Pt.2
Fury: I eased along the wall so as not to lose sight of him, I'd stealthily follow to find out where he was going.
Dalamar─O : One foot in front of the other, put the other foot down, another step, rinse and repeat. I don't step on anyone. I stay away from the speed bumps. I think to myself as a distraction...do I have everything? Got some food to eat, some spices...got whetstones already, arrows, a bow...what else.. Food for the four consciences...bosk, man, bosk, keep it together no matter how many times you get asked about honey bbq sauce...the ice box idea? how do I get a room set up for that? but think of the meat...
Fury: I kept to the shadows - but never lost sight of the Man as he seemingly played a game of step over the corpeses down the middle of the street... Did he have no respect? How could he have killed them all at once? did he poison them? I gasped as I thought about the water supply. Was the water supply poisoned? Suddenly I was very glad I'd only drank from the botas stored in the warehouse. I would have to wait for a new ship to arrive and head to a place that wasn't poisoned. A place where fresh water was available - and I made note to take ALL the botas out of the warehouse to make sure I had enough. I wasnt drinking strange water anymore.
Dalamar─O : I stop. Nonperishable food? Suls? Fruits? Stupid, stupid! I turn around to look back the way I came, looking for a wagon and seeing several but no conveniently alive bosk or tharlarion to pull it. Sleep. What you should have gotten before you came in. Shut up. Still plenty of time to get the little wagon and come back.. wait.
Fury : I too stopped when he did, shrinking into the shadows as he turned... Did he know I was here? Did he hear me? … “shit.shit. Shit.” the most silent of whispers left my lips. I froze in place my hand on that dirk handle squeezing in a white knuckled grip.
Dalamar─O: A little, tiny cargo...thing...two wheeled, and two poles...person pulled thingy? I put the box inside and give it a try. I pick up the poles and move backwards..then forwards...this is so..slave workish. But if you want things done, you have to propel it yourself, I guess. But...speedbumps. Gonna get gross fast. And I saw a glimpse of...nah. It's just me. It's not exactly heavy but not light either. I do try to avoid the bumps as best I can but it's not entirely possible. If i see durable fruit, I toss it in the thing. Stuff that doesn't need to be kept cold. Suls, fruit one has to peel, no larmas. I learned that lesson long ago. An untrustworthy fruit. What ends up on the cart is nonperishable food. And some fishing gear. Because why not.
Fury: I watched in silence as he went about moving the box he had to a hand cart then try it out , I couldnt help but smile but I did suppress a laugh as suddenly I envisioned the big fella as a beast of burden... not a slave mind you...But he certainly held the capacity to get things done. For a moment I admired him - then I remembered he probably killed all these people - and now, he was using his loaded little hand cart to run over them - insult to injury , I felt. I continued following him to see where he was headed, picking my way along the buildings and darting through the open spaces, careful *not* to step on any dead bodies.
Dalamar─O :It's about midday...plenty of time still. I decide its time to head back to the main wagon, and begin to travel in that direction through the streets. I try to look behind me but the cart's in the way. I stop at that that fountain and get another few healthy gulps and sit down on the edge to take a breather, fanning myself with my hat and looking at the evil things sitting in the water, the ships, and being very glad I live on land.
Fury : each time he moved, I moved, and likewise each time he stopped or looked back , I made myself invisible by ducking behind a corner. He stopped at the fountain - and drank. Why would he drink poisoned water?? …..Maybe he wasn't drinking poisoned water... but if the water wasn't poison... what killed all these people. I took a breather when he did and leaned against a corner. A corner that clearly needed repair, because as I leaned the whole board gave way and fell over with a clatter that echoed through the square.
Dalamar─O : Noise. Wood hitting stone. Old instincts take over. A certain kind of shrug and lean and the bow was in the left hand, an arrow in the right, drawn by more pushing the bow out, than pulling the string, and aimed in the general direction of the sound of falling, searching intently for any other movement besides lumber trying to escape. Definitely awake now. "I don't usually shoot at first sight, but I do at sneaky people who fail at sneakyness. Come out where I can see you. You might just survive.”
Fury :I held my breath as I made myself as small as humanly possible and pressed against the side of the building like I wanted to become one with it... His voice rang out through the dead silence of the square... and I thought quickly... He'd offered a 'deal' so to speak, but could he be trusted to keep his word?? “Ok! Just dont shoot! I am mostly unarmed.” I didnt lie as a general rule and I wasn't about to start now, I was 'mostly' unarmed... I stuck my right arms out first.... testing the honor of his word - I could live without my right arm if necessary... and I waved my hand in surrender
Dalamar─O :Could it have been a distraction? Maybe it was bad construction? Or...no this time I wasn't delusional. "I can deal with mostly.”
Fury :” No shooting?”
Dalamar─O : "Yet... Depends."
Fury: I stopped waving... ah it was a trick... Well I wasn't going to be able to out run him... and he knew where I was now... “Depends on what?”
Dalamar─O : "On what you tell me while we talk."
Fury :This stuck her as odd and she called back.... “you first - why did you kill everyone????”
Dalamar─O : It's not like I'm gonna rob you. A short incredulous laugh “ Me? I don't have enough arrows for a city.”
