EntQuest, the Battle for Hector.

[Acalewia]

"Exactly how many more ingredients are left and what danger filled locations are they located at?" Acally asked. "Mari's right. We've gone too far to turn back now,"

[Nicro]

at this time nicro comes up with a bottle of miruvor and some lembas offering some of it to the injured people *sqeeky scout ahead* *sqeeky sqeak*

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

"All right," Sis said, finally having gotten something to eat, and heartened by nicro's lembas, "The big thing is an alpine flower I mentioned at the begining. Now that we're on the King's Road, we have probably a week's travel north to it, then a long climb. I'll be looking for a few other herbs around old sites...things that used to be common, but might have escaped from the old healers' gardens.

If things go well, we should have a fairly straight shot. Of course, there's no reason in the world to expect things to go well.

And winter's coming.

What do you think?"

[Mari]

Mari thought about it.
"Well, we'd better get a move on then. Maybe we can split up in groups. The fastest group goes to the mountains to get the alpine flower, the others recover from their injuries, help you find the rest, etc.
Plan?"

[The last sane person]

Tired but well fed and on the mend, Sane made herself comfy next to Sis. "Eh, I'll need a new horse... May she rest in peace... But I'm game to go on. My bandits have already sent out for a wagon to bear away those too wounded to continue *Cough*Nauti*Cough*."

Sane wrapped a mummified/bandaged arm around Sis and took a breather. What a goose chase this had turned out to be.

[Nicro]

*at this time sqeeky scuttles up* "sqeka and sqeka sqeak sqeek sqeeka" mhmmm yes i see go on "sqeka a sqeeeeeeek a sqeky sqeak"mhmm okay * hands sqeeky some lembas *

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

"All right, that sounds like sort of a consensus to me. Except, Mari, I think we'd better send a wagon back and keep the rest together. Can we get everyone back from foraging to get some sort of head count?

And Nicro, what's your friend going on about?

Has anyone seen Lord GW? Hopefully he was just giving that band a kick in the pants towards home."

Sis glanced towards Hector, wisely keeping himself somewhat hidden.
"I'll expect some help from you, my friend, or you'll be an interesting feature along the trail."

[Nicro]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

Nicro, what's your friend going on about?

sqeeky says that there is an abondoned castle that we can probably use as shelter.
and that he's hungry

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

Sas looked at squeeky suspiciously. "Are you SURE it's ABANDONED?" he said crossing his arms. "The last time we followed him, we ended up like this." Sas pointed at everyone nursing their wounds. "Nothing agianst you or your pet, Nicro but I think we should stay away from "abandoned" castles for now. Knowing our luck, there will be a dragon in the attic, a balrog in the basement and the entire army of Mordor on the ground-floor."

[Acalewia]

"It has to be a huge attic to hide a dragon there," Acally said. "I haven't seen GW in a while myself," She turned and looked around at all the wounded. "Quite the adventure, don't you think. Once we get a head count, we may need to decide who will be continuing. I really don't think some of the wounded here will be able to go on," Anicetos jumped into Acally's arms and then climbed on her shoulder. She rubbed him behind the ear. "I know. You go where I go,"

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

For the first time in a long time, Sis snickered.

Then she laughed.

Then she lay on the ground and whooped until her ribs hurt and the dust smeared down the tear trails from her eyes. The others looked around uncertainly, and then started to giggle themselves. Soon the entire complement was snorting and wheezing (and saying *ouch* occasionally.)

They had clearly lost their minds.

[Mari]

Mari wiped a few tears from her eyes while trying to regain enough breath to tell Sis "You are so silly! That's why we love you, hahaha!"

[Nicro]

Originally Posted by The Sasquatch of Fangorn

Sas looked at squeeky suspiciously. "Are you SURE it's ABANDONED?" he said crossing his arms. "The last time we followed him, we ended up like this." Sas pointed at everyone nursing their wounds. "Nothing agianst you or your pet, Nicro but I think we should stay away from "abandoned" castles for now. Knowing our luck, there will be a dragon in the attic, a balrog in the basement and the entire army of Mordor on the ground-floor."

fine dont trust me and sqeeky but an abandoned castle might have what we are looking for and i am going.
"sqeaka sqeak" *sqeeky asks inquireingly*
oh yea sqeeky you're coming too

[The last sane person]

Recovering from the *ouch* side of the laugh fest, Sane had to concur with Sas. Setting herself gingerly upright, Sane called one of her Banditos to bring over a map for the "squeeky" to point out where the supposedly "abandoned" castle was.

"And exactly what relevance does this have with our quest? If it is too far off the King's Road, we can forget about it, we might as well belly up to the bar and go to an inn. Might blow some gold, but certainly worth it. Especially now that our numbers...ahem... have been thinned." She watched sadly as all of her wounded Bandits and the remains of other adventurous teacuppers were hauled into the newly arrived wagons and taken back to the Teacup.

[Nicro]

Originally Posted by The last sane person

Sane called one of her Banditos to bring over a map for the "squeeky" to point out where the supposedly "abandoned" castle was.

"And exactly what relevance does this have with our quest? If it is too far off the King's Road, we can forget about it, we might as well belly up to the bar and go to an inn. Might blow some gold, but certainly worth it. Especially now that our numbers...ahem... have been thinned." She watched sadly as all of her wounded Bandits and the remains of other adventurous teacuppers were hauled into the newly arrived wagons and taken back to the Teacup.

*sqeeky jumps to the map and points out a spot not far from the road in a patch of trees* "squeck a sqeeker sq sqeuck" "yes its not far from the road sqeeky i can see that"

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

Sas looked up from tending Fredrico's wounds "Wait a minute. Who was carrying Hector last?"

[Acalewia]

Acally looked up from the map.
"Great! Did we lose Hector? Again?"

[Nicro]

Originally Posted by Acalewia

Acally looked up from the map.
"Great! Did we lose Hector? Again?"

I hope not!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Sis had finished what packing she could manage, not disturbing Sane more than necessary. Regretfully, she patted the bruised arm. "Upsie daisy" she said. "Let's go check out Nicro's haunted castle. Maybe they have a bar."

She glared at Hector, scrunching down behind a bush, but still clearly animate.

"Take an interest in finding the next set of ingredients, and fending off assault, me boyo" she warned him. "My tourism quotient is just about up."

[The last sane person]

With a groan, Sane accepted the hand up and tottered toward to a new mount offered by one of her Bandits, with a peck on the cheek for Sis and a matching scowl towards the Hector-in-a-bush. With Sis's help, Sane made it over to the stand of horses without much by way of limping or falling. However, much to her chagrin, she needed the leg up onto the brown gelding and settled herself in the saddle.


Now seated on her horse, and reigns collected Sane surveyed the remainder of the questors assembled. "Alright then, it seems like the worst of the wounded are headed up to the teacup, and will probably make it there before we even get around the bend. Off to a bar! Or the castle. Which ever greets us first. I fancy a drink or ten."

The group started to move about and assemble themselves into something that loosely resembled a column.