2018-02-09: Krossing the Border

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<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

For the past few weeks, the Caravan Kinship had taken somewhat of a break, to help recuperate after a series of events that had hit them fairly hard. Recently, though, Jacqueline had decided it was time to get to work once more. Before they could do that, though, they needed to make some preparations to ensure they were ready to get to work.

There was also another matter involving the village of Wehaca that needed to be tended to, but as it happened the two were not unconnected.

They had been at it for the better part of a day, however, so she decided it was time to take a break from preparing to get back to work. At the moment, she can be found sitting in a chair outside the Carakin with a glass of tea to help cool off. Little did she know that they would be having company soon...

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied has had an unexpectedly rough day... though she should've anticipated it in hindsight. She went to the border of Krosse following a plea of help from one of the now-nomads that left Wayside village -- saying that they attempted to travel south and were detained by the Royal Guard. Following that investigation, they barely escaped with the skin of their teeth...

With no Dragons to aid them, Riesenlied has chartered some horses -- and it's with a small entourage of lightly wounded and exhausted people that she finds the CaraKin in the distance, gasping with relief as she ushers her ride to head in that direction. "It's safe there... let's inquire for aid and supplies from Miss Jacqueline."

There's a mix of people and Hyadeans with her -- and they look worse for the wear, as is herself. She's suffered a puncture wound from a sword and arrow, fortunately treated, but it's certainly not the kind of injury she really wants to invite given her state...

"Miss Jacqueline? I'm sorry to appear uninvited... could we seek aid from the CaraKin?"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin's been training near the CaraKin...just basic sword moves. Lunges, parries, thrusts, that kind of thing. Spirit's laying in the shade, near Jacqueline. Kourin stops, as Riesenlied and the other strangers approach, using a towel to wipe her brow, and glancing at Jacqueline to hear how she answers.

She looks concerned.

<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

Victoria has been training near Kourin, the overall gist is pretty much the same. The offworld fencer stops as she sees Riesenlied approach, and after wiping her sweat with an impromptu sweatband she approaches. "What happened?" She asks, sounding quite concerned. "Are you alright?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

Ethius, strange man that he is, happens to be standing out in the nearby dunes for some reason by his lonesome. (It's probably something to do with land mines. Again.) He might have been staring every so often watching Kourin practice with her acquaintance over there, but it's Ethius, he kind of stares at everything... it's a challenge to say anything beyond 'he's present.'

At least, until horses arrive, at which point he moves swiftly to rejoin the lot of them in case it's bandits. (Again.)

The lack of yelling or action on the part of the rest suggest it isn't, but he never lets that be an excuse to potentially blow something out of proportion as Riesenlied's horse comes before Jay to ask for aid.

He keeps his distance.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"A-ah!" Jacqueline stands up quickly as she sees Riesenlied and her entourage. She nearly drops her glass, but manages to hold on at the last moment without spilling anything. Of all the things she had expected to see today, this certainly wasn't one of them...still, it seems to be a fortuitous meeting, as Riesenlied seems to have people with her in need of aid.

"Oh, yes, of course! Let's see..." Jacqueline takes a moment to look everyone over, taking stock of everyone's condition. With that done she takes a moment to glance over toward Kourin, taking note of Ethius's presence here. "Kourin, would you mind gathering the supplies from the cabinet for me?"

She asks...then thinks a moment before making an addition.

"...And perhaps the pitcher of tea, as well as some glasses." These people looked like they could use something, and besides being a refreshing drink it did have its medicinal properties.

"I do have to echo Miss Victoria's question...what happened?" She asks.


<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin nods, then heads to go fetch those things. She may be a few minutes.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied looks just a bit nervous, but smiles weakly towards Victoria and Kourin, waving towards them both. Her expression falls just a little as she sees Ethius, but she quickly remands her face and bows towards him as well as she climbs off her horse and strokes it at its mane. She seems to be a good rider, with a rapport for her mounts...

Some of the other Tainted and escapees dismount as well, sitting down around a circle as they drink from their waterskins.

"Some of the nomads who left Wayside came back to me saying they'd been arrested at Krosse's borders..." Riesenlied places a hand to her forehead, as if a mimic of Ethius. "What we found there was-- much more violent than I'd expected. They had so many people arrested, and worse--"

She looks to the Tainted, who has a broom for a leg with an upturned bucket for a foot. "They didn't treat us like prisoners, more like... livestock. They said I was 'useless', but they took some other humans and brought them to what I heard was some kind of... catacomb under the capital city..."

