"Aye, I ain't going t'go closer to Kressle, not after I betrayed her. She'll stick a knife in me and let me die slow. I'm stayin' here, figurin' out what I need for them catapults, and tryin' to apologize t'Oleg here." Adrik runs a hand through his coarse black hair, looking nervously at Oleg and trying to hide behind the party.
Oleg turns beet red and sputters for a moment. "I'm not having-This isn't what I-I-" He lunges toward the bandit, trying to get his hands around his neck, but Svetlana grabs his wrist.
"Oleg, if the man is sincere, he could be helpful around here. There's a lot to be done, and we don't have enough hands to do it. We can give him a blanket and lock him in the storage pen at night, and make some use out of him during the day. I don't think he'll hurt us, knowing these people will be back in a couple of days. Besides, I have wonderful news for you!" She whispers in his ear for a moment, and his face shows shock for a moment, followed by happiness.
After a few seconds of hugging Svetlana, Oleg loosens his grasp, though he keeps a hold of her hand. "Listen, you lot. I'm going to have a son soon and-" Svetlana shoots him a quick glare. "I mean, I'm going to have a son OR daughter soon, and I won't have a child of mine raised with the threat of bandits. You'd best get going. This one can stay in the storage pen, so long as he doesn't try anything."
"Then it's settled. We best be off soon." Daen grabs the other longbow from the pile along with a handful of arrows and goes to get his horse. He also grabbed the trail rations they had, as they might come in handy. They could get a decent amount of distance across the plains today yet and he aimed to make it happen if he could. If they didn't take care of the bandits now, they'd never have this kind of opportunity to have them split up like they are.
He led his horse toward the gate and threw the reins through the metal lattice while he packed things in to the saddlebags. Eventually this was bound to happen. It was for this reason, a man with little outdoor skill was sent on a survey trip. He could handle a sword and even though he was less than an hour from his first actual kill, he was prepared for more bloodshed. It was the only way, practically, that they could deal with bandits like this.
Perhaps bringing law to this area would grant him the distinction he was looking for. Perhaps it was all just futile. Only time would tell.
Laliytsa goes to the guest rooms and gathers her things together quickly, swinging the saddlebags over her shoulder. After a moment's hesitation she leaves her old longbow next to the bed.
Heading outside she scoops up Haap's old bow. She carefully makes sure it's clean before she practices drawing it. The bow feels like it was made for her. It becomes an extension of her body, her way to protect those around her. Her lips curl up into a small smile. Like Ankova said using this will be poetic justice. Laliytsa picks up the remaining arrows as a glitter in the pile catches her eye. On a whim she picks up the stag amulet and slips it into a pocket. Maybe it can come in useful later.
Laliytsa tacks up Wild and leads him outside through the gate. She looks around, trying to spot the tracks of the bandits. The sooner she can pick up their trail the better.
Svetlana waves and shouts to the group. "I'll try to bring those other horses in while you're gone. Come back safe!"
Moving out, Laliytsa can see quite plainly that the bandits made no secret about their path. They've trampled the winter-browned grass down from riding single-file, and periodically, there's a dropped and forgotten piece of their gear along the path, though nothing of value. The trail makes a beeline through the knee-high grasses southwest of Oleg's, leading toward the thick spruce-pine forests of the Narlmarches. An hour into the ride, a hawk circles and then descends, diving into a field near the path. It doesn't take flight again for a few minutes. Travel across the plains is uneventful, and by the time the group reaches the line of trees, the sun breaks through the thinning clouds for the first time all day. It seems to be early afternoon by the sun.
Ankova decides to mount up on one of the horses which once belonged to the bandits, both because she feels it will help with her plan to disguise herself as one of them and get close in to this camp, and because she doesn't want to risk the Levetons' horse dying in the wilderness. She's not particularly perceptive at the moment, focused instead on jotting down notes about various things to keep an eye on when we have the luxury of enough time to properly explore rather than making a direct drive towards the bandit camp. "I'm no logger or carpenter, but those look like excellent trees for building with. If the fey who live in this forest are friendly enough, it would definitely be worth our while to negotiate peaceful harvesting. And I am somewhat inclined to believe they must be somewhat benevolent if these brigands are making their camp in the woods. That, or easily appeased, which would work to our advantage too."
