Prologue: Fight and Flight

Nydia Star-Counter

A chill runs down Nydia's spine as she rocks onto her feet, leaning forward to stare intently at the brush. She thought she saw something, but then it's gone... she's ready to write it off as a startled Starly and the effects of the heat, until she sees them again. Eyes. Watching. "Shepherd!" Nydia hisses, leaning forward to talk to Sven, in a voice she hops won't carry too far. "The bushes to the south. Something is watching us." With any luck, it might just be a Purrloin or a Poochyena peeking in before scampering off. But whether it be raiders or something large enough to eat, they can't merely let it wander off.

Wisdom:
Dice Roll: 1d20+2
d20 Results: 2 (Total = 4)

Bottom of the wall, South-East Corner

Sven has to immediately rein in the impulse to stare directly at the bush. Hoping to not draw attention to the fact that whatever was in the bush had been spotted, he casually stretched and leaned back against the wall and looked out on the south field, facing nothing in particular. Only then did he carefully turn his eyes toward the shrub in question, careful not to move his head as well.

He felt a little silly going through all this effort. No doubt it was just some zigzagoon wandering about, looking for shade. Nonetheless, he

Perception: Dice Roll: 1d20-1 d20 Results: 20 (Total = 19)

gave the bushes a bit of extra scrutiny just to be sure. He felt his heart pounding in his ears as he scanned the area for any sign of movement.

Top of the Southern Wall

Hearing the others converse, Sahara

Dice Roll: 1d20+0z d20 Results: 15 (Total = 15) Perception (15)

glances at the bush in question. Lily flicks one eye open, more out of courtesy than thinking anything is there. She is ready to return to sleeping the moment everything is settled.

Daeron had passed the initial bit of movement off as some small beast wandering about, but when others made notice of the motion as well, he knocked on the wall lightly to let the others know he heard. Giving a lilting trill towards the Mareep, the outermost clusters began to work their way in towards the fort and the rest of the herd, if slowly. There were a couple advantages to not having to yell, or more accurately not being able to yell, his intentions. Squinting and shading his eyes as if to study the herd, he looked more carefully at the edge of the woods.

Atop Southern Wall

While everyone else is staring intently at the bush, Leon knows that this could be some sort of ploy. That or it could just be an animal roaming about in the bushes. Gathering his bow, but leaving Vinaer to sleep in the little nap-sack on his back, Leon knocked an arrow and readied himself for anything that looked too suspicious to let come near camp.

Dice Roll: 1d20-2
d20 Results: 2 (Total = 0)

Looking out to the wilderness, he made a point of not looking at the bushes. There were enough eyes out there already.

The multiple eyes now casing the area reveal even more evidence there is something to the south out beyond the tree-line. Although it's still too far away to tell exactly what. However shifting shadows and small movements for a few yards in each direction indicate there is likely more than one. The land between the wall and the place in question is mostly flat with the occasion tree or bush disrupting the twenty or so Rods of grassland before the trees thicken and the forest begins.

Being the oldest, Zednik felt honor-bound to be the one to assume the greatest risk. He looked at the nearby Leon and Nydia and, although he officially held no authority in the tribe, he spoke to them with a leader's voice, "Leon, Nydia, cover me, I'm going to check this out."

As he made his way toward the ladder, Zednik addressed the young girl sitting on the edge of the wall(whose name he could not quite recall) by saying, "You there, inform Onlia of the potential threat and help her prepare to get everyone inside, secure the gaits, and ready our defenses. Listen for a shrill whistle... if you hear it then know we face a true threat."

The eldest of the motley-crew of young savages then climbed down the rickety ladder and, as he headed for the southern gate, gave a quick command for Kehrra to heel. The pair then passed through the gate, at which point Zednik addressed Daeron and Sven, "Move the flock westward, we'll need a gap if this turns out to be serious. Daeron, be ready to

I assume Daeron's whistles are well known; including an emergency tone all would recognize.

sound the alarm."

Raising his spear defensively, Zednik moved toward the suspect portion of the treeline while keeping his eyes peeled. The piplup jogged alongside her master and friend, her eyes also directed intently ahead.

In the Field

Listening to the instructions of the older boy was not something Leon enjoyed, but for the sake of time and structure, someone had to take charge. Opting to obey rather than argue, the bow-brandished boy reached into his backpack and removed the Zubat. Speaking softly, yet firmly, he awakened the creature. Turning to Nydia and Zendik, Leon uttered some instructions,
You two stay behind me, allow me to draw them out while you two wait in the wings. When they get too close, strike fast and true. Do you understand?

Pausing a moment to allow them to voice and concerns, Leon pulls back an arrow and releases the Vinaer into the air.

In the Field

Unlike Leon, following orders comes easily to Nydia. She spends her days at the beck and call of a demanding elder; the young man couldn't possibly hope to reach those levels of demand. She quickly steps to the awkward wooden steps that lead up to the wall, wincing as the final one creaks precariously. This home is still relatively new, there is time for fortification, if the hunt proves successful and they don't need to move to find food again. With a whistle that could be easily mistaken for a bird by someone who doesn't listen to bird calls too easily, Nydia calls to Basil, whose ears perk and stand at attention a full second he does. The tiny hound creature barrels out of the wise-woman's hut, for a moment veering in the direction of the Mareep herd before a second whistle calls him back on track, rushing to Nydia's side. He greets her by grabbing the hem of her skirt and tugging, which Nydia allows with a small smile before tugging it free and following the boys.

Listening to the hunter's plan, Nydia frowns. "Don't let yourself get hurt." The words might be sympathetic, but her tone is purely practical. Losing a hunter, even a young and less-experienced one, would be a great loss to the tribe, as would the medicines needed to mend him if he's hurt. Still, she doesn't argue as he launches his bat creature at whatever might be hiding in the bushes, hoping that it's something large and meaty and not human.

Wisdom:
Dice Roll: 1d20+2
d20 Results: 1 (Total = 3)

Bottom of the Palisade, South

Sven shook his head. "I don't like this," he said. "We don't know their numbers, going out like this is foolish." He looks directly behind him, at the palisade. "We have these walls, we should use them. Our job is to keep the camp safe anyhow, not go hunting for glory. If you all leave now, what's to stop another group from walking right in the door?" Nonetheless, he didn't make a move for the gates just yet. He didn't want to leave everyone outside on their own.