Takes Two to Tango[wolfie]

[wolfie]

Alerri listened to what he was saying. She sighed knowing he was right it would be impossible to hide with her hair. It stood out and there was nothing she could do about that. She was glad she had something now that she might be able to help with. It wasn't much but enough for now.

"Well I was heading east. It's the best thing I could think of unless you think this guy is somewhere else," she said not sure what had drawn her that way. She was thinking about his plan and their hair. It was dead giveaway no matter if they hid or not.

"Wouldn't they expect us to hide? Shouldn't we do what is not expected?"

[Looshi]

"I don't know." He admitted, a frown was deeply cradled on his face. He didn't know. He truly didn't know what to do. He had survived the tomb of Sala'ful all those long years, and yet he was going to die to this. No. He was not going to die. And neither was Alerri.

"We keep low as we can. They have archers." He said, "They could be anywhere, and they know this forest better than we do." That was a big problem. Jonas tentatively moved his shoulder, wincing at the stiffness of the joint. "I'm healing, but I won't be much in a fight as I am."

"Where ever their camp is, it must be near water." He said, give a point to a trickle of water rolling down the ditch he recently fell into. "It would save them from travelling to a source. If we find a river, then we might be able to follow it to them."

[wolfie]

Alerri didn't like this not knowing business. Sure she hadn't been a human long, but surely this man had been one long enough to know something. She listened when he spoke to her. He was forming something, and it seemed to be a good idea.

"What do we do when we find them?" She asked not sure which 'them' he was referring to. It was all just too much for the naive girl. She wanted the money, but this was getting hard. All she really wanted was food. If she could find a way to be fed she wouldn't care about money.

"Well if we do get in another fight I'll try," she said not sure how that would work. She hoped nobody else would challenge them. She waited for him to lead the way hoping he would show her how to keep down.

[Looshi]

What did they do when they found them? Jonas highly doubted the both of them could simply walk into their camp and say 'oh hey we're here for the bounty, don't mind us'. It wasn't going to work like that. Only in whimsical children's tales did it work like that. And unfortunately, they weren't in any.

"We'll...Have to come up with a plan." He said. "For now, let's keep moving. We're like sitting ducks here. And you'll be fine, Alerri."  He hoped. Jonas didn't want to hurt anyone anymore than he had, if only his magic were stable and he could call on it when he wanted it, then maybe they stood a better chance.

Jonas took the lead, and waved Alerri to follow him to the brush. It was thick with leaves and berries, and he was quick to tell her not to eat any. He had no idea if they were poisonous or not, and that was the last thing they needed. While their hair stuck out like sore thumbs they were able to not draw attention as they searched for a river. And soon enough, they found one. Or it found them. Jonas stepped right into it, with the water rushing over his ankles and driving the warmth from them. He had heard it first, but his eyes were not quick enough, and when he stepped out of the brush. There it was.

"Look at what we found." He said. Part one of the plan. Now what about part two? He wasn't sure how far away they were from the camp, or even if this was the right river. Jonas rubbed at the stubble on his face, trying to think.

"Y'know," he ventured. "If only we could find that dragon again..."

[wolfie]

Alerri followed Jonas through the bush. One time she hadn't realized he was that close or that the point was up and slightly poked him in the butt with it. She put it down to the ground when she realized what she had done blushing a little.

"I know not to eat those I'd prefer to be awake and alive," she said shaking her head. She wasn't that dumb. She felt she had seen them before, but she couldn't remember where. Soon enough they were at a river one he had walked into. She wondered why he did that but didn't ask. Her questions brought nothing but anger out of him.

She listened to what he said and frowned. He still wasn't believing her story. She hated this thinking more and more how this had been a mistake.

"Instead of finding that scary dragon why don't we make one of our own? If we wait until night and then use a flame of some sort along with sounds we could make them believe there is a dragon about. They don't look that bright," she suggested. It was all she was willing to give. Sure she could change, but that would give up her secret. She wanted to preserve that secret along with this guy actually believing her story.

[Looshi]

"That's s-" He was about to say, 'that's silly, who would ever believe that was a dragon?' but he stopped himself, his eyes widening in realization. He grabbed onto Alerri's arms with excitement drawing on his face, having the use of his own arm return to him. "That's brilliant!"

Jonas sloshed out of the water and onto the bank, grinning ear to ear. If she wasn't going to play the part of dragon, then they had to do what dragons did. Set things on fire. It was so simple!

