As per the battle plans finally hammered out in the Annex that Saturday night, Gem and Pons were to hit the water tank of the Cobra Heads in their small camp, and then they all would raid the camp at dawn, hoping the drug the thief would slip into their water supply would wreak havoc on the aliens before the rescue group hit them hard.
The area that Gem led Pons to was forested rather heavily. There were lots of deciduous trees, along with some evergreens, and low shrubs and bushes; a lot of forest detritus. The trail that the three women, Aja, Sitalkis, and Gem had earlier discovered had led them to the small camp. They had charted it and then took the info back to the group. Now, on the way here, the thief and the musketeer had stopped and gathered the grenades donated by Aja, and they were loaded for bear, so to speak. The elf had them tie up their horses a good five hundred yards back, because the Cobra heads had a posted guard, in the form of a ring around the camp, and from their vantage point, hiding between trees, they could see that there was a central grouping of prisoners in cages and in traps of varying kinds. It was easy to hear the cries and groans, and even to smell the stench of fear and unwashed bodies. Gem studied the layout of the camp, and was relieved to see that it was still here. No more hunting for this particular group, at least.
The night air brought the chilled air of fall to his lungs, fog billowing from his lips. As he rode besides her, he seemed focused, withdrawn. Hand on the musket at his hip, the other gripping the reins. A light tug given, and Muse came to a stop. He slid from the saddle, keeping a slither like presence besides the thief. When they came to a stop, his nose curled at the stench as eyes turned to her for direction. Gem was not withdrawn, though she was respecting the musketeer's quietness. Or rather, his promotion, as it were, just hours earlier. It was still dark, with dawn some four hours away. They had to get the drug in the water tank in time for the cobra heads to drink from it and become affected before the dawn raid that was planned by Aja and company. She had a gleam in her eyes, a tension to her form as they rode and then as they slipped through the dark forest, an edge that was all excitement and the glory of danger. Her eyes sparkled like veritable amethysts in the dim lighting, faceted and bright.
Once they were hunkered down and watching the camp, she spoke in a soft tone to the man. ?Porthos wants you only escorting me here....you know this. We are here....but if you can throw grenades at the right time, then that would really help me out. They will come after you, and so you must be ready to ride like the wind, Pons. Oui?? She smiled up at him, as she knelt beside him. Pons stopped besides her, one hand on the tree, the other on his musket. He nodded his head, taking in the line of guards, and the dangers at hand. Her question drew his attention and he glanced to her. ?Oui, mon Diamond. Oui... We shall meet down the hill. If I do not see you in a given time I shall come back for you.? They got this far together he would not return without her. Gem gnawed on her bottom lip and shook her head. ?No ....you cannot....you must not. If I don't come back, you go and get the rest of them. I can't...let you sacrifice yourself for me. No.? She gave a firm look at him. ?Besides, Porthos would never forgive me.? One hand brushed very lightly and very fleetingly over his arm, before she was up and moving away from him. She paused some five feet away and looked back for a long moment. ?Count to fifteen minutes. By then I should be past the line of guards. It is then that I will need them to be pulled away from the water tank. The tank is at the back left of the camp. Pull them to the right and you will aid me, and likely save my life.? She smiled and then was gone, flitting into shadow and brush as if she had never been there. Pons looked to where she had been, processed her words, then he shook his head. ?Porthos would never forgive me if I didn't bring you back, mon Diamond. You can hit me later if you wish, but I will see you return with me.?
She did not protest his words, for she was already out in the grasses of the clearing that surrounded the camp. The thief used all her wiles, once again, to wend her slippery way into the camp and past the guards. The darkness aided her significantly. She had a very hairy moment when one guard suddenly turned and almost stepped on her, but she held utterly still and thought good thoughts. The huge, armored warrior moved the other way, providence aiding her at the last second. Breathing a sigh of relief that was only non-aspirated air, she crept through brush and tall grass, moving from one shadow to another, maneuvering to get to the tank, which was at the back left section of the camp. Finally she was within ten feet of the water tank. It was surrounded by five guards. She did not see how she could get past them all, not five of them. She waited, breathing as silently as she could, with the practiced patience pf a thief, for the Frenchman to do his thing.
