For his part Jerukh keeps a low profile, allowing the effect of his mutagen to pass before he seeks out the others.
He lurks watching for news of Reiko, while aware that he would only add to the cramped crush in the wagon where the wounded man lies.
"Okay, that's not quite as bad as I was thinking," Sandru replies in a warmer, more normal tone, "but that doesn't change the fact that you stabbed a man then threatened to kill him if he didn't talk. That's something the Sczarni or the Hellknights would do. Neither group is one I'd want you to emulate, Reiko."
The caravan master looks around for a moment, his fatigue is obvious as he rubs his neck and sighs.
"Please, just promise me that you won't do that again," he implores you before walking off to another part of the camp, leaving you and Shalelu alone.
The elven archer tries to say something, but closes her mouth and sighs. She looks away, and only then does she seem to find the courage to talk.
"Reiko, have you ever heard of the drow," she asks.
"No, please don't apologize. Especially to me," Lucas begs looking distinctly uncomfortable at the gesture.
"He's right. Besides, they would have killed us soon or later anyway. We owe you both our lives," Mari says, "besides, it wasn't even you that Anica was supposed to be looking for. She was just desperate to find any half-elf that she jumped at the first one she saw."
The elven archer tries to say something, but closes her mouth and sighs. She looks away, and only then does she seem to find the courage to talk. "Reiko, have you ever heard of the drow?" she asks.
The ronin debates whether she wants to go down this intellectual rabbit-hole. "Drow? I've heard a little bit: an elven race that lives beneath the ground and is amoral. Is that correct?"
"Yes, though amoral isn't exactly strong enough to describe them. Gleefully malicious would be better," Shalelu confirms, her eyes don't focus on you, but rather something else in another time and place.
"I fought them a few years ago, just after that whole mess with Nualia and the goblins. They hate elves above all others, taking us alive so they can torture us until we die, or they warp us into something horrific. They took the band I was with captive and I had to watch as they killed us one by one in sadistic games until we were rescued. There was one that would ask us questions, and if we gave the wrong answer or didn't answer, she'd pin us to the ground, leaving us alive but in agony as she would twist the blades and taunt us."
She looks at you, eyes gleaming in the firelight. The expression on her face is one of pain and worry. Pain at the memories. Worry for you.
"I understand why you did it now, but I still don't agree with it. I hope you understand why and why I am worried for you," she blurts before quickly looking away.
"I– I don't want to see my friend turn into a monster," the elf mutters quietly after a moment.
"There's not much to tell there. We're tieflings, demonspawn. We had useful talents and they could overpower us. Doesn't matter to most people, and it's not like we have family that will care if we go missing," Lucas answers matter-of-factly.
"Are you saying that you have always been willing stab a man that offered you no threat if you felt it justified," Shalelu asked her tone more heated now as she spins back to face you squarely. "The ends do not justify the means! Ever! That is how hellknights justify cold-blooded murder and torture. That's how Cheliax dolls up their oppression of people who disagree with them. It's how some of my own people justified heinous acts."
For a brief, singing moment, Shalelu looks you in the eyes, her breathing harsh in the silence. The tension relaxes as the elf steps back and her brief flash of anger ebbs.
"Actions speak louder than words, Reiko. To be honest, someone who can stab a man in cold blood and not feel anything at all are, to me, the scariest monsters."
Vigny tries to find something to build a bit of friendliness upon.
"Are you two from Riddleport then? Me too. Is there any place we can take you?"
Reiko doesn't rise to the bait, well, not entirely. "The ends do not justify the means. Ever." she repeats Shalelu's words back to her, minus the anger. "I think you'll agree that the Sczarni were a credible and present threat to our caravan, yes? Soli and Yurian had already been attacked and the Sczarni were lurking nearby. Lucas was the only opportunity to learn their intent and defend the caravan. So, yes, I stabbed a non-threatening man as a gambit to head off a greater threat." Reiko gives her enough time to consider that high level view of events before making a point, "Now, call this caravan 'Sandpoint' and the Sczarni 'Goblins'. You have spent years roaming the woods around Sandpoint, far and near, slaying goblins. Many of them were imminent threats. Others, I'm certain, were not an immediate concern. Maybe they were passing through. Maybe they were fighting with one another. Did you question them to determine if they were a true threat or did you just kill them? And how often did you take them by surprise - ambushing these 'non-threatening' enemies with arrow or blade? Tell me how you haven't justified killing hapless goblins miles from the village to achieve 'the end' of protecting Sandpoint?"
