| Logs |
2014 June 12
| Neverneverwhere |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Taps Logs |
By the Rivers Dark
Suraksha thinks about that for a bit, then sighs. "Well, in that case I hope it's not draugr... but I do hope we figure out what it is soon and can do something to fix it! I'm worried that, given a few more years of this, the animal and plant life will start suffering too."
The search of the beds of the various humans and Taps brings up nothing -- except that they seem to be getting more tired rather than more rested. Eloise, however, is sleeping like a baby and seems untouched by the problem. She looks even younger asleep than she did awake, and Suze's assistant says, "She's not so much as stirred for hours -- but this is sleep, not a coma."
Suraksha sighs thoughtfully and nods as she looks down at the young woman, "Very well then. Keep an eye on her, please." She's actually quietly relieved to hear no stories of nightmares or midnight gifts of treasure -- the idea of facing unknown, non-corporeal, supernatural creatures is no fun to her! She had quite enough of that in the fey realms when she and Chanti hunted the nightmare. That poor creature at least became solid in the right circumstances. So for now the worried woman will just keep folks moving towards the biggest nearby "river" of leyline... and she makes plans to ensure her beloved drinks some water or soup dribbled into his mouth, even if she can't really feed him.
As she's working with the others on keeping the caravan together, Suraksha considers for a bit, then asks Dominic if he could go sit near Eloise and see if he senses ley energy flowing into her? The Earth Tap nods and goes to do as he's asked, moving slowly and carefully. Sura has seen very ill people and very old people move like that -- the ones that just don't have the energy or the strength to keep going. When Dominic sits next to Eloise, though, he seems to relax; his breathing eases. He lays a hand on her forehead and says almost in awe, "She's... she's not pulling. She's just holding. Like a battery."
Suraksha frowns worriedly at that, considering for a few moments... then she whirls and snaps to the nearest non-human, "Get Rattler!" She darts off with them, almost breathless with the need to get her sweetheart on his feet again -- even if he has to take it very, very carefully until they get out of this energy desert!
Rattler looks wan and actually a little sunken in the cheeks. It ages him somewhat -- but only somewhat. Taps have proven to be longer-lived than normal humans and they age more slowly. Right now, Rattler looks more like he's in his fifties than the hale-and-hearty mid-thirties that is his norm. Still, it takes a couple of sturdy folks to carry him on the caravan's stretcher. Suraksha trots hastily along with them, her worried gaze studying her sweetheart. She wishes she could share her energy more with him! She's heard of her matriline doing that, but she hadn't bothered learning how yet because -- she swears softly at herself -- she hadn't seen any need for it with her two very long-lived sweethearts. She darts ahead to open the wagon door and clear space next to Eloise; she trusts Sna'tha to keep the caravan grounded for the night. Indeed, Sna'thaid is doing her job exceptionally well. She's been keeping calm and corralled for a long, long time now, and she was at Court long enough to know how to put on a good face.
Dominic doesn't seem fully recovered, but he does seem better rested. He meets Sura at the door of Suze's wagon, voice low, "She's... holding an incredible amount of energy. It's almost like she's a crystal."
Suraksha nods to Dominic, relief on her face, "Fantastic! Maybe we can get to the nearest still-running leyline without accident, then!" She hastily waves her friends in with her lover on the stretcher, "In here, please! Just lay the stretcher down by her bunk."
The moment Roy is within two feet of Eloise his breathing eases and he shifts, sighing. The arm nearest Eloise moves -- not rising, but just slipping across the stretcher an inch or two closer to the sleeping girl. Dominic, who has come back in, doffs his hat and mumbles, "Maybe... maybe if he was touching her?" He's blushing a little. Suraksha has been watching with almost serpentine intensity, but at that she nods once and steps to crouch between the two unconscious human Taps. She takes one hand of each in one of her hands, gently drawing them together so she can lay Eloise's hand in Roy's larger palm... then she stares with worried intensity at her Chosen again.
Roy stirs again, sighing in his sleep -- and it does seem more like sleep now. His breathing is easier, and his fingers curl around Eloise's palm. The girl also stirs and makes a small sound: soft and relaxed; almost pleasant. Minutes pass and the two sleeping Taps are the only people that seem to be breathing -- and then Roy groans. It's a sound Sura has heard as he's waking after sleeping hard -- the kind of sleep that comes after a day of hard work. Suraksha sighs in relief, her eyes closing for a moment... then she smiles tiredly at her alertly watching friends, "I think we're good now. Hopefully he'll wake up soon... and be his usual cranky self when he's worked too hard!" She grins down at Roy with warm affection shining on her face -- then blinks and sniffles. She has to wipe a tear or two away as she mutters to him, "You annoying man -- trying to scare the stripes right off me!"
Roy stirs and groans a little, his voice slurry with sleep, "Whu'd I do dis time, me?" His eyes have cracked open a bare sliver and he's actually smiling a little, though it looks strained, "B'damn if it don' feel like hungover..." He reaches with his free hand to rub at his forehead and squeezes the hand he's holding, "R'lax, darlin'... jes'... ugh... jes' feelin' poorly."
Suraksha laughs softly -- and, honestly, a little raggedly as she nearly flops down with her back against the bunk. She's still holding the two hands together and wiping her eyes with her free hand as she smiles tremulously and murmurs, "Take it easy, sweetheart. You tapped out all your energy, and we're in a dry leyline area." She looks up at one of her also-relieved non-human friends, adding, "Could you ask Sna'tha to come here when she's got a moment? No rush."
Roy's eyes finally focus and he peers at the hands, asking, "Whose dis hand I got, me?" He licks his lips and makes a face, "We still in Doris' town? Musta laid down for a nap or sumpin'..." He's still a little slurry or drunk sounding, but he reaches for the shaky-looking Sura, "Hey, hey, li'l love... c'mere..."
