The Whole Can of Worms. (open)

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

Not twelve hours ago Chance Goldmen was hip deep in raw sewage, lending a hand to the base techs that had to clear a block in one of the single most important systems for a colony like theirs. He didn't mind being the muscle for situations that needed muscle. Some dirty jobs would never go away, no matter how far humans figured they had advanced. Pushing crap down a sewer line was certainly one of them. As it was either that or wallow in your own filth, as what else was a sealed colony to do with the unavoidable products of humanity. Sewage and garbage disposal/recycling would always be a core of any human settlement.

Now he was suited up, armed to the teeth, and stepping out once again as a security detail to one of the civilians. This time it was one Antonija Cindric, a mechanic and technician that Chance knew by name fairly well. Several of his counterparts, other militia and professional soldiers, spoke well of her skills. He also knew she was fairly green as an avatar driver, so she would require more focused care than others. Not that he minded that really, as he would rather deal with a green driver that knew of their lack of control, rather than baby sit a driver that felt they knew better than Chance did about danger and hostile environments. Something about playing around as the puppet master, from behind the eyes of a cooked up biological survival suit, made a lot of drivers forget they were only as good at survival as their skill set allowed. It made a lot of them arrogant, and it made most of them oblivious to the fact that having a body that looked like one of the native aliens didn't make them experts at survival in the native jungle. In fact, in most cases, it made them complacent and increased the danger.

He wore his custom HEAT suit, as he usually did. Though he could pilot one of the older style AMP suits he preferred the mobility the form fitting system provided. An AMP could only go so many places without becoming destructive to the environment, and the colony had long ago established rules for conduct outside the colony walls. They sought to establish a peaceful relation with the resident aliens, and to do this required a focused practice of environmental conservation. Low impact was the name of the game.

AMP's and most colonial land vehicles were anything but low impact.

A soldier in a HEAT suit was about as low impact as was possible, barring an avatar of course.

He walked beside the female avatar, one that looked distinctly similar to the driver, as they headed across the southern portion of the compound to exit at the southern gate.

He had committed his mission to memory. According to files made by those few humans that had remained when RDA had been forced from Pandora, there was a converted Dragon Airship that was located several klicks south-south-west of the old mine site. The first Dragon had been lost in the war, the second had been finished by the remaining humans and converted to civilian use, stripped down of all weapons and only used as a mass transport. According to the base records the airship had last been used to deliver medical supplies to a hunting camp for the Omaticaya. Brains from the new colony had long suspected that the vehicle could probably be found by tracking that route, and an aerial survey of the route had come up with a large magnetic sounding in the proper location. A cursory fly-by had indicated that it was the old Dragon and it seemed to be in good condition, considering its age and location.

So Nia and Chance were being sent out to perform an initial salvage operation. Nothing grand of fancy, just a supply run for some of the small component parts, and nothing high impact. Two colonists, one an avatar and the other her security detail, moving on foot. This would reduce impact, allow for ease of movement, and hopefully not seem a threatening gesture to the natives.

Of course, that was assuming they traveled well together. chance knew the mechanic by face and by name, but he really didn't know anything personal about the woman. They would be in field for a few days, the trip one way would take the better part of a day, each way, and at least a half day to perform the required salvage. That was a lot of time for two people to be together, and he certainly wasn't the most social of people.

He just hoped she wasn't like some other puppet masters he knew of. Otherwise it could be a long couple of days... if they even survived that long. That, of course, would depend entirely on how well Nia followed the rules and listened to the advise (and orders) of the experienced soldier.

It would be an experience, that was for sure. He had not yet been assigned to such a small detail, over such a long period, in his time on Pandora. He wasn't sure if he was looking forward to this or not. He would find out soon enough of course.

[fuzzydude]

Nia jumped to the side, then back, expertly skimming around a startled man carrying a clipboard in a circle so small she practically went through him. A spray of water from her still wet hair splattered over the paper he had been studying.

"Sor-" her began to call before being cut off as she reached a corner and suddenly shot off in another direction at what had to be a near perfect right angle. She didn't even bother looking back. If there was one thing everyone on Earth knew, it was how to go through crowds. By now, she had the Nia-dodge down to a science.

She skidded to a stop, threw open a panel, then carefully replaced the box she was carrying inside it - precisely in the proper location. She wasn't exactly the neatest person around, but when it came to tools, she treated them like a combination of her children and her army. Each had to be cared for, properly maintained, and pampered, and each and every one of them had to be in its precise, proper place or else the world would end. Instantly. At least, for whoever had misplaced them.

