A Trio of Travelers Becomes a Quartet.

A continuation of this log

Characters: Aikuen, William, Kentar, Fira

Locations: North Path: Old Stone Bridge, Northern Woods

North Path: Old Stone Bridge

Orph walks onto the bridge, his companions a ways behind him still as he scouts out the route before them before calling them forward.

Fira is sat on the edge of the bridge, fishing the old fashioned way with a line. Makes for a peaceful evening. As per usual she doesn't actually hear Orph coming but at least this time she does catch sight of the little rat out the corner of her eye. She looks a little amused when she looks over "Well well, can't go more than a week without seeing you about lately hmm?"

Orph smiles almost apologetically, "We have t cross the bridge. Not like we were lookin for ya." He leans over to see what she's doing, head swaying all the while, "Catch anything yet?"

Fira just lets the line dangle down into the water, giving it the odd little twitch. She shrugs a shoulder in response "Couple of tiny ones, nothing worth keeping yet...looks like you've been through the wars since last saw you up this way

Orph shrugs, "Woods aren't as peaceful as some say they are. I'm doin' alroight though. .... Pa an me an my friend Kentar are goin on a trip. I'm leadin em."

Fira raises a brow, pausing briefly before looking back up the road, look for his friends. Can just about see them coming and she looks back to the rat again "Heh, get trouble in the woods so go out on a trip? Bold. That them back there?" nodding down the road.

Orph says, "Yeah. Th otter's my Pa and th stoat's a friend of ours. I'd been planin' this trip since before what happened an no vermin fox is stopping me nor no other beast either."

Fira starts to pull her line back in, keeping eyes on Orph though, keep up with the conversation "Fox? Yeash. Not a dull moment for you. Where're you off to on this trip of yours then?"

Orph says, "That's to be a surprise."

Fira smirks faintly "Feel sorry that lot. Blindly walking. Still, least you can get lost and they'll never know"

Orph says, "Nah, I don't go too far from em no more .... don't want t loose th other eye .... We're headed north an after we hit th river we'll follow it east."

Fira finally pulls in the last of the line, no fish but seems she's given in for now. She peers at the eyepatch when he mentions it "Ah, so that's not just a temporary thing then?"

Orph shakes his head. "No. .... You, want t join us on our trip? Ya seems t be gonna th same way anyhow."

Fira chuckles oddly, sounds a little off "I just rotate the area, I never actually go anywhere...sure though, suppose I could tag along on your mystery journey"

Orph motions with a paw for the two following him to join him on the bridge.

Kentar yawns and proceeds along onto the bridge, giving a quiet nod to the two.

Aikuen follows the stoat but seems to still be preoccupied with rolling up the tarp they'd slept under last night.

Fira nods back with an "Afternoon" before she quickly brings her bag round, tuck the fishing line into it and trying to get her eyes back on them as soon as possible. Got three to keep up with now.

Kentar yawns a bit. "Maybe we should like...take a break or something?" he suggests. Getting a bit of a nod from the Will and Aikuen, he just flops on the bridge and stares into the sky.

Fira stays sat on the edge of the bridge, watching them for a moment before she smirks "May as well have kept out the fishing line"

Kentar chuckles a bit. "You could have" he hehs. "Sorry" the stoat yawns and continues to stare upward.

Fira just catches the stoat speaking but since he's looking up she has to crane her head up to try and catch what he's saying "...I'm sorry, was that at me? Might have to turn my way? Didn't really catch it" she's not just being a pain in the neck, she has good reason.

Kentar blinks and sits up, looking over. "Sorry" he chuckles. "I said I'm sorry about the fishing line" he nods.

Fira ahs, nodding once slowly "Much better, thanks...It's a deaf lip reading thing, it's kinda hard to do when beast's not facing you" feels the need to explain! "Fira by the by. Apparently I'm playing tag along"

Kentar ahs and chuckles. "Not a problem" he nods before extending his paw. "Kentar...pleased to meet you" he smiles.

Fira leans over to shake the paw, small grin creeping in "Yeah, Will mentioned. Him I've met before. Keeps popping up from time to time"

Kentar nods, chuckling. "He does that a lot. Pops up when you least expect it" he laughs.

