[Game Thread] The Human Conflict

[cyranojoe]

It was at that awkward moment -- mid-seduction, a near-kiss, an almost-slap -- that the entrance flap to the tent ruffles, shifts, and flips open.

"Hi ho, hi ho!" sings a tinny little voice. "I've gotcha everythin' I could pick up, don'tchoo worry!" The vocalist is preceded by a small armload of sticks and twigs; a curly, brown-haired mop sticks out above the pile, and two tiny hands hug the stack carefully, but the face remains unseen.

That doesn't matter, though. Kadelia would recognize Rinny just about anywhere, at this point.

He spins abruptly, revealing a pack strapped to his little frame overstuffed with more twigs and dead branches. He tromps his small-footed way into the tent, happily home. "I mean, it was fun and all choppin' at the trees all day today, but if you want ta built summin, s'alot easier ta juss pick stuff up and go from there, you know, cause there's lotsa dead wood and the trees don't mind if you use it, so so so... uah, so! So what if some rain gets through, means you're really out there and livin' it and why would you want too big a roof up top over ya, you know, yeah? And, and, ... hey, hello!"

During his little speech, Rinny has wandered over to a cot (the only cot?) and dropped his load of sticks atop it; promptly slinging his heavy-for-him pack onto the cot as well, he follows it up onto the cot himself, his stubby limbs flailing comically before he finally lunges himself aboard. Swiftly, he rolls over into a legs-crossed seated position and continues his ramble, until it occurs to him that his "roommate" has a companion.

"Yah! H-h-hi!" he repeats his greeting, a stutter forming as the man's natural charisma impinges on Rinny's senses. He looks at the man, at Kadelia, then back.

"Hey... wh-who are-are you? Huh?" His eyes narrow. Suddenly, a throwing stone appears in one cherubic little hand.

[Josiwe]

Originally Posted by cyranojoe

During his little speech, Rinny has wandered over to a cot (the only cot?) and dropped his load of sticks atop it; promptly slinging his heavy-for-him pack onto the cot as well, he follows it up onto the cot himself, his stubby limbs flailing comically before he finally lunges himself aboard. Swiftly, he rolls over into a legs-crossed seated position and continues his ramble, until it occurs to him that his "roommate" has a companion.

"Yah! H-h-hi!" he repeats his greeting, a stutter forming as the man's natural charisma impinges on Rinny's senses. He looks at the man, at Kadelia, then back.

"Hey... wh-who are-are you? Huh?" His eyes narrow. Suddenly, a throwing stone appears in one cherubic little hand.

Kadelia pinched the bridge of her nose, and sent a long-suffering glance toward the heavens.

"Saya save me..." she muttered.

Looking at Olan, she breathed out heavily. "We will continue this discussion later, sir. I will postpone my plans until we have had a chance to do so." She gave him a warning look, insinuating that her visitor was not to be trusted with sensitive information.

Dismissing him, she looked over the mess Rinny had made of her cot. "Rinny..." she began. "Put that stone away before my associate here takes it away from you. What are you doing here? I don't recall inviting you to join me. You can't just barge in whenever you like, I hold private meetings here and do my work, which requires quiet. And what exactly am I supposed to do with a bunch of sticks and twigs? We were chopping down trees to make stakes for defenses, not to build a child's tree fort."

She tried not to groan. How had she acquired this bizarre little burden?

"I appreciate your... effort, but you'll have to take this mess out of here. Go put it all next to one of the soldier's fires, I suppose they can use it for kindling. And for Saya's sake, put that stone down!"

[The Yellow Bin]

My name is Jack. He replied Rinny. It's nice to meet you.

Turning to Kadelia, his eyes in all seriousness as well: That's good to know. You know how to get in contact with me.

With that, he turns and leaves the two to their fun get to know each other.

[cyranojoe]

Originally Posted by Josiwe

Kadelia pinched the bridge of her nose, and sent a long-suffering glance toward the heavens.

"Saya save me..." she muttered.

