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[Private to Eoni Daflin:
Sarah releases her hold.  There's a bit of a hesitation and, for a moment, a look of mild surprise on her face, as if she was expecting more of an interrogation.  But that lasts not more than a second and is replaced with a sheepish grin as she holds her hands out, palms up, as of if to announce "Here I am!"


She's clearly no longer the dirty, emaciated child she was all those years ago.  She's matured into a young woman of approximately 17 or 18, grown a few inches and cleaned up considerably.  And she seems to display a bit more confidence.  At least, she appears more willing to look someone in the eye than Eoni may have remembered.]

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[Private to Sarah: Suddenly wary, Eoni looked around before asking, "You didn't bring your boyfriend with you?"]

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[Private to Eoni Daflin: Sarah looks confused, but just for a second; she quickly realizes (or at least believes) that Eoni is joking with her and smiles.

"No, there's no boyfriend.  Haven't seen many, and not really looking for that.  An' those I have seen, if they don't take 'go' for an answer . . . well, they're quickly persuaded to move along."]

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[Private to Sarah: "So you're here to join our march on Azur Kul?" Eoni finally asked.]

Elam chuckled. "If you are uncomfortable, I am used to being the odd man out and do not mind sleeping in a tent crowded with supplies."

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[Private to Eoni Daflin: Sarah's smile fades to be replaced with a look of seriousness befitting the gravity of the matter.  "I don't know what is involved, and I don't know the details.  But I heard what you said in town.  You're convinced that it needs to be done, and I trust you.  And I owe you, even if you say I don't. So if you think I can help, and if you'll have me, yes -- I want to join you."

The words are delivered with such conviction and certainty that if Eoni weren't watching Sarah utter them she might not have believed they came from the girl's mouth.]

"I was just thinking perhaps I'd be bunking with Larenbeth," Dame Daflin replied.  "Unless Vaxfar has said otherwise, I don't believe that I snore.  But if she'd prefer to bunk with the others, I won't argue."

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[Private to Sarah: "We can most certainly use you," Eoni replied.  "Without Taerix, we're short our scout.

"Do you think you could scout for us once we get closer?"

She stored away the fact Sarah had heard her speech at Drellin's Ferry and wondered if the young woman had anything to do with the additional supplies they'd received.]

Before turning in for the night, Laurenbeth makes it pretty clear she will be bunking with her boys, as she often refers to them. "I'll keep an eye on them and make sure they behave themselves," she says with the hint of a smile.

"C'mon boys. Rogar, Shmee, Grub. You too Murph. Leave Dame Eoni alone. She aint a dog person, as much as you want it to be. She aint."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:05, Thu 30 July 2020.

"Okay," the bear of man says while rising from the stump he had been sitting on.

He takes another swig of watered-down wine as he tromps back toward the tent, passes through the tent flap, and disappears inside.

Shmee, Grub, and Murphy follow shortly thereafter. Murphy circles nervously outside the tent flap before finally plopping down, unceremoniously. She exhales deeply and has a concerned look on her face.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Thu 30 July 2020.

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[Private to Eoni Daflin: Sarah smiled.  "Of course I can do that.  Although, I suspect that won't be all that's necessary.  And I have all my gear, and some supplies, so I'll be ready to break camp with you in the morning." ]

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[Private to Sarah: "You're staying here with me tonight, right?" Eoni asked hopefully.  Everyone else seemed to be avoiding her.

"You can tell me whether one of these expensive bedrolls is better than what you have," she added, waving at the extra bedrolls in with the supplies.]

"It does not matter to me where I sleep.  I am fine with the suggested watch rotation."  He said gruffly.  He wasn't thrilled about getting instructions from a dwarf but he had grown more of tolerance of them out of respect for Valthur.

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[Private to Eoni Daflin: Sarah's planning hadn't gone far enough to consider where she'd be sleeping.  "Sure," she says, accepting Eoni's invitation.  "As long as you let me join you on your watch.  As for the bedrolls, I don't know if those are better than my old bedroll, which I'm sure will do just fine, particularly if we're inside a tent."

She looks around, as if trying to convince herself that her surroundings aren't a mirage.

]

After watch rotations and sleeping arrangements are resolved to everyone's satisfaction, the party settles in for the evening.

Dawn breaks. The camp slowly comes to life as a new day begins.

At some point in the early morning hours, as the party is breaking their campsite, even the least observant will notice a new member in their midst.

A young woman who is decidedly not Eoni, emerges from Eoni's tent.

Murph wags her tail upon seeing the newcomer and makes high-pitched whining noises that make her excitement abundantly clear.

