[Red Right Hand] Overflow

Reality ripples and parted like a mirage as Riley Sorsa snapped into existence. They were semi-transparent, and cast in a darker light as if night had fallen around them while in their arms was the...idea of a cat?

They’d gotten split up. This is exactly the opposite of what Wayland wanted to happen. Especially since she and Gavin made it here just fine, and the two members of the Motley they need, who also happen to be the two members of the Motley most in need of aid when traversing the Hedge, didn’t make it there right away. The Ogre is frustrated, and ashamed, and worried. One booted foot taps restlessly on the ground while she and Gavin wait for the others to appear. The subtle tug of the Oath telling her that all was not lost helps her to be patient, but she’s halfway to insisting that the two of them dive back into the Hedge after the missing members of the party when Riley appears.

If the Darkling hadn’t appeared, she wouldn’t be letting Gavin go out alone. But he knows what he’s doing, and somebody needs to stay here with the moth. She watches the Beast go, before crossing the distance towards the shadowy, semi-transparent figure. “Riley, are you alright?” She asks with concern in her voice. Normally she’d be suspect of even a familiar face appearing from out of the Hedge, but the Oath between them is true. This is her Motley-mate. She glances down at the cat in their arms, intensely curious. But first things first, her attention returns to the Bright One. “Do you need anything? Are you hurt?”

As Gavin charged, he rippled through the shadowy form of Archie Hartmann, causing him to ski to a halt. The raptor talons shaved the slate like butter.

Another multitude of Cat purred happily in the Fairest's arms, and the clump in Riley's chirped in response to the Razorhand's comment. Though it was impossible to tell, they somehow knew it was a smug gesture.

The shadows leapt from both parties, shifting and rippling in a tower of abyssal power as the young man stepped into the light.

"United as promised! Let us get this show on the road," he said, grinning widely. As the creature moved, the image flickered to the jagged teeth and yellow eyes like the light of a dying candle.

It wouldn't have been much of a journey had he failed to stop before entering the brambles; it would have been a pointless one though. He sauntered back to the others, relieved. 

Looking over the condition of his companions they seemed relatively intact, at least physically.

"Right, safe and sound," Gavin said partly to reassure himself and partly as a feeling of accomplishment. "Making friends along the way are we?" he said loosely to the motley and looking at the varied manifestations of the Broker, knowing it had greedily taken its toll. He was still confident and proud of the outcome. If the others knew all the nightmares in the dark he had safely led them around by picking the path he did, instead of randomly wandering through, they'd be happy with the outcome too. At least this way it wasn't the most dangerous part of the journey, that part was ahead of them. 

"Just going to give this a quick refresher." Gavin pulled out the file provided by Bastion and reviewed it. In some of the margins Gavin added some notes on the current findings of the Market outskirts. 

"The puppy was helpful if only to give this guy more time to barter."
The moth was starting to realize now that the Broker had taken more advantage of them than they thought. It seemed Archie and him had made a deal as well, which they figured involved themself. It was sounding like this Hob was double-dipping.

"Yeah, let's get into the market. " The translucent shadow of a darkling said.

"Gavin lead on?"

"Right, so it looks like these lot are the survivors in the wake of one of Them mucking about in the area. We're probably going to see a lot moving through here. Going to be some desperate looking folks around. Be on your guard. That desperation leads to some making choices we might regret."

Gavin looks Wayland up and down, gauging that she could handle herself. "I think Wayland should be on point, I can give directions from the back. I'll get a good view of the scenario from there and it'll give these lot the correct impression that you're scarier than me. They know not to mess with me and they treat me like I'm not worth messing with, for the most part. I'm hard to miss seeing too and I can move quickly to intercept if required." The other Lost were suddenly reminded of his animalistic traits and terrifying speed. 

"You two stay tight in the middle and no one go off on your own. The desperate and ... pragmatic people around here are dangerous. The general promise entering the market is rigged to protect the market from outsiders, not outsiders from each other. There are slavers and slave traders in there. We could also run into a huntsman, privateers, or worse. We'd need to get a deal with the Goblin King to get better protection coming here. Things to worry about later."

Gavin points in one direction, those who look don't see anything that stands out from the rest of the area. "If you look in that direction, under that one tattered red scrap hanging from a banner stand, there's trouble in that area. We have to stay away and we're going to skirt around. There's a few in that area that mean us trouble if they knew of our presence. I'd prefer to not have to leave another dozen bodies in my wake for the new arrivals to the area to learn what I teach best." Gavin makes eye contact with the Broker ensuring it knows he's paying special attention to its activities. 

"We're heading about twelve tents in this direction here before hanging a Louie."

The cat had a point. Gavin was acclimated to this place as it was before. Things have changed and there are more locals that have no idea who and what he is than prior. Reestablishing that reputation wasn't his top priority at the moment. 

"Right, yeah," Gavin offered a hesitant nodding acknowledgement to the soundness of the Hob's advice. "We'll wait to add that extra layer of prep. It's a bit taxing to be tossing contracts around though and we have to get back too. I like to keep a broad margin for handling problems too. Just going to do a quick dip off away to grab some stuff to keep me going. Hole up and lay low, I won't be long. Eat some of your trail mix too; get that taste of the real back in you."

Gavin devours a pair of generic Goblin Fruit to recoup his reserves before heading off to check his 'garden'. It had been a while, surely they should have grown back by now. 


Returning from his little excursion with the light below the horizon, threatening to send the group into proper darkness, he emerges from the din. "Alright, good to pack up our things and go, yeah. Stretch your legs, soften your steps, do the woogie things that help. We're moving in five." 

The group set off along the path with the plan: Gavin guides using Pathfinder to avoid the worst of the problems and subtly distracts for Wayland's passage while he is under the cloak of Light Shy. Wayland tries to stay hidden and follows the hidden guide's whispers and markings. Riley used their contract to obscure their presence and subtly distracted for Archie's passage. Archie tries to stay hidden and follows the hidden guide's whispers and markings.

Gavin hoped whatever deal was struck with the cat would keep it from selling out he and Wayland en route. It was best to tie the success of their arrive toward working together to keep that possibility from forming. If not, surely the cat knew limbs were expensive to replace.