Defensive Measures

The problem at first wasn't that they didn't have any leads as to where the orcs came from, but rather how many leads.

Kim felt a little aghast at just how many small caves and crevices there were in the mountain surrounding them. Or at least how many the orcs had come out of.

With just a few hours, they'd found at least 50. Much more than Kim was really happy about. Although, she had to acknowledge that it just meant that there was a cave network large enough to connect to all of the entrances, even though they hadn't yet located all of them just yet.

Or at least the ones that had been used in the attack on their camp.

"You know, it's actually pretty impressive that they had such a defensive stronghold for themselves here," Owen remarked as they retraced their steps back to their camp. "After all, ours isn't that defensible."

"You're saying we should have picked a better one?" Bart asked, sounding much more tired than Kim felt right then.

"Not at all," Owen replied cheerfully, though with how everyone looked at him, it was clear that he wasn't that concerned about how others thought or the fact that he was the only one who seemed cheerful about the whole situation and that pretty much everyone else was getting rather annoyed with him.

"You see," Owen continued without missing a beat. "You chose that position because it was centered around Sonya. Who is still injured. So, that's perfectly fine for a place to camp. However, it's not exactly defensible, nor does it have any necessary resource that we could use. You know, like water or something that grows food for us."

"So, you're saying we should have relocated, right?" Heather asked, sounding like she'd just as soon be done with that topic as continue on with it.

"Again, no," Owen asked, sounding like he wasn't understanding why everyone wasn't picking up on what she was thinking. "If your campsite lacks something, then you need to find a location for it to have something. Or some means to get that something there."

"Uh, what good does this do us now?" Kim asked, wondering if she should just let Owen talk. After all, he seemed like he was on a roll and that this might be the only entertainment he might have for himself.

"Nothing really," Owen said, like that was the point he'd been going for.

"Okay, so what should we have done to make the camp more defensible." Bart asked, forcing the topic into another direction. "I mean, if we're supposed to change an important element, then that's what you're getting at, right? I mean, It's not like we can dig a well or something when we first set it up, nor can we really plant anything. So, all that would be left would be to make it defensive, so what should we have done in regards to that?"

Kim had to admit. While she didn't think that Owen was really going anywhere with that subject, she couldn't help but wonder if this was something that he in fact had been building to. Though, if it turned out to not really be the case, it was still a fortuitous occurrence for him.

Owen, however, merely shrugged. "Whose' to say that's what you should have done?" he remarked. "Keep in mind that there might be other important elements to keep your eye out for."

Kim mentally sighed. She had a feeling that Owen was just trying to create trouble. Which brought to mind what he'd said had happened to him just before he'd gotten pulled into this competition. It might have been a while since she'd heard it, but for some reason, it came clear through her thoughts, like he'd just said it.

Though, as she thought about it, if Owen really hadn't done what he'd been accused of, then she could imagine that the principal could have found someone to make allegations in order to get him away from them. As she was pretty sure that his personality might be enough to drive anyone crazy, no matter how much he was a nice person.

"Well, I guess you guys could have tried started by building a wall or maybe investing in a few traps around the camp," Elwin suggested, either having ignored the last bit of the conversation or blatantly ignoring it. Which Kim guessed could go either way. She had a feeling that Elwin, Bart, and Owen had their own dynamic going on, and would be best for her to leave them to it.

"Uh, where would we have started the wall?" Bart asked.

"Doesn't matter," Elwin said off handedly. "As long as you make a wall, then you can work with it as a defensive measure, no matter what else happens. As it'll serve it's purpose, no mater what else happens."

Kim couldn't help but take a deep breath and then turn and leave their search for other entrances to the orcs network of caves to the others. She was getting ready to lash out at the others from their incessant talking. Though, that would have been fine if it had felt like there'd been any real purpose other than to have something to talk about.

She didn't care to discuss it with the others , as she was pretty sure none of them would care to hear her thoughts on the matter, nor would they really care. Not when they seemed like they were having too much fun discussing it.

So, she merely started to quietly head back to the camp. If for nothing else, because Patricia and Patrick were there keeping Sonya company. Not to mention that if Owen really had been serious about getting their camp to have better defenses, then Kim thought she might as well get a few things deal with so that it'd work with her style more, rather than whatever style everyone else would be working with as they worked at building whatever seemed right to them as they build the defenses.

She wasn't sure if it was just her or if the others were starting to act differently. As if they were starting to lose it. She wasn't sure simply because it was possible that they'd always been that way before and she really hadn't noticed it before. That before she had been more interested in things going on around them rather than the internal dialogue that hadn't really impressed Kim.

Or at least not in a positive way.

"Let me guess, Owen's getting on your nerves, right?" Patricia asked as Kim came into sight.

"Close, but not quite," Kim admitted without even thinking about it. "They're all being impossible."

"I understand that," Patrick said. "It's like when Patricia starts agreeing with Elwin. When that happens, I know I need to make myself scarce."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Patricia asked, sounding like she hadn't decided if she should be offended or not.

Patrick merely shrugged. "Just that when you and Elwin start agreeing on things, and not just once or twice, but more of a regular thing, then I know that it's going to be a bad day. So, I make myself scarce for a while. Just so I don't have to deal with any fallout during that time."

"And when have I agreed with Elwin on anything?" Patricia asked, her tone indicating the danger level was high.

"When we were fighting the fire dragon," Patrick replied without missing a beat. "During that time, you and Elwin were impossible to be around. Though, I can't say that Leon would or wouldn't agree. He was a difficult read for me."

"And what do you think, Kim?" Patricia asked. "Is it that bad when I agree with Elwin on things?"

Kim merely shrugged. She had access to an easy out on that subject, since it was clear that the timeframe of when that had occurred was before she'd rejoined them in their collective group. However, she doubted that Patricia would appreciate that point. After all, it was clear that Patricia just needed a win or something right then.

So, she merely sidestepped the question. "So, what's otherwise going on? I was thinking of seeing if we could created a few defenses around the camp if it became necessary."

Patricia looked at Kim for a minute, her mouth opening and closing, like she wasn't sure what to do. However, she quickly recovered and gave Kim a look like she wasn't going to let Kim completely sidestep the earlier topic.

"Well, there are a few things I could think of, but why should we bother?" she asked. "I mean, this isn't the best place for us to fight. Although, if we were attacking, then it might be a good place to attack."

Kim wasn't sure that was going to be very helpful. Especially since she couldn't see the point that Kim had been going for. That she was trying to make this camp defensible. No matter how difficult that might actually be.