She nods slowly. "I have. I think all taking of life is deplorable. I know that it is sometimes necessary to protect those of us who love life, but it still makes me sad."
She sits up straight and looks Theodric in the face. "I thank you for what you did. You made sure it wasn't my Oleg under some bandit's knife or worse. You did what you had to, and what it it didn't go as planned, you saw it through anyway."
"You have the stuff of kings and great generals young man. Temper your fire with these sobering moments, and you will rise to wear the mantle of authority with dignity and honor to the benefit of all who cling to your protection."
"Do not forget today Theodric. But neither should you dwell on it."
"mmm, a shame ve do not have siege engineers to hit der platforms mit from a distance."
"I'm sorry Dyrm, I know it is not polite to whisper when in company. Just something, personal, to take care of."
"Bah, vorry not. Ve all haf tings dat are private, ja?" He backs up a bit to give her yet more privacy as she whispers.
As Lanya finishes her talk with Oleg, she confers with Dyrm as how to approach the bandit camp.
"Well some sort of commotion could lead the camp into disarray, and we could pick out the stragglers out in smaller groups. We could set fire to the towers, though the surrounding might catch flame as well. Shame we don't have any explosives."
Cromwell stands staring at Bruce and Edger a moment after Lanya leaves. Then nodding to himself he approaches Oleg and waits politely some feet away so as not to interrupt the other's conversations.
" Along those lines of thought Oleg, if I could barter a Light Mace out of the sale of the bandits equipment it would be appreciated. I seem to have found myself without a close quarters weapon."
He will then find Lanya and relay his full thoughts about Bruce and Edger to her.
"If ve had time and could move der catapults, ve could also besiege them from a great distance. Alas, I tink ve lack the siege engineering skill to pull it off, but it does make me smile every time I tink on it."
"Ging might cause a lot of commotion, though I'd rather not send him in alone, the poor soul. Perhaps we could arrange a scene where it looks like I/we drive off Ging together with Bruce and Ned. It might explain their reduced numbers. Perhaps I could convince them I am their leader's new mistress or something, at least get a small group of the camp away. In any case we need to scout out their camp to see what the lay of the land is."
"You're welcome, and I'm glad you and Oleg didn't get hurt. I suppose it did have to be done. Thank you for your kind words. I suppose I should finish eating and then go find my sword."
Theodric finishes eating and then finishes stumbles to his feet, heading back out in search of his sword. When he finds it he will wipe of the blood and sheath it. Seeing Dyrm and Lanya, he heads over to them.
"So, what are we talking about? As soon as he finishes his sentence he lets out a loud belch. "Excuse me."
"Ve are discussing der best vay to take the advantage over a bandit camp that haz many annoyink precautions ready for us...." And he fills the cavalier in on what he's missed
Cromwell will listen as Dyrm gives Theo the info on the Bandit camp.
After hearing Lanya's strategy, he will speak.
" Sounds plausible Lanya, tho I am no tactician by any means. However I believe we should finish what we started with the bandits first. Accept their repentance, and have them work off their debt or hang them. Then after a nights rest and morning prayers maybe things will seem clearer. At any rate, I dare say we cant take care of it all today."
"So there's at least twice as many of them as there are of us? Ging will act as a force multiplier, but from the sounds of it they have an incredibly defensible position. I like the idea of using him as bait, but that alone won't work...Even if our numbers were even we would still probably suffer unacceptable losses from a direct assault. Odds are that we'd all die. No, what we need is to reduce their forces with a preliminary attack."
"We get eyes and ears by whatever path the bandits normally take. I'm sure our captives can tell us which one that is. Eventually the bandits are gonna send out a group to look for the lot that attacked us, and likely not their full strength. I'm hoping for six or seven, but I imagine no more then ten at the most. Some of them will probably stay behind to guard the camp. We'll prepare to ambush them on their most likely path and then take them by surprise. I'm hoping we can eliminate enough to make the odds even at least by the time they know whats happening. Once again we need to make sure that none of them escape alive to warn the main group of their plan. If any escape our lives will be far more difficult."
"There are too many variables to plan anymore then such an attack until we see how it goes though. I agree we should wait until tomorrow morning though. I'm not sure how well I could ride right now. One thing we can do tonight is see if we can improve Ging's fighting capability. He'd be a lot more menacing with some armor and a real weapon. Some one should see if Oleg has anything that will work."
"Oh, one more thing. One of you should go check with the captives to see when they were expected back and how long before they would have sent out people to look for them. I'd do it myself but I'm not their favorite person right now. Theodric says with a grim laugh.
Lanya looks and listens to Cromwell and Theodric's words and arguments.
