"Hey, is anyone wantin' these horses? I could take one, then we could eat the rest. Good meat. Think and fight better with full stomach."

"For leader, we need experience. Someone not afraid to take decision. Last leader... to quiet."

"Maranda said as she left that she would request the Lords to make us all equal heirs." Ether quipped as he finished mending the parties wounds and dug out a waterskin from the enemies loot to spread around. "We should use their supplies tonight..."

Talks of a leader began to arise, of heirs, and of the quest. That mounted archer left a bit of an uneasy taste in his mouth.

"I would like the arrows, if nobody else can use them. Also... his bow is similar to mine," Ether remarked to nobody in particular while knocking and loosing an arrow from the enemy's bow into the wilderness, "Which means it will fetch a handsome purse on the market. Likely several hundred gold coins from the right buyer. I doubt anyone here besides me has the training required to use this effectively. We should keep and sell it."

He set the bow back and resumed inspection of some of the other gear.

"If you insist on a leader, I should do it. I'm likely the only one to have ever led a raiding party, and I'm not afraid to make the tough decisions when they need to be made." Ether gestures to the fallen half-elf.
"If you don't like me, then choose Jethro."

"Hang on you." Almyrikon stops looking at the horses, deciding which one would have the best meat on it. Turning to face Ether, he says: "Are you saying that you have more combat training than me? I could probably use one o' them bows too if I had to. Is that what you're saying?" Nobody pretended they were better than him and got away with it.

"I'm not saying I've more combat training; just that I've led organized and focused raiding efforts. You are a great warrior, but your skills are best used on the trees rather than the forest..."

Ether walks up and grabs the bow, handing it to the barbarian. He then knocks an arrow from his own bow and fires it at the nearest tree.

"Hit that same target twice in a row without missing and I'll stand corrected."

"Ether, look. Don't take this hard, but I think the party needs a leader who thinks rationally, not according to a mantra. I respect others religions as much as I can, but I'm sure you know that your choice left a sour taste in my mouth. If the group decides on you as a leader, then fine. I'll follow. But I'll do so grudgingly." He hadn't even looked up when he spoke.

"Fine! Easy enough!" Almyrikon takes the bow from Ethers hand and shoots it at the target indicated.



(OOC: I believe this is a dice roll, so it's up to Wyrm to do the roll.)

Velina laughs out loud and walks over to the tree. Taking out her daggers she first cuts off the embedded arrow and then digs out the arrowhead. "There, I hit the same spot twice in a row. You never said using a bow." She shook her head. "Skill in combat does not equal leadership. In fact your little boast showed that you tend to think lineraly and not consider alternate methods." Motioning to the dead cleric she adds, "Fine lot of good following a religious fighter type did this group."

After a moment she looked at everyone in the group, "A person moving forward on thier own is an individual. Only if there are others following behind them are they a leader. One cannot claim leadership; it is granted to them by those who follow. A vote perhaps amoung us would be in order? But for now that can wait. We need to drag these bodies a distance away or move back the trail a bit to set camp so we are not smelling them all night." Moving to the captured horses, Velina looks them over. "I'll take this one." She gestures to the sturdiest looking one. "We are gonna need some pack animals if we intend to loot so I'd suggest not eating the beasts of burden." Velina mounted her horse, "Since it is less work to ride back the way we came than to move or bury the bodies I'll be setting my tent away from here. Plus it is safer to go back over the path we have already trod than to move ahead or stay here where we have already been spotted."

Ether looks to the barbarian with a wry expression one might have mistaken for a smile were they not aware of his oath never to smile until Lolth had fallen. "It seems some here don't understand the difference between a pissing contest and an efficient use of time.

A bow this powerful in the hands of a novice is more dangerous than if the bow weren't used at all. I've made my case and given our friend here a chance to prove me wrong and demonstrate his knowledge."

As he knocks and fires a new arrow to reset his challenge, he continues. "Also I believe I am the only one that is willing to lead. Nobody else has spoke yet. But as I said, if I am not suitable in your eyes then Jethro should lead."

Gunk-karg rifled through the gear and took what he found, putting it away. After he was done searching the bodies he helped set up camp and even throw some of the bodies away to the side, making small talk when he was needed to.

Later that afternoon, a discussion arose about what should be done for a leader. They obviously could not go along all diplomatic like, it hasnt gotten them anywhere so far, and there last "leader" left. Now everyone was jumping up and voicing there opinion on who should be a leader. Ether and Bearspaw were having some shoot out while Velina was playing smart allick and dug out the arrow head. Gunk-karg just watched in silence, eating his rations for the night. A few thoughts ran though his mind, and as the group argued even further on what should be done, he voiced his opinion on a matter that he was concerned with.

" I'm gonna be taking that horse the barbarian lookin' guy rode on. I'll be riding it from now on so no eatin' the damned thing or using it for a pack mule."

Gunk-karg gets up and gets the horse, leads it off the side of the road and ties it to a tree so it does not leave in the night, but makes sure it has enough grazing room. He goes back to his sitting spot, and listens and concentrates more on the matter at hand, but silently to himself.