Fira smirks once more "Imagine how much worse it'd be if you never heard him coming. Last time before today near enough walked into him"

Kentar hehs and smirks. "I bet" he replies before standing and looking over the edge of the bridge. "Hmm.."

Fira follows his eyes over the side of the bridge, alas can't look for long for fear of missing words so has to look back to him "It's a fair bit down, wouldn't advise it less you can swim"

Kentar chuckles and nods, looking down over the bridge some more. "I can't swim, so I doubt I'll be going down there anytime soon"

Fira slowly grins again "Pity, it's kinda fun when you hit the water after the fall" obviously jumped off the bridge at least once in her life.

Kentar hehs. "I'm not an otter, I can't swim as well as you can" the stoat laughs. "Or at all in my case" he shrugs.

Kentar shrugs and sits back down. "Oh...was saying about how I wanted to leave the abbey for a while...was invited to come along..." he says. "I didn't object very much. Travel is travel..." he smiles a bit more. "Better with friends too"

Orph leans against the opposite rail watching the otter-maid and stoat, with his head turned to the left so he see them properly.

Fira nods along, small smirk "Sounds about right. Never done it much but definitely get less trouble the more of you there are"

Aikuen finally finishes rolling up the tarp, he grunts as he stuffs it back into his pack, "Stupid... Thing...erff" He looks up and sees a new beast... and not only that... an otter-maid. He smiles warmly, "Well Hello! The name is Aikuen, but you can call me Aik!" He drops the pack on the bridge.

Kentar chuckles. "Yeah..." he just nods and yawns before watching the others, deciding to wander near Will.

Fira sees more movement and there's Aikuen looking at her, gets enough of her attention to catch the words. Smirk remains and she raises a paw briefly in a lazy wave "Hey, Fira. It doesn't shorten I'm afraid"

Orph smiles at Kentar as he comes over, "Not much past here til we come to th river," he closes his eye thinking on how nice it will be to go back for a while, his ears still as alert as ever.

Kentar nods some. "right" he says before sitting down. "Why did you ask me to come with you when I mentioned that I wanted to leave the abbey?" he asks.

Orph shrugs, "I wanted to. An ya said ya wanted t go explorin an I was goin anyhow so why not ask ya t come long? Iffen ya don't want t go you can go back t th Abbey, don't matter too much ..." the rat's eye is still closed as he talks, he ears swiveling about keeping him aware of what's going on around him.

Kentar laughs and smiles. "Why would I want to go back?" he asks. "I'm traveling...with friends. No point in going back" He chuckles. "I wanted to thank you anyways" he smiles more. "I'm glad you asked"

Orph turns his face away from the stoat, "Good. Would't a let ya go back anyway."

Fira doesn't exactly scream it from the rooftops. Be bit pointless for a start, what are beasts going to do? Yell back back up at her? She keeps an eye on the lot of them, catching the odd word when head's in the right direction.

Kentar tilts his head and chuckles. "Why not?"

Orph turns to face the stoat, eye now open and narrowed at Kentar. "Cause I don't want ya t go back yet. I like ya an we're friends an I want ya t come along."

Kentar smiles, and chuckles. "Well don't worry...I like ya too so I won't be going back any time soon"

Aikuen watches the rattling and the stoat for a bit before turning his attention back to Fira. He walks over to her and plops down. He says, "So you know Will... He didn't tell me about you. How are you..."

Orph sighs and leans his head back against the railing. Why had he invited so many others to join him again? Oh yeah that whole 'safety in numbers' thing, right. Well, with any lucky they'd figure out how important this trip was sooner or later and not ruin it for him.

Fira seems quite content to remain sat on the edge of the bridge, turning her eyes back onto Aikuen again when he comes back over "Met him couple of times on the road now, doubt my random food gathering makes the greatest news" she smirks "Did mention you but I suppose he would" how she is goes without saying but she looks quite chirpy.

Orph is ready to get moving again. "Everyone ready to move on?" he asks.

Kentar nods and stands up quickly. "I am" he says, slinging his pack over his shoulder.

Aikuen hears William, so he gets up and heads over to him. He says, "I'm always set..." He rearranges his pack. The two new packages that he got swing behind him.

Orph looks over to Fira, "You ready?"

