[Last Time, on El WHAT?!: Our heroes camped for another night on the trail.  The
Emmet and Chiaki successfully hunted enough food to last them for the rest of
the trip, and thanks to the well applied magical talents of Tiffany, it was
preserved quite well.]
[Then, in the middle of the night, elves attacked!  Well, just before bedtime,
really, but still.  Harold scared them off by putting a crossbow bolt through
one of them, giving the poor elf a fatal case of dead.]
[After a somewhat uneasy night, given that said elves could have returned for
more revenge at any time, our heroes awaken, and must prepare to break camp and
continue on their way to The Gap.  Their way will be easier, given that they no
longer need hunt as they go, but it will be slowed rather a lot because half the
group is walking, as the horses simply cannot take riding double at full
overland speed.  Too bad nobody thought to bring a car.]
[Session... START!]
* The sun rises.
* Chiaki eventually sits up and rubs her eyes.
* Harold is already awake, packing up his gear as quietly as he can.
* Emmet is also already out of his tent, and breaking said tent town to its
portable form.
* Fadi looks like he just got up. He's busy packing the tent away so we can move
ASAP.
* Nick is likewise awake and bright-eyed, with tent and gear packed into his
saddlebags.
* Tiffany rolls over on the hard ground, stretching her arms high above her
head. *Yaaaaaawn*
* Chiaki glances at the book laying beside her and quickly stuffs it into her
bag before helping the others break camp.
<Fadi> 'mornin'.
<Chiaki> Good morning!
<Nick> Hey, everyone!
* Sophie wakes up! Or maybe she was already awake on last watch. I forget.
Either way, she goes about tending to Thundar first thing.
* Thundar is happy to see Sophie.  Thundar did not sleep at all last night. 
There were elves about, and elves eat horses.
* Chiaki looks around the camp and seems relieved that everyone is there.
* Sophie is sad that Thundar did not sleep. :(
* Emmet grunts his good mornings as he carries his packed tent to one of the
horses. "Hey," he comments as he adds its bulk to the saddlebags, "We don't have
enough animals to go around."
* Fadi doesn't bother suiting up in his armor yet, although he's packed the tent
away already. "Yeah, so? Nothin' we can do about it."
<Emmet> Nothing, really.  I'll walk.
* Tiffany stands up and continues to stretch, as most of her stuff is still
packed up from last night. "I wish I'd been around when we got the horses."
<Nick> We can double-up, easy.
* Chiaki nods.
* Fadi thunks his armor down. It's *heavy*. "I can run pretty fast if I'm not
carryin' this stuff."
<Nick> ..Except for the giant one, he seems to only like cold people.
* Sophie smiles at Nick. "He just has good taste."
<Harold> I'm not sure doubling up would be good for the animals... we should
probably just take turns walking and riding.
* Chiaki glances at Sophie. "Do you think these horses can each carry two?"
* Tiffany answers. "Definitely not."
* Sophie nods to Chiaki. "It shouldn't be a problem if you don't over exhaust
them.
* Chiaki nods, though she's not sure whether Tiffany or Sophie is more accurate.
"I'm afraid I don't know much about horses."
<Sophie> Well, really, it depends.
* Tiffany turns back to Sophie, "Well, for the short run, perhaps... but I was
under the impression that this trip was going to be long."
* Fadi suits up in his armor. "I say it's better to be safe than sorry. How
about you?"
<Sophie> The more weight you put on a horse, the faster he will tire out. It's
just like with people.
* Emmet eyes the horses skeptically. "Yeah. I can keep up on foot. In fact..."
He walks back to his rucksack, opens it up, and rummages around inside for a
while. After a time he withdraws a pair of 'real world' cross country shoes,
which he uses to replace his locally-made boots.
<Sophie> Hmmm... Perhaps it would be best.
* Emmet closes his pack and secures the rest of his gear, jogging a little in
place to make sure he hasn't forgotten to tie anything down.
<Nick> Now, who goes on the horses..
* Fadi moves around a bit. "This armor slows me down, but I think I can still
keep pace if you guys are goin' at walking speed."
<Nick> First off, who wants one?
<Harold> I think I'll walk as long as I can stand it... I need to toughen up.
<Sophie> I propose Chiaki, Tiffany and Harold ride.
