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Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject:

He grins and finally lets go of her. He says, "This afternoon is target practice and tonight we get to sneak to a town controlled by strange machines... Also, trump only seems to function out here, far from Silver City..." he says pointing towards the columns of smoke.

He steps back some more and points out the biggest mountain way down beyond hills and miles of plains. "This is Cimarron. And at the foot of that mountain is the Lone Pine Ranch... Where my daughter, Rebecca, grew up." He screws up his face a bit and admits, "Like I said, it's a personal mission this time around."
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TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

"We'll keep them safe," she assures Eric in general. "Talk while we ride?"

[ ... ]

"So, did these machines come out of the Road, or are they local?" April asks.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject:

TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

"Hundreds of kids?" April says, looking stricken. "That's just ... uggh. How can we ... "

After a long pause she continues. "If you're sure that there's nothing we can do for the kids ... well ... I'll try to accept that, but it's hard."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:33 pm Post subject:

Eric says, "All we can do is hope they kept some outside the machines... Once they're in, I don't think there's much we can do. Rebecca said they will beg for a merciful death if freed from their metal cell." He is quiet for a moment, "Not something I'm looking forward to witnessing... Her uncle experienced that. Not a pretty sight, I imagine."

His body stiffens in the saddle and she can feel the coldness of a trump contact beginning to reach him. After a moment he says, "Let's stop here for a moment. We must be on the edge of the trump block."

He gets off of Krugalt, slips down and walks a few steps away while he opens the trump contact. He has a ten-minute long conversation with what she can guess is someone in Amber. He gives orders pertaining to Amber's defense, naming places April has heard of and other that she is unfamiliar with. He also warns that he'll be away for longer than he planned. He does also mention April will be with him.
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TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

April also dismounts. At first she just stands around, stretching her legs. As the contact stretches on, she finds a rock and lays out, enjoying the warmth and the sunshine.

"It's hard trying to be in so many places at once," she says when his attention finally returns to her. "We're really stretched thin, aren't we?" She walks over and gets ready to mount up again.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:33 am Post subject:

He sighs, "Yeah... It's not as easy as when we were the shining knights of Amber, running errands for the King... Dealing with one thing at a time and forced to work together because of the old tyrant..."

...

"Bah, we'll deal with this Road business, one Shadow at a time if that's what it takes," he says optimistically, the worries only a man's kingdom can bring showing in his eyes. "It would help to know about the enemy as much as it seems to know about us..." He looks at April seriously and warns her, "I think one of us is in league with the enemy..."
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TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

"But we still have to rely on people," she says, with an unhappy look, "even knowing that maybe the only reason they haven't betrayed us today is that the stakes aren't high enough yet."

April's face curls with disgust. "I don't like it," she says flatly. "You're probably right, I see that ... it's the kind of thing that would attract people. Someone could think that, as big as the stakes are, if they balanced things just right they could manage it, be in the position to hand victory to either side. That'd be a lot of leverage."

She sighs. "But even if it's true ... I don't know how to respond. Most of the people I'd have to distrust ... they're good, decent, loyal people putting their lives on the line for Amber. How can I look these people in the eye, and ask for their support, and be thinking in the back of my mind, 'Unless you're just no damn good, of course!' at the same time? It'd be a mockery of what they're doing."

April frowns. "That's ... totally naive of me, isn't it?" she asks.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject:

"It's not that you're naive, April... I think you haven't been around as long as most of us have. Besides, I'm certain your mother has kept you away for some reason. To protect you, perhaps. I don't truly know. Things will only get worse until the family can set their differences aside to fight the enemy and hopefully route whatever traitors there may be."

He sighs and takes a moment to think. Eric says, "The truth is that I may be naive for not being paranoid of you, but I feel that I can trust you. It's... strange. I don't really know how to feel about the whole thing. I mean... There aren't many people I feel secure around. Especially since I've become King." He chuckles, "Is it foolish of me to be saying this?"
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TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

"I ... don't know. I don't think so," she replies.

She furrows her brow. "The way I think about it," she says slowly, "There's a cost to not letting people get close. It's not obvious, like getting a knife in the back. It's in the type of person you become, little by little."

April sighs. "If you imagine the worst thing that people might do to you, it's really easy to decide that getting close to people is stupid. But me, I imagine what I absolutely, positively will become otherwise, and I can only decide that not getting close is the stupid thing. It's giving up without even taking a chance."

She smiles. "I'm glad to take a chance on you ... and I'm proud that you'd take a chance on me."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:05 am Post subject:

"I like you a great deal already, April." He's about to say something sweet, it seems, but he silences himself as they come around from behind a grove of trees. Six machines walk in their direction, from about a quarter mile away.

"Alright, I guess we start here and now," Eric says, smiling with confidence. He takes a high velocity, long range rifle from the long pouch hanging from Krugalt's right side. "Used one o' these before?" he asks. "They're slow, we should have plenty of time to take them out."
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TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

April hesitates, looking at the rifle.

"But what do they even want?" she asks, a plaintive note in her voice. "I mean ... shit." She rubs her eyes clear with the back of her hand, grimaces, and takes the rifle from him.

"We should look for ways to resolve this without a slaughter of either side," she says, jacking a shell into the chamber. "You know ... going forward."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:11 am Post subject:

Eric puts his left hand on her arm softly, looking at her and asks, "April, have you ever fought a mindless soldier?"

He lowers his hand again. "Have you ever fought something that does not respond to pain or pleas and does not understand common human feelings as we do? These are it... The machines are lifeless. The victims inside live a half-life, if that..."

He pauses for a moment then adds, "But I'm open to suggestions."
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TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

April nods. "I get that. Right now, it's kill or be killed."

"But you should know," she continues, as she sights down the rifle at the closest machine, "that I won't accept that that's the best we can ever do. If I get an idea, you'll be the first to know."

She fires the rifle, and immediately starts sliding the next round into the chamber. Midway through her motion, her shot spangs off of armor a quarter mile away, several inches (at least) from a vulnerable joint.

She half-smiles. "Would this be a bad time to mention that I'm not actually that good a shot?" she ventures.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:14 am Post subject:

He smiles, an intense blue dancing in his eyes, "From this distance, the fact that you hit means you're a good shot already. We have time for practice and I can only imagine you're a quick study." He begins giving her pointers, allowing her to punctuate his advice with practice shots. He points out the need to take the time, as if the next shot was her very last ammo and that it needs to count. Also, holding her breath, keeping her weapon amazingly clean, inside and out, as well as other stance and maintenance advice.

The machines stop, lined up, before April can bring one down. They are still almost a quarter mile away. Eric stops encouraging her in order to observe them, quickly seeking a threat in their surroundings but finding none. They just stand there. Waiting. Looking.
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