The journey was actually quite pleasant and calming, although the Swordsman's head was swimming with possible tactics against the bandits. As the day wore on, he started contemplating spells that would be useful should they camp and he have time to regain his limited power. If they were bunched, an area effect would be ideal but if they were spread, a more defensive option would be better. Decisions, decisions!
Ankova's idle and unexpected concerns over lumber and fey gave him a much needed break from the problem with no clear answer. After a sigh, he responded in his usual fashion. "I can't say I'm excited to negotiate with fey, but I'd do it if I have to. As for lumber, I wouldn't know, but I'm sure Oleg wouldn't mind having some extra to rebuild that broken down fort. Once we survey this place and clear out these bandits it should be relatively easy to bring in a crew and make it happen."
When they came upon the former campsite, Daen looked around a little and made his suggestion. "Do we want to camp here and head into the woods in the morning or press on for a couple more hours? I don't know how far this camp is, but if they've made a campsite between the two, we'll likely not get there today."
Laliytsa is in her element as the group crosses the plains. The bandits left a clear trail. It's easy to spot where they've broken the grass and kicked up the dirt. It allows her to let her mind wander. Being part of a Kingdom's genesis is a heavy burden, a weight that creeps back into her thoughts when she's not concentrating on bandits. The plains here could be cleared for farmland. The wilderness tamed and turned into a community. It's a bittersweet thought.
Coming upon the campsite pulls her from her thoughts. Shading her eyes she looks at the sun's position. "Still early in the day. I think we oughta push on. Better chance of gettin' there before their leader if'n we hustle." She dismounts from her horse and searches for the bandit's trail.
The sun continues to shine through the grey-green pine needles, and the scent of pine quickly fills the air as the party continues into the woods. Laliytsa once again has no trouble following the bandits' trail, which leads deeper into the Narlmarches along a small stream. After a few hours of riding, clouds once again fill the air and the forest starts to darken. A small herd of deer scatters as you ride into a clearing where the stream meets another just below a cascade. The sound of falling water can be heard throughout the clearing.
The bandits' trail seems to have more wear on it than a once-a-month tax collection would suggest.
Ankova is glad for any excuse to dismount, not nearly as accustomed to riding horseback rather than in a carriage, but keeps a firm grip on the reins whenever dismounting, worried the horse might bolt and try to return to the bandit camp, possibly alerting them. Upon reaching the clearing in the woods, she discounts again, this time with the intention of letting her new mount graze and drink from the bubbling brook indicated by the sounds of a waterfall or cataract. "This has been a lot more peaceful than I had feared. Good hunting, no wolves, and so far no fey, though they'll probably wait until cover of night to come out if they live this close to the forest's edge. I hope I am not jinxing us by saying this, but if the worst we have to deal with is a disorganized rabble of brigands, maybe this will go well for us."
Ankova doesn't mind camping for the night near the waterfall, and will offer to take last watch so she has time to prepare new extracts in the morning.
Daen was glad that it came time to relax a little. He really wanted to do some study and get some magic back in his head for the coming fights. He'd finally decided on one spell, so he figured he should make sure of it before he lost himself to endless debate.
Dismounting, he responded to his fellow half elf. "Well, as long as the fey don't mind us going to kill bandits, then I won't have a problem with them. And I don't believe you're jinxing us. This whole part of the world is steeped in chaos. We'd receive whatever we have coming to us regardless of what you say. But let's set up a watch."
Most of Laliytsa's watch goes well, though she imagines she can hear a high-pitched laughter coming from the direction of the waterfall. However, investigation doesn't seem to show any intrusions. She tells Maraia, who replaces her on watch duty. Unable to see far, Maraia's 'watch' is more of a listen, and she hears nothing but the wind picking up in the treetops around the little clearing.
For nearly an hour, Daen's watch goes as well as Laliytsa's did. He hears the wind in the trees, and by the moonlight, he can see across most of the meadow. Then, an hour into his watch, the fire, which had begun to burn down, suddenly flares up, appearing to be a bonfire nearly ten feet tall. The fire sparkles and pops, brightness like the sun filling the once-dark camp, and the fire's roar shatters the quiet night.
The brightness is so intense that Daen finds himself temporarily blinded (3 rounds), though over the fire he can hear a shrill laughter.
