[ We find Our Heroes back around their campfire. Their messmates are either on picket duty or sleeping like sensible soldiers. But not Our Heroes! ^_~ ] [ Session start! ] ... well, aside from the unexpected urgency of our withdrawl, I'd say that went pretty well. Again, sorry about that...I should've tried to hit her on the head instead. * Ada looks like she *wants* to sleep like a sensible soldier. She's on the verge of nodding off. Nah, s'okay... your specialty is curing head trauma, not causing it. That magic thingee you did worked fine... if it hadn't knocked her to her knees, I might've had to do something more drastic than clock her upside the head. * Sei nods. "Although I doubt she survived the fire, anyway." * Nebrinel says dryly, "If I hadn't pulled out Plaguebringer instead of a practice sword, you wouldn't have had the option. Apparently there are issues to work out with this thing." * Ethan rubs the back of his neck. "Well, considering that I snuck up behind her with the intention of shoving the blade of my glaive through her neck, the fire might've been the nicer way to go." * Sei nods. "Good point." ... 'course, there's also an upside to us having been detected. Oh? * Nebrinel raises an eyebrow. Well, think about it. If we'd snuck out clean and started the fire, they might've thought it was some sort of accident that nobody wants to admit to. This way, they know that someone or someones managed to just waltz into their camp and burn all their food right under their noses. ... That's not an upside. * Ethan grins slightly. "Intimidation factor. Puts the fear in them." It also means that they'll tighten security, though, so this won't be easy to do again. True. Prolly woulda beefed up security regardless of whether or not we were spotted. Still, if the relative ease with which we got in and out psyches them out somewhat, it can't hurt. * Ethan hrms. "This kinda thing isn't common in elven wars, right? The covert stuff, I mean." * Nebrinel rolls her neck backwards and mms, "Yes. They don't think about these things. I doubt it would put any fear in them at all." * Ada yawns. "It doesn't matter. We shouldn't have to do it again." I disagree, though. This kinda operation... it's unexpected. Not the kind of thing they would have ever anticipated. Now, yeah, they're guard is up... but they're also on edge. Not knowing what strange thing we're gonna do next... It won't matter what strange thing we're going to do next. In my estimation, either they have to withdraw due to lack of food, sit there and get weaker, or attack. ( Let's TP the camp! ) I mean, my great-great-great-great grandad was famous for pulling all sorts of weird stuff out of his helmet in battle. One time, he managed to get a huge herd of cows to stampede right through the enemies main camp... completely destroyed it. * Sei whistles. Other side still had numbers on their side, but they were completely psyched out, and surrendered a few days later. * Nebrinel shakes her head. "Such absurd tactics. It's almost as if you belonged there." * Ethan raises an eyebrow. "It was damn effective. I'd sure hope I belonged there." Anything we could do from the air would be great... * Ethan shrugs. "Dunno about air tactics... not something human stratagists gave much thought to." Come to think of it, I have a rather nasty idea. Hmm? * Nebrinel leans forward on her hands. "The problem with air tactics is that you're completely open to attack. Completely and utterly." I could mix up a moderate amount of itching potion, which we could drop on the camp. Although, there's that problem. * Ethan shakes his head. "Aside from what Nebrinel said, there's the problem of the delivery system. How far would the effect spread beyond where you dropped it? And if it were able to be carried by the wind, the defense would be even easier. * Sei thinks. "I'm not sure how far it would spread." * Ada blinks sleepily. "Depends on the weather, likely." She leans against Ethan as a pillow, which is better than no pillow. * Ethan blinks, notices Ada, and grins slightly. * Ada doesn't seem to care. Tired. * Nebrinel frowns, and adds, "Yes, it would." * Ethan continues, a little quieter than before. "Just always seemed to me that it didn't matter how silly a tactic sounded... s'long as it was effective." * Nebrinel says simply, "The farther a tactic is from straightforward, the less effective it is in practice, and silly tactics are often about as straightfoward as the Ways." Perhaps... speaking of tactics, though. You might want to ask Sei for some pointers on your flirting technique. *grin* * Sei smiles. * Nebrinel rolls her eyes, and says with slight scorn, "The man was desperate, stupid, and looking for an ego boost. I gave it to him, and it worked perfectly." Oh, I know, I know. *grins wider* Note to self: when attempting to distract enemies: less conversation, more flirting. * Nebrinel shrugs, and gestures, "It all depends on the person. And now that I'm not a child, it's as if he were in the palm of my hand." She eyes Ada, then Ethan, and smirks faintly. ... touche. * Ada doesn't react. Busy dozing off. * Nebrinel shakes her head, and checks her gauntlets, stretching her hand. "Sometimes people just try too hard." 