A split second later, she was again dodging past people down the next hall, leaving a trail of startled, but untouched men and women in her wake.

The last hour had been spent shuffling through ducts fixing the ventalation system, which had apparently been possessed, constantly turning on and off even when deactivated. Even the safety overrides had failed, so the entire time had been spent between carefully fixing bad wiring and rolling out of the way to avoid being decaptiated before trying to work with hurricane winds blowing directly in her face. By the time she'd crawled out, she was covered in so much grime and cruft and her hair was so wind-blown chaotic that she looked like some mud-creature and had visibly scared at least two people on her way back. She'd also discovered just how late she was. She'd hopped in the shower, hopped out about 1.3 seconds later. Now, if she hurried, she might not be too late. She hated being late.
______________

"No, we can't just 'reroute the power'. What do you think this is, science fiction?"

Nia had one finger jabbed into the radio button on her neck so hard it was starting to get sore. A man in a jumpsuit, now dwarfed by her avatar body, was jogging next to her to keep up.

"Fine, I'll ask Roger to do it."

Nia looked questioningly at the man next to her. He nodded back.

"Sorry about that. Can you believe those guys? Look, the relay's shot. Those old models don't adapt by themselves, so they don't have the tolerance half our equipment thinks they do. We don't have any more Ds, so get a type C instead and attach it to a 90. It should still work. I've got some of them stored in that closet right next to that generator that keeps breaking every other day. You know the one."

"Yeah. Bloody thing," Roger spat.

"Thanks. You're a lifesaver."

She grinned at him just as she approached the heavily armed, fully suited up man who was clearly her escort.

"And if that doesn't work," she called back, "try reversing the polarity of the tachyon field inverter or something! Maybe that'd work!"

Roger rolled his eyes, waving goodbye before heading back the direction they came.

"Chance Goldmen?" she asked, shifting her attention to the soldier. She paused in front of him with a slight stumble, then looked him up and down appreciatively. Or rather, his suit.

"Very nice," she breathed. "That's even a Mark II model, right? Best piece of engineering they ever came up with."

What she'd give to be able to get that off him and take it apart. Just the filtration and air recycling tech on that thing would solve half her problems. As it stood, they pretty much handed her sticks and stones and told her to keep everyone inside breathing by banging them together. Sometimes, the entire place felt like it was held up with duct tape, bailing wire, and the sheer force of her will.

She shifted the backpack she was hauling around - crammed full of supplies that the procedure list said you needed - half of which she didn't even know what you were supposed to use it for. It just didn't feel very comfortable no matter how she distributed the weight.

"Anyway, I'm Nia," she introduced herself, forgetting about the backpack to holding out a hand towards him.

"Well, let's get this over with," she sighed before walk along side him. Up close, even her walking seemed a little awkward, as if she was constantly a little off balance.

It'd only been a few minutes and she was already beginning to feel a bit dizzy. This was going to be a long few days.

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

The expressionless gold tinted visor looked up at her when she approached him. He didn't shake her hand, as that would have been laughable, considering her puppet had a palm that dwarfed his.

They moved out and he answered her as they moved.

"I know who you are Ms. Cindric," he responded with that faint hint of electronic distortion on his words, a result of having to speak through his com system. "The suit was a Mk. II suit, configuration E2. Heavy labor type. You know milispec armor?"

They came to the gate, that was already yawning open as the gate operator had seen the HEAT and the avatar en route, and paused.

"Watch your step. South gate recently washed out, there is a drainage ditch just past the edge of the composite plating."

[fuzzydude]

Nia drew back her hand, then coughed awkwardly. Right... what was he supposed to do, shake her finger? Staring at nothing but a blank mirrored reflection of her own face made the moment just a little more embarrassing.

Most drivers she talked to describe everyone else as being "so small" while they were in avatars. It never seemed that way to her. She was fine around other avatars, but when around people or equipment she was familiar with, she had a bad tendency to simply view herself as herself with particularly long arms and legs, completely forgetting about other proportional differences. In the time she'd been in her avatar, a great deal of it had been spent fixing stuff instead of being around people. Looking at equipment she was familiar with as tiny versions of itself would severely interfere with her ability to work with it, making the familiar strange and making her feel more like she was putting a model together instead of fixing intricate machinery. Her odd perception of the world while driving was a definite advantage with machinery and it was just a matter of working with the awkwardly long limbs, but when it came to people, this caused constant problems and it was one of the reasons she had such a hard time controlling her avatar in all other tasks.

