Himalayan Adventures

It's just over that 'hour and a half' mark that red Jeep Wrangler pulls up in front of the Reliquary. The Hunter within parks it off to one side so as to not be in the way (and hopefully not be so readily noticeable), and steps out. She's in cargo pants and a tanktop, looking awfully military. She pulls on a long-john shirt whiel she's waiting, tucking that in, then takes a backpack from the back before she's heading for the front door, a coat slung over one shoulder.

Danny in the back, she still lets him know that she'sthere before she starts properly 'gearing up.' Which is, to say, puting on the shoulder holster, the ankle one, all that. Not always best to drive while fully armed, now is it? Bracers to the wrists have knives, and she straps another one to the outside of her leg (big ol' bowie knives). "Now how does one /call/ an angel..." she's musing mostly to herself as she gets herself prepped

"Usually with prayer," Isiael answers from behind her, and he's leaning up against the counter. The angel looks a little worried, and perhaps a little anxious to get the show on the road. He... doesn't have anything visible on him, but he does look a little more rested than he did at the bar, so who knows where he's been. "Are you two ready to go...?" He looks back towards the rear of the shop, since Danny's not visible.

Her breath catches, body stiffening. It takes a five count before shes' able to force her body to relax, and Rese turns to look at the man. "You have seriously /got/ to stop sneaking up on me," she says firmly. "I don't think I can do a damn thing to you, but if I shoot up his shop, I'm pretty sure Mr. Pacifist back there will kick my ass." She gives a shake of her head as she goes back to making sure her weaposn are properly strapped in. "Danny's still gathering a few things. The 'just in cases.'"

"Apologies," the angel replies, looking back her way. "I'm just... ready to get this thing going, I suppose." He sighs, and then sags against the counter a little, apparently getting comfortable to have to wait a bit longer. "It's good he'll be prepared. I'm concerned that since this was a very ... specific time, there will be something waiting."

"The way I've learned to look at things?" Rese says, attention focussed down as she gears up. "If you're sent somewhere specific," and here she looks up at him. "It's a trap." A bit of a shrug. "Were you given a specific locale as well? I'm... sort of flying blind here. Might like a /litlte/ more to go on," so admits the adrenaline junkie.

Isiael's jaw works a little in thought. "Okay," he finally gives in. "There's this... object, that can contain one soul. This... thing... called Nyx stole it, and is holding it from me. We--" This seems to indicate him and Danny, "--think she might be a pagan diety. She's threatening to release what's inside if I don't get this object for her. Which-- ties my hands, because that thing cannot. Be. Released. It would cause... much destruction." He takes in a breath and releases it on a slow exhale. "She gave me the time and place to be there. And what the object is - a stone. We do not know much more than that."

Turning to face the man directly, Rese folds her arms over her chest, listening. A bit of a nod, her expression thoughtful. "So why don't we show up early?" she suggests. "But a couple of days. That way /we/ can scope out the immediate area. Less of a chance to get jumped since she can't know you would do that, right?"

"I remember you two talking about pagan dieties earlier," she admits with a slight incline of her head. "Something about... old gods tricking humans into /thinking/ they could share their powers? Same situation" She pauses only half a beat. "So... what soul is in this stone? Is it Elvis? 'cause we've kinda missed him..." Nevermind it's going back to '31 - shhhhh.

"That's not a bad idea," Isiael admits. "In fact, I might do that. Of course-- it could mean a couple of extra days there, for you."

At the rest, his brows furrow deeply, and he looks down. "It's... a very powerful being that has been contained there for a...very long time. It will be angry if it escapes. We...could not destroy it, so we contained it, hid it. I was given the task then of hiding it, and then we... lost it." His features darken. "This is why my brothers are angry with me." And then, he looks up, features uncomprehending. "I do not know of that diety."

"I'll get over it," Rese points out. "Especially if it results in us not bing /dead/. I mean, I know you don't really have to worry about it as much, but me and Danny? We're squishy by comparison. So will the same amount  of time pass here? Or are we going to have a Bill and Ted moment where we show up at the same time our previous selves are leaving?"

If he didn't get the Back to the Future Reference, it's unlikely to get this one. So moving on!! "So in case this being /does/ get out," she says carefully, dropping her arms to her sides to begin to pace. "Do you remember how to contain it? We might look at gathering the necssary materials to do that," she suggests. "You know.. precautions."

