The spear hardly hurts it, where the sword cleaved it near in twain... But the spear could reach the shambling undead - the sword, despite its great size, couldn't, and there was no room to maneuver closer and use sword or claws. So Astrid stabs once again, trying to do what harm she can to the creature.
With the last of the creatures in the hallway downed, Astrid lets the spear clatter to the floor, scooping up her own greatsword from the floor and testing it with a brief twirl. Now...we deal with their caller. The spear lies askew, its tip caught on a windowsill - back for it later.
While Arvanya gets inside the lodge through the window and Evelina gets outside the lodge through a different window, Blaze and Freyja finishes the last zombie with a blast of fire and a powerful sword strike. With no visible enemy left for her to stab, Astrid retrieves her greatsword.
The scene of triumph is broken by Blaze's scream as the tip of a blade emerges from the side of her belly! Unknown to you, the spellcaster sneaked inside the kitchen and stabbed her! The last zombie, without any other order, followed Arvanya inside the lodge through the window...
________________________________
Human [8 dmg, grazed (-1)]
Zombie#1 [26 dmg, destroyed]
Zombie#2 [12 dmg, destroyed]
Zombie#3 [13 dmg, destroyed]
Zombie#4 [22 dmg, destroyed]
Zombie#5 [2 dmg, healthy]
Arvanya - up
Evelina - up
Blaze - up
Freyja - up
Astrid - up
Blaze clutches at her midsection, shaking at the sight of her blood staining the gauzy fabric of the outfit she wore. Her ravaged vocal cords rattle with the force of her scream. "He iss here!"
Given his use of magic, she had not expected him to stealth in and attack with a blade, now she was paying for the oversight as her stamina drained away from her. Unable to step away from him and still attack safely, she sought the refuge of the corner to give her friends room to attack.
Evelina stands on the porch for moment, as if uncertain as to whether or not she is in control. However, she is quickly snapped out of her stupor when she hears a distinctive scream that could only belong to Blaze. "BLAZE!" She screams back, her voice cracking a little. "Hang in there! I'm coming!
Her mind and body finally united in their purpose, she sprints back up the logs and all but dives through the open window. Doing a quick roll, she slowly pushes up on the ground with an expression of pure anger that most wouldn't think the generally good-humored girl capable of wearing. "You're gonna pay for that mister. For hurting my friends. For your brain voodoo magic tryin' to make me look like some kinda coward. For kidnapping Lady Argentea. You're gonna pay for it all!"
Arvanya comes tearing into the great room just as Blaze cries out in pain. The mage! He's inside! She's just about to spring into action when the zombie's slobbering and shuffling grabs her attention. Spinning around, she unleashes an arrow at the undead beastie that now lurks in the doorway to the south. Then she continues to run across the hall, trying to reach the others.
Letting her song linger Freyja steps up and attacks the caster.
Arvanya moves inside the lodge while she shots the zombie coming after her... she hits true but apparently her arrow did no damage at all! While Eveline curses, Blaze moves away from the spellcaster, still holding her wound... she feels weak... the blade was probably poisoned. Luckily, the tiefling's tough life gave her a great resistance and soon she was already fighting the toxic substance.
Freyja stepped in slashing the man and once more his double image gave him no protection. Without room to maneuver, Astrid left Freyja to fight the man while she moved towards the zombie pursuing Arvanya.
The man tried to cast another spell but failed to keep his guard, giving Freyja the perfect opportunity to attack... unfortunately for him, his additional image had just now expired, causing the attack to slash him on his guts. With incredulity, the man collapsed into the floor unconscious. The last zombie moved toward Astrid and the northerner beheaded the creature in a single swing, send its head towards Evelina, missing her for an inch or two!
"Blaze, are you alright?" Arvanya jogs to the woman's side to inspect the severity of the wound.
"Well, at least in one piece, eh? Search the bodies, watch for more zombie! Auryel!" She runs across the front porch and into the nearby bushes to check on her companion.
Arvanya scoops him up and carries him slowly back through the snow and into the great room, laying him down gently on the crumpled bearskin rug. Then she helps search bodies, cabinets, shelves, etc., in search of a key for the trapdoor.
