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Post by moralhazard on May 5, 2019 17:54:48 GMT
Kara looked down wide-eyed at the purring cat, then back at Solstice. She – incredibly – blushed.
Carefully, confident that her diligent guarding hadn’t revealed any threats, Kara set her glaive aside and knelt down. She reached one small brown hand out to Fluffers, and petted his head, gently. She didn’t know it, but she was smiling again as she scratched him behind the ears, and carefully ran her hand along his back, gently avoiding the matts in his fur.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on May 5, 2019 18:22:38 GMT
Fluffers closed his eyes and rumbled happily at the attention, leaning in where he was hoping to receive more petting. Solstice chuckled, shaking her head. "You're a real affection sponge, aren't you? Not that I blame you...." Kara being so gentle with the cat is truly precious, and the firbolg paused to listen and peer around in her companion's stead to allow her a moment more with the grateful housecat.
Perception: vDr6lV4E1d20+2 1d20+2
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on May 5, 2019 18:23:03 GMT
Sensing nothing approaching, she gently knelt by the cat and held out a large hand. After another moment to bump Kara affectionately, the cat jumped up onto Solstice's hand, and then her shoulder, curling up on a pauldron. "Comfortable enough? Just stay where you are, and we'll get you back to the house shortly." Relatively shortly, anyway. She nodded for Kara to take point, wanting to keep the cat well-protected now that they found him alive.
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Post by moralhazard on May 5, 2019 22:25:07 GMT
There was a soft, warm glow that had started with the rumbling purr of the cat, and seemed to have lodged firmly in Kara’s chest. She gave Fluffers a last affectionate scratch behind the ear, then nodded towards Solstice’s hand, encouragingly. Her face was soft, still, for a long few moments, before Solstice’s words and the gravity of the mission ahead of them sank in.
Kara nodded, firmly, determination settling in over her features again. She scooped up her glaive and rose, looking down the tunnel in her goggles.
Kara led the way, keeping her eyes and ears open; she was particularly careful to check the ceiling. Solstice’s shoulder was a good place for the cat, but it also left him vulnerable to anything dropping down from above. Well enough; with Kara passing first, she would do her best to keep things from surprising them in any direction.
Soon, Kara hoped, they would leave the tunnel – one turn, unmarked, then back into the cavern. From there, she had cross-hatched everything. All the better if they made it through with no more surprises. One could always hope.
Perception: uC9V3PVV1d20+31d20+3
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on May 5, 2019 23:13:35 GMT
Solstice checked the ceiling as well, though took care to alternate with Kara so that no one was focusing overmuch in one direction, when an encounter could happen from another. She also paid attention to Fluffers' mood; the cat tensed a little upon exiting that small cavern, and remained that way while they backtracked to where the tunnel merged. He made an unhappy noise, and Solstice spoke sympathetically. "It's alright, love. They're far away." And hopefully they would remain so for the foreseeable future.
Kara sensed no company nearby, not when they merged tunnels and not as they approached the main cavern. In fact, when they emerge from the tunnel she can note the bodies of a pair of piercers on the cavern floor that weren't there when they left. Solstice raised an eyebrow. "You know, if there's one lesson this place has taught me, it's that you can never look up enough. I'm glad the spiders finished them off for us." At least, that's what she bet had happened. It prompted her to eye the ceiling once more before she even thought of moving further.
Perception: ACDvGUdx1d20+21d20+2
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Post by moralhazard on May 5, 2019 23:19:00 GMT
Kara tensed at the sight of the piercers on the floor, holding for a moment – but the lack of nearby sound or movement was enough to convince her to keep going. They had to keep going; otherwise, they had very little chance.
Kara nodded in agreement to Solstice’s comment. It was a lesson to her too, she thought, not to be too confident. They had been here, in the main cavern, shortly before talking to the spiders. What were the odds that the piercers had been here then, and they’d missed them? It was a grim, unpleasant thought, and Kara’s lips pressed together tightly at it. Even with two of them, seasoned warriors both and paying close attention, they’d missed the piercers.
Kara thanked Helm for his patience with her, and promised to be more vigilant.
