Strangers in a Strange Land (RP)

Lille was curt and distant with most of the villagers in the morning. She gave their hostess a genuine thank you, and said a quick goodbye to Emaline. "We have to go," she said sadly to the girl, seeing her father coming to intervene. "Think for yourself. Goodbye." At the fence, Lille instructed the puppy dog to stay and keep doing a very good job guarding his family. Then she stalked out of town, oblivious to the murmurs or stares of the hostile community.

When they are far enough down the road, Lille spots a stream just off the side and motions her companions over to consume their meager breakfast. Lille eats in silence, and when she has finished she grabs her water skin and points to Ezme’s as well, inviting the other woman to walk upstream to a small pool. Lille fills up and glances down at the others, eating and talking just out of earshot, before speaking up.

"Why do you keep leaving bottles of blood out at night? she asks quietly. "Is it a custom from your home? It seems like it can’t be healthy to do for long.." Lille glances down at Ezme’s leg, where the blood drop from the night before had revealed that wound’s location.

Ezmaray lowers her water skin from her lips. "So you have been following me...." She raises her brow at the other woman with a flat expression, then looks away. The trapper runs her tongue along her upper teeth thoughtfully, then lifts her bottle once again to chug some more water. Finally she lowers the water skin with a long exhale and caps it.

"I do it in private because I do not know how these Raynor worshipers would respond," she says, gesturing back toward the others. "The blood is tribute to fey spirit of the forest. Cute little fellow. It protected me and grants me safe passage. I give it thanks." She clips the water skin back on to her belt. "...But I admit I need to find alternate solution." She eyes the forest. "Perhaps blood from catch would be sufficient..."

Lille nods in agreeement with Ezme’s last statement. "The first time I saw you was the night you left Olmstead. I was following the group, for protection," she explains. Lille does not seem ashamed or remorseful about her actions. "I also saw you the last two nights, though the first of those was an accident," she says matter-of-factly. "How long have you been doing it? Did.. you make any promises to the spirit?" She seems uncertain about the topic, but also a bit curious and only mildly apprehensive.

"The girls seem quiet this morning." Albert remarks to Theo and Daryl. "Did something happen last night?" He's a bit puzzled by the behavior, but they'll come around... Probably?

"I think it may be better to go through the woods." He says later on to the whole group when they spot the checkpoint. "We don't need the attention of the guards. Unless they have guards guarding the woods. In which case they would catch us sneaking around." he scratches his beard in thought.

Ezme makes a quiet, uncomfortable mental note to never assume she has privacy in the woods with Lille anywhere nearby.

"Not long," Ezme says to the druid girl with a casual shrug as she rises to return. "I said I would take care of it. So far, though, it is best kind of pet. Low maintenance. Have not seen the cute bugger since it helped me that night..." She gestures back toward the group. "Shall we?"

....

Ezme frowns with surprise at Albert's suggestion. "We expect them to give us trouble?" She glances down at the delivery in her arms, then back at the menfolk, addressing them one by one. "Albert. Theo. Daryl.... I have come with you all this distance. For the love of the gods, would you just tell me... what is even in these packages??"

Lille looks doubtful about Ezme’s description of her "pet", but joins her companion in returning to the group. She nods along with Albert’s suggestion of going through the woods. "The only thing that matters about the packages is that they’re heavy," she tells Ezme, looking at the carrying pole. "If this ‘army’ decides we’re a problem, or changes their mind like the village, we won’t be able to run away." She sounds especially bitter about the village. "I can help us avoid anyone in the woods."

Albert makes a mental note of Daryl's bad dreams, but before he can ask more the women are back.

"The packages? We don't know. We're just to bring them to the destination." He simply answers. "Do you think we should know?" He asks genuinelybas he tries to think of how that could influence their opinions.

"I honestly don't know what to expect from the people here. Especially an army. Judging by what we heard in the village they have a tendency to take things, it would seem." He looks at the packages as Lille speaks.

"The woods sounds like the best option then, right?"

Ezmaray frowns, then shrugs when Albert asks if we should know what is inside the packages.

"... What if one of us attempts to walk through, with fake delivery? Then we see how the army responds, without risking the packages... If that goes poorly, we take sneaky route."

"We could try that." Albert ponders. "It might also be dangerous, though. We don't know what these armies are like." Somehow either options seems risky and prone to failure to him. It's one of those cases where there may not be a right decision.

"What if they keep the fake package but let the person walk through? Then they’re alone and we have to meet them somehow. And what if they hold that person there for being suspicious? Then we have to go rescue them from the whole army. Lille shakes her head. "No, it’s best that we stay away from humans, she says, entirely missing the irony that they are all human. While her doubt seems strong, she still looks to the group, clearly intending to go with whichever they decide.

"Very well," Ezme acquiesces. "Downwind, then. In case they have dogs."