sixthiterationlogs | [ MINGLE ] MINING EXPEDITION

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[ MINGLE ] MINING EXPEDITION

WHO: Tony Stark & Co.
WHERE: North West Mountain Range
WHEN: November 5th - 8th
OPEN TO: Open to all
WARNINGS: Language, canon typical violence

The Hike Up/Down

After sending a message out the day before to meet him in the fountain park at dawn (daylight is important) Tony packs up. Supplies secured and a path found mostly by working himself up (not that difficult) and following the blue path only he can see (still weird) Tony guides his modest expedition up a winding way over rivers and to a promising stony outcropping at the base of the mountains before needing a moment to 're-calibrate'. AkA get stressed out as to where to head next for optimal ore extraction. It takes a minute but- again, he's got a lot of anxieties to kick into gear and it should be easy enough to nudge their rag tag little group further up until they find the right spot. Making an easy walk down- well. That's also a trick. Finding a quick path back to the village before they lose the light- marking the way they've come so they can find it the next day? Kind of important.

Digging a Hole

Breaking ground is a matter of staring, trying to think back to what little he knows of geology (not fucking much), and waiting for the anxiety to get to the point where it'll hand him something specific. They need ore, they need a good starting location, and once they manage to pinpoint it? Pickaxes are handed out, a nearby cave explored, and Tony strips down to get to work. Crack stone, haul it out, rinse, repeat. Anything usable gets put in sacks made from stolen sheets to be hauled down- not the best system he's got but they're just getting started. Regular breaks are A thing, canteens of water passed around- he's pretty sure there's a stream somewhere that should help with the 'not dying of thirst' issue in the future.

Encounters With Natives

Somewhere on the hike up, during the dig, or taking a rest on one of the craggy boulders surrounding the cave where they're chipping away at stone, signs of native fauna linger. There's a patchy nest looking thing where one can hear the mewling of peakittens, blue eyed, tiny, and abandoned by the looks of it. Loping about the slopes a few curious mountain elk that bound in at the sign of food, keeping a cautious distance but wandering close should anyone appear friendly. Near the woods, though, just as they wind their way up- or make their way back down at the end of the day? Dust Moths have taken to the air, shimmering wings leaving powder in the air.

Environmental Effects

During the hike up in the predawn there's lying mist clinging to the sides of the mountain in thin curls, swirling in the air as they hike through it. Careful not to inhale too deeply, otherwise you might find yourself a little more honest than you'd like for most of the morning, and that could make the rest of the hike pretty damn awkward. In the caves proper there's stone and ore enough- and a dark, black powder that tastes of licorice and ash. Shadow dust. Maybe the next few swings don't do as much damage- or do any at all. Maybe they picking up stone becomes impossible till you're in the light.

In Too Deep

On the second, maybe the third day all their activity and digging catches some aggressive attention. A pickaxe sunk too deep, cracking through a cave wall and finding a den of snarling, hungry cave wolves that spill through the hole all snapping teeth and snarling claws, bursting out of the tunnels to scatter whoever's dared to come close to their home. A tree felled to mark their path startles a giant boar into charging, bellowing in the night, turning tusk and muscle to clear it's own way through their weary line.

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"I do have a house, and haven't done much fixing on it." She wasn't sure needed fixing; she felt she had everything in order that she needed (although she was grossly underestimating what a human could comfortably live with).

She helps him move all of the carcasses, then looks over them and seems to make a decision, swinging her spear around in order to bring it down on the neck of one and separate its head from the rest of the body.

She grabs it by the ear and shakes off some of the gore, then turns and starts to head back inside. "I'll let you know."

She lets him work, not wanting to get in the way of it and watching carefully in case this ever came up when she's on her own. At his word, she climbs up on the log, takes a couple testing steps, then continues along to the other side with a slow and steady pace.

Wet wood isn't exactly something she's had a lot of experience with, and even though the log wasn't rocking much at all anymore, there was still something disconcerting about the slick feeling underneath her feet.

She's careful, but even then there's a moment that her food slips right off where she'd planted it and almsot upends her in the river. Her arms swing about, and she's able to stabilize herself and hang still a moment before taking the last quick step and hopping off the log onto the far side.

"Do you want me to try to secure this side before you come over?"

Watching her gives him information he'll need for later, he thinks. Taller branches on each side for handholds. Rope to secure one side to the other, to keep what just happened to her from happening again. His eyes narrow as he makes a few decisions then and there.