Riesenlied lowers her head. "We also found... traces of Malevolence... it is unmistakable. It is the work of the Trial Knight..." as she wraps her arms around her elbows, shivering.

<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

"That doesn't sound very good..." Victoria's face is full of 'I have no clue what you're talking about.' She puts away her blade and takes a good look at the poor folks, "Anything I can do to help, or...?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

Ethius continues to stand at a distance that is not considered very polite for matters of important conversation, but nonetheless, there he is anyway. He doesn't seem to have any commentary on Riesenlied's excellent impression of the hand-to-head thing he does.

"Are you certain you have not been followed?" He asks, not allowing her much time to hold herself undisturbed before the questions come.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline offers Riesenlied a look of concern. To see her look like that...it was awful. She steps aside, letting folks dismount as they please. She takes this moment to assess everyone again before reaching into her bags and beginning to sort out some medical supplies.

All the while she listens, a concerned frown on her face.

"Oh, that's awful...are you alright?" She asks the woman with a broom for a leg, before turning her attention toward Riesenlied.

Malevolence...and the Trial Knight. The relationship between Riesenlied and the Trial Knight was an interesting one. It was understandable that hearing they were responsible for something like this would affect her so.

But for Jacqueline, it reminds her of Port Timney and Wehaca...

She moves in, offering a gentle hand on Riesenlied's shoulder.

"Will you be alright...?" She asks, and glances toward Ethius when he speaks. ...She had to admit, it was an important question, but to Victoria she sends a nod.

"Could you help me pass out medicine and drinks to everyone gathered here?" She asks, stepping away from Riesenlied. The same request is extended to Kourin, when she returns.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin nods, setting to the task with her usual efficiency and quiet seriousness. She's getting accustomed to this sort of humanitarian aid work--she finds it far more palatable than the Guard work she used to do. In a way, this is what she originally joined Althena's Guard to do to begin with, and the fact that she has found a way to do it outside the Guard pleases her.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"The last thing I want is to lure the Krosse guard here, so I've made sure to cover our tracks," Riesenlied expresses to Ethius. A pause, and then she gestures. "Don't worry. I'm used to using horseback to evade pursuers, so I'm fairly confident on that front..."

She looks to Victoria for a moment, and smiles as Jacqueline places a hand on her shoulder, lowering herself to a seat. "... I'm not certain, but I know well this isn't a situation any of us can ignore. I had originally wondered if the Althenan Guard was responsible for the increased border security, but..."

Well, to say there's a mystery in Krosse was understating it.

The Tainted broom-leg woman looks up to Kourin and says, "Oh, goodness gracious, thank you dear..." as she accepts the tea and also the bandages. "I'm okay. I got off easy... but, if what you've said is true, maybe I'm 'useless' because I can't be infected, like our other brethren... which has more horrible implications..."

Riesenlied looks towards the Tainted woman, before nodding slowly. "... I'm just glad we were able to get you out of there. I can only imagine the Trial Knight is going to repeat what they did in Wehaca and Lahan..." she cups her mouth for a moment. The taint of Malevolence still lingered in her mind, and it's burdensome...

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

Just as Ethius asks that question, he's already pacing around the gathering group on their horses. He gives each of them a look-over in the sense that he is appraising them for... some value only he seems to be counting for. Virtually all of the assisting work is being handled through Jay's delegation with Kourin and the fellow fencer she has befriended.

"I will keep vigil as you are tended to," he says without looking any of them in the eyes - in spite of Riesenlied's reassurances. His eyes peer out into the scorching desert beyond, keeping his ears peeled to all that is being said around and behind himself. He has yet to voice any concerns about what is being spoken... but knowing him by now (as far as anyone can know Ethius), he might already be considering a number of possibilities.

One of which includes, as an educated guess, 'I'm going to need to look into this directly.'

<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

Once given something to do, Victoria immediately gets to work. She remains quiet, listening to others do the talking because she feels like she doesn't know enough to have any clue as to what to say, but distributing medicine and drinks is something she can do, as long as she doesn't have to do anything like administer any medicine, that's a bit beyond her.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Yes, this is a potential problem for everyone..." Jacqueline murmurs. "I don't know how much I'll be able to help, but I can assist everyone in recovering afterwards..."

Unfortunately, she doubted she would be able to get into Krosse with any sort of ease, being as unrecognizable as she is. Not to mention the fact that they had Wehaca on their minds already. She wouldn't tell anyone they couldn't go, of course, if they were of a mind to lend aid.

"Ah, so Hyadeans are resistant to Malevolence? I see..." Jacqueline murmurs. "Well, I'm glad you all managed to get out alright, at least. Please, stay as long as you like, all of you."