"I may be a monster... but I'm a loyal friend. I've never based my respect for you on the choices you made as a warrior, or said the price of our friendship required you to share my values, or claimed you felt nothing when faced with a hard choice. And I never, not once, accused you of being a cold-blooded monster."
Reiko considers the sky, letting the film evaporate from her eyes unseen, before looking at Shalelu once more. "I've said I will try to work within your moral compass, that is the most you have any right to ask. Beyond that, my conscience is my own. So, if you have more insults - say them - then leave me in peace." She waits, offering Shalelu the final word and another chance to sink in yet another venomous dagger.
Shalelu's cheeks burn as her jaw clenches. She turns without a word a storms off into the night.
"From Riddleport, yes, but we don't want to go back," Mari answers quietly.
"We don't want to trouble you more than we have," Lucas adds, "and if we're going to be causing problems for you, we can just leave."
"It's no trouble at all," Koya interjects before you can speak up. "Besides, you two aren't going anywhere until you've healed up, understood, young man?"
Reiko takes the deep cleansing breaths of zazen kokyu trying to calm her mind and center herself. She'd become adept at the skill, normally able to find her wa within 20 breaths. On this night, it took many more breaths and true peace eluded her... but at least she was calm.
She headed into camp then adjusted her course toward the animal corral. The ronin unties the Whispering Shrike's scabbard and yanks it free from her obi. Not generally superstitious, nevertheless she looks at the blade mistrustfully, wondering whether it might have been tainted by an Oni. It seemed as if an ill-wind had blown into her life and while it was likely a clash of personalities and philosophies... perhaps it was something more.
She greets Kaze with a warm pat then crouches down by the tree sheltering her saddle and gear. She pulls Haru's battered blade from the saddle-sheath and replaces it with the periodically talkative katana. Sometimes, we must hold to what is familiar, as touchstone to our past.
The ronin makes a comfortable pile of the saddle and gear, then reclines upon it with her back resting against the tree. The night would be long.
Jerukh watches Reiko return, she calmly enters the camp but heads toward the corral.
Bereft of his mutagen, the alchemist feels tired but more himself. He looks toward to the inscrutable warrior hoping she is fine, but reluctant to bother her;
I know what it is to need space from people.
Instead he searches for Sandru, his erstwhile brother, to find out what he had to say on the matter...
You find Sandru talking to Yulian and the brothers, Bevelek and Vankor Dalmuvian. Despite having been injured, Yulian seems in high spirits.
"Can't you just talk them? All I want is some soft, sweet company and I'll be back on my feet dancing a jig," the jovial guard tells the others in Varisian.
"Nope," Sandru answers with a grin threatening to break out, "Emi might take you up on the offer, but I'm not so sure about the others. Besides, I though you had a girl waiting in Magnimar?"
The brothers let out a guffaw loud enough to be heard across camp as Yulian gives them a startled look and blushes furiously.
"I... I didn't think you knew about that," he mutters sheepishly.
"Yulian, we're family! Of course I know about it! I also know that she'll have your jewels if she finds out you've been making eyes at other women," Sandru teases.
Jerukh approaches wearing a hard look, which only grows harder as he overhears the banter between the men.
Base idiots.
He scowls at the injured guard, then both Dalmuvian's;
"Ware your words how you speak of my friends..."
... before letting his gaze settle on his brother Sandru;
"Brother I would speak to you. Without your braying mules."
the laughter dies when you make your presence known, only for the looks coming back at you to become harder as you demand that Sandru peaks with you alone.
"Braying mules, is it," Bevelek growls before Sandru holds up a hand to ward him from doing anything more.
"Jerukh, if you wish to speak with me alone, then say so without insulting the others," the caravan master says coolly before leading you off to a quiet spot under the trees nearby.
[b]"Now, what is this about," he asks, his voice still cool.