The first thing through his mind when the flash happened was that it was a magical effect of some kind. His mind raced as he tried to place it amongst the books he'd studied.
"Hells." He muttered to himself as he rubbed at his eyes, and then blinking into the darkness. He stumbled as step or two, not knowing all of his surroundings, but then decided to call out. "I think we're under attack. They've just blinded me." He honestly thought if he went looking to shake someone awake, that he might fall in the fire.
Laliytsa and Maraia both wake up, looking around, but neither is able to spot an intruder. Daen, though still unable to see, hears a faint laughter and a chirping sound, not unlike a cricket, well away from the camp toward the cascades. After a few moments of blackness, Daen's vision returns, first in a spotty, fuzzy pattern, but gradually more and more clearly. The fire dies completely, the last embers consumed in the bonfire, and darkness falls once again upon the camp.
Ankova also wakes up, blearily rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and looking around, reaching for her sword, which she kept nice and close by just in case. The fire is out, but there is still enough starlight for her eyes to pierce the darkness and perceive that there is nobody in the immediate vicinity. All the same, she whispers, "What's wrong? Did someone spy on us? Why is the fire out?" She's not quite decently attired, as she's not the sort to sleep in her armor, but she stands up anyway, sword in hand, and gazes about, focusing on the area beyond the campsite.
"Someone used our campfire as the source of a pyrotechnics spell, using it to blind me" he began, continuing to rub his eyes and blink at the darkness, the moonlight slowly coming into view. "I would have expected whoever it is to be upon us now, but if it's these pranking fae, and all they're going to do is laugh at a distance, then I apologize for waking you all."
Daen felt a bit sheepishly for raising a stink about something that wasn't a real threat, and he hoped that no one would think the worse for him about it when he noticed as his sight returned that not all of his companions were covered. It was a bit of a shock for the young half elf, and he decided the best thing to do was avert his eyes and pretend nothing happened. He'd not seen as much at any particular time that he could recall and the image of the moon wasn't really doing much to distract him. He was glad it was dark so they wouldn't see the heat in his cheeks.
After a few minutes, things quiet down around the camp, and the rest of Daen's watch goes smoothly. The scent of evergreen woods fills the air with its earthy yet crisp smell, and a light breeze rustles through the trees' needles, accompanied by the full moon's light.
Ankova's watch proceeds quietly as well, with the exception of a faint "whoo, whooo" every few minutes. Once, she sees the Owl in question, but the mysterious laughter doesn't return during the night.
As dawn blooms on the horizon, a few clusters of a pale white flower slowly open their buds. Spring, it would seem, is well on the way in the Stolen Lands. A few light clouds line the horizon from the east, but it looks to be the beginning of a lovely day.
As Daen was preparing things in the morning, he almost missed it, but there it was. Some kind of map it seemed like. Though the fey didn't really hurt them last night, they might have wanted to make things even. If only he could figure out what these symbols meant.
Waving to the others, he pointed it out. "I think we have a bit of a gift for our trouble last night. I think it's a map, but I don't recognize anything here. Can you make anything out of it?"
"The fae like pullin' pranks like that. Seems like the bandit's are on their bad side. I bet that's a map of the bandit camp. That bit in the middle looks like a river, these bits here trees, boxes mebbe are shacks or cabins?"
As she talks she digs into her bag and pulls out a handful of food "Fae like gifts. Sweet stuff, alcohol, shiny things. I got some honey cakes we can leave 'em. An' once we take care of the bandits we should leave 'em some of the shiner items." Laliytsa places the cakes next to the faerie map.
Seeing that Laliytsa knew what she was doing, and also seeing the benefit of having the fey on their side, especially at night, he decides to leave an offering as well. It could be considered payment for the map. He drops a few copper coins along with the cake and shrugs that the ranger before he goes to strike the camp. He doubted it would be useful in the end, but there wasn't any real harm in trying.
After they cleaned things up and got the horses ready, Daen was mentally going through their plan. Hopefully they'd be able to catch the bandits in a bit of a group for his spell to work, but as long as he was able to take out a couple of them, it would make everything much easier. Mounting up, he took a look around to see if his compatriots were ready as well.
