MSNPC Leda: Words on the Wind
Sarah Terry
((Approaching the Orion Perimeter, Drakos Prime))
The evergreens shuddered in the wind as Leda tried to find an angle through the branches that would allow her to see into the Orion camp. Unfortunately, given their position on the cliffside, it was impossible to make out the entirety of what was happening down below.
Leda: Are they… do they look like they're packing up camp?
Sylvax: Either they're leaving... ::A small pause.:: Or they've suddenly decided they don't want anyone finding whatever they've been doing here.
A shiver crossed the back of her neck. What would have made them suddenly change their minds? She had been down on the surface now for… what, two, three hours? And between the Grevad attack and the cautious hike, she hadn’t had time to check in with the orbital settlement. Immediately, her thoughts went to Kiro, the negotiation, the rest of the strange traders left behind on the asteroid… could something have happened between them to spook the Orions?
But she couldn’t risk making a call now. They were too close to the Orion camp. She could only wait and see, and it galled her.
Willow: It could be a combination of those ideas. Perhaps they are leaving because they do not want to be found. Or, it could be an altogether relocation. Either way, we won't know from this distance.
Ivalyan ::quietly:: If it's a relocation, they'd b-b-be moving the important things first and leaving the rest for last. ::watching the activity below:: Worth n-noting what they grab and what they don't.
Leda climbed back over the top of the cliff from her scouting position as the others prepared to descend. The Trill went first, slowly and methodically, testing each handhold on the way down.
Sylvax: Is everyone alright up there?
She caught Ivalyan giving some kind of hand signal as the Risian approached the cliff side next.
Willow: No one's moved. I'm coming down after you. I suggest moving over.
Ivalyan ::calling down, breath catching slightly:: F-fine. Just admiring the view. ::she does not sound like she's admiring the view::
The poor thing… She seemed to be having a rough go of it today.
Haukea, however, did not seem to share her colleague’s fear of heights. Instead of climbing down the rather steep cliff, she found the gentlest part of the slope and simply slid down, nearly bowling over Sylvax at the bottom.
Willow: ::brushing dust from her clothing:: If we took out the harrowing circumstances, I may have considered that fun.
Willow: ::shouting up to Ivalyan and Leda:: Make your way down. Then we can travel around and see what they are doing at the camp.
Ivalyan ::already testing the first handhold:: Copy that. ::glancing at Leda:: After you — you're better at this than I am.
Leda: Follow my path down as best you can, all right? It’s steep, but there are plenty of handholds - you’ll have no problem.
She didn’t want to sound patronizing, but hopefully she could at least assuage the young woman’s fear a little. Leda nodded to her and then started down the cliff side. For a Temurian, it was hardly more challenging than walking - they were built for skittering up and down steep surfaces - but she tried to move carefully and attentively, so Ivalyan could follow her.
Once all four of them were at ground level, they could begin to move into the protective shelter of the forest.
Willow/Sylvax: Response
Leda: ::hushed:: Let’s see if we can find a more unobstructed view of the camp.
Willow/Sylvax: Response
The group continued on softly through the underbrush - mostly small, scraggly, low-lying shrubs and a dense covering of evergreen needles that helped cover the sound of their steps. Finally, they came to a small copse of shrubs that would hide them from sight, but allowed them a better sightline into the camp.
What Leda saw immediately made her heart beat faster. They were leaving - there was no doubt. Various pieces of machinery were being boxed in crates and loaded into a waiting shuttle, camp structures were being taken down, rolled up, and packed away. She counted eight Orions around the camp, including two standing a rather lazy watch, obviously bored of this assignment. As they continued to watch the camp movement, two Orions tried to wrestle a crate with vials of liquid inside - they could hear the glass clinking back and forth as they argued.
Orion 1: Can you watch your hand, idiot? You know what Onzion would do to us if we dropped these?
Orion 2: ::eyes rolling melodramatically:: I don’t know, run crying to Wora? Pout in his lab?
Orion 1: Sic Nysari on us, more likely.
Orion 2: Pfft. I could take her.
Orion 1: ::highest possible eyebrow:: Oh sweetie. I’d love to see you try. But I’d be the one washing your guts off the upholstery afterwards, so let’s just get all this crap packed and get going? Apparently Onzion needs this stuff to soup up some targs next.
They shoved the crate into the shuttle and the conversation faded to other topics as they continued around camp. Leda, meanwhile, felt every hair stand on end as her mind tried to process what she’d just heard.
Leda: He… what the hell could be in that...?
She turned to the rest of the group with wide eyes.
Willow/Sylvax/Ivalyan: Response