Cibola coastline - part 3

[rubyrubyruby]

Ruby joins in step with Maggie and Merrisol as they compare sensory notes. "What you mean? There's ~nuthin~ out 'ere, promise." She reaches up and rubs at the swelling at the center of her forehead where impact happened. "It all just be green an green an sometoimes poisonous things out 'ere. This more impenetrable than a member 'o tha church 'o tha Unicorn. An you can call me Rosie if it isn't so."

While the others were off doing the thing in the jungle, and with the sick tended in various ways, Giselle starts some coffee going on the fire. Just seems like it might be that kind of night. She occasionally glances back towards that jungle that still have several of them, and waits.

Melina looks toward the beach and the wind lapping at the beach and whispers something into the wind in hopes the breeze will carry from beach to jungle

"Nothing now. They've left, as Maggie said." Once they've made their way into the path strangenesses, Merrisol slows down further and spends some time studying the lichens and bark of the somewhat bowing tree trunks. "It's subtle, the way they've twisted away from this route may have taken a process of years.. decades," he says with a nerdy frown implicit in his tone. He drags himself away from the study only if in danger of being left behind, lifting his torch-hand again to benefit the actual trail.
Merri stops abruptly, gazing alertly ahead, but it's something he's heard, not seen. "Ah.. thank you, Lady Melina," he says, for some reason. No, he still doesn't quite get how those windy whispers work.

Some of the other Pathfinders that followed Ruby have doubled back towards the coast, homing in on the smell of coffee and voices. As they gossip they can be overheard mentioning things: The eventual halting of the environmental damage of the dash forwards. A few lingering still back there and recalculating their surroundings. Something about Captain Flame or Merrisol using tracking skills or sensing things amiss.

Maggie uses the mini-light she has to augment Merrisol's tattoo lamp. This is useful when her nerdy husband gets tangled up in study. She adjusts her pace to accomodate somewhat, "Decades? How long has this... whatever it is... How long has it been going on? She glances up as Melina is mentioned, then goes back to watching where they are going as the Lady in question isn't in evidence. Nodding once, she speaks to Ruby. "I sensed transit magic. I am hoping that whomever was here has left." The alternative means trouble. "Up ahead here."

Jessica is dozing fitfully, the pain of the reset shoulder keeping her from a deep sleep. But her heritage is healing it quickly enough as she gets up and finds a roasted haunch to listen to the reports that are provided by the other pathfinders. "There's definitely something out there, something big enough to scare a large group." She shakes her head, "Not that they were the most courageous to start, making taunts from the jungle."

Ruby narrows her eyes. "I don't understand what you sayin. Because it ain't makin no sense. They only ~just~ got 'ere. We brought 'em 'ere, remembah? You remembah tha big foight with boats? They didn't 'ave years." Ruby furrows creases around the lump on her noggin. "I 'ope they 'ere so we can pull out their tongues."

Melina turns to look back at where Martin rests by the fire as others emerge from the jungle and queries of the dazed Prince "Are you feeling better your highness? I've informed captain merrisol you are awake. i h[e he's back soon

Up ahead of Merrisol and Maggie is a clearing situated within the dense foliage. The smell of the transit magic is whiffier, and coincides with the environment looking coerced. There's a strange can't see the clearning for the trees effect that's one part conventional, and one part subtle sorcery. A soft kind of manipulation that doesn't scream from the treetops and is excellent covert use. However, the recent transit has flawed their cleverness and a crescent of trees that make up part of the circumference of the clearing are registering as ~hot~ for hocus pocus. In the middle of the clearing are a number of backpacks bearing equipment, as well as a pile of garments. The majority look as if dropped in a hurry. A rainbow coloured toad sits upon one of the packs, glistening wetly. There's some spilled blood upon the clearing, leading towards a trio of trees.

Giselle continues to sit with the others, though she looks slightly restive. As they wait for what is happening in the jungle to resolve itself one way or the other, she asks those nearby "Tell me something of your recent efforts? I've heard more is being done of late to address issues in Amber and Rebma." Obviously, she is not disturbing those that still need rest.

Merrisol casts a baleful look over Ruby's way, the beginnings of a snarl forming on his lips. He remembers all right. "Yes, the big fight with boats. Where'd they get all those boats, those resources, Incarnate? All that hatred? Of course it took bloody years." Nono Kerf, the Cibolan rainforest at night is not where you decide to pick a fight with Ruby. Kitezh would have been preferable. But Maggie's beckoning brings his focus back forward, and the challenge drops from his bearing as he follows her into the bower of warped vegetation. "Deep blue hells.." he mutters as he takes in the articles and remains. Keeping his lighthand aloft for his companions, he feels into his hip pocket for his case of trumps. "Martin's awake.. I'll see if he can send in some backup.." he states rather than suggests. It takes a moment to thumb up the right card with his free hand.

Maggie slows as she enters the clearing, stepping aside to be sure not to block Kerf or Ruby. She inhales slowly through her nose, nodding, "Thanks, beloved." Though whether for the backup or the calming of tensions. Her hand lifts, then drifts a bit before pointing to several trees, "Those trees are full of magical energy, so be careful. They seem to be the transit points. Probably best not to touch them until or unless we want to follow." Pressing her lips together, she turns to survey the rest of the clearing, "I'm getting a lot of... camo type magic. It is entirely possible that this has been here undetected for a long time." Sighing a bit, she turns her attention to the toad. "When you have a minute, love, can you say if that is a natural frog? I'm not feeling magic from him or her but that isn't necessarily the same thing. We'll want to take the equipment." She shifts the pack on her back, "And Giselle might be able to tell us something about the... The blood."