As soon as she was gone, Pons started his count of fifteen minutes. The watch attached to his coat was checked, eyes turning up only to check that he was still a slithering snake. Fifteen minutes. He scanned the brush, just trying to see if she could be found, but there was no luck. When the time to create a diversion came he stepped from the cover of the tree and shouted. ?Oi! Mon Amis! Your mother wears a cod piece! ? That was five seconds, the pin already pulled on a grenade. He tossed, turned, and fled as he swore in French. ?Espoir que vous pouvez courir plus rapidement que votre m?re a fait quand je lui ai dit qu'elle a ressembl? ? un horse' ; ?ne des! ?
Gem heard him yelling, then, and a silly grin curled her lips, though when she saw the reaction and the force that moved out against him, she almost ran after them to call them back. Run, Pons, run, was silently offered up like a prayer. Two cobra heads remained at the tank, for they knew their duties. Two was much more doable than five. The thief slipped between them, silent as sin, and then threw two flash balls to land on either side of the tank as if they were coming from the tents alongside the thing. Closing her eyes, the silent balls went off, and bright, white light arced out, blinding the two guards. They hollered, but Gem was already up and atop the tank, using her tools to open up the thing. She managed it, with some difficulty, and then she was pouring the Rohypnol she had bought from Jared into the tank. It was tasteless and odorless. The six bags she had brought with her should be sufficient quantity to make the water a deadly brew to many, and at the very least a sleepy concoction to others of the cobra heads. A huge portion of them should be at least ill and under the weather. Hard to say how such a drug would work on alien physiology. Hell, it just might kill all of them!
?Les voici qui viennent ! Venez sur vous foie mother' de lis ; gar?ons des! ? There was a loud sort of yeehaaww from him, but more ?French?. He continued to run, faster and faster, grabbing his honey colored mare and tossing another Grenade. ?Venez me vous obtenir les b?tards anglais!? Once upon the back of Muse, he started to ride, quickly. The musket in his hand drawn, pointed out towards the nearest Snakehead. The hammer was pulled back then trigger pulled. With a echoing shot, he fired upon one of the snake head. ?Mon dieu!? He seemed pleased, a Cheshire grin forming upon his lips. The gunpowder did far more damage than he had expected it to do. A chuckle parted from him, shaking his chest like Santa and his belly. ?Tous pour un! Un pour tous! D?p?chez mon diamant doux! Le matin attend et ainsi je! One hour, mon Diamond! One hour!?
The Diamond he spoke to was currently having more difficulties. She had the lid back on the tank, but a couple more cobra heads were converging towards her from the grouping of prisoners in the middle. She had had a mind to see who was in there, but it was looking as if she was not going to be able to. There were still more guards in that area, and in the darkness she just could not make out who was over there. She still had hopes that Montgomery, at least, would be in this group. Gem slithered down from the tank, and dodged the snarling, blinded two that were trying to get their bearings near the tank, who were calling for help. She slapped one of her sticky acid balls on the back of one of the blinded ones, to see if it would melt the metal. She grinned as it began to sizzle nicely, but she was so happy and caught up at the sight of the acid working, that she did not see the energy stick the alien swung around. It caught her across the back of her shoulders and sent her tumbling forwards in a flail of limbs and braid. She fetched up at the feet of one of the arriving cobra heads, and he immediately tried to crush her underfoot with his big, armored foot. She rolled, and then yelped as he stomped down on her braid, yanking her to a stop. The elf got a very nasty kick in the side by one armored boot. She could feel ribs give way, as a pained cry left her. Gem reached into her belt and dropped a handful of her specially prepared poisoned caltrops behind her and then waited for the right moment. As the cobra head shifted, she yanked on her braid and rolled away, listening to him yelling and screeching as he stepped on the four inch prongs of poisoned steel. It seemed to pierce the armor of his boots quite nicely. There was another snake head there, though, and she struggled to avoid him, darting and dancing out of his reach only barely, every movement painful as her ribs protested such acrobatics. The acid-hit snake head was also flailing about, screaming as his spine was being eaten away by acid, though he was a bit less of a danger because he could not see yet. Gem ran for the edge of the camp, pulling out a grenade as she fled. Agile fingers yanked out the pin, she counted to five, tossed it behind her, and then she was running for the trees like a frightened deer. The grenade went off with a huge BOOM. A handful left behind that were not currently chasing Pons heard the noise and joined the surviving two from the tank area. They were hot on her heels as she raced for heavy forest.