Indeed, the reference goes right over his head. "I know you are," he says, easily. "And I wouldn't be asking this if I wasn't reasonably sure that I can protect you. There is always danger, but ... I think that the reason that she wanted me to go was mostly because she cannot go backwards in time, and I can."

He sighs, though, to the latter question. "I -can- contain it, there is no question of that. But it could cause much destruction before I could even get to it. It's just a matter of trapping it and then performing the ritual." Oh, is that all?

"So she can't go backwards in time. That's one step closer to figuring who she is," Rese points out, her voice gentling. Not that the angel really picks up on any social cues.

"Now!' She claps her hands together, rubbing them briskly. "How do we trap this thing? You know... just in case of the big badda boom..."

"It's similar to a devil's trap. Except... tailored differently. It has to be lured in, but once it is caught, it cannot leave." Isiael's jaw tightens a little. "I need to get this thing away from her. I just... don't want to risk her letting it loose before I -can-. And she seems to be the sort that would do it, even though if she is this Nyx, she usually doesn't interfere very much with mortal things."

Her head cants curiously to one side. "So you've dealt with this woman before?" Rese looks about fr a moment, then takes a couple of steps back to park her backside against a shelf (not to fret - she's careful the darn thing doesn't topple over)

Isiael shakes his head. "No. But there are many myths about her. Danny found some things about her." He sighs, though he does look sidelong towards her. "You've been having troubles, too," he observes. "I remember you speaking to him about some things."

"Some Hunters disappeared," Rese says softly. "They were friends of my grandparents. Apparently of Danny's as well. We ended up investigating the scene at the same time.  Didn't find any bodies or sign of struggle. /Did/ find a salt ring.  And it looks as if they vanished in the midst of... I don't know.  Different things.  One of them was looking into a trickster spirit out in Idaho or something.  Once ew figure out where they ewnt to, I was thinking of going out there and taking care of that for him. In case..." In case he was dead. Might as well solve his final case for him. "I mean, after we get back from the Himalayas..."

Isiael lifts his brows a little. "Disappearances of two hunters? Ghosts, perhaps, or demons." He hesitates. "The scene you looked at, it was the place where one of them disappeared from? Or both?"

"Both of them," Rese says with a sharper nod. "I suspect ghost. Between the salt-ring and the EMF going off the charts." She closes her eyes, tilting her ehad back for a moment before opening them again to stare at the ceiling. "They've lived there for years. I don't know why a ghost would be taking /now/ to do something. But there you have it. I got called back here because there were signs and portents saying something was going down here in Boston. Apparently, it's big enough to stir a few things up..."

"Perhaps something stirred them up," the angel muses, studying Rese. "I have not had many dealings with them, as they really aren't something I deal with, so I couldn't offer suggestions without looking at the place first." He ponders, however: "What sorts of signs?"

"Gramps has a better idea of the signs," Rese admits, dropping her gaze back to the angel. Is it warm in here? Oh wait, the long johns. Damnit. She shifts from foot to foot, hooking thumbs in her belt. "Weather patterns have shifted, changed a bit. There have been more sights of ghosts in the region - which, as you say, something stirring them up.  More activity in general.  Apparently, they're friends with a local coven - or at least on friendly terms with them - and there's been some weird stuff there, too. It's..." she wrinkles her nose a bit. "I only know a little about it. It was enough to have them calling me, freaking out to get me home as quickly as possible.  So here I am."

A pause as she considers. "Though, I wouldn't put it past Nan to call me back just to try to set me up."

"Very odd things, yes," the angel admits. "There are a lot of things going on right now. Creatures are stirred up. There are still too many demons free." He frowns lightly. "I wish there was an easier fix outside of 'cleaning up the mess'." That last part causes him to shift his gaze her way, blue eyes curious but mostly unreadable, as always. "'Set you up'?"

The skin around her eyes tightens, and Rese glances towards the back room then to the angel again. "You might want to be a bit quieter about that 'cleaning up the mess' bit," she says softly. "Danny is awfully anti-Hunter for that very reason. I'm frankly surprised he's agreeing to work with me at all," she admits before rolling a shoulder in a shrug. The last question is ignored. Moving on! "But we do what we can. About the possessions," she explains. One hand pats her left thigh and a book that's tucked into a pocket there. "Try to banish the demons when we can without hurting the host. But they don't like to go gently... Usually rip the poor sods up from the inside."

Isiael looks toward the back, and then looks toward Rese again. "He knows what I am," he replies, evenly. "I am a warrior. I am not a --pacifist. And he is working with me, as well." He relaxes a fraction, though, and then nods. "Yes. I can exorcise them, or kill them. I do not like killing the innocents, either, not when I can help it."