Vigny nods sympathetically. "I have to admit there isn't much about Riddleport that's good. But don't fret. Sandru, the caravan master, is extremely kind and very clever. I'm sure he can figure out a place for you that will be much better."
The tall alchemist ignores the looks, or threatening tone.
As Sandru leads him to a queter spot he acknowledges the poor manners, and suggests a tonic;
"Apologies for upsetting your fragile sensibilities. Oleander Flower tea will ease any hurt caused..."
Once apart from the group, Jerukh eyes Sandru with a concern;
"I am sorry for insult caused, but they speak of women like they are prizes or trinkets. I will not allow that of my friends..."
Do not apologise. The strong do not apologise to the weak.
He shuffles uncomfortably, rubbing his temples as he sighs;
"I wish to know what you speak of with Reiko? She sits now, apart from the caravan - tending to her steed... Not like her brother. Did you upset her? Question her honour?"
As he speaks the half-orc is aware of his voice lowering, becoming more demanding.
"Ha! If you think they speak of women like possessions then come with me to Korvosa some time. Or better yet, head to the Realms of the Mammoth Lords or the Hold of Belkzen," Sandru snorts. He shakes his head after a moment and leans against a convenient tree.
"As for Reiko, I asked if she stabbed Lucas after he'd been subdued. She told me yes and why. I can't say I'm happy about it, and I asked to not do it again, but last I saw she was talking to Shalelu," Sandru shrugs, "I'd either ask Reiko what happened or go find Shalelu and ask her. As for me, I'm going to check on our two guests."
"I wouldn't blame him if he just decided to give us enough to get to the next town and left it at that, though. We did try to kidnap one of you and did hurt someone else," Lucas replies.
"And I thought I said you two weren't going anywhere until you've healed up," Koya reiterates firmly. "Honestly, what is going on through that head of yours. I would sooner play Towers with my Harrow deck than let Sandru send to hurt children on their way in this weather. Just relax and enjoy a hot meal. We can let tomorrow worry about itself."
Jerukh falls back into time honoured behavior and nods in agreement, clearly deferring to his brother's savvier insight into the situation.
"I do not think I would like those places brother... nor they like me."
He nods at the caravan leader;
"I will speak to Reiko of it. Or perhaps Shalelu... Thank you..."
As he leaves the discussion between Sandru behind, the alchemist slowly walks toward where he last saw Reiko, in the hope to perhaps glean more of what transpired.
As he goes he rubs his temple again;
The mutagen's after effect is strong. Perhaps some peppermint and white willow bark needs to be added...
Reiko is where Jerukh last spied her - propped up against the side of a tree among the horses, resting on her saddle and gear. She's casually watching the goings-on in camp.
She looks up at the half-orc's approach. Having seen his lackluster riding skills, Reiko is quite sure his arrival isn't coincidental. With the ghost of smile, she quips like a hawker, "Hey mister,you here for a pony ride?"
Jerukh meets her call with an awkward smile, at odds with the worry wrinkle upon his brow.
"No... I... Just wanted to check on you. No wounds from my brother's tongue?"
He crouches near the warrior, feeling silly to remain standing but not comfortable enough to sit.
Reiko slides more fully onto her saddle and pushes the other bag over to Jerukh. "You can sit or I can stand... but I'd prefer not to stand." She waits for Jerukh to choose and then follows suit. It gives her time to decide how to answer. Never sew discord in a family, if it can be avoided.
"No fatal wounds. Sandru is caravan master. It is within his rights and responsibility to..." she ran through a list of verbs, looking for the least incendiary and emotional option, "rebuke me." She was pleased with that turn of phrase. It was a clever truth that could be interpreted as positively as the listener wished - from polite contrition to acknowledging that Sandru was right... even though it was neither. Hopefully, Jerukh would view it in some way that kept him in good stead with his brother.
"Your brother asked for my pledge that I will not hurt defeated criminals regardless of the circumstances." She chews on some words then decides against adding more. "I think that settled the issue for Sandru, and he left. All things accounted, it could have ended much worse between us."
She looks across the campsite, to the wagon presumably holding the wounded Chelaxians. "What has been happening?"
"I"m grateful for your forgiveness, Miss," Lucas says before yawning.
