The disgruntled mass of black armor that once had seemed like a good natured man merely grunted at Ace- apparently he hadn't yet come out of his pissed missed about being shown up, and humiliated all at once. Caine's very robust pride had taken a ding so early on, and it had left him with a bad taste in his mouth and a glare for his other traveling companions. It wouldn't have been so bad, had it not also attacked the one thing he enjoyed about himself: everything. Well, the way he looked at the very least.<br/><br/>The man merely gave a huff to himself and continued to preen. He had to get his hair in some manageable state. Sure, they were out in the forest, but that was no reason to look like a lout! No, sir. One had to have standards, regardless of time and place. When he raised his chin as the other continued past him, it was clear that he'd spent some time with nobles or at least in the sort of company where you could become accustomed to those disdainful little expressions.<br/><br/>"Yes, you go and do that," came the flat tone that was far less friendly than the earlier hours.<br/><br/><br/>Dane had found a place to tie up his horse, and was already tending to starting the fire. He was knelt down, removing out the legs and the jar of goo he'd taken off the spider. When Ace approached, he didn't bother raising his eyes before he stood to face him.<br/><br/>"I was on a scouting party in the Northen Ballean forest once. We were in the deeper woods, the place those things usually like to live. I saw once what it did to a man. There's a reason it goes for an animal's head- easiest thing to burn to get your meal to stop moving. This," he snatched up the vial of goo, "will keep burning once lit. Won't go out no matter how much wind, or how many people are trying to pour dirt and water on some poor soldier's head." He frowned. "One of the worst things I've ever had to watch in my entire life. There was nothing I could do for him but kill him quick." He looked towards Caine. "I am quite sure he'd be a little less happy if he were without a head right now."<br/><br/>He hadn't realize that Ace was only trying to make a joke there, though that just seemed to be who he was. That gaze twisted back towards the other man.<br/><br/>"For now it'll do us some good. A little bit can start a fire. Once I find something dry to burn, I can see to cooking the snake. That with the bit of bread he's got should be as good of a meal as any." He opened his mouth to say more but stopped, turning his head to listen to some far off sound. A moment later, he was back to meet his gaze. "If you want to grab some kindling, I'd appreciate it. Once your back, we should decide shifts. I wouldn't mind taking the first," he offered, still being as cooperative as ever if not a bit dull. "We should-"<br/><br/>There was a sound, high and faint, but sounded like a woman's laugh.<br/><br/>Dane frowned a bit and turned, listening and going still before it started again. He gave a soft groan.<br/><br/>"That sounds unfortunately like a-"<br/><br/>"Harpy?" Caine ventured from where he sat, though he didn't seem too worried. They were annoying beasts at best. Horrible little unions of women and birds that came to be especially bothersome but easy to handle, if you knew how. They mostly picked off kids and lone travelers. They were reported to have a taste for virgin flesh, but that never stopped them from attacking everyone else as well. There had been, over the land, several species of them though most had been hunted to smaller numbers except for in places like The Deep where there were vastly other troublesome things to worry about.<br/><br/>Nodding, he just looked back to Ace. "We should keep the fire small, then. We don't want their attention. Though we have the disadvantage of being in open air. They'll probably give us a bit of grief for sure. Watch the horses, they'll take shots at them." He looked between them, feeling regretful that none of them seemed to be versed in range weapons. "I'd say we could pick them off, but I doubt any of us wants to stay up all night throwing rocks."<br/><br/>He moved over to grab the carcass he'd tossed over a branch, knowing that they'd look for easy meals first before becoming particularly annoying.<br/><br/>"We'll have to get this cooked up quick if we want to eat in peace." Possibly the most annoying things about harpies was not the constant bothering, but the noise. They'd laugh, cackle, scream, and shout throughout the night. It was troublesome for the fact you wanted to sleep, and for the fact they alerted everything within miles that you were there. Dane doubted there would be any peace until they found a way to deal with them.<br/><br/><br/>Caine sighed, hands falling away from his hair. "Hopefully there'll be just a few. We can lure them in and just be done with them...plus I suppose we could eat the lower half," he ventured. It wasn't pleasant to think about the top half, but they were birds from the waist down, right?<br/><br/>Judging by Dane's frown, he didn't look too entertained by the idea. He looked back up, seeming to be trying to think a way through how they could handle them. He would, out of all of them, have the worst trouble with them after all. The man looked to Ace's pack before back to him.<br/><br/>"You have a bit of rope?" He motioned above them. "Tree's are close enough to get a little rigging gone. Maybe just have it there in case. We can lure one in, kill  it off. Hope that maybe gives the rest of them something to think about. They don't like their dead." Or so he'd found.