"It's just different points of view," Rese says with a shake of her head. "It's not angels he has a problem with. It's Hunters." She gives a delicate shrug, dismissing it. "Neither here nor there, really. I'll try not to step on toes," she adds with a wink, turning to start gathering up the rest of her things. "So where do you plan on dropping us down at?" Seems a good change of topic.

"Near the location," Isiael answers. "A place where we do not have to climb very far up. But not right next to it, in case there is trouble waiting." He hesitates, and adds, "I went there earlier, after we finished. Just to look at it, and I think I found an appropriate place to go. If," he adds, "the location today is similar to the location then. But I do not think mountains will change very much in that time."

"There are landslides, shifts, blizzards. /Bombs/. 'specially with so many wars been now and then." Rese gives another shrug. "But should be alright. Think it'll work for us to stay for a couple of days?  I rather not drop in at the precise hour that she instructed. That really is just begging for something to come out of a cave and eat us."

"Of the wars that have happened since then, there hasn't been bomb activity in the area we'll be looking at," Isiael replies with confidence - perhaps oddly so, considering how unaware of other human things he is. "It should be fine, provided you are able to stay and have the necessary equipment."

"Tent, sleepy bag, rations, water, and weapons. What more does a gal need?" Rese drawls out, flashing her most winning of a smiles. "I think we'll be good. If we need to, the three of us can huddle together. If there's... is there a village or anything like that in the area? Are we going to be avoiding human interaction?  That could change the way we show up.  Hell, get a taste of the local culture might be nice. Not that any of us will understand what they're saying." Not that /Rese/ will understand - Isiael and Danny are a different matter altogether.

"Well," Isiael says, doubtfully. "The locals shouldn't be exposed to anything they wouldn't be in that time. But otherwise, it wouldn't hurt, if we have the time. We'll see what happens. It could be that it might even be necessary." A beat, and he studies her briefly before adding: "Have you been around that area before at all?"

"I've never left the States," Rese says, though pauses, straightening up. "That's not true," she dmits turning towards him. "Canada and down into Mexico and Central America twice. But mostly? Just the States here. I've got the tent in the Jeep. Should fit all three of us if we don't mind getting cozy. And considering /where/ we're going, I think cozy woudl be a good thing."

Isiael tips his head, starts to ask a question, and then it dawns on him. "Ah, yes. Body warmth." He does not seem to be inclined toward being resistant to the idea, at least. "It will be cold there, for you two, yes." He pauses, and adds, "These mountains, though, they are beautiful. As most of the unspoiled places are." He seems to speak of this with some amount of fondness, at least. "Anyway, I should go see if he is ready to go."

Rese flashes a crooked smile. "I've seen pictures," she assures him. And from another pocket, she pulls out a digital camera. "I'm ready for it," she adds with a wink. "Yeah, go see if he's ready. I'll go grab the tent and sleepy bag..."

Isiael nods, and then wanders back towards the back. He's not in a significant rush, but anyone who can even halfway read people can pick up on the hint that he's a little Concerned about all of this. "Danny. You ready to go?"

Danny is actually in the middle of changing! Because of course the angel had to walk in at the most awkward time. Thankfully, the shopkeeper at least has his pants back on. This is, however, a rare opportunity for someone to view the assortments of tattoos across the man’s taut skin, none of which are visible through normal clothes, and all of which are occult in nature. Protection from possession, psychic attacks, and so on. “I’m almost ready,” he tells the angel, slipping into a button-down, long sleeve shirt of the flannel variety. After which, he grabs up a backpack and shoulders it. “Okay.”

It's only a few moments after Isiael steps in that Rese appears in the door. Sure, it's about when Danny is putting his shirt ON, so she only catches a glimpse, but... um..... Damn. She's in cargo pants, a long-john shirt with an open coat over it (just in case). "I... oh damn." What was she saying. But whatever it is, she's still gesturing back over her shoulder. Gawk...

Isiael lifts his brows a little, but it's likely just at the extensive tattoos, especially since he turns around and heads back -- only to turn right into Rese. He halts in mild surprise, but instead of stepping out of her personal space like a normal person, he just says, "He is ready to go now."