Jethro spent the necessary time to truly feel confident that he had everything the sorcerer had carried. He kept what he wished and brought the rest back to the group easing himself down by the fire. Ether's healing had done wonders and he felt refreshed and much more jovial. But then the matters at hand set themselves upon him. A leaderless party, with an uncertain mission and a group of stubborn hotheads who were determined to have their way. The gnome laughed to himself, it was a weighty situation but Jethro was not one to take things seriously, if he wasn't having fun or making profit what was the point? Kannizan brought up the proposition of putting forth a leader. Jethro was not sure that was entirely necessary, what was much more pertinent was trust and coordination, regardless of having a figurehead. If they all trusted turning to one particular organizer in the context of combat that was reasonable but what was the point of having someone tell people what to do? Jethro stayed silent and was utterly shocked when Ether nominated him as a possible leader. What had he done? Hadn't he tried to keep to himself. He never meant to make himself prominent within this rag-tag party. He sighed, perhaps he would stay silent. Speaking out of turn had gotten him into enough trouble, as it were. His speech would only come at the desires of others. At least, he thought, he was in good favour of a few people. If they needed a leader however, Jethro thought perhaps the cleric would be the best option, as long as it was made clear that personal judgment was a necessary part of correctly following orders.

Once the party had gathered around the fire for the rest of the day and into the evening, the process of figuring out who got what began.

As stated, Ether first chanted a short mantra and focused on the gathered spoils to determing if any magic was present.

After that was done, Gunk thought a moment, then moved forward to select a few items from those collected and placed them on the ground in front of him. He stood for a few moments, looking at the others expectantly, then picked up his "seletions" when no one spoke and took them back to where he had been seated. After a few moments, he apoke only brieifly, stating his preference for the mount ridden by the big human. He emphasized his statement by retrieving the animal and tying it to a separate tree from the others. He then returned to his place in silence.

Kannizan, feeling a bit more at ease and having justified his presence in the group during the battle (as he saw it), spoke his mind and turned the talk to a discussion of selecting a leader, a discussion that carried well into the night. Jethro, while surprised at Ether'w nimination of him as leader, kept his face stoic and his voice silent -- for now. Velina voiced her misgivings about the avility of the group to follow a leader, and suggeted an impromptu "election".

During the discussion of leadership, Ehter selected a captured bow and mentioned selling it. A brief exchange between Bearspaw and Ether led to Ehter handing the captured bow to Bearspaw and challenging him to match a bowshot to prove is skill with the bow. Ether let fly an arrow into a tree approximately 15 feet away and then challenged Bearspaw to match the shot with two arrows of his own. Velinal jokingly cut the arrow and dug out the arrowhead from the tree. After quipping about alternative methods, she moved away and Ether placed another arrow in the tree to continue the challenge.

A bit incensed at a statement Ether had made and taking the challenge personally, ,Vearspaw nocked and fire an arrow, which struck the tree only inches below Ether's arrow. With a smug look, Bearspaw turned another arrow loose on the poor, hapless, defenseless tree and placed that arrow a few inches above Ether' shaft.

"Excellent show, both if you. If any trees attack us I feel more than safe with the two of you around to protect me. Of course hitting a stationary target while under no pressure is one thing but... I mean we are all pretty confident that our friend could make short work of a tree with his mighty axe but this last little encounter showed that hitting an opponent is somethign entirely differant. Then again there is the matter of one of us allowing their personal judgement to cause them to act." Waving from her saddle Velina added. "I will be about a half mile back the trail setting camp in a sfer location. Any who care to join me are welcome. Those who do not, I thank you for serving as a warning force in case anyone comes looking for us."

Velina wheeled her horse and set off at a slow walk. She would set her camp as indicated.

Ether stood a bit amazed at the events. Maybe the crazed madman did have the concentration to use this thing. Surely he had the strength. The cleric put his hand out to the barbarian. "Well then, be sure to take his arrows, as well."

He then made his way to collect and salvage what used arrows he could. Ether felt more at ease knowing he would not take an arrow to the back during a melee.

"I would like one of the spare horses as well. Perhaps there will be one leftover to eat."

As Velina left, intent on being an individual, Ether called out "It's not safe out here anywhere... the safest place is among your allies. You should really stay, nobody will ambush a group as large as ours."

Almyrikon gave Ether a nod. "Good challenge my friend. I don't know city smarts, but nearly any weapon, I will come to use."

Strapping the bow to his back, he walks over to the heap to pick up the arrows when something catches his eye. That mace... strange. It bore a design similar... No. This was... "How did they get here..? And why not all of them?" Alymrikon's brow furrowed. He had seen this style weapon before, though not the people who had used it. The gorilla totem... hmm. He would have to bring this back... "If nobody else wants it, I want this mace. Ancient tribal grudge." With that, he pushed it into his sack, and looked with one final sweep over the piles.

Snorting, he addressed everyone save Velina. "Well, I do not know about you four, but I think Velina has good idea. As for leader, I don't care who it is. Just pick a chief." And with that, the Bearspaw marched off to follow Velina. She would fare better if she was not alone, and they didn't need any more deserters.

"Well Almyrikon, good to see you are joining me. I feel a bit safer with a companion." For a few minutes Velina continued to ride in silence. "That was some nice bow work back there. I think you rained on his festival though. Bet he was kind of surprised and a bit mad that he wasn't superior to you as he expected."