Rinny clenched the stone in his hand at this exclamation. Save her... but no. She wasn't calling him to action against the Big One. He was slimy, but clearly she had the situation in hand. Of course! She was an angel, no creep like this could get to her!

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"Rinny..." she began. "Put that stone away before my associate here takes it away from you."

Originally Posted by The Yellow Bin

"My name is Jack." Olan interrupted, replying to Rinny. "It's nice to meet you."

Turning to Kadelia, the man's eyes all seriousness as well: "That's good to know. You know how to get in contact with me."

With that, he turned and left the two to their fun getting to know each other.

The young halfling thrust out his chin at Jack's words, and kept his chin positioned that way until the stranger left their tent. Once the flap closed -- and not until then -- he sniffed. Hmph! Finally, he turned back to Kadelia, whose words had not stopped for the man's departure. Rinny's eyes glowed distantly, his gaze hovering over her shoulder as she continued:

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"I appreciate your... effort, but you'll have to take this mess out of here. Go put it all next to one of the soldier's fires, I suppose they can use it for kindling. And for Saya's sake, put that stone down!"

Rinny blinked. He lifted both hands above the elbow, empty palms up in a shrug.

What stone?

He smiled innocently.

"So, Kadie!" he announced with great importance. "I think tha' fella there ain't somebody we should trust. He's got shifty eyes, ya know, Kadie? I known my share a' bad'uns, and-and... well, maybe he's not all that, but.... Let's just not let 'im back in our tent if we don't have ta. 'Kay? He's..." The boy's cheerful demeanor cracked slightly; his face tensed up, almost in pain. The moment was brief, though: "I just don't like him, 'kay?"

"Anyway, we're gonna be busy, buildin' dese fences with dese sticks, right? Lots to do, but it's a sh*t-lot easier than luggin' around all them trees. So much bigger'n both of us put together, and they so damn heavy, huh?!" His cursing was so blithe, so matter-of-fact, it seemed he didn't know the words were offensive at all.

Without a care in the world, Rinny reached into a side pocket and tugged out a sloppy roll of twine. Barring interruption, he leaned back on anything resembling a headboard for the cot -- even the pack itself -- and set to cutting small pieces from the string. "Fer the loops, silly," he'd explain... whether or not he's asked about it, of course.

[Josiwe]

Originally Posted by cyranojoe

"So, Kadie!" he announced with great importance. "I think tha' fella there ain't somebody we should trust. He's got shifty eyes, ya know, Kadie? I known my share a' bad'uns, and-and... well, maybe he's not all that, but.... Let's just not let 'im back in our tent if we don't have ta. 'Kay? He's..." The boy's cheerful demeanor cracked slightly; his face tensed up, almost in pain. The moment was brief, though: "I just don't like him, 'kay?"

Kadie? she thought. Ugh.

"Jack works for me," she said. "He's not exactly trustworthy, I agree with you. But he is useful, and not all bad. Wait, what do you mean 'our tent'? There is no 'our'. I met you three days ago! There is a limit to how much leeway I'll grant you, little man. I'll get you your own tent, and it can even be near mine, but you are not sleeping in here."

I'm getting him a tent now? How did he do that?

Originally Posted by cyranojoe

"Anyway, we're gonna be busy, buildin' dese fences with dese sticks, right? Lots to do, but it's a sh*t-lot easier than luggin' around all them trees. So much bigger'n both of us put together, and they so damn heavy, huh?!" His cursing was so blithe, so matter-of-fact, it seemed he didn't know the words were offensive at all.

Without a care in the world, Rinny reached into a side pocket and tugged out a sloppy roll of twine. Barring interruption, he leaned back on anything resembling a headboard for the cot -- even the pack itself -- and set to cutting small pieces from the string. "Fer the loops, silly," he'd explain... whether or not he's asked about it, of course.

"Rinny," she said, "the camp needs military grade defenses that can slow down an infantry charge. That's why we need thick stakes, not little branches."

She stopped, and considered who she was talking to.

"Uh... look Rinny, you know I'm in charge of all these soldiers, right? Well there are other soldiers, bad soldiers, coming to fight with us. They are big and strong. So we're trying to make it very hard for them to hurt us, but easy for us to hurt them. That's what the trenches and the stakes are for. If you think you can do something with those sticks, go ahead."

