Aerik addresses the acerbic Mother Perish, "Now or later we will eventually have to deal with these thieves Mother." He turns to Wrongir, "How far away is the Gready farm and how long ago did this happen?" While he gets the answers to his questions he quickly follows with, "Waht are the number of Freed involved in this raid?"
Pike listens intently for Wrongir's answers, making a mental note that Aerik asked exactly the right questions.
While he waits, Pike pulls his sword from its guard and examines the weapon, preparing himself mentally for an otherwise unexpected battle.
"Maybe an hour on horseback; it happened not much longer before that. According to the boy, four of five freed."
Aerik saddled his mount as he said, "We sould be able to catch up with them." Looking to Mother Perish he adds, "Don't dawdle Mother."
Torag checks his armor and weapons, and then nods that he is ready to go.
Perrish goes back to her room to fetch her staff and returns with a few new charms affixed to it.
"Hmph. Come on then, someone give me a boost." she says with obvious distaste.
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Mounting up, some more easily than others, you trot your way out of the Dawnfort them set off at a steady gallop north. After an hour's travel across a well-trod path of dirt and sand, you come across a small farmstead. A barn is burning to the west as men vainly throw water over it, an old woman nurses a heavy wound on her leg as she rests against the house, waving you over. "It was those accursed freed- took eight steer and two females, over the cairns to the shipyard, the bastards!" she spits.
Aerik examines the ground and looks at the tracks the freed left. "We should hurry if we want to catch them."
"Agreed. We'll do our best to return your livestock. Take care until we return."
Dismounting, Pike looks around with Aerik.
Torag heads directly to the wounded woman.
"Lay back and let me see what I can do."
Mother Perrish looks at the woman and becomes flustered. "Oh stars above and heroes below, what've they done to you? Why, that's not proper between brothers and sisters, even of different houses. These 'freed' have to be dealt with. Why, this is simply unacceptable!" She rambles on a bit, pacing back and forth and tapping her staff on the ground.
When she finally settles, she looks to Aerik. "Well, where've they gone? Let's be after them!"
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Pike easily finds the steer tracks heading north to the cairns; with his keen eyes, he thinks he can track them on horseback.
The old woman grumpily consents to Torag's ministrations. "...thanks, young man."
The path ahead awaits.
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"Good work with that binding, Torag," Pike offers as they travel. "If it comes to it, I've got a healer's kit and some surgical tools in my pack as well. Feel welcome to them, friend."
Pike rides with his bow strung, and out, keeping a vigilant eye on the horizon, ready to pick off any Freed from a distance if the opportunity presents itself.
Aerik quickly remounts after the woman is tended to, "Quickly now."
Torag patches up the old woman and repacks his few items before remounting.
"My skills to heal come from Orm, but my hands can also relieve some pain and not just sculpt metal."
Perrish holds her words until the group has put some distance behind them, to avoid uninvited and unintended ears.
"I understand you men have a few ways with magic, so I hope this won't come as too much of a shock to any of you: I know some magic myself. Now it's nothing too fancy, don't you mind, just a few tricks I've learned over the years. I just need you to prepare to see some things; strange things, uncomfortable things, things others might not understand. I expect you to be respectful and not cast judgment on what you don't know. I'm here to help, and that's what matters. I hope all of that makes sense to you bunch of strong-armed brutes."
With that said, she speaks unfamiliar words and loops a string of beads around her neck. A small, chill breeze brushes past, but nothing more.
"Perhaps, if they're strange and uncomfortable, you could tell us now exactly what things we might see Mother? Battle is no time for surprises."
Ready and moving, you follow the thick tracks along the hills and dales of the upper valley. Eventually a cairn approaches, piled high with thin black stones, the earth around it disturbed with over thirty graves of the fallen. When you cross over, it almost feels like a chill passes through your bones.
The tracks get more and more recent as you gallop on- eventually, you spot a small rise in the ground, a little hill, which you believe the freed are on the far side of.
Pike keeps an eye out on all sides, and occasionally on Perrish, still hoping for an answer from the old woman about what exactly her magic does that she feels the need to warn them against prejudice.
Perrish answers Pike bluntly. "What, are you afraid?" she scoffs, "Sometimes help comes from unexpected places. It doesn't matter who is your enemy's enemy, what matters is that you want the same thing."