'course, you should be a little more competant than be, seeing as how you're, what, 30 times my age? * Ethan winks. * Ada says sleepily, "Thirty sounds about right." * Nebrinel smirks, and eyes Ethan critically. "A little higher, perhaps." Thank you, sleepy one. *patpats Ada gently* Well, I'm 18... are you over 540? Yes, I am. And it's good to know I still can keep my age guesses close. ... what do you do for 540 years? * Nebrinel grins slightly, and clasps her left hand tightly, looking very serious. "Travel farther and train harder than almost anyone." I mean... *shakes head* ... just can't wrap my mind around it. You've been alive so much longer, had so much longer to train... why can't you completely wipe the floor with me? Well, Ethan...most elves take life much, much more slowly. You know how some blind people end up having extremely acute hearing, and such? From our point of view, humans compensate for their lifespan by moving quickly. * Nebrinel leans on her left hand and says with a small sigh, "If you had had to figure most of it out yourself, it might have taken you a few hundred years too." * Ethan ponders that for a moment. "I dunno, though... I mean, yeah, the knowledge of tactics, of styles, all of that I was taught. But my fighting skills were pretty much developed by myself, from more sparring matches than I can count." My family's fighting style is mostly power-based... I'm more speed based, so there wasn't much I could learn from them. * Ada yawns. "Longer learning curve." * Nebrinel touches Plaguebringer briefly, and shakes her head. "It might take a very long while to explain it all, Ethan." ... guess we'll leave it for another time, then. Cookie? *holds out a few cookies* * Sei takes one. "Thanks." * Ada doesn't take one. * Ethan munches one, careful to use the hand on the side where Ada's leaning. * Nebrinel grabs one. "Perhaps that will be for the best." She takes a bite, and lets out another sighing breath. It's been a very long life to explain, after all. Maybe that's why elves are so lazy. No rush, kinda. ... see, this is why I became a soldier, not a philosopher. *small grin* * Nebrinel smiles faintly. "You'd be surprised." Life's complicated. This... *lifts his glaive with his free arm*... is simple. And simple, as I have said, is good. * Nebrinel chomps down the other half of her cookie. ... ever think about what you woulda done if you hadn't done the whole wandering warioress thing? Or the wandering medic thing for you, Sei. Hmmm. * Nebrinel says with a frown. "For no more than three seconds before I am reminded of exactly why I am going to kill Adron." Who's Adron again? An elf. An elf who will be very dead once this war is over. * Ethan hmms. "Tell ya what. We get outta this, I'll cut out his spleen for ya. Sound good?" ( No. ) * Nebrinel chuckles. "Good luck on that one." * Ethan grins. "Maybe I'll distract him with a herd of cattle first." Hmmm. There's an idea. Do we have catapults? * Nebrinel shakes her head. "I don't think that will work." Not that I've seen, but given the materials and some good carpenters, I could make some. * Sei grins disturbingly, and rubs his hands together. "Do we have any cows?" * Nebrinel rolls her eyes. "I almost envy Ada, not having to hear this." ( Ph34r t3h c0wz. ) * Ada snoozes. Not listening. Seriously, though. Dunno how much help I'd be against Adron, or if ya even want my help. But I'll pitch in to make sure you get the chance to go after him. *grin* * Nebrinel mms. "Well, it's your time." 'sides, we can't have you getting skewered. These fireside chats just wouldn't be the same without your banter. Of course. They'd be a little quieter. * Nebrinel mms faintly. "And less full of murderous intent, at that. Not that I'm not used to that." Bah. I'm convinced your whole 'barely restrained homicidal rage' thing is just for show. I bet you like puppies and bunnies. *grin* ( Yes. They're good lightly fried. ) (Amen.) Puppies and bunnies? I think not. * Nebrinel smiles softly, looking at no-one in particular. Riiiiiiight... *yawns* Should probably turn in soon. (Well, it's gab-tastic. ^^;) * Nebrinel mms. "Probably wouldn't be a bad idea for you, no." * Ada doesn't seem keen on moving. Might have something to do with being asleep. * Ethan shifts slightly, and tries to gently scoop up Ada without waking her up, so as to transport her to her tent. * Sei nods. ( Bah. She can't stay asleep for ever! ) (Give me eight hours.) ( Ditto here. z.z ) ( No, on second thought, give me twelve. ) * Ada murmurs something unintelligible, but doesn't do much beyond that. * Ethan grins as Ada stays asleep, then makes with the transporting. He *CAREFULLY* lays her down on her sleeping bag, and pulls her blanket over her. * Nebrinel eyes Sei. "Late nights can't be normal for you either. Virt on duty tonight?" Well, no, although I'm certainly used to them. She is, yes. ( Unfortunately. *Napper scowls. ) * Ada curls up. * Ethan kneels next to Ada for a moment, and brushes a few locks of hair out of her face. "Night, fearless leader." *heads out to set up his tent* ( *Ethan explodes moments later. ) (Virt is the one you're sharing your tent with. You lucky elf you.) (o/~) * Ethan quickly sets up his tent, grabs his stuff, and heads in. "Night Sei, Nebrinel." 'night. Good night. * Sei heads off to his tent. * Nebrinel waves half-heartedly, and looks back into the fire. She pulls Plaguebringer into her lap and puts her hand on the hilt, looking very vacant. [ End Session. ]