She considered going after Olan, but decided it could wait. "I'm going back over there now to help set the stakes in front of the trenches, so you can come if you like, or go find a soldier named Ciniran and tell him I said you could set up a tent. You should tell him Lady Kadelia said it was ok."

[cyranojoe]

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"Jack works for me," she said. "He's not exactly trustworthy, I agree with you. But he is useful, and not all bad."

Rinny nodded eagerly. "Def'nitely, not trusturthy," he agreed.

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"Wait, what do you mean 'our tent'? There is no 'our'. I met you three days ago! There is a limit to how much leeway I'll grant you, little man. I'll get you your own tent, and it can even be near mine, but you are not sleeping in here."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Kadie! I'm puirty small, you'll never know I'm here, 'cept of course when ya want to know I'm here..." Rinny giggled as he looked at the pile of sticks he'd brought in. "Well, I guess this fence-wood kinda..." He stopped as Kadelia began her lecture on military construction:

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"Rinny," she said, "the camp needs military grade defenses that can slow down an infantry charge. That's why we need thick stakes, not little branches."

She stopped, and considered who she was talking to.

"Uh... look Rinny, you know I'm in charge of all these soldiers, right? Well there are other soldiers, bad soldiers, coming to fight with us. They are big and strong. So we're trying to make it very hard for them to hurt us, but easy for us to hurt them. That's what the trenches and the stakes are for. If you think you can do something with those sticks, go ahead."

She considered going after Olan, but decided it could wait. "I'm going back over there now to help set the stakes in front of the trenches, so you can come if you like, or go find a soldier named Ciniran and tell him I said you could set up a tent. You should tell him Lady Kadelia said it was ok."

The little halfling cocked his head. "Trenchers n' steaks, huh? Sounds yummy. I bet that'd stop any army in its tracks. Everybody likes good food!" He smiled shyly. "You gave me real good food earlier today. Real good!"

He hopped off the bed, and waved off her suggestion about the tent. "I don't need it, it's ok, I'll fit in here no problem. I'll go help ya with cookin' the steaks, right now!" He grabs an armload of his twigs and heads towards the tent flap. "I'm a real good cook I c'n make great squirrel n' root stew and I bet I c'n do good stuff with real honest-ta-gods steak. I smelled steaks 'afore, outside Big Al's place, they really smelled good, they made my tummy rumble n' ever'thin', it smelled so good!"

Maybe... maybe they'll let me have a bite. That'd... yeah. That'd be nice. Rinny's eyes watered, as an unspoken hope welled up in his throat.

[Josiwe]

Originally Posted by cyranojoe

"Oh, don't worry about me, Kadie! I'm puirty small, you'll never know I'm here, 'cept of course when ya want to know I'm here..."

What am I going to do with him? she thought. I could intimidate him easily enough, but it just seems so mean... is he really so blithe or is he deliberately misunderstanding me out of some kind of desperate need for a place in the world, or companionship?

Originally Posted by cyranojoe

The little halfling cocked his head. "Trenchers n' steaks, huh? Sounds yummy. I bet that'd stop any army in its tracks. Everybody likes good food!" He smiled shyly. "You gave me real good food earlier today. Real good!"

He hopped off the bed, and waved off her suggestion about the tent. "I don't need it, it's ok, I'll fit in here no problem. I'll go help ya with cookin' the steaks, right now!" He grabs an armload of his twigs and heads towards the tent flap. "I'm a real good cook I c'n make great squirrel n' root stew and I bet I c'n do good stuff with real honest-ta-gods steak. I smelled steaks 'afore, outside Big Al's place, they really smelled good, they made my tummy rumble n' ever'thin', it smelled so good!"

Maybe... maybe they'll let me have a bite. That'd... yeah. That'd be nice. Rinny's eyes watered, as an unspoken hope welled up in his throat.

Kadelia cocked her head and stared at Rinny as he trundled out of the tent.