Martin still seems a little bit out of it, even as he recovers. "uh, lots happening there, Caine related mainly. He surrendered to Grandmother and now everyone seems to be visiting the dungeons." Martin smiles at Giselle and nods to Melina, "A little better though still seeing more of you guys than I should be, so best I sit where I am for a little bit. Where are the others? Hey... where's my stuff?" He's talking, naturally, about his pack.

Ruby cautiously follows the duo into the weird area, looking up towards a slash in the upper canopy to where the stars peek. The thickness of the trees in some portions are clustered so tightly as to make them quite tight squeezes for man or beast, but possible. Especially if one were practiced in such, or a child of the jungle.
Ruby trods on a second thing tonight and reaches down and picks up a spent torch. It still makes squealy noises for where the damp undergrowth seeps into the cooling wood. Eyeballing it, she squints and sniffs and holds it out. Ruby declares. "This used tah be lit." Move over Sherlock. "Aye, lets collect this loot. We scared 'em off looks loike. 'Ad tah scoot in a 'urry."

Giselle smiles to Martin, though it's brief. "Nothing bumps tourism in less desirable areas like a popular attraction. He and I had an interesting conversation before he left Amber." she replies. "You didn't arrive with stuff, sorry. You'll have to go find it when it's less dark in there. Or, perhaps one of the others has it. Maggie brought you out."

Melina blinks "I don't know for certain. What were you doing out in the middle of the jungle anyway, Calling Rebma?"

"Well, hopefully she does have it. That pack has my trumps." Martin doesn't seem too worried about it. "I'll look for it in the morning. I had a communication from Rebma." He rubbed the back of his neck where the dart hit him, still sore. "Then I saw my friend in the jungle and then lights out."
Giselle mms. "I can trump Maggie, if you'd like." she offers him. "She might be busy with something at the moment, though. Otherwise, I imagine they'd have returned by now." Meanwhile, she pours coffee for anyone that wants some.

Merri stands at the opening to his secret bolthole among the thick old growth of the Cibolan coastline, gazing down at the painted card depicting a Lord Regent-era Martin. So young and carefree! As Ruby addresses the issue of the frog, he nods absently to both companions. Abruptly, the glow fades from his uplifted hand, seeping back into the veiny network of coral branches, which then recede into their former compact shapes. Now he can't see the card clearly. "Carp." A short sequence of folly commences, his tattoo flickering on then off a few times, before he decides to walk over and borrow some of Maggie's glowball light. Success! To Martin, he might look a right mess, welters of insect bites and scratches he'll regret later. "How're you doing, Sire? Think we've come upon the place Jessica saw... where those uninvited guests ran off. Are you up to handing off some Pathfinders? Could use some extra eyes and sniffers in this spot."

Maggie narrows her eyes as Merrisol's light flickers out. She lifts a brow and sniffs as he moves closer to her. Lifting the ball-light for him, she glances back at Ruby, but does not move her hand. Tilting her head in acknowledgement, she speaks softly to avoid distracting Merrisol's trump call, "We. Or whatever Jessica saw. And is that a poison dart frog, Ruby? Martin was darted and that might be the origin of the poison. Giselle might want it as a specimen if we can avoid scaring it away before the others get here."

"Ah...hold that thought...Incoming." Martin tells Giselle and Melina. "Hey, Merri. Still a bit lightheaded. Did anyone get my pack? You have my trumps if you did, and I'd rather not be without them in Cibola so I'll come with." He tells Giselle and Melina. "Merri needs help looking for our uninvited guests."

As trumping Maggie for an update becomes unnecessary, Giselle nods to Martin. As to needing help? Her lips purse. "I am..." She doesn't look comfortable saying this, and her voice lowers to exclude most, "not of particular help in that setting, at this time. Maggie is aware of my situation." She having explained to her cousin her lack of access to her mystical skills at the moment. "I will remain here as an available escape route by trump." A frown punctuates her dissatisfaction with this part of her condition.

Ruby hunches down next to the discarded equipment and eyes the frog. "I don't loike this thing." The frog gives not a fig apart from tilting its head like a doggo. A number of insects flutter around the slick looking amphibian, making an innocent looking moving halo. Ruby squints and says, "This thing 'asn't jumped yet. It moight be stupid...or be fearless. Everythin else took off. I ain't no expert on derpitiles." Ruby muses, "It probably not good a good idea tah just...burn tha whole place, right?" She prods a nearby heap of discarded clothes. They're a bit waterlogged, like they've been in the ocean. Half waterlogged charts, packs and canteens.

Melina blinks "Are you quite sure you're up to your highness?" she asks seeming genuinely concerned "what would your friend have been doing in the jungle? Should I come with you or stay here?"

"Merrisol, Melina and I or just Melina can come help you and bring whatever evidence you've found back if you like? Giselle can't do anything at the moment. She can bring us back after." Martin asks Merrisol. "I'll be fine, Melina. I don't know, I think it might have been a halucination. Giselle's potion did the trick to purge whatever it was."