Suraksha smiles more warmly as she rests one gentle hand lightly on Roy's forehead, "Lay still, please, sweet man? You're getting energy fed to you via touch, and I don't want you to let go until you can walk on your own." Her voice is wryly teasing, "You're a bit big for me to carry around like this!" It's only moments later that both Alan and Sna'tha arrive, Alan looking more than a little wild-eyed. Sura looks up with a startled gasp as Alan nearly bursts into the wagon -- then relaxes as she sees who it is. "Calm, Alan! He's recovering nicely." She smiles with relief at Sna'tha, adding, "Thanks for coming, godsmama. Turns out Eloise isn't sucking the energy so much as holding it like a battery." She sighs thoughtfully as she pushes her tousled mane of hair out of her face with her free hand -- her other hand is still closed around Roy's and Eloise's clasped hands. "So... do we try heading immediately for the nearest still-running leyline, with folks rotating through near Eloise? Or wait?"
Sna'tha says, "I say move. If she's holding energy like a crystal battery, that means she can be depleted. If she's depleted, it could harm her... and make those that depleted her feel... remorseful."
Roy blinks again, "Touch... but... but it's like..." He tries to let go of Eloise's hand when Sna'tha says the girl could be depleted.
Suraksha's hand tightens when Roy tries to release, and her voice is fierce, "Don't you dare let go yet, Roy -- don't you even think of it until you can walk!" To Sna'tha she says, "Dominic says she's holding an incredible amount of energy, like a crystal... so yes, I agree: let's get rolling!" She considers for a few moments, then adds, "Can someone send Fantine here? She and I can work up a list of all the humans and Taps, and we can organize a rotation through the night for them with Eloise." She taps her lips thoughtfully, then nods firmly once, "We'll need Dominic to swing by... hourly, let's say, to let us know if Eloise is starting to dim energetically at all." She adds slowly, "Once we, umm... once we're settled on the leyline and good for a day of re-energizing... I think maybe we might want to try tracking down what's causing this, too." She hesitates, then shakes her head worriedly, "It's dangerous. I think it needs to be stopped, or warned of the damage it's doing if it's sapient."
Roy groans and mutters something about stubborness under his breath, but he's smiling a little and he keeps holding Eloise's hand. Alan finds a seat nearby and flatly refuses to leave, though he's also relaxing a little. Fantine nearly flutters in, looking both hopeful and almost eager. She's got the caravan's list of members, disguised to look like something a lot less dangerous, and a tray of water, fruit, and jerky, "Buddy says m'sieu should eat if he can." She giggles, cheeks coloring, "He is feeding everyone who comes within five feet of him."
Suraksha laughs softly at that, "Thank you, Fantine -- you're a wonder, dear!" She makes sure Roy eats as she explains to Fantine what she wants: a list with the weakest and hardest hit getting to spend time with Eloise soonest -- and she gently reassures Alan. She's also watching Alan and Roy with silent intensity, timing how long it takes the Tap and the human to recover. That will serve as a rough guideline for how long folks will need to spend with Eloise, after all. "Oh! Also, Fantine? I know Dominic will want to be Sna'tha's good right hand while getting everything rolling, but he really needs to also be alerted to swing by here every hour to double-check we're not draining poor Eloise to a point where she'll be harmed. Sound good, everyone?"
Roy sips at the water and clears his throat, "Belle-aime, holdin' dis girl's hand is like touchin' a leyline." He smiles wryly, starting to push up into a sitting position, "Just surprised nobody could feel her before."
Suraksha watches thoughtfully, one hand out to brace Roy should he need it, "Well, my thought is that firstly, no one was touching her! Secondly... we weren't all energy starved, you know?" She pauses, considering, then adds puzzledly, "How odd. It would appear humans and Taps sip ley energy... but supernaturals do not?"
Roy seems steady if tired, and he looks chagrined, "T'ink... I t'ink dat mighta been my fault. Pulled hard, me, but... can't pull dat hard. T'ink I mighta pulled from de people." He rubs his forehead again, "From what I seen, de non-humans wrap demselves up better. Shielded, kin'a."
Suraksha nods thoughtfully as she continues to watch, though she releases the clasped hands of Roy and Eloise. She's curious as to whether Roy's non-conscious mind 'knows' he needs more energy... or whether he has enough to function now. "We'd wondered about that, yes. Hmm... that might also explain why I wasn't more tired, now that you mention it -- I wasn't sharing energy with you." She looks chagrined herself as she adds unhappily, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart! I'll try learning how to do that better once I get home next winter."
Roy tries an approximation of his normally cocky smile, "Di'n't know I need it, me. I'm good at jes' pullin' it from where it's easies' to get. Wa'n't payin' 'nough attention to de actual leylines."
Suraksha smiles as she says firmly, "All right then, sounds like it's also time for you to learn where you're pulling from -- so you can be more responsible as well, sweet man! But for now I want you to take it easy: heal up, don't waste any energy, that sort of thing. All right?"
Roy actually rolls his eyes, but he's smiling, "B'lieve me, doan wanna keep feelin' like dis, me." He starts to push up to his feet with a small groan, "You sayin' odder folks jes' as bad off?" Worry is creeping into his voice as he looks around, as if expecting to see other people that were down and out.
Suraksha sighs in relief as her beloved starts feeling well enough to move on his own -- and she grins tiredly when he almost exasperatedly waves Alan off when the bodyguard jumps to help. "No, you were the worst, lover. Fantine's making the list for who's next, so no worries there." She looks at Alan and adds with mock graveness, "If he starts being his usual cocky self and using energy profligately? Send word -- I'll come sit on him!"
Roy smirks and drawls, "Be sure to use some energy profligately, den." Still, he's moving carefully as he looks down at Eloise with his brows drawn, "Shouldn' be able to do dis, her."
Suraksha laughs at that -- though it's a little shaky -- then nods and sighs, pushing her hair back out of her face from where she's still flopped on the floor, "I... yes. I've never heard of anything like this before. Frankly, it... worries me -- breeding like this. Every time I've seen this done with animals, something disastrous creeps into the bloodline because no one knows to watch for it." She looks tiredly up at her lover and Alan, her voice quiet, "I'm starting to wonder if either lack of empathy or megalomania are what's creeping in on this breeding project... and also wondering how it got so far without more people knowing! These are at least third or fourth generation children we're seeing here."
Roy sighs and says quietly, "Because you start small. You don't breed a whole population at once. You cross and re-cross to see whatcha get. Like white horses. Cain't breed white horses."
