Saya sees a sigh of relief from most of the people but not Gnaus.
He asks for another mead and waits next to Saya.
"I must say you got some charm. Im surprised you changed Tarius but do not count on doing the same with others. I have seen units of black skinned dwarves trained specially to get people like you and you furry friend. A free tip girl, if you will ever meet them, run, or kill them and do not let nothing behind they would be able to trace you by."
Gnaus gets his drink and returns to his place next to Tarius.
After hearing the insult that Gnaus addressed Saya, Sladan stands up and reaches for Gnaus's head, trying to stop him from leaving.
"Neither one of us doesn't want to make a scene in here, so you better apologize to the lady."
Sladan's face turns more serious than it was the whole night.
Gnaus does respond to Sladan as the door the Inn is opened rather violently and in it stays the boy catching breath. You can see the last light of a setting sun behind his silhouette.
"Captain..." Speaks the boy.
Tarius shouts: "What is the meaning of this Livitus? Explain your self!"
The boy tries to catch his breath; "Its the ... homeless guy... he ... he ... Kormek just jumped of the walls and run ... run towards Norfall. All his stuff is... gone as well."
There is complete silence in the room.
Only a short whisper comes from Tarius.
"Coward."
Sladan looks genuinely surprised. He let's go of Gnaus's hand.
"So, that means he won't fight?" Sladan asks driven by all the mead he consumed.
"Where is the privy, I really need to go" Sladan thinks while looking for the place he desires.
After he knows where he has to go he excuses himself, getting Gnaus and one of the halflings out of his way: "Sorry. Sorry. Really have to go now... fast."
Confusion screaming from her face as she becomes a bit worried of another conflict but after boys news,
Saya stays still.
After Sladan returns,
she looks around her and than says quickly.
"Thanks for drinks.
I think we have enough already.
We should go.
Good night."
Without looking at Sladan, she pulls him by his arm with her.
"Save your strength for the battle."
She hisses at him annoyed by the whole situation.
Upon entering the room in the inn,
she pushes Sladan to his bed.
She covers him with the blanket and than sits next to him.
"Now you can talk, what your soul desires the most.
I am listening to you."
She gently strokes his fur while waiting for his response.
"What my soul desires the most? I won't even know where to start... What I want in this very moment is to know what were you thinking when we were downstairs. You stared at me and then you looked down. Your whole face filled with sorrow. You shouldn't look down to and because of no one. I am sorry if I disappointed you..."
Sladan feels again the pain of being a disappointment to everybody.
Saya put her hand on his.
"I do value our friendship so much.
I am worried that it only will stop you from achieving your own goals.
You told me you will always protect me and If you stay by my side,
what is the chance you will be able to find the solution for future of your race."
"Please understand.
I dont want to be in the way."
She presses his hand tightly.
Saya shivers a bit again but doesn't move.
She simple enjoys this moment like it could be the last one.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Sladan sees that Saya is cold so he takes the blanket and lifts it up in order to place it on her shoulders.
"You seem cold, may I?" he asks gently.
If Saya accepts, then Sladan lays the blanket on her shoulders and grabes her in his arms to in order to warm her up. Soon after he adds:
"We are in Amerys together, having the same goal, to return to Valcia. We might as well work together and decide to go separate ways at the right time. Right now, my priority is your safety because we both need to get out of this together.
I still have the same goal that I did when I embarked into this quest. That's my responsibility and I won't walk away from it. I really need to find Annien and you know her better than I do, that's for sure.
Leaving that aside, I grew up thinking about the ones around me, either if they were the same race as me, or not. Even if you won't let me, I will still be there for you. That's what you're supposed to do." he gently smiles while holding her in his arms.
She shyly nods.
She sighs and closes her eyes.
"Stubborn as ever!"
She ruturns his smile while stinging him to his arm.
"I will promise you, I will do everything, what is in my power to help you too.
Just please tell me if something is wrong with you! Never hide anything from me.
Promise?"
You had a good sleep.
The sun shines bright and you wake up into an exceptionally quiet morning.
Soon you find out that not even the Inn owner is inside the building.
When Sladan wakes up and realizes that he had fallen asleep with his arm around her, he immediately feels horrible.
"But she looked so beautiful with the moonlight glowing in her eyes, her alabaster skin radiant..."
His heart quickens with the thought of last night. He goes in the inn to look for the owner, but he isn't inside the building.
Sladan picks a bowl of food and takes it in the room.
He awakes her by a soft shake of the shoulder. She opens her eyes and see Sladan's face in front of hers.
"Would you like to eat? After we finish eating, we will leave to inspect the town. There's no trace of any soul in this inn except from us." he asks softly.
