Swamped

Singing a classic swamp shanty ought to drown out the distraction and attract her attention.

The answer strikes you suddenly, as you recall the various times Shorty's distracted you by singing suddenly right in your ear.

It's simple enough to do, so there's no harm in it, even if the conversation isn't that important.

"It's not so harsh, out in the marsh,
Once you get used to the smell;
A mere swamp beast will worry you least
When you know your old life was hell!

So go whole hog, dive into the bog,
Get yourself covered in muck!
It's all just slime, it'll vanish in time.
Who even gives a -"

"What are you doing?" Captain Long suddenly asks you.

"Singing," you say, without a hint of shame. "Gotta let off some stress somehow, right?"

You do, however, glance towards Marshall and Rivers as you answer him.

"I suppose we're too shorthanded to complain about it," he shrugs. "Regardless... I was just thinking it would be good for us to switch which prisoners we're escorting."

"What for?"

"I've had time to mull over some things from our interrogation," he says. "I simply wish to talk to her about that."

You shrug.

"Well, okay. Don't see why she'd be too talkative when she just has to stall now, but I'll leave that up to you."

You and Long switch positions, while Rudolph watches to make sure nobody tries anything during the process. Then you continue on to the wagon.

You get your prisoner tied to the post, then you pause.

"What do we do about her?" you ask Long. "We've only got the one post."

"That's simple," Long says. "I'm going to untie her, and she's going to hold a dagger to my throat until the exchange is settled."

You just stare at him.

"Run that by me again..."

"I simply wish to assure the other party that we intend to follow through on our side of the bargain. This was the best option we could see for doing so."

"And what if they don't follow through?"

"Well. The other fellow's unarmed, and didn't seem especially prepared to fight humans. I'm sure you and Rudolph can make such a decision have undesirable consequences."

And with that, Long drags the prisoner to the other side of the wagon, unties her, and hands her a dagger. Moments later, the wagon starts moving.

So now what are you supposed to do?

>Inspect Rudolph.

You...don't think Long okayed this with Rider...not to mention based off of what you heard, he has a tendency to try and put everything on his shoulders...not unlike Rider.

Frick, and Long left you here with the other prisoner so you wouldn't go chasing after him. Can't leave Rudolph alone with him. "Not prepared to fight a human" He just said that so you'd stay put.

You think Rudolph can catch up to the wagon, though...

You have a hunch that this plan wasn't exactly approved by consensus. Maybe that's just because you know that's how Rider would handle a situation like this - take on all the risk, whether it's a good idea or not, and don't tell anybody else because then they might try to stop you.

Come to think of it, you recall some rumor to the effect that Rider trained Long once. It would hardly be surprising if they were cut from the same cloth.

Still... Long's right about one thing, at least. She doesn't gain anything from stabbing him except a swift death. Won't be good for Simone, but it probably means you're safe for a while.

You look next to your seat and give Rudolph a glance. He seems to have his eyes glued to the woman. You can see a disturbingly serious expression behind his goggles.

You remember Crosswinds had that same look when they first stumbled through the fortress doors. Maybe it's a thing with grebling military. Rudolph definitely seems like someone who's seen too much in his short life.

You consider signalling Rudolph to move towards the other side, just so he's in a better position to act if needed. But the woman might catch on and do something desperate.

Still... if Rudolph's closer, there's a better chance he can save Long in a pinch. It might be worth the risk.

You need to give this some thought.

SpoilerShow

Bob, you have some misconceptions about the scene. Maybe I didn't lay things out clearly enough. Regardless, I tried to adapt your suggestions as best as I could to the actual scene, but I'll clear it up now in case that helps you get ideas.

Everyone is inside Pubert's wagon. There's a post somewhere in there, which has previously been used to keep Pubert tied up.

Long and the female prisoner are on one side, Corvus and Rudolph are on the other. The latter two still standing by the post.

In case you're wondering who's driving, it's Yvonne. This hasn't been spelled out yet but it's not like it's meant to be a secret or anything.