"Just Nia. 'Ms. Cindric' makes me feel like a young version of my mom," she said passingly, although her tone made it pretty clear what she thought of that. "But yeah, I'm familiar. I tend to focus on things with bigger components now since it's so hard to repair nanotech once it does break down, but I know how all the parts on that thing work, so if you break down or something while we're out here, don't worry - I'll be there to whack you with a wrench until you start moving again," she reassured him with a grin.

"Watch your step. South gate recently washed out, there is a drainage ditch just past the edge of the composite plating."

"Huh," she acknowledged. She rarely had to do much with maintaining the outer perimeter, but the few times she had, it'd always been painful work. She felt bad for whoever would be assigned here after they left. She hadn't even heard about this, having been too involved inside. For such a small settlement, it wasn't so small.

"Watching her step" was a little more involved than expected, and she worked her way through the area clumsily. Once clear, she paused to look into the wall of trees not far away. It looked dark and threatening already. She glanced at the wrist computer she'd brought.

"You have a route laid out? I have one here, but my navigation skills are limited to going around the big blue water-like blobs. I'll sync up with you instead if you'll send over the data," she suggested.

"Did they tell you the story behind this dragon ship? All I got was where it was supposed to be and a bunch of the guys in medical bugging me to look for supplies since it was supposed to be carrying a huge medical shipment or something. Or, I guess it'd be huge. You don't take an entire dragon ship along to carry a few bandages."

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

Just Nia. She must not have met a guy like him before. It would have prompted a chuckle, but Chance really didn't find too much very funny. A guy taking a shot to the nut sack, or other misfortunes of stupid/foolish people, that's what got him laughing. Otherwise he didn't have much of a sense of humor.

He guessed the comment of fixing his HEAT by beating it with a wrench was also supposed to be funny, but she didn't even get a grunt in reply to the joke. As was the commentary on her navigational skills, but at least that snarky self-deprecating remark prompted a response.

"If you are not navi-trained then someone else set your way points, so you can trust in the data. I am not using an electronic system. The flux vortex could distort readings. I am plotting a course as we go, by map and the sky."

He stopped talking for a moment as he scanned the skyline, or what he could see in the canopy break at the colony limits, and then started to lead the way.

"They told me what I needed to know abut the target, it's destination. Follow me and don't lag."

He already knew they were privy to the same details regarding the Dragon airship, her question proved that. Anything else would just be speculation, and Chance didn't waste time with speculation. They would find out more when they got there, and the colony would know more after they got back and filed their reports. Maybe the ship was salvageable, maybe it wasn't, and that was why they were going out as a duo. If there was enough reason the colony could organize a more complete salvage party. Until then their time was really all that the colony could afford to risk.

He kept his large caliber MG panning his path as he penetrated into the forest, ever cautious, as he set down a steady but careful pace. They were outside the safety zone already. The moment anyone stepped foot into the Pandoran jungle the whole planet, essentially, became an enemy, and they were now on dangerous ground. Loose focus and the planet would swallow you up and spit out a desiccated husk.

Chance never lost focus.

[fuzzydude]

"Oh, OK, sure," Nia said, completely not sure of how to take his choice of navigation methods, even if she was a non-navi Na'vi. Flux or no, his choice seemed... well, primitive, like he was going to start pulling out a needle compass and a ruler every 10 feet or something, or maybe waving his arms around at the sun and staring at shadows. Whatever it was they used to do. Regardless, he wouldn't be out here assigned to her if he couldn't even find his way between two points. She was already trusting him with her life - or at least her avatar. Might as well trust him with this, too. Even so, she decided to keep her nav map open and took the extra time to note the points displayed on it.

Nia had always thought of herself as being pretty good at judging character. Even if she didn't act like it, the stuff her parents pounded into her head as a kid had stuck. Right now, her fine-tuned senses were telling her that this guy's forte was not his conversation skills. Instead, he was looking around, pointing his gun everywhere with the systematic efficiency of an automated drone. Fine, fine. He did his job and that was it. She got that. The could respect that. They'd just get there in silence. No problem.

