Recovery (Open)

[Malai]

Malai carried her lance across her back with her arms lazily supported over it. "Hey, how much further do haveta walk? I know you said it was a little ways away but this armor ain't exactly light you know." Malai and a small group of her fellow militiamen were wading through knee deep snow for the last few hours trying to reach an old outpost.

"It won't be much longer... I think. Either way we need to check it for any supplies, its out of the way enough that hopefully the Etrurians never raided it and even if they did whatever we can still salvage is desperately needed for rebuilding."

"I know why we're here! I don't need a damned lecture about it, I just wanted to know when we get to rest." Malai grumbled to herself from the rear. The snow had fallen heavily around them but the weather had let up long enough to make the trip. That said the clouds hanging overhead were as oppressive as the wind that broke through the trees and pierced through their warming layers. "Hey bossman! When this over you're going to keep your promise right?" Malai shouted to the man leading the expedition much to his chagrin.

"Yes, yes. Once we return with the supplies I will keep my word, you'll get your share." That girl had been nagging him for days for her pay. Why couldn't she just shut up like the rest of them and do her part until they could afford to pay her? The citizens of Remi were working hard to repair their city and to rebuild their lives. Those who stayed mostly agreed to work together as a collective until life normalized again, but then there were those like the Grimm family. If not for their skills in the forge no one would tolerate their demanding behavior.

[Moreau]

Moreau had been walking for several hours through the snow blanketed landscape of Ilia. Never having enjoyed playing in the snow as often as most do in their youth, it still evoked some feeling of childish happiness within him, so he found himself spending more time in the colder areas along his travels. Having found a place to take a rest on a log sticking out from the snow, Moreau simply sat and enjoyed watching the nearby trees collect more and more snow along their branches.

He took the satchel which he carried over his shoulder off and placed it beside him, along with his staff for walking. The satchel had required some repairs already along his journeys and began to look a bit more ragged than when he had first set out, but appearances weren't often of any concern to Moreau, having spent much of his life living in the world of the divine rather than of the material.

He had been deep in meditation when he heard some voices off in the distance. Due to his state of concentration he did not register what he was hearing until it was much closer than he would have normally. He looked in the direction where it seemed they were coming from but didn't see anyone yet. Quickly gathering his few belongings, he rather clumsily made his way behind a tree, as judging from the somewhat blunt and unrefined conversation the people were having he assumed them to be brigands. Despite already making a bit of a ruckus moving behind the tree, he stood as quietly as possible, one hand on the light tome hanging from his shoulder.

[Malai]

"Alright, alright, as long as you keep your wor-" Malai cut her words short. The men in front of her gave a universal sigh of relief until they realized she was looking around cautiously.

"What is it?" One of the men stopped the group just be safe. He then looked to Malai expectantly.

"I don't know. I thought I heard some movement in the trees." Malai lowered her spear to a more comfortable position and broke off from the group.

"Hey, stay together, Malai!" The leader motioned for another to follow her to the treeline. At this point they weren't much worried about silently surprising anything that might have been out there. Between the shouting and Malai's armor clanking with her every step if something or someone was still watching them it was on them if they got caught. It did raise the concerns of potential ambush, but at least it would be Malai taken out first.

The man caught up to Malai quickly and joined her at the treeline. The two peered into the foliage, or what little there still was, and saw nothing yet. "Guess it was a false alarm?"

"Eh, I wouldn't be too sure!" Malai shouted. No, she didn't see Moreau but she heard him and didn't hear him scamper away. She decided it might be better not to run in further lest she get taken by surprise but maybe she could psyche whatever she heard out into moving. "Whelp, let's get going, guess it was just a false alarm." She stamped her feet in place to give the illusion of her walking away. Her clanking armor should work well in the ruse.