Saya looks drowsily on Sladan.
She felt so warm and safe during the night.
"oh...sure. Thank you."
She looks at the food in front of her.
After a moment she remembers yesterday party and Kormek too.
Dissmising the unpleasant thought she suggests.
"Lets check outside.
It seems to be nice weather, too. "
Saya waits for Sladan and together get outside .
-Posted with Wayfinder
As they step outside of the inn, Sladan looks around checking the sky, and the weather and the surroundings.
" Ok, where can everybody be?" he thinks out loud.
Sladan realizes it wont It wont snow for at least next two days.
As you get out you see sleepy village from a perspective you didn't before.
The heavy snowfall was obstructing its quiet beauty.
Sladan is taken away by the snowy beauty.
Saya notices Gnaus, Tarius and the halflings on the palisade.
Saya pulls Sladan by his cloths.
"There!"
She points at Gnaus and others.
Without another word, she nimbly walks after them.
Sladan follows Saya towards the others. He tries figuring out what is happening.
You reach the Palisade. Tarius walks there and back nervously. He notices you.
"Ohh ... good morning did you had a good sleep? While we are here freezing our butts off ?
He continues walking up and down angrily mumbling something.
To your surprised look Gnaus answers: " They did not attack yet ... its strange the sun is up for about four hours now. We know they are coming... they know, we know the are coming...
Suddenly you can hear a strange voice from behind the palisade: "So why aren't they coming !?
As soon as Saya gets on palisade, she tries to see to who the voice belongs to.
As she cant see at all,
she bends over nearly falling of from the palisade.
"And who are you?"
She asks with the deep voice as her body is almost upside down.
Sladan wants to put a face to the voice that he just heard. Something feels weird.
Sladan sees Kormek sitting with his back against the palisade.
"They are not coming because they are making ladders. After one of them run off, Otho realized that he needs to level the play field not just to throw his men against the gate."
"And you know this how?" asks Tarius.
"I was watching them trough the night, so lower your voice if you will, I need to sleep." Answers Kormek.
Tarius asks sarcastically "And what now are you expecting I let you back in? "
"Im expecting you lover your voice and let me sleep." Answers Kormek
Saya happily stands back and says.
"I hope you are not planning to out-sleep the best part."
She giggles and realizes how energetic she feels now.
Looking at Sladan she gives him a huge smile.
"We should get ready for the battle. Where's the young soldier?" Sladan tells Tarius.
He replies to Saya with a smile as well.
Tarius turns to Sladan "He sleeps in the fort where would he be. He was here the whole night....
And Is there any thing else we can do? Apart from running around and tipping their ladders over, I dont have many ideas..."
Sladan thinks for a second and then replies to Tarius’s question:
“There is not that much we can do. I hope they won't be that many so that they stay on the ladder from the start and the others will lift them. They must be weak from the cold and the lack of the food. They are human, so they won't be strong like orcs, but I'm afraid that the drink they were forced to have might boost their strength. I’ll be trying to defend the walls as much as I can. I’ll get HawkEye to push the men off the ladders and I will try to do the same with my bow. If any of you can use a bow, this might be the time.
If they throw the ladders and then try to climb, we might have a chance. If they stay on ladders, they will be on top of the walls as soon the ladders reach the palisade. If that would be the case, we will have to fight them off, and then take care of the ladders. That will be the time to wield a sword.
They also might have battering rams for the gate in case they fail with the ladders. We just have to hope that the gate will resist long enough. If we kill Otho, most likely they will stop fighting. I am concerned about the effects of that drink though. It might not be that easy to get them to stop.
Tarius, I warn you, they might not be themselves. We’ll try not to kill them. You have to fight them, even if it will be hard. That is the hardest part, fighting the ones you once fight side by side with. I know…”
Sladan thinks about the last day on Nubia when he had to defend himself from the infested catfolks.
“Just remember they are not themselves…”
Saya looks around thinking about some solution.
How she could help without hurting anyone.
She can't decide.
Afer a while, she looks down.
She mischievously smiles.
"Hey Star Kormek, don't resist.
It doesnt hurt you know or are you scared?"
(Casting Levitate on Kormek)
Sladan
Tarius gives you a look of confusion. "You mean like a witchery was cast upon them. If that is the case ... then there wont be any choice."
Saying that all apart from Sladan step back as Kormek appears flying from behind of the palisade.
" Great ... can I get some mead with this service or is it extra?"
He asks without opening his eyes.
Tarius gives Saya evil look.
Surprised by Tarius's non-existing knowledge, Sladan replies.