"Were you military long before all the ships left Earth? Corporate or government?" she asked, pausing to get a hold on a fallen log before scrambling awkwardly over it to try to catch up. Her tail was twitching, whipping back and forth and her ears kept flicking back every now and then while her eyes darted around the jungle.

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

Civies always did like to yammer on. He had gotten used to that a long time ago actually. Even in the Dead Gods there were some that just loved the sound of their own voice so much they could not be silenced, barring death. Sometimes Chance wondered if even that would shut them up, they might be talking crap even as a ghost for all he knew.

Or cared.

They were dead, he was alive, and what was past was past. He lived in the moment. Not the past and not the future.

"I served almost six years as US ARMY. Four as 11B and then nearly two as an 18K."

He kept his voice soft, counting on her puppet ears to catch what he was saying, and spoke as most that dedicated their lives to a field. The MOS codes as opposed to the job descriptions, as that is how soldiers spoke among each other. It was like any technical profession, to speak within those circles one had to be able to translate the lingo, otherwise it sounded a bit like gibberish. At beast it sounded like a bit of a foreign language. Chance didn't think about it anymore, it was just how he spoke.

He also didn't look back at Nia. His echolocation system was front facing, so to keep scanning ahead he had to keep his chest ahead, and he had gotten into the habit of scanning one way and looking the other. It was kind of like sweeping two systems in opposition, it covered more ground that way and gave him a better idea of his world... and the possible dangers of that world. If he got a hit, or saw something that caught his attention, he would bring his sonar in line with his eyes. Until then he kept moving forward and kept panning his systems over the forest that lay in his intended path.

[fuzzydude]

"Wow," Nia said, unsure of what else to add. She wasn't familiar with most of the designations, though she was, of course familiar with the US Army. They had a presence practically everywhere... or did before the US ceased to exist when everyone abandoned the planet and became nothing more than one of the options under the "place of origin" field of their bios. Despite her lack of knowledge, though, the fact that he'd been at this for half of her entire life time said enough.

Unlike him.

She hissed quietly as she proceeded to accidentally kick an outstandingly solid rock hidden behind a fern, stubbing her toe in the process. She hopped on one foot after him, grimacing the entire way.

"I guess they don't talk much in the Army," she said.

The jungle was already pressing in on her and it was hard to distract herself when her escort was a walking turret she couldn't even take apart. She had a feeling this was going to be a really long, really boring trip. She needed to find the time to train some other person in this kind of task so they didn't keep wanting to send her. And why didn't these avatars come with autopilot?

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

When she hissed he paused and looked back over his shoulder, out the corner of his eye, though all she could see was the side edge of his golden face plate.

"Be careful Ms. Nia."

It was a suggestion as much as it was a command, his tone was flat but the fact he didn't move forward as he spoke seemed to indicate he wasn't nearly as heartless as he might appear.

His mask turned again and he pressed on.

"Commanders talk. Soldiers listen and obey. You want me to treat you as a commander or a soldier?"

It was about as direct as any question could ever come. Did she want him to talk, and issue orders, that he expected to be followed without hesitation or question; or did she want him to follow the orders he was given, and her orders by extension of the current colony social system (community by committee), and do so in silence?

Short, concise, and blunt. The way of a soldier if there ever was one.

[fuzzydude]

Nia found herself looking back at half of her own face, mirrored in the gold, blank reflection. The face plate and large suit made him almost impervious to reading.

"Thanks. And just Nia, please," she said, though more of an aside with her focus on navigating her way past a particularly sticky patch of some sort of thick plants that looked like mushrooms, only they were big, made out of leaves, and had curved extensions sticking out of them that had a habit of grabbing onto everything that touched them.

Chance was walking forward again with his usual swiveling pattern.

"Commanders talk. Soldiers listen and obey. You want me to treat you as a commander or a soldier?"

She hadn't expected that. It was both pleasantly straight forward and plain, and yet utterly confusing because it seemed to so completely shove their entire situation into a black and white... or maybe orange and blue view that seemed just alien to her. And that was saying something, considering she was currently walking around in an alien body that looked like an oversized suffocating monkey-cat on some alien moon with an atmosphere light years from home. It was a little as if he'd asked if she wanted jalapenos or carrots in coffee.

"We're just... partners, I guess," she hedged. The idea of being a commander was stupid to her. She didn't know the first thing about getting to the place and the last thing she wanted to do was to tell the expert what to do to keep her alive. Of course, she didn't exactly what to have to start saluting him all the time, either or whatever it was he expected.