OOC: Enter Sarah...

The young lady who emerges from Eoni's tent appears to be approximately 17 or 18, a few inches above five feet, with blonde hair in a braid.  She's wearing ordinary clothes; i.e., no armor, but has leather "sleeves" on her arms and bracers on her wrists.  The sleeves -- and her belt -- hold various weapons.  Mostly daggers, although there is a sword at her side.  A dagger can be seen on her boots, apparently slid into a sheath made for that purpose.  On her back is a crossbow; it appears that she could reach and use it quite readily.  She causally carries a rather large pack.

The girl looks slightly nervous, encountering so many people she has never met.  She puts her pack on the ground, bends down and busies herself with scratching Murph's ears.  Feeling less obvious and exposed she peers about and spies another face she knows, which gives her the courage to speak.

"Hello, Vaxfar.  And hello everyone else.  My name is Sarah.  I'm . . . coming along on this journey."

Observing the dog's antics, Dame Daflin looks accusingly at Sarah.  "Did you feed that dog?"

Sarah smiles.  "It isn't the first guard I've had to bribe," she explains.  She then addresses Murph: "Who's a good dog?  You're a good dog, aren't you?  Yes you are; yes you are."

"And I think you may have dropped this," Eoni said, pulling out a Benevolent Medallion of the Lion.  It had been floating around the bottom of her pack for quite a few years next to hers.

"Dame Sarah," she added pointedly with a smile.  It still rankled her that Lord Jarnath had called her Sarah the Rogue.  She'd set it right.

The tall warrior stumbles out from the tent which is far too small for him and stretches.  When young lady comes out of the tent, he looks confused.  Was she with them all this time and he hadn't noticed, or was their watch so poor a child wondered into camp and no one noticed.  Great news that would be.  When she is introduced, he runs his fingers through his beard and quickly begins putting his things in order for travel, keeping his eyes averted from the one they called Sarah.

Sarah stops scratching the dog's ears and looks at the Medallion of the Lion.  She looks at it as if it were a ghost.  Slowly she stands up and, after a very brief moment, walks to Eoni.

"Thank you," she says, as she takes the medallion.  She looks at it for just a moment as if contemplating it, then puts it in her own pack.

In reply to Sarah (msg # 44):

“Hello Sarah.when did you join us and how have you been?  You look well.  Good to see that you have joined us as we will need all the help we can get.”  Vaxfar was pleasantly surprised to see Sarah.   She had clearly grown and matured since he last saw her.  It was comforting to see another familiar face.

In reply to Sarah (msg # 44):

Ovo came out of the tent and stood next to Dergan, battle-axe in his hands. He eyed the tall human for a heartbeat or three before scowling. Seeing that this woman was neither Eoni nor Laurenbeth, the dwarf deduced she was new. When the young lady introduced herself, Ovo knew the name. Their company now had another member of the original Trailblazers with them, Sarah. Though inwardly, the dwarf was quite happy to have Sara join them but outwardly... not so much! The thief had snuck into their camp and even made friends with the dog!

Asmodeus' arse if I ain't ah fool!

"Well met Sarah! Me name be Ovo Goldenshield n' I'm at yer service. Tis most wonderful to have ye join us. Yet, ye joined us unawares. So? How did ye do it? Magic mayhaps? We must be know'n lass! So that the Wrymlairds minions' canna do the same. Does ye see that wot I'm say'n be the truth o' the matter?" the dwarf's scowl retreated just a tad as he turned to the fire-haired mercenary. "N' ye? Tell me one gud reason I should nay let Elam eat that mut n' save us a day's ration fer hard times?"

"Thank you Vaxfar; I have been well, I suppose.  I came into your camp last night, while you were eating.  I had to . . . talk to Eoni first.  And as for how I did it,"

Sarah turns to Ovo. "No magic.  I just snuck in."

She says it simply, as if the explanation is obvious.

Dergan leans over to the dwarf when he comes to stand next to him, and speaks quietly to him, but looks worried.

[Private to Ovo Goldenshield: Ovo, how much to do know of Sarah, of her past?  I fear if I tell her my own, she never trust me.]

Laurenbeth emerges from her tent, her frizzy hair especially unruly. Upon seeing Sarah in the camp, conversing with Vaxfar, she shoots Murphy a look of mock reproach.

"This girl better be one of them Essbeedee's or else I'm of a mind to give you a what'for," she says as the walks up to the brown dog and playfully scruffs her neck.

"You letting Essbeedees into camp, huh?" she says.

After the 'scolding' is complete, Laurenbeth will introduce herself to Sarah, and the remainder of her crew as they emerge from tent.