Satisfied there were no more foes about, Sir Alfric puts his sword and shield away.
"Right then. Anybody injured?"
Mai replies
"Yep, it bit me."
"Is it poisonous? Is it turning black? Let me see!"
Sir Alfric's face blanches as he looks at the wound.
"Mai. I'm very sorry; but you're going to die of it."
Yes, he's lying; trying to prank Mai.
"Your always the jerk, you know that."
"So you're not going to die? Oh well. We'd best move along then, just in case that thing had family. Coming?" Sir Alfric asked, grinning.
You move along and get to the Licktoads home.
Sir Alfric sets the chest down and stretches his back.
"Alright Natara, time to tell the Licktoads we did the job."
He sits down to rest a bit.
Natara whispers "Be careful, I'm still not sure I trust them."
"Don't worry about that..." Sir Alfric muttered back, his eyes alert for trouble.
Chief Gutward:
Sir Alfric nudges Natara.
"Natara? What did he say?"
Mai replies
"I think he agreed."
"He says they will stop attacking 'horse-carts' on the road. A bit weasel-worded, I suspect, but the best we're going to get without slaughtering all of them."
Sir Alfric nodded.
"An option.... for another day I think."
He looks around at the rest of the team.
"Any objections to returning to Sandpoint?"
Mai adds
"Sounds like he plans to follow the agreement to the Letter."
"Very good. I declare victory. Let's get the hell out of here."
As we leave, Midori notes "I am concerned about the whole 'letter of the agreement' bit. As it stands, they could legitimately still attack anyone who isn't in a horse-drawn cart and still be following the agreement. We should make sure the sheriff knows that."
She pauses. "Though I suspect he does. He's lived near these goblins all his life."
"Right then! Back to Proudstump manor!"
Sir Alfric leads by example all the way back to where they left their mounts.
Mai adds to Natara's concern over the wording
Did he only mention horse-carts, or did he mention roads as well?
"He said 'Licktoads won't attack horse-carts on road'. Which does leave a lot of openings. Still, without fireworks, perhaps they will not be as bold."
Sir Alfric looks skeptical.
"I would not care to make any large wagers on that." He mutters to the others.
You head back to the halfling's home in the swamp.
Approaching the manor, Sir Alfric looks for trouble and tracks before approaching the door and knocking politely.
"Everyone look around; make sure his snake collection hasn't escaped again."
Sir Alfric, you spot no snakes.
Mai
"Let's just knock on the door and update him to the current event in this swamp and head back to town."
"Right. Looks promising; no snakes so far."
He knocks a little louder.
"Mister Proudstump! Are you home sir?"
Walter:
You hear through the door.
"Yes, who is it?"
"Sir Alfric, Lady Shalelu and party! We're here to pick up our mounts!" Sir Alfric called out.
Walter:
opens the door
"Well, thank goodness your Ok. As I heard some of soggy's screams after you left and though he might have eaten you."
Sir Alfric grins.
"No such luck I'm afraid. On the other hand, I can report mission success! We have retrieved the remaining fire weapons from the goblins.
Is everything good here? No more dopplegangers I trust?"
Mai adds
"We did run into Soggy, but he's not going to trouble anyone again.
And the goblins did promise not to mess with horse carts on the road."
Walter:
"No more of those pests around here. It's good to hear that Soggy's gone, though I think he did keep some of the goblins in check I bet."
"No trouble here I trust? I hate to rush you, but we really want to get back to Sandpoint. Our mounts?"
Walter:
He takes you to where the mounts are
"Well here you go, your mounts."
Sir Alfric hugged his mount Zephyr and patted him on his flank as he nickered.
"I've missed you boy."
He turned to Walter.
"Thank you Walter; I'm in your debt."
Sir Alfric calls out; "Alright, everyone mount up! Time to return to Sandpoint!"
He mounts Zephyr.
Mai sarcastic replies
"aye aye, mon capitan."
Sir Alfric grins at Mai.
"Now Mai, you can stay here in the swamp if you want. With Master Walter's snake collection. And Soggy's children looking for revenge..."
Mai replies
"Some things have not changed. You can't take a joke or sarcasm, just like during our childhood."
Natara rides along quietly, trying not to laugh at their squabbling.
You all get back to sandpoint; inform the sheriff of the events, and get back into the Rusty Dragon for a drink and a meal.
Mai changes out of her armour and into her barmaid clothes.
Mai adds as she sits at a table
"That was not as easy as I hoped."
He face shadowed by his hood, Alfric leaned back in his chair drawing on a mug of the tavern's finest.
"Nevertheless, victory tastes just as sweet."
Parvaneh is likely gossiping with Ameiko when the intrepid adventurers return (provided Ameiko is present). If not, then she is doing so with whomever is tending the Rusty Dragon in her place. Sir Alfric's entrance in particular gets the priestess to share a quirked eyebrow and a secret little smile with her conversational companion.
"Welcome back!" she bubbles. No doubt the company's had a rough time of it. Word was already getting around town that they had been to the sheriff, ostensibly to collect their bounty. "Let me buy you all a round on the house as thanks. It's the least I can do. And it keeps you here at least one drink longer to tell me eeeeeverything that happened."
Today she is wearing a pair of light blue breeches cut above the knees. Instead of wearing boots, her shins are bare and her feet are snug in a pair of sandals. A loose cotton blouse, dyed in a very, very pale lavendar, whisks in even the faintest breeze. She sits down across from Alfric and fingers the small butterfly charm around her neck, but her attention isn't necessarily exclusively upon him. She seems very happy to see everyone, the girls included.
Alfric looks at the newcomer with some interested curiosity.
"Your offer is very welcome Madame. To whom do we owe this courtesy?" He asked cautiously.
Mai replies with a bit of fatigue.
"Thank you, I could use a drink."
after chugging her drink down she let's out a sign of relief.
"That hit the spot, though I'm still wondering what traumatised that goblin in the Licktoad Village."
"Madame is close. The locals have taken to calling me Madame Butterfly on account of...a lot of things, really," she laughs airily. "But my name is Parvaneh. I saw you ride in on your steed the other day like a storybook knight and I just knew that you could accomplish whatever you set your mind to."
Mai's comment is of particular interest. "Licktoad Village. That is a new one. The goblins built a village for themselves? Where?"
Mai replies
"The Licktoads have been in the Brinestone Marsh for over a number of decades now, it's reasonable that they would have made a small settlement in it, mainly to protect them from the swamp's other residents."
GM - Emperor Dark Oni
GM - Zombie Master
