|
|
|
|
Elsbeth stands by the mules scanning the area for a suitable place for a victory ceremony, but the only pit, or water, is the well that Callum and Smilo have discovered. Rolf gathers a couple of armfuls of brushwood, enough to make a small fire but hardly enough for a decent cremation, and then starts helping Peter and Madelyn dig the pit. Rolf uses a spiked club as a pickaxe and the digging speeds up considerably. Before long they get a pit that is about 6 inches deep. At the current rate it is going to take about 30 minutes of digging per foot of hole. Kerim is keeping watch and Mandrake climbs down to speak to the doghead. At the sound of the orcish the doghead cocks his head to one side and listens before replying, "Rowlth grrrap yarrl oof" and shrugging its shoulders. |
|
|
Peter continues using his trowel to lever out the lumps of earth and clay freed by the Pick-axe/clubs. He is clearly not used to manual work, and he starts to show a beading of sweat and begins to breathe heavily. After a couple of minutes he sits back on his heels and watches the others work. |
|
|
Unaccustomed to such work and such tools, Rolf finds himself a bit winded, but his years of activity stand him in good stead and relentlessly, he attacks the stubborn ground with the spiked club. |
|
|
"Hmm! No fun!" says Callum and drops the rock off to one side. He looks around and sees that all the others are occupied. "I will be after hunting some food!" he says, shouldering his hunting spear and wanders off to check out the possibilities for local game. |
|
|
Well |
|
|
Smilo closes the hatch on the well and rolls the rock back on to it. "I dunno," he said, "seems like it'd be awful easy to sneak up on this place, no windows and all." "Hay Kerim, ow bout tappin one o those barrels ere. We kin fill er back up with water and none will be the wiser." |
|
|
Madelyn wipes her dagger clean on the grass and resheathes it in favour of one of the clubs. *I will need a break shortly*, she thinks to herself, but continues on, loosening the dirt with the club and then pushing it aside with her hands |
|
|
Amazed that nothing has yet tried to attack them, he looks around to see what his companions are doing (and take the opportunity to eyeball the horizon). Seeing that Elsbeth also appears to be scanning for any attack, he starts to relax. Watching Rolf & Madelyn dig the pit he is impressed with both their persistence and stamina. The spiked clubs are a surprise to him; he would never have considered them useful as pickaxes. He listens to Mandrake and the Doghead talking, but rapidly gets bored listening to the nonsense that is spoken. He watches as Callum goes off hunting, he offers up a short prayer to the gods for Callum to return with the means to create a good meal (maybe a small deer or two). "Sorry Smilo, my friend, the barrels were sold to the innkeeper, There's water - there's plenty of that in that well there". Guessing the reaction to this, he says "But I think you want something stronger, correct?". Seeing Peter sit back on his heels, it strikes him that no one has a good look inside the building. As nothing as yet attacked them, Praise the Fates, he asks Peter to mind the mules and goes to the doorway to look in. But first he checks that his sword, punch dagger and sling are ready for use. [Assuming that Peter agrees to look after the mules] He approaches the roundhouse door from one side, checks there is no immediate danger and looks in. |
|
|
At Kerim's call Peter looks up, and in response to the request to look after the mules calls, "It would be my pleasure to assist you." As he gets to his feet and starts to walk across to the mules he calls to Rolf and Madelyn, "Sorry folks, Kerim needs my help, do either of you want to use this trowel? Its bit small but it might be of some use." It is fairly easy to spot the relief on his face at having an excuse to avoid more digging. |
|
|
|
|
|
Kerim approaches the round house door and looks in. Everything seems fairly normal, the floor was made of compacted earth with some rocks embedded in it, although much of it is now covered in minor plant growth and the walls still have plaster on them - although there are large areas where it has fallen off. There are three sections of wall jutting into the area on the far side, and there is a large pile of ?rubbish? on the left just inside the house. A cursory glance will show that there are a few rocks, some of the roof beams and other timber supports and well as plant growth, dis-guarded household items and soil in the rubbish pile. OOC: see the map on the web site |
|
|
Having inspected the interior, he yells out "Seems OK, I'm just going to have a look inside". Looking for animal tracks, or signs of other habitants, he cautiously enters the building, alert for any possible attack. He looks into the three walled areas and has a closer look at the rubble. |
|