<Sophie> And myself, of course.
<Tiffany> I like that plan.
* Nick sighs. "Works for me."
<Harold> ... or I'll ride. ^^;
* Emmet stretches a little; the corners of his mouth are tugged up in a quiet
smile.
* Chiaki nods.
* Fadi stretches. "Sounds good to me."
* Nick kicks out his legs.
<Emmet> I'm ready.
* Fadi's foot runs into something, nearly sending him sprawling over onto the
ground.
* Tiffany walks over to the horses and inspects them each before picking the one
most to her liking. (Ignoring Thunder, of course)
* Chiaki runs over. "Are you okay?"
* Harold stares at the horses in blank incomprehension.
* Fadi steadies himself after that, going a good few feet forward. "What the
fuck was that?" He looks back.
* Fadi's feet ran into something that rather resembles an arrow in general
length and design, but is about as thick around as his thumb.
* Sophie peers at it. "Hmm?"
* Emmet casts a worried glance in Fadi's direction.
* Fadi props up the giant fuggin' arrow. He looks over at Chiaki and grins.
"Yeah, but... What's this for? You don't know anyone who uses somethin' like a
ballista, do you?"
* The not-arrow is bone-white, and may in fact actually be made of bone.  The
fletching is just as white as the shaft itself, and though you cannot see the
head, as it is buried in the ground, you've a strong suspicion it's white, too.
* Tiffany turns away from her newly picked horse, peering over at the not-arrow.
* Chiaki studies the arrow and shakes her head. "No, I don't... It's huge."
* Emmet watches from a distance; the area around the white object is crowded
enough already.
* Chiaki blinks, then moves closer to get a better look at the arrow.
<Sophie> Probably, it was left behind by our friends from last night.
<Chiaki> Wait a minute...
* Fadi raises an eyebrow. "See somethin'?"
<Chiaki> There's a message on it... It's in Japanese.
<Fadi> What's it say then?
* Emmet scans the roadway ahead and behind--and the terrain off to either
side--while the others talk.
* Chiaki frowns. "It's kind of old Japanese, so I hope I'm reading this right,
but it says blood vendetta is declared on those it was left for."
<Sophie> Oh, that's nice.
<Tiffany> Japanese?  People speak that here?  Blood Vandetta?!  What?
<Fadi> Japanese is the language of the elves here.
<Chiaki> Something like... "You are all dead. Your bodies have merely not
stopped moving."
<Fadi> And that's fuckin' great.
<Harold> ... not just elves, geeky elves from the anime club.
<Sophie> That sounds incredibly....
* Sophie thinks.
* Harold sounds quite depressed.
<Sophie> Poor taste.
* Chiaki looks rather white at this point, her hands clutching the hem of her
skirt.
<Nick> Dammit, death threats are getting old.
<Fadi> Yeah.  What next?
* Tiffany pats the horse, as if to calm it. Or, herself.
<Nick> We keep going, I guess..
* Sophie nods.
<Fadi> Good plan.  I like it.
<Harold> Nothing else to be done, really.
* Fadi knocks on the object. "I'm tempted to just smash this thing, while I'm at
it."
* Chiaki nods, then quickly walks toward the horses. She chooses the animal
she's grown familiar to riding, loads her belongings into its bags, then
carefully climbs into the saddle.
* Nick pats Stu on the head and kicks out his legs again.
* Sophie mounts up.
* Tiffany mounts up as well. "So what's the name of this one?"
* Fadi shrugs. "Horse?"
* Harold tries to cllimb on to the remaining horse, silently hoping he isn't
screwing it up somehow.
<Nick> I named mine, but..
<Sophie> We haven't named the horses yet, but personally I always thought of him
as a Maximillian.
* Tiffany grumbles at everyone but Sophie. "Good, being nameless just wouldn't
do. Max it is."
* Fadi takes out his sword and taps it against the object a few times, testing
to make sure that the sword *will* hurt it.
* Fadi accidentally cuts the not-arrow in half.
<Nick> Smooth.
* Fadi chuckles. "They don't make them like they used to." He shrugs and
sheathes his sword.
* Chiaki pats her horse affectionately on the neck.
* Fadi starts walking torwards The Gap. "Let's get going then. Don't have all
day."
<Emmet> Yeah.