Fira completely misses Will's question the first time round but with all the movement she can guess. Bag's tossed on her shoulder, spear gets picked back up. She's ready, quick glance round aaaand Will's looking at her...Ok so she missed that question too. She nods once, go for a yes.

Orph says, "Good. We'll keep on going north til we reach the river." Having said this the rat crosses the bridge and continues northward.

North Path

Orph leads the way north. He leads the others along the road and through the woodlands, far from civilization.

Fira, despite the stuff she might miss is mostly watching the edge of the road and the woods beyond it. Old habits die hard, she's keeping eye out for food.

Kentar just keeps walking behind Will, still being quiet. Quiet stoat this one, but he doesn't seem to mind the quiet as well.

Aikuen follows William. With so many beasts, don't need to be exactly quiet. He is looking at one of his packages which clinks and clanks. He breaks the silence with a grumble, "Argh... Thats what he meet when he said i needed to put it together."

Orph stops to look back at Aikuen. "Need us to stop a while Pa?" he asks confused, knowing nothing about armor.

Aikuen nods slightly, "If no beast minds... Its a lot easier to attached these when we are not moving..." He holds up what looks like a round piece of metal, with leather strapping's.

Lack of obvious food causes Fira to glance back again and catch half of the conversation, tilting her head curiously at the bit of metal.

Kentar shrugs. "I don't mind stopping" he replies.

Aikuen stops and heads for the side of the road. He drops the bag of armor plates, and they spill open, but he doesn't mind at the moment. He takes off the pack, and sets it down carefully. He drops to the ground, and nods to the others, "Thanks Mates, this should only take a moment, Here you guys can have a snack...and a drink, while i work" He opens the side pocket of his pack, and points at it. He picks up the largest piece of metal plate and places it on his left shoulder, and begins to tie it under his arm.

Kentar sits down with a thud on the ground, taking off his pack and taking out a flask, taking a drink from it.

Orph takes the jar of soup out of Aikuen's bag and passes it to Kentar, "Hold this," the rat rummages through the otter's pack of food.

Fira finally sees the bits of metal for what they are but it causes another tilt of the head "Armour? Won't that be a little uncomfortable to go walking about in?"

Kentar hrms and nods, taking the jar, holding it firmly as not to drop it.

Orph has finish rummaging through the pack. It's true, no hotroot or none he could find anyway. He holds his paw out to Kentar for the soup. /Wouln't be time to make some soup anyway ... and no way to carry it./ he tells himself.

Aikuen has placed three more scaled plates on his left shoulder. Its about halfway to the elbow. He looks to the other otter and smiles, "Not really, This is scaled Armor... Very mobile... Sides used to wear something like this since... i was your age. And its only for my left arm." He attaches another plate, under lapping the last plate. He sees that Fira isn't eating anything, and points at the pack, "Aren't you hungry?"

Kentar Gives the soup back and watches with a bit of a yawn, smiling some.

Orph opens the jar of soup a takes a slip before closing it again and handing it back to the stoat.

Fira shrugs a shoulder "Looks heavy all the same, still, your shoulder pains oh apparently old one" Will, Kentar and the pack all get a glance as the point but she doesn't seem in a rush to go for it, looking back to Aik again "Not much for snacking, cook when I'm really hungry. Saves food"

Kentar takes it back and holds it on his knee for a moment, still watching.

"You can have some of that," the rat says off-handily to the stoat as he goes to watching Aikuen.

Kentar Hms and ohs, shaking his head. "I'm good for now, thanks" he says.

Aikuen attaches the elbow pad, and bends it to test it. It moves perfectly, and without noise. He looks to Fira, "Figured out im in pain when i move it... huh matey. Aye, it does... but it doesn't make that noise when i move it." He makes a show of moving his shoulder, and true there is no noise, but the otter grimaces with pain. He laughs at the last statement she said, "Save food? Ive packed enough for a beast for a season. I think we will have enough..." He begins to attach the next plate.

Fira can agree that she certainly can't hear any noise coming from it but that hardly means much. A brow raises "I'll take your word for it on the noise but why wear something that hurts?...As to food, have you brought enough for four beasts for a season? And some extra if Will meets anyone else to invite along?" amusement there.