Suraksha shakes her head slowly as she studies the sleeping Eloise, "Poor children... nothing deserves being treated so callously."
The Tap is leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and trying to look casual, "So you see what you can do to get sumpin' looks like a white horse. Dese folks... might not even be all human. Might be hybrids. What Eloise can do... ain't never seen a human can do dose t'ings."
Suraksha sighs and hauls herself to her feet, "Welp! Must get moving. Fantine, pick someone you're good with who can do the running for you to call in whomever's next on the list; make yourself comfortable and keep an eye on Eloise and whoever's here with her, please?" She steps over to Roy, "Let's go, sweetheart... others need the energy too." As she steps carefully down the wagon's steps she adds over her shoulder, "The strange thing to me is: where is all the energy going? Eloise isn't sucking it up. It wasn't dry in the town -- it was outside town that the leylines were dry. So... who is eating it?" Then she mutters amusedly under her breath, "One earth-shaking problem at a time! First get the caravan to safety. Next find out and fix the dry leylines -- maybe they're just... sort of dammed somewhere? Finally... deal with Boston!"
Roy follows Suraksha down the stairs, waving Alan off again and muttering, "Ain't an invalid!"
Alan snorts and says, "Actually, right now you are. Sir. So either let me help or I'm going to deck you and carry you!"
Suraksha laughs at that, glancing with warm and affectionate relief over her shoulder at the two men... then she grins and turns her attention back to the multiple, almost constant flow of issues involved in keeping a caravan running smoothly -- especially one that's currently damaged and hurting! She suspects she may have to spend some time in tiger form, so her extra muscles can keep things rolling well -- but she'll wait to shift until she must.
Roy snorts and lets Alan help him down the steps, but then he moves to catch up to 'Chana, breathing a little heavily, "Got an idea 'bout dat, me -- a dam might be what happenin'. Stop de flow upriver an' it ain't de main branch dat dries up firs' -- it de smaller limbs. Flow slows down in de main river, but you gotta let some go so de damn don' burst. Spillways."
Suraksha nods to Roy between dealing with issues, her voice grave, "I'm actually rather hoping that's the case. That can be reasoned with better, perhaps, than someone or something unconsciously slurping up all the energy. Plus it should be easier to find: just travel up the dry streambeds until you find the dam."
Roy nods and says, "Not sure if it lucky dat de flow is Nort'-to-Sout' here. Means travelin' toward Boston get us closer to de source." He rubs his forehead again, frowning, "Dat chile... she shouldn't be able to hold all dat, cher."
Suraksha reassures the youngest Sokoloff son that his wife and daughter are indeed on Fantine's list, then hugs the worried Alg and assures him that he and his pack are doing excellent work -- no one is upset with him! They're all just tired due to energy loss. After that she reassures and re-routes a few frightened people to the correct folks to talk to about their issues, then promises to stop by and see her daughters as soon as she's helped lift a fallen tree out of the road ahead a mile or two. She glances at Roy between people again as she smiles ruefully at him, "Maybe so, sweetheart, but I've no way to measure anything like that. I've never worked with the quartzes except as financial exchange, you know? Also, if you have a moment can you swing by and reassure the girls? They're worried about you."
Roy smiles quietly and says, "I'll go check on 'em, let 'em check on me. Den me an' you can talk 'bout batteries and crystals... or we can when you gotta a secon'."
Suraksha nods and smiles a bit distractedly at her sweetheart, "I do want to, lover -- but right now I first want to get us all to safety, please? Also, thank you so much for helping with the bebes -- it means Fantine can watch over Eloise!" After that, for Suraksha, it's mostly just the hard, steady work of keeping everyone on an even keel; helping the supernaturals in managing the actual physical locomotion of the caravan; and making sure no one pushes too hard before they're all safe and sound at the still-running leyline. Fortunately for the caravan's emotional state, the actual caravaneers are long-term friends used to trusting each other with their lives... so when the humans and Taps are asked to please take it easy, they believe what they're being told.
When Suraksha finally gets back to her wagon she finds Roy curled up in the bed with the girls, telling them stories. She sighs in quiet, weary happiness at the heart-warming sight of her little family all healthy and awake... it makes her almost want to weep with relief! Her beloved smiles when she comes in, and the girls swarm their mother with hugs and chatter about what Papa's been telling them. Once he gets a second, he says, "Startin' to feel de pull of a leyline. Not a big one, but it runnin.'" He clears his throat and adds, "It weaker den it should be. Feel sluggish."
Suraksha smiles and kneels to share hugs with her little daughters, exclaiming in all the right places at their rather charmingly garbled renditions of their Papa's stories. At Rattler's news, however, she heaves an even more heartfelt sigh of relief, "Thank the Lady! That's wonderful news. Good, I'll have the word passed." She quietly lets a runner know that they're finally coming up on an extant leyline, despite its sluggishness... then she closes the vardo's door, feeling almost deliciously greedy at the thought of a few moments with her beloved -- and sometimes very worrying! -- family.
Rattler's still in the bed and he holds out a welcoming arm, drawling, "Alan t'reaten me wid dire punishments if I don't stay m'a- m'self in de bed a li'l while... so tellin' de bebes old stories my maman used to tell me."
Suraksha giggles as she happily snuggles up against Rattler, then sighs and relaxes for a few precious minutes as their daughters all curl up against them and regale them with more of their grandmother's stories. She waits until their exuberance fades into sleepiness, then murmurs quietly to Rattler, "All right, sweet man, let's think. We've got a wide swathe of dry leylines and a girl that you say is holding more energy than she should be capable of... and a sluggish leyline that should be running smoothly and freely. So... I've no experience in this, I'm afraid. What might make something like this happen, do you know?"
Rattler shakes his head, "Truly... maybe. I mean, I've known some Taps could hold onto a buncha energy..." He admits, "Can hold more den de average, me, but I use my ability all de time. Been workin' dose muscles, you might say. But Eloise... hell, it almost like her bones made oudda quartz."
Suraksha nods slowly, thinking hard. "So... the energy feeling you get from her -- it's nothing like what you get from, say, Little Joe or Dominic or Suze or any of the other Taps?"
