[IC] 14 Years and Counting // Walking Dead

Take a Gander Boys and Girls for there at the foot of Hood is our Lasthope; our home.
Ahead of us is either Adventure or our Ends
We are the Band of Hood and

"We Dare To Live"

We don't know what's out there
We don't know if there are armies of the Risen
Or worst Beasts in Human Guise and we don't care
We will Face them, we will overcome them.
We may be the children of Lasthope but ours not Lost
We will survive and our children safe.

Those are the words Jain said as if giving a speech to an election crowd or a Warleader to her troopers just before a battle and she meant every word.

She had two squad of Troopers numbering 16 strong, and their 3 leaders making for 19 total, add to that 2 Docs, a Tech and the 7 Muleskinners. Then came the animals that numbered at least 20 dogs, 40 horses and 5 Ravens. She lead a small expedition like a bull has small balls but that’s what Command had called them when they weren’t trying to Tag them the Band of Misfits.

It was her first Solo Command and Comber had told her it was exactly why she and those assigned under her were young; they could endure hardships older Troopers might have difficulty doing. He had stressed to her the importance of mapping out needed material locations because every year they waited nature destroyed the tech that was most needed pushing them farther back and Lasthope wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

There was more to the Chief’s speechifying but the gist was “Ride East, Take a Look around, Make Friends and Tag Enemies” so that was her plan and she was dead set on seeing Lake Superior in Minnesota or the Mississippi River which ever course was most promising. She had the tools and the people to Map Lasthope History; who knew she and her people might even be remembered years from now as the Lewis and Clarks of their age.

They had a destination and the hopes of finding other survivors as they headed first for the old Palmer Ranch near the Idaho border and Maisy’s former home which might be either a treasure or shock for her Second in command; maybe a bit of both.

She had already sent out Rafe and Athena early that morning to Celestial Falls which would be their mid day camp if there was no trouble; who knew they might enjoy the Falls.

It was a quiet morning and the troopers moved along walking their mounts at a steady pace to save their mounts energy with 6 mounted stretched out fore and aft as well as the wings. It was towards the end of Spring and the Bear Grass in full bloom. It was the kind of morning that made people complacent and in unknown country safety is measured in properly balanced Paranoia and Vigilance.

Jain was happy to see the Troop Dogs spread out around their masters hoping to find something in hiding. The strangest of them were the two huge Irish Wolfhounds whose sliver grey heads floated above the bear grass like the fins of sharks as they sought prey.

It didn’t take long for the two monsters to spring up a young deer which they herded towards the column.

---

---

Setting and other stuff

Stuff

The country around us is mountainous and as much as we may want walking straight to the east is impossible so you are forced to use roads out of Mount Hood Meadows which are screaming to be farmed or ranched as so as yall have the people to spread out more.

Roads are lonely and wind through the terrain following the easiest path through the topography. (Of course not as pretty as the one I pictured but other than cracks through which grass grows and the occasional washout serviceable)

Till we are free of the mountains we are held to the roads but once we reach open ground the other side of the Rockies we can move more cautiously, which will be helpful on the open plains

We are in River country as well and need bridges to cross them.

We will ride through a couple of small towns along the way because going around would be insane.

When we move through such close areas as towns everyone will be mounted and form sweeper teams to screen our movement against Risen

@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@Poi@FortunesFaded@Wick

[RumikoOhara]

Jain sat atop Danny scanning the horizon looking for the telltale traces of Smoke which might reveal a human encampment and any Heliograph messages from her Scouts. Then she turned her eyes to the road and its cracked surface searching for and traces of heavy activity in the weeds and grass that filled the gaps and forced them wider.

She was happy to see that the road showed no trace of a wagon or train of horses in about two weeks which meant they shared the road with no one for the moment.

She felt out of sorts in her new position as Leader already missing the days of crawling through the grass and following a Track with Rafe her annoying Scout Partner but if the council said you do something you did it and besides she’d do anything for Chief so her trap was snapped.

Danny ate the flowers of the Bear Grass whenever it came in range something the horses would have found too rough a fair to digest but to a Mule was delicious. If Danny had not proved a good Scout’s mule he would likely be a pack animal under the Pony Princess Amelia. He and she such a good team these last three years were now a permanent couple and she could be happier.

It was while Danny pulled another snack that Jain felt him tense and lift his head and stop chewing his long rabbit ears pivoting like radar dishes as they honed in on the source of his disturbance. Jain used Silent American sign language to let her second in command know she would have the mount the entire troop as Jain rode towards the left wing of the Column to give Danny’s ears a closer shot at focusing on whatever he had heard.

@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@Poi@FortunesFaded@Wick

[Wick]

April Hayes

Thwack! April smiled as her slingshot hit it's target right in the middle of it's somewhat oozing skull. As the walker slumped to the ground, dead for the second time she sighed at the lost soul that once was a human. Her mind flashed on her mother's face and then it disappeared as she smelled something in the air.

Raising up for a better sniff she looked around and over the hill. There was the charred remains of a campfire. Her movements smooth and agile as she practically leaped down to the campsite. It showed that there had been only a couple of people and at least one animal, dog or wolf hybrid possibly. She could tell it had been abandoned maybe an hour or so ago.

