"Baah," the man dismisses him with a flick of his hand and walks off back toward his property. It's still a beautiful day, but Jonah can see some clouds off in the horizon from whence he came.
((Sorry for leaving while we were both on. Had to take care of something.))
After Jonah had continued walking for a while, he spotted some woods off in the distance. To be more precise, he had seen the woods quite a while back, but only now did he realize his trail would lead him through them. He could see more clouds forming behind him. Some large white cumulus clouds were now floating above him.
He reached the woods, which started thin and well-spaced but became denser and denser as we walked. The trail through the woods was only a little wider than a covered carriage. The branches of the trees spread over the trail like a dark canopy. There were a wide variety of trees in the area--oak, birch, various pines--each growing around each other and battling for room to grow. Their roots rose in and out of the soil. They crossed over one another at times and wrapped around each other as if wrestling for what good soil they could find.
Post by John Harding on Aug 13, 2011 7:03:01 GMT -5
Jonah followed the trail through the woods, undeterred by the disappearing light. The Akaiyan wanderer had spent most of his life living within nature and many days trekking through the wilderness with his mentor, Master Farroh.
As he made his way through the narrowing trail, Jonah listened out for the sounds of nature; the lively harmonies of birdsong, the bubbling music of running water, the calls of small animals...
Jonah heard they sound of a horse-drawn wagon approaching from behind him. It sounds like it was a team of two horses so it was definitely larger than a one-horse surrey or shay. As the sound drew closer Jonah could tell that they were moving fairly quickly. However, the sound soon deviated--and rather abruptly. The wagon crashed with the horses screaming in protest.
Jonah could not see this because the forest path followed the natural animal trails of the area and did not travel in a straight line. The wagon was just around the corner. He could hear the sound of a man shouting in frustration and a little girl crying.
Post by John Harding on Aug 13, 2011 16:19:47 GMT -5
Jonah was quickly sprinting towards the noises, sensing the urgency of the situation. He called out as he ran, hoping to locate the people who might be hurt.
Hey! Hello?! Are you ok?!
A tree branch scratched the side of his face but Jonah kept on running, ignoring the cut that was slowly beginning to bleed.
The sight that Jonah found was not too far out of the ordinary. A wheel on a carriage had broken. This happens from time-to-time. It is an annoying and inconvenient reality. The wagon appeared to be a stagecoach of sorts--not a large one, but commercial nonetheless. The coach driver was a man in his 60's. His graying blonde/brown hair went down to his shoulders and a drooping mustache hung down just below his lips.
He also saw a rather large man--perhaps even imposing. The man had his hair cropped short, almost military style. He was dressed in grey pants with a white shirt, grey vest and red tie.
Just inside the carriage he could see the girl who had been screaming. She was wearing a red dress and appeared to be around five years old. The larger man had comforted her.
The man stood upright squared his shoulders when Jonah approached. His right hand went to his belt where a grated metal rod jutted out just above what appeared to be flat, fist-sized piece of flintstone. His thumb rested on top of the metal rod. It was obvious that rod wouldn't be useful as a knife. The man had a defiant look on his face. "One has to be careful about what kind of help they receive around here," said they man as he quickly glanced over Jonah then looked him in the eyes, "Who are you and what kind of help are you offering?"
The larger man turned his head to observe the uneasy confrontation. The little girl remained in her seat but had a confused look on her face as she attempted to look out the door and see what was happening.
Post by John Harding on Aug 14, 2011 16:17:22 GMT -5
Jonah raised his hands, indicating he came in peace. The people in this part of the land obviously were a highly suspicious bunch. He didn't blame them, especially after what the old man at the river had told him.
I'm Jonah. Jonah Pureheart. I mean you no harm, sir.
The man had a look on his face which revealed his skepticism of Jonah's statement.
"Pureheart, eh? I do have a spare wheel, but it will take some work to get it on their. I'll get the wheel out of the back if you can stand by the broken one here in the front. I'll need you to help lift the front of the coach while we get the old wheel off and put the new on."
The man reached in to pick up the little girl. As he did so he began to speak, "I actually do intend to help you." He now held the child and stepped a couple steps away from the coach before setting her down beside him. "The job will go quicker with three people."
"Sounds good to me," Said the driver, as he returned with the new wheel. "I want to get out of these woods and into the open as soon as possible." The man said these words to his passenger, bu tall the while he never took his eyes off of Jonah. "Tell me, Pureheart, what are you doing here in the woods anyway? Hunting?"
The little girl tugged at the larger man's pant leg. "Daddy, Daddy. Can I help, please?"
"Of course, Precious One. You can help by keeping an eye on the road. Let us know if you see anyone coming." The man spoke warmly to his daughter and it was obvious that he loved her very much.