Roy mmms, "De feel of someone holdin' leyline energy is de same. It de amount dat amazin'. T'ink of it dis way, sugar: it like carryin' enough water to make it 'cross de Mojave... in one fifty-gallon barrel."
Suraksha frowns as she considers that. Finally she slowly shakes her head, "Um... all right. I... don't really have any frame of reference to work with here, sweet man, since you Taps all feel approximately the same to me. The main difference is just that the appropriate chakra is a bit brighter, if I bother to look... and honestly, Eloise's chakras don't look that different from anyone else's to me." She sighs, gently stroking the hair of the sleeping child whose head is in her lap, and adds, "But that's not really what's important right now. Right now... we need to move up the leyline to wherever it starts flowing freely again, and we need to let the caravan recover." She frowns again, her voice puzzled, "So... what does this actually mean, though... this thing with Eloise? I feel like you're trying to tell me something important, but don't have words for it, or that I'm not bright enough to grasp it yet...?"
Roy smiles softly, "Dere nuttin' out dere you ain't bright enough to grasp, beloved. No, I'm just... amazed. It just almos' like she not really a person. Like she built, her. But I guess dat what breedin' is, ouais?"
Suraksha smiles faintly as she leans her head against Rattler, murmuring, "Charmer." She listens, then considers for a long moment... then says slowly, "Could... I mean, we have healer Taps, right? Could there be... oh, say, a Tap that can do something like that? That could, umm... replace bones with crystal, or whatever it is that's causing Eloise to behave this way? Hmm... must remember to check with Dominic as to how low her energies went while we traveled, and also if she woke up with everyone else, too."
Roy nods and licks his lips, "Feelin' nervous here, me. But t'ink you need rest, love. I c'n talk wid de Taps, see what dey feel from her when dey rechargin'. Rest wid de bebes."
Suraksha glances puzzledly at Roy, "Nervous why, sweetheart?"
Roy shakes his head, "Because I don' like new t'ings dat could be dangerous." He smirks a little, "Mebbe gettin' old, hm?" He yawns and stretches, "Feelin' almos' up to snuff again, me."
Suraksha laughs softly at that, reaching up to gently cup his cheek and draw his face down for a warm, gentle kiss. "Mmm... welcome back, beloved." She grins ruefully, her voice mock-fierce, "Don't you do that to me again either, you hear me?" She will gladly cuddle up for a bit to rest with her daughters. It's been a long, tiring day and night and day and night, after all. Now they're relatively safe... she'll fall over like a light going out!
It does take the full day's travel Dominic predicted to get to a strong leyline, but even the weak one proves a boon to the humans and Taps -- perhaps more the Taps than anything. Roy in particular perks up considerably once they get close enough to start connecting with it. Suraksha is greatly relieved to hear that, once she wakes up again. She helps the caravan settle into their chosen campsite once they locate the strong leyline, and wanders around through the camp as she checks on everyone, making sure folks are recovering well and no one is still sick. She also checks with Dominic on Eloise's energy levels during the previous day, and on the girl herself to make sure she too wakes up feeling all right.
Eloise wakes up and seems to be feeling quite well; cheerful, in fact. Dominic has been speaking with her, using it as a pretext to be near her and gauge her energy levels. When Sura comes to Dominic he steps away from the girl, his voice low for Suraksha's hearing, "She's still got maybe half the energy she had when I first noticed. But that's still an enormous amount... and I can only feel it when I'm close to her."
Suraksha shakes her head in quiet astonishment, "Amazing -- and she's effectively fed every human and Tap here, too!" She sighs thoughtfully as she glances at Dominic, "They're going to want her back. She's just too valuable. Fortunately for us, there'll be an awful lot of confusion back there in Naugatuck. Hopefully it will be a while before the higher-ups in Boston think to try tracking us down."
Dominic nods and rubs the back of his neck, squinting a little, "I worry for her. And... I worry that she might be why the smaller leylines were dried up."
Suraksha smiles relaxedly at Dominic, "Couldn't be her. First, you said she wasn't drawing -- and second, the town itself would have been dry too if it was her."
Suraksha will eventually call a sort of war conference, after folks are starting to look healthier and have eaten and rested. Once they're all gathered she'll lay out the information they all have, with details filled in by those who know more: Dominic, Rattler, and so on. The sole exception to this sharing of information is just how rare and unique Eloise is. Once that's done Sura explains her current theory: that either something/someone is somehow damming up the energy "upstream" on the leylines... or something/someone is (perhaps unwittingly) slurping up all the energy around.
Suraksha sighs, then adds gravely, "This is dangerous -- both to us, and to anyone and anything that travels through this area. Given enough time I worry that even the animal- and plant-life would suffer. So, here's my thought: let's try traveling upstream along this leyline, with some scouting off to the side into the dry areas, to see if we can figure out what's up. How does that sound to everyone? It should keep the main caravan safe, but allow us to try and help fix things as well."
Rattler nods and suggests that Dominic stay with Eloise and keep an eye on her energy levels. The Earth Tap is good with young people and children, and Eloise is essentially a child. She's happy to do anything she's asked, but she has to ask for explanations a lot. Suraksha nods and agrees: Dominic will be a perfect and gentle caretaker for the young girl. The idea of carefully scouting upstream is agreed upon unanimously, though Sna'tha puts forward the idea that Roy -- who was hardest hit -- should perhaps stay behind. That doesn't go over at all well with the Naiad king. Sura agrees with Sna'tha's proposition, and is completely unsurprised when Alan also firmly agrees -- while Rattler's sour expression following that makes the young woman grin! Rattler starts to argue, only to have Alan say, "I am more than willing to knock you the hell out to keep you from going on this scouting mission -- and you wouldn't dare fire me for it!" That makes the king scowl, but agree to stay behind. Suraksha smiles silent thanks at Alan.
Suraksha also suggests that perhaps Dominic and maybe Eloise or another human accompany her on her forays into the dry areas -- sort of a canary in a coal mine, if they're willing? Also, Dominic can trace the leylines even when dry. Dominic agrees to come along, "I think it's because they move through the earth. They leave marks, just like anything else that moves through the ground. Water, for instance. You can tell earth that's been touched by water."