"Very well, I'll inform Ned, Edgar and Bruce of their fate, then ask in what time they will be missed. After that I'm gonna check up on Ging, you can find me at the stables with him."
She approaches the repenting bandits smiling a warm smile and a hand extended to help the first one up.
"This is the first day of your new lives men. Your second chance to live the lives you really want starts now. Help out us and Oleg and you will be the first citizens or settlers of the new country we try to establish. I guess Oleg could use a helping hand here and our group could use some information.
How long will it be, before you are missed? How long before they sent out a search party? Can you show us the road they will use? Also what is the leader called inside the camp? I recall Oleg saying it was a woman."
She waits patiently for the answers, nods shakes their hands and leaves to check up on Ging.
"Hi Ging, how are you, how do you feel? You did good today, you protected us and our new friend Oleg and his wife Svetlana." She says the same to him in Giant, just to make sure he understands.
"I think Theodric's plan is likely our best option at this point; the camp sounds too well defended."
|
Ned considers a moment. "We'll be missed by morning. If we're not back by week's end they'll come after us. If Kressel is in a foul mood it may be sooner. If she is away, it could be longer. There's a game trail they'll use; it exits the wood just there." Ned points away to the edge of the forest.
"If you were able to get good, strong alcohol into the camp unnoticed, you might be able to get security to lax a bit. It won't shut down by any means, but it may help."
"Ging good! Ging do good! Ging hungry?"
"A veakness for der Drink eh?"
"If we could sneak alcohol into the camp, we could likely sneak ourselves there. I think we are better off making good speed towards the edge of the forest, and then setting up an ambush for the bandits as they exit heading to investigate."
"Is anyone here trained in woodcraft at all?"
"I haf some skill at survivink der vild. I do not claim to be der expert."
" I have no woodslore, but agree that we should set up an ambush for them. It sounds like we have a day or two before they come to look. If we take tonight to rest then head out tomorrow and prepare, it should give us plenty of time."
Cromwell will go find Oleg.
" Oleg, about that mace, do you have anything like it in stock? I would really rather have it BEFORE we go ambush the bandits. If not then a dagger will have to do."
"I've got this."
Oleg walks away into a low building and comes back with a stout length of steel topped with a dark iron ball spiked with steel points.
"You want it? I can let it go for 15 dragons."
"Skulking around in the woods isn't exactly a skill set you pick up when you specialize in fighting armored on horseback. I know I can plan an ambush if I see the lay of the land though."
" Most excellent friend Oleg. However it seems a mite too pricey for me. If you accept in trade, I can pay you in whatever we find in the bandits gear, what isn't already yours, of course. Or I can promise free healing, for you and your wife, for the next few months, a very good deal I might add. Or I can owe you a favor. We may not seem like much now, but I believe we have a strong future ahead of us. In fact I plan to bring the word of Abodar to these parts, and that requires a settlement of some sort at the very least. Not to mention that more people means more business for you. Also, having the church owe you a favor is no small thing."
"Hungry? Well that won't do right? Let's get some food Ging, we can't fight on an empty stomach."
Lanya walks back to Oleg and starts up with an important question.
"How much food do you have?"
Given the expression on Oleg's face she explains
"Ging is hungry, and I'd think we could need some extra rations for our travels as well. Do you have enough food to feed an ogre and the five of us?"
"Cromwell, I have 5 dragons between coin and store credit, and no immediate needs. Take that towards your Morningstar, and you can repay it when we have more funds."
" Hmm. What? Oh, sorry Kern. I was forgetting the store credit for a moment. And thinking Platinum as opposed to gold for some reason. I can afford it out of my store credit. Thank you though."
Cromwell will take it, and do a few practice swings.
" A little heavier than what I'm used to , but it will do nicely. Thank you Oleg."
" Again, I am no tactician, so I will go along with whatever plan is agreed upon.
|
|
The first day passes without incident. You see no sign of the bandits.
In the wee hours of the morning on the second day, as breakfasts are eaten and camp in broken, an uneasy silence thick as the fog around your knees settles on the land.
You see movement on the plains. A group of people moving in a low crouch have just emerged from the forest 2 or 300 yards from your position. It is very hard to tell, but there seem to be at least 8 of them. They are heading for Oleg's!
" Psst. Lanya! Look over there, about 2 or 300 yards that way. I believe our bandits have come a calling. They are quite a ways away from us tho. Can you alert the others?"
Cromwell seems a little nervous this morning, jittery maybe.
He loads and readies his crossbow, then waits for Lanya, to see what the new plan is.
"We should let the others know the bandits have gone past us already. They must not reach Oleg's alive. Do we have a same way of contact established as before Cromwell?"