The Long Way 'Round (2nd Attempt)

[Verdauga]

He melted into the darkness rather quickly for Maeus, who got out "Li--" before realizing the wolf wasn't there. Maeus glanced around; everything was dark, except the fire. He strode toward it, thinking, "'Last watch', he said. I could trade fer Tergen's..... but it'll be too late by then."
Maeus reached the fire pit, where the others were discussing their shifts. "I got last watch," he announced. "Liten doled that out."

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Predictably, nothing of note happened during Liten's watch, though this did not serve to set him at ease either. He resolved to let the issue go for now, lest he needlessly drag anybeast else into his personal squabbles. The wolf nudged Tergen awake wordlessly, scanning once more before the other took his post. The fire was soon stirred up again, and he finally took the time to eat, having realized that some of the party might be unsettled by his choice of poultry. With nothing else to take care of, check, or clean, the night was all but over.

OOC: We can move to next morning.

[Cornflower MM]

Lieseil had taken one of the earlier watches and woke up earlier than the other travelers. She rolled over onto her back and quietly sighed to herself. The day before had been a very interesting adventure, and she wasn't very optimistic about their journey. After a moment's deliberation she decided to sit up and get moving. She nodded to Maeus, not speaking so as not to disturb those who were still sleeping.

[Verdauga]

Maeus waved at the otter while walking around the camp. There was still enough firewood from the night before to warm up the camp before getting back on the trail, but he doubted Liten would wait long enough to get the fire going. Things were not as bad as he thought they were the night before, and he chided himself for getting anxious. Maeus finished his circuit and leaned against a tree, waiting for the other beasts to wake up.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Tergen twitched his nose and turned over, burying it in the soft, cold snow which had accumulated since he'd gone back to sleep after his shift on watch. The dry, powdered wetness jolted him out of sleep instantly and he sighed and sat up, looking around at the peaceful morning outside his sparse shelter, belying the evidence of the furious storm that had raged during the night.
Tergen mentally shook himself and crawled out of his hut, shaking himself physically when he got out into the open and stretching luxuriously.
Looking around, Tergen nodded a silent greeting to Maeus and... what was the otter's name? Liesil or maybe... Lieseil, that was it.
"Good mornin tae ye. Slept well, Ah hoope."

[Verdauga]

Maeus nodded at Tergen after a moment and decided, with two other beasts awake, to start building the morning fire. As he trudged off into the snow, he heard Tergen ask Lieseil a question. He chuckled, remembering everyone's curtness the night before. "Think you're going to get an answer?" He thought with a smile, "You'd have better luck talkin' to your pillow.

[Cornflower MM]

Lieseil had been preoccupied with stretching out her morning stiffness when Tergen spoke up. She couldn't help a quick nose wrinkle, Great, a chatty morning beast. Just what we needed to make everything pleasant. The thought flitted across her mind before she could stop it and she chastised herself. There was no need to be overtly rude, and so, with a determined air of civility, she replied, "Good morning. I can't say I can complain much, all the circumstances considered. How about yourself? Rest well?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

The corners of Tergen's lips tilted upwards and he nodded.
"Aye, Ah rested well. Mah stoomach tells me it's breakfast tahm. Ah woonder whoot's the menu this beautiful mornin'."
He gazed up at the snow-laden peaks of the trees, the winter sun glinting off them so they sparkled. Aye, it was indeed a beautiful morning. In such scenery as this, sleep was overrated.

[Dannflower Reguba]

       Liten was helping stir the fire back up for the morning, no need to rush the others, not yet at least. A decent flame was not difficult to rekindle now, and with the warmth returning, the wolf addressed the small crowd, "Ah don't suppose tha' anybeast'd 'ave much experience wi'the south? Ah've seen a map er two, but I must confess tha' I've ne'er seen it fer meh'self. Best ah know we'll find more mountains or muck, and to level with all ye, I'd rather take'a hike than catch my feet in the sog."

[shisteer of nothing much]

Tergen left off admiring the countryside and turned to listen as Liten addressed them, shaking his head apologetically.
"Ah grew oop on the sooth sahd of the moontains boot Ah haven't been far enoogh tae say Ah have experience wit' the sooth. Mah fam'ly moostly kept to themselves."

[Cornflower MM]

"I come from the south. Some areas I'm not as familiar with as others but I know my way around a bit." Lieseil replied, looking up from the fire. Her family had always been travelers, and she'd grown up in the more southern areas. This was her first time up north, and she was more than happy to be having the chance to go back so soon.

[The Skarzs]

  Plenith woke up to the sound of people talking. He groaned and turned over. It was barely bright out, but he knew it was getting later in the day. With a sigh, he sat up and she'd his blanket, shivering from the cold. The Marten stood up and stamped around, trying to adjust to the temperature. His fire was out; he would need to start it again to use someone else's. With a glance at the others, he decided to silently rekindle his own.

[Verdauga]

Dropping the firewood off to the side of the main fire, Maeus pondered Liten's question. "I've done some traveling down in the south, but I've never been good with a map, meself." "I'd be happy to be back down there though," he thought, glancing back at Plenith, working on his fire, and Thrun, still fast asleep.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Tergen finished his frugal breakfast and stood up, stretching and then heading back to his stick shelter to get ready for the day. He didn't bother with nightclothes while traveling but he didn't sleep with his belt on. The squirrel disappeared into the shelter, emerging a moment later and springing up onto a low branch of the nearest tree.
"Ah'm ready tae get gooin', whenever ye want tae do thaht."

OOC: I got poked by Lass, who apparently was told to do so by Corn. I suppose I should pass the favour on? *pokes @Verdauga *

[Dannflower Reguba]

OOC: Sorry everyone, I've been putting this one off, we'll move on without @Jarky Thistlebrush for now. BIC:

       Liten waited to see if anybeast had much else to say, but talk was light all around... Funny, one would think the hare-. The wolf's ears locked and his gaze scanned the immediate area, turning up no sign of their more vocal comrade. Nobeast seemed to have noticed his disappearance either, or perhaps it was simply an unspoken agreement not to bring the subject up, an agreement to which he found no reason to question. Standing, he pushed to get a move on, addressing the otter, "Assumin' nay ferther concerns, could ye confirm the existence of said mountain an' muck? Ah've also heard tell o' inhabitants in those regions, an' the descriptions did'ne endear them to me. Any al'ternative routes miss aaaah."