Suraksha nods to Dominic, "All right then. Thank you." The caravan leader continues to answer questions and field concerns for a while, and isn't really surprised when folks decide to move forward cautiously. They understand that there's a happy medium between complete isolationism and meddling in everyone's business. In this particular case, isolationism just means there's a very large and unmarked danger area left like a blotch on their path home. Finally Sura sighs tiredly, then smiles again, "So... I'm thinking one more night here for healing... and then we keep moving. Wash 'em if you got 'em, folks!"
Roy grins at that and says, "Come upstream wid me a liddle bit? Let me see if I recovered enough to work wid de water?"
Suraksha thanks everyone for participating, then steps over to where her sweetheart, Fantine, and the bebes are seated together. She puts her hands on her hips and gives Rattler a teasingly wry smile, "Are you asking for the tiger so you can be carried back when you fall over, silly man? Or for the human so you can show off?"
Rattler grins and says, "Why cain't it be both?" That makes the girls giggle. It makes them feel happy when their parents tease one another... no matter which set of parents it is. Rattler chuckles and adds, "Truly, want to test it, me. Feel strong as ever, but I felt fine before, too." Suraksha hmfs amusedly... then, just as Rattler knew she would, she smiles and agrees. She has a hard time denying him when his life isn't on the line! Plus a small part of her was really frightened she was going to lose her beloved first Chosen... and that part is finally starting to calm down. She wants to spend some time with Roy; to see and feel and scent him, and to remind herself that he's here, he's fine... he's alive and still with her.
Rattler kisses the girls and promises them a treat tomorrow if they'll be good and stay with Fantine tonight. He doesn't know that he'll have the energy for anything that would require alone time, but he also doesn't know that he won't need the time to recover without frightening them. They set off upstream after Rattler tells Alan in no uncertain terms that he doesn't need extra protection just now. Suraksha grins and says nothing as she turns away with Rattler; if she knows Alan and Alg at all, at least one of them will be close by! That's fine with her, though. This issue with the leylines is truly worrisome.
Rattler slides an arm around Sura as they walk and lowers his voice, "Really am li'l concerned, cher. Kinda worried I hurt dat part of myself."
Suraksha glances up at her sweetheart in startled concern, "Explain, lover?"
Rattler looks serious as he walks with her, "Ever have a horse or an ox go lame? Real bad lame?"
Suraksha says, "Of course." She tilts her head as she studies Rattler's face, then smiles in what she hopes is an encouraging fashion, "Most of the time they heal back, though... even if it takes a while. Surely it's too early to tell still?"
Rattler nods and squeezes Sura close, "Most of dem heal. Some don't. Some never run again. Some can barely walk. Don't want to be walkin' my whole life, so I need to see if it was exhaustion or injury."
Suraksha wraps her arms tightly around Roy, her voice quiet but fierce, "You are not to leap to conclusions yet, sweet man -- and you are especially not going to push yourself so hard right now, out of nerves, that you hurt yourself worse, all right? Promise me?"
Rattler hugs back and presses his face against her hair, murmuring, "Not goan push dat hard, promise. Jes'... a li'l push. De way you start exercisin' after you hurt a muscle. Build it back up."
Suraksha sighs, hugging her Chosen tightly, "Promise me you'll stop if I ask you to? Please?" Her worried smile is wry, "Because yes, I understand starting to work a formerly-injured muscle... but usually one waits more than a day to begin, impatient man!"
Rattler hugs back and murmurs, "Promise, me. Wid all my heart. Asked you to come wid me because I trust you, lover." He snorts quietly and says, "Den t'ink of dis as checkin' to see if it sprained or broke."
Suraksha sighs in relief, her hug relaxing a bit and a more genuine smile on her face. "All right, dear heart. Thank you." She grins up at him, standing on tiptoes to try and kiss the tip of his nose before they head on. He smiles and leans down enough to let her do it before they head upstream.
Once they've reached a quiet spot Rattler starts stripping down, "Full strengt', can dry out m' clothes preddy well... don' wanna risk not bein' able t' do it."
Suraksha nods in approval, taking his clothes and neatly folding them as he strips. "That's good sense. Do you want me along in tiger form, or what? How can I most help, sweetheart?"
Rattler nods toward the bank -- a level spot under a tree, "Sit dere. Watch. If I look like I'm goan fall over, bring de tiger to help me out." He smiles a little, eyes twinkling, "'Member me ba'dhin' you in your true form, cher?"
Suraksha nods at his instructions, starting to strip herself as well for in case she has to do a quick change. She glances at her beloved, then sighs happily and nods, "Oh, yes! That was..." she gives a happy little wiggle that looks almost serpentine, "-delightful!" She giggles at herself, then grins at Roy, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Rattler grins himself, glad he got her to laugh. She's been overworked and over-serious the past two days. He wades into the water until it's lapping at his thighs, "Truly was dat." His eyes twinkle again, "You blushin' a li'l bit dere, cher." The man takes a deep breath and holds his hands out and down, close to the surface of the water. Suraksha laughs again, relaxing as she stretches out on the grass and watches; she doesn't mind blushing for her beloveds. She observes Rattler's face carefully, though, and the lines of his shoulders, back, and arms, for any signs of strain. She's going to ask him to stop immediately if he starts pushing himself -- she wants him to give himself time to heal.
Under Roy's hands the water stills. It takes a moment or two for it to happen, and the water two feet out from him on all sides continues to flow. His muscles are relaxed and his face looks serious but unstrained. "OK, dat good so far..." He grins at her, "Not pushin' too hard, not tryin' t' dam up de whole t'ing."
Suraksha nods silently, a small smile on her face... but her golden eyes are still bright and warily alert for any signs of strain. She asks curiously, "So... isn't that enough to show you that you've still got it, lover? That all you really need is time to heal?"