The tracks were pretty easy to follow, until they weren't. They seemed to disappear into thin air. April backtracked and followed the animal and picked up their track again. They seemed to be lost for a little while. April looked up ahead. There was a drop off and she had a bad feeling about this. She looked over the edge and saw a walker eating the dog. Where was the other person?

April whistled and a pit bull mix ran up to her. Affixing a note to the dog's collar she said, "Go to Jain." April watched the animal head back the way she had come.

@Polaris North @Dnafein @Joker892 @Poi @FortunesFaded @Rumikoohara @DeadDrop

[Joker892]

A heavy sigh escaped Hector as he finished going through a lone corpses belongings and held up a single bullet. He shook his head as he rose to his feet and looked to his team who were finishing their own searches from their recent kills. "Well, now I just need a gun and I can finally blow my brains out from constant disappointment," he chuckled dryly and placed the bullet into his pocket. "Find anything?" he asked his team.

"Nope."

"Nein."

"I got a rock."

Hector pinched the bridge of his nose as one of the men showed his new rock to the team with pride. Why does he get the strange ones? He sighed and looked around his surroundings. "Whatever, lets get back on track and keep..." he trailed off as he noticed as one of the dogs from their group run pass them. He spotted the note on its collar and knew it was from one of their scouts, April maybe. He smirked pulled one of his tomahawks from the holster on his waist. "Alright boys, lets get this shit over with and head back to the main group," he said as he and his men continued on with their sweep. Their job was a simple one, find any walkers along the roads and put them down before they could reach the main group. It wasn't the best job, but it gave him a work out.

After a few more bashes to a couple more walkers one of the younger team members, Benny, spotted a lone walker at the edge of the woods next to the road with no legs or arms growling and snapping its teeth towards them. Hector noticed Bennies interest with the walker as he stomped in a walkers skull. "Hey kid, forget that one and keep moving, we only got a few more left," he said as he scraped his boot against the roads pavement. Benny looked back with a frown as he held up his hammer.

"Come on, we can't just leave it like that, it's inhuman," he said with sympathy towards the walker. Hector rolled his eyes and gestured him to go ahead. He gave a nod of appreciation and walked towards the crippled walker. As he reached the walker Hector looked away to deal with a new customer, but as he buried his tomahawk into its skull the sound of metal clamping together and a howl of pain filled the air. He spun around with wide eyes and gritted his teeth as he saw Bennies right leg trapped within a rusty looking bear trap. He fell to the ground clutching his leg and failed to notice the crippled walker dragging itself closer to him.



"Shit! Get him!" he barked to the rest of the team as he bolted towards the downed Benny, but before he could even get close to him the crippled walker bit down onto his neck. Benny let out a scream and struggled to push his attacker away, but he found his left arm being pulled away by a walker that had emerged from the foliage from the edge of the wood lines. Before Hector could even blink two more emerged from the woods and began their feast on the poor young mans flesh. His screams echoed and Hector gritted his teeth as he rushed to the scene. He and another team member managed to kill off the walkers, but knew it was to late. They looked down to the corpse of their former comrade who had stopped his screaming for good with expressionless gazes and Hector sighed. "Get his stuff and do it," he said as he walked way with a groan. "Jains gonna have my ass."

@RumikoOhara @Wick @Polaris North @Dnafein @Poi @FortunesFaded @DeadDrop

[DeadDrop]

It was quiet at the main camp as the fire full of life, crackling and fuming as a few party members tended to it's well being. Some raw deer was being prepared as those around the camp worked away on their own devices. Amy was working on a few perimeter defenses for the camp - of course, they weren't live, yet. One trap, in particular, was one used by the Vietcong, a step-spike board trap. The spikes were changed from bamboo to scrap metal and the boards were plywood. Not ideal but it's what she had to work with, it didn't take too long as this was one of the most common traps she made when setting up a temporary camp. Not only did it immobilize walkers but it usually crippled them, usually. A lone cigarette sat in between her helix and skull, it was always good to have smokes in case someone wanted to trade or talk. That never was the case with Amy, she was a loner - the odd one out. Most of the times anyway, she enjoyed the quiet and her neutral disposition to the party kept her out of trouble.

Usually.

She was the only tech on the expedition, those around her have always kindly reminded her of where she's from. The Portland Pirates, she knows it wasn't by choice but maybe the others didn't - nor did they really care. She was an enemy, an alien to everyone else. Tensions seemed to edge off as the years slated. "The Battle of the Locks" was still recent to most people, friends and family were lost in that battle against Portland and Amy has been on the receiving end of that hate for a long time. Perhaps blaming her would help others feel better, being hazed by other units resulted in Amy distancing herself from others. Being a loner had it's drawbacks, but that's not what worried Amy. She was more fearful of the dead than the living.

A weighted hard-leather sap reminiscent of ones carried by the tough-talking detectives in 1940s films hangs from a clip on her belt. A beavertail-shaped slapper that is weighted with lead, the sap looked somewhat heavy but it never seemed to strain Amy. Occasionally checking her gear, she walked back to the camp now that the traps were set up by not activated yet. Upon returning to camp to a few glares, Amy hung around the outer most part of the area as the smell of deer started to fill the noses of the other adventurers.

