#earthrunes

"Permission to slap this canibal so hard her opposing cheek finds itself in another zip code, my ladyship?" Temerity's teeth grinds

"Dibs," Coradel says simply, drawing back her bow and aiming at the hand in which the redcap is holding the hunk of flesh.

And she releases.

Some might argue this isn't very honorable. Some would argue that it's certainly not chivalrous. Some can go screw themselves. As it is, the arrow isn't meant to kill, merely maim the hand that holds the meat and sure enough an arrow sinks DEEP into the hand of the redcap who howls in pain

"Get her away from the body," Coradel directs her ladies and Vince.

Vince hangs back, circling around to check for any potential other companions with the Redcap - he scouts the perimeter.

And the fight is over before it stops, Claire's sword to the redcap's throat, Leonora's bow ready and Temerity EAGER for an excuse to take the other hand

"What the .... it was just a mortal no one is gonna miss"

Coradel remains astride Samson glaring down at the redcap, another arrow casually menacing on the string. "Hubcaps are things nobody misses. Cement blocks. The occasional tire. This...is not permitted." She scowls at the smell of flesh. "Who was it?"

"Just some guy... Central American.." A shrug "And NOBODY was missing him.. he looked like a cast member for the walking dead... and had some marks on his back like some folks had worked him over. Rambled shit I didn't understand as he didn't speak no American. "

A frown, but a spark of alertness to the details. "Where did you find him?"

"He was running ... looking for civilization... came from the tracks.. ran away from the north.. babling shit about senoritas and ninas and shit..I think." The redcap says "My fucking hand. Look, he was half starved and probably gonna die anyway. "

"And. You. Could. Have. Fed. Him." She draws back her bow. "Run away. Now."

"Who the fuck do you..." Her eyes narrow "Do you think you .. oh shit. Fiona."

Leonora nods "Thats right"

The Cap snarls and runs

A louder snarl behind her as a Lion leaps out, landing just shy of on top of her with claws bared, and roars behind her, speeding her on her way.

A very satisfied smirk from Coradel. She flicks her hand so the bow vanishes, and she dismounts. Going to the campfire, she kicks the cooking spit over so the body is no longer over the flames.

Temerity says "I don't normally like pooka, but I could become fond of that lion"

"He has a knack for the proper theatrical" Claire admits

A sigh. "I can speak to things, but not to mortals. Do any others have this skill, and wish to ask anything of him before we bury him?"

"He's a corpse now," Claire says "Forgive, the dreaming recognizes this as meat." A look to Leonora

"Oh god, you want me to willow whisper a corpse dont you?" Leonora says

Large paws start to dig into the earth. It's not dignified work for a lion, but he starts scraping out a hole.

"Oh...that's true. I can do it, then." She sighs and finds a sufficiently large part of the body.

She runs a hand over what seems to be a shoulderblade, a gesture that might be a soothing stroke for a living person in pain. Once...twice...three times.... "Tell me where you were, in a way that I can understand."

The magic comes across in English "When I moved and lived, I was in a small town in Honduras.. but that is little that a dead man remembers... you mean where I ran from before I was slain... the where iron bars roll under cover, where the stink of sweat and tears remains.."

"Who were the people who beat you?"

Temerity has taken her helmet off, and is using it as a shovel, digging along side the Lion

"Slavers, traffickers, scum of the Earth, valuing a man by only his labor's worth, chain holders, filth with foulhearts... two with clubs, one with whip. A lesson did they teach me, to not to try to flee their grip."

"Makes me long for the days when I dcould stick mortals on a gibbet" Claire mutters

Loosening up the dirt with his paws, so that she can easily scoop away.

Leonora comes up behind the two pooka and chants.

A sigh. "How many remain behind, and how are they held?"

"Faster than Susan Butterman the preacher's daughter... man that girl had something to prove. In the morning she was smiling, the guys? Could barely move" As she quick silvers the two to move faster

And the Whisper replies _"By now they maybe in the train, they've been setting it up to go. Look for the one marked cattle car... hurry, do not be slow. Ten men in chains, a dozen women... and five children... chains... shackles... the key is on the foreman.. oh god.. the foreman"

And it ends

A final compassionate touch as the cantrip fades. Then she gathers helps finish with the grave digging.

And with the quick silver and the work done already... well, soon the body, what's left of it, is in the grave. Temerity shakes the dirt out of her helmet "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to dust, we shall avenge you, a pooka's word you can trust. We'll free your peers, stop the innocent crying, as for your captors.. I'll feed them to the Lion. Reepicheep in Pax" She crosses herself.. well, more like a Mickey Mouse head shape, but it works

Vince rumbles his agreement, then starts fussily cleaning his paws. Ready to resume man-form on request, but for now, he is on guard in the shape that may be useful.

Coradel nods as the burial is complete. "Let us go. There may not be much time." She repeats what the willow whisper revealed for those who may not have heard, then mounts up again.

And they ride!

By now it is dark, but they come across the station where trains sometimes, rarely, stop... why is a deserted area like this .. why does it have a man on a roof with a gun?

A mortal man?

Yup

Coradel frowns. "I have no power over him, other than to lure him down."

"I can shoot him" CLaire says

"You have a gun?" Startled look from Leo

"You don't?" Claire says "Yes. I can shoot him. But it would definitely alert folks we're here"

Vince huffs a bit, looking up at the man. Gauging the height of the building, the layout - something he could climb up unseen, perhaps from behind?