Into the Forest

"Don't let her bother you too much. She has a rather harsh attitude towards outsiders; it's nothing personal."

He would nod "Right, well its understandable especially now. Some of us are the same way."

Lilith rolled her eyes and said,
"understandable, yes but still uncalled for. Nonetheless, I can understand her point of view. Most people now cannot be trusted, not after what has happened."

"I know that all too well - I'm sure we all do. Again, I offer my apologies."

A female Acolyte emerged from one of the buildings.

"We have prepared a few rooms, whenever you are ready."

Armando nodded and said "Thank you, my men can go to their rooms now id like to stay up, and talk to 'The Warden' since i assume he is of some position of power" The dustmen nod and generals be ready to take their rooms.

"I too, will stay up to speak with the warden. I have unfinished business with him," Lilith said to the female acolyte.

The Warden nodded. "Very well. Acolyte, show these men their rooms." He remained outside, and the Acolyte gestured for the dustmen to follow her.

The Acolyte led the dustmen into a large, ramshackle log cabin. It was roughly built and crudely designed, and some of the wood appeared to be rotted almost completely through. Inside, the hut was sparsely lit but had a few torches and candles in the main room casting light over the crude wooden furniture, the tattered rugs and draperies, and the dusty walls. The place looked like it hadn't been lived in for years, aside from the fact that it had some amenities - a cupboard with some food lined one wall, and there was a set of rickety chairs and benches lined up across from a dingy, soot-covered fireplace. Above the mantle, the mounted head of a buck with its antlers proudly displayed hinted that this may have been an old hunting cabin at one time.

A hallway off of the main room led towards the bedrooms. There were ten small bedrooms, each of them equipped with at least one or two old, single beds pressed up against the walls with a dresser and other assorted bedroom furniture nearby. Everything in the house looked like it had either been scavenged from before the Cataclysm or crudely constructed out of makeshift materials - but it was better than sleeping outside and being put at risk of raiders, infected, and whatever else might lurk in the dark outside of the safety of the dustmen's city.

One of the Acolytes lifted a torch from off the wall and used it to set the firewood in the fireplace alight. Once the flame held, it flickered and lit up the room a bit more.

"Is there anything else I can do for you tonight? You must be hungry. Help yourself to anything here."

Meanwhile, the Warden stood outside with the others and waited. "What is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

The dustmen would make themselves at home and would be hungry so they would definatly help themselves to the food in the ram shackle cabin. They wouldn't look very put off by their surrondings.

Armando would stand with the warden and he would say "Well, as you know i am charged with getting water for my people. We live in the desert so we spend a lot of time going to and from the city to the lake. So my leader Ash, we call him Lawless, also charged me with finding other large groups of survivors who would like to either join us or trade with us. I can tell the first isn't what would happen here but i was hoping you would like to perhaps set up some sort of trade agreement? I would very much like our two groups to have a fruitful relationship to help each other survive in these trying times. Power in numbers, am i right?"

"Perhaps trade would be beneficial for both of us. Tell me, what do you have that you think would interest us? What sort of agreement did you have in mind?"

Armando would think "Well, we do have a surplus of food . We have a large farm. We could perhaps set up a fort near the water right near the forest and make sure no one goes in and in exchange we got easier access to water. What would interest you we might have it."

Lilith stood with little patience as Armando and the warden spoke about trading.

"Perhaps. It sounds plausible, at least, but I will discuss it with my brethren tonight, and we will see what can be arranged by morning." The Warden turned to Lilith. "And you're interested in speaking more about your...energy source, yes?"

"Indeed I am. Could you explain what it looks like or give me more information on it?"

"Personally, I haven't seen it. But I have heard others speak of such a thing. If the stories are to be believed, then it lies underground. I cannot describe it, but I could have someone who could tell you more speak with you about it, if you'd like."

Lilith bowed slightly to the warden and thanked him.
"I would appreciate it if you could. I have a feeling I could explain more about it if it is what I think."

Armando would be interested "Hmm, would u mind if i came?"

Lilith did not look at Armando when she responded to his question.
"I have no objections to it. Come if you like."

"Very well then. Please, make yourselves at home inside. My Acolytes shall attend to you while I speak with the others regarding trade and exploration of this energy source. If there is nothing else to speak of tonight, then I shall leave you to your rest."

The Warden turned, left the outpost, and disappeared into the shadows deeper into the forest.

He would nod than when the warden left he would look at Lililth "I can tell you don't like me much. May i ask why?"

Lilith looked at him for a moment then said,
"I have nothing against you as a person however, you have a tendency to ruin my tactics."

Armando would smile"Oh you mean earlier when you were trying to pick a fight with the weird girl? I just dont like violence, i apologize for that."

"Yes, when I was "trying to pick a fight" with the "weird girl". Accepted, you seem nice but I don't usually trust people these days....especially men." Lilith turned away and walked into the building.

he would try and ask "Why is that? im not so scary im a nice guy!.....aww man." He would walk into the building to await the Warden.

The Warden blended and disappeared into the darkness, making his way to the caverns where he would be able to speak with someone regarding the outsiders - and, more importantly, their questions about trade and the energy source.

Meanwhile, the Acolytes helped to make them comfortable inside the cabin. They fixed a kettle full of canned soup, enough to serve the whole group for at least one bowl, and offered them whatever else they would need to get settled in for the night. Overall, they seemed reasonably hospitable for a group of such mysterious forest-dwellers.

His men would go to asleep but Armando found himself plagued by the nightmares he has every couple of nights.