"Bow," Hikaru suggests.

"Waterfall," Shadi returns, pointing to one in the distance.

Sehkmet doesn't speak out loud when she returns the gesture - they're prowling between the woods. Instead, they murmur through the Sendjewel: "Lavish."

"Hen," Alesha says, looking right at the one next to her on the cart. "Deedee?"

I snap my gaze off of the road and shake my head. 

"Sorry?" I say, blinking.

"It's your turn," Alesha says, again, frowning.

"Right," I mutter, rubbing my eyes. "Uh, last word was...?"

"Hen," Alesha says, again. "Are you alright?"

I blink, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Distractible... today. New pills, I guess. Also, um, adding 'Nettle' to the tail-end." 

And I try to focus on the conversation, and walking ahead of the cart, and on any threats on the horizon.

"Ember," Ace says as she tromps through the grass, light glinting off her new black armor. And then, to me on the road: "Should you be on patrol if you're like this? Dealing with new meds suck, especially brain pills."

I tap my ear. "Mousehunters, remember? I should be able to hear them well before anyone else can see."

"Road," says Siobahn, and then, "What I've been wondering is - Caer Isylwn? How did you figure that? Have you seen the Menhir of the White Stag before?"

"Probably!" Hikaru said, cheerfully. "But all I needed to know was it was a menhir, with a Thornite triskelion on it."

"Deer," says Tayeb, snapping the reins of his cart. Then, sotto voce, he adds, "So you saw the sign of Aurora's child to find your daughter?"

"On something uniquely Caelibyrnii, to the northwest, at that," Alesha mutters. "But it does mean my girl is safe, for now."

"River -" Shadi says, then swears in a way that's not translated. Which you really only notice because Hikaru's eyebrow shot up at that, finger over his mouth. Thinking.

"Language," Tayeb said, seriously but not unkindly.

"Point to me," Alesha says, smiling. "Another round, or is that enough Tail-End for all of us?"

"And how does an Andrax come to have an Eithyr daughter, anyway?" Shadi asks. "Adoption?"

"You cannot just ask such things, my dear," Tayeb says, wincing.

"In my case, yes." Alesha says to the girl, smiling, if wistfully. "My ex-wife - yes, I had one, it's not uncommon for women to marry back home - had children from her old husband, delightful ones. Our Jasmine..." She struggles with how to translate it in a way she'd understand. "When she came of age, as a reward for passing a very important exam, she joined some of my friends as Adventurers. She knew specifically that she wanted to be a healer and... turned out to have a gift as a Sunchaser Seer."

When she got straight A's for a semester at 13, and was allowed to get a neurohelm, Alesha means. And when Jasmine started to transition, but that's another can of worms you're not opening until Leesh does.

"You must miss her terribly," Tayeb says, offering her a waterskin.

She takes it, and waterfalls a small amount of spring water into her mouth before passing it to Siobhan. "I think you understand my fears more perfectly than most, Tayeb," she says, quite seriously.

"You did the world a favor, ridding them of those slaving griefers, not just Shadi and Tayeb," Sio mutters, eyes on the road. "Dollars to donuts those idiots would do the same shit IRL, if they could get away with it."

"Assuming they haven't just been rezzed on some godforsaken rock that offers a two for one special on grog if you're wearing a pirate hat," Ace says, hand to her eyes, shading them from that too-bright sun as she scans the horizon.

"It wouldn't be at a Delvarite or Thornite temple, I'll tell you that for free," Siobhan says, arms folded. "How did your wiki put it? 'If Weight in Gold tells you that a Namer has a fair market value, that's the Gods' way of giving you a subquest?'"

"That turn of phrase was Meghaniel's contribution, not mine," Hikaru says, beaming. "I thought it was eloquent."

"It's a good mission statement," Sio says. "Now that they're griefing the locals as well as the players-"

I don't hear what else she says,

because I think I hear something else,

and my perception of time

stretches out.

My ears swivel towards a copse of trees, up ahead - deciduous things shedding leaves. My eyes follow soon after.

It sounds like a string tightening, an artificial sound in this land of rushing wind and water, of birdsong and distant wolf howls.

The stringing of a bow.

The glint of a metal arrowhead,

up in the branches.

"Get ready," I send, subvocally - and 5 other heads perk up. "Archer, in the trees. Maybe more."

"Imagine," Sekh hisses back the same way.

I hear the whistle and reach my hand out.

This wouldn't work in real life, even if I was strong as hell, swift as wind. But I'm not strong or dextrous here. Instead, I have Strength and Dexterity bonuses, more significant than any difference in ability and training on Earth.

I parry the arrow with a high block, and catch it with the other hand, twirling it between my fingers.

A man steps out of the trees - blond, scarred, in what used to be the Queen's colors but what are now faded scraps over a tarnished breastplate - loading a pistol to level it at me - but then, for a second, he stops, incredulous.

I wave, as his companions back him up - one in robes, one in heavier armor, most in leathers.

Alesha stands, her shield raised; Hikaru and Siobhan crouch, in the wagon, peeking over the sides. A mobile turret. Ace raises her new battleaxe, and while I can't see her, I know that Sekhmet has casually drawn both shortswords.

For a moment, it looks like the man has realized this is a bad idea. Then I see him flick his eyes, and count 6, and do the math wrong.

He levels his pistol.

"STAND AND DELIVER!" he shouts.

Alesha responds, "No."

Ace and I blur.

Taliab

Well, I owe you all an apology for dropping off the face of the earth.  In my defense, almost everything at my house was exploding, from my fridge to my microwave to my laptop to my spine.

Now, however, I've fixed everything up and replaced things that I couldn't, I'm coming off the high of finishing a game jam, and I have a job.  So this will resume publication.  I'm trying for once a week, at least.