Rattler is humming softly and almost sing-song as he says, "Pretty easy to ask it to stay still..." He grins at her, "One more t'ing..." He turns his hands over, palms up, and raises them. The water around him begins to slide up his body -- not as one large volume, but in a slithery sheet close to his skin. Suraksha ooohs softly, her eyes bright with happiness -- watching Roy play with his beloved water like this is both a pleasure, and very pretty to watch! Rattler's face relaxes as the water does what he asks it to. He grins at her and arches a brow, "Not even feelin' a strain..." Hands rise and the water follows them, slipping up over his stomach and chest. He winks at her and closes his eyes, holding his breath as it moves over his face and head. It holds for a couple of heartbeats -- and then he abruptly lets it go, letting it splash back into the stream. He's soaked and laughing happily.
Suraksha sighs happily as she watches... then she grins impishly and slides into the water herself as well, "Congrats, handsome man!" She's more than willing to help her beloved celebrate a bit, after all!
Rattler grins and opens his arms, expecting her to slide into them, "Doan t'ink I could move de whole river yet, but doan t'ink dere was any permanent damage."
Suraksha's small smile is relaxed, "No surprise there, handsome... you love the water too much, I think, to ever lose it!" She giggles as she lightly splashes him, "Or to let it go, hmm?"
Rattler snorts and holds a hand up, eyes twinkling as the splash deflects back at her, "Guess I'm jes' too stubborn."
Suraksha laughs and throws her hands up, "Oh! No fair!" She'll dive and slide around her sweetheart, letting the current press her up against him as she rises out of the water. Her eyes are sparkling and her long, dark braid coils around Roy's body as the water streams past them both, "Mmm... so does cuddling here or on shore sound nicer?"
Rattler takes a deep breath and lays his arms over hers, closing his eyes. The water slips up along both their bodies in a cool, slippery caress, "One movin' to de udder?"
Suraksha laughs softly, rubbing her cheek lightly against his chest with a deliciously sensuous relief, "Lead the way, handsome -- I'm mostly just savoring you, you know?" Rattler lets the water slip back down their bodies to slide away with the rest of the stream, then leans down to kiss his beloved. He doesn't want to say it out loud, but he's feeling very strongly the need to reaffirm his life. Suraksha returns the kiss with intensely alive pleasure -- she too had been worried for her sweetheart! Admittedly, to her he is just as wonderful regardless of whether he is a naiad or not, but she understands just how deeply that weaves through him. Losing his abilities would damage him terribly, emotionally, so she's very pleased to see him so happy once more!
Being intensely happy to be alive makes Rattler want to share that happiness with his beloved and they do indeed move from the water to the shore, though their clothes aren't brought back into the equation for some time. The naiad doesn't even protest when Sura playfully insists he lie back and let her do some of the work... though they often playfully wrestle during lovemaking. When they're done they slide back into the water and float together, Rattler holding Sura against his chest with one arm as he murmurs, "Can still feel the leyline, so doan t'ink it ennybody wid us slurpin' it up."
Suraksha nods, her head resting against Rattler's shoulder as she sighs in relief and relaxation. Her voice is slow with contentment, "Mmm... 's good news." She grins and adds more teasingly, "Be a good nixie, now, and don't try to follow along when I go hunting, yes?"
Rattler smirks and says, "Damn. T'ought mebbe dis'd show you I could." The hand not holding Sura is rather lazily stroking over her breasts and stomach. He still has a fascination with touching her.
Suraksha chuckles lazily, "Uh-uh, lover -- I want you to heal up absolutely completely! No re-straining yourself by accident, please!"
Rattler says, "Dom gets to go, why?"
Suraksha sighs contentedly and stretches against Roy, enjoying both the pleasure of feeling him solid and steady against her... and the silent messages of love in his slow caresses. "'Cause he didn't push himself till he fell over!" She giggles as she adds, "Plus he doesn't argue with me when I say stop!"
Rattler chuckles and says, "Alright, alright. Damn. Gotta learn some control, me." He nuzzles against the side of Sura's neck, getting a little serious, "Goan jes' scout, yeah?"
Suraksha giggles again, wriggling happily against Rattler's lovely, warm body as she replies in mock-shocked tones, "You, learn self-control?! Who are you and what have you done with my Roy?!" She laughs at his snort, then grins and wraps her arms around his neck, "Mm, that's the plan, yes! Dom for the earth-tapping, me for muscle and speed if necessary to escape quickly. Why?"
Rattler says quietly, "Not the only one whut worries, cher." He takes a deep breath and sighs warmly, "Should get back before Alg sen's a scoutin' party for us."
Suraksha smiles and gently kisses her sweetheart before she murmurs, "Promise, my heart, that I want more than anything else for us to return safe and sound. Research is a far second to that... and getting into any scraps is off the chart!"
She can feel Roy relax beneath her; he hugs her tightly before letting her go, "Den I'll stay m'self here an' watch our bebes." Neither of her Chosen has ever treated either of the girls as anything less than a beloved daughter.
Suraksha smiles as she hugs him tightly in return, "I'm actually counting on that, lover. Knowing they're safe with you is part of why I'm willing to try this."
With the girls staying with Fantine, Roy and Suraksha take the opportunity to make love again when they get back to camp, moving slowly and savoring each other with quiet joy. They sleep contentedly tangled together and wake the next morning to the sound of a camp that seems almost normal. In fact, when she finally emerges Sura gets several happy reports from the various Taps, while all the humans seem back up to snuff. The Taps all tried their abilities out in some small way the night before and were fine, though they remained careful -- since they aren't sure if something will go wrong with this leyline or not. Also, when Dominic finds Suraksha he quietly informs her that Eloise has replenished some of her stored energy -- but it doesn't seem to have had any effect on the leyline.
Suraksha is tremendously relieved! She gives warm congratulatory hugs to all her recovered friends, including Dominic. She also quietly asks him if he feels up to going scouting with her -- and if so, would he ask Sna'tha if the sidhe would be up to managing things for a bit while they're gone? She'll check with Roy herself. Dominic nods and says, "Of course, Lady. I can feel the leylines pretty good. Better'n most 'cause of what I am. Any Tap can feel them, but..." He shrugs, looking almost bashful, "Besides, I want to help figure out what's going on with Eloise."
Suraksha smiles at Dominic, patting his arm, "You're a good man, Dominic! We'll do our best to put things aright. All right, I'm off to tell Rattler, change into different clothes, and get a backpack of food for us. Meet you by that big tree in... 20 minutes?"