Kara stopped at the beginning of the tunnel back towards Mrs. Mossrun’s, grateful for the crosshatch that confirmed that, yes, this was the way. She gave the cavern a last glance, then started down the tunnel, still wary.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on May 5, 2019 23:31:36 GMT
That disappointment lingered in Solstice's thoughts as well, and she knew it was because her thoughts at the time had centered too much on what lay ahead instead of the here and now. Well, the past couldn't be undone (and at least it had worked out for them) but it was a lesson going forward, one she planned to remember. She wouldn't get very far in Mielikki's service as a paladin if her career was cut short by another hostile ceiling fixture.
As the group made their way back up the tunnel, Fluffers hissed in the general direction if where the trapper had previously ambushed Solstice and Kara. "You sensed that? Good on you for avoiding it, Fluffers." She sounded proud, liking the friendly and canny housecat more and more. It made her wonder she should get one for Toby and herself, especially to keep him company when she was away. Perhaps later, she would surprise him.
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Post by moralhazard on May 5, 2019 23:34:59 GMT
Kara paused, taking the cat’s hiss seriously. There had only been one trapper. Perhaps the cat was sensing what had been there, or – perhaps – They were close to Mrs. Mossrun’s house now. Kara wouldn’t take any chances. “Hold here,” Kara said, quietly, glancing back at Solstice. She approached the edge of the branched-off tunnel, taking a deep breath, and focused her gaze on the ceiling, checking that first, then the walls and floor. She would rather take another fight now, injured as she was, then leave behind something that might endanger Mrs. Mossrun. Perception check: RvljJdCY1d20+3 1d20+3
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on May 6, 2019 0:31:20 GMT
Coming to a stop, Solstice nodded. She reached up and stroked Fluffers reassuringly, and the purring returned as she waited for Kara to give the all-clear. Until she did, the firbolg would stay put and the housecat himself didn't seem inclined to rush ahead of them. It seems he'd learned his lesson about wandering off alone, at least for the time being.
Checking the ceiling, walls and floor revealed nothing that wasn't already there. On high alert, Kara could be quite certain that of that this time. Nothing suspicious marked any area, and the only tracks were their own as they descended below.
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Post by moralhazard on May 6, 2019 0:40:58 GMT
After a moment, Kara nodded with relief. She went back to Solstice, standing on her tiptoes to give Fluffers a small pet as if she hadn’t really realized she was doing it, then kept walking past her adventuring companion, heading down the tunnel and back towards Mrs. Mossrun, reassured by the lack of any other prints.
But it was the core of Helm’s dogma to anticipate attacks and be ready. So close to the end of their journey, it was better to look for attacks that wouldn’t come than to be caught off guard by a surprise.
Kara kept walking. Soon, she thought, soon they would be out of this miserable tunnel. She was sure Solstice would help her convince Mrs. Mossrun (and Fluffers) to go and stay with family, and equally confident that the paladin would be able to figure out who to ask about filling the hole in. She was thoroughly grateful to have had the paladin with her on this quest, and not just for her spider-taming.
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Jarovbees
Approved
Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on May 6, 2019 3:02:17 GMT
Solstice's eyes twinkled at Kara's behavior toward Fluffers, though she didn't dare point it out for fear of making the woman self-conscious. It seemed to put Fluffers at ease, too, and she thought a team effort benefited him the most. She watched Kara ahead, gratified that the woman wasn't letting her guard down. It would be so easy to do, and so costly when they were very close to a happy resolution for all.
This was the last stretch, finally. Solstice could feel the change in the air and smiled, grateful to resurface and not just for Fluffer's sake. She reached up and scratched him behind the ears, gently. "Almost there, then you get spoiled forever while Kara and I get ourselves a celebratory drink. Good times all around, I promise."
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Post by moralhazard on May 6, 2019 3:09:20 GMT
A celebratory drink? Kara glanced back over her shoulder at Solstice, then focused her gaze forward again. She had had celebratory drinks in the Freewolves. They had never really been with anyone she would have wanted to drink with, and most of the ones she had enjoyed had been more about numbing than celebrating. To her surprise, Kara probed at the idea of having a drink with Solstice and she felt - glad. She didn’t feel nervous; she was surprised at how at ease she felt with Solstice. Sharing battles did that to you, but it had become unfamiliar. The sense of camaraderie was something she hadn’t had since... since... the Stone Shields. Kara kept her gaze forward and her attention focused, but she felt glad. The air was fresher - they were so close - and she had something to look forward to. This was a good day.
((Word count: 8,061))
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