Fury :she furrowed her brow a bit and started to get mad.... and called back to him... ”but they're dead... and you arent? how does that happen, huh??”
Dalamar─O :releases the tension on the string and puts the arrow back in the quiver “Not like they'd stand there and let me do it anyway. Come out. I ain't shooting anyone.”
Fury: she waited an ihn more then slooooowly stepped out from the side of the building, watching as he unloaded his bow. “Ya didnt shoot the others ones either - none of em are bleeding - but they're dead.”
Dalamar─O “So naturally the first person you see is guilty, thats justice, hmmm? I ain't killed no one. I ain't even from here.
Fury: she nodded a bit to that and countered with... ”Logic and all that.... a buncha dead people and one live one makes a person wonder.”
Dalamar─O looks you up and down “Indeed. It does. Missy. Where were you when the lights went out?” begins to idly fan himself with his hat.
Fury : doesnt get any sort of comfortable as she remains standing just outside of what was her hiding place. taking pause in her accusations as he levels them back at her...
Dalamar─O : “I, was outside Brundisium, on the roads. I went to go resupply, and what do i find? Brundisium is just like this. All dead people, all over the place.”
Fury : “what do you mean where was I when the lights went out?? I didnt even know any lights went out until a half an ahn ago. I just rowed in late last night.” She frowned....
Dalamar─O waves aside her not getting the allegory
Fury : “what do you mean just like this?”
Dalamar─O : “And no, i didn't kill them either.”
Fury : “How. Did. They. Die??” she spoke slowly and clearly in case he wasn't understanding her question
Dalamar-O: “Brundisium is a grave.” looks up at the sky and sighs “ don't know.”
Fury: as he looked up so did she, and then she remembered... “when was the last time you saw a tarn up there?”
Dalamar─O : "I don't usally pay attention to tarns, so I can't give a good answer"
Fury: “You dont have to pay attention to know there are none!” She snapped at him, she couldnt help it... this was all crazy... maybe none of this was real... maybe it was all a dream
Dalamar─O : "but you do, to be able to that that there are. I live alone. I don't keep track of other people. Just me, my wagon, bosk and thats it. "
Fury: she exhaled quietly but answered honestly... “A tarn must have dropped a bosk, and a tarsk in the marshes... because there is no other way bosks or tarsks would get out there on their own and together....That was....three days ago now.” she knew it sounded ridiculous. she'd already gone this route in the den when she was trying to reason with herself.
Dalamar─O shrugs "Weird things happen.”
Fury : “I didnt find em though. I just heard them - so I decide that this would be a good time to get out of the swamp and find people.” she wrinkled her nose at him and his casual attitude about all of this .. .this was something big... people were dead all over.... “You're a weird thing. Most people would find this a little - odd - to say the least.”
Dalamar─O : "I just go with it... Well you found the Outlaw - Congrats. Now what? .... Sure it's odd. But I cant do anything about it, and I dont feel sorry enough for myself to want to join them. Besides...I cooked all them steaks, it'd be a shame to die before eating them. Should have butter fried at least one...” shakes my head in annoyance
Fury: She didnt exactly feel herself lucky for finding an Outlaw. Then shot the same question back at him. It wasnt that she coudlnt make it on her own - she'd done so many times before But he was Male... even if an Outlaw... He should probably have some sort of plan for all of this. So she looked to him. “Right... butter. So now what??”
Dalamar─O : “Well, I've got a nice thing going, all things considered. Plenty of supplies, food, some weaponry and fodder, and now some fruits and some amazing steaks"
Fury: She almost rollerdher eyes at the selfishness of that statement, but didn't, she simply listened instead.
Dalamar─O : ”..yeah I know it sounds selfish.”
Fury : "I said no such thing."
Dalamar─O :I could hear you mentally scream it from the rooftops. You accused me of mass murder, pillage had to be next.
Fury: she narrowed her eyes at him... “Logic. Certainly you've heard of the concept.”
Dalamar─O: "If it doesnt' get used, it'll spoil. If it doesn't get taken by me, then it just sits here and decays, goes rotten, rusts. The dead don't need it, have no use for it. Take it. Stuff is for the living. If it makes you feel better say thank you to the open air but either way it's not theft, it's survival."
Fury : “But.... I'm here. What if there are others? Who were you talking to back there? You thanked him and said you'd be back, clearly you know someone”
Dalamar─O " I was...having a moment. I liked that restaurant, and that owner guy always gave me the best meats because i always overpaid. I was just..being grateful.”
Fury: frowns “so he's just merrily cooking away all on his own - oblivious to all the death and soon to be decay around him?”
Dalamar─O : "He? The owner of the restaurant?” blinks a few times then says in a gentle voice..."The owner of the restaurant was in the pile of bodies at my feet. I was being...I don't know what it's called. Regretful might be close. And I still overpaid....Least I could do. So, he doesn't even own this meat, now. I paid for it. The rest...well, like i said, survival.” drinks some more water “This is good stuff...”
Fury: she considered for a while.... then finally said in a quiet voice.... “That was nice of you, I suppose... so really now what?”
(continued.........)