Tree Lords III

[JadedDM]

Dara halts in her tracks and turns around to face the party when Fikod draws his crossbow on her. She furrows her brow. "Nobody made any of you do anything. I saved you friend's life, then I offered to help you find your other friend--asking nothing in return. Remember when I said the centaurs won't attack if they see you being led by a kirath? Well, how do you think they'll act when they see you shooting her?" She places her fists on her hips. "So either you trust me now, or you don't. If not, you're free to leave. I won't stop you. The rest of us will go and find your friend on our own."

[Breila]

"Dara, I am very grateful that you saved my life"Babushka says. "But I also know that there are creatures in this world that will seek to gain people's trust only to lead them into desaster. We were nearly killed in a place that looked much like this, a few days ago. So please, let us check together that there are no people ready to shoot us all down when we go on."
Babushka's bow is strung, but no arrow drawn yet, and she watches the forest while she is talking.

[Jenara]

"She speaks the truth Fikod, no one forced us to follow her." Jerrard comments solemnly, "Lower your weapon." He adds, "Please?"

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Locky takes Daras hand in hers, and looks at the others. "I'm going with her, wait here if you like..." She motions to the hole, "I will trust in Paladine."

"Dara, let Babuskha check the perimeter for a few moments, please?" Standing resolutely she places her other hand on her hips.

[HorizonsDream]

"I think it is this place that is making us a little paranoid," Imani says. " She hasn't led us into danger so far, so lets give her tye benefit if the doubt for the moment."

[JadedDM]

Babushka does not see any sign of movement in the forest as she holds her bow tightly.

Dara, however, keeps her eyes on the dwarf's crossbow, still pointed at her. "Looks like I'm your prisoner then. Do what you like, there seems to be little I can do to stop you. Perhaps you'd like to tie me up first?" she asks sarcastically.

[NoTrammeling]

(Thanks for waiting, sorry ^^;)

A bead of sweat runs through the dwarf's craggy furrowed brow and down his nose to 'plink' softly against the crossbow in his hands. Slowly, ever so slowly, Fikod lowers the weapon to point at the tortured forest floor though he remains in the relaxed coiled state of some hunter about to pounce.

His eyes never leave the elf as he opens his mouth to speak, "A team must trust one another, so I will nae shoot ye, Trickster. But nor will I follow ye to a fool's end. I'd like to tie ye up and worse to learn the truth of this matter." Here he clearly addresses the group though his posture does not change. "Ask yerselves, is this right? She looks like a nice little elf aye, but what do ye feel in yer bones? Dinnae ignore the insticts meant to save yer lives."

(Edited for color and formatting.)

[Jenara]

"And you ask yourself something, are your views on Elves clouding your judgement?" Locky asks, still holding Daras hand, "You saved my best friend in the whole world, you are my friend and would never be our prisoner!" She exclaims squeezing harder, frowning she glares at the dwarf.

"I am going to find Malkia and the horses, wait here if you want." She pulls slowly.

[Jerrard]

"Its this place, this forest, we should never have come here, but we are." Jerrard talks softly, his hand resting on the dwarfs shoulder, "Keep a watch out, but Dara is with us, she is here to help."

[HorizonsDream]

"If you guys are going to scout ahead, then I suggest you do it," Imani points out.

[Breila]

Babushka shakes her head. "I didn't mean scout ahead, but check the perimeter where archers would be to shoot those who go on" she explains. "If there are any, they're disciplined, not to have let loos a shot at us while we're standing here, arguing."
Nevertheless, she starts moving into the brush on their left to circle the depression at a distance of a few yards in the coverin brushes, casually looking for tracks on the way. "Fikod, are you coming with me? We're both small, we should be able to go faster than the big folk."

[NoTrammeling]

Grumbling under his breath, Fikod slowly loses hold of his visible tension under the reassuring grip of Jerrard's hand. While he shoots his priestly teammate a strange helpless look, he turns from the rest of the group to follow Babushka into the brush. With a final, "Heed me words, watch yerselves." he disappears into the undergrowth.

(Edit: clarity of final sentence)

[Jenara]

"Let them check?" Locky suggests, waiting for a monent, "Sorry for that, he is really jumpy, something really bad must have happened to him.." she adds after the others have left.

"What do you think they will do?" She asks Dara, "The Centaurs?"

[JadedDM]

Babushka and Fikod circle the entire clearing, searching for signs of hidden archers in the brush. They find none--nor much of anything else, for that matter. There are no recent tracks of any kind, at least none that they find.

Dara frowns again. "At this point, we'll be lucky if they even agree to appear and speak to us. They are very distrustful of humans and your friends suspicious actions will make them even more so, I'm afraid."

[Jenara]

"I am so sorry about them. As soon as they come back, we go, just you and me." She suggests.

[HorizonsDream]

"No," Imani says to Locky. "If anyone is going to speak to them, it would be Dara and myself," she states. "Though, if they are so distrustful of humans, why would they take Malika?" she asks. "She is human."