The Horseshoe's On the Other Hoof....

Lueoth

"By Mesus!" the centauress swears. "Come back to buy more products from this humble half folk have we? Well, after our last meet I must say that you all are MUCH more welcome than the usual run of ingrates I've had the misfortune to....."

She mutters a few more words on the matter, including how justice was now her's that Mesus (her diety I take) had seen it fit to wax in power and strength while the other dieties of non-half folk (I believe she means folks that are like her in being part animal and part human or some such) diminished into extinction. Meaning that the luck and prestige of her kind (marginalized for so long by the "pure" folk) was going to now eclipse the fallen. . . . .

Judging from various pieces of magical items she has at the easy reach she can back it up. See, the magic items are--I feel--for those who'd try to steal from her. However, I can well SEE she can well get away with those kinds of statements (i.e. with that hardware and her attitude she'll fry anyone who crosses her).

The attitude she now has might be justified or might not. Cannot say.

Right now whatever we've come into here, it's NOT our fight because we know too little to take sides. However, I get a feeling that more than a little discrimintion has been heaped upon the "half folks" for too long and now that the shoe is on the other foot. . . .

. . .

Or perhaps the horseshoe is on the other hoof, given the speaker, things could get ugly rather quickly! That and I feel that now that this centaur (and her centaur friends in the caravan) are the sole means of needed trade for some folks, things are going to be changing real soon here. What with the more established trade houses and all that in shambles . . . .with the choatic new world. But that is besides the point!

You see, we've just gottem a clue here, maybe, as to why Artizza 3 and Fertal 3 are moving instead of staying put for us to find!

"Ah, but I'm feeling generous today, what with meeting such open minded folks who'd do business with my like. . . " the centauress continues, smiling in now a friendly manner. "What would you like?"

"Uh pardon," I say. "But you're saying that you've already met my friends here? When?"

The centauress pauses, frowning and looking down at me.

"Well, of course!" she laughs, a little bit of the horse's "neigh" in her voice now. "I admit that they've changed hairstyles since last time, but magic is simple enough for that!"

Not wishing to ruin a potentail stroke of luck in our favor (we are able to sell that hair, but didn't get as much as we'd hoped for so need to be frugal), I let the mistake stand.

But after we're outfited and equipped adequately again (so much easier to buy the things we need instead of making them with our own hands....takes time to hunt up and make the materials from nature and all that)....

"There's another Artizza and Fertal couple out there?!" Artizza gags, finally giving voice to the question of the moment.

"Yes, there are." I say quietly. "And if anything we were to face a LOT of difficulty . . . even more so than what one would expect to before now if they are . . . actually friendly and not sent here to make our task difficult."

In other words, who knows if these new folks are actually like "our" Artizzas and Fertals. They might be leading our poor elfin brother and sister down the garden path the the chopping block!

"May I suggest....?" Jarlath says, pulling out his magic carpet just as our team leader, Astra 9, is going to tell him to do just that!

Speed is of the essence now, and I fear that we'll have to abandon the horses if for a bit, leaving them tied up to the front of the inn/bar or something like that whilst we make a hasty flying search of the area. We'll be visible for miles and miles, but we're hoping that if my dark eyed siblings can "feel" them quickly enough, it'll be worth the risk of being seen by the wrong sorts. . . . God knows if we're doing the right thing, though. . . .

Meanwhile. . . .

Fertal 4's group has managed to slip the trap set by the hunters, instead opting to abandon their horses and instead capture (and tame for a time) some wild deer. Riding the deer, the elves are now making decent time (considering the improvised mounts) when they see . . .

A flying carpet with a LOT of people on it . . .

Going to ground, they hide. See, they think that Angar the wizard is after them so THIS carpet might just be another set of minions. The Artizzas then gasp in surprise when their sharp elfin eyes (just a bit stronger by a tad than their mates) notice that some of the riders . . . look rather familiar.

And to add some spice to this mess, let us add a flock of arrows that the proto-Dark Elves here figure are coming from those hunters that they'd managed to slip. Let those arrows (most of them) be blocked by some kind of enchantment about the carpet, but let enough get through that the carpet gets pierced in a few places. Enough to make it start to fail so that the riders must land. . . .

So is it a trick to lure them back or do the elves here want to aid?

1. Trick or not? Trust or hide? You decide!

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