[Polaris North]

James Ryder Blaise

On days when they were on the move, James didn't have much to do. Since he didn't have to scavenge anything, since that would be better attributed to Scouts, he only had to go around the area to patrol and help out on setting up the defensive perimeters. He wasn't as good as the others when it came to traps, but he could at least give a hand or two. However, at first, he kept his walking perimeter around the horses and dogs that weren't in use. Any sign of something wrong and he was immediately jumping the gun to get to it. However, the animals were in peak condition and just needed some food and water every now and then like regular animals so there wasn't much to worry about.

"Look at that cute little doggie James." A sweet and comforting voice reached his ears. James felt like a child again. From a time long past. Valerie was pointed at a brown furred mutt whose breed was pretty much unknown at this point. It was still relatively small and was cowering on the side. She then went on her knees and beckoned for the dog to come to her. She ripped off a piece of precious jerky and then handed it to the hungry dog, who ate it wholeheartedly and then began to wag its tail, acting playful for the young girl.

"A dog huh?" A rather husky voice reverberated around them. Their father stood imposingly behind them with his arms crossed. Contrary to the aura he was emitting, there was a huge smile on his face as he bent down to pet the dog. "Not a bad idea Val."

James's eyes lit up. "We get to keep him dad?" He felt giddy as his father picked the dog up.

"Definitely." Their father then ruffled his head and then said, "And he's a girl."

James looked up from his position as he noticed that he stopped stroking one of the dogs that was resting from an earlier search, though that was only for a little while before they started to move again. A small smile was on his face as he remembered that time. The dog named Haley had died soon after they entered Lasthope. She was injured at that time and succumbed to those same injuries. Valerie cried a ton that day. She was much more attached than any of the three by the time she died. He stood up in one swift motion and then began to walk around again. Gods, having nothing to do really is boring. Maybe Jain would find something for him to do, since he could certainly fight if need be... though he did know that she would rather preserve one of the two doctors this expedition had. With the amount of animals in tow, it was understandable.

James looked towards Jain who had suddenly stalked off as her pet mule seemed to pick up on something. Figuring that the other Scouts got it, he decided to simply hang back but still kept a watchful eye every now and then at their leader. Hopefully, nothing would come out of it. Perhaps it was just a false alarm. Hopefully, it would be. Risen were a rare sight nowadays, compared to the large number there was before. He clearly remembered those details, when they had so many close calls because of them. Seeing their resident tech, the only one they had for the expedition, he decided to pay her a little visit.

"Heya Amy, you doing alright?" James greeted, but his voice was considerably lowered just in case there was something that would hear them in this area; especially since their leader seemed to have been suspicious of something. He slowed down beside her as he greeted before turning his attention to Jain and Maise, their second in command, for any sort of signal.

@DeadDrop

[Kuro]

^{Current Location: Lonely Road - Interacting With: Jain & Beta Squad - Mentioned: Hector & April}

If you could ignore the walking corpses, the roaming bandits, the starvation and thirst, it could have been said that it was a good day in Walker-infested America. Maisy had been there when Jain stood before the assembled squads; the rancher standing off to the side of Jain as her now commanding officer gave quite a cheesy speech. Nonetheless, it was enough to put hope in the assembled men and women, especially with the truth that existed behind Jain's words. Lasthope had experienced many difficulties in the past, yet it still stood.

Their first destination was clear in Maisy's thoughts. The expedition was supposed to head first to her old childhood home, and the memory of the horde was still fresh in the rancher's mind despite happening years ago. It was where she first experienced hell on earth--where Maisy first saw the "Crazed," as her father called them--rip in to a human like a juicy chicken leg. By now, Maisy was no stranger to the undead or death, but the screams for help as monsters chewed away at the ranch hands was still a constant reminder of the world they lived in.

Regardless, dwelling on the bad wouldn't help Maisy survive. The rancher had to remember the memories she missed, such as the days she helped take care of the animals or played with the school kids that visited on a field trip. The idea of returning home permanently was most likely a silly idea, but Maisy knew she shouldn't give the ranch a bad rap for the horrible events she witnessed that day long ago. Perhaps, with luck, the rancher would be able to save some items for her parents--like her mother's jewelry box--upon visiting her old family home.

In any case, Maisy had troopers to attend to before she fell down the path of nostalgia. The higher-ups placed the rancher in charge of Beta squad, as well acting as the second-in-command to Jain herself. Eight, both men and women, now waited on Maisy's command like the ragtag group they were. It was hard not to call them the Band of Misfits as the council was struggling at not dubbing them so. They all came from different walks of life, and nothing had bound them together besides their roles and a Lasthope identity.

Saddling up on her horse, Maisy rode close to Jain while most of her squad rode dismounted. Hector was leading Alpha squad up north with April and her crew, so it was up to Maisy and her troopers to protect the home front. It was a relatively uneventful duty--most of the dead were rotting in some unknown cavern while those still walking around were being picked off by those clearing the path ahead. Nevertheless, Maisy couldn't shrink on her duties even if nothing was happening--doing so would be playing with lives.

As they walked and rode down the empty and damaged street, the two Irish wolfhounds flushed out a deer and herded towards the column. Meat was a rare commodity now, and the deer hadn't looked to be bitten, so Maisy went to motion for someone to capture it. However, before the rancher could issue a command, Jain's horse had clearly picked something up. The commander signaled for Maisy to mount the troop, and with a few clicks of her fingers, those that heard would soon climb onto their respective saddles.

