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Three days of waiting sitting on my back side didn't seem like a bad thing except for the idea that someone built a wooden wall around something in my path to the land bridge to our eventual home. That someone also had armed guards walking the top of that wall, the scout stated there was a gate technically big enough for a wagon to go through. So we could hope they would let people in at the very least we will see though today.

Atsuko had given us the OK this morning to rejoin the rest of the group as we were no longer a danger to anyone who couldn't have the vaccine as yet. So I went in search of Jake, and found him looking over a rough map of the wall as Jose had drawn from his trips to investigate. Jake looks up as I walk up to him, "ah. Good I was hoping you would be about today. Jose said there was some kind of ruckus going on at their gate yesterday, so it might be best if we checked them out today. I would like to know how you think we should proceed."

I nod my head and glance at his map, the 'wall' was built fairly simply from the looks of it. Instead of it being logs driven into the ground as I had imagined from Jose saying 'wooden' it seems whomever built it had raided a former Big Box hardware store and just built a reinforced plywood barricade. It was more boxy than round, and did have at least two gates to it. "Well as we know nothing about the place I say we leave all non humans at least outside out of sight. Coal will need to stay with his herd to protect them, also I think a group of fighters male and female should be going. Also Jake, you will have to act as full Leader inside there. Just make a point that you value ideas from your subordinates, if this is another group like that group of weirdo's we rescued Tammy from they'll prefer dealing with a male in charge. Don't introduce me as Hunter in case it's another group of Dragon cultists." Jake nods and tells me he'll have a group ready in thirty minutes so I should go and eat.

As I head towards the cooking area Alberich shoves me from behind, "what part of guardians do you not understand?" I stop and turn towards him with my hands on my hips, "oh I understand. Notice I said outside in the trees out of sight, I'm sure you will charge in if something went South." He paws the ground with a hoof, "yes though I have a way to see what you are seeing if you permit me to look through your eyes when we arrive there. I won't do it without your permission, but it would help me see what is going on in case you need aid. I ask you first because I will be able to hear your thoughts that you don't direct at me. Talking mind to mind is directing thoughts to each other, this is me literally sitting in your head."

I touch his nose lightly, "Alberich it's alright. I give you permission to do so then, who knows we might need that as an edge in battle in case these people are wacko." I then turn around and go find some food, in the cooking area I see Calliope sitting in the center of the eating area. The food prep and eating areas have portable chairs for the elderly and pregnant women as well as anyone injured. Calliope was trying to not look at all the people watching her. I spy Samuel getting some bread, Cheshire sneaking a few slices when he thought no one was looking. "Samuel, I know Calliope only had one person at any time watching her so what gives?" Samuel glares at the girl then looks back at me, "she tried sneaking out the night she heard there was some kind of group out there. Tried stabbing one of the older teens who was learning how to guard camp, Jake very loudly announced the next morning that everyone was to keep an eye on her and if she wanted to leave fine. After Harriet has her grandchild in her arms." I shake my head at the stupidity of the girl's actions, "is the kid alright?" Samuel nods his head, "yeah. She got him in the arm though and cut quite a few muscles loose, the Dr fixed him up but he's going to have to practice harder with his bow now if he wants a rematch with Jose."

I blink, "a kid challenged Jose to an archery match?" Samuel smiles, "oh yeah it was quite the match too." Samuel tosses me a roll, "the kid only lost by one target. Jose has been teaching the kid himself how to use the bow, kid's one of the orphan's. Jose was livid when he heard what Calliope had done." Cheshire walks up and leans against my leg, "every right to be. Jose has been treating that kid like the boy is his own son, hey; you going to finish that bread?" Cheshire blinks at me with an innocent look. I smile at him and respond, "yep as we have to go check out those people behind that wall. I think Harriet is going to try to bake cookies today, maybe you should ask her real nicely if she'd save you some." Cheshire blinks and jumps up, "do you think so? Cookies? Oh excuse me I need to talk to her." Samuel chuckles as he watches Cheshire zip off, "never thought I'd see a cat go nuts over baked goods." I laugh along with him, "well Alberich says that it's more the smell of them than the taste. Seems the gryphonic species has a weak spot for baked goods like cats have for catnip." Samuel points toward the road, "looks like Jake wants you to look over his choices. I won't be going with, I think it's best you have a couple of the top fighters stay behind just in case." I nod in agreement and he wishes me luck and I head off to see the people Jake has chosen to go with us.

The group Jake picked to go with is an interesting mix, of people; ten in total. All the men in the group practically oozed danger as you looked at them, while the women all looked utterly harmless. The amusing part about that is, in this mix of people the women were the more dangerous group. Two of them were from the group we rescued from the Breeder camp, not as 'bad ass' as Tammy but they were pretty strong and knew how to fight dirty. You could see the weapons on the men but not the women, I imagine that is why he picked the women he did. Ones no one would think could fight that fought with weapons easily hidden.