"Alright, I think that's enough for now. The poor children need their rest. As do you," Koya tells you before Lucas or Mari can say anymore. The two of them wish you a good night before you're shown to a different wagon to sleep.
By the end of the conversation Vigny is getting a little misty-eyed. She gives Lucas and Mari long hugs before they go on their way to settle in.
The next day brings with it a merciful end to the rain. The air is cool, heralding the coming of autumn, and the dawn gray with clouds. As you all gather for breakfast, Emi starts to feel and look like she's caught a cold. Koya orders the young woman to bed and begins teaching Tatiana how to prepare a tea to help ease the passing of the common illness.
After fixing your plates and finding some place dry to eat, Ameiko comes up to you looking worried.
"Have any of you seen Shalelu? She wasn't around this morning when I woke up," the tien woman inquires.
"Not since last night when she and Sandru were talking to Reiko." Vigny replies.
"Maybe she went out to take a look at the road ahead since it stopped raining?"
Jerukh sits eating his breakfast with his usual dour expression;
He is clearly frustrated in knowing he could rustle up the honey bark tea to ease Emi's cold in half the time.
However that frustration is tempered by knowing that Tatiana has to learn somehow, as he once did.
At Ameiko's question the healer shakes his head, and shrugs.
Reiko looks up from her tea. "I haven't seen her since last night. We had some words then she left... angry." She glances at the clearing sky then stares at the muddy ground... and weighs the hours of rain since the elf was last seen. "Depending on when she departed, it might be possible to determine her direction. But she is an elf, skilled in the woods, and the rain was heavy..." The ronin leaves unstated how thin the odds are if Shalelu left several hours ago.
Reiko puts her cup down. "I'll see if I can find her path." She quickly pulls her bow, gear sash, rope, and wakizashi (as an afterthought) from her gear before returning to the site of their argument last night. There she tries to pick up the elf's trail.
"I'll come along too" Vigny says. Springing up, she knocks her plate on the ground, and Soliana's out of her hand. "Sorry!" she exclaims aghast.
"Things have been pretty weird here, best if we do things like this in pairs I think" she explains as she picks the mess up.
She fetches her stuff and finds Reiko.
"Whatcha see?"
Mud soaking into the hem of her silk robe, Reiko crouches down and scans the ground. She replies with a trace of humor and a shake of her head, "I see - a fv@<ing river of mud."
As Reiko and Vigny ready themselves to find Shalelu, Ameiko rushes off to grab her gear.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," she mutters to the others as she pulls on the hardened leather armor she'd grabbed.
Despite the rain, Reiko is able to somewhat track the elven ranger. She was apparently was too upset to be paying much attention to how much of a trail she was leaving. The rain had done a fair job of obliterating the trail, but not a complete one, and though the going is painstakingly slow, Reiko is able to keep the trail.
The trail leads to a small clearing where the signs of a fight haven't been washed completely away. More disturbingly, in one of the trees is stuck a well-made shortsword and hanging from it is Shalelu's bow.
Of the elf, however, there is no sign.
Reiko frowns, "There was a fight here. It seems Shalelu didn't win."
Since there is no body and no evidence that Shalelu was eaten, Reiko hopes that the elf was captured and dragged off. If true, her opponent or opponents should have left deeper prints - from the elf's additional weight. The ronin immediately begins searching the fringes of the clearing, looking for the labored prints of Shalelu's laden captors.
And if the prints are washed out? Or there are no prints?
"No body, or sign of her taken apart and disposed of. Not an animal. Not bandits, Shalelu's more valuable possessions left behind. I doubt Shalelu left her weapons hanging so placed there after taken from her... It's a message for us. We're meant to find this. She's alive, or we're supposed to believe so. We're supposed to come looking for her."
"Perhaps. Maybe that Forlarren caught her unaware?"
The forlarren, when you saw her, was rather petite. Whoever was fighting here was rather large, at least the size of Gkirkhan, and there were at least two of them.
Sadly, you seem to be having trouble picking up the trail again, and can't tell where
Ameiko takes the bow from where it hangs and begins tugging on the sword. The blade is stuck deep and even with using all of her strength, Ameiko can't budge it.