Either the sound of the elf?s yelps or the grenade had drawn his attention. He had turned his sweet Muse and plowed through the Snakeheads chasing him. Courage, the vow to protect others, and a fair woman was in danger, he couldn't back away now. His musket went off with another shattering BOOM, smoke pouring from the hammer. There was a rough moment where pins were pulled on two Grenades and tossed behind him. As his mare rushed for the ones in pursuit of Gem behind them there were another set of BOOM?s! He could have sworn there were a few cries of pain or anger, but that wasn't important. ?Mon Diamond! Come to me! Quick! ? Gem was not running with her normal speed and grace. Her side was screaming at her, as she darted and dodged between shrubs and trees. The group trailing her was gaining on her, though she could hear things happening behind her. She turned to look over a shoulder and saw that coming up behind the five on her tail was her French hero. She gave a relieved grin and then promptly turned to run at a right angle from her current path so he could get to her without running through her pursuers. She didn't know what he planned, but she was doing what he said, coming to him, quick as ever she could, one hand wrapped around and holding her right side.
As soon as his Diamond was clear another Grenade was sent barreling towards the snakeheads lumbering to follow her. His free arm extended and as Muse turned he leaned, swooping her up onto his steed with him. The BOOM came all in one with his quick pick up. He handed over Musket and Grenades to her as he chuckled. ?I'll drive and you fire, oui?? He was already rushing down the hill, the blue steed that Gem had come on already well ahead of them. Oh yes, her sweet, blue roan gelding had pulled his reins from the brush, once the grenades started going off, though he was in no actual danger. He was not a trained war horse, naturally, and he did not like the whole idea of loud noises he did not know anything about. She felt guilty, for she should have thought of this. She would have to make it up to him later. The sweep up from the ground would not strain the musketeer unduly, for Gem weighed no more than 83 pounds in all her gear, but it did strain her her side. She gave a little cry as he pulled her up. The elf could feel ribs that were either cracked or broken move and do bad things to her inner flesh. She managed to take the grenades and the musket from him, and then clinging with her thighs to the back of Muse, she began to toss grenades and shoot the black powder musket, though it only had one shot in it....she did not have any powder or shot to reload it with. She gave a satisfied smile as the last two went down to grenade shrapnel, and one of them lost half his cobra head at the gunshot from the black powder gun. Then she was leaning against the back of the Musketeer and clinging with one arm, the prized musket dangling in the other. Her horse, Blue, for lack of better name yet, raced off for what she could only hope was Samiel, neighing his protest at the unhappy set of events he had been unwilling party to. ?It's good we got those last ones, Pons?. She panted that to the Frenchman. Those last two saw me at the tank, I think, but they are done for.
The Musketeer did not mind the clinging to, no, and if she didn't think he wasn't aware of what condition she was in, she was going to find herself wrong. The mare ran, putting her heart into each wild step and clearly putting them far beyond the reach of the Snake heads. He gave a nod to her words. ?Oui, mon Diamond... We are to move to Anya's abode no?? Anya was a doctor, he knew that they would be better off going there than back to the Inn. The snake heads would more than likely search there first. ?No...no, I don't know where she lives.....::She frowned at the realization of this. She was going to have to find that out, later. Meanwhile, she tried to thinkof where to go, while the horse, sweet as she was, was jarring her insides and making it feel as if she had swallowed glass. ?To Vadriel. An ex-priest I know.? He was the only one Gem did not outright fear. ?No...nononoo...it is too far.? She was not feeling well, and really did not think she could make it that far on this galloping horse. The Frenchman?s brows furrowed. ?I know a place... .? The horse raced along, picking up the pace faster and faster along the hidden path. He turned quickly, an arm wrapping around her, holding her to him as he raced. ?Hang on to me Diamond.? He would have to do what he could to get her mended. Pons was determined to see to that.