Perrish eyes the horizon. "Pike, can you get a look before we ride into trouble? Maybe we could get the jump on them."
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Aerik dismounts and ties his horse to a nearby tree, "We're close now."
He looked at his companions for a second as if considering something, he shrugged his shoulders and speaks, "No one get alarmed but I am going to transform into a wolf. I be in total control and will understand everything you say but will not be able to communicate with you."
with that warning his body begins to transform in to that of a medium sized wolf.
Aerik's transformation seems to bring a slight smile to Perrish's face. "Oh heroes below, that is a good trick." She says to the now-wolf as she tries to settle her spooked horse. "Now why can't you do anything so useful?" she snaps at Torag.
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Pike and Perrish hear the sounds of animals and men trying to be quiet over the rise; Pike estimates two or four men.
Peering over the rise, Pike spots a handful of cattle and four men. Three with spears and javelins, they crouch against the earth pale-faced and shivering a little from the cold. The fourth grips the hilt of a heavy rusted greataxe of fine make, face intent, seemingly trying to stare through the packed earth at where the rest of you rest. All are dressed in a motley assoertment of leggings and torn tunics, augmented by belts with small hammers, saws and other tools.
Torag give the old woman a quick smile and motions to his arms and armor.
"This is what I do mother, with the glory of Orm at my side"
Mother Perrish dismounts with surprising grace, then surveys the area. "We should attack all at once. Pike, you sneak up on them and attack once the chaos starts. Aerik and Torag, you charge over the ridge. I'll make a little bit of panic amongst them."
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Aerik wags his tail at Mother's plan. He lunges forward toward the hill, his paws barely touch the ground, as he easily keeps pace with his companions.
Pike looks down at the Freed and the cattle from the top of the hill, gaging the distance. Silently, he gestures back towards the others, motioning that they move forward silently. While he waits for them to gather up, he draws his bow, and returns to watching the Freed.
Init:
Torag nods in agreement with the plan and follows the wolf-form of Aerik up the hill.
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Creeping up, Pike and Aerik get the drop on their crouching foes.
The wolf moved quickly up to Pikes side his teeth bared as he lets out a deep primal growl.
Pike exhales softly as he plucks an arrow, notches it, draws, and lets it fly, aiming for the legs of the closest target - the one bearing the great-axe - hoping to slow him down as they begin the attack.
"What... I WILL GUT YOU FOR THIS!" roars the greataxe-bearer as a sudden arrow appears in his thigh, toppling him to the ground.
Pike pulls another arrow from his quiver without taking his eyes off the big man with the greataxe.
"Bought us a few seconds, need to keep the advantage on our side..."
Drawing his bow, he prepares to loose the arrow at the man when he recovers his footing.
The furious freedman pulls himself to his feet; Pike's shot goes wide. He scowls and raises his greataxe.
The other three look at eachother nervously, then draw javelins. "F-for Domi!" they cry as they let loose. "No heroes, no lies!"
The wolf rushed up to the closest Freed and lunged at the man's throat.
Mother Perrish hurries to the ridge with surprising speed, then stretches out her staff and calls down in a low, echoing tone,
"See, your graves hunger for your eternal rest."
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Torag dismounts and moves towards the group of freed, his hammer and shield out and ready for combat.
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As soon as Aerik's wolf charges up, the greataxe wielder lets loose a powerful blow.
Two scramble free of Perrish's pit, one tumbles down into the darkness with a surprised shout.
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Seeing the giant axe swinging for Aerik, Pike draws an arrow as fast as he can, and tries once again to shoot the weapon out of the hand's of the Freed leader.
Like lightning, Pike draws another arrow and looses at it at the man, aiming this time for his gut- a much easier, if better protected, target. After letting the arrow fly, he blinks to the other side of Perrish, hoping to put himself in the way of any further attacks.
The warrior lets out a furious cry as his greataxe is wrenched from his hands by a quick arrow. Another arrow glancing off his side lets loose another hiss of frustration.
"Get them! There's nothing but the gallows and the grave for if you fall here, freedmen!" cries the man as he bends over to retrieve his weapon and then scrambles up the side of the hill.
The other two look between eachother and heft javelins, targeting Pike. The one in the pit moans in pain.