RP:A Chance Desertion?

Admist the Valley of Trees just outside of Hobbiton, Kharnus and Mahri have a chance meeting with four Razurath who are deserting the army for Cenril, only to make a return. These "traitors" leave on mostly peaceful terms, but also share some valid information, for those seeking to fly over the mountains safely.

Part of the Saurian Onslaught Arc

Valley of the Trees

Kharnus looks up at all the natural beauty that is before him as he travels back from the hobbit town with a months supply of fresh pipe weed that he couldn't wait to partake of. In fact, so eager is the dwarf for a good bit of the halfing's leaf that he props himself up upon the rather large boulder, settles in and set his belongings down to include his beloved battle-axe, before he retrieves his smoking pipe from his travel bag. Ah yes, it was a wondrous pipe, hand carved from Dragon bone with a cherry-wood stem, shaped so that it even looked like a Dragon, so when he puffed upon the pipe weed the eyes flared red, and small trails of smoke came out from tiny nostrils. He knew he had some time to spare, after all he had the rest of the supplies needed to finish his recent commission for work, so why not enjoy himself a bit? Either way the dwarf settles in and begins to look over notes he has with him of his current project while he smokes on his pipe atop the large boulder that's so perfectly placed to do so.

Mahri was hunting hunters. She had said she'd be patrolling the woods and that meant all of them. The wolf walked among the trees, not nearly as in awe of their beauty as the dwarf was, but still aware of it. Two footed rather than four, Mahri's footsteps are still quiet among the trees as she avoids the well worn path. The scent of pipe smoke and forge reach her nose. Turning in that direction the lycan is curious as to why the smith would be in these parts. Was he hunting wolves, too? Gods, she hoped not. She kinda liked that little guy.

A foursome of voices came wandering up the road, Heard much less seen at first their voice a little loud likely because they believed themselves to be alone. "What I can say, desertion seemed the best idea at the time." the first voice clearly feminine, the next masculine, "Well of course, anyone serving under Krakoth, would want to desert I am just shocked nobody joined us." Another voice then speaking, a with a mild irritating squeak, "Well perhaps nobody else wanted to experiment in actually leaving venturil for the wild blue yonder." a fourth voice agreed in response, "Indeed, now then are you sure we are going the right way, I was hoping to see if we could make it to cenril in time, I have heard that there the felines down there are so hot." The first spoke in response as the voices drew nearer to the clearing, "Dude, what is wrong with you?" Now then as they turned around a tree they came into view each about 7' tall the first one being a peach like color, the next a lime like color, the third a dark blue color, and the last a red and black color. They all looked like anthro raptors and they all had expressive faces as they talked, and all have strange runic spears. Thats when they noticed there were more than just them about the blue first to say, "Aw nuts."

Kharnus was quite enjoying his sabbatical atop that boulder, the gentle breeze sweeping in from the mountain rustling through the trees just enough to push the ever growing cloud of pipe-weed smoke from the dwarf's face as the strange creatures made their way into view. A glance is given, Kharnus has yet to ever see as Razurath up close, or even from afar, and maybe due to the quality of his pipe's contents, but he has to shake his head one good time to make sure he is seeing what he is seeing. Did those dinosaurs just talk? Are they walking upright? He looks to them and then to his pipe and makes a mental note to get more of this stuff before he'd say out loud. "Damn hobbits be growin' some 'o the strongest stuff a dwarfs ever smoked!" But for now there seems to be no danger, and so the Runesmith simple says to the passing travelers. "If ye be headin' to get some o' dat hobbits stash, be sure ye can handle it!" He'd bellow out a good laugh as he'd rise, sliding down the side of that boulder so that he is near his gear and belongings, though never turning his back to the strangers. That's just silly for anyone to do.

Mahri came up silently behind Kharnus, clearing her throat so she didn't scare him too much. "No, t'ey be real," she drawled huskily to the smith. Mahri eyed the creatures and their weapons, noting the markings on the spears but unsure what they were or meant. By then, she'd be standing next to Kharnus, arms folded casually. "Did ye 'ear t'em say somet'in' 'bout disertin'?

The Razurath glanced at the two, the woman and the dwarf, and then at each other. A question running through their minds wondering if they had ever seen other razurath before, or more importantly knew about what their people had been doing, this might play a big part between fight and well peaceful talk. It was the dark blue in his mildly irritating squeaky voice who spoke first. "Um, hi." He said raising his hand, "Oh hobbiton, oh well heh heh, I guess we did make a wrong turn." The razurath glanced at the blue, and each propped a brow, "yes, we are deserting from... what lies due west, underground behind eh the wall, gate, door, something, what was it they called it again?" The blue looked at the red and black who had spoke and rolled his eyes, 'Cathabraka, didn't you pay attention?" The black and red shook their head, "Uh no, I was to busy thinking about the Great Mating Ceremony..." suddenly being cut off by the lime colored one with a hand to the snout. 'Sorry I am sure you can tell whats on their brain."