* Emmet moves along the trail as well, pacing himself for a long, long day of
walking.
* Sophie nods and trots Thundar along.
* Tiffany reigns her horse into movement. "Come on, Max, we have a long way to
go."
* Nick starts walking, next to Emmet.
* Chiaki nudges her horse forward.
* Time passes.  Quite a bit of time.  Miles come and miles go, and slowly the
forest to the south creeps ever closer to the road.  It's nearly noon, and thus
a good stopping point for rest, especially for the horses.
* Harold pulls his horse up short. (Well, he tries to.)
* Chiaki suddenly straightens in her saddle. "Over there!"
* Chiaki points toward some trees. "I thought I saw someone."
* Harold's horse responds by planting its feet on the ground and refusing to
move an inch.
* Emmet scans the landscape south of the road. "In the forest? I saw it too."
* Fadi looks in that direction carefully and gripping the hilt of his sword.
* Tiffany scans the landscape, preparing to dismount in case of emergency.
<Harold> Yes, I did, too!
* Chiaki has a hand on the bow hanging over her shoulder.
* Sophie looks in that direction. "What is it?"
* Emmet unslings his bow with one hand and reaches another hand to a pouch at
his belt to withdraw the string. "Looked more like a person than an animal," he
tells Sophie as he strings the weapon.
* A single pale humanoid with the large pointed ears that mark an "elf" emerges
from the forest.  He stands there, watching you for a moment, then steps back
and vanishes.
<Nick> ...
<Fadi> ...
<Emmet> Yes.  It looked a lot like that.
<Sophie> Lovely.
<Fadi> Dammit.  I hate that.
* Harold is torn between terror and the extreme pain assaulting his pelvis area.
* Chiaki calls out into the trees. "M-Matte!"
<Tiffany> A... aren't we supposed to be running, or fighting those things?
<Fadi> Only if they want to bring it.
* Chiaki looks a little shaken. "So, that's an elf."
<Chiaki> They were the ones who attacked us last night?
* Emmet grunts. "Like you said, Fadi. Looks like a Vulcan."
* The vulc... er... elf appears to be gone.
* Chiaki sighs.
* Emmet studies the trees in vain. "They're good at hiding." He sounds a little
worried. "That's not a good sign."
* Chiaki nods. "I was hoping I could talk to him before he disappeared. Somehow
I don't think he'll return alone."
* Sophie sighs. "I wish it didn't have to come to this. But if they attack us
again... Well, so far we're winning."
<Fadi> If they want to bring it I'm not gonna stop them.  But dammit, I hate it
when they do that sneaking shit.
<Harold> They're letting us know they're watching us. Psychological warfare, I
imagine...
* Fadi cracks his neck. "Joy."
<Emmet> Hm.  Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better.
<Tiffany> Well, let's try to eat a quick lunch then so we can get back on the
road.
<Fadi> Yeah.
<Harold> I wonder if we could shake them...
* Chiaki looks nervous. "Should we just run?"
<Fadi> No.  That'd just get us exhausted.  They probably could follow us no
problem.
* Emmet returns to the horse on which much of his gear has been packed. He
searches through the bags there until he finds what will pass for his lunch
today.
* Fadi pulls out whatever the lunch of the day is.
* Emmet returns to his original position, bow in one hand and meal in the other.
* Deer jerky is the order of the day.  It's pretty good, actually.
* Sophie dismounts and finds a nice place to sit and eat.
* Tiffany dismounts and pats Max, giving him a small handfull of oats. "Not
enough to ruin your dinner, now."
* Chiaki dismounts, too, and partakes of the venison. :)
* Fadi sits down and eats too. "Don't forget to feed the horses."
* Chiaki feeds her horse before eating her jerky.
* Tiffany switches to feeding herself, in time. Her eyes don't stray from the
forrest.
* Chiaki sits on her knees under a tree to eat lunch, but she keeps her bow next
to her.
* Emmet watches the forest, too, but he also takes time to study all directions
as he eats.
* Harold clumsily dismounts and begins eating. He stands for a bit, then sits,
and doesn't seem comfortable either way. He doesn't eat much, his demeanor very
nervous.
* Fadi looks around.
* Fadi realizes that Nick is not present.