Actually, the flannel’s not quite entirely buttoned, as Danny was more concerned with getting his backpack on his shoulder. So, hi, chest! /Now/ he’s fully buttoning up his shirt, and blinking at the traffic jam in his doorway. No he wasn’t intentionally trying to tease you, Rese. Though despite what might seem like pacifistic tendencies, the shopkeeper certainly doesn’t look like a pacifist. Physically. “I work out,” he tells her, noting the stare. “Often. Helps with things like this.” And a nod to the angel. All ready!

Right. Riiiiiiiight. Rese shakes herself, turning about to move awaaaaay from the two men. Quickly. Should be noted she DOES have a number of weapons strapped to her person, but as she's fully clothed, nothin' to gawk at! By golly. She rubs both hands ove rher face then back ove rher hair. "I didn't know if you had a tent or not," she says, forcing her voice to sound something like normal. "We're probably going to be landing a couple of days before the, you know, /trap/. Scope out the area, get a feel ofwhere we're at. All that." She stoops to grab up the pack complete with pack o' supplies, tent, and a rolled sleeping bag at the bottom. Looks like normal camping/climbing gear. If one ignores the shotguns and pistols. "Ready... Uh, don't you two need jackets....?"

"No," Isiael replies, and then takes a deep breath. "Okay. Prepare yourselves." Unless Danny flits off to grab a jacket, he closes his eyes, then reaches up with both hands towards them both. Two fingers are pressed to either of their temples, and the world around them goes instantly black.

The first sensation is a blustering chill, though it's not frigid. There is still snow under their feet, however, and they are not on a peak, but rather in one of the higher elevation valleys. The two passengers get there safely enough, at least.

The angel, however, is in a bit of a rougher shape. His apprehension and anxiety for this trip is given a concrete reason, as when they land, he's barely staying on his feet and looks like he just got run over by a train. Well, at least he's staying conscious, though his eyes are rather unfocused. How fun!

Obviously not in need of a jacket – or having a trick or two up his sleeve to deal with any cold – Danny remains. “It occurs to me—” but then he doesn’t have time finish before, zap! And bam, they’re in the past. The rest of his sentence catches in his throat as they ‘land,’ and then he’s caught up with trying to keep the angel from stumbling over. Pulling Isiael’s arm over his shoulder, Danny holds the guy up easily, and then adds: “It occurs to me that perhaps Nyx didn’t come herself not because she couldn’t, but because she didn’t want to be seen. Among other reasons.” He shakes his head. So many irritating variables! “Are you okay, Isiael?” He then glances to Rese, feet moving to regain his balance. “Rese?”

Elena Ervin: The angel slumping, it's not only Danny who's stepping close to brace the man. Doing much the same as the shopkeeper, only on the other side, the two of them SHOULD be able to keep the angel (and hopefully themselves) from tumbling down the mountainside. "Woah, Issy..." Her arms go about the man's waist, trying to steady.... even though Danny COULD do it himself. "I'm good," she says with a firm nod to the other fellow. "We... probably need to sit him down somewhere..." She starts looking about for a good place /to/ settle them all down at. "Isiael was saying earlier he didn't think she /could/ go back in time herself..."

Isiael sags heavily against them both, wobbly on his feet and clearly only half-there. "I'm---okay," he mumbles blearily, but it's clear that isn't exactly the entire truth. He's got a nosebleed, too, but at least he's managing to stay conscious. That's a plus, right? He doesn't answer them directly, likely because he's concentrating mostly on staying /awake/, but hey.

The little valley they are in is covered in rocky outcrops, some of which invariably have little caves or semi-sheltered areas. But hey! Mountains! At least it's pretty up here.

Danny jerks his head towards a cliff face, where there looks to be a cave of some variety. “It’s hard to know for sure,” he replies to Rese, shouldering as much of Isiael’s weight as the woman will let him. “It looks like we’re avoiding the monsoons for the moment; valleys tend to be a bit safer anyways. Sometimes there’s abandoned temples that are good places to camp – or so I’m told.”

"It's why I brought a tent, sleeping bag, and a couple of blankets," Rese grunts back, walking with Issy between them towards that cave. "Granted, didn't realize everyone would be 'fine' with the weather 'cept me." Grumble-grumble. It's easy enough to walk with the angel towards that promised shelter. "We should have enough time for him to rest up a bit. If this cave will work, we should probably set up camp and settle him in." Especially since it was the middle of the night for all of them.

At least the angel's pretty light, really. He's pretty easy to haul along without too much trouble, and he has enough of his feet under him to at least make some effort.

There's no abandoned temples, alas, but they do find an outcrop that's pretty safe from the elements and at least has dry ground. The weather isn't so cold as to be dangerous, but it's fairly likely that once night hits (for it's late in the day here, now) it'll get pretty chilly.

