(IC) Lost In Dreams [Peter]

[ericthered]

As its only about 2 PM (getting that food took a while), so Peter continues down the path. For a long time he sees no one. Then he comes across a visage more horrific than before: A man is lying in the path, dead. He appears to have taken his own life, judging from his bloody hand. His skin has a number of small red scabs/sores all over it. The man has painted himself in a specific fashion, and appears to have laid himself in line with the sun before driving the weapon in. The scabs are regular and random enough to suggest a disease or alergic reaction rather than a physical cause. Peter isn't sure what the disease is. He's pretty sure it isn't chicken pox though. A queasy feeling rises in his stomach -- what did all of the ancient diseases look like? he can't remember. He hopes dearly its an allergic reaction or the doing of some bizarre allergic reaction or poison.

Goliath barks at the death body, then looks up at Peter.

[the_matrix_walker]

"Keep away boy"

Peter guides Goliath to give the body a wide berth. He thinks of the other man's suicide and wonders if he was sick and looking for some kind of a warrior's death or something like that when he confronted Peter.

He travels on...

[ericthered]

Its getting dark when Peter sees more people on the path, about 30 yards down it. They mounted on -- bears?, armed, and stationary. On seeing them, Goliath bristles, and not just becuase there is a dog with the riders.

The 'Bears' are grazing. They are very shaggy animals with long faces and their eyes are set a ways back in their head. Peter isn't quite sure what they are, but he's beginning to suspect they are not proper bears. The animals are heavy set, and at least horse sized (but much more heavily built).

The riders are of the ethnicity of the men he ran into before, and they are painted in the same colors as the man who killed himself. Both of them have the large-bladed spears and bows. They have seen Peter, and are getting their weapons ready for a fight.

[the_matrix_walker]

Peter raises his hands, palms out and speaks to them as non-aggressive a tone that he can muster.

"Easy guys... I know you probably don't understand a word I'm saying, but I come in peace. shush Goliath, that goes for you too."

He remains there with his hands up if their approach is slow and not too aggressive... but if they break into a full charge or start loosing arrows, Peter will retreat into the woods.

((consider this a Wait, for "definite aggression" to trigger a Move into the cover of the woods.))

[ericthered]

They start out moving slowly, but they don't stop getting ready for a fight, and Peter senses hostile intent, regardless of his actions. He runs into the woods, Goliath after him. The two warriors follow him.

If they had been on horses, he would have been run down quickly. Their mounts are fierce and would no doubt tear apart a horse, but the speed of the beasts is enough for Peter to stay out of reach -- if he runs. The riders aren't expending the beast to their limits though -- Peter gets the impression they could go faster and try harder.

[the_matrix_walker]

Peter runs and tries to lose them in the woods.


((Assuming he is able to lose them...))

Once he feels like he's in the clear, he will ditch the shirt he's wearing, and cut the legs of the pants short with his knife. He'll try to find some natural ingredients to make dyes or paint like mixture to try and replicate the "savage's" painted look, in case the aggression is because he looks like the farmers who's home he took the clothing from.

[ericthered]

Its a hard run, and he's exhausted, but the warriors stop following fairly quickly, merely shooting an arrow at him (that goes wide)

Peter can't find the dyes they are using to paint with, though he can certainly rub mud on him to imitate similar patterns (but not colors). It occurs to him the lone house might have paints in it that he could use ...

[the_matrix_walker]

Peter will head back to the house to see if he can get the ingredients he needs for his "disguise", and if it's getting dark, he'll spend the night there. Once rested and with his disguise complete, he'll head back in the direction he went the first time, towards the attacker who killed himself.

[ericthered]

Peter is able to find some of the paint, adorns himself, and as its late at night, goes to sleep. He might have been cold, but the dog snuggles up with him and they keep each other warm.

His dreams that night are of modern folks, mostly white but with a couple of native americans and a single african, looking at a map of what is quite clearly the Chesapeake bay (the bay of Virginia and Maryland) in some sort of tent. They have little pins all over it, with varying sizes of heads, and they seem to be dealing with reports -- it has something of a military planning feel, but these folks don't quite look military -- at least most of them don't. One of them looks and acts very military. They do speak english, and though Peter can't really follow the discussion, they are planning on sending teams to different areas and the hostility of the locals is discussed at length.

Peter wakes up in the same location, stomach growling.

[the_matrix_walker]

Peter actually waits until morning to apply the pains, and sets off following the route he started on the first time, towards where the native killed himself when he lost his primary weapon. Peter decides to retrieve the "sword spear" on his way by where he threw it, as it will help complete his disguise.

If he is able to notice any natives on the road before they see him, he will move to travel into the woods. He'd rather not put his disguise to the test if he can help it.

((OOC: I am assuming there was nothing on the map Peter could recognise from his walking around to help him find these english speakers... If in fact there is, he will follow whatever path he thinks will lead him in their direction.))

As he travels, he will continue to look for food for Goliath and himself... If there is nothing but grubs and the like, he'll do his best to stomach them and try and get Goliath to eat them as well. If he finds there are no other options, he will try and hunt.