Move 227: Standing by the Troll Fires
Tunnels--Midmorning-ish, Day 10Those among the group who were still mobile worked on deciding what to do. Behind Aloysius' webs, all was quiet in the tunnels. Nothing made any noise behind them either. The tunnels were also quiet in the direction they had come from earlier. The various fires started from the troll bodies began to burn down, darkening the tunnel somewhat. The light stone that Blacky had dropped near his feet while fighting with his great axe provided the only light.
Azrun looked to Arachne, "Arachne can you create one of your doors to get us back to were we originally camped. Then we can drag the injured through to safety."
"We need to fall back," Jana said. She wiped off her blade and sheathed it, grimacing as she did. "Uhm," she said, inspecting the armor over her ribs, "if we can carry Blacky and Daelen, I'd rather use Arachne's energy for healing. Or does it work that way?" she asked the gnome. "I really have no idea." She pressed her hand against her side. "Oh, yeah, can someone look at this wound?" Jana asked, a tad shakily. She looked slightly paler than just a moment ago. "I think it's still bleeding kinda bad." She moved her hand away. It was bloody.
While the others tended to the wounded, Aloysius looked carefully through the troll remains to make sure that none of the troll parts were trying to move or knit back together.
"I agree with Janathell," he said as he looked. "We need to retreat and regain our strength. Not only are there likely to be more topknots, but there are Slaverers as well."
Stepping away from the troll remains, he added, "Unaccomplished am I at carrying things, but I shall endeavor to do my best."
His mood seemed oddly upbeat.
Echo asked, "How far back do we need to go? Do we need to go so far as where we camped before."
"Probably not," Jana said. She pressed her hand back against her ribs and pressed, making a slight high-pitched noise as she did. "Just back to some place defensible. Damn."
"Let's figure out a way to move Daelen and Eric, and then make it as far as we can away from this area," suggested Aloysius. "Hopefully, the remaining trolls know not with certainty what force just struck here and they may be hesitant to follow based on the losses they have just incurred."
He gave Jana a concerned glance. "I can carry some of thine equipment, Janathell, as I suspect you will have to assist with Eric's transport. Unless Arachne is able to move him with one of her tunnels."
"Best not try to use my door," Arachne said, still looking a little dazed as she staggered to her feet from Daelen's side. "I -- um – he was pretty bad and ... had to ... liver, um." She pressed her face with her bloodstained hands. "He's stable now," she said, a little more coherently. "So'm I. I can do a little more, but healing's hard. So'd be a door for long enough for us to push everyone through. Best not to risk trying and only get halfway before it stops. Um -- Renn, when you got them to come charging, what exactly did you do?"
Aloysius knelt down next to Blacky and Daelen. "Without Arachne's portals, and with Janathell in the, uh, condition, she is in, we may have a difficult time moving these men without causing them further harm."
He glanced around at the area of the tunnel where they currently stood. "Other than it obvious proximity to the troll's lair, this place wouldn't be a bad choice as a temporary camp. If Renn and Olaf could ply what healing magics they have on Daelen and Eric, we could all walk back a bit further once they are able to move on their own."
Aloysius turned to Olaf. "Any idea about how long that might take?"
Echo said, "If someone can heal Jana, maybe we can move them. There are seven of us. Whoever can't carry people can carry weapons and armor or something. We can't stay here until they wake up. How long will the webs last?" she asked.
"I miscalculated afore," said Aloysius. "The webs should remain for about an hour and a half, unless the trolls take actions to tear them down."
He looked over at Jana. "Should she be engaging in heavy lifting?"
"I'll be fine once the bleeding's stopped," Jana said, leaning against the wall, blood-covered hand pressed against her side.
Aloysius became slightly alarmed. "Well then," he said to Olaf and Renn, "let's stop the bleeding!"
Azrun looked around at everything that was laying around, "We need to remember to get Daelen's sword and Blacky's ax. I can help carry someone. I'm not as strong as Jana, but considering she's hurt as is Olaf, we'll need to double up on carrying people. Maybe I can help Jana with Blacky and Renn and Olaf can carry Daelen. Echo can scout ahead as we fall back and Aloysius and Arachne can carry any miscellaneous items. Does that work?"
Arachne decided to see if what healing she had left would make a difference for Jana.
Aloysius picked up Blacky's axe and Daelen's sword. "I can carry these," he said, "and perhaps a bit more if necessary. As soon as we get Jana's wound under control, we should depart."
He stood ready to move back down the passage as soon as everyone else was ready.
Arachne walked over to Jana and placed a hand on her. She concentrated for a minute and the wound that Jana had that didn't seem to be clotting finally stopped bleeding.
Olaf used a prayer each to heal Echo, Jana, and Renn. "I should have prepared more healing prayers." he grumbled, "Foolish of me. I have two potions, we can use them to further heal if pursuit seems near. But I'd prefer to use more spells later. With rest, I will call for Tyr's Justice to heal everyone as much as possible. I can have much more healing available then."
After Olaf's healing, each of the recipients looked somewhat better.
With Jana and Azrun carrrying one of the unconscious men and Olaf and Renn carrying the other and their equipment divided among everyone else, the group was able to make their way slowly away from the troll caves.
After about a mile, Jana said, "We're about a third of the way back to where we'd camped. I think we oughta stop and rest for awhile."
Aloysius set the sword and axe on the ground, and then knelt down to take a waterskin from his pack. He took a long drink, then sighed.
"How many did we burn?" he asked. "I think there were eight, but I lost track in the chaos. Surely there can't be too many more topnots. Howe'er, we saw nothing of a shaman or a leader of any sort. When we go back, we must keep in mind that they will be prepared for us."
After replacing his waterskin, he sat back against the cavern wall and closed his eyes.
After carrying Blacky and Daelen and all their belongings for what felt like about an hour, when Jana called for a halt, everyone was more than ready to stop. The tunnel here was much like all of this area had been, wide enough to set up something of a camp in, but not sheltered enough to make them feel they could be very noisy or use lights with any degree of safety.
Olaf said, "If I might rest and pray, I will stock up on healing prayers."
Arachne didn't ask permission. Jana's signal was good enough for her. She shucked her backpack and sat in a lump against the tunnel wall, falling into something that may have been a meditative trance or might just have been sleep.
Aloysius opened his eyes after a moment or two. "I shall take the first watch," he said, "as I am uninjured and unable to perform any healing."
Pulling a light stone from his robe, he worked with his bandana so as to limit the light to something less than full daylight. "I'll wake someone in a couple of hours," he said finally.
Renn looked about wearily after the camp was established. "I have only one healing prayer remaining, but I can petition Corellon for two more," Renn said as he finished wiping his hands and face clean.
Renn first stopped at Echo's side. After he cast a curative upon her, he then moved to Jana and Olaf, adding a healing prayer to each of them to ease their wounds somewhat. "Finally, I can set the Wyvern warding in the tunnel down towards the trolls somewhat. Whatever help it provides is better than no help at all eh," he said with a tired smile as he walked away from the camp about fifteen feet. With another chant, Renn conjured the smoky Wyvern in the middle of the tunnel.
"That is about all I can do without rest," Renn nodded as he returned to the camp. "I'll do what mundane healing I can before I seek my reverie," Renn added. He bandaged and checked Blacky and Daelen to see that they were both in good position to rest, then prepared poultices where they were needed, and strictly bandages for those who did not.
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