Aikuen scratches his head with his left arm, "Well if push comes to shove, i can always find some more... As long there is no wastelands ahead." He places the last plate on his arm, Which is a bracer of leather that goes over his claws. He nods to William, "Aye! all set... and i think it looks great! HeeHee." He stands back up, and gives it a twist. Though he is in pain, he cant help but smile. He places the the armored arm back into his sling, then begins repacking what was taken out of his pack.

Fira doesn't have much stuff, she never unpacked, she's practically coming pre ready to move off again, she hasn't even bothered to sit down. She just shakes her head a little at Aikuen's words, still a little amused but heh, thinks he's little crazy

Orph asks, "Pa, what's in that other package you got at the armor shop?"

Kentar follows along, no longer quiet, the stoat quietly humming a happy travel tune.

Aikuen smiles, "You'll find out soon enough matey... When we stop tonight... Heh" He laughs silently.

Kentar gives a nice wide grin. "Iffen it is, oi wants 'un too" he laughs loudly, trying to make a joke.

Aikuen shrugs, "Im not sure mate... could be..." He smiles, "You will never know, until later... " He laughs at Kentars 'joke' "Haha Matey, but im not telling!"

Kentar chuckles and smiles, following close behind, thinking still before going back to his tune humming

Orph sits down on the look for a minute to rest. "How's yurr arm doin Pa?"

Aikuen sits next to Will, twisting his arm a bit, "Its doing a lot better then what it once was... Still pains some... but not as much. And the armor will now protect it" He takes the cloth from his pocket and wipes his brow.

Orph says, "It's hot."

Kentar sits down next to the two, taking out a flask and taking a drink from it.

Orph unhooks his canteen and takes a drink from it. "Long trip. But it'd be hotter at th Abbey."

Kentar yawns and looks up to the sky. "So how long is the trip going to take, can I ask?" he asks.

Aikuen nods, and takes the canteen from behind him. He lightly dampens the cloth and hands it to William, "Wrap this around your neck, itll keep you cool." He takes a drink from the same canteen.

Kentar yawns and looks up to the sky. "So how long is the trip going to take, can I ask?" he asks.

Orph shrugs, "A few weeks maybe a month not counting the trip back."

Kentar gives a bit of a nod and a smile. "Sounds good..." he looks down at the mention of the trip back, but he says nothing else

Orph says, "We'll probably stay there a few days and there a place over there we may go to .... if it's still there."

Aikuen gulps more water before re corking it, and placing it behind him. He grunts, "Well I packed enough supplies, so how ever long we stay... we will be good."

Kentar nods slowly to the otter but then glares into the sky, hrming quietly.

North Path: Northern Woods

Orph stops along the road and sits down, "We'll stop here for a while. It's gonna be a long way still an it's getting dark. You gonna need any help settin up th tent Pa?"

Aikuen stops and gives a quick look around, nodding he says, "Not with the tent, But how would you beasts like some warm food tonight. If you do, Then Will, build a pit. And Kentar, Go collect some logs. Im going to set up the tent" He drops the pack on the ground, and opens the main pouch, pulling out the tarp.

Kentar keeps standing when the group stops. He looks around as he sets his pack on the ground. "I'll...uh...be back in a sec" he says before vanishing, not responding to the bit of the logs.

Orph watches Kentar go off to find wood, or so he assumes. William shrugs an kneels down a ways from the road in a clear spot and digs out a fire pit without any trouble, keeping plenty of dirt around it so the trees and grasses nearby won't catch fire. After that part is done he looks around for some rocks to put around it.

Aikuen pulls out the once nicely folded tarp and places it on the ground. He then looks for three longs sticks, to help prop up the tent. Finding them, he places it near the tarp. He looks back at Fira, who has been watching Will create the pit, and Aik decided to not make a lean to, and decided to make a Triangle Tent for her. He sets to the two stick into the ground and pounds them in with the hilt of his sword. Then takes the third and lays it across the top. He then takes the tarp and throws it over. Then he stretches out the sides, and holds them down with large rocks. Smiling at his work, he looks to Williams progress, "Hows it coming matey?"

Orph finishes lay the last of the rocks, having made a wall with them around the fire pit, "Just finished it." the dibbun wipes his dirty paws off on his shirt. "You said you'd tell me what was in that other package later an it's later /now/." he says hopefully.