I elected to leave my obvious weapons at camp, I did have a few knives on myself; little good they would do me aside from blocking. Not that I could do any more than block against humans anyway, at least now I knew why I couldn't. Alberich and Cheshire escorted us to just outside of the line of sight of the structure. I say structure as upon seeing it I refused to call it a wall anymore, it looked more like a Jerry rigged corral than a defensible wall.

Just before heading toward the gate on this side of the 'location' Alberich linked up with me, it felt odd. Like when you feel a headache coming on but it never shows up, after a few moments the feeling passes. "Alright, seems to have worked. While you are in the camp, town, whatever I will only talk mind to mind with you." I nod my head and the fourteen of us head to the gate with Jake in the front and me on his left and Shadow on his right.

The 'gate', if you want to call it that. Looked like a piece of wooden privacy fence with some hinges on it, house hinges not even fence ones. A voice challenges us from up on the 'wall'. "Hey, you down there. What are you here for?" I huff softly in annoyance at how rude the guard was, Jake answers him. "We're a group of travelers and we were planning on passing through if that isn't an issue. However most of our group isn't here as yet, we came ahead to see why there was a wall on the path to the land bridge."

The man on the wall pauses a moment then looks about as if looking for someone, "hey get the Priest. We've got -travelers- at the gate. If you can't get him get one of his, what are they called? Oh acolytes, get one of them." The man goes back to looking out at the forest then as if it offended him, I discovered very shortly that the job of guarding on the wall was probably a prized job. As when the gate opened the smells from inside wafted out. A young man in dirty robes and unkempt hair is standing behind the gate. "Greetings newcomers! I hear you are travelers?"

Jake takes a deep breath as the man walks closer to us and I try to not gag. The man smells like he hadn't bathed in a month at least and then rolled in muck. "Ah yes, we are." Jake coughs trying to clear his nose and throat, "most of our group is still behind us as we wanted to check what your. -Home- was, since we have women and children we want to keep them safe with the way the world is."

The man smiles big then and claps his hands together excitedly, "well them maybe you will be entreated to stay with us instead of passing though. We are a safe haven in this world of Chaos, Father Innocent is purifying the world. He says if we get rid of the 'evils' in the current world we will be safe and free." I blink at the words coming out of this poor man's mouth, and Alberich comments. {Innocent? I certainly hope it's not a name he gave himself because he thought some of the more famous people with that name were role models. I agree with Alberich's thought, I'm going to request when you all leave you find a stream to bathe in just to ensure you haven't brought any germs with you. No matter how fascinating Atsuko might find them.} I agree again as the man leads us inside.

"I am called Peter," he says as we squelch through what I hope is mud. The buildings inside were cobbled together shanties, that looked like they were barely standing. Jake saw my expression and speaks quickly, "be aware that my people are permitted to speak their minds. In case there is an issue with that here I thought I would inform you." Peter pauses facing away from us taking a moment longer than it should have to turn and turns to face us, "quite alright. Everyone here is permitted to speak their minds."

The people behind me all start gagging then as they all let out the breaths they were holding in having discovered that it was pointless to try to avoid it. I look Peter in the face, "so where is everyone? The 'street' looks empty, also; not to offend. Do your people bathe?" Peter turns red faced, "well, we don't have enough water for silly things like bathing it is saved for drinking only. Everyone is at the center of town at the purging event. Come you should., see it." {Sounds like Peter doesn't like what is going on. Granted 'purging' event sounds sinister.} I agreed again concerned about what we might see.

As we approach the 'town' center we could hear voices raised and spied a sizable crowd. Looked like there was about one hundred 'citizens', and twenty, 'jailers' as these men walk around the perimeter of the gathered crowd and the people avoided them. We could hear a single voice shouting, "THIS ABOMINATION SHOULDN'T BE PERMITTED TO LIVE! BUT I AM MERCIFUL! WE WILL REMOVE IT'S ABERRANT NATURE AND IT WILL BE GOODLY ONCE MORE!" I almost hear a soft musical voice speak and then the shouting one starts up again as we push through the crowd. "ABOMINATION YOU CANNOT SPEAK STOP NOW OR I SHALL REMOVE YOUR TONGUE!" We come into the edge of the people gathered in the center just as I see a saw finish cutting through the horn of a unicorn who is tied in a kneeling position in front of a stump from a tree. {THAT BARBARIAN I WILL SLAUGHTER HIM!} I could feel Alberich leave my mind and I suddenly felt cold from what I had just witnessed the poor (female) unicorn was bleeding from multiple wounds across her flank and she was in a set of leather straps designed to mimic a harness and it appeared there was a bit-ed bridle on her head.