"We could smoke them out. Set fire to their camp. " He said, yet as the words left his mouth, a problem arose with that plan. How were they going to do it? As night fell, and it was a long ways off yet, they would see the light of their fire before they could act. Jonas rubbed at his face. "How do we do that without them spotting us?"

[wolfie]

Alerri wasn't sure what he was about to say. She didn't look amused though. He seemed excited about the dragon, but he went on to confuse her. She sighed wondering if she would ever understand humans.

"Don't we want them to see the dragon? Or do you have something else in mind? What is this smoking out?" She asked quickly before she could be stopped even by herself. She thought they were good questions.

"Why would we set their camp on fire? I don't want to burn down the forest," she said having thought the dragon would be enough. She wasn't sure what he was going on about. One thing she did know though was if they were to build a dragon of any sort they would have to get working soon.

[Looshi]

"Oh right." Jonas was undoubtedly crestfallen at Alerri's logical, and reasonable explanation of why he couldn't go around setting fires. Really, he should have known. Being inside a forest while it was alight was not the brightest of ideas. He must have hit his head sometime when he was sleeping in the tomb. Or he was simply getting to excited.

   He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he glanced around their surroundings. There was not much for them to work with, and they didn't have proper tools, or proper much of anything. Jonas' face was red from embarrassment, and he kept his eyes shyly from Alerri.

   "How are we going to make a dragon?" He asked. "With just twigs and leaves?"

[wolfie]

Alerri could tell something was amiss with him. He seemed kind of sheepish just then. She wondered where this came from and why he was displaying such behavior. Desiring to ask she knew better than to open her mouth with a question just then. Besides he beat her to it with one of his own.

"Mud too. A large mound of mud along with some twigs and leaves. It'll be dark so they won't know exactly what they are looking at. We will need a contained fire if possible so that the smoke will be real enough for them," she said hoping this kind of deception would work.

[Looshi]

"Then lets get started." He said with a small smile, finally meeting her eyes. This was going to be a long shot, and he knew it, even if they managed to create something that even remotely looked like a dragon. Why was she so hesitant to be one herself? Did she hate that part of her? With that thought, he could empathize, and a twang of pain rushed down his arm from where he had been wounded. He wondered if he imagined it.

   The work on their dragon was slow going, and they spent more time gathering materials than building it. It was more trial and error than he could handle, but they had to press on, and it didn't look like Alerri was readying to give up. He wasn't about to, even as he hurt his fingers peeling off bark on twigs to use for twine. Mud was used sparingly after they found it didn't work so well once it dried. The sun drove higher into the sky as they charged on, Jonas could feel the sweat on his neck bead and run down his back. The dragon would be more of a silhouette, pressed against the light, and he hoped it would be enough.

   Once they were finished, dusk was beginning to settle around them. Jonas stood back, muddy and tired.

   "Think we're done? We don't have much light left." He said to Alerri.

[wolfie]

Alerri was amazed what they could accomplish in a few hours. The mud had proved to be a bit difficult, but oh well. No idea isn't without its flaws. His smile was small as if saying something. She just didn't pick up on what it was.

She wouldn't give up on this idea. There was only one alternative left if this failed. She wasn't ready to change or try to make a good excuse on her disappearance if she did change. He hadn't bought the last one either. She could tell that no matter how she tried to explain it away he would know. She didn't know how he knew she just knew he did.

"Almost there is only one thing left to do. We need the fire to make it more convincing," she said standing back looking at their dragon. It was a sad looking one. She sighed wondering if this had any chance at all.

[Looshi]

It might be sad, but it was their dragon. And it was a cutey-pie. Abloo bloo. Jonas put his hands on his hips and waited for Alerri to finish her part. Then she stepped back with him to admire.

   "And hope it doesn't catch on fire." He said. "I think we should name her Twiggy. And there's still the problem of moving her. We're still a ways from their camp."  Further along the river he could see the orange glow of campfires. No doubt it was the bandits. If they were wrong it would be some poor souls that would be attacked by a dragon made out of sticks, leaves, and mud. He'd be rooting for Twiggy, either way.

[wolfie]

Alerri listened to what he was saying. She wanted to yell about why they didn't make it closer to the camp site. She sighed instead at a loss for words. How in the world would they get Twiggy over there without destroying her?

"Mud catches on fire?" She said never having heard that before. She knew it wasn't made completely from mud. She wasn't sure about all of this now. This wasn't looking good.

"Do you really think this will work? Is there another way I'm not seeing?" She said waiting for it to come out. She wasn't just going to make it easy on him. If he wanted her to transform he would have to say it.