Kharnus is suddenly in the company of the woman he'd met just a few nights prior, and even though a bit of surprise catches him he is a bit thankful he isn't alone at the current moment. Her words due bring to light he had heard a bit about desertion, and thus does remind the dwarf that these dino people were currently the ones who had made a blockade to the west of his beloved homeland. But so had Eboric's kuronii, and aside from a bit of headache , that's all that had mustered. Dwarves had no problem being hold up inside their beloved mountain, and the west of Craughmoyle didn't produce great trade. But still, rumors of battle and a desire for dominance was the word of these new strange creatures, and it's here that as he moves to collect his things, that the dwarf asks. "Ye be invaders then? Seekin' to be rulers of the lands? Because I warn ye now, ye people be findin' Lithrydel a stubborn realm, it's people not one for outside rule." The dwarf's hand finds his belongings, and a look to Mahri is offered and a nod, before he returns to look at the Razurath. Why would soldiers leave an army so bent on victory? And desertion itself does not mean these lot are innocent souls. Weary if ever, the dwarf takes caution in this exchange.

Mahri let her arms lower slowly and one finger tapped the dagger strapped to her thigh. She had dug it out of the undead after the fight the night before and, while her leg pained her it was already nearly healed leaving just a slight limp if one watched close enough. At least the world wasn't maggots and rancid meat anymore; the curse had worn off overnight while she slept it seemed. The lycan didn't say anything more, returning Kahrnus's nod with her own. Mahri was ready should anything get interesting.

The Razurath looked from one to other and thats when the blue said, 'On that, note I think I will skeedaddle." A muffled shift of bones sounds and the razurath's body seemed to tilt into a feral pose, and then did a one eighty, and tried to run off only to be stopped by the peach colored one gripping his tail. 'Hey leggo leggo, I am civilian conscripted I never wanted a part in this," The peach eyelids slumped down middway downward. "Yeah, well what Generals want General's get, personally I don't see a need to expand outside of venturil, that land needed order, without a king to be seen for years, and we were tired of being hunted like a bunch of ferals, so yeah, we wanted order, we brought order, but then somone up top wanted to keep going," The lime soon chimed in trying to grab the blues tail, its legs practically spinning as it was reaching top speed blowing dust up off the path in great volumes, but still not going anywhere. The red and black one looked between the dwarf and the lycan, 'hey look all i wanted was to get to cenril, small razurath colony there and honestly i don't think they are even wanting to play apart in the war, personally neither do I, but if I can't convince you of that, we can just let the coward go, and fight this out here and now."

Kharnus shifts about in place. These creatures seem less villains and more battle weary. A long moment is taken to ponder, and a look to his newfound companion the she wolf as he asks her. "Ye for playin' judge and jury lass? I for one be seein' no need for bloodshed." On that note however, that rune forged battleaxe is brought to bare, the dwarf adding to the Razurath. "But.. if ye be spies, or assassins, be knowin' that it be her heads I be comin' after, and ye best be knowing the she wolf has yer scent, so there be no hidin' from the wrath you'd bring down should ye lot be false." He didn't know if Mahri had their scent, in fact he has only heard rumors of her actual heritage, but due to the scent and the rough nature he just went with assumptions. "So it be on ye know if ye be wantin to spill blood, or live out her life in peace." He knew Cenril was a rough place, full of crime and ill ilk. If the Razurath made it to the coast city, they'd be surprised to see how hospitable those crime lords could be.

Mahri said, "Aye. If'n ye jus' mean tae go in ye way, I've no need wit' any o' ye. But, " she inclines her head to the dwarf, I go' ye scent right 'nough an' will track ye down if ye so much as sneeze wrong."

Mahri rested a hand on Kahrnus's shoulder, giving the dwarf a friendly squeeze before going on a different kind of hunt.

The Razurath let go of there blue who, unwisely rammed into a tree and just like a rubber ball ricochet off it and was sent flying. "Well thats a relief," The Peach colored one said. "Oh.... Before we continue on, umm, I would definitely pass the word on not fly over the mountain range in to venturil, try the south instead." The red and black added. The lime looked between them, "Something about anti-air," Strapping their spears to their backs, and then peach one grabbing the blue by its tail and dragging him behind him off back the way they came. "Thank you."

Kharnus takes note of what was said, and makes haste back to where he has been staying for now, knowing what little he has learned may be of importance.