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PostPosted: June 29th, 2010, 12:27 pm 
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"So these hyenas," Katalina remarked as she quickened her pace to keep up with the group. "How long are they active?" she asked. All she knew about these animals was that she was hoping that she never ran into one. "I should have bought myself a gun when I had the chance," she muttered to herself. Sure she had no idea how to use the weapon, but did not doubt that she could learn how to use one if it would help to keep her safe.


Braddock glanced over his shoulder at the speaker and shrugged. "In these parts, they are most active around dusk and dawn. However, you must be cautious both day and night, for they travel in packs and have excelent night vision. They will kill at any time of day." He muttered the last sentence, remembering an incident when a hyena had carried off a young Dutch boy before he or the boy's parents could react. Braddock had killed half the pack for that, but they had only inceased thier number since, and were growing bolder.

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Amelia thought for a moment, they needed guns.She could have kicked herself. Her gun was a tiny two shot. "Mister Braddock, Is there a place where one could perchase a gun or two. Although I am looking for my brother, I have heard stories of Africa's dangers. And I fear my small gun isn't enough."


Braddock cursed his luck for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "I shall find something suitable ma'am. But ny arms you would find here are locally made an unreliable. I have a couple spare pistols and rifles at our quarters. I shall outfit you when we arrive. But you will also need to learn to shoot. What I have is all meant for dangerous game ,not petty self defence." He said, tapping his own massive pistol in reference. He had seen the weapon break the back of a Cap Buffalo once, and he had dropped a lion with both barrels only a few months ago. A pistol would do, though in somehting smaller than .577 Snider. Perhaps a .30 calibre, or a decent Krag-Jorgensen.

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PostPosted: July 17th, 2010, 9:42 pm 
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((I believe a bump is in order))

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PostPosted: July 17th, 2010, 10:41 pm 
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((I agree. I have been waiting for others to post first, not wanting to hog this.))

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PostPosted: July 19th, 2010, 1:44 am 
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(Gah! I keep meaning to post this and forgetting.)

Katelin Mason had been listening to the conversation with little interest. Her only concern was when they got to camp. It was devilishly hot outside. They seemed to have been walking forever! They had to be getting close in her estimation.

Sudden Katelin let out and ear piercing scream. A giant snake lay off to the side of the path. "Jim!!" she shrieked.

Jim Mason jumped and turned. He was ready to protect his wife from what he thought must be a lion or a rihno. He let out a heavy sigh when he saw the source of her commotion was a small snake. "Come my dear," he said taking her by the arm, "it wont hurt you. Just walk right by it." Finally, he managed to pull his wife by the snake without incident.

Anabell was not so lucky. She had been so focused on her employers and the snake that she forgot to watch her footing. She stepped on a rock and fell flat on her face infront of the snake. She let out a fearful gaso and froze when she realized the snake was very few inches from her face.

"Ms. Langly!" Jim called. Concern filled his voice as he saw the snake preparing to strike. "Ms. Langly!"

Suddenly Anabell felt herself being jerked swiftly up just in time for the snake to fly by her. She met Jim Mason's stern but none the less concerned eyes. He asked if she was hurt, and she shook her head no.

"Never freeze like that," Jim instructed firmly. "I can be the difference between life and death." He let Anabell go and walked back over to his still frightened and now slightly angry wife. "What?" he asked in response to her frown.

"You should not risk your life so for a servant. And you," Katelin turned her attention towards Anabell, " should be more careful."

"Sorry, ma'am," Anebell replied meekly. She had said she was okay, but she was white and shaky.

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PostPosted: July 19th, 2010, 2:37 am 
Travelling Shieldmaiden
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A frown crossed Katalina's face as Braddock spoke about the hyenas and it only deepened when he said the guns made here were unreliable. That is just peachy, she thought to herself bitterly. I should have bought a gun before leaving England. At the moment she felt as irritable as when she was working at the brothels. The sun was beating down upon her, the air was hot, camp seemed to be nowhere in sight and she was stuck in a land filled with crazy things like lions and hyenas without a gun. I knew I should have picked some other land to seek my fortune in, she thought to herself. Her mood just soured even more when Lady Mason made a scene and the maid nearly got herself killed. "Crazy lords and ladies," she muttered under her breath as she kept walking though was careful to keep an out for more snakes.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Eek!" Calista shrieked in terror as her attention turned toward the snake Katelin Mason had not so quietly pointed out, as she jumped slightly and grabbed onto Darius' arm.
Shaking his head at his wife's reaction, he could only sigh, though he tried to be as gentle as possible when he spoke. "It's only a little snake, love," he told her quietly. "I think you could do more damage to it, than it could to you." Yet no sooner had he uttered those words than the snake attacked Anabell which caused Calista to scream again as she clutched her husband's arm tighter. "You call that thing tame?" she shrieked. "It's a venomous, vile creature!"
"Stay close to me," Darius told her then. "And watch where you step," he warned her. Calista nodded meekly as she still clung on to his arm. Yet, when she looked over at Anabell, she could not help but feel horrible for the woman. Taking unsure steps over to her under her husband's watchful gaze, she gave the maid a tentative smile. "Are you sure you are alright?" she asked her. "That was quite a scare."
Katalina just rolled her eyes as she saw Calista move over to the maid. Her outburst annoying her just as much as Lady Mason's. "I think it would be best to get moving and bond later," she said simply, "Before we all find ourselves dinner."