"Lady Argentea must be below. Not more zombies, I am hoping!"
Blaze nods, trying not to look as weakened as she felt. "I will live. If you find some keyss for chestss, I found some earlier."
With the caster at her feet Freyja looked about to check on her friends before bending and trying to stabilize the enemy's bleeding. This one will likely bleed out if someone better than I does not help him. I would know more about what he attacked us.
Arvanya sighs, realizing that Freyja is right. She waves a hand toward the mage that stabbed Blaze.
It takes a few moments for Evelina to understand that combat is over. With adrenaline still rushing, she seems to pace nervously for a few seconds, as if she doesn't quite know what to do with herself. Blaze! she remembers and rushes over to see if she is alright. Finding Arvanya and Freyja huddled around her, checking her injuries, Evelina quickly realizes that she is once again not able to help and probably just in the way. So, when Blaze mentions the locked chests, Evelina almost immediately pipes up, "Right! The keys! Don't worry, I'm on it!"
She seems to think for a moment, as her eyes scan around the room. Hmm...If I were keys...where would I be? Her eyes land on the knocked out man. That's it! Maybe jerkface had 'em! Quickly she moves to the fallen caster, nearly tripping over a fallen zombie, and begins searching the body.
The bard nods to Arvanya in thanks and responds He can always be put down later.
Freyja helps search in her own way, by casting Detect Magic and looking over the priest's(?) possessions.
Arvanya finds Auryel is still alive, lucky to not have attracted the spellcaster's attention. Freyja tries to stabilize the man but only when Arvanya arrives to help with her magic the stops from bleeding, even if still unconscious.
Among the man's possessions, Evelina is able to find three keys but only one of them meets with one of the chests (the one from the larger room). Scanning the man for magic, Freyja notices that his fur cloak is magical.
This heavy cloak is crafted from shaggy white yeti fur. When the cloak's hood is pulled up over the wearer's head, it takes on a semblance of its arctic namesake's fearsome visage. Northern warriors value its ability to ward against the chill of winter, as well as the protection it provides in combat. The cloak of the yeti provides a constant endure elements effect in cold weather (it has no effect in hot weather). In battle, the cloak wraps around the wearer, granting a +1 natural armor bonus. In addition, with the hood drawn over the wearer's head, the cloak grants a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate skill checks. Weights 5 lbs and costs 4,000gp.
Blaze notices that the other room with the chest is too organized and somehow 'feminine' and since the half-orc was the only woman in the lodge, she looks once more in her unconscious body and finds a key who fits her chest.
As Blaze fetches the key off the half-orcess, she checks for a pulse. If she finds one, she calls to the Varisian woman. "Arvanya, can you stabilize thiss one as well? She wass the only female among them. She might be more sympathetic to our cause."
After perusing the chests she says. "Lotss more to carry back, and I don't know what half of it iss. We still left some roomss upstairss unexplored. Do we dare to check them now?"
Still running high on energy, Evelina replies, "Sure!" as she begins jogging towards the stairs. However, at the bottom she spins around as if having a change of heart. "Or..uh...we think Lady Argentea is in the basement, right? Maybe we should get her out first." Looking concerned, she continues, "I mean...she's prob'ly real scared...and that way we can get her outta here...even if things go wrong upstairs..."
I fail to see how any are left inside, with as many as we faced off against, Astrid replies to Blaze's concern, her words clipped as she busies herself with stripping the fallen of anything of use. And there is still the matter of the Lady - we cannot leave her behind now. These might not have done a great deal to care for her, but hopefully they at least occasionally brought her food and water; with them dead, she may not even get that if we leave now.
There is a problem, though... Astrid sighs heavily as she rises to her feet, the stress and exertion seeming to wear upon her, though she seems not to acknowledge it. I have no healing energy left to call upon. Unless another can call upon healing spells, we have no way to revive any interrogation subjects, save time. We may have to secure the lodge and rest here for the night, if we wish to know more about what they were doing here.
"I wasn't suggesting we leave. Just wondering if we should try the upstairss again. It did not so go well last time."
Blaze pulls her cloak around her again before they unlock the basement door to look for the missing Lady.