Ankova also spies the crude drawing on the ground and spends a while puzzling over it before declaring, "I believe you are right, Laliytsa, probably a ford or something, since a bridge probably would have been drawn there if there was one, and there appear to be buildings or something on both sides. It's a pity it's not possible to tell where this is, but if it happens to be the bandits' camp..." She hmms and thumbs her lower lip thoughtfully, "It tells us we should be worried about reinforcements from across the river when we get there. We won't be able to take them by surprise as easily as at the fort."
Ankova frowns when Laliytsa explains about bribing the faeries and sighs audibly, "It's a pity we didn't bring any proper gifts then. We should definitely ask Oleg to get some suitable items that the fey around here might enjoy once the bandits are dealt with and we head back. If they're only mischievous and of a mind to play pranks in the middle of the night while leaving presents like this map, I for one feel it's worth the cost of some fine wine, honey cakes, and shiny curios to make friends." As it's the least she can do, she leaves a few coins alongside Daen's offering.
Though the fey don't approach to accept the gifts while you pack up camp, faint laughter and tittering dogs you as you follow the stream, which winds its way through the spruce-pine forest. The bandits' trail becomes child's play to follow, with hoofprints sunk half a foot deep into the bank of the stream. After an hour of riding, you hear the sound of a lot of water moving past rocks, much different than the burbling of the stream.
The Thorn River lives up to its name, its banks covered with thorny bramble and stinging nettles, but the bandit trail leads south along its bank, crossing over several times. A number of blazes cut deeply into the trees mark the way, offering Laliytsa an exceptionally easy tracking job. An occasional kingfisher and several species of ducks and wading birds search for food in the morning light. Around mid-day, you come across another of the myriad fords crossing the Thorn River, in a place where few of the thorn-bushes or nettles are growing. The ford winds across the river from the west band to the east and then back again.
On the far side of the ford, a wagon has been stopped.
The faint sound of faerie laughter drops away, replaced by a number of voices and the tired-sounding nickering of horses. Three of the voices stand out; a female voice, high-pitched and with an edge to it; a male voice, cultured-sounding but both crude and vicious; and a loud, foolish-sounding one. From the distance, it's difficult to make out what they're saying.
Two platforms have been built against the trees nearby, and a single figure, cloaked and covered with branches, can barely be made out against the branches and pine needles in the background.
Having had the laughter follow them this far, and then suddenly dissapear he felt that they were definitely getting close.
Noticing the platform, Daen made the bird call they'd agreed on earlier that meant to halt progress. Not knowing if they'd spotted them yet he made sure he pointed it out to Laliytsa and dismounted. If they were going to get into battle, he'd rather his horse stay out of it for now. It wasn't raised as a war steed, and perhaps it would escape back to Brevoy if someone strange approached it with a bloody smell. For now it was stow the horse and try to stay out of line of sight with the tower.
Seeing what he could do to get more out of the situation, he thought about the map the fey left him and racked his brain to see if there was corrospondance between the crude map and what he was currently seeing. One tower, one wagon, campfire? If it made sense, they would know at least where they were hiding.
Laliytsa nods as she sees the figure on the platform. She dismounts Wild and wraps his reins around a nearby branch. In the back of her mind she decides that she's going to start training Wild as soon as the group has some free time. But for now she slips into the shadows. She edges closer to the wagon.
Ankova dismounts and, like Laliytsa, ties the horse's reins to a nearby tree, she can see the wagon and the voices of several people, probably the bandits we were looking for, and tries to silently signal Daen of this fact, but her distraction causes her to step on a branch which then cracks loudly, likely giving away our approach, and she whispers a quiet curse, followed by a prayer that the bandits somehow won't have noticed. Just in case, she draws her dueling sword, preparing for combat, and hopes that if the people are just innocent travelers, they won't mistake us for marauding brigands.
*Snap*
For a few short seconds, there's silence as Ankova steps on a branch. Then, out of the trees to the west, a small, black stone flies toward the party. It seems as if it's likely to fall short, but as it hits the ground...
The thunderstone's explosion breaks the silence, and as it fades, a babble of confused voices breaks out across the area, most coming from the forest to the southeast.
From a distance, a slick, oily voice shouts. "Ox, to me! Mount up, we're going home!"