Something is amidst... The rancher thought, her eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of danger. Nothing nearby stood out to Maisy, but something surely was happening far ahead. One of the dogs ran back to the group with a note affixed to their collar, and a faint screaming was heard far off in the distance. Maisy was ready for action, but running straight into battle without a clue was running to your death. While the rancher was second in command, the final call was Jain's, and so, Maisy waited their commander's opinion.

---

@RumikoOhara@Wick@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@FortunesFaded@DeadDrop

[RumikoOhara]

@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@Poi@FortunesFaded@Wick

Picture

Danny’s ears flickered in a way that told Jain he was hearing a strange noise in the distance and it was a warning she payed attention as she turned him from the edge of the forest and rode back towards the road. That’s when she caught wind that Hector’s Squad was in the woods at the edge of the road.

Danny wasn’t as fast as a horse but he was more surefooted so the distance worked itself out as they covered the ground as quickly as she could but found she was too late.

HECTOR
There in a bad way was one of her Troopers and his leg was in a Bear Trap and they had stirred a small group of shufflers that had got Young Ben. The sight didn’t chill her with fear; oh no it chilled her with a cold fury at the stupidity of his death but she held all that inside her as best she could while projecting only Disappointment as she exhaled before addressing the Squad.

Bad way to begin our trip people; “People would think we ain't done this before” she sighs and looks every man over continuing. This ain't no Jambore Boys and Girls
Take his kit and remember I expect none of you will step off the road les its orders or an attack.

Then she moves Danny closer to Hector and softly reminds him of their duties I and You are expected to say his name an how he went at All Souls; I dislike public speaking so let's see if we can keep such future activity at bay.

Her eyes show the pain she feels as she is forced to remember that everyone in this expedition is her responsibility and why she has always fought to be nothing but a Scout and never a Leader. But she turns Danny suddenly and heads back to the Column hoping she can keep her emotions in check.

Pull em in! she shouts out hating to even have to raise her voice to be heard.
APRIL
For the next few hours the only thing that ceased her mother henning the Troopers one and all was April’s Dog bearing a message in its collar and as she took it she looked over At Kilo wishing he was more than compact muscle and teeth.

She read the Message then sent the dog back with a piece of black yarn tied to it’s collar to tell her friend and Scout to consider the search off and head to the Falls

MAISY
Jain rode over to her Second in Command and once beside her sighed finally saying something about the death Well Young Ben is dead so I’m sure the Troopers will be feeling it when we make the Falls about 6 more mile.

I know they are veterans of the sweeper teams but walking into a bear trap, I don’t understand. The morale of the column just took its first blow

Jain shakes her head and pouts a little Ain't like I signed on as a Troop Commander, I’m a Scout, a loner and Best I ever figgered was I was to be a Scout Warden with a piece of map and 6 men to cover it.
Guess like Ben you never know

Then Jain resilient as always smiles as they ride the last few miles to the Falls.

[Wick]

April Hayes

April was poking around the bottom of the drop off and going through the backpacks of the twice dead couple. She had found his body when she had gotten down there. He was face down in the water with a broken spine. She put him down just so he couldn't turn anyone who stumbled by.

Finding a little candy, crackers and a few minor things she took the whole backpack and slung it over her shoulder. April looked up and saw her dog arrive, she smiled and removed the yarn. "Good boy, Jax!" The dog stayed with her and April headed towards the falls.

April was keeping her eyes open but was keenly aware that something was a little off. Jax seemed a little nervous and he stayed very close to her. She stopped to listen and it was quiet but she could almost hear it's breathing as it rustled through the trees. She put her hand on her blade and motioned to the dog to be quiet. She waited but she could feel it getting closer and the instant the large bear broke out of the trees at a dead run at her she took off at top speed. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer in her chest. She could hear Jax drop back and distract it. She could hear her dog trying to give her time to run, so she did.

April went over what she knew about bears in her mind. They are fast. They climb and swim and ... Oh god don't let me die like that! She realized that they couldn't fly. The thought that she couldn't either didn't really occur to her too much at that point.

Realizing that the bear would double back at some point and surprise the rest of the group she stopped and looked around carefully for Jax. She saw a couple of walkers climbing out of the forest and start going away from her, back towards the bear. She followed suit and she saw that Jax had managed to injure the bear enough into being very noisy and that it had attracted walkers. Jax had slunk off towards April through the tall grass as the walkers feasted on the injured bear.

April motioned to her dog and they hurried away from there and made a beeline to the falls where she checked her dog over good and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

@Polaris North @Dnafein @Joker892 @Poi @FortunesFaded @Rumikoohara @DeadDrop

[DeadDrop]

"I'm fine thank you."

Amy said plainly as Blaise approached her, by the time he'd near Amy consciously took a few steps away from the man. Of course, she'd known Blaise for the longest time, his attempts to kindle a friendship have been met with stonewalling from Amy. While she did appreciate the communication she usually found herself distancing herself from Blaise despite the fact, but there was no denying that she held him in a higher light than most of the people in the party. Feeling a bit anxious and with the nagging thought of finishing the traps Amy began to make her way back to the perimeter. It was about time to mount up anyway, and the camp was alive with people - Hector's team was just gearing up as well.

"We'll talk later, perhaps. I have work to do."

She said before walking back to her handiwork.