This cloak is magical. Freyja informs the others. I've seen no other magic like it and have no idea what it's enchantments might be.
Freyja will also detect magic on the contents of the two chests.
Let us regroup here and consider our next actions carefully. Bar the doors after getting amy still living inside first. And we need someone to be on watch our prisoners and for outside dangers. Then the rest of us can secure first the upstairs and then turn our attention to the basement.
As Blaze looks for a pulse in the half-orc's pulse, she finds out that she still lived and when Arvanya comes to stabilize her, she notices she was actually already stabilized. None of the other raiders were alive and one of them even exhaled a faint smell of fell magic.
The hunter soon dragged the half-orc inside and tied her close to the spellcaster, after relieving him of his possessions, both of them still unconscious. Arvanya than asked Evelina for help to fetch Shiny and bring him to the stables, where five stalls hold three horses and a mix of loose straw. A rack of riding gear hangs on the east wall, and a cast-iron tub sits empty in the corner. With the pony secured and fed, they return inside with your supplies.
While Blaze busied herself with opening the heavy padlock to the basement, Freyja moved upstairs to check the rest of the upper floor, and Astrid locked and barred the doors of the lodge.
Freyja opens the door on the upper floor to reveal dozens of small boxes, bottles, and papers filling a musty storeroom. A small iron cage sits on the top shelf, emanating a flickering light like that of a candle. When she reaches for the small cage, she finds a blue-skinned sprite trapped inside. "Please, please let me go..." the small creature pleads for her freedom. Freyja also finds a couple hidden scrolls in this storeroom (three scrolls of lesser animate dead - 2HD), as well as 2 more doses of an alchemical substance in a vial and a small lockbox containing 25pp, 150gp, 180sp, and a blue quartz "ice diamond" from Irrisen worth 100gp. On another shelf, she finds three oils of magic weapon and 10 flasks of alchemist's fire.
Blaze finally opens the padlock. A half-dozen boxes and barrels take up the majority of this underground cellar. A rough blanket lies spread on the floor in the southeast corner next to a bowl of half-eaten food. On the same corner, there is a beautiful woman wearing a ragged but visibly noble green dress. She has red hair, green eyes, and pale skin, covered in bruises and dirt.
Aye, I'll let you go my little blue friend, but in due time. First I must secure this level of the lodge and make sure there are no enemies about. Then I'll carry you down stairs and we will have a chat with my friends about. I've met your kind before and talk and kindness on our part were met with mischief and violence from your brothers. So you must excuse my caution. But I assure you in the end you will come out of that cage and you will be treated as you treat.
After searching for threats the bard will detect magic all about before coming back down with her find loaded into her pack for more easy carrying and the sprint in the cage in her main hand. She No healing to be found I fear but plenty of other things of interest, including a new possible friend. Addressing the Sprite she adds. I am Freyja. And what might your name be?
Seeing the trap door open she asks Ah good. Have you found our missing lady then?
Evelina climbs down into the cellar "Lady Argentea?" she asks, as she rushes to the ragged woman. "Everything's gonna be alright. We're gonna get'cha right out here. Okay?" Pulling out her dagger to cut any ropes that might bind the woman, she continues talking to try at put the woman at ease, "Your guard, Yuln, made it all the way to Heldren and to get help. Real brave of him, if you ask me. We were able to back some of your stuff too...From the carriage. There was a bracelet and some over jewelry...real pretty stuff...Did they feed you? Do ya need some water or anything?"
"...Is Lady?"
A mop of dark hair cascades down into the basement, followed by a flash of a red kapenia scarf and Arvanya's face as she pokes her head down into the space. "Is Lady!" she exclaims happily, disappearing but a moment, then hopping down softly onto the dirt floor. "Lady is hurt?" she asks delicately before casting light on her longbow to illuminate the chambers around them.
As Evelina kneels to speak to the woman, Arvanya circles carefully, searching for clues.
Astrid had set herself to securing the main level while the others explored above and below...and fortunately, her instinct that no foes remained was correct. Even more fortunately, from Evelina and Arvanya's calls, it sounded as if they'd found their quarry. Willing herself into her (significantly less frightening to those not in the know) more human-like form, she descends quickly into the cellar with the healer's kit they'd found in the half-orc's supplies. Astrid sets to work, assessing the Lady's injuries and seeing to them as best she can; conjuring water into her waterskin, she holds it to the Lady's mouth, encouraging her to drink as she carefully assess vital signs.