Ah...I see...Long does have a history of putting everything on his shoulders (like when he spared with Rider on Bog Hill) but yeah I didn't catch on to the setting.

Now Corvus trusts Rider, and Rider trusts Long, but this is the guy who put Ash in charge of the Bogknights, so Corvus has a few choice words for him.

Of course this is not the kind of conversation to have in front of the prisoners, he realizes after he's already asked.

You think it's worthwhile. But, it'll be easier for Rudolph to slip around if you make a diversion of some kind.

You're in the middle of racking your brains for what to do when you remember something Mudviper said to you yesterday, when she dragged you into this whole mess. It feels like so long ago now.

"Well, would you care to guess which of the sergeants he named acting commander?"

You've been so busy that you forgot you had a bone to pick with Long. So you turn around and shout at him.

"The hell were you thinking, Long? Why would you leave Ash in charge back at base?"

The woman seems taken aback, and you realize that in your rage, the exact situation slipped your mind.

"I expected to be on base to step in if it were necessary," Long says. He seems completely unfazed by the dagger. "Which it was, though in retrospect I should probably have taken formal steps to replace him, and not simply struck him on the head."

Well, now this is just awkward.

Then again, out of the corner of your eye, you see Rudolph hasn't been staying still. Looks like you've got your diversion, at least.

So how should you play this from here?

Ask Long who gets the pleasure of explaining this bizarre reverse hostage situation to the kidnappers' liaison.

Speaking of... any sign of them, yet, Yvonne?

"Okay, so you gave Ash a good hard knock on the head, I can respect that," you say. "But you've got to think ahead! Have you even thought about how this hostage situation is going to go? What if we get there and they think she's free because she turned against her partner, and maybe her boss?"

"They would not," says the woman. "We serve loyally, and always will."

"I already told you, I couldn't see a better option," Long says. "And if there is one, well, it's a bit late to tell her otherwise. If you do have another idea, then I'll be quite happy to hear about it once this is all taken care of."

"Yeah, but who's going to explain this to the kidnapper? Do you even have a plan for that?"

You can see that Rudolph has gotten quite a bit closer. Not close enough to be obviously threatening... but close enough to get a good blow in if she tries to hurt Long. At least, if Rudolph's throwing range is anything like Crosswinds'.

---

You're now Yvonne.

The meeting site is about ten minutes out from here. You're more than a little nervous - Simone's in danger, after all. You just want to get there as soon as you can.

So being delayed by a sandraptor pack in the middle of migration is, naturally, more than a little inconvenient. While they don't seem too concerned with your wagon, there's enough of them that you won't be able to take the most direct route. And you worry that if they delay you too long, the kidnapper might grow impatient and get the idea that you've written Simone off.

How should you deal with this?

Caulk the wagon and ford the raptors

Sand raptors like to keep their lizard worms safe from predators and scavengers, so they might be naturally inclined to give your wagon a large berth...

But only if you can make the most convincing bird calls they've ever heard.

You try to think back to what Betty told you about her time with the sandraptors.

You recall asking if their burrow ever had to deal with a tunneler. She said one did make its way through while she was there; the raptors didn't try to fight it off, instead they focused on keeping their lizard-worms out of its path.

So. Your wagon might not be as large as a tunneler, but it's a respectable size. If you can get these raptors to think you're a predator, and not prey, they might just get out of your way.

Well. You've been getting a lot of practice with bird noises lately. You make the loudest crowing sound you can.

It seems to be working. The raptors scatter, and you can push forward without trouble. You keep crowing until you make it past the herd.

Finally, you relax and allow yourself to stop.

Which is why it's very strange that you can still hear cawing. Did you attract a real crow?

You glance around, but you can't see anything. Other than a sandstorm some distance away.

Regardless - you spot a small oasis not far off. That's the meeting spot. You hope things go smoothly.

