[It's mid morning! What a lovely, overcast Teckian day. Only Hanomaru wouldn't shut up, and Millie could swear there's a dull ringing in her ears by now.] [In any event, they're going to save some Injuns, one of which is Running Cloud, who *might* be able to save John from being hung. Or shot, if that doesn't work out.] [Session Start!] (And Millie, give me a hearing roll, +3.) (She makes it. "Excellent! You're not deaf yet.") (Heheh.) (Great to know she'll only not go deaf on a critical success. :P) * Millie rides along the path, occassionally glancing (irritatedly) at her loud bull of a travelling companion. * ManomanoHanomaru is now known as Hanomaru * Hanomaru is riding along, commenting loudly on the nature of nature. HAHAHA! THIS TECKIAN WEATHER IN NICE AND WARM! * Millie rubs her ears, wincing, and almost whispering compared to him. "Yeah...it is." [Locale: Plains. Grassy plains. Better than desert, because now you get dirt in your eyes instead of sand.] * Millie looks around. "So where's this place they're bein' held anyhow?" An'...when we get there, could ya do somethin' completely outta character and actually NOT let them know we're comin'? I'll take any edge I can get." GOWAAAH! I STILL AM NOT SURE! YOU HAVE ASKED THE MIGHTY HANOMARU MANY TIMES, AND EACH TIME HE DOES NOT KNOW! ...then where in tha hell are ya leadin' me? * Millie stops her horse and just stares incredulously at Hanomaru. * Hanomaru stops too. "I WAS FOLLOWING YOU, SILLY TECKIAN WOMAN!" * Hanomaru glances quickly to the side. "AND NOW, SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING US BOTH!" What the--I just GOT in the stupid village. What makes ya think I'd know where they took HER?" * Millie turns to the side, rearing Pepper a little. "Huh?" Her hands immediately go for her rifle. * Mikoto is on a grey horse. And decently close because Hanomaru is as good as a white noise generator. * Millie relaxes and takes her hand away from the rifle. "Mikky, it's--" She blinks and her eyes widen as she suddenly gets angry. "It's YOU?!? What the hell are ya doin' here? I thought ya were s'posed ta stay in Redrock!" * Hanomaru points at Mikoto. "GWAAAH! YOU KNOW THIS MAN? WHY HAVEN'T YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER?" * Millie just slaps her palm over her face and sloooowly rubs it down her face. She's definitely not looking like she's having a good day. * Mikoto smiles, and seems about to say something when he winces, eyeing Hanomaru briefly before turning back to Millie. "There ended up being nothing I could do, so I followed you." * Millie doesn't completely remove her hand as she speaks. "Yeah yeah...Mikky, this is Hanomaru. Hanomaru, Mikoto." GREETINGS, GOOD MAN! I AM THE LEGENDARY WARRIOR HANOMARU! * Millie suddenly looks up with a serious expression at Mikoto, frowning. "Running Cloud got captured, though I'm sure if ya knew I was here, ya went to the village first." * Mikoto winces again, but he keeps the smile up. "A pleasure, o samurai of daunting voice." He looks at Millie and nods. "I didn't stay to hear the whole story. What happened?" Bandits ransacked the village. This lug fended them off. And he pointed me in this direction as the way they went but NOW he says he don't know where they went. AH, SOMEONE WHO APPRECIATES THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI. YOU UNDERSTAND! THE SECRET IS VOLUME! ENLIGHTENMENT! * Millie whispers to Mikoto, if he can still hear her. "He's got a little...problem if ya hadn't noticed." * Mikoto tries to remain calm. And mostly succeeds. "So I gathered." Naturally soft of voice, he is clearly not samurai material himself. "Well... there has to be some clue as to where the bandits are hiding." * Millie sighs. "Yeah...an I hate ta say it but I ain't no tracker." She looks around at the surroundings and tries to get her bearings. * Mikoto hmms and rubs his chin, then snaps his fingers. "Wait a moment..." * Millie frowns a little. "It's hard to tell. The Sallie's keep runnin' parallel. There's some mountains off the main pass nearby but..." She sighs. "I'm not sure where the passes are though from here. WOAAAAH! I COULD NOT FIND A PASS WHEN I CAME TO THIS LAND, SO I WENT OVER THE MOUNTAIN INSTEAD! * Mikoto frowns, knitting his brow in thought. "Actually, I heard something at a tavern when I stopped for water." He looks up and surveys the landscape. "He said something about Shomurans stopping through here, and I asked about it because it's sort of atypical... they took a Teckain with them, and they were unhappy about having to head for a mountain." * Millie frowns too. "Shomurans? Why would they sack an injun village? 'Specially Running Cloud's. It can't jus' be a coincidence." * Mikoto looks at Hanomaru. "*What* mountain did you go over?" GUWAAAAAAH! IT DOES NOT MATTER! THE MIGHTY HANOMARU CAN CLIMB ANY MOUNTAIN! * Millie rubs her forehead. "I've given up on tryin' ta get any useful information outta him. I jus' figured it wouldn't be good ta fight the bandits alone, y'know?" * Mikoto pauses, eyes Millie briefly with a look of intense sympathy, then says, slowly, "But... if that mountain you went over happened to be where you saw the *bandits*..." Yeah...Hano, sweetie, where'd ya see the bandits last? HEADING NORTH FROM THE VILLAGE! WAAAAAOOOH! YOU ARE A FORGETFUL WOMAN! ...I MEAN could ya get more specific than that? Like...near the mountains or what? * Mikoto smiles. Forcedly. "Consider that the sooner we find the bandits, the sooner you can dazzle them with displays of your martial valor." (As amusing as this is... navigation rolls, youse guys.) * Millie hmms and looks up from her thoughts. "Well...it's a long shot..." But it's north of here. If they're not in the main range, Mount Kimble might be the place ta go. * Mikoto glances at Millie. "Did you remember something important?" It's pretty close to Garson, but it does stand out. If nothin' else, we could check up on the rest of 'em... * Mikoto blinks. "Well, it's better than nothing... how long of a ride?" * Millie rubs her chin. "Say Mikky...that falcon of yours..can she do any scouting? Jus' in case we miss somethin'.." * Mikoto tilts his head. "Well... she can see farther in the air than we can, if that's what you mean." But she doesn't talk, not even to me. We'd have to guess what she meant. It's better than nothin'. Hopefully she can see the bandits along the way if they're not bein' held there.. But it's 'bout an hour ride. Maybe two. * Mikoto nods. "Then just give me some advance notice... provided you want me to be awake when we get there." * Millie nods and starts trotting Pepper a little faster. "Gotcha. If it's that close though, shouldn't need her out too long." See if she can spot anything on the mountain 'fore we get there too. * Mikoto rubs his horse's neck a bit, then takes the reins. "Alright." * Hanomaru is busily drinking from his sake jug. * Mikoto eyes Hanomaru out of the corner of his eye, and twitches. Faintly. "...I always thought the sake jug was symbolic in some way." * Hanomaru looks down at Mikoto. "GWAAAAH! IT IS THE MEANS BY WHICH A MIGHTY WARRIOR INVIGORATES HIMSELF FOR THE COMING BATTLE!" * Mikoto pauses, then looks at Millie's back. "Whole bandit gang, you say." By himself. Yeeeeup. That's what they tell me at least. * Mikoto shakes the reins a bit. "...not feeling so bad about coming, now."