Can you stand? I can help take you up the ladder through the trapdoor, if need be. Or you may rest down here if you prefer - regardless, we will see you are kept safe. You must remain at the lodge one more night; we do not have the stamina to return now, but we will depart as soon as we may on the morrow. With the Lady's needs seen to, Astrid returns upstairs - only to find Freyja carrying the small cage with its even smaller inhabitant. Immediately her eyes go wide, and before she realizes it her nails have re-lengthened, the re-appeared patchy fur at her neck standing on end. You talk to it like this is a garden party - how do we know the tiny monster's not in league with the others? The fair folk are wily...
It is still in its cage is it not Freyja says, maybe a bit too sharply. Would you have me murder it? It was already a prisoner of our enemies. I have brought it down so that it can speak for itself. You should not judge it until at least you hear its tale.
As Freyja comes down the stairs, the small fey inside the cage continues to plead for you to release it. "Please, please let me go... pleaaaase..." when she tells her name and asks for its, the fey humbly speaks its name. "Vrixx.... now let me go."
Despite her poor state, you don't find a damsel in distress as you reach for the lady. Perhaps a bit blinded by the light from the outside, the woman steps forward menacing towards you, at least until she hears Evelina calling her name and assuring that she was safe. Her eyes become wet with tears but she sheds none. "Thank you, thank you so much for coming to my rescue... I expected to be freed sooner though, but I'm nevertheless grateful to you." At the mention of her guard, she makes no mention of recognition... perhaps she didn't even know his name.
Arvanya looks around but finds nothing of significance... only food and beverage crates and barrels.
The lady accepts Astrid's help, even if a small disdain is visible in her face, perhaps due to Astrid's more 'wild' appearance... she is much more comfortable with Evelina. Once tended, she motions you to help her out of the claustrophobic cellar. Once outside, the lady looks around, a bit in doubt. "Hum... I presume the rest of the guards are outside? I'd like to talk to the commander... I'm not spending one more single night in this hellish place..." she looks at you expectantly, at least until she notices the cage with the fey. "Kill it! Kill this monster! I demand you!"
Angry by both Astrid's and the lady's reaction, and also for still being held capture, the fey brightens her light and starts to curse from inside its prison. "Monster? How you dare, you white-monkey? Let me be or I'll rip your eyes off! Oh and I'll like it... my friends will hunt you, piercing your skin with frost metal..." the creature keeps cursing and screaming...
Freyja gives the cage a good shake. Quiet! she calls in a trained voice to both the lady and the sprite. Addressing the lady Frejya explains quickly. We have no other force with us and are a team with no one specifically in charge. We do not work for you, nor do we take orders from you. That said we have come a long way and risked much to save you. Now I would like it very much if you can start acting like you are worth saving.
Freyja will find a blanket or some other covering to cover the sprite for now, addressing it as she does. Making threats against one of us is not a good way to gain release my blue friend. You calm down while we secure this place and talk. I recommend you prepare your tale for us, but know we are shrewd judges of the truth. Do not try to lie to us or it will go bad for you.
Blaze seems worried over the plan to stay the night in the lodge as well. "I am not sure we should not leave. More may come to attack uss here, alliess of the slain. Thiss place iss known to the enemy. And we promised to return and free the men who informed uss if we succeed... They will freeze before the night iss up."
She keeps some distance from the noble lady as she was unable to make herself less fearsome looking. Until the cold fey begins making threats. She opens her hand and her torch flame flickers there, as she moves it closer to the cage, the sprite can feel great waves of heat emanating from her very skin.
"Curb your tongue, feyling! Or taste naught but ash of your own flesh before you perish in Flame! Now why are you caged by those who serve your witch mistresss?"
"Really, is no time for fighting. Is time for celebration! We are here for rescue, eh?" Arvanya comments from the background as she runs her hand along the walls, searching for hidden chambers or trapdoors.
"Yes, we cannot stay here, not for long. But Auryel is hurt, and the half-orc woman is hurt. We will need the horses. All of them."
