Freeze Day, Disorder Week, Sea Season, 1616

[BackworldTraveller]

The Sable leads you, slowly along the river for an hour - but suddenly starts at something. At full tilt is races up the hill and over the ridge. You have little trouble following its progress in the broken plants and depressions in the sand.

The creature, it seems, was startled by the appearance of a High Llama - on which is mounted Eda.

Hi - I found you! she says as she dismounts, rubbing her legs as if riding was becoming painful

Those Lunars came down the far bank and boarded the ferry at Ryan before we could stop them. The other two, Androrkar and Dorale, went down and cut the rope, but the lunars will be across soon enough. They are going to try to delay further - but the Villagers were very unhappy at the rope-cutting and so they had to retire up-river. No one was shot, although it was a near-run thing. What's the next plan?

[kwll]

"We have to catch the sable before they do. Stay behind me far enough so that it does not see you. I will try to approach it alone." says Jargian. As with every step of this endeavor, he has no clue of this is going to work, but he doesn't see any other option.

[BackworldTraveller]

Jargian sets off on the trail of the sable. Tracking it across the ground becomes harder as the terrain goes from the mud of the gulley bottoms to sand and (mostly) rock of the high plains. The ground is starting to change from scrub, anything up to 3-4m tall to shorter grasses interspersed with bare patches where it was cooked to death over summer.

Eventually, the sable is sighted again, but in this more open terrain, you are also more visible. The noble creature appears to be aware of your presence and moves away-keeping you at a distance. After an hour of this, the animal is clearly not going to be caught by just running after it.

Your lone pursuit is interrupted when you see your two warriors approaching Eda’s mount - and then all three start getting closer.

[kwll]

Jargian slows down his tracking activity and gets closer to Eda and the warriors, wanting to hear some news.

[BackworldTraveller]

The warriors hail Eda but continue on to you.

The village is annoyed that we cut the rope to their ferry. They sought to drive us out and, as we didn't wish to fight them we withdrew. The Sables eventually got across the river, and split into two groups. The first has gone to where we first observed the Sable, the second, led by their Hunter, seems to be organising the village for some purpose. The group headed to the start will be ambushed and delayed. But the other group? Who knows what they are planning.

Eda points out that the group headed for the other crossing were not opposed and should be on the trail of the Sable soon.

I think we need to move that sable somewhere where it is hard to track and we can keep an eye on it. Or we could catch it and disguise it. Or find another Sable and confuse the tracks. OK that latter one is tricky as the sables are guarded by the Sables. Or get 1000 bison to cover the trail (if we had 1000 bison). But we need a plan other than trailing slowly along waiting to be trapped. The Llamas are faster than the sable. We could herd it?

[kwll]

Jargian thinks for a short while, then says: "I like the idea of making it hard to track. I could confuse the tracks myself once we lead the sable where it is difficult to follow. But how will we be able to direct the beast without catching it first?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Jargian thinks for a short while, then says: "I like the idea of making it hard to track. I could confuse the tracks myself once we lead the sable where it is difficult to follow. But how will we be able to direct the beast without catching it first?"

They can herd it. They are herders! Just make sure we are in the way in the directions we don't want it to go - so they say. If that is a divine Antelope, catching it might be tricky.

[kwll]

"OK, let's do that." Jargian asks the riders to warn him when they spot a hostile presence, then hps on the Llama with Eda and starts to direct the 'divine antelope' into difficult to track ground.

[BackworldTraveller]

"OK, let's do that." Jargian asks the riders to warn him when they spot a hostile presence, then hps on the Llama with Eda and starts to direct the 'divine antelope' into difficult to track ground.

Eda muses This hero lark - I thought it would be grand and exciting - but it's not really. is it? as you herd the pesky creature away from the river.

Where should we head?

The lands south of the wide wash are broken and inhospitable. and the two riders show a felicity with their mounts that you wish you could emulate - the docile nature of your rides is a relief.

[kwll]

"Away from the river, I guess." answers Jargian, keeping his eyes on the sable.

[BackworldTraveller]

And so the Sable Drive begins - The four unlikely allies shooing the reluctant antelope away from the river.

You must admit that it is a magnificent specimen. The time passes relatively peacefully - and you get to appreciate the dire majesty of the Praxian scenery. The winter rains have allowed the grasses to start to green - although the water just seeps away quickly unless the tough scrub manages to grab it in passing. Late in the afternoon, an Eagle circles the party before heading northwards and at one point you sight a large herd of impala grazing, watched by a couple of tribesmen who eye you warily but make no move in your direction. Let sleeping feuds lie?

Could you please make two rolls

1) a Ride Roll to see how well your riding has felt over the day
2) a Tracking roll to see what other things you see in passing

P.S. What are your plans for the night?

[kwll]

Jargian attempts to spot an area which is either unlikely for a sable to stay for the night, or at least easy to defend. He then tries to drive the beast towards it, with the help of his companions.

[BackworldTraveller]

Jargian attempts to spot an area which is either unlikely for a sable to stay for the night, or at least easy to defend. He then tries to drive the beast towards it, with the help of his companions.

Towards the end of the day, Jargian is definitely feeling the Llama beneath his backside...and his legs are starting to cramp. Worse, the Sable appears to be laughing at him and his efforts to be in the right place at the right time. He's sure that the two Llama Riders are comparing his efforts to the children of his tribe (unfavourably). Worse, the distraction of being so high on the creature means his usual techniques of tracking are impossible and his sole success in spotting that anything useful had passed was when he slipped from his mount and landed in the evidence!

The suggestion that the group should dismount and set camp for the night comes as a welcome relief. You are not as far from the river as you had hoped, but further than the Sable might ordinarily roam.

Eda asks, while gathering wood for a small fire in a sheltered gulley Are you going to send one of the herders to find out what's happened in the morning?

p.s. You Alynx has kept up well!

[kwll]

Not sure how I can use the Alynx exactly. Is Jargian able to command it or give specific orders?

[BackworldTraveller]

Not sure how I can use the Alynx exactly. Is Jargian able to command it or give specific orders?

An Alynx is a bit like a cross between hunting dog and a sheep dog. A bit cleverer than a hunting dog; more hunting than herding than a sheep-dog. The main issue is that it is used in hunting, so shouting "Come-Bye" (or whistling the equivalent) when sneaking just doesn't work so well.

[kwll]

"That's probably a good idea Eda. Good thinking." answers Jargian. Then he proceeds to do just that.

[BackworldTraveller]

Jargian, Eda and Androrkar set camp for the evening - The Sable almost taunts them after the day's "Herding" when it wouldn't come close by wandering past the camp tantalisingly close.

So Jargian, How does it feel to be a guardian appointed by the gods? asks Eda. I'd hoped to be a Hero when I grew up, but I'm not sure I'm really ready for that now! I'm glad Androrkar is here to help. she continues, looking sideways at Androrkar, and then adds And Dorale too..

And she set up her bed-roll by the fire. Do you think it will rain overnight?

Dorale, meanwhile has headed off south to try and find his clan and get information. The low clouds make visibility bad in the dark. He probably won't be back until the morning.

[kwll]

Jargian looks at Eda. He didn't have the time to think about these things after all that happened today. "I'm not sure you can ever be prepared for these kinds of things." he answers. Then he decides to rest a little, after making arrangements with the others for the guarding turns.

[BackworldTraveller]

And onto the next day in the new thread