* Chiaki finishes eating her small piece of jerky, wipes her hands off on her
skirt, then stands up and glances around anxiously.
<Fadi> ...  Where the hell is Nick?
<Harold> ... he isn't here?
<Emmet> Maybe he disappeared.
* Harold looks around, too, confirming what Fadi already knows.
* Sophie looks around, then shrugs. "Probably trying to steal something from
some passerby.
* Chiaki blinks and looks around, too.
* Emmet walks over to the spot where he last saw Nick, and checks the ground to
see if there's any sign of the sneak moving off the beaten path.
<Chiaki> Are you sure nothing happened to him?
* Fadi frowns.
* Tiffany glances at the party nervously and stops eating.
* Chiaki shoulders her bow again and joins Emmet in looking for signs of Nick's
leaving.
* The last known tracks that were Nick's lead off towards the forest.
* Fadi walks over to where Emmet is. "He didn't run off, did he?"
<Emmet> Actually, it looks like he did.
* Emmet nods in the direction of the forest.
<Sophie> I told you.
<Harold> We need to find out what's happened to him.
<Chiaki> He wasn't attacked, though, was he?
<Tiffany> Let's go find out.
<Emmet> Yeah, I can't tell anything else from here.
<Harold> I don't think so, but it's an odd and dangerous habit to be in while
we're on the road.
* Chiaki nods and starts walking tentatively down the direction of the forest.
* Emmet wipes his "lunch" hand off on a pant leg and draws an arrow instead. He
follows Nick's trail as best he can.
* Nick makes a running leap out of the forest, with arrows and blood almost a
part of his wardrobe.
* Sophie sighs and stands up, following the others. "Really, he should know
better."
* Chiaki jumps as Nick appears. "Nick! What happened?"
* Fadi nods and walks in the direction Emmet's going, and... stops. He draws his
sword, cursing in Arabic.
<Nick> Waldammit! I *hate elves!*
* Emmet stops short when Nick emerges, and raises his bow to aim at whatever's
behind Nick.
* Chiaki sees the blood and arrows and begins shaking.
<Harold> -- merciful God!
* Two arrows follow Nick out of the forest, buzzing past his ears.
* Chiaki squeaks and raises her bow, arrow nocked, with quaking hands.
* Harold draws his crossbow immediately, peering into the forest to see if
there's anything he can see well enough to shoot at.
* Fadi runs to cover Nick's back.
<Nick> Dammit, instead of making a fucking vendetta, make sure your damn
brothers don't get *bitten by a fucking weretiger!*
* Nick is pointing back at the forest.
* Sophie draws her sword, scowling. "What did you do, Nick?"
* Emmet calls over his shoulder without looking away from the forest as he tries
to find a target. "Harold? Tiffany? Suggestions?"
<Nick> I walked into the forest!
<Harold> Hit anything you can see to hit!
<Tiffany> My suggestion would have been NOT TO PISS THEM OFF!
<Fadi> That wasn't exactly an option, dammit.
<Harold> Nick, get back with the spellcasters and try not to die! Casters,
please get ready to support us however you can!
* Nick limps over, pulling out his small crossbow.
<Harold> Fadi, Sophie, be ready but don't waste your effort until we can see
them. You'll both be at a disadvantage as long as they're sniping us like this.
* Two more arrows arc out from the forest, and, proving the extreme range limits
of the elven longbow, one of them staples Nick's foot to the ground.
* Nick screams out in intermixed fury and pain.
<Chiaki> Nick!
* Harold seems aware that he's saying perfectly obvious things, but it calms his
nerves. Especially in light of how completely perforated Nick is getting.
* Tiffany draws a dart and drops it to the ground as she's forced to help Nick
instead.
* Chiaki pulls back on the bowstring and aims toward the forest, though she
continues to shake.
* Fadi grips his sword with ease, ready to dice some of whatever it is shooting
us.
* Sophie keeps back, her sword pointed towards the trees. "Why don't you come on
out and fight for real?"
<Fadi> Could try and flush them out.
* Nick falls down, clutching his foot with one hand and his shoulder with
another.
* Emmet frowns. "I'm not seeing any targets, gu--wait..." He releases the
bowstring and sends an arrow into the trees. "I can't hit them from this far
away," he groans as the arrow falls short.