The area that Gem led Pons to was forested rather heavily. There were lots of deciduous trees, along with some evergreens, and low shrubs and bushes; a lot of forest detritus. The trail that the three women, Aja, Sitalkis, and Gem had earlier discovered had led them to the small camp. They had charted it and then took the info back to the group. Now, on the way here, the thief and the musketeer had stopped and gathered the grenades donated by Aja, and they were loaded for bear, so to speak. The elf had them tie up their horses a good five hundred yards back, because the Cobra heads had a posted guard, in the form of a ring around the camp, and from their vantage point, hiding between trees, they could see that there was a central grouping of prisoners in cages and in traps of varying kinds. It was easy to hear the cries and groans, and even to smell the stench of fear and unwashed bodies. Gem studied the layout of the camp, and was relieved to see that it was still here. No more hunting for this particular group, at least.
The night air brought the chilled air of fall to his lungs, fog billowing from his lips. As he rode besides her, he seemed focused, withdrawn. Hand on the musket at his hip, the other gripping the reins. A light tug given, and Muse came to a stop. He slid from the saddle, keeping a slither like presence besides the thief. When they came to a stop, his nose curled at the stench as eyes turned to her for direction. Gem was not withdrawn, though she was respecting the musketeer's quietness. Or rather, his promotion, as it were, just hours earlier. It was still dark, with dawn some four hours away. They had to get the drug in the water tank in time for the cobra heads to drink from it and become affected before the dawn raid that was planned by Aja and company. She had a gleam in her eyes, a tension to her form as they rode and then as they slipped through the dark forest, an edge that was all excitement and the glory of danger. Her eyes sparkled like veritable amethysts in the dim lighting, faceted and bright.
Once they were hunkered down and watching the camp, she spoke in a soft tone to the man. ?Porthos wants you only escorting me here....you know this. We are here....but if you can throw grenades at the right time, then that would really help me out. They will come after you, and so you must be ready to ride like the wind, Pons. Oui?? She smiled up at him, as she knelt beside him. Pons stopped besides her, one hand on the tree, the other on his musket. He nodded his head, taking in the line of guards, and the dangers at hand. Her question drew his attention and he glanced to her. ?Oui, mon Diamond. Oui... We shall meet down the hill. If I do not see you in a given time I shall come back for you.? They got this far together he would not return without her. Gem gnawed on her bottom lip and shook her head. ?No ....you cannot....you must not. If I don't come back, you go and get the rest of them. I can't...let you sacrifice yourself for me. No.? She gave a firm look at him. ?Besides, Porthos would never forgive me.? One hand brushed very lightly and very fleetingly over his arm, before she was up and moving away from him. She paused some five feet away and looked back for a long moment. ?Count to fifteen minutes. By then I should be past the line of guards. It is then that I will need them to be pulled away from the water tank. The tank is at the back left of the camp. Pull them to the right and you will aid me, and likely save my life.? She smiled and then was gone, flitting into shadow and brush as if she had never been there. Pons looked to where she had been, processed her words, then he shook his head. ?Porthos would never forgive me if I didn't bring you back, mon Diamond. You can hit me later if you wish, but I will see you return with me.?
She did not protest his words, for she was already out in the grasses of the clearing that surrounded the camp. The thief used all her wiles, once again, to wend her slippery way into the camp and past the guards. The darkness aided her significantly. She had a very hairy moment when one guard suddenly turned and almost stepped on her, but she held utterly still and thought good thoughts. The huge, armored warrior moved the other way, providence aiding her at the last second. Breathing a sigh of relief that was only non-aspirated air, she crept through brush and tall grass, moving from one shadow to another, maneuvering to get to the tank, which was at the back left section of the camp. Finally she was within ten feet of the water tank. It was surrounded by five guards. She did not see how she could get past them all, not five of them. She waited, breathing as silently as she could, with the practiced patience pf a thief, for the Frenchman to do his thing.