Food, she thought. Perhaps I can use food to get a handle on him. Stay out of the tent, Rinny, and you can have steak tonight...

Exasperated, she set her concerns about her new "friend" aside and headed out to the construction site. There, she found Ciniran overseeing the laboring soldiers with his usual calm efficiency.

"Where do we stand?" she asked him. "How far along are the preparations?"

[The Yellow Bin]

Ciniran was busy with the supervision, but when he spots Kadelia coming, he immediately came to her side, ready to answer the question. Traces of his sweat beads could be seen coming down on the side of his cheek, but yet, he still maintains a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. He says in a confident tone: Things are going very well. The stakes are almost done, on the south part of the bridge, tomorrow, we should have the first stage done. We are right on schedule. We should be ready for the Manser army whenever they arrive.

How are you handling the ... little guy? He asked with great deal of care.

[cyranojoe]

"Heyyy! Where's the steaaaks!??" hollered a little voice. It took a moment for Kadelia to find Rinny, despite his continued calls. Finally, she spotted him, standing between two towering, pointed logs along the edge of the fortifications. The space was just wide enough for him to stand with his arms in the air, spread slightly. His little load of sticks had been scattered to the side.

Behind the halfling, daylight filled the distance beyond.

"Y'see?" he called at her as soon as he saw she'd located him. "These things're easy ta walk through! But if ya use the smaller stuff--!" Rinny began to lean down to pick up his sticks; as he did, he took half a step back... and it was half a step too far. With just a slight yelp, the little hobbit boy fell out of sight.

Whump-ump-bump-thump-sccrrrch came the sound, someone pitching head over heels, over and over, into a military-grade ditch, until they finally slid to what surely was an uncomfortable, gravely stop.

"Moahhh... ohhh!" The moan that followed assured all that the victim was alive, but very and sincerely miserable.

Near the base of the trench, Rinny curled up into the fetal position. He gripped his head fiercely; not out of pain, or at least not in response to any physical wounds, but out of an emotional agony he couldn't escape.

'She... she'll think I'm an idiot...! A klutz, a stupid no-good kid... f**king idiot!' he swore at himself. Tears threatened to break forth from his eyes. 'What's she gonna do? I'm... I'm useless, that's what I am, she won't want me... don't nobody want me around...' He squeezed himself tighter, as if to crush his own skull with his tiny fingers. 'Nobody e-except... except them...'

He shuddered, there in the shadows of the ditch. The tears broke free. But the rest of him felt chained. He couldn't have gotten up even if he'd wanted to, he thought... and he definitely didn't want to.

[The Yellow Bin]

Hey, don't touch that! Ciniran yelled out when Rinny was about to unload his useless sticks at the bottom of the stakes. But he glanced over to Kadelia, not wanting to offend her in anyway. Ciniran's arm reached out to the little one, but he did not move. He watched the halfling fall head over heels backwards into a ditch that had been dug for the reason of defense. Ciniran used all of his energy to control his laughter, he did not want to put Kadelia in a difficult personal situation.

He just walked over to the ditch, looked down at the little guy: Are, you, alright?

His face is half-concerned, knowing that the hole is not big enough for any serious injury. But Ciniran is a man that is known to want to cover all of his basis. He is doing exactly this before Kadelia gives him any idea of where exactly this little one holds in her mind, and in her heart.

[cyranojoe]

A strange voice cracked Rinny's thin shell of self-pity. "Are you all right?" Slowly, against much resistance, Rinny turned his head. He peeked through his fingers.

It was a Big One. Not scary big, but built like all the other human soldiers. Bossy and sure, which meant he probably was one of the higher-up ones.

'Saya damn 'em! Damn those humans!' The surge of anger in Rinny's gut warmed him and made him nauseous at the same time. He kept his face hidden, trying to tamp down on the pout on his lips, and the snarl it was threatening to become.

'No... no, Rinny. They dunno what they're doin'. They didn't know you was gonna be around. This hole in the ground, it's just right for fightin' other humans. It ain't... it ain't their fault. It's yours, dummy.'