[Looshi]

"No...Not the mud." He said with a small laugh on his voice. If she truly thought mud could catch on fire, that would be adorable. With how naive she was. Not because of anything else. Honest. At her next question, he rubbed at the stubble on his chin.

"This was your idea." He said painly. "It's as good as any. Better than us charging into their camp. If we can use her as a distraction it may be enough for us to take someone hostage, better if it was their leader. Hey, do you think they have obvious telltale signs? Like, the leader wears some funny hat?"

[wolfie]

Alerri was relieved to hear that mud didn't catch on fire. She knew some of this would survive and that pleased her. She had never made a dragon before sure she was capable but not like this. She sighed wondering if that would ever happen. She'd probably have to go back home if that were the case.

"Yes, I know it was. But what I'm asking is there a better plan that I'm not seeing? I ask because I'm sure you've more experience in these things than I," she said hoping he would just say how rotten it was and move onto the next one. She heard his questions.

"Sorry I have no idea how to tell the leader from the others. I just figured he'd be the one bossing everyone around."

[Looshi]

Jonas frowned slightly. "I guess going after the guy bossing people around will do just fine. At least it's something."

They were doomed. It would take a miracle from the gods for them to push through this, and Jonas was saying his prayers silently at the back of his mind. Not that they could hear, dead as they were. Some part of him wanted to believe his words didn't fall on deaf ears.

"Here, you take this end, and I'll take that end. We'll be moving slow." He said, and squinted up to the sky. "We don't have much light left either."

With that,  they began to move their dragon, Twiggy. It was difficult, they lost an arm along the way, but sooner that he wanted they came in sight of the bandit camp, and in the brush, they began to set up. As quietly as they could. And abrupt movement could be the end of them.

[wolfie]

Aleeri helped him push the dragon over to the right place. She didn't like that Twiggy lost an arm. She sighed wondering what else might go wrong with this. She shook her head carefully before gathering some wood. They would need it.

"Here's some wood," she whispered hoping that it helped. She had no idea what they were getting into. Trouble she suspected that seemed to follow her pretty well recently. She wondered if he would light the fire right away or wait until after dark. She was just following his lead now.

[Looshi]

"Great." He said to Alerri as she brought the wood. "That was quick."

And haste was what they needed. The sun would completely set soon enough. Jonas' heart was pounding, and his mouth was dry with anticipation. He sat down on the cool grass, his weary bones welcoming the rest, however short.

"We'll have to keep our voices quiet." he said, his voice nothing but a whisper. "They could hear us from here if they strained their ears." and he was worried about that; getting jumped before they could jump them. Jonas peered through the brush beside them, his hands pushing away the thorny bush. He could see dark figures moving around their campsite, he swallowed hard against a lump in his throat. So far, so good.

It would take him some time to start the fire, if he wanted to be quiet. As much as his body didn't want to move, he had to, and he knelt by the wood and arranged it. Jonas drew out a flint from the small satchel he kept strapped to his side. It wasn't much, but it was better than trying to rub two sticks together and pray for a spark.

"You have to be ready Alerri to start moving Twiggy. Once this fire starts, the smoke and the light is going to give away our position if they're paying attention."  After long moments, what seemed to be eternity, a spark lit up the wood, and Jonas began to nurse the small flame.

[wolfie]

"Understood," she said still whispering. She knew they would have to be quiet. One didn't surprise somebody by yelling. She heard what he said and frowned. She was getting tired and Twiggy was heavy.

"Wouldn't she be a better distraction if she's right here though? We'd be able to move around the camp and take them from another place while they try to figure out what this is," she said regretting this plan now. It was more work than she thought it would be.

She saw he was nursing the flame and sighed knowing she would have to move the huge mud thing again. She wasn't sure she would be able to though.

[Looshi]

Jonas squinted at her when she asked the question. Truly? "Dragons move," He said. "It won't be very scary if it simply stood still. You don't have to pick it up, just...Y'know give it a little rattle."

Everything was counting on this, he found himself thinking once more, his doubts growing more wild by the second. The fire grew on the wood, and he felt the hot smoke raise up and touch his face. It was almost here. The moment of truth. He wasn't sure if he had the guts to face it. Too late now.

The hand-made dragon's silhouette cast itself over the ground and it's breadth drew onwards with the fire. Anxiety was running cold through Jonas; through all his limbs and making his mouth dry and sticky.

"Now!" He whispered to Alerri, and he himself began to rattle the brush, thorns and all.