Neamon spent some time wandering and all, and him whining the whole way, but it didn't seem that long and all.
Harleanne holds onto Brighid with a bit of surprise, but she grins ridiculously huge and nods a lot. Keziah's question earns a puzzled look from Harley, who shrugs. "Long enough? I dunno, I wasn't paying that much attention."
Brighid shrugs as well, "I really don't know. It seemed like practically forever, though…" She looks like she really just wants to forget all about the little adventure.
Keziah looks from to the other "Don't you think it'd be fun to do again? I wanna find my way back to that lake. That was pretty sweet." she peers off towards the marsh "Course, going back through that marsh wouldn't be too fun, but don't let Neamon know that. He thinks I'd be happy to live there. He's such a baby."
Harleanne lhas a completely blank look for Keziah. She shakes her head slowly. "I don't remember any lake, and I sure as Faranth's first clutch don't intend to go BACK." Though the word isn't used, there's a definite hint of 'you're crazy' to her tone.
Brighid looks at Keziah like she's grown a second head, "I don't /ever/ want to do anything like that again!" She shudders, looking a little sick for a moment before swallowing hard, "Not EVER!"
Keziah just blinks again "It wasn't that bad really now, was it? I mean sure the old dead bodies and all was something that really disturbed me, but it happened long ago and all. But there was some really pretty areas."
"Dead bodies, plants that tried to eat you, mud that tried to suck you under, a VOL. CAN. O," Harleanne lists off, shaking her head a little at each one. Exaggerating a bit, maybe, but there're her impressions. "Not really on my list of vacation spots." She frowns as if she's just remembered something, then looks toward the buildings. "What did you say happened to Raelin?"
Keziah stares "You saw a volcano?!" she asks with awe in her voice "Wow, we didn't see nothin' like that." her voice drops down to a whisper "And plants that eat you? Where were you? You sure you didn't hallucinate it or nothing? I mean Neamon was saying something about dolphins in the lake, but I think he tried to drownhimself and asphyxiated a bit." She blinks "Raelin? Dunno what happened, but her arm was really messed up, like something tried to eat it or something." Okay, so maybe that was stretching the truth a bit, or was it? "Oh wait, I think they said something about man-eating plants too. Maybe that's what nearly tore all of her arm off."
"Well, first of all," Brighid's voice takes on a lecturing tone, "I don't like being lost like that." She shudders at the mention of the bodies, "And I really /really/ don't ever want to see anything like that clearing again." She gets a sad look, "It scared me so badly, my firelizard went /between/. I'm sure he's back at Harper Hall, but he hasn't come back yet…"
Harleanne is taken aback by Keziah's response. Apparently Harley wasn't anticipating that, or being questioned. "Er, yeah, there was a volcano. The plants I may have stretched a bit, but they were big and thorny and everywhere, I'm sure they'd've eaten me if I'd stood still enough to give them a chance." A definitive nod punctuates that statement. Worry creases her brow, then. "I hope she's okay. And I'm sure your firelizard will come back," she offers to Brighid bracingly. "Soon, too, now that you've calmed down, or at least gotten excited in a happy way."
Keziah just looks amazed "Where was the volcano?" she asks "I wanna go see it." she looks back towards the marsh "Do you remember how to get there?" She isn't seriously thinking of looking for it… is she?
Harleanne certainly hopes not, and isn't going to encourage it. All the same she blinks and shakes her head. "I don't really remember where it was, but it wasn't really near the river or the marsh. Kinda the opposite direction. But at least you should get some rest before you head up there, if that's really what you want to do." She can read body-posture somewhat, at least.
Keziah hrms a little and nods as she looks around camp "Yeah, rest." she notes quietly and looks thoughful "Think I'll go and do that." she murmurs and gets up and moves towards a quiet spot away from most everyone and settles down to wait, err to sleep.
Harleanne blinks a little at Keziah. Again with the headshaking. A small mutter, mostly to herself — "Unbelievable," — and then she heads off to find herself a quiet place to recoup and recover.