Johnnathan

Linx shoved the map in my face and I opened it up. I studied the map. There were two red circles on the map. One around the town in heelopeer and one just outside the capitol suburbs. I guess that was us.

"we should go right the road are narrower the wagon will definitely have to left behind, but it's faster" I said.

"so were all gonna have to be fast demons" Linx said.

"speed, it's speed demon okay" Shahara said coming over.

"that's what I said" Linx argued. I went to the wagon their were no belongings for me. I had only had the clothes I was wearing I got captured.

Linx

Linx walked over to the wagon. He hadn't checked if there was anything of his yet. He looked in, there appeared to be more weapons and items. He glanced at Jon, "Any of those things yours?"

Jon looked further into the wagon and realised that somehow there were some of his personals. *(You can make them up. )*

Linx shrugged and crawled in. He found his good old daggers. Sliding one into the special scabbard in his boot and the other into the scabbard at his waist he grinned, "I'm feeling cold."

Shahara sighed, "Cool . . ."

Linx looked at her, "That's what I said."

He looked over at Karana and the twins, "Have you guys checked for your stuff yet?"

Simon and Susa

Susa hopped into the wagon and looked around. There were, indeed, two unopened canvas packages in the corner.

“C’mon, Si,” she said excitedly, “Let’s see what Luke packed for us!” She eagerly grabbed the two bundles and unrolled them on the ground outside. Simon crouched down next to her. They exchanged a momentary glance, grins creeping up their faces, and then began to roar with laughter.

“What?” Asked Linx, coming over. “What’s so funny?” The twins grinned, but they were so out of breath that they couldn’t answer straight away. Linx peered over their shoulders.

“I don’t get it,” he said, examining the objects on the canvas.

There was a plain dress for Susa, and a thoroughly unremarkable pair of trousers and a tunic for Simon. Along with that, there were two short daggers, which the twins had never seen before, and two scrolls. Each roll had an identical wax seal, with the symbol for a badger stamped into it. Simon, who had recovered slightly, explained their reactions to Linx.

“You see, the badger is our teacher’s symbol. If he needs to send something to us, he stamps that into the wax, to let us know it’s from him. He has two badger stamps, though.” Simon’s grin widened. “And, more often than not, whenever the badger is wearing a scholar’s robes, he’s sent us homework.” Susa, who had been giggling while her brother spoke, had finally recovered somewhat.

“And see what this one’s wearing?” She held up the scroll to Linx. The badger was, indeed, dressed like a scholar. Simon had picked up his scroll, unfurled it from its tight coil, and began to read.

“And yes,” he said when he got to the end of the page. “He’s told us to take notes on our journey, because he wants a full essay about it when we get back.” Simon lowered the paper, still smiling. “So, Luke must have told him, or he figured it out himself. Either way, he believes we’re innocent. God bless him, the old codger.”

Susa rolled her eyes. “But that still means that he wants us to do our homework! Honestly, even on the run, we can’t get out of it.”

Johnathan

I shuffled to the back of the wagon as it started to slowly roll down the road. It's speed slowly gathered until we going quite quickly. We would probably reach the dangerous roads to heelopeer in about six hours, if we made good time. Once we got their it would be a longer trek as we would have to abandon the wagon. I let my mind wonder and aimlessly picked up the packages that were in the back. It was good inside were some less expensive clothes. A brown coat jacket with wolf fur on the inside that was specially made for mountain folk. It had belonged to my mothers favourite boyfriend the one from the distant land, but what was his name?. Yes, I remember it was Caleck. He had given it too me along with other things for when I became a man. Nyks wolf barred his teeth at me while I pulled the jacket on.

"It's s'okay Frost he didn't kill the wolf" Nyk said his eyes scanning the the tanned Hyde that made up the outside of the coat. Their was also a pare of worn grey fingerless gloves in the bag that I quickly pulled on, feeling a new firmness and strength in my hands. Their was only one other item for me in the wagon. A sword from Caleck. We hadn't had much money but the money that we did have had helped make this sword. It was holstered in a brown leather sheath made to be swung on you back. The sword itself was lovely with etching in Caleck old language. It was a straight blade but curved slightly. The handle was wrapped in brown leather and a black cloth. The sword had no rim but the fighting style used with the sword meant that you moved to quickly to get locked in combat. I pulled the final piece of my attire over my back and felt better than I had in a long time.