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PostPosted: July 19th, 2010, 8:53 am 
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Braddock had dropped his coat and rounded on the party when he heard the commotion, but he thought little of the ensuing drama. Exxagerations were common, but then the snake nearly bit the one who seemed to be the maid and the imperious blonde woman made a comment: "not risk your life so for a servant."

That was where Braddock drew the line. Walking up to the woman who had spoken, he removed his hat and spoke in a dangerous voice. "Ma'am, I will not tolerate such talk on my expeditions. Every life here is equal, there are no exceptions. If you wish to play the classes game, then go back to England. You are in Africa now. The animals and locals will not differentiate between rich and poor. Neither shall I. You will treat every member of this company as your equal, that includes my employees of colour. That goes," he said, raising his voice to address the entire group, the anger and frustration in his voice clearly evident, "for everyone.

"Now, treat every snake as though it is venomous, and the best option is not to move. Otherwise it will react to movement and strike, with possibly lethal results."

"My home is just over the next ridge. We shall quarter there and make plans, should you have any requests. Questions can wait until we are safely inside."

With that, Braddock walked back to the head of the column, scooped up his jacket, have it a good shake in case of beetles or snakes, and draped it back over his shoulder, sweating.

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PostPosted: July 19th, 2010, 2:58 pm 
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Amelia smiled a bit. She new Braddock was right about the snakes, and she was impressed by what he said about being equal. She was always middle, not rich or poor so she never had to think about it, but she saw it. She looked at the blond woman that had screamed first, and had berated her servant. "I agree with Mister Braddock, in the eyes of the reaper, we are all equal, just souls to claim." She looked at her husband. "And Panicing is the worst thing to do. Would of spoken up, but Mister Braddock said it for me. You stay calm and still, you live. I was told that all my life."

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PostPosted: July 20th, 2010, 9:55 pm 
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For once Katelin went silent. She knew when she was out numbered. She may have been a snob, but she wasn't completely stupid. Also, her husband was giving her that look when he wished her to be quite. Katelin rolled her eyes and started walking again. She couldn't wait till she was home.

Meanwhile, Anabell smiled greatfully at the woman who had come up to her. "I'm really fine. Just a little startled. I'm sure I startled the snake just as much when he find me inside his personal space." Hearing the other woman's "bonding" comment, Anabell smiled and started walking after the Mason's.

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PostPosted: July 20th, 2010, 10:07 pm 
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Braddock pulled a pair of gloves from his belt and pulled them onto his hands as they descended the ridge leading to his home. It was a modest bungalow of stone with a wooden porch, built by a Belgian colonial. After the man's death, Braddock had taken the home for himself.

In light of previous encounters, Braddock had also ringed the house with a wide coral of thorn branches, with he now hauled aside to permit his clients entrance. Once the last of his men had entered, Braddock pulled the thorn bushes back into place and removed his gloves.

He opened the door to his home without ceremony and lead the party inside. A fire smouldered in the mantle across the room, over which hung a beautifle Farquharson rifle, chambered for .416 Gibbs. There was a loud bark, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback walked into the room from an adjoining hall and whined at her master, pawing at his boots for attention.

Ruffling the dog's hair, Braddock turned to address his guests. "I do not have room enough for everyone, as this house was not built to accomadate many. We shall decide sleeping quarters in a moment. First, however," he said, seating himself in a spacious armchair covered in some sort of antelope hide, "I believe introductions are in order. You know who I am, but I know nothing of your names and titles. Oh, and this is Cathy. Don't worry, she's quite calm, and she's never bitten" He said, rubbing his dog's ears.

Cathy merely stared at the humans intently, sniffing the air and wagging her tail slightly as Braddock rubbed a spot at the base of her skull. She made no move to approach the congregation, but neither did she show aggression.

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PostPosted: July 21st, 2010, 1:15 am 
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Amelia smiled and stepped forward. "Amelia Connery. I have no title ahving been of middle class my whole life. I am from Scotland, but ten years ago I moved to England where my brother was. As you know he is the reason I am here in Africa." She told him.

She remembered when she moved to England, 20 years old, she wanted to be indipendent. Her parents had not approved, but her brother was in England, having decided to travel. So it was arragned she would live with him. She did, as well as looking after his home when he was away, for business or other such things. But she always knew where he was until he went off again with his friend, whom she had grown fond of, and just vanished, not a word until now.

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PostPosted: July 27th, 2010, 12:58 am 
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Katelin Mason was unsure if she had ever been so happy to see a house as she was now. however, she still took in the humble dwelling with slight reserve. Braddock's comment about room situations had her a bit concerned. All she knew was she was not sleeping on the hard dirt.

