Bea pulls her horse close to Jacyn's so just he and Adam can hear. "Keep an eye on Terrill - I don't even think they trust him." Suddenly an idea comes to her, "Adam, did you search Kressle? What should be done about her body?"
Keeping his voice low, Jacyn butts in, 'I searched her. Only real thing of worth, I found was a small sack of coin. I gave it to Simn to hold onto til we got back to the Leveton's, so we could hopefully avoid anyone with 'sticky fingers' trying to keep it from us." indicating Terrill and the others with his comment about the gold going missing.
"Kressle's body was searched. I believe by Jacyn. Simn has the money she had, I think. As for the body. Bury it. Burn it. Cut it up into pieces and feed it to the birds. I really don't care. I do not think that Kressle was a nice person based on my conversation with our new compatriots."
Adam nods at Bea's warning of Terrill, and remarks with a lowered voice. "I don't trust the man either. He swore the oath, though. But you can deal with him if you want to. There's more to him that I don't fully understand."
Keeping his voice low, Jacyn butts in, 'I searched her. Only real thing of worth I found was a small sack of coin. I gave it to Simn to hold onto til we got back to the Leveton's, so we could hopefully avoid anyone with 'sticky fingers' trying to keep it from us." indicating Terrill and the others with his comment about the gold going missing.
"All right, I've surrendered. What now?"
"Now you come back with us to join the rest of our companions and what's left of your band," Havrin answers Gellus' question as he relieves the bandit of his weapons and the sack taken from the dead mite. "What happens next is up to you. I'll be honest with you - personally I'd prefer to see you all taken back to Restov for trial, but my companions want to give you and your friends a chance to reform if you swear to give up banditry. Of course, if you choose to continue serving the Stag Lord, you'll find yourself in the same shape as that mite there."
"Retsiji, would you mind securing our friend here? I want to study this mite - I've heard of them but never seen one before."
Havrin studies the dead creature carefully, as well as the ground around it to determine what may have killed it.
Retsiji carefully guides Gellus away from the mite's body, attempting to step only where he stepped before. "You didn't sound surprised to see it. You find these things often? Any idea what killed it?"
To Havrin, Gellus says, "Well, I'm not going to keep serving a drunken fool who wants to be king, and banditry hereabouts seems to have become too dangerous. I'll take your oath."
He answers Retsiji, "I'll see one or two in a week, sometimes with a dead kobold or two. Sometimes I'll just see a dead kobold. They've been fighting a lot lately."
Havrin, you've got a pretty good idea what happened here. Sometime in the last day, the mite came running over the hill towards the river, already bleeding. It was being chased by two creatures whose tracks you've never seen before. You can tell from their tracks, though,that they're likely bipedal, smaller than humans, with clawed feet. They ran down the mite and killed it with some sort of piercing weapons--daggers, rapiers, spears, something like that. Then they stripped the body and left it. The bag also has holes in it from a piercing weapon, as well as some mite blood not from where Gellus wiped his hand on it. You're now reasonably sure that you can recognize mite tracks as well as those of the unknown creatures that killed it.
Adam, Bea, Jacyn, Simn, & recruits:
With the slower people on horseback, you make good time through the woods and out into the Kamelands. Rather than take time to follow tracks, you elect to keep within sight of the river. For the most part the ride is uneventful, although at one point a very large wolf crests a hill near you. It eyes the party, turns, and trots off.
You've been riding for a bit under two hours when Jacyn spots three figures down near the river--two tall humans and a short round human.
Havrin, as you're finishing your examination of the area you hear hoofbeats and snatches of conversation on the wind. You look up in time to see the party approaching on horseback, together with all five of the bandits who were back at the camp. The bandits are armed and armored.
To Havrin, Gellus says, "Well, I'm not going to keep serving a drunken fool who wants to be king, and banditry hereabouts seems to have become too dangerous. I'll take your oath."
"Very well, but I will hold you to that oath," Havrin says solemnly. "You should know that I take very seriously the Second River Freedom: 'Oathbreakers Die'," Havrin warns Gellus.