Dominic is ready and waiting when Suraksha arrives, crouched down by the tree with his hand flat on the ground and his eyes closed. When Dom is Tapping he sometimes seems to go as still as the Earth itself. Sura settles silently near him, waiting patiently for him to be ready to move. She's in tiger form, with clothing as well as food neatly packed in the saddlebags slung across her shoulders. Dominic opens his eyes after a moment and puts his hat on, rising to his feet, "It still feels strong. Eloise isn't pulling... exactly. No more than anyone else. Or... not actively. You know how you can put a piece of cloth halfway in a bucket of water and the water will climb it?"
Suraksha nods thoughtfully, swinging her broad head around to snuff the air curiously, "So we're no'dh harming, good. Ready? We go now... ride or wal'gh?" She finds it quite fascinating how quickly Eloise recharges. She murmurs to Dominic, "Ma'gh no'dh'e bh'lease? Eloisse re'jhar'jhes fas'!"
Dominic smiles a little bit and says, "If it won't slow us down too much, I'd rather walk. Keep closer to the earth that way." He's wearing boots, but that still keeps him close the earth, "She does recharge fast, yes. I'm still feelin' a little wobbly. Not bad, hear -- but like I had a fever a few days back. You know?"
Suraksha nods gravely as she chuffs agreement. She'll pad silently next to Dominic, keeping her head swinging around and her senses alert. "You sing ou'dh i'vh ear'dh feels bh'ad or you need res'dh. I handle all elze, yah? We go ou'dh halve day s'ghou'dhing, halve day ba'gh home."
Dominic nods and agrees, but he's concentrating mostly on the earth. They walk for a good long while, following the Tap's directions before he stops, frowning. He points off at an angle, "There should be a small tributary here..."
Suraksha nods again as she snuffs the air; until she scents or feels something "off," she's mostly just going to be protective back-up for her companion. "Drry, li'gh odderrs?"
Dominic frowns a little and says, "Maybe? Or it could just be a temporary block. I'd like to track back up along it... I've been wondering if the small tributaries are being blocked rather than something big being dammed up."
Suraksha nods in agreement, "Gh'oo'dh idea. Le's gh'o u'bh ss'dhream -- bu'dh gh'areful, yah?" She starts stalking slowly in the direction Dominic pointed, more on alert now as they search for a possible energy dam. She can't help wondering if she'll even be able to see it or not, though. Dominic moves more slowly now, actually pausing to remove his boots before he starts stepping carefully along the route of the leyline tributary. From time to time he pauses, eyes closed to better feel his way. Suraksha stays close to him -- a solid, steady form to lean on if he needs to, and a powerful, protective force if he needs that instead.
Perhaps five miles up the path of the tributary, about when Dominic murmurs that he thinks they're coming to the end of it, they find what they were looking for: stuck into the earth is a contraption made of copper and quartz. It's not a large crystal like the Baton Rouge mechanism, but a good four dozen smaller crystals. Dom stops and stares at it. Suraksha blinks as she too stops. Her round, furred ears swivel as she sniffs and listens carefully for any sign of others present. There doesn't seem to be any truly fresh tracks, but there are some scents upwind that are perhaps three days old. Dom circles the mechanism, scowling, "It's... a battery array? Maybe? It's right on top of the source."
Suraksha rumbles thoughtfully, "More ener'jhee u'bh ss'dhream, bh'as'dh i'dh?"
Dominic shakes his head, "That's just it. There is no upstream from here, not on this branch. Ever been at a spring where it comes up out of the earth and starts a little trickle? This is sitting on the spring."
Suraksha blinks puzzledly, her muzzle wrinkling in confusion, "Ley ener'jhee do dh'a'dh?"
Dominic says, "The smaller ones, yes. Some of them." He crouches near the apparatus and examines it, looking down at where it enters the earth, "Some of them dive down... not all of them crisscross the surface." He reaches into his pack and pulls out a pair of heavy leather gloves.
Suraksha shakes her head vigorously, and the motion travels down her body and all the way off the end of her tail... then she rolls her shoulders and grins at Dominic -- an unwittingly rather unsettling expression! "I dh'ry bh'ulling -- no'dh you!"
Dominic pauses and says, "You... I don't want you to hurt yourself, lady." He flushes a little, "I know you're stronger than I am, but I can tell if there's going to be a surge before you do."
Suraksha says, "Si'dh bh'ehin'dh me dh'en, yah?" She sits upstream and next to the little item, waving Dominic back behind her massive form. The young man hesitates, but then nods and steps back. He's still barefoot and he wriggles his toes down into the thick leaf mold of the forest floor. Suraksha tilts her head to study the small item for a bit... then reaches out and extends one gleaming ebony claw. She'll hook it carefully around the contraption -- and if it does not shock her, she'll yank it out with one swift, strong pull.
Dominic braces as if waiting for something to go bad, but when it doesn't shock Suraksha he relaxes -- then takes a big, relieved breath, "It's flowing again!" The earth Tap crouches and digs his fingers into the earth, smiling broadly.
Suraksha rumbles thoughtfully as she glances warily around, "Wond'hrr how long dh'ill dh'ey no'dhiss?" She's got the little contraption curled up into her paw -- something that unique, valuable, and dangerous is going home with them!
Dominic stands up and brushes off his hands, then comes and reaches out to carefully touch the battery array. "This is... maybe half full? If we knew how long it's been here, we can maybe guess how long they'd wait to come back."
Suraksha growls quietly, "We dh'a'gh i'dh wi'dh us. Las' scen'dh abou'dh dh'ree days ago."
Dominic nods, "Then they probably won't be back this way for a couple days. Still... maybe a good idea to post double guards." He strokes the apparatus and says, "I'm glad we're taking it. Besides freeing up the leyline, this amount of quartz..."
Suraksha grins a bit grimly at Dominic as she nods, "Yah. So... godda dh'eci'dhe iv we gh'ome ba'gh here in dh'ree days." She sighs thoughtfully, studying the short stick-like item held in her big paw... then looks up at Dominic again. Her whiskers are at a rueful tilt, "No'dh really a gh'wes'dhion, izzi'dh... dh'is iz dh'an'jheruz dh'o alla uz."