“I normally run a little hot,” Danny explains to Rese as the shuffle towards the cave. “But I have some warmer clothes in my pack. And I’ll set up a fire as soon as we get settled.” And as promised some minutes later, he leaves Rese to see to Isiael while the shopkeeper pulls some tender out of his pack and prepares a little fire behind a few rocks. “I have some food I can prepare too, but I suggest we explore a little first while we still have light. Just not too far.”

Finding a place to set the angel down, Rese shrugs out of her own pack to rest it by him. She finds some water, offering it over to the gent. "I'll start working on getting the tent set up," she says without looking back at the shopkeeper - she's more worried about making sure Issy is settled properly first. THEN she'll set about getting a tent set up (while they still have light to do it) - establish camp so they don't have to worry about it when it's dark and freezing.

Isiael takes the water, but instead of drinking it, he splashes a tiny bit in his hand and uses it to clear the blood off his face. Urgh. He's still woozy, though, and thunks down the resealed water thing. "I'll--be ready in a minute," he slurs, and ...well, yeah, right. AHem.

With the fire crackling invitingly, Danny stands and shoulders his pack. “I’m going to take a quick walk around,” he says, climbing over a few small boulders. “I’ll be back in about thirty minutes. Catch.” And he promptly tosses her a walky-talky. Army-grade, too. “Since cells won’t work in this time period. Call if you need me for anything.” He points at Isiael with the antennae of his own walky. “You rest. I doubt you’ll miss anything by relaxing for a bit.” And then he’s off.

The tent is relatively small, but should squeeze in three bodies (fits two 'comfortably') sort of thing. Rese turns to catch the walky, giving a sharp nod. "Don't get killed," she orders of Danny. Since he seemsthe type to do just that, hh? "Alright, you," she says, turning towards Isiael. "Into the tent. I know you don't have to sleep or any of that crap, but you /do/ need to rest." Sleeping bag and blankets are added in there, and the mouth of the tent faces the fire.

The mountains Danny explores are ...well, they don't really tell much. The skies are clear and bright, and the air sharp and clean in a way that's difficult to find in their current time. The immediate area seems safe, however.

Isiael watches Rese set up the tent, and then looks to her with a bit of pathetic 'but do I have to'-ness. He does, however, ultimately conclude that being out of the wind that occasionally whiffs through might be appealing, so he grumbles and stumbles inside, still rather wobbly. And sort of flumps in a heap. "I knew --this would take something out of me," he mumbles, grumpily. "But I didn't think it would be -this- bad."

The walky of Rese's suddenly crackles to life. "There's nothing much out here to report, yet. Just open skies and a lot of mountains. Check back in soon." And the walky goes silent as Danny presumably continues to look around.

As the angel hesitates, Rese arches a brow at him. "For the record, when you're this bad off? I /can/ kick your ass and force the issue." Sure, it's not NECESSARY to say, but a little part of her feels better just for saying it. Alright, she grins at the fellow as well, kneeling in the mouth of the tent to help settle the guy in sinc ehe's so wobbly....

And about jumps out of her skin with the crack of the walky.

She's muttering darkly as she unclips the thing from her hip. "Copy," she manages in a somewhat normal voice. "Nothing's tried to eat us over here yet." She signs off and goes back to helping Issy settle in.

Isiael grunts. "I'm still an angel, Rese," in the way that someone might say 'I'm not drunk, ossifer'.

It's not too long, however, before Danny can pick up Signs of others. A fire, and it's a good distance away and slightly lower in elevation. He can't see the people involved or around the fire, but he can sure see the smoke coiling up into the sky. And, given their proximity to the location on the slip of paper, it's likely a good bet this is the group they are meant to get there to stop. Or divert. Or whatever.

The walky crackles to life again sometime later. "Found another camp with an active fire. Can't see the people, but it's near to Nyx's coordinates. Going to radio silence for ten minutes to investigate. Will check back in, then." Click. Danny glances up at the sky wherever he is, lamenting that he can't just do a fly-over, but no, a phoenix flying overhead wouldn't be obvious At All. So, it comes back down to stealth. Sneak, sneak.

Settling down there at the mouth of the tent - atop her backpack rather than getting in the snow - Rese grins at the angel. "I know, I know. JUst lay down for the moment and try to relax a bit. When Danny gets back, we can tell him how tough you are." Sitting there, feet braced, she withdraws a book from one of the leg pockets, flipping it open. It appears to be a leather bound journal, filled with scribblings. And a few sketches and pictures attached. Might as well read up a bit about the local 'wild life' of the paranormal variety while here, right?