Havrin continues to study the tracks around the dead mite as he listens to Gellus' discussion regarding the mites and the kobolds. "There are footprints of some type of small biped with clawed feet here around the body. Are these kobold footprints?" he asks Gellus.
Jacyn waits til the group is close to Havrin, Retsiji, and Gellus before calling out to them, in hopes of not attracting more attention than is neccessary, "Is this Gellus, then? What decision has he made for the sake of his life?"
"Very well, but I will hold you to that oath," Havrin says solemnly. "You should know that I take very seriously the Second River Freedom: 'Oathbreakers Die'," Havrin warns Gellus.
Gellus nods. "Yeah, yeah, I'm from Pitax, so I know the Freedoms. Lucky for me the Stag Lord and Kressle never made me swear an oath to them."
Havrin continues to study the tracks around the dead mite as he listens to Gellus' discussion regarding the mites and the kobolds. "There are footprints of some type of small biped with clawed feet here around the body. Are these kobold footprints?" he asks Gellus.
Gellus scratches his chin as he looks at the tracks. "Could be. Kobolds are short, they go unshod, and they've got claws."
Havrin continues to study the tracks around the dead mite as he listens to Gellus' discussion regarding the mites and the kobolds. "There are footprints of some type of small biped with clawed feet here around the body. Are these kobold footprints?" he asks Gellus.Gellus scratches his chin as he looks at the tracks. "Could be. Kobolds are short, they go unshod, and they've got claws."
"Well aren't you just a font of knowledge..." Havrin thinks to himself after Gellus' remark.
Havrin, as you're finishing your examination of the area you hear hoofbeats and snatches of conversation on the wind. You look up in time to see the party approaching on horseback, together with all five of the bandits who were back at the camp. The bandits are armed and armored.
"So much for taking them back to Oleg's and seeing how things play out before making any decisions about letting them move about armed," Havrin thinks to himself as he watches his companions and their armed 'prisoners' approach. But... as Adam pointed out they did give their oaths, so I should probably give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that the Second River Freedom holds at least some meaning for them. Maybe my own prejudices are impacting my judgment. I'll try to follow the others' example and see how this plays out for now."
"Is this Gellus, then? What decision has he made for the sake of his life?"
"Aye, this is Gellus. And he's sworn to give up banditry like his companions," Havrin answers Jacyn's questions.
"But what brings you all here? I doubt you got lost heading back to Oleg's..."
With Bea at the reigns, Adam had had more time to play his lute over the journey, though it had been more or less difficult with the horse riding.
"There's word of a golden wedding ring,
the fate of which I dare to sing.
Stolen first from Oleg's wife,
most likely at the point of knife,
its destiny is now obscured,
and so we, to see it well returned,
go forward to find these blue mites,
and with our victory set all right."
He ends the song abruptly, with a scowl on his face.
"That didn't quite come out the way I intended, but you get the gist."
Bea pulls close to Havrin and dismounts to be level with the ranger. "We came up with an idea that I hope will suit you. It seems a group of mites went off with Svetlana's ring yesterday. I've pressed these men into service to help reclaim it, which could serve as punishment for their past crimes. Also, by returning Oleg's stolen goods from the camp together with the ring, they have a higher chance of earning his forgiveness. We didn't want to just rush off without finding your first though, as I had promised to wait for you before making final decisions. Will you help us reclaim the wedding ring? Do you approve of this judgement?" Bea looks hopefully at the hardened man before her and swallows hard.
Havrin studies Bea carefully for several seconds as he considers her words. The stoic ranger heaves a great sigh as he answers. "I've had time to think things over while tracking down Gellus, and I realize that I may have allowed my personal prejudices to prevent me from considering things objectively back at the bandit camp. Regardless of my suspicion regarding the sincerity of their oaths, here in the River Kingdoms an oath holds great significance - as Adam wisely remembered," Havrin says, bowing his head politely to the halfling "The Second River Freedom states 'Oathbreakers Die', so I think we are honor-bound to accept their oaths and hold them to their word. As long as they remember the consequences if they break their oaths, that is," he adds, giving the 'former bandits' a stern look.