---

You're now Corvus again, and you're on the floor because apparently someone thought it was a good idea to drive the wagon very fast all of a sudden without giving the passengers any warning. Well, there were crow noises, but they weren't exactly clear.

Your first thought is that damn fool Long better not have gotten stabbed because of the sudden change in momentum.

Your second thought is that you'd better pick yourself up and see what's going on.

So. What's going on?

The prisoner is freaking out about the crow noises.

Yeah serious bird ptsd

The first thing you notice is that the prisoners seem on edge. They both seem to be glancing upwards, even though you're inside. Why on earth...

Wait, is it the crow noises? You can still hear them, faintly.

Thankfully, Long still seems to be all right. He's... actually holding the dagger? Must have grabbed it when the commotion stared, you suppose.

Of course, he'll probably hand it back as soon as the woman calms down. If she does.

Rudolph seems to have held steady despite everything. He's still keeping an eye on the woman.

Maybe you could use this as an opportunity to talk Long out of this stupid plan. Then again, the meeting place probably isn't too far off at this point, maybe you should just calm down the prisoners and get this mess over with.

Either way, you're going to need to think about how to do it.

Yeah, let's just go along with Long's stupid plan. But maybe convince him to hold onto the knife until the wagon has reached its destination so we're not jostling around and vulnerable. Long must be used to the smooth ride on that fancy swamp barge of theirs.

Frig Long, you know what this plan says? It says you don't trust your squad. You didn't tell us about it and I doubt you told Rider.
You can't just put everything on yourself.

Let's... Yvonne will you cut that out! Geeze you're not even doing it right, you gotta tighten your throat and really caw

Oh that did not calm those prisoners down.

"When's the last time you were on an actual squad, Long?" you ask, pointedly. "Because last time I checked, you didn't keep your squadmates in the dark when you had an idea like this. Because maybe somebody would have thought of how much a wagon can shake around when it's moving. Put that dagger away before someone gets hurt. You can give it to her when we arrive if you insist on carrying through with this nonsense."

Long relents. The woman's eyes focus on you, as she realizes she's now unarmed. Well, you might as well make sure she knows how things sit.

"As for you, I suggest you sit tight. I think you've been around us long enough to realize we won't hurt you if you cooperate, right?"

She just nods quietly.

"This will all be over soon, as long as nobody does something reckless or tries to put one over on anybody else. So, everyone sit tight. We should be there..."

Your big speech is interrupted as the wagon picks up speed again and you fall to the floor. Looks like you might have to give Yvonne a bit of a talk next.

By the time you pick yourself up, the wagon has stopped completely. You must have arrived.

Long and the woman are getting up, and now she takes the dagger. Rudolph's following, but he gives you a meaningful glance. Right, he'll want to keep an eye on your prisoner, too.

"I know what you're thinking," you say. "I've been in your shoes not too long ago. No, it's not fun, but it'll be over in a few minutes. So you'd damn well better not mess it up by trying any stunts, right?"

The prisoner just nods. You start untying him. Rudolph's keeping watch, just in case.

But he doesn't attempt anything. You lead him out, and step out of the wagon.

"Why is that woman free?" Yvonne asks as you step out.

"It's the answer I came up with for what we discussed earlier," Long says. "About giving the other side some leverage. I realize there are some flaws with it, but it's all I had."

"Hey, now. No talkin', let's just get this done with," says the woman. "I hope I never have to see any of you lot again."

She still seems a bit on edge. Maybe it was the crowing.

A few minutes pass, and another cloaked figure approaches the oasis. You see they have Simone, tied up and slung over their shoulder. You're not sure just where they came from, though.

"I'll do the talking," Long says. "First, would you allow the two of us to step away from the group?"

The woman takes a few steps away, along with Long. Rudolph's staying close, though.

"I have submitted myself to the mercy of your associate," Long shouts. "Please release your prisoner, and then we shall release ours."

The figure seems to consider this.

They put Simone down on the ground.

"She is unconscious," they say. "You may retrieve her once our business is concluded."

