Shianni takes a cue from Athros and hides in a closet.
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Athros steps out of the nearby closet with a contented look on his face. "Well, that solves that problem. We had best leave here soon in case that shem bring back others."
Calem looks at the dalish elf and sighs. "Any idea what we should do with her?" he asks. "Leave her? Take her?"
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"I will not leave her here. They will likely blame her for what happened. Let's make a litter and carry her with us."
Shianni starts looking through the house for supplies to make a litter.
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The Band puts together a sturdier litter than the one they used to bring the elf woman into the house. They also take some blankets and pillows and make their way outside.
"This woman will not be safe left here. Also, unless we keep her with us, she will not find aid in any human settlement. Her best option is for us to find the local Dalish. This plan would appease me as well because I will then be able to find an answer to the puzzle of the message that was written on the wall here."
"There's a cart and horses, we can put her on that. I agree with Athros. Does anyone know if the Dalish are nearby at this time of the year?" Calem asks. "I'm from Kirkwall, so I don't know much of their movements here."
"I do not know either. But if we venture into the forest they are likely to find us.
"The sea is my home. These land born people have different ways of dealing with things. I will defer to your judgement on this. Unless things look dire, I'll happily negotiate for us"
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"Yes, let us go and speak to the other Dalish. They may be able to give us more information." it is clear from her body language that Shianni will spend the majority of her time caring for the young woman.
The Band makes their way towards Vintiver, hoping to find any signs of the Dalish along the way.
You spot deep tracks of what is unmistakably Halla--the horned stags that are sacred to the Dalish.
They arrive on the outskirts of the town to find the breathless form of the overweight man who had arrived at the farm. He is talking to a pair of villagers who are visibly getting worked up.
Vintiver itself is made up of about two dozen homesteads, each with its own garden plot, where the locals grow their own food. And you all can easily recognize a Temple of the Chantry close to the center of the village.
"Zira it would be best if you hid your face." Athros, hooded and masked, nudges Calem to lead the group.
Shianni keeps her staff on her back and helps to carry the stretcher.
The band attempts to sneak around the village but a voice calls out to them.
"Hey! Who are you and what are you doing?!"
And then the man who was at the farm calls out, "It's them!"
Suddenly nearly a dozen villagers are approaching you. And they look ready to cause you harm.
The band begin trying to talk some sense into the crowd, but it really goes poorly.
"Hey! They're Dalish!" says a large man, black bearded man wearing a blacksmith apron. "Get out of here, knife ears! You're not welcome here anymore. Not after what you did!"
Calem puts himself in the way of the bearded man.
"Back off!" he growls.
"We're not afraid of you!" the boisterous blacksmtih answers back.
But it's clear that Calem's imposing presence moved through the small mob like a tidal wave. It sobered a few heads, but the threat of violence still hangs in the air.
Athros pulls his hood farther over his face and turns away from the small mob. "As I told you, generosity does not run through the veins of Shemlen. Come, let us find safety elsewhere," he says in a a low voice as he takes the lead, walking around the town.
"Well, they haven't started hewing off our limbs yet, so they can't be that bad, now can they?" asks Shianni quietly as she follows Athros, pulling half the stretcher.
Zira tries to cool everyone off by explaining that the crowd had the wrong idea, and while some are swayed, there's still an aura of malice. But they don't seem eager to get violent. The band decides to simply turn away.
"Yeah, you better run, knife ears!" the blacksmith calls out.
When they are passing through the town, a middle-aged woman with white-streaked blonde hair exits from the temple dressed in Chantry robes. She beckons you toward the temple.
"Please come in. I heard the commotion. That poor woman needs to rest. I have cots, food and medicine."
"Thank you." Calem says plainly, standing outside and keeping an eye out till everyone else is inside.
Athros begrudgingly enters.
Shianni will follow by say nothing.
"Yes, do come in. You can bring her this way. My name is Sister Arda. And I officiate this Chantry. I apologize for the treatment you've received. The townsfolk have been on edge for a few days now."
Siser Arda guides you to a small back room with a modest bed, where she instructs you to lay the elf woman down. She reaches into a nearby cupboard and begins pulling out several tools for herbalism. She boils some wine over a fireplace kettle and begins grinding some dried elfroot with a mortar and pestle. It's very clear she knows exactly what she's doing.
"We need to clean out that wound before it begins to fester."
She then turns to Calem and Athros. "Unless one of you fellows has some experience with healing, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you two to wait outside. Those clothes need to be removed immediately, so I can clean the wound, and I would like to keep her modesty if you don't mind."
Sister Arda has an accent that places her from being outside of Vintiver--most likely from the city of Denerim.
Calem will nod and give Shianni a reassuring look before stepping out of the room.
"Hmph! Athros harrumphs as he leaves the room. Authors' look is as sour as ever.
Sister Arda tears through the woman's bloody and tattered clothes with a pair of scissors. She has Shianna and Zira help her with moving the woman around as she checks over her wounds and cleans them with boiled wine.
It doesn't escape the Sister's notice that the wounds are more healed than they should be. She pauses, glances at Shianna's staff, nods and then continues working silently.
After half an hour, the elf woman is cleaned and bandaged. And Sister Arda hands Zira and Shianna some coins.
"Could you take this money to the Arbor Inn and have them warm me up some beef broth. I'm not sure if we can give her anything stronger just yet. But I think she should make a full recovery. Still she's clearly exhausted and will need some rest to recover. I'll stay and watch her for now."
The Sister thinks for a moment before she pens a quick letter. She stamps it with a seal and hands it over.
"Here. If anyone gives you any guff, just show them this. That'll inform them that you're here under my auspice."
"Okay."
Once outside with the others, Shianni will say "She's stabilized and the Demon Worshipper who lives here wants someone to get her some broth from the inn. Athros and I should stay here, since it seems we'd only upset people and I would like to guard the young woman from woman from whatever the Walking Death has planned for her. Calem, you mind going with Zira and keeping her safe? The Eater of Children gave us money and this note, which I assume declares that she will eat the souls of anyone who triffle with us, but I can't read Ferelden, so I'm not sure."
Athros raises his head and pulls back his hood, "Zira? Is this woman who Shianni claims?"
Calem blinks at Shianni. "Uh... that's... descriptive. Sure I can go with her." he says, scratching his head.
Zira giggles and shows Athros the letter which simply states that the holders' of the letter are under her auspices as the head of the temple and therefore under her protection.
***
Athros and Calem walk over to a two-story wood beam and plaster structure with heavy, dark wood shutters and window boxes kept full of brightly colored flowers. A carved and painted wooden sign bearing a dark purple bunch of grapes surrounded by curling leaves and vines and the name “The Arbor Inn” hangs above the front door.
When they walk in a small bell that hangs just inside rings as the door opens. The same group that berated the band when they walked into Vintiver are at a table talking agitatedly. They grow silent the moment Athros and Calem walk in. They glare at both of them.
A middle-aged woman glares at the group and then walks over to Athros and Calem, and says pleasantly, "Welcome to the Arbor Inn. How can we help you? We have food, drink and beds."
Authors says plainly, "The chantry woman asked for some beef broth."
The woman smiles and says, "Right away."
She heads into the kitchen and comes back with a steaming mug of beef broth, that reminds you both that you've had nothing but dry rations for nearly a week.
"If I can I get you anything else, please just ask. Our rooms are only 2 silvers a night."