---

Roe was loud, that was the one thing Amy didn't really like about her was her mouth. Articulate and speak clearly and you'll never have to scream as loud as she did. On her mount Amy sat still while the commanders conversed, her eyes fell adrift to the nature around her but soon snapped back to the reality - something about losing a guy. She looked around as if she could identify who was missing, but she didn't really know. It wasn't Blaise or the few that she had made acquaintances with so the feelings of dread, death and despair soon rushed out of the young woman.

Looking over to Maisy, she suppressed a look of disdain. Maybe it was the looks she got from Maisy or the fact she was in a higher position of authority than Amy. She never really liked the scout, and while they don't speak often she could feel a form of tension between the two. Hands gripping tighter on her mount, Amy began to look away before her anger got the better of her. Fighting and discord woulden't help the group at all, her mouth kept shut Amy could only focus on listening for now. There would be a time and place to air out dirty laundry, but that's if she wanted too.

[Dnafein]

Raphael spent his morning moving back and forth through Celestial Falls. He and Athena little more then shadows as they checked every square inch of the proposed campsite. His intent was to clear it of threats and the pair had mostly succeeded.

Rafe moved through the brush, an arrow nocked. His eyes scanning the clearing before him, he moved forward. Without warning the brush to his left began to shake and the body hit him. Caught surprise the man stumbled and as he fell he turned to his assailant; Rafe's right hand moved to the others neck keeping the teeth away from him.

His left hand plunged into that same mouth, hand closing around the object trapped inside. "Come on Theena give it here." He laughed pulling the tennis ball free. He got to his feet and after a quick scan of the area chucked the ball in a direction the pair had gone over a dozen times this morning.

With a rare playful bark, that made them both flinch, Athena threw herself after the ball. Her lunge was brought short by a sudden burst of movement away from the ball's path. A young buck leapt from the foliage. The pair of scouts recovered quickly, The pitbull-husky mix slid to a stop and glanced towards her human; At his gesture Athena charged in pursuit.

As the dog overtook the deer and turned it back Rafe reclaimed his bow. In a smooth motion he nocked a feathered arrow and fired it into the deer's chest. The creature stumbled and collapsed near Raphael's feet. "Well Theena, looks like we got lunch. Go get your ball, we gotta prepare the site."

Rafe quickly brought his rope out and hung the deer on the outskirts of the clearing. While it bled, he built a cook fire and prepared some extra wood. Athena kept watch as Rafe cleaned the kill and started cooking the venison. Neither expected all the meat to be cooked before the others arrived, but a warm meal generally improved morale.

[Kuro]

^{Current Location: Lonely Road - Interacting With: Jain & Amy - Mentioned: Benny}

Hearing of a trooper die this close to Lasthope was enough to disconcert Maisy. They had set out mere hours ago from their previous encampment, and the twenty-nine member expedition was now down to twenty-eight. In the end, it had made Maisy reconsider the circumstances that were set out in front of them. Was it truly possible for them the goals that were set out by the council? Dwelling on her thoughts, Maisy continued to lead the squadron rode down the empty streets of a civilization gone.

Maisy soon nodded to reaffirm herself. There was no time for the rancher to hold her head low when so many people depended on both her and Jain. "You can't change the past, Jain. I might die. You might die. Anyone of us might die. This is our world and our reality. Only through blood, sweat, and tears can we change it." Maisy explained, attempting to restore some confidence in their commander. As resilient as Jain was, death was sensitive subject to all but the jaded, especially when a bite meant that you were already dead.

Rather than continue to make conversation over the death of a trooper, Maisy decided to return to her duties. Her sight had still yet not spotted any walkers, nor had Maisy seen anyone of their group missing so far, double-checking as reassurance after what had just happened to Hector's squad. What Maisy did spot, however, was Amy's gaze. Only for a moment did the two lock eyes, but it was more than enough to alert Maisy of the tension that existed between the two women.

It also was more than obvious why the tension existed between them. While they were allies in name, they were also rivals in another manner. On opposite sides during the Battle of the Locks, there was certainly a divide that still existed between the two women. Maisy had lost friends during that fateful battle, and even then she was forced into skirmishes with the Portland Pirates long after the battle as their sworn enemies pecked away at their flanks.

Nonetheless, Maisy was willing to close the divide that stood between the two women. It was a struggle for the rancher to trust the outsider even if she was conscripted into service. The damage had been done, yet Amy tried her hardest to prove her loyalty to Lasthope, even going as far to help the expedition with technological assistance. It was enough for Maisy to consider giving the former pirate a second chance, but until Amy was willing to meet on equal terms, the rancher would forever regard her with caution.

---

@RumikoOhara@Wick@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@FortunesFaded@DeadDrop

[Polaris North]

James Ryder Blaise

James wasn't surprised with the cold shoulder that she had given him. This wasn't the first time this has happened and he was pretty sure this wasn't the last. James didn't get why she did it but he knew better than to push it. He'd rather not have her hating him, that wasn't very ideal. "That's good." He commented with a nod. There was another moment of silence before she continued on to say that she had work to do.

And there it was. James nodded at her and waved goodbye, "Looking forward to it. Bye." At least there was that small chance where he could actually talk with her. It was a possibility, a small one, but it was there. That was more than enough to make him a little bit happier. James then began to walk once more, one of the few who were actually dismounted since he had to tend to some of the animals. He was holding his horse's leash though so he continued on.