"I can't get it out," Ameiko admits quietly as her shoulders slump. A deep breath later, though, she seems to have found some of her usual spirit.
"Reiko, can you tell how many and how big her attackers were," she asks.
The ronin puzzles over the scant evidence in the clearing then tries to work the blade free from the tree. "There were at least two of them. From the length of their strides, they were large - like Gkirkhan. And I can't find where they left." She pauses and looks at the blade. "Why would they leave this here and embed it in the tree? A lure or trap?" She examines the tree and blade more carefully, looking for anything out of place.
Reiko finds no traps, and has little luck freeing the blade.
"Then we're going to get some help. I don't think the three of us are going to be in good shape after a fight like that even if we win. And if they're as big as Gkirkhan, then maybe we want Gkirkhan along too," Ameiko says as she moves to help with the sword.
Despite her worries for Shalelu, Vigny is rather proud of her sleuthing assessment of the scene. One of the extremely regular patrons at the Broken Manacle when she was there was a guard officer who investigated crimes such as murders and kidnappings. He shared his cases freely with friends there, and Vigny listened in too whenever she could. Only the best people in Riddleport could expect an investigation into their murder or disappearance, so such events were always gossip fodder.
She thought she mimicked his style of speaking about such things very accurately. It made her feel clever, and she wasn't going to switch theories very easily now that she had one.
"The forlarren might not look very strong, but she is fey and you can never know about them. Besides, she might not have done it herself. She might have allies or minions to do it for her."
"We have also probably made an enemy in Riddleport for some reason now. But it's too soon for anyone there to have responded. Unless the sczarni were being watched by someone we didn't account for. But hat seems a bit much."
"Whoever put the sword in that tree was strong, and if they were big too, they much have been freakishly sneaky to get the drop on Shalelu. Conditions were bad last night, but I'd bet if they managed to find her, she should have been more likely to make them first. Smells like fey magic to me"
Vigny looks around the area for signs of spent arrows on the ground or stuck into trees, or anything else that suggests Shalelu put up a fight.
As the women make tracks to chase after Shalelu, the half orc shovels another mouthful breakfast and watches them go.
He shakes his head;
"This is why I would prefer live alone. Cross words, affairs of the heart. Folk just make things complex. Life should be simple."
The half orc eyes Soliana, aware her own plate was spilt by Vigny. He sheepishly pushes his own half finished plate toward her;
"Umm. Have mine. I... I'm not that hungry... really."
Reiko stares at the stuck blade while mulling Ameiko's advice. She steps away from the sword. "You're right. If there are two creatures, there may be more. We don't know their strengths and have only one chance to recover Shalelu. Bringing all possible force is wise.... and hopefully Jerukh can find their trail where I failed." The ronin scans the forest - even the trees - trying to spy where a cave or lair for creatures this large might be. "Leave Shalelu's sword, we'll get it when we return."
Reiko (and team - presumably after Vigny is finished sleuthing) double-times back to the camp to raise the alarm and gather all the warriors that can be spared.
"Alright," Ameiko says, her eyes lingering on the sword for a moment longer before she turns to follow Reiko and Vigny back to the campsite.
As they walk back, Vigny angles for an opportunity to talk with Reiko about the previous night without Ameiko overhearing anything, or at least too much.
"So..... ...... what was the conversation between Shalelu, Sandru, and you about last night? What happened?"
Reiko maintains a hustling pace, heedless of the mud splattering her. She nods, acknowledging the warpriest's question. "They were alarmed at finding Lucas with a wounded leg. More or less, I was accused of torturing him... Sandru found my explanation passable in exchange for my word that I won't take such actions again. Shalelu wasn't satisfied with that." The grimace that crosses her face makes it clear that things went downhill from there.
"Hmm. Well I will look for a chance to bring it up with Sandru. Don't worry, I'll be careful about it. But I was there to see everything myself and can give him a second view of things as they happened. Sandru is very fair-minded, and I can sooth his feelings about it."
"Sandru and I have a special bond" Vigny adds with a secretive smile.
Ameiko keeps pace with Reiko, apparently too busy thinking over what's going on to pay much attention to the conversation happening between Vigny and the swordswoman.