Dominic nods and starts rearranging things in Suraksha's saddlebags, since his own pack is too small for the device, "It is. It's dangerous to any Tap that overexerts themselves while expecting to have the leyline there." He shakes his head in dismay, "It's almost like they're trying to just... control it. Like trying to control water. How... ridiculous."
Suraksha lays down like a sphynx so it's easier for Dominic to reach the saddlebags. At his comment she growls a little irritably, "Yah. Hur'dhing dh'ose I gh'are abou'dh as well as innocen'dh bh'y bh'assers!"
Dominic nods, face grim as he gets the device stowed, "We should move back down the tributary some, just in case they come back early... or do you think we should head home?"
Suraksha sighs thoughtfully, resting her furred chin on her forepaws as she thinks for a bit... then she glances over her shoulder and adds, "Home firs'dh. Hey, Dh'om... wha'dh sor'dha bh'erson dh'o dh'a'dh, you dh'in'gh? Godda bh'lan vh'or who dh'o bring ba'gh, av'dher all."
Dominic shakes his head sadly, "I don't know. It seems unthinkable to me. I understand why you might dam a river to help the people around it, but this... this is stopping anyone but the people that can get these quartzes..."
Suraksha rumbles puzzledly, "Who dh'a'dh rich'shh dh'oo? Or dh'ere gh'war'dhzz sourrce nearbh'y?"
Dominic mmms and crouches again, digging his fingers into the earth and feeling around. He shakes his head after several minutes, "There's some quartz, but not a rich vein of it. Nothing this quality." He stands and frowns, "Could it be more people from Boston?"
Suraksha sighs as she scents the air, then rumbles worriedly, "Sure ho'bh no'dh. Way dh'oo much'shh money iv so!"
Dominic nods and shifts uneasily, "Let's head back? Maybe Roy will have an idea... or Sna'tha."
Suraksha nods gravely, "Yah. Ho'bh on, bh'lease? We hurry." She wishes to get back as quickly as possible; this is a real concern to her. Dominic climbs on and hooks his hands into the harness that holds the saddlebags. He's been working with the animals for long enough to know how to ride... even if it is a tiger. Once the burly young man is mounted, Suraksha takes a moment to pad around the spot where the item was, swishing her tail and making a mess of the tracks there. She wants it to look like some animal was playing there, at worst, should someone come early -- and that none of Dominic's footprints remain.
After that the great tiger whirls and bounds off towards the caravan, running swiftly and silently on her broad, velvety paws. Indeed, it's just the creak and jingle of harness that gives away their passing... because the big tiger wishes very strongly to be back home with those she loves, to reassure herself that they're still fine... and to find out more about this dangerous, expensive little item they now carry. Quite frankly, as far as Sura is concerned, this obstruction of the leylines must stop! Dominic lays almost flat on Sura's back to present as little resistance as possible. He's thinking as they go. Should they send someone along the backtrail to check the other tributaries?
It's late before they get back and most of the caravan has battened down for bed -- or at least all the children are are asleep. The guards are double-posted and Sura and Dom are hailed when they get close. Suraksha gives a low, carrying "Growf!" to announce herself. She chuffs a laugh when a happily chittering Alg leaps out of a tree and lands on her, then bounces excitedly off and on a few times in his relief and excitement at seeing her safe home again. "We ba'gh -- an' foun' somedh'ing real innerez'dhing!" Rattler joins them the moment he hears that they're back.
Suraksha will quickly shift shape as soon as she's safely by the campfire, pulling on her tunic and giving Dominic a relieved thank-you hug. "Fabulous job, dear! Also, Sna'tha, wait until you see what we found!" She smiles as the burly young man solemnly pulls out the two-foot-long item and hands it to the slender sidhe woman. "What do you think of that? Dom here says it was soaking up the leyline energy as the line came up out of the ground."
Sna'tha carefully takes the apparatus and stares at it almost in awe, "This is... horrible and wonderful."
Suraksha nods ruefully from the warmth of Rattler's encircling arms -- she'd nearly flown over to hug him tightly! She's incredibly relieved he's doing better... and she figures he'd like to know she's all right too. She murmurs, "Last scent there was about three days ago, and Dom says it's about half full. I think..." She hesitates, then sighs, "No. I know we have to confront them. This cannot go on -- it must stop before something truly awful happens."
Rattler hugs his beloved tightly, then peers at the thing, "Dat... hell, dat a lot of quartz. A lot. If dey been usin' t'ings like dis on several leylines, dey got to have substantial treasuries... de Brahmins rich, an' may even be dis rich, but doan know if dey dry-up-a-major-leyline rich... unless dey done some ver' drastic t'ings I doan know 'bout."
Suraksha nods again, her demeanor worried as she murmurs quietly, "Yes... that was my concern also: where is all the money coming from?! Dominic says there's no major veins of quartz nearby, too... so this was imported. Or at least the quartz was." She thinks a bit, then adds, "But first things first. Number one! Is there a way to ensure this thing is not trackable at all? Then, number two: do we try confronting these people without warning in about three more days? Or do we travel around and yank all these toys out of the ground?" She pauses, thinking... then smiles ruefully, "Actually, that sort of answers the question, doesn't it? Deprive the enemy of as many resources as possible."
Roy nods and examines the thing more closely, "I mean, my scepter have 'bout as much quartz in one stone as four or five dese -- but dat scepter, it exceptionally fine. But a dozen? Of dis quality? An'... shit... dere may be several of dese back de way we came."
Sna'tha says quietly, "If we can find more of them, that would mean we'd have a backup source of ley energy, if we needed -- a source that isn't that poor girl."
Suraksha nods firmly, "All right... so we'll have to send out scouts to backtrack as many streams as we can find. We'll also need to figure out if anyone besides Dom can follow these -- or he's going to be quite busy in the next few days!"
With some planning the caravaneers make up a small team of folks that can backtrack and look for more of the devices along the dried-up leylines, moving quickly and trying to return before the three days are up. Roy is grim, saying, "Might be good to have de Taps away from de caravan if dey do come back in t'ree days." After that everyone settles in for the night. They'll need good rest before the lightning raids.
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