To Jim Mason the room was perfect. It seemed to just define what he had imagined a home im Africa would look like. At the mention of introductions, he left his wanderings around and rejoined the group.

Jim gave a smile and nod to Amelia once she had introduced herself. After a moment of silence he said, "I am Sir Jim Mason." Turning and taking the hand of his wife he continued. "This is my wife: Lady Katelin Mason." He then gave Anabell the cue to introduce herself as well.

Anabell had stood staring at Braddocks rather adorable dog. She loved dogs and had adopted the Mason's dog as her own. Funny how she missed that animal almost as much as some people. After a few seconds she finally saw Jim Mason's look. "I'm Anabell Langly. I'm Mrs. Mason's personal maid," Anabell said. She was attempting to sound happy about that position, but she was a bit to tired to pull it off.

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PostPosted: July 27th, 2010, 2:37 am 
Travelling Shieldmaiden
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When the group entered the house, Calista glanced around the home. It was certainly smaller than what she grew up in, but it had a nice cozy feel to it and she found that she liked it. But then again, she did not know if the fond feeling toward the place was simply coming from the happiness of getting out of the blazing sun. In truth, she had never been happier to see a dwelling before and she probably would have thought it grand if it had been a mud shack. After their long trek and the climb down the ridge, she didn’t care where she would have to make a bed. If the floor was the only option for her, she’d take it as long as there were no snakes.
“Darius DeChaney,” Darius said simply as they began their introductions. He saw no need to point that he had come from a prominent family back in England. He had left all of that behind the day he and Calista had wed in secret. “And this is my wife Lady Calista DeChaney,” he added introducing her as well. Calista winced when he introduced her with a title, although only a fool would not suspect that she wasn’t from a wealthy family by her dress and her delicate hands which showed she never did a hard day’s work in her life. “Please,” she said softly. “It’s just Calista DeChaney.”
“Katalina Williams.” Katalina said in her turn. “And you will be relieved to know that no title comes with that,” she added. She saw no need to go into background history. The less that people knew about her, the less they would have to use against her.

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PostPosted: July 27th, 2010, 10:45 am 
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Braddock nodded to each of his guests in turn, making calculations. He had two bedrooms, he would quarter the Masons and DeChaneys there. He would sleep on the floor, and could lay out cots for two of the women, the third could take his armchair. Satisfied, he stood and voiced the arrangements, then went into his small kitchen and took an ancient teapot from a counter, filled it with water from his cistern, and set it to boil over the fire, after kicking the mantle with his pistol in his hand to check for a lodged snake, as was his custom.

Tuning to his guests, he smiled encouragingly and gestured to the company to follow him, walking across the room and opening the door to his cellar. It was an entire floor below, lit with kerosene lamps to rival the failing light outside, and laid out with a chaise covered in dog hair and several chairs. Cathy promptly bounded down the stairs and lept on the chiase, curling up and yawning.

All along one wall was a large collection of firearms, ranging from double-rifles to shotguns to pistols. "Now, I trust that some of you do not have adequate weapons for Africa, yes? If that is the case, or if you require a smaller rifle, then please, say so and I shall provide you with one. You cannot use your lion or buffalo rifle on a kudu or a dik-dik, you shall ruin the meat and turn the hide into a window." He spoke from experince, as nearly all of his clients came to Africa only carrying a weapon in .400 calibre or larger, which was far too large for most African game, contrary to popular belief, and what most merchants in London's Gun Quarter told thier customers in order to sell thier most expensive firearms.

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PostPosted: July 27th, 2010, 2:56 pm 
Maia
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Amelia went down and looked at the guns. "I've only ever used a shotgun, or hand revolver, both which my brother used and showed me. I trust your judgment if you were to suggest a reasonable gun for me."

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PostPosted: July 27th, 2010, 10:44 pm 
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Braddock nodded and turned to the rack. "For now," he said, turning to the rack, "you should take a suitable pistol. Here," he said, taking down a short revolver with a short underbarrel and a flamboyant hammer spur pulling the hammer back, he pulled the trigger and let it snap forward: still in good condition after 12 years. "This is a LeMat revolver. It carries nine rounds of .41 calibre cap-and-ball, as well as a single charge of buckshot. It isn't accurate at long ranges, but you shouldn't need to fire at long ranges."

"If the need arises," at this Braddock took a Spencer carbine from a cabinet, "use this. It carries seven rounds, and can fire as fast as you can work the lever." He said, demonstrating how to work the action. "I will teach you how to use both weapons in due time." He said assuringly, handing Amelia two belts, one carryind the holster for the LeMat and a dozen loops for ammunition, and one carrying rounds for the Spencer. "Is there anything else you need, or anyone else, for that matter?"

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PostPosted: July 27th, 2010, 10:58 pm 
Maia
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Amelia but the belts on to size them just right. "Thats all I will need." she smiled at him and went to the mans dog and sat patting her as she waited for the rest of the group to decide what they wanted.

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