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The ceremony over Jesse nods to Elsbeth "Well done" but Rethe is more forth coming "Well done, you handled that well - you had some nice touches in there.". Then they head back for the fire, and start to prepare a camp for the evening, and seem to assume the party will be staying as well. Once the preparations are under way both Rethe and Jesse will help scavenge both wood for the fire and edible vegetables from the area to help feed the vegetarians and those who can't, or won't, eat meat. Neither seems to think it at all strange that people should choose not to eat the flesh offered to them. Although there is still plenty of meat left to go around this evening and in the morning. When the camp is built and food cooking, Jesse asks Kerim if he carries any wines or beers in his trade goods, and offers to pay for the rice wine so they can all enjoy their evening more convivially. At the start of the evening Eddie the eagle comes and sits close to Jesse, and almost seems to settle up against him, like chicks in the same nest. As the evening wears on Jesse pulls a pair of clappers from a pocket and uses them to keep rhythm while he sings a few song. He sings such favourites as The Ballad Of The Vampires Doom, The Hole In The Elephants Bottom and Conner ApCaron Went Walking, as well as a number of wordless songs that sound like the wind rustling the trees and the birds, animals and insects singing and moving in the forests and mountains. They are unusual but strangely compelling in the way he delivers them. During these songs Eddie, Laddie and the pack and riding animals seem to pause almost as if they are listening to the songs. He will pause every so often and invite others to do their party pieces, and will hum along enthusiastically should anyone choose too. All in all he is trying to make it a convivial evening. In between time both Jesse and Rethe will make small talk with the party, trying to alleviate the slight gloom that has settled on the party after yet more deaths and the ceremony. |
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Rolf helps Elsbeth back towards the camp for as long as she needs it. Once there, he sets about organizing things. "Elsbeth, why don't you rest a while?" Looking over at Peter, "Let's go foraging and you can show me what sorts of plants are worth the gathering. Callum, you'd better come along too, in case we run into any trouble." When Rethe and Jesse offer to help, Rolf nods gratefully. While in the scrub, Rolf pays particular attention to the wood and strips a number of limbs from the stunted trees. Most of them, the thinner ones, he cuts down to about four feet in length. The others, rather thicker, are about a foot longer. He bundles together with a cord and continues to collect plants at Peters instruction. Finally, back at camp and the sweat wiped from his brow, Rolf does fair justice to the food provided. When the music starts up, Rolf smiles. He pulls out a flute and plays it with surprising skill. He doesn't seem to know any of the songs known by the others, but he improvises well and plays a few trills of his own, little tunes he put together on solitary nights in the woods. Later, Rolf settles in by the fire. Pulling out his knife, he begins to work on the sticks he'd gathered. Stripping them down, he fashions several arrow shafts. Then, setting those aside, he takes the larger sticks, preparing them in much the same way as the arrows, even if they are too large for his bow. |
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Elsbeth accepts all of Rolf's gentle admissions, including the warm gratitudes from both Callum and the other druids. She for all appearances seems happy and tired but altogether content. She follows Rolf and the others to the woods, pointing out herbs, staying close to her wolf, moving slow but with a smile on her face. Elsbeth then joins the gathering about the campfire, staying close to Rolf. When a song appears that she knows she begins to sing, demonstrating a soft contralto, controlled and sweet, a gentle voice that follows the melody without effort. When Rolf joins on flute, she finds the countermelody, leaning back and enjoying herself. Throughout she watches both Rolf and Jesse, and to be admitted, Callum. She seems more at ease than at anytime prior. And if wine is involved, she enjoys it as well. She is for all a happy young woman, free of the burdens of the journey that had weighed her before. |
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Yuri, after retriving the cloth, silently follows everyone back the camp site. Sitting down he (still) silently and patiently waits as everyone makes haste, and dinner, around him. After sparingly eating some vegetables, but non of the horse he once knew, Yuri silently and attentively listens to Jesse and then Rolf perform, though he shows no outward enjoyment of the festivities. Any offers of joining in seem to fall on deaf ears. |
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Edgar is well pleased to find himself in the company of so many vegetarians, both for the present availability of meat, and the diminished likelihood of himself being looked upon hungrily in the future. He seems much disturbed by Rolf's fletching, and takes care to position himself on whichever of Mandrake's shoulders is furtherest from the Warden. When the entertainment starts, he listens attentively to the ballads, hops from foot to foot in time to the jigs, and, with an eye on Jesse, and gives out the occasional enthusiastic and startling caw for the more boisterous numbers. Not sharing the others sense of loss, but nevertheless, appreciating a certain amount of relief in the air after the success of the ceremony, he would appear to be enjoying himself immensely. |
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Peter joins with Rolf and helps forage for food. Late May is too early for berries or nuts but they come back with some edible roots and some small early onions. Back at the fire Peter will take over the cooking duties - checking on the roasting meat and preparing a stew of the root vegetables. He uses the onions and some leaves that Jesse and Rethe bring back to make a salad to complement the other dishes. Before long the meal is complete, Root stew for the vegetarians, roast horse for the others both with a small salad helping to accompany it. All washed down by Jesse's rice wine. During the rest of the evening, Peter sits and listens to the entertainment, without joining in for more than the occasional chorus. |
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At first Herloch is seen leaning against the far tree (during the beginning of the ceremony). Those who look back later simply see the tree. The priest of Thor is nowhere to be found. When Rolf and the rest go out searching for plants, they find Herloch lying comfortably with his back against the trunk of the tree, out of sight from where the ceremony was held. His arms folded across his chest, his head (eyes closed) dropping loosely onto his shoulder, and a soft snore escaping his lips. He missed the whole ceremony. If nobody wakes him... Throughout the evening, Herloch sleeps. It's amazing... He sleeps through the singing, through the music, through the voices made boisterous with wine. He slumbers hard, his snoring getting louder and louder as the evening goes by, getting to the point where he could drown out those talking near him. |
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Madelyn watched the ceremony in the bog intensely, and stood calm as Elsbeth approached her, although soon tears were streaming down her face. As the party headed back to camp, she lagged behind dwelling on Elsbeth's words. As the others gather herbs Madelyn assists Kerim with the horses and mules, then helps to get things together for cooking. As thing get underway, she takes a seat the other side of Elsbeth to Rolf. She enjoys the food, wine and entertainment. She avoids joining in, but seems to perk up as Rolf starts playing his flute and Elsbeth starts to sing. Madelyn watched the ceremony in the bog intensely, and stood calm as Elsbeth approached her, although soon tears were streaming down her face. As the party headed back to camp, she lagged behind. As the others gather herbs Madelyn assists Kerim with the horses and mules, then helps to get things together for cooking. As thing get underway, she takes a seat the other side of Elsbeth to Rolf. She enjoys the food, wine and entertainment. She avoids joining in, but seems to perk up as Rolf starts playing his flute and Elsbeth starts to sing. |
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Kerim will bring a keg of rice wine from the mules & hands it over to Jesse with the comment "Let's decide on a price tomorrow". He listens to to the songs, ballads & various other entertainments with interest, but declines to perform himself due to his lack of talent. He joins in the choruses, somewhat out of tune. He is especially interested in the wordless songs which effect the animals (Thinking "How does he do that?"). He eats the meat, a little reluctantly, but forgets its origins (after a while). |
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