As soon as she was gone, Pons started his count of fifteen minutes. The watch attached to his coat was checked, eyes turning up only to check that he was still a slithering snake. Fifteen minutes. He scanned the brush, just trying to see if she could be found, but there was no luck. When the time to create a diversion came he stepped from the cover of the tree and shouted. ?Oi! Mon Amis! Your mother wears a cod piece! ? That was five seconds, the pin already pulled on a grenade. He tossed, turned, and fled as he swore in French. ?Espoir que vous pouvez courir plus rapidement que votre m?re a fait quand je lui ai dit qu'elle a ressembl? ? un horse' ; ?ne des! ?
Gem heard him yelling, then, and a silly grin curled her lips, though when she saw the reaction and the force that moved out against him, she almost ran after them to call them back. Run, Pons, run, was silently offered up like a prayer. Two cobra heads remained at the tank, for they knew their duties. Two was much more doable than five. The thief slipped between them, silent as sin, and then threw two flash balls to land on either side of the tank as if they were coming from the tents alongside the thing. Closing her eyes, the silent balls went off, and bright, white light arced out, blinding the two guards. They hollered, but Gem was already up and atop the tank, using her tools to open up the thing. She managed it, with some difficulty, and then she was pouring the Rohypnol she had bought from Jared into the tank. It was tasteless and odorless. The six bags she had brought with her should be sufficient quantity to make the water a deadly brew to many, and at the very least a sleepy concoction to others of the cobra heads. A huge portion of them should be at least ill and under the weather. Hard to say how such a drug would work on alien physiology. Hell, it just might kill all of them!
?Les voici qui viennent ! Venez sur vous foie mother' de lis ; gar?ons des! ? There was a loud sort of yeehaaww from him, but more ?French?. He continued to run, faster and faster, grabbing his honey colored mare and tossing another Grenade. ?Venez me vous obtenir les b?tards anglais!? Once upon the back of Muse, he started to ride, quickly. The musket in his hand drawn, pointed out towards the nearest Snakehead. The hammer was pulled back then trigger pulled. With a echoing shot, he fired upon one of the snake head. ?Mon dieu!? He seemed pleased, a Cheshire grin forming upon his lips. The gunpowder did far more damage than he had expected it to do. A chuckle parted from him, shaking his chest like Santa and his belly. ?Tous pour un! Un pour tous! D?p?chez mon diamant doux! Le matin attend et ainsi je! One hour, mon Diamond! One hour!?
The Diamond he spoke to was currently having more difficulties. She had the lid back on the tank, but a couple more cobra heads were converging towards her from the grouping of prisoners in the middle. She had had a mind to see who was in there, but it was looking as if she was not going to be able to. There were still more guards in that area, and in the darkness she just could not make out who was over there. She still had hopes that Montgomery, at least, would be in this group. Gem slithered down from the tank, and dodged the snarling, blinded two that were trying to get their bearings near the tank, who were calling for help. She slapped one of her sticky acid balls on the back of one of the blinded ones, to see if it would melt the metal. She grinned as it began to sizzle nicely, but she was so happy and caught up at the sight of the acid working, that she did not see the energy stick the alien swung around. It caught her across the back of her shoulders and sent her tumbling forwards in a flail of limbs and braid. She fetched up at the feet of one of the arriving cobra heads, and he immediately tried to crush her underfoot with his big, armored foot. She rolled, and then yelped as he stomped down on her braid, yanking her to a stop. The elf got a very nasty kick in the side by one armored boot. She could feel ribs give way, as a pained cry left her. Gem reached into her belt and dropped a handful of her specially prepared poisoned caltrops behind her and then waited for the right moment. As the cobra head shifted, she yanked on her braid and rolled away, listening to him yelling and screeching as he stepped on the four inch prongs of poisoned steel. It seemed to pierce the armor of his boots quite nicely. There was another snake head there, though, and she struggled to avoid him, darting and dancing out of his reach only barely, every movement painful as her ribs protested such acrobatics. The acid-hit snake head was also flailing about, screaming as his spine was being eaten away by acid, though he was a bit less of a danger because he could not see yet. Gem ran for the edge of the camp, pulling out a grenade as she fled. Agile fingers yanked out the pin, she counted to five, tossed it behind her, and then she was running for the trees like a frightened deer. The grenade went off with a huge BOOM. A handful left behind that were not currently chasing Pons heard the noise and joined the surviving two from the tank area. They were hot on her heels as she raced for heavy forest.