James had engaged with a talk with one of the Scouts who weren't doing anything yet but Jain had come back looking solemn and Maisy saying something as if to assure the leader. As he drew closer, he heard something about someone dying. His heart fell at this news. He didn't know who had died but the mere fact that someone had already perished this early into the expedition. He knew that there would be times like this. It wasn't new to him to hear about death. His sister had passed on five years ago thanks to things unrelated to fighting, a lot of his friends had already died for the many years he had spent in Lasthope but it didn't get easier. Or at least, it didn't get easier for him. But this was no time to wallow in grief.

There wasn't much to do aside from the fact that they needed to get to the falls so he rounded up the remaining animals while being helped by the others and then they continued to move, slightly faster this time thanks to Jain. Perhaps it was best that they get to the falls faster. He personally have never been there. It kind of surprised people when he says that he's never seen much of America yet. Fifteen years and he still doesn't know much about the place he is in. When he was a kid, they usually stuck themselves in towns and cities even though there were a lot of Risen there. When he got to Lasthope, while he is involved in a lot of expeditions, he hasn't memorized much of the terrain. He hasn't been this far to the East either.

James patted his horse as they continued to head towards the area of interest.

[FortunesFaded]

Amir Asadi Jones

It had been two years since Amir Jones last left his adopted home, the bastion of Lasthope. He remembered when the order had come down from the council: there was an expedition going south. They needed a doctor to accompany them, for the good of the mission. Something about too many casualties beyond the settlement. That was the day when Amir had been “promoted” to an Expedition Doctor. It had been a year after the death of his adopted father, Robert Jones, the man who saved his life and brought him to Lasthope as a kid. That first year without him, Amir had become the primary medical professional (for humans – James Blaise had been coming into his own as a highly skilled veterinarian at the time) and had taken charge of Robert’s own medical clinic on the ground floor of his home in Lasthope. So when the council selected him two years ago, they mandated a dramatic shift in his life, a shift away from Robert’s memory and the clinic, at least temporarily, and into a life on the road.

But Amir held older memories of a life on the road; older than his life with Robert and Lasthope. Memories of his mother leaving him in the car, and her accidental death, and Amir’s frantic bid for survival in an unfamiliar town on an unforgiving street, far away from home. So that meeting with the council had terrified him, at first. But he knew that he was no longer a child, and he knew that his head held higher as he walked along the road flanked by others of his nation, a nation of survivors.

And now he found himself on a new road, with a new expedition – this time heading East. How far East, Amir didn’t know; that was up to Jain, their leader. Jain was two years Amir’s junior, but he could see why the council chose her. She seemed like a natural-born leader without the desire to admit it to herself just yet. She was a scout, so she had more experience of the areas beyond Lasthope than many other did. And she was resilient; but then again, so was most everyone left in Lasthope.

Amir sat amidst the main cluster of soldiers along the roadside camp, taking in the local foliage. At his side was a leather-bound journal which served to chronicle both his day-to-day thoughts and his medical examinations. At his hip was a sheathed tactical knife, long enough to hang halfway down to his knee when he stood. Amir was not a fighter by instinct or by trade, but he knew that in the new world, everyone who wanted to survive had to be willing to kill. He had learned from a young age that the shambling corpses which roamed the world had long since renounced their humanity.

He had heard the news that a young scout had died up ahead, and didn’t even question that he hadn’t been called to provide medical treatment. That was one of the facts of life for medical professionals in their post-civilized world: most patients were long dead by the time a doc got there. Still, Amir closed his eyes for a moment in mourning, letting the bright heat of the sun’s rays wash down upon his face as he tried to remember all that he could about the kid that died. Ben, Benny – Amir had seen him around from time to time. He was far younger than Amir, and years were amplified in their world, so the young doctor felt positively ancient when he recalled the youth of Benny. He remembered a time when Benny had come to the clinic, probably the only time that Amir had spoken to him. He had escorted his friend there, who had broken his ankle. Once Amir brought the friend inside, he nodded to Benny and said, “thank you – what you did was very noble” before closing the door to the clinic and tending to his patient. He wasn’t even aware that Benny had joined the expedition.

Standing up as the group began to move en masse, Amir noticed the veterinarian, James, walking along nearby with his horse. Amir caught up to him, matching his pace with the man.
“Good to see you, James,” he said. “It’s a shame about Benny, I heard the news.”
They stood about the same height, and had a similar build, but otherwise couldn’t look more different. Being both within the realm of medicine, and Lasthope being a fairly tight-knit town he had talked to James on multiple occasions, but didn’t know him well enough in town to develop a connection. Still, he was a familiar and friendly face on the expedition, and a kid had just died. Amir reasoned that everyone should probably start getting to know each other better, himself included.

@RumikoOhara@Wick@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@Poi@DeadDrop

[Joker892]

Hector and his remaining team members marched on towards the falls in silence. Bennies death was a bit hard for the men, but Hector was more than annoyed than sad. Others saw it as a young boy dying an untimely brutal death, but Hector saw it as a stupid kid making him and his team look like a group of amateurs! Of course he never shared his thoughts with anyone and simply kept quiet as the rest of the team mourned Bennies death. He was a good kid, but in all honesty he did tell him to stay with the group. Hector sighed and shook his head with frustration. "Great start," he mumbled.