* Tiffany helps Nick off the ground, moving the arrow if necessary, and helps
him limp back to camp... "Stay low and it'll be harder for them to hit us."
<Harold> If you think you can, go for it. I'll certainly defer to you when it
comes to melee.
<Harold> ... shooting from this distance is useless anyway... Fadi, if you lead
a charge I'm sure the rest of us can back you up.
* Nick doesn't move an inch. "..Tiffany, I'm kind of stuck."
* Fadi smirks. "Sure thing. Let's see how well they can hit a moving target."
<Sophie> You go for one, Fadi, and I'll get the other.
<Nick> This isn't "mild inconvenience stuck", either. This is "screaming pain if
you try to move me again" stuck.
* Chiaki holds her fire and shouts into the forest. "Yamete! Yamete kudasai!"
("Stop! Please stop!")
* Tiffany tends to the arrow first, then. "Well, still stay low, Nick. We'll get
out of this fine." The fact that she's not really skilled in first aid doesn't
enter her head.
<Sophie> The rest of you, provide whatever cover you can until we reach the
forest.
<Nick> What the hell are you people *doing?!*
<Emmet> I really don't think we should go in there... but I will do whatever you
need me to do.
<Harold> There's no cover. It'd be incredibly dangerous without some magic or
something to even the odds?
<Fadi> Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.  How the fuck did you run into those,
Nick?
<Emmet> Like an Abrams tank.
<Nick> I was taking a *walk!*
* Tiffany begins to get a bit frustrated. Failing to help with the arrow, she
proceeds to just stand in front of Nick, hoping to block some of the shots.
* Nick snaps the arrow trapping his foot in two and rips out the back half.
* Chiaki glances toward Nick just as he does that, and she winces. "Are you
okay, Nick?"
<Tiffany> Oh... Nick...
* Fadi scowls. "And we can't hit them from here... Let's move back. If they want
to follow us, we'll kick their ass."
* Nick grits his teeth, and then stands, pulling his foot off the front half.
<Harold> It seems all we can do.
<Nick> I'm going back to camp to quietly bleed to death.
* Emmet takes a few cautious steps away from the forest, without turning his
back toward the trees. "I agree with Fadi."
* Nick limps thataway.
* Sophie nods and moves back.
* Tiffany moves and helps Nick, putting her arm around his waist to hold some of
his weight off of his hurt foot.
* Harold begins backing away, crossbow trained on one of the elves.
* Fadi looks around, and once everyone else has started to move back, he does as
well.
* Nick shakes his head and moves away from Tiffany.
* Chiaki also backs away slowly, gradually lowering her bow.
* More arrows do not follow from the forest.  They seem content with having
injured you badly.
* Fadi flicks them off and curses at them in Russian.
<Tiffany> Nick!  Let me help.
* Nick limps faster, shaking his head.
* Emmet keeps his bow strung for the time being, but he does take his attention
away from the forest for a while when the group is closer to the
horses--assuming their horses haven't vanished.
* The horses have not, in fact, vanished.  The riding horses have been
particularly placid, being as they are under the care of Thundar.
* Thundar is not about to run from a fight.  The fight is all.
* Sophie finally sheathes her sword.
* Tiffany begins to stutter, trying to get a hold on her friend to help him.
"Nick. NICK. Wha... You can't.. Come on!"
* Chiaki reshoulders her bow, puts her arrow away, then runs to Nick's aid.
* Fadi eyes Nick. "Do you just want me to carry him?"
* Nick does his best to shake off any and all help, going for his horse.
* Emmet keeps his opinions to himself even as the horses come into view.
* Chiaki seems alarmed that Nick refuses her help. "But you're hurt--"
* Tiffany looks entirely flustered. "Uh.. W... Well. I guess he's... ok. I
guess. Maybe Harold can help him, Fadi."
* The horses, mostly the riding horses, but Thundar to some extent, have been
availing themselves of the plentiful plainsgrass for a light lunch.
<Nick> It's my fault. Leave me alone, please.
* Chiaki shakes her head. "It's not your fault they attacked you."
<Harold> Tiffany, you have no idea how I wish I _could_, but that power is just
not with me yet...
* Harold looks a bit ashamed to admit that.
<Fadi> You just went for a walk.  At least get'em some bandages or something.
