November 12th in the year 670 by Kingdom reckoning, evening
You strike off into the growing night, moving southeast. For the first hour you founder in the darkness, moving back and forth in a wide arc, trying without success to find the trail. Finally, however, Dolgi homes in and you move with greater speed. The raven returns in the second hour and he tucks into a handful of grain. His mood is irritable but he is uninjured.
Your backsides are growing sore from a day's worth of riding and the ale in your bellies is making your eyelids heavy when Dolgi holds up a signal that the party is to halt and be silent. Up ahead, among a copse of trees 200 yards away, there is a fire. You see two horses outlined against the night and hear the strains of an old drinking song from the flat lands.
(You spent an hour searching for the trail and another 4 hours riding. It's 11 or 12 at night.)
Rayna casts magic stones and gets out her sling just in case.
ReplyDeleteThorvald looks to Dolgi and points to the rope on the side of his saddle, knowing that if they are to find Minx, he will have to forgo his desire to kill the bandits on sight.
ReplyDeleteThor looks around to each of the others in turn, hoping to silently build a consensus.
Dolgi nods and then strips off his armor. Grabbing a dagger from the wagon, he slides it in his belt. Hefting his crossbow, Dolgi waits for everyone to be still and whispers, "Okay, Draymun, you and I will go in and capture them. Too many means too much noise, as we get close, you guys move up. Kring you go for their horses. Thorvald, you back up Draymun and I. Rayna, if you would, watch over all of us, please?"
ReplyDeleteDolgi looks at everyone for agreement to his plan?
Thor nods in agreement.
ReplyDeleteShade listens to the plan, knowing their actions to come. Silently he slides from his saddle and takes the tack of the other horses. If there is to be a fight it wouldn't be prudent to lose the horses. Shade takes forth a wand and ties the horses to a nearby copse of trees, staying by their side to keep them quiet and calm as he watches the first group slink away. Seeing the support group ready to move out, Shade slides in among them, confident that his lack of armor and stealthy manner will not betray the group and more comfortable with Thorvald nearby to cut in twain any who might threaten the group.
ReplyDeleteRayna nods and quietly dismounts the mule. Handing the reins to Shade she checks her weapons and readies herself for what's to come.
ReplyDeleteDraymun nods to Dolgi and silently dismounts his bear, gently patting him to encourage his silence.
ReplyDelete"Perhaps a distraction would do? I could always send my furry friend around the camp. With all eyes on the big ol' bear, we could probably approach from the rear with no problem.
Plus," he adds with a grin, "I'd rather see you keep the armor on. You're pretty ugly, even for a Dwarf!"
"I am still wearing clothes laddie, no need to get the vapors." Dolgi responds to Draymun.
DeleteTo the rest of the group,"I suspect we can keep this pretty simple. The armor has a way of clanking when you don' need it to. So, me and the young bear-dwarf here will sneak up on 'em and advise them of their situation. If one of them attempts to flee, I suspect the rest of you can chastise him. We only need one alive, but two would be better. No sense putting any animal in harm's way, this time."
Shade perks up to say, "I can conjure an illusion to add to the distraction if we like... If I apply another Silent Image of a group of bears they would surely feel the force of the threat more keenly... We may even get them to strike out at the fake illusion rather than the bear and spare it any pain or suffering."
ReplyDeleteAs you draw near, one of the bandits trips over a log and falls to the ground in a heap, spilling the ale in his mug all over himself. The other one bursts into a fit of laughter and goes over to help his partner up. He reaches down to haul his friend up but also slips on the log and they collapse in a heap of drunken laughter.
ReplyDeleteYou are right at the edge of the firelight and you can only see these two bandits, their horses and a pile of empty clay jugs, food scraps and a few gold pieces like the one the raven brought back from the farm.
Rayna steps back into the shadows and cautiously looks around to make sure there is no one else around.
ReplyDeleteDolgi steps out into the firelight, his crossbow trained on both men. "If'n you'd like to live, perhaps you can raise your hands and don't make any sudden moves? Also, in case you're thinkin' one bolt and two of you, I am not alone." Dolgi nods to his left where Draymun has stepped out into the firelight with his warhammer at the ready. A moment later, Kring steps up and takes hold of the horses reins. More movement can be heard just in the shadows.
ReplyDeleteThey both look up surprised and scrabble about trying to get untangled from each other to stand up. Eventually they do and they both raise their hands before the shorter, stockier one glances over at his partner and says "Ah, in cashe yer thinkin' about boltin', I'm not alone, ach," in a very unconvincing Dwarf accent. They both try to hold back but then burst out in another fit of laughter.
ReplyDeleteDolgi winces at the poor Dwarven accent. "Ack. Kring, perhaps you would have better luck than me, would you trade me places? Can someone check these scalawags for weapons and such, please?"
ReplyDeleteShade holds up his hand signaling for Dolgi to hold his actions. Stepping forward past the dwarf he whispers, "Don't the elves have a saying about getting more bees with honey?"