After marching on in silence Hector and his team arrived near the falls and they all let out exhausted groans as they all scattered to rest. Hector stretched his limbs and jabbed his thumb towards the falls. "I'm gonna go wash up, ya'll stay here and hold down the fort, alright?" he said and didn't wait for any of his men to reply. Hector groaned as he traveled up towards the falls and rubbed the back of his neck. "I really need a break," he muttered. After a few minutes of walking he arrived to the lake and stopped as he heard humming. After a few seconds of listening he smiled and shook his head as he spotted a familiar figure within the falls water. He walked along the edge of the water and watched April swim around in her own world. He stopped walking and sat down at the rocks where she had placed her clothes and equipment. He just watched with a smile and cleared his throat to grab her attention. "How's the water?" he asked with a chuckle.

@Wick

[Wick]

April Hayes

April had heard them arrive. They were pretty quiet in general but Jax was keeping guard and he had come back to tell her. April had stripped down to her boy shorts and a sports bra. Bikini's were hard to come by so they all had to make due.

She was swimming with her eyes closed when she heard her boyfriend approach. Her lips curved into a soft smile at his chuckle. Opening her eyes she walked out of the water to him. "It's actually warmer than you think. Come on in."

April observed his expression and saw the irritation in his face. She squatted down and untied his boots. "I can see that something happened. Did someone die?" She stood up wringing her hair a little and tossing it over her shoulder. April wrapped her arms around him and kissed his nose. "I got chased by a bear. Jax needs to see the vet when he gets here. It's just some minor cuts but still, I'd feel better."

She could feel the tension in his shoulders and she yanked on his clothing. "Come on in it'll do you some good." She turned and entered the water again. Feeling him watching her she smirked and splashed a little water towards him. "Hector, come here." She smiled playfully at him and dove under the water.

@Joker892@Polaris North@Poi@Dnafein@RumikoOhara

[RumikoOhara]

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Petra could see the commotion that the Trooper’s death caused among the more military types which meant she had a scared bunch of Teenagers under her and needed to get their minds off it and what better way than one that benefited the pack train and gave them something else to talk about.

When the pack train arrived at the falls she began putting her people to work and she was demanding.
”Allright! I want every pack pulled, Jimmy, Elsa, Mark and yes you Mr. Bright get to it.
Sammy! Break out the pedicure kit you and Candy are on feet.

Move It, Move It!

We don’t have all day and I have less patience! she said loudly without shouting and had to smile when she heard them all groan.

}”Good”{ she thought as Elsa gave her an annoyed look and she heard Sammy mutter Bitch.

They were all doing exactly what she wanted, they were focusing their emotions at her and thinking how unlucky they were that she was in a mood today and not about Benny which she’s sure had something going with Elsa.

Elsa was 18 and she was already thinking about babies and an early marriage so she had other boys to choose and knowing Benny intimately for perhaps two days now would recover. Still Petra thought it would be a nice night to have a smoke with Elsa and try to get her to dreaming of her future surrounded by babies.

Her People were like her animals and needed proper handling which always fell but to the old stick, carrot, and whip. She hated having to be like she was was at the moment but as she walked among her people and train she could feel no fear other than of her which was as it should be.

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Bury them deep that's what I said
Time to play your dead man's hand
Dealin bullets is like dealin cards
When it all comes down to a draw

Wind in my face I feel the burn
Dust drinks the blood of their tears
I say goodbye but it don't mean much
When shots ring like hits of a drum

Bury them deep that's what I said
Lay your body down on the sand
When it's all said and done
It's just a price I work to earn
It's just a price I work to earn

Sang Summer softly as her noisy friends surrounded her along with their visiting cousins so that she could count 19 birds including her own. Her voice was both sweet and sad as she used it to paint a vivid picture acapella.

Hot sun glares down on the street
Silence as deep as a colorado gorge
Don't care where you been or where you come from
It's just my job to be done

Wind in my face i love the burn
Dust drinks the blood of their tears
I say goodbye but it don't mean much
When shots ring like hits of a drum

Bury them deep
And they won't back haunt your soul like they do mine

This town crawls with beggers and thieves
Come to bite the hand that feeds

She sings as she finishes handing out treats and only those birds new to her company complain as the other’s observe the odd little woman open a small pouch and draw out a bundle of white sage which she lights with a magnifier as she sings the song “Soul of a Man?” so softly only someone 8 feet or closer can hear her but once it is lit and smoking she shifts to a Lakota Chant and stands offering farewell to the spirits of the dead naming Benny Stumbling Bear in the old language her Kisu taught her.

She would have given him another name but it was the one whispered to her so it was as it was. Once she finished she apologized to Benny’s spirit for his short life and wished him luck where he was headed.

@Polaris North@Dnafein@Joker892@Poi@FortunesFaded@Wick

[Joker892]

Hector watched as she went under and shook his head with a chuckle. He rose to his feet with a grunt and rolled his shoulders. "Never a dull moment with you, eh?" he asked as he dived into the water. As he adjusted his eyes under the water a small smile came to his face as he saw April swimming around him with her usual smile. He watched her swim around with amusement before a evil grin formed onto his face. As she rounded him again he dived forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. With his strength he easily lifted her from the water and let out a victorious laugh. "I got a live one here!" he laughed and held her up in a close hug. He looked her up and down and let a sly smirk roll onto his face. "Gonna have to mount this one on my wall," he chuckled placed a quick kiss on her cheek. He felt his worries and irritation melt away and enjoyed the moment.