"Rinny-ninny!" called a voice from the past. Rinny steadfastly ignored it. But he didn't respond to the man, either. "Rinny-ninny!"

[Josiwe]

Kadelia hurried over after Ciniran and looked down into the ditch. Rinny was rolling around in the dirt but didn't seem to have injured himself too badly; just scrapes and a few minor bruises. She hopped down and knelt next to him.

"Rinny? Come on now, it wasn't so bad a fall. I took tumbles worse than that when I was learning how to ride. Let's get you cleaned up." She knew, she absolutely knew that her next statement was going to cause her headaches in the future, but she also knew that the tumble had injured his fragile teenage pride as much as his knees. "I'm planning some training for today and I'll need you to watch my back." Better than taking a soldier off duty, and I suppose he can at least shout a warning if some wandering bear happens upon us.

She reached out her hand towards him and smiled warmly.

[cyranojoe]

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"Rinny? Come on now, it wasn't so bad a fall. I took tumbles worse than that when I was learning how to ride. Let's get you cleaned up."

Oh God! It was worse than he'd imagined! So much worse! 'Saya, help me... I just want to die...' The pity in Kadelia's voice -- comparing her riding a horse to him falling on his ass just from standing! His throat heaved. Oh Saya, it was too much!!

Originally Posted by Josiwe

"I'm planning some training for today and I'll need you to watch my back."

She reached out her hand towards him and smiled warmly.

Huh?

Wha--?

And before he could think any more, Rinny had both of his hands wrapped around Kadelia's soft fingers and he'd hopped up from the ground and was saying something about "A'courseI'mgonnawatcherbackain'tnobodybettern'tha tyougotagreatbackferwatchin'an'I'mthebestatwatchin 'itjustlikeIdidearlier...today...!" *gaaasp* "Yeah!" He slipped a little, back foot giving way under the wet, freshly-dug soil, but his grip on her hand was like steel, and she held him up while he got his balance.

Next thing she knew, Rinny was tugging her back toward the side of the ditch. As he scrambled up and slid back, he yapped on and on about what a great scout he was and how nothing in the forest escaped his eye, not even that snake, you know the one that almost got into the water when you was... you know, when you were out there and... I mean...

Interrupt? Will Kadelia interrupt? Or will Rinny spill the beans about her nekkidness in the stream??

[Josiwe]

Originally Posted by cyranojoe

Next thing she knew, Rinny was tugging her back toward the side of the ditch. As he scrambled up and slid back, he yapped on and on about what a great scout he was and how nothing in the forest escaped his eye, not even that snake, you know the one that almost got into the water when you was... you know, when you were out there and... I mean...

"Yes, yes, in the forest when I spared your life. No need to go over that again, that's fine Rinny." Kadelia babbled loudly to drown out the sound of Rinny spewing her embarrassment for the whole camp, and nearly tripped as the little fellow dragged her along. He was surprisingly strong for such a small person. "Look, Rinny, as I said I'll need you to watch my back, but before we go I must speak with Ciniran. He is my second in command and I need to confer with him before we set out for the day."

She grasped desperately for a task she could assign him so that she could grab a moment's peace. This was not working out well; if he continued to soak up all her time she would not be able to perform her duties rigorously.

"Listen, go over to the picket line and tell one of the lads that Kadelia wants Blaze saddled. That's my horse. I'll be there shortly."

She would have to have a firm talk with him today; if she couldn't drill some propriety into him then there was no helping it - she would have to send him away. All I wanted was to give him a quick meal and send him on his way, she thought. When did I become his surrogate mother? This is ridiculous!

[cyranojoe]

"Listen, go over to the picket line and tell one of the lads that Kadelia wants Blaze saddled. That's my horse. I'll be there shortly."

"Who's Blaze, and... Oh. Oh, okay!" Rinny let go of Kadelia's hand and threw her a salute. "I'm like yer squire now, I get it!" With a smile, he spun around and, with all the grace he had completely lacked in the last five minutes, practically danced his way up the ditch and over the edge. If they looked, Kadelia and Ciniran could see him skipping away cheerfully.

"Watchiiiin' yer baaack!" he sings...