Lady Argentea is not quite what Evelina was expected. However, the young girl quickly chastises herself for feeling disappointed. This woman's been through hell...You don't get to be upset 'cause she ain't acting like a character in a storybook...
As Freyja arrives with the mouthy fey, Lady Argentea quickly gets agitated and tensions seems to rise all around, Evelina is quick to side with Arvanya. "Woah, yeah. Vanya's right! We came to rescue the lady here...an' we did. So things are lookin' good!" Turning to Lady Argentea, she tries to reassure her. "Don't worry. Any discussions about lettin' the squeaker go ended the moment the dummy didn't know when to keep his trap shut...so I'm pretty sure he's gonna be stuck in there for a while."
As for the discussion of staying or going for town, Evelina looks uncertain. "How many horses we got? An' how long you think it'll take for us to get back to Heldren? Think we can make it 'fore it get's too dark?"
It was the better part of two days to arrive here, Astrid replies to Evelina's musing. With wounded, we will be even slower and more vulnerable, and today's efforts have left us weakened, with little in the way of magics to aid us. Even your luck cannot hold out forever, magpie. Strangely, the nickname doesn't seem unkindly meant. Staying here is our only choice - and a much warmer choice than those tents. Resting someplace comfortable will leave all of us better refreshed.
At the Lady's questions, Astrid looks quizzically at the noblewoman. ...the rest? Everyone else was killed or maimed where you were taken - none of your guard were able to make the journey. We five were the only ones capable of reaching you, and the way has not been easy. Bandits, animals, more fair folk...and clearly you have no love for them. You may not like it, my lady, but there is little choice but to spend another night here - though we promise you shall spend it in greater comfort than before.
Nonchalantly, her cold-forged iron spear flits toward the tiny cage, menacing its occupant. As for you, best learn to hold your tongue; else, you yourself may learn a thing or two about being pierced with frost metal. Answer my friend's questions - she is more inclined to kindness than I.
Lady Argentea is taken aback by Freyja's harsh words, "What have you..." before things could escalate, Arvanya and Evelina are able to intercede and the Lady is visibly more calm, sighing and nodding to them. "You are right, I'm sorry... I assumed something that wasn't right. I'm grateful for your rescue, I just thought that you were sent by my father, bounded by fealty and not solely by the good will of your hearts."
At Astrid's comment, the lady is sighs once more. "I believe you are correct..." she says as she looks outside through the window, "I was unconscious when they brought me here so I had no idea how far we are from the town you mentioned... Heldren, correct? I'd never ask you to foolishly bring be back there if this would actually put all of us in danger again..."
She still looks suspiciously to the fey. "But I still think you should cook this imp... I don't trust it..."
Vrixx, the sprite, curses a bit more before yelling at Blaze, "Why the hell should I know? You white-monkeys have s%!* for brains... let me out! Oh, I'll dance atop your cold bodies..."
"Don't think we should cook him." Evelina replies, somewhat jokingly. "You'd probably jus' get sick from eatin' something so bitter.". Giving the cage kick, not hard enough to do damage, but enough to give the creature a bit of a jolt, she remarks in the creature's direction, "But, maybe if you ain't gonna say nothin' useful...how 'bout you just shut it 'fore we start gettin' ideas from the lady."
Turning back to Lady Argentea and ignoring the fey once more, she comments, "Thanks for understanding. We took some beatin's on the way here...and It'll get awful cold out there once it get's dark. Here, I think there are some bedrooms. We can get you all set up...Nah, not that one..." she remarks, pointing towards the room where the sick men came from, "All the bandits in there were in a real bad state...an' we don't want you to catching anything..." Used to a variety of jobs where she had to serve people much wealthier than herself, she leads Lady Argentea to a bedroom and tries to make it as comfortable for her as possible. Turning to the others before she disappears into the room, she remarks, "I'm gonna try and get her set up in here...but if ya need me to come help fetch the others, jus' come grab me."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Freyja calms as well with the change of tone of Lady Argentea. My tone was too harsh as well Lady Argentea. For that I am sorry. I am from the north where we do not observe fealty. I fear I do not take it well when addressed as a servant. Let us put that behind us. There are things that needs be done to secure this place for tonight's stay. And we have men to retrieve before dark to fulfill our word. And as distasteful as you find this sprite, it is our only prisoner that is conscious and can talk to us. I propose that I take it upstairs alone and talk to it while the rest of you secure the lodge. Then we send a team out for those men.