Ankova quickly fords across the stream in the direction of what appears to be a large camp of brigands, while drawing an extract she had prepared that morning and drinking it, the air around her beginning to shimmer afterwards as the alchemical concoction quickly takes effect to shield her against attacks.
Daen pulled out the new bow he'd picked up from the bandits they'd defeated. He hadn't held a bow except for a couple of hellish afternoons during training. It might be worth giving it a shot if they were going to be coming up on them. With a twitch of the hand holding the bow, Eldritch energy pulsed out and covered the bow, giving it a bluish hue. He nocked an arrow which also started to glow. It was time to get into position.
The half elf jumped the stream and moved ahead of Ankova. She could definitely hold herself in a fight, but he wanted a clear shot.
An arrow zips past Daen's head as the bandit on the watch-platform looses at him, clattering harmlessly on the river cobbles. Some of the bandits move sluggishly while others panic, but with the thick trees between them and the party, it's difficult to tell what's going on, but Daen can see, for only a moment, a woman poking her head around one of the massive tree trunks felled near the river. A moment later, a woman's voice shouts out. "Alright, you bastards. Carve 'em up, but save me the half-elf. I've got questions for him!"
Suddenly, Daen spots a small grey horse, ridden by a dark-haired man in a tight studded leather curiass. As it barrels down the river to the south, it's followed by what could only be a knight's destrier, though the man riding it is anything but knightly. He looks to be well over seven feet tall, dressed in colorful but faded clothes and simple leather, and on his back he carries a massive club. Before Daen has time to react, the two of them are long gone, past the cart.
Daen trained his arrow on the fleeing bandits, but soon realized he'd never get a shot off. After the near miss, he figured that the archer up on the tower had a decent line of sight. It made sense to return the favor.
It wasn't a bad shot considering his lack of practice, but before he even watched it land, he moved back into the brush for cover. "We have two runners." He felt the need to let the rest of the crew know, as well as play up a bit of bravado to the bandits. If they showed weakness, it would just encourage the thieves to press their advantage in number.
Laliytsa turns to Maraia "I know you can't see good. I'll stick with ya, keep anybody from sneakin' in on ya." She moves in front of Maraia. As she draws her bow she keeps talking. "You hear that woman shoutin'? I bet it's Kressle." She grunts as she lets an arrow fly. "Sounds like she's down south by the river. If yer up for it we can go say hello" The ranger gives Maraia a half grin.
Maraia nods, moving slowly forward until she can see everyone. When she can, she begins to chant, lifting the group's hearts.
Laliytsa's arrow slams into the watching bandit, followed quickly by a second one from Daen. He drops from his watchtower to land with a sickening thump on the forest floor below.
Ankova advances towards the nearest of the bandits and slashes with her dueling sword, following that up by saying, "The only ones getting carved up are those who refuse to surrender! Repent or face Rostlandic justice!" She's outnumbered, as there appear to be no less than five brigands in front of her, but she refuses to allow any fear to show in her face, attempting to display far more confidence and bravado than she actually possesses.
Ankova's slash catches the bandit across the chest, leaving a foot-long gouge in his armor, which quickly turns red. He shrieks and edges away, holding his blade in one hand and his chest with the other. Two bandits rush forward to engage Ankova, but the first swings too early. The second one's swing, however, is checked only an inch from her head by the shield spell. Another bandit (yellow) weaves his way down a thin trail in the underbrush, trying to get the drop on Ankova, while a fifth (orange) goes for his bow but can't get a clear shot.
Near the river, Kressle screams at her closest bandit ally, her voice loud and harsh. "Get up there! Kill that archer! We'll bring their heads to our lord!" The bandit (green) rushes forward, closing the gap between him, Maraia, and Laliytsa. Kressle does better, moving swiftly along the river path and drawing a pair of vicious-looking handaxes.
Ankova's mind goes into overdrive as a decade of lessons and careful study flow through her consciousness, mentally calling out her actions as she lithely bends and twists her body to stay just out of reach of her opponents' blades, looking for the right opportunity to slash out again. She stays in motion, trying to avoid being flanked, but knows that, outnumbered, it's just a matter of time before she's overwhelmed unless each strike of her blade is true and deep. "Your friend Adrik repented and now he has a roof over his head, a warm meal every day, and a job."