I had to think quickly as I could hear the commotion back at the wall from Alberich's approach, probably with Cheshire. I run forward and slice through all the leather on the poor thing's body and carefully remove the bridle from her head. Then I hear 'Father' Innocent, "How DARE YOU -woman-, you are interfering with a Holy Rite that you have no concept on. I am cleansing this creature of it's aberrant nature so God might save this blighted world."

I spit in his direction as my people surround me and the unicorn, "there is nothing aberrant here except for how you treat life. This -Unicorn-," I hear gasps at the word unicorn. Maybe the 'people' have potential. I continue, "is a living intelligent being whom you tortured and abused. Her 'cousin' is on his way in with a gryphon relative to tell you what they think of what you are doing." The townspeople scatter when they hear that, they might fear their 'Father' but the word 'Gryphon' gets attention, pity I said relative.

Father Innocent pales and his guards move in closer and Shadow steps out with two of the women to take them on, while Peter tries hiding behind a bench. Alberich storms forward with a couple of arrows in his flank and stops dead in front of Father Innocent, "how dare you. That child, which it is. Is not ABERRANT! You 'Father' Innocent have lived up to the name you have chosen, and I judge you in place of this Filly's parent's as guilty of torture." Alberich then runs the man through with his horn then after the man falls dead Cheshire lands on the body and proceeds to tear it to shreds. Alberich turns to us and seeing that Shadow and the others had the 'town guard' in control walks over twitching in anger.

He kneels next to her, as she hasn't stood as yet. I notice then the size difference, even if she was a child if she were a 'warrior' type she'd be bigger. She was also Grey colored, "Alberich I thought they were white colored." He shoots me an angry glare, "she is a CHILD so of course she isn't the color of an adult magical unicorn. She's also by the looks only two years old, a unicorn isn't considered an adult until they are twenty. Though they might have the adult built and intellect." He turns back to her, "can you stand and walk?" She makes an attempt to stand and falters then with Alberich's help gets onto her four legs. "Good, Gwen get on my back." He turns to look at Shadow, "mop this up I need to take her to get fixed up and you can't watch Gwen while pacifying the town at the same time." He turns to Jake, "you know Gwen's viewpoints. Also consider we cannot take everyone here, tell them where we are going and why. Also tell them who is in charge. To those that chose to stay give advise to on how to fix this mess." He then turns to Peter who is still cowering under the bench, "and you BOY will give me a full accounting of those your 'Father' has killed and or tortured when I return." I get onto Alberich and with the filly leaning against him walk out of the town, an hour walk into the forest surrounding the town we enter a clearing where Alberich stops. The young unicorn collapses on the ground exhausted, and I slide off Alberich to check on her. She was still breathing but asleep, "well if I were in that much pain I'd probably pass out too." I say to Alberich who starts pacing, "where is that cat." He starts muttering, and I realize I hadn't seen Cheshire after he tore up the 'Father's' body. As I start wondering what was going on I hear rustling from our left and Cheshire walks into the clearing with, a very tall man.

The man spies the young unicorn on the ground and rushes over, he starts talking to no one in particular. "I know Cheshire said she was in bad shape, but who would do this to a unicorn and a child of all things. I imagine she's not healing herself due to her horn being removed, I wish whichever God decided the ability for a unicorn to heal had to originate in it's horn had rethought it." Alberich walks over and nudges the man's shoulder, "will she be alright Gilorndir?" The man pats Alberich on the nose never looking up from the unicorn that he was still examining. It came to mind to me then, tall and weird sounding name. "You're an ELF!" I announce before thinking it though, the elf chuckles and glances at me. "What an astute observation from our Hunter, I hope you have better ones than that." I could feel my face getting red from embarrassment as he pulls a couple vials out of his bag he was wearing across his body. "She'll be find Alberich. She's just worn out and lost a bit of blood, after I dose her it'll take an hour for her to wake. Unlike our Hunter her wounds won't leave a scar, and my dear that has to do with the nature of magical unicorns." He reassures me, as I wiggle my shoulders feeling the minor pulls from the scar tissue now on my back.

"So you are the one who healed me a couple weeks ago, I thank you." He pours the liquid into the unicorn's mouth. "No worries, it is my job as an herbalist to aid those in need of it. By the by I will be joining your city, however I will meet you there as I prefer not traveling above ground with your current modes of transport. Also I have a few things I am locating for your gardener, a gift she will enjoy I am sure." He watches the unicorn for a moment before standing back up, "I do not intent to be rude but due to what happened to this Filly I'd prefer to not stay on the surface in this area. I will see you when you reach our Home, and know more Elves will be joining the city over time. A great many other species will as well once word gets out, pleasant journey." He then gives Alberich another pat on the shoulder, "watch her. At her age losing her horn might be too much mentally." Alberich nods and Gilorndir vanishes into the forest.