Kentar takes what seems like forever but he returns soon. The stoat has his sword drawn, and he also has quite a few logs as well, dropping them near the fire. "Sorry I took so long...Thought I heard something, went scouting for a bit. And got the wood on my way back" he slides the sword away.

Orph says, "You don't need t go by yourself t do that. See anything?"

Aikuen rubs an claw in his ear. There was some beast around and he didn't hear it. He must be getting old, he thinks to himself. Or maybe the Stoat is jumpy. The otter gives a quick look around, before asking militarily like "Do we have the all clear?"

Kentar shakes his head. "Probably just my mind playing tricks on me again. Does that when I have stuff on it" he shrugs, sitting down.

Orph nods understandingly. He spaces out sometimes when thinking too deeply. "Mind me askin what's on yurr mind? Ya don't have t answer, just wonderin."

Aikuen nods a little, before using the logs that Kentar brought, to start a fire.

Kentar shrugs and lays back, staring at the sky. "I'm just thinking about the trip is all..." he says. "Nothing really important" of course >.>

Kentar nods. "S-Sort of I guess" he replies.

The fire starts with a whoof! And the older otter begins to unpack the food supplies.

Aikuen looks up and asks, "Scone or a Biscuit" He places two of each near the flames.

"Biscuit for me." the rat calls over to the older otter. "What don't you like about the trip?" he asks the stoat.

Kentar blinks and shrugs. "I don't know...I'm just...not comfortable with saying...yet"

Orph says, "Ok." The rat turns back to Aikuen and in a sing-song voice he calls over, "You still haven't told me what's in the other package like you said you would."

Aikuen pokes the food with a claw. Seeing that they're nice and warmed up, he passes out the food. A Biscuit for himself, and Will. And a scone for Kentar, and Fira. He eyes William, the takes the package from behind him, and places it on his lap. He says, "Well at first i was going to wait until you were old enough... But seeing as you lost your dagger, and i think your old enough to handle one... I had something made just for you." He taps the package with his claws.

Orph's eyes er eye lights up at this, "Really?! What is it?!" He's pretty sure what it is, but you never know.

Kentar slowly sits up and watches the two.

Aikuen smiles and begins to unravel the package. After that he looks to William, "What do you think?". It is a Steel Short Sword, Almost Exactly the one Aikuen has sheathed right now. An ice point caresses the top, to a dual edge that only stops to about an inch of the Hilt. The Double Hilt, is solid Steel, and the handle is wrapped in a leather bracing. The only major difference between this one and the one the otter has, that the engraving says 'William Redfang, Son of Aikuen Tazan' Inscribed from bottom to top. Also in the package, is a matching sheath to go with it. The otter hands both to the Rattling

Orph removes his cloth belt and replaces it with the new leather one with his new sword's sheath at the left side and his canteen hanging on the right. He admires the sword for a while in awe of it and it has his name on it too. After some long minutes he sheathed it very happy about all this. "Thank you Pa!" he walks over and hugs the otter tightly.

Kentar watches the Rat's reaction, chuckling a bit before laying back some more, still watching them, but also paying more attention to the fire.

Aikuen returns the hug, and winks at the Rattling, "Just be careful with it, and make its new owner proud!" He turns to Kentar, "I guess its time to get some sleep eh matey..." He looks to Fira, "You can have the tent... We can sleep out here." He takes out four small bedrolls and hands them to each beast. Unraveling his by the fire, he sits down on it.

Orph nods still excited. He takes one of the bedrolls and wanders the camp site studying the ground as he goes before stopping and digging out a narrow burrow for himself pulling the bedroll in after himself. It doesn't quite make it and he has to push it out a little so as not to block the burrow completely and allow for air flow. Satisfied with his temporary sleeping arrangements, he settles down to go to sleep, with his new sword at his side.

Fira takes a bedroll and enters the tent.

Kentar hrms and shrugs. "I'm probably going to go for a walk for a while...I'll get some sleep when I get back I guess" The stoat shrugs, slowly standing.

Aikuen nods, "Okay, Be careful, I'll be on watch... Three Whistle bursts if you need me..." He closes his eyes, but remains sitting upright.