It's not an easy walk to the camp, especially while trying to stay out of line of sight. The snow /looks/ smooth, but it hides big rocks and dips, so there's a few times Danny ends up thigh-deep in snow and then suddenly back up to ankle-deep. Ugh. He eventually gets close enough to see, however: there are three people seated 'round the fire, and judging by the fact they have gear, food, and water, they likely aren't demons.

"Mmf," Isiael grunts, though he doesn't make a move to exit the tent, at least. "Was--- good idea to come here early," he admits. "I won't be able to take us back until-- a day or two."

There is no lack of soft swears from Danny. He may not show tons of emotion in public and around other people, but it's there. And snow is Very Irritating. Even so, he makes his way around stones and down inclines to get closer to the camp, keeping in mind his self-imposed 10-minute limit. Now... who /are/ these people? At least they aren't Nazis.

Rese smiles to herself, flipping another page. "Mmm... don't go around telling everyone I had a good idea. People will start to realize Hunters /think/, then our reputation is just /shot/." She flips another page. "Is there anything I can do to help? I mean, while you're resting?" Another page flip. "I have rations and more waer. I even snuck a flask of whiskey."

The people are... acting like people, really. They have some guns set up, but they are just propped against their things. Right now, they're sitting around the fire and playing poker, and they have an open bottle of whiskey being passed around. Frankly, the dudes look like hunters -- it's hard to say whether that's with a capital H or not, but up this far, it wouldn't be surprising.

"Not that I can think of," the angel grates, gritting his teeth a bit and wincing as a flash of pain finally gets through the adrenaline and wooziness. "I'll--heal. It just took a lot out of me. Physically and-- power-wise."

Already pushing his timelime, Danny shakes his head and then turns to retrace his steps back further up the valley and towards their cave. Provided that occurs without incident, Rese's walky will crackle back to life. "Look like normal people. Hunters maybe, of the mundane or supernatural variety I can't tell. I'm coming back now - lights going to be fading soon." Click.

A bit of a nod as the angel admits about his powerlevel as well. "Good thing you brought me along then, huh?" more to herself than really meant for the poor guy. She flips another page, sighing as her elbows settle on her knees as she continues to look thorugh the book. Her jacket has been unzipped, giving her easier access to the shoulder holster tucked within. This time she doesn't jump at the sqwack of the walky. "We're still good this side. Keep your head down just in case. My kind of Hunter is going to be extra paranoid out here..."

Isiael continues to look unhappy. "Why are hunters out here?" He tries to sit up, winces, and lays back again. "Why -would- they be out here? Unless they're on --they're after something."

"Lay down," Rese instructs as she sets the walky down. The book gets tucked away into her cargo pants. "I figure when Danny gets back, we'll ask him more questions. Such as if their gear lookd modern or period.  Or if they looked to be locals. That'll help us.  There were also alot of treasure hunters out here around this time.  With the wars raging on, there are /alot/ of valuables that could be snatched away from temples amidst the chaos. We need to wait for Danny to figure out  the rest of the details. The fact that they're relatively close to here..." she wrinkles her nose as she looks about, pushing up to her feet as she searches the horizon. "Means one of them could be out scouting this way, too." Greeeaaaaat. She looks to the fire and sighs. "We're going to need to hide the smoke."

Surprisingly (or perhaps not), the angel does lay back down, breathing a little unevenly. Either he's good at following orders or he's just in that much pain, one or the other. Grf.

"If they're... from our time, or recent times, they had to get here somehow. Which means... one of my brothers could be working for them." He doesn't seem too happy with this idea. "If they are from here... she could have sent us here to--" He grunts, breaks off, winces, and continues a moment later, "--sent us here to get it before they do."

"Precisely. So there's no point in freaking out about it either way until Danny gets back with the information," Rese points out. She looks about the immediate area. Her hand finds one of the guns, her attention still moving over the horizon. "Either way, we /knew/ someone was going to be here, Issy. It's the point of coming early. We know when they manage to get their hands on it." She pauses, peeking into the tent. "You're sure on the timeline you sent us, right? I mean... you have control over the /when/?"

"I'm sure," Isiael replies, closing his eyes. "Time for us--isn't like it is for you. It's...more fluid." He takes in a long breath, letting it out slowly. "When I travel, I see...times, as well as places."