Either the sound of the elf?s yelps or the grenade had drawn his attention. He had turned his sweet Muse and plowed through the Snakeheads chasing him. Courage, the vow to protect others, and a fair woman was in danger, he couldn't back away now. His musket went off with another shattering BOOM, smoke pouring from the hammer. There was a rough moment where pins were pulled on two Grenades and tossed behind him. As his mare rushed for the ones in pursuit of Gem behind them there were another set of BOOM?s! He could have sworn there were a few cries of pain or anger, but that wasn't important. ?Mon Diamond! Come to me! Quick! ? Gem was not running with her normal speed and grace. Her side was screaming at her, as she darted and dodged between shrubs and trees. The group trailing her was gaining on her, though she could hear things happening behind her. She turned to look over a shoulder and saw that coming up behind the five on her tail was her French hero. She gave a relieved grin and then promptly turned to run at a right angle from her current path so he could get to her without running through her pursuers. She didn't know what he planned, but she was doing what he said, coming to him, quick as ever she could, one hand wrapped around and holding her right side.
As soon as his Diamond was clear another Grenade was sent barreling towards the snakeheads lumbering to follow her. His free arm extended and as Muse turned he leaned, swooping her up onto his steed with him. The BOOM came all in one with his quick pick up. He handed over Musket and Grenades to her as he chuckled. ?I'll drive and you fire, oui?? He was already rushing down the hill, the blue steed that Gem had come on already well ahead of them. Oh yes, her sweet, blue roan gelding had pulled his reins from the brush, once the grenades started going off, though he was in no actual danger. He was not a trained war horse, naturally, and he did not like the whole idea of loud noises he did not know anything about. She felt guilty, for she should have thought of this. She would have to make it up to him later. The sweep up from the ground would not strain the musketeer unduly, for Gem weighed no more than 83 pounds in all her gear, but it did strain her her side. She gave a little cry as he pulled her up. The elf could feel ribs that were either cracked or broken move and do bad things to her inner flesh. She managed to take the grenades and the musket from him, and then clinging with her thighs to the back of Muse, she began to toss grenades and shoot the black powder musket, though it only had one shot in it....she did not have any powder or shot to reload it with. She gave a satisfied smile as the last two went down to grenade shrapnel, and one of them lost half his cobra head at the gunshot from the black powder gun. Then she was leaning against the back of the Musketeer and clinging with one arm, the prized musket dangling in the other. Her horse, Blue, for lack of better name yet, raced off for what she could only hope was Samiel, neighing his protest at the unhappy set of events he had been unwilling party to. ?It's good we got those last ones, Pons?. She panted that to the Frenchman. Those last two saw me at the tank, I think, but they are done for.
The Musketeer did not mind the clinging to, no, and if she didn't think he wasn't aware of what condition she was in, she was going to find herself wrong. The mare ran, putting her heart into each wild step and clearly putting them far beyond the reach of the Snake heads. He gave a nod to her words. ?Oui, mon Diamond... We are to move to Anya's abode no?? Anya was a doctor, he knew that they would be better off going there than back to the Inn. The snake heads would more than likely search there first. ?No...no, I don't know where she lives.....::She frowned at the realization of this. She was going to have to find that out, later. Meanwhile, she tried to thinkof where to go, while the horse, sweet as she was, was jarring her insides and making it feel as if she had swallowed glass. ?To Vadriel. An ex-priest I know.? He was the only one Gem did not outright fear. ?No...nononoo...it is too far.? She was not feeling well, and really did not think she could make it that far on this galloping horse. The Frenchman?s brows furrowed. ?I know a place... .? The horse raced along, picking up the pace faster and faster along the hidden path. He turned quickly, an arm wrapping around her, holding her to him as he raced. ?Hang on to me Diamond.? He would have to do what he could to get her mended. Pons was determined to see to that.