*I note how cool that all was. I note it well. However, my ideas for the spies are COMPLETELY on the opposite end of the radar. , If I didn't have something SO different from that I would've let it slide, but, sadly, alas, your spies are not to be. Please delete. *

Linx

Linx and the others, all the in the wagon, sat in silence at it rolled itself down the slope the road was on. Linx sighed, "Huh, is anyone else wheeled?"

Karana raised an eyebrow, "Do you mean tired?"

"That's what I said! Anyway, I think we got about . . . a few hours till this wagon stops off at the Fork." He paused in calculation.

Susa started, "It'll take about 6 hours at-"

"-the rate we're going." Simon finished.

Linx nodded his agreement, "You guys going to catch some close-me?" He asked with yawn.

"You mean shut-eye, right?" asked Shahara, looking slightly alarmed.

He sighed and let his head lull to the side, "I don't know about you, but I need to . .Zzz."

Linx drifted off into the land of nod.

done, what are the spies like?

Um, is Ayumi going to post? I think I'll pm her.

Atila

The wagon rolled slowly along the dirt path. The wheels dipped into ruts, giving the wagon an ocean sway. Atila relaxed the reins in her hands and leaned back. Atila was driving the wagon since she was the only one who knew how to drive a wagon. Or merely had the most experience. Atila's brain buzzed about. She had gone to Heelopeer once. Her uncle made her deliver a few goods. She had bad memories from that place. But despite what people told her she never really cared how dangerous it was, it was if she had been born without fear.

Atila needed a distraction.
She tried to start up a conversation, "Aye, we're an odd bunch. We're going to be see'n much of each other so we might as well get to know each other."

"My name is Atila."
Her dog barked. "Aye, forgive me, Hero. This is Hero."

(*laughs crazily* If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Big secret, up until the end. )

Linx

Linx rolled around and ended up on top of the others. He was like a log, no matter what they did they couldn't get him off.

He mumbled something in his sleep, "Captain . . . I am Captain Linx . . . and this is my shoe! Say . . . hi!"

While reacting to something in his dream he kicked out a leg and hit someone on the face. Usually Linx didn't roll around, but the sway of wagon had given him pirate dreams and he was fighting ocean militia off in his dream.

"Oh come on!" Shahara grumbled, planting her foot in Linx's chest as he rolled toward her side of the wagon again. "For a guard he sleeps pretty heavily."

Karana mimicked her move and caught his stomach with her own boot. "Too heavily. If here was an assassin anywhere nearby, he'd be dead by now."

Suddenly, Linx foot shot forward, and Shahara and Karana managed to duck, but poor Simon didn't see it in time. He let out a shout of alarm as he toppled over onto his sister. "What was that for!"

"Maybe not." Karana murmured, and Shahara chuckled.

Linx didn't respond to any of the noise, just rolled back across the wagon, grumbling something about militia flowers. Shahara sighed. She was sure he meant militia pansies. He even messed up phrases in his sleep. she turned to Simon, who was rubbing his jaw. "You okay?"

Simon nods and Shahara turns to Atila, who had just introduced herself. "The name's Shahara."

***I'm so sorry... Everything is going crazy right now. Can someone fill me in?***

Karana watched the others as they interacted. So cheerful, so open. She wasn't used to such behavior, having been born in a secretive military family.

"Um...I'm Karana," she said, a little awkwardly, not knowing what else to add.

*Well, now that everyone knows each other . . . let's get the REAL show on the road, shall we? *

Linx growled. The other's gave him a strange/amused look. Suddenly, Frost and Hero growled as well. Nyk and Atila were instantly alerted. Nyk more so because he could speak to animals.

Linx shot up from his sleeping position, drool seeping out of his mouth and his hair on end, "MILITIA ALGAE!"

No one had enough time to correct him to say "scum". Nyk whispered to the others in the wagon, "The animals feel people approaching us . . . no, wait . . . they're here!"

"AHAR! I challenge you to a trio!" Linx demanded, still caught in the haze of his dream. Except the person he was talking to was a man entering their wagon.

The man was quickly followed by seven more. Their attackers laughed. The bandits were reaching the "spies" now.

The ground bandits were of mediocre skills with good leather armour and rusty, but dangerous poison tipped swords. Linx wasn't even paying attention he was already attempting to duel the first one with only a dagger as a weapon, "Take this, you scurvy sea-cat!"

Just as Linx said that one of their attackers lunged in a crazy grin on his face, dancing in and out, weaving. It was clear this was the leader, judging by his skills with the sword, and he was interested in playing more than anything.

The bandits ripped the cover off the wagon and pulled it to a stop. Linx, still partically dazed, stepped out with a lazy smile, "Come on, me hearties! Off we go."