"Step away from her, then," you shout back. "Then we'll let your fellow back."

The figure obliges. You release your grip on the male prisoner, and he wanders off towards the other cloaked figure.

"Very good, then," says the figure. "Now, Captain Long, it's your turn. You will give us your word that we can leave unharmed?"

"Agreed," Long says.

"Release him."

The woman does so, and starts walking away, facing your group all the while.

"And now, we will take our leave," the cloaked figure says. "We appreciate your cooperation..."

Suddenly, you hear some very loud cawing. You glance around, and see a large ring of crows has surrounded the oasis.

And you see a very large crow in the sky. It looks almost human-sized. And it's coming this way.

What now?

Yvonne is tending to Simone, Rudolph's already burrowed, Long seems as confused as you are. Wait what is Simone holding? What does she mean "cover your ears!?"

Oh, dang. What would Rider do?

Don't assume hostility, consider its likely motives and instincts, think like a critter... And when that fails, run like hell!

You doubt you can throw your mudpike anywhere near high enough to hit that thing. You're not even sure it would do anything if you could - a crow that big is almost certainly magical.

You look around desperately in hopes of finding some guidance, but Long seems as baffled as you. Rudolph's digging in the sand, probably for shelter. Yvonne's too focused on Simone...

Wait. Simone's standing up. Wasn't she supposed to be unconscious?

"Cover your ears!" she shouts suddenly, as she pulls something out of her pocket.

You don't expect to get an explanation, so you oblige.

Simone aims the device upwards, and you follow it with your eyes. The giant crow seems to be having trouble flying for some reason.

It slowly makes its way down, crashing right near you.

Then it fixates on Simone. She puts down the device, and you figure now's a good time to uncover your ears. You might need to fight, after all.

The crow walks towards Simone, and opens its beak.

"We are not here for you. Do not interfere further," it says. Except you're pretty sure it didn't actually say the words, it was just a bunch of loud caws. But that's what you understood it as saying.

The hell are you supposed to do now?

Try to shepherd everyone back into the wagon while you keep your mudpike braced and ready for any sudden attacks.

But Long is hard to wrangle for some reason.

It's probably best if you take the crow-thing's words as an invitation to get the hell out of here. You wave everyone back towards the wagon.

Everyone, it seems, except Long. He's just staring at the giant crow as though he's seen a ghost or something.

"The hell's wrong with you?" you ask. "That thing's here for the kidnappers. This has nothing to do with us."

"What did it say to you?" Long says. He sounds worried.

"Said it wasn't here for us and warned us not to interfere. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

"...I suppose that the rest of you wouldn't need the same warning," Long says. "Fair enough. Let's leave."

Ugh. Of course he'd get all cryptic. Maybe you'll have time to ask him about it in the middle of berating him for putting himself in so much danger and not telling anyone about it.

Long gets in the wagon, and you're about to follow. But you can't help but take one glance towards the crow and the kidnappers it's confronting.

What do you see?

Oh, you know, typical wizard police biz. Turns one of em into a crow, paralyzes another and leaves the girl crying out in that wizard acolyte language of hers.

One of the kidnappers is frozen in mid-step. Another is running around flapping his arms and cawing wildly.

The woman, meanwhile, is standing her ground and it looks like she's holding something up and chanting. You can't quite tell what it is, but the crow seems reluctant to approach her.

There's clearly magic going on here, but you can't shake the feeling that it's more than just everyday wizardry. You've heard plenty of stories about wizards, but none of them involved convincing someone they're a crow.

The only story you remember like that was about a woman who pissed off a god. You can't even remember which god, or what she did, only that they sent out a servant who cursed her into thinking she was a toad for the rest of her life. It was some piece of crap to scare children into obedience, you figured.

But what's happening over there sure looks a lot like that. Just what in the hells did these people do?

Part of you thinks you should just get the hell out while you can. But part of you doesn't feel right just watching this happen, at least without getting a real explanation as to why.

What should you do?