" Did you not talk with the returning soldier to find out more? You other men drank a potion that changed their behaviour. They are agrresive and maybe stronger. They are controlled by Otho now. There's the chance we might not get them back. Do you understand that?"
Saya innocently smiles at Tarius and drops Kormek next to them.
"I just wanted him to get up.
...And here he is.
Damn my, witchery powers.
Listening to me literally. "
She playfully smirks.
"Well when we all are here. What about we welcome our 'visitors'with hot boiling bath?"
"If you would be able to do that, it would really help us to defend the walls since we don't want to kill them." Sladan tells his point of view to Saya.
Saya
Kormek hits the floor of the palisade hard. "Ouch ... heeey! Gently Im the last of my kind so be careful ok!?"
Tarius shakes his fist at Saya.
Sladan
Tarius shakes his head "He didn't wake up yet and in his state Im surprised he is not dead. Hopefully he will get better. He does not address the rest Sladan said.
Sladan is unsure if it is because the thought of loosing all his men is too painful or he simply doesn't care.
Unbeknownst to anyone there are two figures appearing in the distance in front of Anvil.
Sladan, looking to Saya, says:
"Do you need any help with the water? Tell me what to do. I don't want to lay around and do nothing."
Tarius to Sladan
"Find a good spot for the fire somewhere by the gate and get some wood, get the fire going."
Then he looks at one of the halflings. "Get the metal bath tub." the halfling mumbles and runs off.
"I think the water problem will be sort out soon."
Says Saya to Sladan.
She turns to Kormek.
"Hey, lazy.
You should have some experience with
the battles.
Any good idea that could help us?"
Sh looks at him with curios eyes.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Sladan does what Tarius suggested and looks for wood to start a fire.
Amdoran and Sumak appear from the woods in front of Anvil.
Sumak notices two figures moving about on the palisade.
Amdoran does not appear to notice as hes trying to protect his face from the biting cold.
Sladan makes a fire place and gets the fire going but finds it difficult to sustain the flame.
Saya
Kormek replies "Its simple ... don't let them get inside the walls. The ranged weapons they carry will be a problem tough ... I have seen some of the big tower shields among the equipment you brought from Norfall. That can be a life saver.
"I can help with that...
...those ranged weapon wont get through us.
Just to keep the enemy off the walls will be more complicated."
She says confidentially, after she turns her attention to bath tub.
Looking at the dying fire, which Sladan is trying to keep alive,
she decides to help a bit.
She starts carefully blowing into center of fire.
Sladan tries to maintain the fire burning.
"Please, burn..." he says while blowing at the base of it in order to spread it to all the branches and logs.
Saya comes and gives him a hand.
The fire burns bright and soon one of the halflings slaps a big metal pot over it and starts throwing snow in it.
Kormek lying by the fire speaks to Saya and Sladan.
"Soo ... if we survive this ... what is your plan?"
Sumack has been pondering as he rode with Fred in the heavy snow So is this going to be the town, what new surprise will befall me
He will tie a white handkerchief to his lance and holding it up right as a pole he will continue to move forward
Not really concerned about the Snow Fred continue to trod gently
"Why are you asking?
Do you want to join us?
I must warn you though..."
She grins sarcastically.
"...Where we go and what we are trying to do ...
there is no way, any mead would help you to face it."
Saya thinks about it for a minute.
Sladan thinks about Kormek question. "What's your plan?"... Those word echo in his head.
He lifts his eyes and looks at Saya.
Saya
Kormek smiles. "Mead never helped me to face anything ... it was a damn good time killer tough."
Sladan
You are unsure if Saya has a grand plan or is just as lost as you.
"Hey ... I think someone is coming ... "
Says Toby as he notices the figures in the distance.
Sumak
When you get closer you see figures moving frantically on the plaisade
Sladan steps up really quickly and tries to see who is approaching in order to prepare his next move.
"Here it goes..." he thinks for himself.
Saya tries to sharpen her sight to see what is coming.
She nervously gets nowhere fast.
Just in case something goes terribly wrong Sumak will look at the gate and the height of the palisade as he continues to ride forward
As Amdoran and Sumak reach the palisade they realize few individuals are staring at them like an hungry homeless guy at a piece of elvish bread.
"Who are you?" screams one elderly bearded man from the top of the palisade.
Saya sees two riders in Ameris military armor, covered by winter cloths and a dog.
Sent by Praetorian prefect Quintus Gaius from Norfall, he is Amdoran, this is Fred and I am Sumak DeVir Wolf Rider Extraordinaire of the Flame. We are looking for a long overdue Caravan. And You whom do I have the chance of being addressed by?
Wouf ! Wouf ! Wouf !