I too am willing to for the men we left outside. And thanks to some timely healing I am less wounded that you Blaze. I say Astrid and I should go. And Astrid you should wear that yeti fur.
[ooc]Sorry, but I am not sure that we have identified or if we have even detected magic on all we have found. I recall some elven make boots that I would like to cast Detect Magic on.
Removing the blanked from the cage Frejya sits calmly and retards the sprite. No amount of ranting or threats shall gain you your release. If you continue at such behavior I shall cover you up again and leave you til morning. I did not put you into that cage so stop treating me like I did. Now tell me who did put you into the cage and why. And what all do you you know of the this place and why your kind is helping our enemy. Then you can tell me what you plan to do if I do choose to release you.
"I think little fey is tricky." Arvanya says carefully, pursing her lips in distaste at its repeated outbursts. "Friends do not call friends such things."
"If we are to stay a night in this place, we should prepare it as best we can. Block all doors except one, try to cover windows."
Arvanya sets to it, accepting help from anyone who would give it (except the tricky fey). She draws curtains closed, moves heavy furniture in front of the back doors.
"We should all sleep together in big room. Even Lady Argentea." she thinks aloud to Evelina. "Take turns on watch through night."
"I think little fey is tricky." Arvanya says carefully, pursing her lips in distaste at its repeated outbursts. "Friends do not call friends such things."
It was our enemy that caged it. I'd know why. Enemy of my enemy and all.
Blaze had already asked the creature why it had been caged and it had either refused to answer or did not know the reason. Before the bard disappears upstairs, she gently reminds her. "They cannot be restored to what they once were. No matter what it tellss you, it iss still our enemy and will seek out the witchess and inform about uss..."
She lets the words hang in the air a moment before adding. "Try the carrot if you must. But should you need the stick, you know where to find me."
With nothing left to do now that Freyja insisted on seeing to everything herself, Blaze turned her attention to securing the windows, starting with the one Arvanya broke.
At Freyja's advice, Astrid grabs the heavy white fur cloak, rubbing the fur between her fingers appraisingly. Freyja had claimed it to be magic, and Astrid's own examination confirmed it; wearing something enchanted without knowing precisely what the enchantment was would be a risk. But strange magic notwithstanding, it would be warm, certainly, and that wasn't likely to go amiss in the driving snow outside. Astrid had always found herself strangely resilient to the negative effects of winter, even the blustery Northern winters, but more protection wouldn't hurt. It should go to the Lady for the trip back, perhaps, or to the little magpie...but for now it may as well be put to use.
First, she makes sure her equipment is in order, keeping her greatsword stowed on her back in favor of the cold-forged iron spear remaining in hand. Checking to make sure everything is in its place, she shoulders her rucksack, then works the cloak's clasp open and sweeps it over the rest - white fur over all will make me harder to spot. Just before she opens the door to depart, she pulls the heavy hood of the cloak over her head and draws it close around her face, then turns back to ensure she hasn't forgotten anything. And when she turns back, it's abundantly clear to see the cloak's hood has - changed, somehow. Instead of featureless white fur, the hood now carries small horns rising from its crown...a ring of tiny teeth surrounding the hood edge, giving the impression of a roaring maw...and, perhaps worst of all, beady black eyes glaring from above Astrid's own with malice, rage...
In the fading light of the afternoon, the battle having run its course, Arvanya feels the day's exertions catching up to her. With Freyja busy questioning the tricky fey, she tries to get a fire going in the main hall. Then she sets down on the bear skin rug beside Auryel, only to feel herself nearly collapse from fatigue.
The flames cast their playful shadows across the large room, speaking mysteries that Arvanya cannot discern. She notices Astrid wrapping the white cloak around herself, her back to the room. The firelight continues its dance across her large frame.
She strokes the wolf's fur. Her eyes begin to droop.
