[There's a shudder at those initial words. No part of that sentence is good, outlands or hunting parties. One hunter or even the outlands alone was bad enough. A groan follows.]

That's what I am trying to do. If I had my way it would be all grocery stores.

[He sighs and allows this. It's no danger and he can concede, easily, that she's smarter than him. He'lljust have to be careful what he shows.]

Well, ah, nothing really until your suggestion. I tried kind of combining features of different runes into one, but that didn't work. And then there was this one I found that sounded like it could do what I was looking for, repel and... not. But whenever I try to power and charge it...

[He pulls up a bit of paper and draws out the rune. His memory for it and even his ability to draw it out is good in all honesty. But then he pushes the paper back, leaning bsck himself. He reaches out a tentative hand and settles it on the rune. Then, suddenly, markings light up under the skin of his face. A gold light moves through, extending to the tips of his fingers. A second more and the light is pooling into the lines of the rune itself. He draws back and his light goes out, but the rune gets brighter. Then, abruptly, as though having caught fire, the whole paper goes to ash. He slumps.]

... That.