[X] We're almost clear. Get behind a large rock (if you aren't already) and set down Jarit'ya. Then stay still, tetsubo ready.
-[X] If they get too close, ambush them.
-[X] If they give up before they find you, that's great - hold still until they go away, then move off.
Y'all got really lucky with these guy's rolls, let me tell you.
Slowly, ever so carefully, you take Jarit'ya from your shoulders and set him down at your feet. The rock you're hiding behind is taller than you, and wide enough to hide you from sight. It's the best spot you're going to find without moving around, which would likely attract attention.
You tense, and keep both hands ready on your tetsubo. If either of these fallen souls comes toward you, there will be a single moment to strike before they can retaliate. You're determined to make it count.
You hear the Lost wander about the forest of boulders, looking around for the source of the noise they'd heard. But neither of them come near you. You'd already made it a good distance away from their camp before they'd detected your presence. Perhaps they'll keep looking in all the wrong places?
"I'm not seeing anything," one of the Lost says to his companion. "Are you sure you actually heard something out here?"
"Positive," he says back. "There's definitely something out here."
You shift your grip, waiting for them to walk near you. But they never do. The Lost wander about with their weapons drawn, making a circle around their camp. They don't venture out too far, though. Whether it be laziness or true martial caution, these two don't seem to want to wander too far away from their sleeping comrade.
"I'm not seeing anything," the first Lost says again. "Look, the wind makes weird noises in this place. Maybe that was it?"
"Could have sworn I heard footsteps," the other Lost says. "Maybe we should explore further?"
"It was the wind!" the first Lost responds, his tone exasperated. "Come on. Let's go back to camp and finish off the rest of the meat. I don't want to waste all the hours of our watch chasing after things that don't exist."
"Fine," the other Tainted man says back. "If you're going to keep whining." He grumbles a bit under his breath. "This is going to bother me all night."
You hear the two of them wander back to their camp, and restrain yourself from exhaling noisily. You didn't even notice you'd been holding your breath, readying yourself to attack at a moment's notice. But that doesn't seem like it will be necessary now. Whatever moment of insight that had aided that one former Samurai, it obviously didn't hold up.
Gently, taking care not to rattle Jarit'ya, you place your Nezumi comrade back over your shoulders. Then, moving as quickly and as quietly as you can, you make haste from the forest of boulders. After half an hour, you are back in open ground again.
The walk for a few more hours, and it starts to get dark. You look at the setting sun and wince, and you know you're going to have to stop for the night soon. But once again, you've not covered as much ground as you would have liked. The delay with the Lost didn't help matters, though you did learn some interesting information.
Kyosuke, you think to yourself. Could that be the one organizing the forces of the Shadowlands to the West?
"Burrow there-there," Jarit'ya says over your shoulder, taking you away from your thoughts. The Nezumi points to a collection of holes in the ground, like some giant beast had stabbed the earth with a spear several times. Which, for all you know, might actually have been the case. "Can stop-stop here. Is getting late-late."
[] Write in.