"So to answer your question: Yes, I approve of your judgment and yes I will help you reclaim Svetlana's ring. But you'll have to forgive me if I insist that we keep a watchful eye on our new allies."
"Now, as to the mites. Gellus here stumbled across a dead one here," Havrin indicates the small blue corpse. "It's been stabbed to death, and based on Gellus knowledge and the tracks around the body it looks like it may have been killed by kobolds."
"Is conflict between the two species common in this area? Do you know anything about any kobold 'camp'?", Jacyn asks, turning to look at their new recruits.
Jal replies, "There are enough kobolds in the northern Kamelands that they must have a nest somewhere, but I do not know where it is." The others also shake their heads. "Nary a clue." "Is mystery to me." "I think Kressle knew something about them, but she never said anything specific."
Gellus adds, "Like I told the wizard, the mites and the kobolds have been fighting a lot lately. When I first joined the band, one of the old-timers told me that they'd sometimes trade with the kobolds, but that's not happened since I joined up."
"I think we ought to deal with the mites now, and worry about the kobolds later. Maybe the mites can give us some useful information about the kobolds as well as Svetlana's ring and whatever else they might have stolen."
None of the onetime bandits show any sign of duplicity.
Retsiji approaches the rest of the party, still looking a bit warily at the allegedly reformed bandits. "If you want to attack the mites today, keep in mind that I've got some cantrips, a scroll of obscuring mist, and one casting each of comprehend languages and obscuring mist left for the day."
Retsiji approaches the rest of the party, still looking a bit warily at the allegedly reformed bandits. "If you want to attack the mites today, keep in mind that I've got some cantrips, a scroll of obscuring mist, and one casting each of comprehend languages and obscuring mist left for the day."
Bea nods. "Noted. Let's see if we can get close to the mites today then and make camp before the final approach tomorrow."
"Have the potions in the box been identified yet? They could come in handy for an attack."
The party marches/rides for another two hours, then breaks for lunch. The terrain is hillier here than it was nearer the river.
With another wounded man in tow, looking to be on his last legs, Simn wove together those healing energies once more. Whether or not they wound up in a fight today, it would be best to have him at least somewhat fixed up. No doubt the remaining wounded would regard the effect on themselves as a bonus.
Simn seemed to be in a thoughtful mood as the party broke for lunch. He hadn't given the river freedoms a great deal of thought since resolving to travel here. As a legal code went, they were a bit rough and ready, but they were respected by most, which was more than could be said for a great many legal systems. Yes, he was definitely going to have to brush up on them.
Bea sits down next to Havrin and pulls some rations out of her pack. In between bites, she begins to chat, "I haven't ever spent time in the River Kingdoms, or these stolen lands for that matter. Tell me about these river freedoms you mentioned earlier."
With Simn's healing, Terrill and Jal are almost up to full and Gellus is near half. Gellus says to Simn, "Thank you, much obliged." He'll then armor up (now that he can do so without passing out).
"I haven't ever spent time in the River Kingdoms, or these stolen lands for that matter. Tell me about these river freedoms you mentioned earlier."
Havrin also retrieves some rations from his pack and joins Bea in her meal. "My father trades throughout the River Kingdoms, and he taught me a bit about the Six River Freedoms," the ranger begins in response to Bea's question.
"The First Freedom is 'Say What You Will, I Live Free', which means everyone has the freedom to speak as they wish - but it doesn't necessarily grant them freedom from the consequences of their speech. The Second Freedom is 'Oathbreakers Die' - since everyone is free to speak as they will, there must be some assurance that a person's oath is binding, and breaking an oath is by necessity a grave offense. The Third Freedom is 'Walk Any Road, Float Any River', which prevents lords from blocking land and water travel or charging tolls for passing. However, it implies no safety while traveling. The Fourth Freedom is 'Courts Are for Kings', which can be summed up as law within the River Kingdoms is malleable, and the rulers of a kingdom do as they wish - in the their lands, one must obey. The Fifth Freedom is 'Slavery is an Abomination' - nothing is so secure in the River Kingdoms as freedom for escaped slaves."