@Wick

[Polaris North]

James Ryder Blaise

James was pretty sure that everyone wasn't tired, more like simply out of morale. With the death of one of their younger comrades, it was understandable that everyone was feeling down. Even James wasn't his usual super peppy and energetic self. However, as he walked, he kept a smile on his face and would confront anyone who looked like they needed someone to talk to. They were mostly Benny's friends. He made the connection after he heard it from another source.

Benny... well, James knew the guy. He didn't know him as much as he should have, but he wasn't a face he usually saw in Petra's farm and James didn't see him in clinic from when he started helping out the main doctors. However, as he was another Scout, he at least talked to him on some occasions. He never had any heartfelt talks with the younger male so he never knew much about him. There had been talk about him having feelings for someone else but James usually doesn't dabble in gossip - especially those that involved romance. It was a subject he'd much rather avoid for the time being.

Amir's appearance seemed to have lightened James's mood as the latter gave him a smile. "Yeah, it's quite the tragedy." He admitted. James never thought the two of them were especially close. They have talked since they were both doctors but rarely outside the clinic. Well, James was personally looking forward to making more friends. It hurt a lot more when they die, yes, but James didn't care about that. "It's pretty bad thanks to the fact that we only started. Some of the Troopers look down and add the fact that he was pretty young..."

He rubbed the back of his head and then said, "It's a bad combination for the beginning of an expedition."

As they entered the falls, he heard a rather familiar voice barking orders. His smile brightened at the sight of one of his first friends in Lasthope. James trained under her father as soon as he recovered when they came. This led to the two talking more and more often. Other people don't like her very much, but he usually felt that her presence was welcome.

He let out a little chuckle and gestured for Amir to follow. He wasn't sure if the other doctor had already met Pony Princess Amelia buy he wanted the two of them to be more acquainted because why not? "Oi, Petra, already running the others ragged huh?"

@FortunesFaded@RumikoOhara

[Dnafein]

Once the rest of the group arrived Rafe handed the reins of the cook fire to the cooks. He grabbed a plate loaded with trimmings and the hide wrapped package and moved through the crowd as they spread out to camp. As he passed through them he offered tidbits from the plate and directed them as to where they can find more. Athena trailed behind her human, tennis ball firmly gripped in her teeth and tail wagging fiercely.

They learned of the events that occurred that day through this short bits of conversation. Rafe asked a few questions and got the answers he sought. He flinched at a few of the facts he discovered. As he neared the horse and mule lines he dropped the package and lowered his hand. Athena moved forward and nuzzled the hand expectantly. Rafe gently turned the dogs head till she faced the girl that was pointed out to him. Raphael let go of Athena's head then made a fist, he then pointed two fingers at the girl. "Go play." Athena rushed past Petra and James, to push her muzzle, and the tennis ball into Elsa's hand.

Raphael turned away from the horse lines chewing on a bit of venison and carrying his hide wrapped package. He wasn't a people person but Rafe wasn't dumb either; A task this far from home required people to be comfortable alone, or a group with a high morale. A lack of either could be disastrous, Raphael couldn't let them fall apart this early. He walked till he heard the cries of the ravens.

The scout moved till he could just barely hear Summer speaking. He crouched resting the package before him, snacking on bits of venison. He eyed the occasional Raven that snagged a bit from his plate while waiting for the girl to finish. Lifting the package he carried it over and offered it to Summer. "The hide is yours, I'd like the oil cloth back though. Blood free if possible."

Beneath the hide, the package was wrapped in oil cloth. Inside the cloth was bits of the buck that Rafe didn't have time or knowledge to cook. He smiled at the witch, "It's for your little friends. If they want to show appreciation they can direct me to their favorite salvage haunts." He closed with a wink.

@RumikoOhara

[Wick]

April Hayes

April played with, kissed and teased Hector joyfully. When she heard others approaching where they were she righted her clothing under the water and playfully splashed the man who was holding her in his arms. After a few moments she called out "Jax" laughingly and whistled. Her dog walked slowly over to where she had sat her clothes and he laid on them and lay his head down.

Her dog's behavior made her instantly release Hector and start towards shore. "Where's James? I bet that cut is deeper than I thought, or it's infected." She said worriedly as she pulled on a dry t-shirt on over her bra and slid a pair of pants on and shoved her wet feet into her boots. April picked up Jax and felt his blood on her arm. She could hear Hector following her out of the water as she went down towards the others.

April came running over the rocks carrying her dog. Jax seemed lethargic and ill. "James!" She yelled upon seeing him further down the slope from her. April's heart was racing and she put Jax down next to James' stuff and dropped to her knees to comfort her dog. April petted Jax and kept reassuring him as she looked at his belly. The original cut had been torn open further and appeared to be deeper than it had been earlier.

"We were chased by a bear and he dropped back to let me get away. The bear mostly missed or barely got him. Nothing was deep earlier but I think he tore it open on the rocks since we got here." April tried to keep calm but inside she was really worried. "It'll be okay boy, James is gonna help you."

@Rumikoohara@Joker892@Polaris North