Necrophage

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin sat down on the roof. He noticed movement from the corner of his eyes. Unable to determine exactly what it was through the trees he disregarded it. He glanced at Lyullia before taking in the air around him. "I like it out here. Sometimes quiet moments like this make the danger worth it. You can almost forget your troubles as you feel the beat of the venbu moving across the road, listen to the birds and feel the wind. Almost." He shrugged and fell silent as he kept up his watch.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin sat down atop the caravan. Looking out behind them and watching the area that the maw hounds came from. Perhaps he was being hard on them. Sometimes that's what it took though. Even the captain had gone soft here. The situation may have dredged up memories of old times in the veterans to hit them harder than it should have.

Daelin gripped the rail tightly and sighed. Out here one could think when they weren't caught up in complications. The air was crisp, the sky was beautiful and the sound of birds chirped like music. Their absence was always a sound of danger but for now they chirped merrily away. These wilds were wonderful when they weren't trying to kill you.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin placed Neale into an unused bunk and nodded to Noru. He studied everyone's shared mood. The anxious feeling was palpable. "The hell is wrong with you all?" He questioned the dour mood that had stricken everyone. "Are you stuck on what happened? We just saved a man from certain death and you're all depressed? Get real!" He shouted. "Right now we should focus." He pointed at their guest. "On him in particular and on getting to our destination."

Zay may have been on edge but this didn't bother Daelin. He'd been through worse and everything he'd gotten through was worth a celebration. What did bother him was how the team was handling it. "Hell, I'd open a drink for y'all to share since we made it out of there but I didn't bring one." Daelin shook his head. "Shame on me." He turned to go to the ladder. "We all signed up for this. Complications ARE the job, otherwise there wouldn't be so many of us just to run between cities. Consider this event a warm up for the hell to come." He started his way up the ladder so he could continue to keep watch outside. "Harden your hearts people, we're not even half way there yet."

Caravan: Resurrection

"Damn!" Daelin swore. He dumped the crossbow to the side on the interior of the caravan and sprinted out. Drawing his ax he planted it deep in to the back of the neck of the maw hound that had been dragging their guest away for good measure. Satisfied with the gurgle of blood it released as he pulled it back out, he flicked the blood off quickly as he returned it to its sheathe on his back and peered around him for any immediate threats. The maw hounds were occupied with the others and quickly losing but that didn't mean there weren't more alerted by their cries in the distance. These types of beasts often traveled in packs. If they got away soon the corpses from these ones would feed the later beasts and keep them off the caravan, most likely. With a huff he knelt down and grabbed Neale by his good arm and corresponding leg in a fireman's carry. The man was of course heavy, dripping with blood and pure dead weight but Daelin was no slouch in strength. He was used to carrying lumber and this felt significantly easier. Daelin lifted the man into a more comfortable position before he mustered everything he had to sprint back into the caravan, wary of the dogs even as he moved back in.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin stretched out his fingers to the ax embedded in the ground. With a push of his will, it jostled free and whipped back to his hand. "These buggers are fast!" He exclaimed. Daelin sheathed the ax on his back and descended the ladder quickly. "If anyone's got fire this is a good time to use it." He said as he unclasped a box and tipped open the lid. He had made sure a couple of things made it into the caravan. More weapons was one of them. A crossbow a few other goodies were in this box. He pulled it out along with a bolt. Using one muscular arm he drew the string back, nocked a bolt and pointed it for the door. "Complications are part of the job, eldi." He said. Pyra and Flin were doing their best to defend themselves, which left Noru and their guest with one closing in fast. Daelin aimed for the maw hound closing in on their vulnerable stranger and launched a bolt at its slavering mouth.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin reeled his ax back while the white maw beasts drew in closer. He threw it with both hands at the center beast's back from his position above. Drawing his hand up to his lips he whistled loudly to alert the others. "Look alive! They're on us!" He announced, pointing down at them and watching for any sudden moves he could take advantage of.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin leaned his head into the hatch from above and reported, keeping his voice lower to keep their would-be predators unalerted. "We've got something rolling in Cap'n. Saw slow movement in the hills. Couldn't identify it but they're still prowling. If we get a head start now, the caravan joints will likely be the only thing we need to worry about."

Caravan: Resurrection

As Zay rushed out and called Flin to aid, Daelin hooked his arms onto the top hatch of the caravan and hoisted himself out quickly. He pulled his ax clear of its sheathe and watched carefully for the surroundings, particularly the side of the road that this stranger had come from. Whatever did that to him couldn't have been far behind. "I'll watch for ya, Cap'n!" He peered at the stranger, specifically his arm. It was mangled but didn't seem to be missing chunks. "Whatever hurt that man wasn't very big Cap'n. That doesn't mean his blood won't attract other attention though. We'll have to increase our pace to lose them once he's inside." Daelin suggested.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin retorted to Marilyn's response. "Out here, safety is not a matter of following the given route. It's dependent on how well we respond with what we're given. Avoiding the beasts is better than following a path they've moved into just because we're told to." He finished.

Caravan: Resurrection

Daelin went to the front with Marilyn briefly. He knew this part of the woods and would do his best to help navigate through safe paths. He noted the trees and their surroundings. This close to the city usually didn't harbor great dangers but the wilds changed just as much as the technology that humanity developed or the magic used by the eldin kind. It was foolish to not keep on your toes and stay ahead of the beasts. "Marilyn, take a left at this fork. Ironbristles have moved into the other path. Them giant armored boars aren't as dangerous as they sound, mostly eatin' the vegetation, but they attract a certain kind of predator that can strip their armor clean." He knocks a hand against the side of the wall. "They aren't known for being choosey. Might very well take a crack at us too if we don't watch for 'em."

The scout continued to lean against the side of the cockpit, using one hand to hold tightly onto a handle lined against the interior for gripping. "So where'd you learn to handle those reins?" Daelin asked the venbu driver.