* Nick sits down next to Stu, breathing heavily with both hands on the arrow in
his shoulder. "One.. two.."
* Chiaki takes out her handkerchief and tries to use it to staunch some of the
bleeding with some pressure.
* Sophie tends to the horses, not that there's much to do.
* Emmet tightens his lips and takes a few steps south of the trail, keeping just
within earshot but otherwise out of the conversation.
* Nick waves Chiaki away briefly before taking tight hold on the arrow and
pulling. "Three!" The last part of the word is noticeably louder.
<Harold> Well, here, I know a little first aid...
* Chiaki winces again, then returns to looking very worried.
* Chiaki moves aside for Harold.
<Tiffany> Well, if we're not being attacked, maybe I should talk to them.  It's
not likely to do any good...but...?
<Nick> Two down..
* Chiaki glances up at Tiffany. "I would talk to them...but Nick was only taking
a walk, and they hurt him!"
<Sophie> I don't think they'd give you the chance.
* Nick glances at himself. "..Two to go."
<Fadi> Yeah.  Better to leave them to their own devices.
* Chiaki nods and sighs helplessly.
<Tiffany> Well, I can talk to them from here.  The question is if they'd
respond.
* Nick plucks the last two out, sighing with relief, as they seem to be embedded
in his clothes and not much more.
<Nick> Now, where are those jeans..
* Chiaki glances at Tiffany. "From here? How?"
<Fadi> Yell.
* Chiaki turns back to Nick. "Here, I can get them for you. Where did you put
them?"
* Tiffany speaks first to Nick, "I can repair and clean your current clothing
for you if you'd like," and then to Chiaki, "Magic."
* Nick staggers to his feet, rummaging in his backpack.
* Harold glances over Nick's wounds, but between Nick's movement and his own
nervousness he isn't quite sure what he should do.
<Nick> ..Hey, it stopped. Cool.
* Nick shrugs and pulls out his alternate outfit.
* Emmet keeps an eye on the forest--and everything else that he can see from his
vantage point--to make certain that the elves really were satisfied with just
bloodying Nick.
* Emmet sees no elves sneaking up on him.
* Chiaki says to Tiffany, "Magic? How did you discovery that you could do all
these things?"
* Nick jury-rigs his tent to offer some privacy, and changes into new clothes.
* Tiffany stands and paces a bit. "I was taught by a dragon-man. Well, he looks
like a snake-man to me, but I guess I know better now."
<Chiaki> ...Dragon-man?
* Emmet relaxes only slightly; the elves haven't really given him much reason to
believe they wouldn't try.
<Tiffany> Yeah, and you'll see stranger things if you stick with us, I'll wager.
<Fadi> Humans aren't good enough for this place.  They've got everything in a
fantasy book and then some.
<Fadi> Next thing you know we'll run into some dwarves.
* Chiaki nods, not doubting Tiff's or Fadi's words, considering what she's seen
already.
* Nick packs up the tent and sits down again.
<Tiffany> Anyway.  I don't think they'll respond, but I should still tell them
that we mean them no harm.
* Suddenly, mid conversation, Chiaki is gone.
<Sophie> I don't think that will go over well, what with how we injured and
possibly killed one last night.
<Harold> ... not _again_!
<Fadi> Have fun, then.  Just don't get killed or smashed up.
<Tiffany> Chiaki?  Well, I guess she really is one of us, hey?  All right, I
won't try to talk to them... if you're sure.
<Sophie> I wouldn't. At least, wait for them to start trying to kill us again
first.
* It takes little time to get the horses ready to go again.
* Fadi shrugs. "You ready to go Nick?"
* Nick stands, shouldering his pack. "Sure."
<Tiffany> Here, let me have your things and I can fix them up before we move on. 
Assuming, of course, that you *want* my help this time.
<Sophie> Perhaps someone should carry him.
<Nick> Nope.
<Nick> I'll get new clothes later.
* Tiffany flushes bright red. "Fine." She gets on Max and makes every effort not
to look at Nick.
<Fadi> Although I could, I'm not about to.  Can't he take Chiaki's horse?
<Harold> Nick, you're _at least_ riding.
* Nick starts hobbling down the road.
* Emmet finally turns away from the forest and returns to the group, unstringing
his bow as he walks. He falls into step beside Nick without a word.