"I will cross first - it would be unfair for you to take such a risk and for me to face nothing. But I can see one thing I can do here and now for the sake of ease." He stepped onto the log and, moving as slowly as she did, he crept while crouched, keeping himself close to the log's surface. But once he was over the water, he drew a knife from his sash. A few quick scores and he'd made a carved ridge in the log. Three paces more and he did it again, and again, until he'd gotten across the water's surface. Places where toes could grasp. Places where the water could run away and leave other surfaces drier. Most importantly, it was a start.

"There. Now we'll face less danger crossing back, and we can shore this end from moving."

She watches him, noting his low stance with the intent of mimicking it on the way back. Then, curiously watching as he scores the wood. That was an interesting tactic.

But they are both safely on the other side and dry.

"I can get behind this plan. "

Bull chuckles at little at Tony's description. "If they expect a dumb brute of a Vashoth mercenary, give them that. Then, a dagger in their back, or keeping track of all their movements. You're not going to stop everything they say about you, find a way to work it to your advantage. You are smarter than they are anyway."He gives Dorian a smile with just a hint of danger behind it. "Even a peacock got a beak and claws after all."

He looks at Tony. "Merchant of Death? Oh I know people who'd like to meet you." But he isn't going to let them. No way. Par Vollen is no place for Tony. The arm tightens slightly around Tony, protective.

It sounded like a lung from where Squall was standing, and he was very familiar with the sounds different animals made when they were dying. That sounded really morbid, but Squall was a mercenary, and that wolf was dying.

Sadly, there were definitely a few more on the way. One was dead, one was unconscious, but that sounded like...two or three?

"Keep running, I'll keep them back," he ordered, and he really hoped Tony listened to him. The adrenaline and stress was starting to kick in, and Squall didn't know what that meant in this world--that he might be granted with extra powers to fend off the immediate situation. But even without that knowledge, he was ready to keep the onslaught back so the rest of the mine could clear.

Squall was a man of few words, and so the nod he offered to Bull's first statement was his own quiet way of saying 'Thank you.' He followed the direction and also handed off a couple of the canteens.

"I have heard that this area's fauna is not...particularly aggressive." Squall wasn't sure how else to phrase this idea. It was still foreign to him that he didn't need to be extremely on guard at all times. There was wildlife, and some was more prone fighting over territory, but it was nothing like what Squall was used to in his world.

"Alex Price," he says, without any hesitation at all.

Huh. That's different. Maybe living somewhere he doesn't have to lie to nearly every other human being (and some non-human beings) about his name is finally sinking in. He tries not to think about it.

"Where is it you're from? I'd love to hear about it." Hearing stories of other peoples homes, it's a nice reminder that he's not the only one ripped away from familiarity. Of course, that's only part of it. The genuine, ravenous curiosity that filled his boyhood bedroom with terrariums and tanks to better understand the world around him might not make him the best conversationalist, but he's a damn good listener.

"I've been rehydrating meat from my pack for them. Have all their teeth and their eyes are open, but I'm going to see if any other animals back at the village are nursing. I spend enough time around the livestock, I should be able to figure something out for them," he says thoughtfully.

"Two or three weeks, and they should be ready to be adopted out around the village."

Bull just breathes for a moment and then frowns, shifting so they can both see the wound. Which is much smaller than it has any right to be, there is a small trickle of blood but it won't even need stitches. "That is strange, I could have sworn he got me better than that." He blinks down at the beast. "How about you, Altair? You alright?"

"Not all of it. Altair and I ran into a boar on the way up here. It wasn't happy to see us. But most beasts seem more likely to run away from us than attack if you startle them."

"I don't know," she replies, a little anxious. It makes her think about the Fade, and she'd rather not think about the Fade. Hawke figures something is just off, but when Altaïr's hand goes through her, she definitely starts to panic. Is she a shade? No, that's impossible, she'd know if something happened to set that off. "Fuck, this isn't good."

She tests it out again by leaning down to grab at the axe, and yeah, her hand officially goes through it. Oh this isn't good. She can still touch herself though, running her hands over her face. With the fingers comes more of that dust, and Hawke may be close to having a panic attack, but she's also no idiot. Was it that? Wouldn't other people have it happen to them though? Oh gods.

"Shit, I don't know what to do."

Dorian possessed a beak, certainly. No amount of world travel or magical restriction would take his words from him, but claws? No. He'd been well and truly clipped, a fact that was driven home by the both of them, even if they hadn't intended that to be the case. He flexed his jaw slightly, glancing down toward his pocket, under the guise of checking on the kitten, and swallowed slightly. Neutered is what he'd been, thoroughly. After a moment, he found his verbal stride, though, and chuckled.

"One doesn't 'embrace' claims of blood magic, Tony, lest he desire swift decapitation at the hands of well-meaning but ultimately blind men and women serving the 'greater good'. At least not in public." Dorian of course would never partake of such a thing, but most people would never believe that.

