Winterstorm

[Brian]

You've got Sir Erik Kethel (Eagle clan: archers/scouts), Sir Harold Volter (Wolf clan: swordsmen), Sir Edward Carst (Caribous clan: swordsmen) from the original chain of command.  When everyone sorts themselves out enough to figure out who the newly promoted second-in-commands are, you're introduced to:

(Now) Sir Alec Westwind (Oxen clan: axemen), Sir Larry Hodges (Bear clan: swordsmen), and Sir Richard Sykes (Rabbit clan: pikemen).

That's about it.  You've also got two of the priestesses, ALL fifteen of the old fort guards (they were following you), and six vassals, split evenly between the two priestesses.

[Rezantis]

Once everyone's gathered together, Rez starts speaking:

"I'm glad to see you up and about, Alec.  That was one hell of a hit you took, and my fault, too," he coughs, "In any case.  We've only got three days food, so I guess the obvious plan is we head north.  Communication with the rest of the stormriders will be almost impossible - a half mile at night - so if we head north either we'll find a way to cross the trench, letting us link up with Phil's group, or we'll find some more supply caravans we can salvage food from.  Sound like a plan?"

[Brian]

The men all nod, not too eager to be close to ... well, it's liquid, you guess, but doesn't seem to be water.  "I'll start scouting immediately," Erik says, bowing, and scurrying off to assemble some of his men.

[Rezantis]

Rez nods to the departing Eric and looks around the group.

"Get everyone ready to move. I'll be back in a few minutes, I want to check out this river."

Which Rez promptly wanders down to, curiously.  There aren't that many naturally occurring liquids that people sink in.

[Brian]

Well, the slopes of the trench are deceptively slippery, but you've got crampons on your boots.  You manage to make it to the point where the ... stuff ... has apparently risen, which is about midway up the trench.  It sits their, pretty much without any ripples or motion at all.  Where the Jotun's blood has seeped down the slope and into the stuff, it branches out wildly and crazy, blue Jotun blood making a kind of sideways tree poking out into this stuff.

[Rezantis]

Rez walks sideways along the trench slope, trying to find an area with little jotun blood.

Once found, he tries to scoop up a little of the 'water' in his right hand.

[Brian]

Your hand freezes the second it comes into contact with the stuff.  You lose all tactile sensation, your hand is stiff, and hoarfrost lines it.  Probably not a good move.

There is something you learn from this, though you're not sure it's something that you wanted to know, or something that even makes sense.

The disruptions your hand made in it show that it's not actually a liquid at all.  It's a gas.  Which means that the entire ice shelf you're on is suspended by islands of rock, and mountains, and whatever's below ... it's some heavier-than-air gas compound that's dark, and very, very, very cold.

[Rezantis]

"Jesus Christ!"

Rez, mightily impressed and disturbed by this revelation, walks quickly back up the slope towards the camp - priority one, warm that hand up, and priority two - get moving.

There ain't no crossing that mess.

[Brian]

The storm-riders look at you curiously, but don't say anything.  It's entirely possible that they know as little about that stuff as you do.

Your men wave a bit at Phil's, but actual communication isn't too feasible, so they ultimately break off and start heading north with the rest of the troop, moving about half a kilometer away from the trench before moving along it.

[Rezantis]

Rez keeps the group moving north until there's a compelling reason to stop, one of . . .

(A) Some coherent signal or the like from Drac's half of the river,
(B) "Your men need rest, Sir Nathan!"
(C) The scouts bring back news.

Of particular note in Rez's mind is gratitude that they have the priestesses, because it's been a damn long time since he slept . . .

[Brian]

The priestesses aren't even going to bother trying to keep this many soldiers going for too long.  Your men need rest after an hour or three.

[Rezantis]

Nathan wouldn't have expected them to, he was more just grateful he hadn't fallen over from exhaustion yet.

In any event, once they've gotten north and the men need a break, Rez calls a halt to the column, giving orders for the men to try and get some sleep and to get a few men set up on watch.

He sends runners out to the scouts with the same message . . . and unlesss Erik has anything vitally crucial to report, Blue Warriors Needs Sleep Badly.

[Brian]

Everyone who was in the battle is pretty tired, especially those who were healed (apparently it takes some strength to undo that kind of damage).  Erik rounds up a few moderately more rested scouts (about two hundred) and sets up a radius to keep watch, and everyone settles in to rest.

In the morning, nothing's happened, and the scouts pile into the wagons to sleep while the rest of the army pushes on further north.

[Rezantis]

Wonderful. Why the fuck am I in charge? I'm not a goddamn commander, I hate this stuff.  Someone up there's got it in for me, alright . . .

Rez quashes his annoyance and . . . keeps walking.

[Brian]

You notice, when you're awake, that the moon has risen.