<Harold> Nick, you're going to get shot and die.
<Sophie> Nick, get on one of the horses.
<Nick> Probably. And don't order me around.
* Sophie mounts up. "Alright. Will you get on a horse? Or would you prefer we
abandon you when you become too weak to walk on your injured foot? Because I,
for one, have no intention of waiting around due to someone's stubborness."
* Chiaki reappears right in front of Nick, sending the two of them down to the
ground in a small, but tangled heap.
<Nick> I'm fi--Waldammit!
* Nick falls over.
* Fadi walks over to Nick, and chuckles as they fall over. "That solves that."
* Emmet neatly sidesteps the newly created heap of humanity and pauses long
enough to offer a hand to both--or either--of them.
* Chiaki is too surprised to even make a sound.
* Nick struggles to his feet and holds out a hand for Chiaki.
* Chiaki takes the hand(s) offered and gets to her feet.
<Chiaki> What happened?
* Nick motions with his thumb and starts limping. "Stu's over there."
<Fadi> You vanished, and re-appeared.
<Fadi> Nick's too damn stubborn to get on a horse 'cuz it'd make too much sense.
<Chiaki> How long was I gone?
<Nick> Five, ten minutes.
* Chiaki blinks at Fadi. "What?"
<Sophie> Nick insists on making the rest of us wait for him instead of doing the
sensible thing like riding one of the horses.
* Emmet falls in beside Nick again as the group walks and rides and talks.
<Nick> I can keep a good pace, I'll just look funny doing it.
* Chiaki blinks. "Are you sure, Nick? I think Stu can carry both of us."
<Fadi> You got shot.  In the foot.
* Tiffany appears to have cooled her head a little. "It doesn't make sense for
you to walk when there are uninjured people to do it."
<Nick> And the shoulder.
<Nick> Can't forget the damned shoulder.
* Chiaki nods.
* Sophie shrugs at Tiffany. "He's doing it on purpose. He wants to be an
inconvenience."
<Fadi> Of course.  In the shoulder too.
<Nick> Look, this was my fault. I'm paying the price. Leave me behind if you
want, I'll get home anyway.
<Tiffany> No, you're making us pay the price.  We need you.  We need each other.
<Nick> Because I'll do whatev--..
* Sophie glares at Nick. "Your 'paying the price' is causing the rest of us
needless trouble. Or maybe you don't care about the rest of us?"
* Chiaki shakes her head. "We'll both ride, okay?"
* Nick stops, not seeming to hear everyone.
* Fadi glances over at Sophie, then eyes Nick, reaching for his greatsword.
* Fadi shakes his head and puts his hand down. "Stupid kid."
* Nick curses profusely, turns around, and heads for the horse.
* Emmet glances over at the sneak immediately beside him, and stops. "What's
wrong, Nick?"
*** Rowyn is on IRC
<Nick> Nothing!
* Chiaki frowns as she walks toward Stu.
* Harold leads his horse over to Nick, without comment.
* Nick mounts easily, and holds a hand out for Chiaki.
* Emmet shakes his head and continues down the trail. "We need a leader," he
suggests to nobody in particular.
* Chiaki takes Nick's hand gingerly and tries to climb up without putting too
much strain on him.
* Harold gets ready to walk.
<Nick> Harold, get on your horse.
* Sophie shakes her head, but doesn't say anything.
<Harold> Doubling up is bad for the animal, and frankly I've already got
saddle-sores. I'll walk for now, and if it gets to be too much for me to keep
up, then we can double for a bit.
* Nick shrugs and switches horses.
* Fadi nods. "Now that that's settled, let's get going."
* Harold sighs and gets on his horse, then, since just not riding is a bit
obnoxious given the circumstances.
* Sophie nods and trots Thundar forwards.
<Tiffany> Yeah, lets.
* Fadi starts walking.
* Chiaki nudges Stu with her knees and he starts forward.
* Emmet pays more attention to the grasslands and the forest and the trail than
he does the other teens on the road with him; not that there's anything terribly
new about that.
[And so six heroes and one injured idiot continue on their way to The Gap. 
Whether they will live to reach this place is entirely unknown.  Tune in next
time, same bat time, same bat channel.]
[Session... END!]