"I think technically, I'm supposed to be in charge, but you're the one that knows how to get us there," she said, shrugging. It hadn't seemed important before. They clearly both had their assigned tasks: her to get to the site, analyze the wreckage and figure out what, if anything, was worth coming back for, and him to get her there in one piece. Their tasks were different, but complimentary, each utilizing their skills, so she hadn't seen any problem with the setup.

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

"Per chapter four, article seven, section nine of the Colonial Articles of the General Assembly of Pandora, in any operation performed by members of the Colonial Militia, when not in a time of war declared by the Legislature of Pandora, the senior non-military specialist will be considered the de-facto commanding officer for that operation."

He rattled this off as if he had committed it to memory, like he was reading it from a prompter, without looking back.

"Most civilians don't follow the articles."

He added this last bit as a slight admission of the failings of a lot of the colonists, most of whom didn't remember their own constitution. It was an interesting dynamic really, as there was a decided need on such a dangerous world for people of his ilk, those with a distinctly military character, but the colony was governed entirely through a civilian democracy. The civilians told the soldiers what to do and where to be. As opposed to the military being left, essentially, to its own resources once a mandate was set down.

Chance knew that this was totally because of the particular circumstances of their colonial situation. It was purely defensive issue. Soldiers on Pandora were not there to take the fight to the enemy, they were only there to make sure the native wildlife didn't make a meal of this last bastion of humanity. In a few hundred years, if the colony founders had their way, there would be no more need of a military. The feeling in the colony was that of seeking Xanadu, of looking for a paradise that so many thought could be found in the jungles of an alien moon.

Chance didn't really care. He wouldn't live that long. Either the disease would get him or the jungle would, and while he lived there would be a need for his talents... even if they were shackled to a civilian sled that he was obligated to pull. He was a pack animal. With fangs, in the form of high powered machine guns and assault rifles, but he was still a pack animal. He worked for them.

So be it. He liked things simple, uncompromising, and clear. They ordered, he obeyed, and that was the end of it.

"And soldiers can be partners, but you're not, so let's call you the commander here Ms. Nia."

Obviously she wasn't going to get around the formality of a "Ms." appellation with this guy.

[fuzzydude]

Nia arched one eyebrow and both of her large, golden avatar eyes fixed themselves on the back of Chance's helmeted head.

He was a drone!

So, why did he bring up the command issue in the first place if he already knew the answer and had apparently already been ready to quote the constitution that nobody had memorized - except possibly him - back at her? This would have been a mystery except that this was precisely the kind of way both of Nia's parents worked. In fact, they'd used this trick before on her.

Give somebody authority so they can't complain about it without looking like a moron, then let them know that they're a moron and totally out of their league so they'll feel really uncomfortable, disoriented, and try to fit in and pretend to be competent so they don't appear foolish to the people they've suddenly found themselves leading. There was a reason she didn't get along with her parents, and it was precisely this kind of thing. She hated it. And she hadn't expected it from a simple soldier.

"Mr. Goldmen," she said lightly, unconsciously falling into a certain formal tone of voice that her mother sometimes used. "You were in the military for 12 years and you've been here for another 5 years. You're still alive. This means you're not an idiot, so I don't treat you like one."

She paused to work her way clumsily over a fallen, rotted out log.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd show me the same courtesy. You don't want me in charge. Both of us know I don't have the skills to lead a self-guided spit wad out here, and if I did, I wouldn't need you here with me. The next time you want me to just shut up and do what you say, just say that instead of playing games with me. It'd make you seem like less of a jerk. And it's just Nia."

She rubbed her temples. The dizziness and headache were getting worse. Once they stopped for the night, she was going to personally do a check on the link bed she was in, just to make sure something wasn't wrong with it. Right before crashing in her real bed. All of this was making her crabby. Well, at least it was distracting her from what might be lurking past the next tree.

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

As she lumbered clumsily through the woods he scrambled like a man with a purpose. He shimmied up the massive roots of a gargantuan tree, fully her height again as tall as she was, to survey the scene as she gently berated him.

Opposite the tree the forest floor fell sharply, some ten meters down a nearly vertical cleft that opened into a young valley. The river that scoured the stone at full flood. He didn't have the layout committed to memory, just key landmarks... and this would foul that slightly. They would either have to drop down and ford the river or find a better place upstream. Either way he would be struggling to keep his bearings, as the thick canopy didn't break for the river and his ability to keep his directions straight depended greatly on his ability to maintain a directed course, with his feet squared.