Fortunately for Victoria, she won't need to administer the medicine herself. The instructions are printed there on the bottle, and for the most part it can be summed up as 'drink this'. Hopefully the injured are in a condition where they can manage that on their own, if not Jacqueline will quickly be over to help.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"Only a handful of us are even able to see it... back when I first met you in Ignas, I could not even perceive it at all," Riesenlied explains... before glancing aside. "And now, I've become vulnerable to it. It is strange... but, perhaps, that is a necessary pain to be able to understand why people are infected by it, and how to best help them out of that malady..."

She nods gently as she says, "I'll help return them to a major town -- most of them are travelers, so they shouldn't have problems returning to their homes."

The Tainted lowers her head shamefully to say, "After I'd rejected Wayside, you still came to our aid... I'm truly humbled..."

"I can't expect you to stay... I understand fearing the wrath of the Quarter Knights," Riesenlied speaks gently. She glances towards Victoria, and then the others. "... admittedly, I'm unsure how much time and effort I can dedicate to this either... we've our hands full trying to ready ourselves against Lord Siegfried."

She pensively looks in Ethius' direction... then lowers her head again. It's plain to see she looks disappointed -- in herself, perhaps. Like she feels guilty.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin sighs. "I wish...I wish it were easier to stand against those we once worked with..."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

The distant man - more emotionally than physically speaking in this specific usage of it, as he's well within conversational range - keeps his back turned to the empathic Hyadean with his eyes peeled out towards the dusty horizon. The CaraKin is, in itself, a roving oasis out here in the Badlands. A place for rest and reflection as it rolls about the dunes. That Riesenlied and the rescued have managed to find them here might be Chapapanga throwin' out one heck of a bone! A bone with lots of tasty meat on it!

The oasis still houses one heck of a cactus in /him/.

"The information you have been able to bring forth is appreciated." Appreciation, spoken in the same tone as he does much of anything else - without any real warmth behind it.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline nods in understanding...though she isn't /quite/ sure of Riesenlied's reasoning. Still, it was coming from a good place, at least, and if it helped her understand, then, well...

"...Well, just be careful that you don't find yourself overwhelmed by it." Jacqueline replies. If Riesenlied was vulnerable to Malevolence, was it possible for her to become a Hellion...? That was a worrying thought.

She decides to turn her thoughts to brighter matters.

"I'm glad to hear that they can go home. This must have been a frightening experience for everyone." Jacqueline says, offering those gathered here a smile. Riesenlied does offer a reminder, though, that the danger is far from gone. Kourin as well, adds in a reminder of how she and Riesenlied bore some similarities...

Jacqueline looks at Riesenlied again, frowning slightly at that look on her face...before offering her a smile.

"...It's okay. I know you want to help them, but...it's impossible for one person to solve the entirety of the world's problems. But even so...I know there are most likely others out there, working hard to help." She says, trying to reassure her...then chuckles sheepishly. "It's...a lesson I'm still trying to learn, myself..."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

It's probably deeply fortunate that Riesenlied is probably incapable of turning into a hellion... though what fortune comes of that-- also lies in some serious existential problems of hers. For... what measure does the empathy of a machine count, if the very substance that can influence living creatures cannot latch onto her? It's a difficult thing to consider...

"I understand all too well, Miss Kourin..." Riesenlied softly sighs. "... to know I one day will have to face Lord Siegfried... still wounds me inside. All of those years, all he has taught me..."

She shakes her head, as she sips her tea and tries to relax gently. She nods at Jacqueline. "We'll see how it goes. And... yes, we do appear to need to learn many of the same lessons, do we not...?" She chuckles, reaching forward and patting her in turn. "Be kind to yourself."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin nods. "I...I fear I will someday be forced to face White Knight Leo or the Guard in truth, not just verbally, and...it frightens me. I...I am sorry. I do not mean to...focus on myself."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

It's impossible for one person to solve the entirety of the world's problems, Jacqueline reasons.

We do appear to need to learn many of the same lessons, Riesenlied finds humor as she reflects upon this wisdom.

Kourin struggles about her own fears, her own focus on herself.

What does Ethius think of, when all this is said about him as he stands vigil as a figure who seems to find every excuse to doubt, separate, or otherwise be little more than a looming shadow from the sun's present orientation that encroaches upon the gathering of the wounded and the frightened to the few who are capable of helping them at this time? It is desert for quite a long stretch, from here.

To what insecurities would this man be obscuring, that he would still remain attached if he does not seem to be of the need for emotional reassurance in the wake of troubling news and the narrow escape of someone most might consider a friend?