Far above them, a bird of prey screeches. Isiael glances upward, but doesn't pay it any heed. "I can pick out any specific time. The further back it goes, though, the more... strenuous it is, especially with passengers."

"So if we decided to go visit King Athur's court, prepare to be there for a couple of weeks so you can recover bfore site-seeing," Rese says with a ready nod. "Check." She shakes herself, turning to her backpack. She combs through it a bit, finding another long-john shirt. She sets about then 'covering' the fire - setting out stakes around the fire itself, wetting down the shirt so it doesn't burn, and putting it over it - about a foot over the fire itself - so that the smoke is dissipated. She'll cut the shirt open if need be to have wider area covered. Hey, it's something. "There, that should keep them from tracking /us/ by our smoke."

"I probably wouldn't survive a trip like that," Isiael admits, shaking his head. "The trip alone would likely kill me, and possibly you too, if I didn't have enough power to get you all the way there." Comforting.

The fire is easily muffled; it can't be killed entirely, but it is less conspicuous. "As long as Danny can find his way back over here without the fire as a guide," Is points out, though he doesn't seem terribly concerned that the phoenix wouldn't be able to.

"We have /got/ to work on your sarcasm," Rese points out as she finishes the cover for the fire. "As for Danny, he can follow his own tracks back, and if he gets lost, he'll say something over the walky. Don't think his pride is too much for /that/." One hopes. She makes the last few adjustments to the makeshift cover before turning towards the mouth of the tent once more. "We should be good here for a day or so. Let you recoop. We'll figure out our next stop there."

For once, Isiael actually sounds somewhat amused, albiet very painfully so. "--yes, I forget. Humans say things they do not mean and it is humor." It's just commentary rather than criticism, however, and he glances up as she looks in. "I am hoping this won't be too big of an ordeal."

"Your lack of understanding sarcasm?" the Hunter drawls out, giving him an impish grin. "No, I think we'll manage." She adds a wink, hopefully he'll understand she's teasing. The woman squats down in the snow, forearms resting on her knees so she's more of the same level as the angel inside the tent. "As for /this/?" She gesture about to take in the countryside. "Relax. If either Danny or I didn't want to be here, we would have said something.  Notice how we were ready to go within hours of you asking? That's a sign of enthusiasm.  I think you're fine."

Aaaand, at length, Danny reappears! "You stifled the fire," he observes, climbing over a bounder and dropping into the cave. Plop. "I don't think I was followed, but good idea. How's Isiael doing?"

As if to prove it, Isiael just says, "No, I do not think that will be a bad ordeal." And he sighs. "Yes, I appreciate it." He's still in the tent, but he apparently hears Danny's approach. "I'll heal," he says frankly, though his voice still sounds very tired and very weak.

Turning slightly at the sound of approach, Rese's hand finds the butt of her gun once more... but doesn't pull it as she recognizes the figure (or maybe just his voice). "He needs to rest for a day or two before he's goign to be able to do much," she says, pushing to her feet. "Had some questions about the camp you saw, though." her gaze flits towards the fire and back again.

"Shoot," Danny says, easily - then eyes her gun. "Or maybe not." Regardless, he sets down his pack, and peeks inside the tent as if to make sure Isiael hasn't been stripped or something. He nods. "I didn't see a whole lot. I didn't want to get too close."

Isiael is, fortunately (or un, depending on the viewer) still clothed. No free angel shows here. "Was there anyone like --me, there?" Yes, like Danny could tell that from one look!

Scooting over enough for Danny to kneel there at themouth of the tent with her, Rese gives a small roll of her eyes, hand leaving her gun. "More wondering about their equipment," she supplies. "Did it look modern? Look like something from the 30s?  Look local? I mean, there will be a difference between the type of tents used, things like that. You specified hunters, so I'm assuming guns - did they look year appropriate? Look like shot guns or military? Bows and arrows? Any details that you picked up on will help us figure out if we're dealing with locals, hunters, or... well... Hunters.  Hell, even mercenaries or treasure hunters are possibilities here."

"They looked period," Danny explains, crawling out of the tent so he can stand and lean against the cave wall, sorting through his pack. "All their equipment looked appropriate to 30s technology. Aside from that, I couldn't tell much else. They're definitely here for some purpose and not on a pleasure trip - all the ammunition made that clear. And whatever they're after they want badly. It could be our thing, it could be some lost treasure they think they've found. Maybe they're after a Yeti." Danny shrugs, and then pulls out an aged-looking leather bound journal. "This has some information of known expeditions to the Himalayas during this decade. I don't recall reading about anything during this specific time period, or I would have mentioned it. But I'll look again."

