#earthrunes

Zara inadvertently winces at the sour note, eyes scrunched.

A pause to set his lute aside higher up on the bank, then he removes his shoes and socks, pantaloons sinched up, as he readies to follow into the water!

The Dougal makes a face, but does the same.

Zara frowns, and holds up a hand.

"Oh, my manners, I can carry you so that you do not get damp." He offers.

"Nay, the River is a friend. But..." She glances up and down stream, checking. "Crossing water, a'times, does aught to magic."

"Oh," Hume says offering another hand "We should form a chain?"

"That may be wise, aye." Her turn to take off boots and socks, before girding her skirt up.

A'Dale steps out first, clearly concerned that the wisp will get away. After all, they do not wait. Extending a hand back to Hume and/or Zara, whomever decides to come next.

Splish, splash!

At least it's not winter?

Zara takes the tail, letting her toes sink into the silky mud of the riverbed.

And the wisp is is getting ahead, but they're now following, ready for stray currents and using team work!

This IS, of course, when the River Monster attacks. It's the nature of River Monsters. Alan might note that it didn't even play proper theme music announcing tension. Can' trust rivermonsters these days. Zara might be offended as she might think this river has enough monsters... HER for one. And Hume? Human cries out as something cuts through the water and tries to take him down. As they ARE in chain, this saves him from being swept away to his immediate death. More likely, it will be a 'gradual' death... we'll see.

"Hume!" She can't cry out, her whisper cracks and is lost in the roar of the attack - but she does grip on as tight as she may.

She is not strong... but she and Alan have a grip and this saves him from being swept away. He does bleed though

"Egads!" He has one hand gripped tightly to Hume's, and does not let go - as he kicks at the monster! Trust, you haven't been kicked until you've been kicked by a rooster - alas, his spurred boots are on SHORE

Still, a good kick!

"Unlucky CARP." She hisses and spits at the monster, a wallop of foul fortune packed behind it.

A mighty splashing!

Hume, for his part, FLARES with outrage, and the wimpiest sidhe suddenly shows his inner Lord of the Hill, the monster staggers, and is cursed, but and splashed... but what form will this foul fortunate take while the monster is , if only temporarily, cowed?

The answer to river monster appears to be... MORE monster

A Serpent, by chance, was basking nearby under the tides, and it rises up and strikes the River Monster from behind, ambushing the ambusher!

It's a chimera those of Earth Runes have seen before. This one? More bound to the water

"other side, quickly..." She urges, tugging when her voice is lost to the noise.

Indeed, the water is splashing too much for her to be heard. But the tug does get the message across.

Alan strikes out for the far shore, pulling the others along!

Minstrels are natural swimmers, because they often get in hot water and need to get out!

The Dougal snapss angrily and commands the River Monster "Hold perfectly still while that snake hits you"

Even as they get to the other side. The Dictum likely WILL wear off, but a Rivermonster is going to be really ####ed up by the time it does.

"Let me see." Zara runs her spidery hands across Hume, looking for the source of the bleeding.

His shoulder, has a large tear, chimerical damage. "Hurts but we're good"

"We mustn't lose the wisp." Even so, she tears a strip from her skirt and wads it up. "Hold that against the wound."

He does. "Alan, I don't suppose you have heather balms or healing magic?"

The wisp DOES have to be recast, but that took little, and this one seems more sure!

A frown, and more strips - binding up Hume's arm and ensuring there's steady pressure on the wound.

"Sorry, Zara, you're right. Healing can wait." And they resume.

He shakes his head with a tsk tsk, and hums even as they walk. It's slow going as there's no time for a proper bunk, but perhaps he can at least help the pain or stem the bleeding.

/roll 5

It helps, a lOT, "Thank you" They move on after the new wisp...

(Perception plus Alertness rolls again) 🙂

/roll 7

Without musical notes distracting her delicate ears... Zara is the first to notice something in the woods, it is laying down in the green, but it can't hide from her keen eyes and ears. It's breathing is raspy, hard.

It appears to be a deer, and like Samson, it looks gravely ill, worse in fact, for Emma is not here to help it

"Oh..." She breaks away, striding over to the beast.

This deer is dying, soaked in fever sweat, it can not even rise if it wanted to. Unwholesome swellings adorn this or that part of it.

Hume approaches, then says "Damn. We may not want to close on that"

Zara kneels by the doe, reaching out, heedless. "Shh."

Wide tired eyes, fear, but fear with no strength to even run. It trembles.