He looks vaguely in the direction of the Krosse border, from where he stands, wordless. His eyes narrow. There are many pressing matters that require his attention, but should Riesenlied's information hold water... this is a matter that more than piques his interest.

Why won't he say as much out loud, then?

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

It was a pain Jacqueline hoped she would never have to face. To one day consider someone she looked up to, someone she knew and admired for so long, an enemy...she couldn't imagine the pain Riesenlied must be going through now.

"I'm sorry..." Jacqueline murmurs, shaking her head sadly. She does offer Riesenlied a smile, as she returns her reassuring gesture from before.

"I've been doing better about it lately, at least... The vacation we took was part of that. Giving myself time to heal with everyone..." She replies.

She looks toward Kourin, then.

"...I'm sorry. It...may be possible, yes. We have encountered the White Knight a few times on our adventures...each time wearing the same, um, 'creative', type of disguises... I don't know if it's been incidental, or if he has been watching us. He hasn't tried to harm us or anything, but..." Jacqueline admits, shaking her head. "...But don't worry, Kourin. It's okay to talk about your fears and concerns. We're all here together, after all."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied looks rather sorrowfully towards Kourin, but at the very least can offer some encouragement: "... I think he may be misguided, but I do have cause to believe that White Knight Leo is a good man. Stand strong to your own beliefs, and he will come to see them in time... do not let him succumb to deep hatred, as Lord Siegfried has..."

She nods in agreement with Jacqueline, looking back towards Ethius in the distance. So rigid, and unrelenting in his vigil... Riesenlied could learn a lesson from him.

"A vacation... that sounds lovely. I hope those two Lunies have been helping you take a load off too," she smiles a bit wider. "And Miss Kourin, I saw you practice your swordplay. Your form is excellent... I'm not very able to wield a sword anymore, but I used to practice it constantly."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin bows her head, blushing slightly. "I am...nothing but a student of the blade. I know that I have far to go before I am truly ready to call my skills complete. Still...it brings me satisfaction to perform well. Thank you."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline still wasn't sure what to make of Leo. He did seem to be helping Adlehyde, at least... Perhaps they would be able to talk to him, someday, in a peaceful manner.

"Yes, it was. And they certainly have been! Honestly, I think if I would have gone on any longer, they would've made me take a vacation anyway...they already put me in time-out after what happened to Wehaca..." She comments with a chuckle, then a glance to Kourin.

"Oh, yes, your skills are fantastic, Kourin. I've never really tried wielding a sword before myself..." She says. She could use a knife, but...that was something completely different.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"I'm glad to have had the opportunity to learn... but now, as I am, I am equally glad I still have viable options to me," Riesenlied speaks gently as she brushes her hand against the Tear. Though how long will that last? She knows how much it wears on her to use...

"I am reminded... where do you think you'll go next, Miss Jacqueline? If all goes well, I think we will take the airship east, to attempt to liberate our brethren... though, that may be the most dangerous plan of all..." Riesenlied comments.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline nods, though her eyes drift toward the Tear for a moment. Her thoughts are along the same lines - how long can Riesenlied go on using it...? She brings up a good question, and Jacqueline returns her attention to her.

"Well, I'd have to see what everyone else thinks...but Lunata, Shalune and I were thinking about seeing if we can't return to Adlehyde for a short time, to see family and see how things have progressed since we've left..." Jacqueline replies. She looks to the others, then.

"Is that alright with you all?" She asks.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin frowns, looking concerned. "...I am...wanted in Adlehyde...it is under Guard protection, after all...

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied is a bit moree quiet, but nods towards Jacqueline and has a bit of a look of concern towards Kourin. "... last I know it, it is not particularly devout to the Guard's ambitions, so I do not imagine it would be too great a concern if you conceal yourself... but, that is a good idea. I do wish to stop and... well, help contribute to its recovery best I can."

After all she's done...

She bites her lip, keeping a bit more quiet.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Oh, that's true..." Jacqueline comments with a frown. That could...potentially be a problem. Was it selfish to go back, even though it might mean putting Kourin in danger? There was nothing there for her, after all... Jacqueline hadn't even thought about that. It would be like asking her to go to Bledavik, after everything that happened there...

"...Yeah. We'll...we'll figure something out..." Jacqueline murmurs.

It would be nice to contribute as Riesenlied said, but...

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

Ethius' silence on the matter about returning to Adlehyde or heading east suggests that he might be okay with being left exactly where he's standing. (That would be too easy, wouldn't it.)

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