Sprinting towards the edge of the roof Felix leaps towards Jowan from above.
However, his jump is short and he tumbles to the ground behind the man.
Non-Lethal
Seeing the bleeding fool jump off a building, quickly followed by Felix, Magan notes that the gods must be with them, for they have sent an Eagle to aid them in their quest. He leaps to the next building, peering over the edge he draws back his bow string.
"Jowan, you are bleeding to death. If you surrender to my friend here we will have our healers save your life and make you our prisoner. If you continue to flee I shall be forced to shoot you, ending your life mercifully more quickly than the wounds you have already taken surely would anyway."
Odin guide my arrow again, but this time please account for that chunk of metal under the furs. Perhaps this time we should go for his head? But I leave it in your capable hands.
Jowan drops to his knees and holds his hands above his head in front of Felix, his wound dripping more and more blood onto the ground around them.
"Felix, take that breastplate and move into the alleyway. I will be down presently."
As Felix strips the man of his plate, Magan makes a careful descent, as nimbly as he is able, and joins then in the alleyway.
"Now Jowan, who were you hoping to shoot from that rooftop and why do you follow us when we had left you in peace after simple restitution for your wrongs?"
His tone is that of a disappointed father, questioning poor behaviour in the face of kindness.
Jowan is starting to look very pale.
"Take me to your monk. If I die anyway I have no reason to tell you anything."
"Of course we will see the monk. Now don't be so rude. I'm making nice conversation. You give an answer, we head towards the monk a little ways. You get rude and I'll try and fix it myself, and I warn you, I never took needlework very seriously. So let's try again, who were you trying to shoot, and why do you continue to follow us? "
Jowan grunts as he feels more of his life force slip away.
"The seer," he spits, blood dripping from his mouth onto the floor. "Nice big red target."
He grins a filthy grin of yellowed teeth coated in thick arterial blood.
"Arthek sent me, after Casworon reported back."
"Good. Well done."
Magan takes an arm, and rather roughly starts supporting Jowan towards the wagon.
" Now, why are you still following us? What is it you are after?"
Jowan hobbles on alongside Magan breathing heavily.
"Ain't it obvious? You lot! Arthek wants the lot of you dead, and he ain't alone."
"So this is just about that little fire? Who else wants us dead?
Jowan coughs up more blood.
"Casworon, me. You f@%!ers butchered Hedrok in his sleep and burned Massen alive. You should have heard him scream."
"Ah yes, you are used to those sounds after what you did to that poor farmer and his family. I'll wager they took on a whole new aspect when you recognise the voice. Now how were you following us?"
"That wasn't anything to do with me. The man stood up to Arthek. Nobody who does that dies well. Kenver wasn't happy 'bout it either. After the fire he threw us out. A carriage isn't exactly hard to track."
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Magan stops suddenly as if the news truly shocked him. Throwing his hands up to his face in mock horror, he let's Jowan fall back to the floor.
"He stood up to Arthek? By Odin's beard that explains everything. Felix did you know he'd stood up to Arthek? I truly wish somebody had told me."
Magan let's out a laugh.
"Well that means all this has been a sorry misunderstanding. Where is Arthek so that I can send him my apologies? I hope he can forgive my grave mistake. I can't have upset him too badly though for I am still alive. Do you think it's too late to share a drink and be friends?
Jowan's eyes lose focus on Magan as he talks. He's passing in and out of consciousness. He doesn't have much longer.
"I'm not done with you yet!
He picks Jowan up and starts dragging him more urgently towards the wagon.
" Focus on my voice. Tell me the plan. So you shoot my big friend, then what? "
At this point Jowan has completely lost consciousness and Magan is at risk of losing him completely. As he and Felix approach the others Branok comes hurrying up to them.
"What's going on? Who is this man?"
"Somebody get Isolde out of the carriage and inside somewhere. She must not be allowed to see him, not yet anyway. Kara, help me get him inside." He lowers his voice so that only Branok, Gawen and Felix can hear. "Branok, this is one of Arthek's men, he was on the roof looking to ambush us here, another of his men was at the inn watching us very intently. We need information from him before he faces justice for his crimes."
Magan lifts Jowan into the carriage where Branok can work to stabilise him. As Branok works, Magan sorts through Jowan's possessions, looking for what may be useful and what may be sold. Then he walks to Ealing and removes the leather waterproof roll, pacing up and down as he decides what to do, carrying the roll in both hands.
Glaring at Magan she hisses as she removes Isolde " Think before you bring someone around the child. She is young yet. Do not harm her more than needed." As she quickly rushes Isolde out of the cart and into the repair shop, doing her best to shield the young child from the sight of one of her parents murderers.
Magan waves Kara off. He had little choice in the matter. He returns to the carriage to watch Branok work and wait for Jowan to come around, his leather pack sat across his knees.
Stopping the bleeding is a simple job for Branok. However, he says it will take an hour for him to provide sufficient care for Jowan to regain consciousness.
"We don't have that long. Arthek will be alerted when he doesn't return and the city guards are in their pocket. We need to know his next instruction now."
The grey skies looming over Caerwysg rumble with thunder and rain begins to pour upon the Red Wolves and their companions where they are gathered around Branok's carriage and Jowan's unconscious body. The clouds are moving fast, unusually fast and Gawen notices this immediately. Magan, though busy, is a man used to living under the open sky and also senses a shift in the air, while Kara and Felix feel an eerily familiar sensation of static crawl across their skin as tiny hairs one by one stand to attention.
The clouds billow out, expanding south over the Exe estuary followed by more booming thunder and sheet lightning that crackles out amongst the layers of storm clouds. A high-pitched screech rings out through the air across the city and Felix and Kara wince in response, but nobody else seems to hear anything other than the onslaught of the storm. To the south above the Exe a small hole opens in the clouds and a single god-ray of golden light shines upon the waters of the estuary. A crescendo of thunder rocks the city once more, louder than anything heard previously and Felix and Kara see something small and dark plummet from the sky into the dark waters below.
-End of Prologue-
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