ReplyDeleteTurning to face the two drunkards Shade begins to spin his web. "You two gentleman... We have heard of your exploits in song and from the lips of many blushing former maidens... My companions thought to make a name for themselves by defeating you and thereby taking on your prestige for themselves. I have a different plan for how one should build their legacy. Sit back by the fire, I will share some honey mead I had squared away. I was told that it is as sweet as any and more than most. My deal to you, a drink for a tale. The twist? I choose the topic and you answer as best you can. The more right answers the more of the mead you may have... And if you are especially forthcoming I will grant you the name of the special ingredient that makes this mead so good, besides the finest honey of course." Shade draws forth three glasses and creates a display of fire and sparks when he brings forth the bottle.
The taller of the two eyes you with suspicion and begins to back away.
DeleteThe shorter, stockier one looks at you with confusion and says "ale for a story, is that what you're offering?"
"Yes... come now, tell me how it is that you have a song sung in your honor, and that an entire town cheers your names. If a man were to be knowing how to be doing that, well then that man would surely be a King amongst men. Make me a king, tell me your tale... Oh please do sit down, if I had wanted you dead, then I would have let the savages have you. " He nods in the direction of the hulking Kring and Thorvald. "But we men, we are wiser than all that no? Here, I'll pour while you tell me about this tale."
Delete"Ah, ehm, well..." he glances around nervously and shuffles his feet before seeming to make a decision to go along with you.
DeleteHis taller compatriot however looks more and more rattled and you can see the adrenaline has begun to clear his thinking. He takes another step back and eyes Kring and Thorvald and then hisses "Marcus, take care."
Marcus, on the other hand, seems to have settled his mind on the issue of strangers appearing out of the dark and sits beside you like you were his closest friend. You smell the stench of body odor and stale beer as he reaches for one of your glasses.
"Me and my friend Armin over there, we were a part of a raid on a farm. We rode with," he leans forward and whispers conspiratorially, "Minx, the red lady!"
"The plan was to burn some things and then take the lord of the manor in the confusion, but Armin and I saw a load of money what had fallen out of the side of one of the grain bins when it burnt and took it and bolted!" He looks around and says to himself, "I thought they only stored grain in those..."
He takes a long drink. "So we got out as fast as we could and came here."
"Well isn't that something," Thor says, stepping forward. "I'll tell you what," he addressed Armin, who looked sober enough to Thor to understand the gravity of his situation, "We'll let you keep all that wonderful gold you found, and your lives, and even your quaint little song. In exchange, you tell us where the Red Lady's camp is and we'll and then you'll ride in the opposite direction. What do you think?"
DeleteArmin looks at you and then glances at Marcus who has his arm around Shade and is singing again and says "yes, I think that's a good idea."
Delete"Her camp is another 7 miles ride, probably a couple of hours at least through this brush. Just follow this stream til you get to a big hill then cut south. She's set up in a valley between two ridges. You'll ride right past it if you're not careful."
((Dolgi Sense motive on Armin--18+4=22))
Delete"Anything else you'd like to share with your new friends, Armin? Like signals when we come in, number of sentries and the like? I'd sure hate for us to walk into an ambush or depend on some of your information and find out it was incorrect." Dolgi's lopsided grin is supposed to be friendly but usually looks like a sneer.
DeleteArmin looks rattled, nervous and scared.
Delete"I told you what you wanted to know." He looks back and forth between Thorvald and Dolgi. "You have to let me go! Marcus, come on."
DeleteDolgi nods to Thorvald.
Delete"Agreed," Thor says, nodding back at Dolgi. "Remember, you'll be riding in the opposite direction of Minx's camp... You won't want to be there when we arrive."
DeleteWith that, Thor turns away from the conversation, heading to his map to plot out where Minx's camp is to be found. 'Tomorrow,' he told himself. 'Vengeance will be mine!'
Armin agrees and hurries through packing both horses. Then he grabs Marcus by the collar and says "hey buddy, we need to get going. Now."
DeleteThey mount up and ride off to the Southeast; away from both Bremel and the direction of Minx's camp.
Shade passes the bottle to the drunkard, stands and begins to walk away.... Thinking better of it all he turns and conjures a spell. As he finishes the words an image of the two men's heads on pikes appears before them. Leaving the image for just long enough for the thought to register in their brains Shade turns back and walks away.
DeleteDolgi walks over to Thorvald and whispers, "He asked me about an elf saying, do I look like an elf t' you?"
ReplyDelete"Ha!" Thorvald laughed, "You're not as flamboyant as an elf I once knew, that's for sure."
DeleteShade gathers rocks to pile around the fire, lessening its profile so that it is harder to see from a distance. "Amateurs."
ReplyDeletePulling out a piece of jerky he bites off a small strip. Tossing it into the air Harken swoops down and grabs it, a shadow in the night.
Climbing a tree the Mage sets himself up for the night, taking a watch before he can get some rest himself.
((What time is it Sam?))
ReplyDeleteAround midnight.
DeleteDraymun lets loose a mighty yawn and rubs his hands through his bear's fur, patting him on the head.
ReplyDelete"We've been riding hard for a few days, I think we should rest up for the mighty day ahead. Better to be at our best when we assault the she-demon, ya?" He gives a wink to Thorvald before moving over to settle by the fire, pulling our some sausages for a midnight snack.
Looking up at Shade and then over to Dolgi, he continues, "You want first watch with the Jester, or should I? I'd feel better if we maintained some Dwarven eyes on the treeline."