"Finally, the Sixth Freedom is 'You Have What You Hold'. The Sixth Freedom draws moral distinction between robbery and mere stealing. Taking something by force is acceptable because it allows the victim the chance to resist, to face his robber, and to plan for repossession if desired. Burglary, on the other hand, is punishable under common law."
Jacyn sets up a grain sack for Smoke, then grabs some food from his own rations, listening to Havrin the entire time, though never sitting.
Once the ranger is done describing the 'river freedoms', Jacyn joins in the conversation, "Most of those sound like solid rules to live by, though I am unsure how the final one sits with me. What line is drawn for someone who attempts to rob his neighbor, but he loses the struggle?"
"Interesting...I can't say I completely agree with them all, but it will be good to know those to better understand those who already live here. By the way, thanks. I hope we didn't get off to a rocky start back there. I was...a little upset. I've never been hurt like that before." She's quick to add, "Of course, seen my share of action... her voice trails off and she looks away from him.
"Hmmmph. Only some of those are usable. One or two are incomprehensible. And the rest can't really be enforced." Adam says, sourly.
Retsiji smiles ruefully. "You have touched the point with a needle, Adam. Governance in the River Kingdoms is not for the fearful or foolish. Or benevolent, for that matter. But if we can count on the Freedoms to keep these fellows...honest, for lack of a better word...then by all means, let's use them."
Adam nods. "Granted, Oathbreakers Die is one of those that is usable. Is it enforcable? Perhaps only by those to whom the Oath is made. But even then, it may very well only be defended by strength of arms."
"I think there is at least one wolf following us. I've noticed one more than once now, though Im not sure if it's the same one or different ones. We may want to deal with that situation before going after the mites, and definitely before nightfall, just in case it thinks its a good idea to come after the horses while we are asleep."
Adam frowns.
"I think you should make sure it is not a sheep in wolf's clothing before you attack. There's no use alienating ourselves from potential allies."
Jacyn glares down at the halfling, "I know the difference between an animal and a man."
Adam laughs.
"As do I. No beast of animal intelligence would stalk a group of 10 humanoids mostly on horseback, unless it had a superior force. Wolves of animal intelligence are driven, generally, by hunger, not by insanity."
"It's the same rule that drives politics."
"Nevertheless, at least one is following us."
Havrin, Adam's right--if it's the same wolf that the rest of the party saw earlier it's definitely not acting like a normal wolf. It's also a bit on the large side.
"So you think it might be something else disguised as a wolf then, Adam?" Simn asked, "Whatever it is, I doubt it can take on all of us at once. Wolf or not, it'll know better than to try. It might pitch in while we're occupied or distracted though. So, what do we want to do about it?"
Adam shrugs. "It may be an intelligent wolf, with news to share, or some other species that generally appears as a wolf. All I am saying is I think it is best to ask questions first before shooting."
Jacyn packs Smoke's feed bag away and gets back in the saddle, grabbing his shield and lance as he does so. "You wanna try to talk to it, fine, but that means your coming with me. Anyone else?"
Jacyn offers Adam a hand up, if he would like to ride as well.
Bea nods, takes the last few bites of her meal, and stands. "Well, let's go check it out." Bea jumps back on her horse. "We'd best keep either everyone together, or just a few of us go."
Adam gets up with Jacyn.
"While we're still not sure what other dangers are out there, its possible that such a show of force would frighten away a potential ally if that is what the wolf is. If you are coming, keep your weapons checked. Aside from Jacyn's lance, which I don't think he can do anything about."
Adam, Bea, and Jacyn ride out to investigate the wolf, who is not currently visible. As they crest a hill, they see the wolf, sitting on the ground eating some sort of moderate-sized rodent. It looks up at the trio, hurriedly gulps down what's left of the rodent, and trots off.