"We were attempting to subvert an assassination attempt, which we accomplished with a few twists along the way. Orlais will continue its trade with Tevinter, they like our wine too much to say no." He seems to bristle at the comments, though, and does his best to look proud. "I'm smarter than most people, Bull. I'm well aware of that, and more capable."

But he also welcomes the shift in topic. "I wouldn't mind knowing to what they may be referring. 'Merchant of Death'? Are you an assassin?"

"He seems determined. It's nice. I'm kind of hoping we won't have to do a lot of fighting though." Rinoa is able to fight, she's willing to fight, so she's not afraid. But she wouldn't mind an option where she doesn't have to. Maybe she's merely worn out from so many months of constant danger.

She smiles wanly. "We just went through a lot of fighting, before we got here, and it was a very brief amount of peace that I was looking forward to." Rinoa knows it wouldn't have lasted. SeeD still had to work and the world still moved on the way it was, but they had a party and there was dancing. It felt like they could have a little time to not worry about breathing another day.

"So far, it hasn't been anywhere near what I dealt with before." Dodging war, being hunted, maybe not a fight every single day but things were always tense; something was always out there that was primed and ready to take you out.

She doesn't want to talk about the final moment she remembers before showing up in the fountain.

"I think it has the potential to be a bit more peaceful here."

"A boar?" Squall had no idea what that was, but it must have been aggressive. Weirdly, that made Squall feel more at home. Fighting was about the only thing he felt really qualified to do, even if he was actually more competent.

"I had heard creatures were tame. It's good to know something has more of a fight in it." He knelt down and filled up the canteens. "It's good to be prepared for that."

"Later on, if we continue using this path, we can add more logs and make a proper bridge. For now, this will do," he agreed, and then began gathering stones and sturdy fallen limbs to do as they'd done on the other side. This time, with practice, and with her having seen how he did it before, it was easier - and they had a place to rejoin the rest of the mining expedition. And a way to get back across without drowning.

"I will say that it is good to know that I'm not the only one without skill at swimming. I've never been fond of water that could reach over my head."

"Breathless," he answered, "but well. ...Oddly so, perhaps. I should be feeling more bruises than I do." Especially with the landing he'd taken. But at seeing that small amount of blood, his brows were still drawn, lips pulled into a thoughtful frown. "It seems there is more going on here than I know. Has this happened before?"

He would need to retrieve his knives, but for now, this was more important.

"Did you also have trouble when you got here? With the fountain?"

She can honestly say she never thought she'd been so close to dying, and given her lifestyle that was saying something. "If I could never look at that much water again, I'd be happy."

"The area of the world - the Europeans call it the Levant. I have always known it as the Ash-Shaam. I was born in the citadel of Masyaf, high in the mountains, at the end of a canyon. We were an independent state called the Nizari Ismaili. With all of the stone of the mountain and the canyon, we had very little land to grow foods near to the citadel itself, but our stoneworkers were the best outside of Alep," he answered. They were answers he would normally give, but more... in-depth, he noted, wondering what it was that brought this about. Not that he minded answering these things, but he knew he would need to be cautious about the Brotherhood. He'd cautioned himself about it since his arrival. Why was he growing loose-tongued now?

"Nor do I," he said, "but we should not react with too much fear until we know for certain. Come, it may be something in this area. Let us get you outside."

He knew he couldn't touch her, not as he would've normally intended, to guide her out with an arm around her shoulders, but he still extended his arm as if he could, showing his intent to remain with her on the way. "The sun may show us what shadows here conceal.

"Tell me how you feel. Are you dizzy? Your sight normal?"

Altaïr nodded, unashamed of his troubles there. "I did. I believe I nearly drowned. But then, somehow, I began to breathe the water instead of drown on it - though how that was possible, I do not know." It still confounded him to think about it, and he had thought about it at length. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before.

"Really?" She peaks her eyebrows at him. "I had a - light - show up, direct me to the surface, but I certainly couldn't breathe the water."

Maybe she's a little intrigued by that, even though she is not at all eager to ever be in that situation again.

He shook his head. "I've never heard of the like. People do not breathe water. But I did - for a few moments, I did. I'd thought for the time before it that I would spend the rest of my afterlife dying again and again in the depths of the water, but then I was able to get to the surface and pull myself out. It was... 'terrible' is not a strong enough word. But I am here now."

"Yeah, we're here now." She smiles. "And, we've survived the river. I definitely feel a little better about the trek back, knowing we've got this set up."

It was definitely a good idea to beef it up if they had the chance.

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[ MINGLE ] MINING EXPEDITION

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