Isiael looks a little relieved, for as much as an in-pain angel can look relieved. Still, though, for now he just listens to the others talk and doesn't add much in the way of commentary or question, instead just laying back with his eyes closed (though he's certainly not asleep).

"You know, it /is/ getting kind of late. At least relatively. For us, it was already the middle of the night," Rese points out. "That actually gives us an advantage here," she adds. "We sleep now - rest," she corrects. "And in a few hours when it's the middle of the night /here/, we can track back when they'll be at their most tired. If... that makes sense. Our schedules are slightly off from theirs." She gives a small shake of her head straightening up herself.

"It might be good if you go ahead and get some rest," Danny agrees, pulling a crystal from his pack, about two inches in diameter. He tosses it up once, catches it, and then holds it towards the fire as he looks through it. The pack is stowed, and then he climbs up atop a boulder and holds the crystal towards sky - attempting to line it up with the last rays of the sun. The thing clearly has some script written on it, and glitters invitingly as said light hits it.

".... did you just honestly tell me to go to bed?" Rese asks, sounding vastly amused. Granted, they'd both been telling the angel to do the same... "What's that?" No, no she's not goign to bed. In fact, she's even following him, though not climbing up onto the boulder with him.

"A question," replies the shopkeeper vaguely, turning the crystal around in his fingers, then glancing over his shoulder. "Resting doesn't necessarily mean sleeping," he clarifies, lifting his brows at the woman. "This was a gift to me. I was told it was a pathfinding stone and that it'd lead me somewhere. In the Himalayas. Problem being I get oh so many chances to visit this place. And I have no idea how it works."

"Lead you somewhere... in the himalayas?" Rese echoes, folding her arms as she rests against the boulder itself, chin settling atop those folded arms, head still tilted back so she can look up, up at the shopkeeper. "Someone really gave you something for specifically when you were /here/? When did they give it to you?" Seems a minor but possibly important detail.

"Well, they weren't quite that specific when they handed that to me, but the script on the stone is Tibetan, and it's an excerpt from a Buddhist sutra." Climbing down from the boulder, Danny peers at the thing again, and then stows it in his jeans. "And it was a very long time ago. I've had it on a shelf collecting dust for many years."

"What does the sutra say?" Rese asks, pushing away from the boulder as the man clambers down again. "That might be a hint to it. Something like 'say this outloud.' Might even have something to do with where we're going. I mean... we're heading for a temple, right?" Pause. "Are you sure you're not cold?"

Danny shakes his head. "It's a Buddhist sutra, so it doesn't really say anything unless you want to debate philosophy for several hours. It's a stanza from the heart sutra that essentially reiterates that 'the body is empty'." The man rubs his head. "I'll quote it if you really want to know, but I've thought on it for awhile and it's not very helpful."

"Then maybe you've overthought it?" Rese suggests, leaning her hip against the boulder and crossing arms over her chest to watch the shopkeeper. "But maybe it's the temple you need to start at. To bad they didn't give you more specific instructions. It's not as if the Himalayas are small or anything," she drawls out with a crook of a grin.

Danny grunts. "Maybe. I figure it'll do its thing when its ready, and no amount of flailing on my part will make it happen any faster. But, I'm here, so may as well try." And then, to answer her previous question. "No, I'm not too cold. Not yet, anyways. I have a coat in my pack, though."

"I think you're probably still thinking too hard," Rese points out. "How about when we get this stone, you tell me the wording of the sutra, and let's see if a different perspective helps." She holds up one hand. "/Not/ saying I'm smarter. Pretty much the opposite." She pushes away from the boulder, rolling her shoulders back as she looks about.

For the sake of argument, Danny just quotes: "Body is nothing more than emptiness, / emptiness is nothing more than body. / The body is exactly empty, / and emptiness is exactly body." He then pauses, and glances up to Rese with a small smile, as if to say 'See? So there.'

"You really are a smug little butt, arentcha?" Rese drawls out after a moment, rolling her eyes as she shakes her head. "Do you want to add a little 'I told you so' dance to that?"

"I only do that dance in my swim trunks," counters Danny, folding his arms. "And as it is very cold, you will be spared." For now. Maybe one day he'll get used to working with other people.

"That, and I haven't put down my weekly deposit yet," Rese adds with a sagely sort of nod.