chikaidestroyer | ∞ 65: Upon the smoldering battlefield [voice]

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∞ 65: Upon the smoldering battlefield [voice]

Status reports, everyone. Let's try to account for as many as we can.

If you know of any casualties or disappearances, please note them as well. They need to be kept track of in case the Malnosso decided to act while we were ... preoccupied.

Congratulations are in order. We've survived without losing the village. Now it's time to recover and aid the wounded.

If there are still any able bodies available, I would like a sweep of the perimeter done for any signs of the intruders. Feathers, clothing, armor -- if it's available, it must be studied.

...Please also be aware that the New Feather cycle, if it has returned to normal, will occur beginning tomorrow. Explain the situation to the best of your ability. Newcomers need to know that this isn't the usual state of the village.

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I was quite far from the action, so it stands to reason... [He trails off as he moves closer.] How are you doing?

... True enough, though it seems that some of them did get to the village. [Her face is dusty. Her hair is a mess. Her eyes are tired.] I'm ... better off than most I've seen. There's something wrong with my foot. It's swollen, but I can't get my shoe off to check properly, and spells aren't making it any easier.

[All in all, this really isn't much different from how he sees her after overworking. Except for the blood and dirt bit.] And you decided it wasn't worth mentioning to anyone prior to you walking all over the place?

[Probably not, but she's also had a companion die in front of her, with an injury she's been unable to do anything about. Again.]

It didn't bother me at the time. The adrenaline, I suppose.

[He could probably say something callous to that, but. Well. Whatever.]

I see. [And he's going to continue watching her before speaking further.] You had something you wished to talk about?

[Jerk.]

I was presuming that you were spending the rest of your time gathering more information. I'm curious to what you may have learned. [She pauses for a moment.] Aside from that, I could use the assistance.

[Handsome jerk.]

[He looks at Raine with an unreadable look.] And so you came out here, to the forest, with a bad leg. When there were closer places you could have gone. [He just might think you lost some marbles out there.]

... I was already in the area. [Sort of.] Does it even matter? I thought I could handle it, but that didn't work out as planned, so I waited for you instead.

[Read: You've been scheming for a piggyback ride for weeks and this worked out juuust right.]

You had two hours to make your way home. [...He sighs. Bah, dropping that subject now.] What have you heard?

[Maybe she thought you'd bring the horse.]

A few more confirmations of the dead vanishing, mostly. Nothing new from the perimeter search as of yet. [She slowly brings herself to a standing position, using the tree for support.] I know that some were being soft on the enemy, but the weakened ones were finished off by others.

[Maybe he should go back and get the horse, then.]

They were all dead within two days. Regardless of the few losses on our side, it was a slaughter. They either underestimated our power, or we were overly cautioned of what they were capable of.

I expected stronger, from what we were warned against. John did mention something about weakening them before then. Whatever it was he did, combined with our restored powers, allowed us the victory. If it can even be considered that.

It was a victory. Though we remain under Malnosso control, we haven't been exposed to the outside world without a plan.

The intruders' goal was to remove us from the Malnosso's influence by removing us from the barrier.

... Hm.

At the very least it shows that most can work together under threat of crisis. The problem now is keeping the awareness up, before everyone becomes too distracted by parties.

It will happen regardless of what we do. Communicating with the masses effectively and figuring out how to continue doing so is the best way to maintain control of the situation.

Do you intend to call for another meeting, or let some time pass before then?

[She tentatively steps away from the tree, indicating that she's ready to begin ... walking.]

Let them catch their breath, recover from their wounds. [He gives Raine a pointed look before he moves to help her.]

[She indicates the side of the injury, and shifts her body accordingly when he comes to help.] ...Of course. I wasn't suggesting that one be called immediately.

Weren't you? [He frowns and wraps an arm around her shoulders.]

In a general sense, I suppose. Perhaps within a week, or whenever we've consolidated most of the facts...? [She bites her lip, trying to keep the weight off of her left foot.]

And will you be recovered in a week? And have consolidated most of the facts? [He provides continuous support on the way back to the house.] We are not in a rush. The world isn't going to end in the next New Feather cycle. Not if this conflict has waged for centuries.

... True enough. It's just easy to feel on edge, I suppose. That we could lose something by waiting.

Those who can give us answers are not going to die anytime soon; they make themselves unavailable, and likely have many measures in place to protect themselves. The only things we can lose are hope and people, and we know the latter is quite temporary now.

The waiting game.

Waiting, regrouping, continuing as planned with other... projects. Feels a little anti-climatic after a large-scale battle. [A halfhearted attempt at a joke.]

Battles have their political fallout. We will see how the populations complains once they have recovered enough to be restless. [He doesn't see it as anti-climatic at all. But he sees a natural flow to humanity's actions in general, so his perspective is ... different.]

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