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The others wake to find a trail meat stew bubbling with trailbread warming. A pot of water boils next to it. Agatha seems to be communing with snow dagger, her familiar.When she notices others waking she gets herself a plate of stew and a piece of bread and eats it, giving some bread to her lemming. She then makes herself a cup of tea.
good morning all.
Rikael smiles at Agatha, fixing his hair and stretching his limbs before making his own plate and shaking the cold off.
My thanks Agatha. This is splendid. Perhaps with a meal like this the cold won't be so harsh today.
He smiles warmly and begins to clean his blades, preparing himself for the day while the other eat and prepare as well. He stays near the fire, staying warm for as long as he can.
Thorn stretches and then checks his equipment once more feeling better than yesterday as he moves next to Rikael enjoying the warmth of the fire. Saying not a word as he helps in keeping the fire up.
Returning from his morning communal with nature, Sildur spoons himself a bowl of stew, "My thanks. Just the thing to chase the chill from my bones."
Once finished his stew he refills the bowl and sets it down for Dru, giving the bear a scratch behind the ears.
Chewing on a piece of bread, he checks the bandage at his side gingerly. Grimacing at what he sees, the druid offers an apologetic look to the others, "I'm afraid I might have to look to my needs first. Fellow got me right good yesterday..."
Laying hands over the wound, he closes his eyes and channels his power, muttering under his breath.
The hot stew and boiling water certainly make for a pleasant morning among the cold summer in the Border Woods. Everybody wakes and is free of any serious side effects of the cold.
Rikael is set and ready to go.
Packing his equipment swiftly, Sildur is ready to set out.
Thorn once more resumes point and waits for the others to give the signal.
I'm achin' a bit, but should survive...
Sturion winces, but manages a smile.
"Good morning all. Rikael, Sturion, let me look at your wounds."
Ah...that feels right nice, Urga. Yer a durn healer if I e'er knew one.
Sturion works his shoulder a moment and grins.
Aye, you're one of the fiercest warriors I've ever seen, and a damn good healer. We're lucky you're with us. Thanks, friend.
Dru stands on his hind legs, sniffing the air, eager to be off.
"No need to thank me friends. We are comrades in arms. I know you would do the same for me."
Urga prepares for departure.
"Are we ready to move out?"
Our intrepid group of adventurers sets off from their overnight camp, mostly full of food and feeling well.
The path in the Border Woods is fairly well traveled, with many days of boot tracks back and forth in the snow. The path winds higher in elevation as well, folding back on itself as it climbs a large ridge or mountaintop. Eventually, the trail levels off and reveals a clearing with a large wooden lodge. It is still fairly early in the morning, but there are signs of life in the lodge, with smoke rising from the chimneys. There are several outbuildings, a large wood pile, a stone wall, and tracks of men and horses all across the area.
You are still a fair ways off from the lodge and its outbuildings but could see (or be seen by) any people who may exit one of the buildings.
It is between 7 and 7:30 AM.
The temperature is close to 30 degrees F.
Light snow occasionally falls, driven by a variable wind.
Waving the others into the woods by the trail, Sildur gestures towards the lodge, "We should approach from the woods. Taking the nearest outbuilding first. After what we learned from their companions, we can assume all we encounter will be under the employ of the fey. I will offer them no quarter."
Thorn slides into the undergrowth with easy practice as he asks the spirits about the surrounding areas and the lodge as he attampts to spot any of the figures.
Urga nods at the Sildur. "Agreed."
He will follow Thorn and the others into the woods.
No quarter? Just so long as we know they're willin' accomplices...but these what do witchery have been known ta bewitch honest folk. Would ye have me kill Rik, iffn' he fell under a spell?
I think we'd do best ta see how it goes.
Indeed, Rikael replies. There may be a lot of them, and the element of surprise may be our best ally.
He makes ready to follow Sildur.
Sildur looks at Sturion, "We have it from one of their own mouths, desperate or not, these men threw in their lot with the fey willingly. A spell might bewitch one for a time but it does not buy loyalty for so long. Those armed and roaming free stand with Izoze and the fey, I feel certain of it."
Sturion pulls Tom along, as awkward in the woods as Thorn is practiced...using his war axe to clear enough of a path for Tom.
...muttering to himself...or we could just burn 'em out.
Sildur gestures for Sturion to put up his axe before the noise carries too far, "We can take time to find a path for Tom, what we need is quiet."
Quiet, ye say?
Best me an' Tom stop at a thousan' yards.
Sturion eases his way back and looks for the path of the least resistance.
Sildur smirks, Tom we might be best to leave a little inside the treeline for now. We'll need your hammer for what's to come however. Just stay near the back..."
Decisions, decisions... Rikael mutters. Feybane, blade of Yuln, or Kegtap, my own blade.... Which shall taste bandit blood today?
He glances at Sturion.
I'll not kill any who honestly surrender, or can prove they didn't willingly aid the fey, but remember, these are bandits. They robbed and slaughtered many, many people before the fey arrived, and given the choice, would do so with even more reckless abandon should the fey leave. They will pay for those crimes, one way or another.
Sturion equips his longhammer, making sure the waraxe and shield are at hand before leaving Tom picketed just inside the woods.
Sturion himself walks down the main path, listening for the attack, and preparing to go in the front door, himself.
Sildur moves alongside Thorn, assessing their approach.
He suggests starting with one of the furthest of the outbuildings, preferably keeping it between them and the other buildings to hide their approach.
"Once we have a foothold we can assess whether to take the remaining outbuildings or push for the main lodge while we still maintain surprise?"
Thorn flinches slightly as Sildur comes alongside him.
"Your plan seems sound, we should tke out any guards on the outlying before they give warning and then rush them while they're in shock. Unless we find some kind of backdoor, we could storm them from behind and within with the those outside none the wiser. Let me to scout ahead alone and access them as close as I can."
With those words, Thorn creeps very silently forward, using the cover of the woods to mask his approach while the unseen spirits start to tell him 'things'
"We should not be too hasty to attack. Attempting to take any building in daylight could quickly result in them raising the alarm and the entire complex attacking us in mass. Perhaps we should spend some time just watching them while safely hidden on the perimeter. We can then attack in the dead of night. That would maximize the element of surprise and would reduce their reaction time. Hopefully we could kill them off in small groups before they get organized."
The druid frowns, "We're like to freeze to death waiting the better part of a day crouched in the woods. It's still early, if these men are as unruly as the others we encountered we'll still take half of them abed. We're in better shape now than we have been these past days. I say we press the attack and free the Lady, she has spent enough time in bondage as is."
It is getting near 7:30 AM.
The temperature is close to 30 degrees F.
Light snow occasionally falls, driven by a variable wind.
Sildur nods as they watch the lodge from the woods, hand on Dru's shoulders, "Agreed, the entrance is close to the woods. We will only be exposed for a few seconds. Sturion and Rikael should take point."
Sturion does try to stay out of sight until he hears the signal...then it's straight in, as fast as his short legs will carry him. If he's going to be exposed for a round or longer, he'll hang the hammer on his back and go in axe and shield (ac 20).
An excellent idea. Considering the two of us are about as subtle as falling boulders, if we alert anyone then you guys will catch ten unawares when they're focused on trying to kill us.
Rikael draws Kegtap and follows behind Sturion.
Urga nods at the plan, "Then so be it. Let's strike fast and hard. Kill anything that looks threatening."
Urga draws his falchion and prepares to sprint to the house.
Urga nods appreciatively at Agatha.
"Thank you, sister. We half-orcs need to stick together. The humans will never fully accept us."
...as soon as he gets the signal, Sturion moves out...as defensively as possible until he can charge in...