Calling upon his learning, the half elf boldly called forth his eldritch words. From the tips of his outstretched hands, flames came forth, scorching at the bandit leader and her nearest ally.
"You won't get what you want." He called forth from the bushes. "But if you surrender. Your may be shown mercy." Dropping the bow, he drew his sword and began to advance toward the Bandit leader.
Laliytsa registers that the bandit leader is screaming for her head, but she pushes the thought to the back of her mind. Panic gives power to your enemy, that's what her Grandpa taught her. Instead she keeps her focus on her allies. Crossing the river behind Maraia she spots Ankova being surrounded by bandits. As she knocks an arrow she yells "Ankova! Fall back, watch your flank!" She fires the arrow at the bandit leader.
Laliytsa's arrow catches Kressle just above her belt, punching through her leather armor between two of the studs. A moment later, she spots the gout of flame pouring from the treeline too late, and it engulfs her for just a moment before disappearing.
Maraia takes a step back, away from Kressle's axes. Drawing a slim dagger, she whips it at the bandit leader, but it flies off into the underbrush near Daen.
Once again, Ankova's blade finds its mark, gouging into the bandit's shoulder. He roars in pain, stepping back and drawing his bow. The other bandit takes an opportunity to step to Ankova's side, swinging his short-sword wildly. A third bandit, meanwhile, joins the fight, flanking Ankova, but her armor turns the swing away from her stomach. Another arrow flies at Ankova, this one catching her high in the shoulder, and the last bandit in the camp, bleeding from his wound, slinks off into the forest to the south as the one in the watchtower searches desperately for a target.
The final bandit steps into the underbrush, stabbing at Daen, but his thrust doesn't find anything but pine needles.
Kressle rushes at Laliytsa, swinging one of her axes in a wide overhead slash. However, Laliytsa's armor turns the blow and leaves Kressle open to a counterattack. Kressle screams in frustration. "I'll cut your heart out, little girl, just let me get a hold of you!"
As soon as Kressle turned to go for the archer, Daen slashed at her ribs. "You can't afford to take your eyes off of me." As quick as he was with the blade, he was quick again as his blade flashed toward his target. His sword practically danced at the end of his hand as his practiced arm swung true.
Earlier, the bandit is quicker on the uptake than Kressle, throwing himself clear of the worst of the flames.
Ankova's heart nearly stops as an arrow whizzes just over her shoulder, her attention having been on the brigands she's dueling and having lost track of the one who must have shot the arrow. Slashing out again, she spins to reposition herself so she can more easily keep an eye on all the bandits in her proximity. "The offer to surrender only lasts while you're alive, you know!"
If Kressle's actions phase Laliytsa it doesn't show on her face. The ranger turns and moves when the bandit leader falters. "I'm going to help Ankova" she calls over her shoulder. Having seen Daen in action she's confident he and Maraia can take care of the bandit facing them. She pushes through the bushes and shoots one of the archers facing Ankova.
Daen's opportunistic cut catches Kressle across her back, while his follow up a few seconds later cuts deep into her chest, through her armor. She falls to the ground, breathing heavily. Maraia steps closer to the bandit (green), readying another knife in her hand.
Another arrow whips past Ankova's head, thrumming off into the woods to the north. Distracted momentarily, she lets her guard down enough for the bandit menacing her right side (purple) to get a good hit in, stabbing deep into her stomach. Though the pain is intense, it doesn't seem to have hit anything immediately vital. The bandit to her left (yellow) laughs. "Ha! She's stuck good, Teodor!" However, his own attack slides off Ankova's armor, leaving a gouge in it but not causing any harm.
As Laliytsa's arrow slams home, her target lets out a bloodcurdling shriek and falls to the ground. The arrow punches through his leg in a gush of blood, which spurts forth only to slow just as quickly. He stops twitching within seconds.
On the far side of the battle, the last remaining bandit steps forward carefully and thrusts his sword into Maraia's chest. She shudders, but stays standing.
Nothing that the extract contained in the second vial she prepared that morning can't fix. The pain is distracting, slowing her next swing, but she can't simply turn and flee or they'll cut her down where she stands. "Fine, surrender is now off the table." She'd been spreading her attacks across the bandits, wounds that were deep but not likely to kill, but there's no mercy at all as she strikes at the man whose sword penetrated her stomach.