An abominable yeti looms in the doorway. Arvanya jerks back, reaching for her bow. Then she realizes that it's only Astrid. A trick of the light, her own dreams bleeding over into reality? No, it's real.
"Is this another of your animal tricks?" she asks.
Trick? What trick? Astrid stares at Arvanya, her own hand unconsciously white-knuckled as she clenches her spear. Fair folk wiles, that the wolfling would turn now? But as her other hand strays under her cloak to trace the symbol of a sword across her chest, the hood's edge shifts forward; its new trim, lost in the trapper's peripheral vesion before, comes into sharp focus, and she starts slightly, perplexed.
No...no trick of mine... she answers belatedly, running a finger over the toothed edge. But there is magic to this cloak - Freyja and I both saw its traces. This is one of the enchantments, it would seem. Why, I cannot say...what does it look like?
When Arvanya mentions staying in one room, Evelina can't help but remember the time she was working at an inn and a noblewoman's two daughters threw temper tantrums and refused to stay there. Still, she knew Arvanya was right. It wasn't safe for someone to be alone. She's been understanding so far...maybe those girls were just brats.. Turning to Lady Argentea, she asks, "Whadaya think? Vanya's probably right 'bout it bein' safer together. That gonna be okay?"
As she gets things ready, she takes a moment to talk to Arvanya. "Oh. Hey Vanya!" she shouts as she waves her over. "I have an answer to your question! So, knockin' the head off a skeleton does seem to finish it right off...but um...then they explode...so uh, watch out for that. Truth is stranger than fiction, ain't it?"
---
Evelina circles around Astrid a few times before scratching her forehead. "Its all white and furry and kinda fanged...an' when the hood's up it makes you look sorta...I dunno scary? Like more so than usual." Evelina cuts herself off suddenly, realizing that was probably ruder than she meant it to be. "Um, I mean...The teeth are very sharp...um...I'm gonna go...uh help Blaze with the windows..."
While Freyja moves upstairs to try once more her luck with the fey creature, Blaze and Arvanya work on securing the lodge, dragging furniture whenever possible to cover the windows, using sheets otherwise. It takes them about half an hour to do so. The lady frowns a bit at the prospective of sleeping one more night on the floors but it takes Evelina just a couple words to persuade the lady that this was the safest thing to do. With a sigh, she sits on the long bench of the big room before asking, "So... any of you know how to cook? I must confess that I'm starving!"
Despite Freyja's best attempts, she isn't able to get almost any information from the sprite, just that 'Rokhar trapped him', before it goes back to promise increasingly horrifying tortures it expects its friends to inflict upon her.
Once she is done with the wicked fey, Freyja goes back downstairs where Astrid is awaiting for them to look for the bandits, making experiments with the white furred cloak. Once the doors are opened, you soon remember about how cold it is outside... unnaturally cold.
Blaze comes back into the room to see what everyone is talking about. She gives an appraising nod to Astrid's appearance in the white fur cloak. Quite used to the reflection of her own glowing yellow eyes, she found the effect more impressive than frightening. "I think it suitss you. Anything to crosss your path will think twice before troubling you. Be careful, both of you. The man spoke of fey alliess nearby, I doubt he meant only thiss foulmouthed thing in the cage. Remember to avoid the trap he spoke of too."
Once done securing the place, she and Evelina manage to pull a mattress out of one of the bedrooms, making sure it's not one of the ones from the sick room to help make the Lady more comfortable. "You will need your rest, m'lady. Tomorrow we will begin a very trying journey." She smiles and ducks her head, hoping the Lady is not too offput by her infernal features.
With a sigh, she sits on the long bench of the big room before asking, "So... any of you know how to cook? I must confess that I'm starving!"
"I cannot claim much skill at cooking. But I can promise, it will be hot!" And with that she goes to inspect the kitchen to see what is available to eat.
A blast of cold air invades the hall, threatening the meager fire that has just begun to warm the room. "Do you really think is safe?" Arvanya asks Astrid and Freyja. "Foul magic in air. We can smell, yes? What if you are attacked?"