"You misunderstand me," he corrected as he continued to scan the scenery, looking for pathways and potential threats in the dense undergrowth. "I was Army for six years total. Four as infantry, enlisted, and two as HEAT. My top rank was E8, master sergeant, I was never an officer."

Then turned to face the puppet, and the sassy woman back in a lab in the drivers seat, and take a good long look at her. Annoyed, looking pained, and not having the slightest bit of fun. Which was good and bad. Good because it should keep her on her toes, bad because Chance knew better of non-coms. Frustration made them less perceptive, not more so, as it made them focus on their annoyance and not on the environment around them. The very dangerous environment around them.

"I will take care of the tactical matters, things you are not trained in, as well as logistics and forging our path. When I set a path, or point out a danger, you WILL obey, or you'll have to vat grow your next meat puppet, but that don't mean I am going to ignore your direction and opinion. Technically you are in charge. You want to go left when I say go right, we can go left. You point the way and I will get us there. As safe as possible."

It was an opportune choice of words actually. He would have continued if not for something sounding from down in the valley below him, a series of noises that caused him to whirl and drop the muzzle of his weapon into a readied pose. The crash of foliage accompanied the sound of predatory vocalizations. Large predatory vocalizations. The sound of the safety on the large .50 caliber machine gun broke the natural notes filtering up through the forest.

[fuzzydude]

"... As safe as possible."

The cry was deep and indescribably alien, resounding from somewhere in the valley ahead. It seemed to rush past them in a wave, echoing loud and forcefully through the trees. She could feel the sound vibrating deep inside her, leaving in its wake a sense of dread. She shivered involuntarily, as if something deep within those Na'vi genes in her avatar was screaming for her to run, run now, run for her life. She could feel her heart thumping against her chest so hard she was sure her chest would burst.

Nia found herself crouched with her back against a large rock. She didn't even remember moving. Her ears were laid flat against her head, and her eyes were wide and darting back and forth frantically. She'd never heard anything like that before. Whatever it was, it sounded big. And near. Really near. Her sharper ears had easily pick out the sound of crashes mixed with a low spintering sound of wood and the sound of softer, frantic flapping of wings.

Chance was stood ahead of her, ready but relaxed, his large machine gun aimed in the direction the sound had come from. As annoyed as she had been a split second ago at him, suddenly she was indescribably glad she had a soldier here between her and whatever was out there. A soldier with a really, really big machine gun.

She opened her mouth, trying to speak. Maybe something clever like how this was probably tactical. Instead, all she could force past the lump in her throat was a shaky whisper.

"What was that?"

[HorusRe/Bila'reu]

His motion detector registered her movement, and he quickly looked back to check her, he was pleased she didn't go far but that she did break for cover. Putting her six against good protection, good instincts, with no training, it made him feel more confident of their chances now. He wheeled his attention back to his sonar soundings. He got a massive read, but a good portion of that was the wildlife that was scattering ahead of... whatever it was that was making the noise. It fouled his sensor, gave him a false read, and left him with only a visual reliance, of which he could not be all that dependent upon. Whatever it was seemed to be on the other side of the river, working parallel to the flow, and thus perpendicular to their path. The noise was violent for a moment and then faded. Chance assumed it was an attack on something else and now there would be a feeding period. He didn't intend to investigate, nor did he have any desire to wait for the native creature, whatever it was, to prowl further their direction.

He slipped back as carefully as he could, lowering his weapon and using one hand to drop back and off his perch with as much stealth as he could. To his credit, when he needed to be, he moved pretty quietly and with a grace that belied his direct nature. He knew how to fade and vanish when he needed to call upon such skills.

Like a cat he skulked over to get closer to the avatar-Nia, and whispered his reply.

"Don't know. Don't care. We move, that way."

He pointed. It was a path that ran perpendicular to the way they had been moving. Though she wouldn't know it the path was also upstream.

"Stay close, move quick but careful, quiet as you can."

With that he set off again. Moving very cautiously but as fast as he dared given the circumstances. He wanted to get them away from the danger zone. Escort her to a safer place to ford the river and press on. At the moment she was his whole universe, and he would be damned if he risked her puppets life willingly.