Linx was a dangerous fighter when he was still in dreamland. The others hopped out of the carriage. It looked as if it would be an even fight, eight against eight, but the leader had to be taken by their best fighter. He looked very skilled.

Atila

Atila climbed out of the wagon, along with the others. These bandits were new to Atila ,she knew most of the gangs. Not that she was in any. Then again going on the way to Heelopeer this is something normal.
I guess Heelopeer's bad luck has gotten to us already.

Atila studied the supposed leader. His sword's tip was dripping with poison.

"New sword?" She blurted.

The leader laughed heartily. "You like?" His smile turning into a smirk.

Linx suddenly stepped out of the wagon still dazed. "Come on, me hearties! Off we go."

Atila sighed. Poor dim-wit...
She caught his arm before he tripped but he -thinking Atila was a bandit- twisted his body and tried to slash at Atila's arm. Fortunately she managed to tuck in her arm in time. He wobbled a little, but Atila then grabbed him by the shoulders and slapped him right across the face, "Wake up!"
True, she was a bit angry but now she and her fellow comrades had formed into a semi-circle around the wagon. Linx shook his head, he soothed his red cheeks, "That hurt!"

"Well, those shiny pointy swords will hurt even more if you don't come to your senses."

She glanced at Shahara who was standing next to her, and whispered, "Do you think now is a good time to ask you for fencing lessons?"

"Don't you have your bow?" Shahara was in a defense stance with her sword ready in hand. Her eyes were glued onto one of the men, but her comment was directed to Atila.

"Well, yes. But I think these men are a little fast for my arrows," she set her bow an arrows on the ground. "I'll take my chances my fists."

*I'm sorry but question. To fight or not to fight?*

Simon and Susa

Simon and Susa simultaneously drew their new daggers. Even though Simon didn’t know how to use the weapon, some primal instinct rejoiced in having a sharp bit of metal in hand. Both of the twins had taken defense lessons, of course. They knew how to shoot an arrow and end up hitting something about three feet away from the target. They also knew how to chop a wooden practice dummy so precisely that it rebounded on its springs and hit one of them in the forehead. Oh yes, they knew how to use a sword and bow, (sort of), but they had never worked with daggers. Simon took a deep breath.

“This should be interesting.” He said.

Shahara thought quickly. "Do you have a blade?" She asked Atila, keeping her voice low to not attract attention to Atila's inexperience. The girl shook her head. Shahara spared a glance at the girl. Her build was different from Shahara, but she wasn't unfit for a blade. "Here." Shahara tossed one of her blades to Atila. "Block like this," she demonstrated, attempting to make it look like she was warming up. "for high blows, this for low. If you see an opening, move fast and be ready to block in an instant." She glanced at the bandits and their poisoned blades. "Best if you stick to the defensive and concentrate on not getting cut. Got it?"

"Aye," Atila said, "talk about a crash course."


"It's all I can do for now. Just stick close to me, and I'll watch your back."

Atila eyed Shahara for a moment then nodded. "Alright, but if ye let one of them slice me a good one, poison or no poison, I'll give ye the same cut, but two times as deep!"

"Very well." Shahara nodded as the first bandit gave up the wait.

"What are we doing, standing around like a bunch of idiots? Let's take these guys down!" The other men roared their assent and all hell broke loose.

"Stay with me, Atila." Shahara said one more time, and then the two parties connected in battle.

*FIGHT!!! *

Linx

The slap didn't appear to do much. Linx was still in his own little world. Poor Atila thought she had gotten to him. She hadn't. Grinning like a wild man, with lazy uneven steps, he ran towards the bandits, with surprisingly fast pace.

Then with a sudden, abrupt motion, he kicked his back foot down, propelling him forward and kicking up some of the road dust. The others took advantage of the cover Linx had accidentally provided, but not before they realised what he had actually done.

Linx was a sleep fighter. He never usually slept with other people, unless he was dead tired or bored, because in his dreams he always fought someone. And he usually won.

Linx's eyes sagged and narrowed a little bit and he raised a hand above his eyebrows then squinted. A giggle escaped his mouth as he watched one of the bandits collapse. The giggle soon turned into laughter, and then he was rolling on the floor, clutching his sides in a hysteric laughing fit.

The others were beside themselves. Linx had just used the momentum from his gangly run and stop to add to the speed and therefore strength of his usual accurate dagger throw. The dagger had pierced the bandit's forehead, and had hit the exact middle of the mans brain causing his body to automatically shut down, aka, he died.

Still laughing his head off he watched as the others mounted their attack on the others.