Freyja comes back down stairs carrying a covered cage and wearing look of disgust. As this one was our only only conscious prisoner I had hoped to learn something useful about our safety here, or lack there of from it. Alas I yield. No amount of sweet talk or promises of future release can pry even a useful word from this raving thing. I leave it here with you. Perhaps threats of fire will work better than kind words.
I do not think it safe but we did promise those men and I am not as wounded as some of you. If we had healing I would gladly give up my place to another.
Astrid opens the door of the lodge enough to allow her and Freyja to pass through, though the wind playfully tries to tug it further. But as swirls of snow eddy around Astrid's feet, her face exposed to what had earlier been numbing cold...it feels like walking into a cool cellar on a hot summer day. The cold is still there, she can tell - but it feels almost refreshing now, almost inviting.
Worry not...we can take care of ourselves, Astrid replies over her shoulder to Arvanya's question as she begins to step outside. And it's warmed up quite a bit out here, actually - But Astrid's words stop short as she spies the blood pools left on the porch by their fallen foes...or, at least, what used to be pools. Now, though they'd been steaming only a half-hour or so before, the gore is frozen solid, and the churned-up slush of the melee is frozen into stiff, hard peaks that support Astrid's weight as she steps on them. Nothing but extreme cold could have re-frozen everything so fast...
It...it is warmer, yes? she asks quizzically. And then she looks down at the cloak again, watching as snowflakes land on the tips of the fur - and melt almost instantly, though her body heat is muffled beneath several layers of cloth and hide. Or...is it another one of this cloak's enchantments? It feels like a summer evening out here to me! If it is an enchantment...it's a damn useful one.
Eager to keep Lady Argentea happy and further befriend Blaze, Evelina quickly volunteers to help with the cooking. "Ooh! Here let me help! I used to work in a kitchen!" As she moves around the dining area looking for any kind of pots and pans that might be of use, she continues to ramble on. "Far as jobs went, I actually didn't mind it. It was fast paced an' I didn't have to worry about not having food to eat. I only worked there for 'bout two weeks, though...then I...uh...well I got fired... It was totally unfair too." Muttering under her breath, she adds, " I mean, the fire wasn't THAT big...."
However, despite her questionable past experience and the fact that she spends more time talking than actually cooking, Evelina still just about manages to help Blaze more than she hinders her.
Before Astrid and Freyja left, she asked, "Should we do anything about the bodiess? Something to prevent them from being animated again?"
Blaze found herself smiling much more than she ever remembered doing so in the past. It was both surprising and refreshing that these women not only tolerated her company, but some even seemed to seek it. Evelina's lighthearted conversation did much to distract her from the pain of her wounds.
Once they had taken care of the Lady's needs, she turned her attention to the sprite. She positioned the creature's cage so that it had a prime view of it's captor, the bound and helpless Rokhar.
"You should be aware of your optionss, blighted-one. We can both do better or worse than leaving you in that cage. In truth, we will want you out of it, one way or another. We have captured and released one of your kind already. I even have some of the little weaponss to prove it, you see?" She pulls the little bow and arrows and tiny rapier from her pocket to show the fey before going on. "That man will wake eventually, and we will ask our questionss of him. But he is too dangerouss to be allowed to live. But if you give uss the answerss we want before he wakess... we could put you both in the basement. Let you out of that cage and give you these. You could take your revenge with your own handss and when your kind come, they would free you... once we are long gone, of course."
Blaze smiles and then removes a hardtack biscuit from her pack and breaks a corner off it and holds it in the palm of her hand. She then gathers power, pulling the spark of heat from the environment into her and activates her defensive ability. Her flesh becomes searingly hot and the piece of biscuit in her hand begins to blacken and smoke until it crumples into ash. "But if you do not have answerss for uss, thiss is all your friendss will find when they arrive." She blows the ash into the stubborn fey's face to further drive home her point.
Astrid and Freyja leave the warmth of the lodge behind and quickly hustle through the snowy trail towards the point they left the bandits, taking care to once more avoid the trap near the entrance of the clearing were the lodge was built. The sun was already hiding among the mountains and by the time they reach the man, it is already dusk. Astrid isn't able to see as good as Freyja in the dark , but with the wind against you, her scent gives her an obvious edge.
When you arrive at the spot, with Freyja guiding the way, Astrid sniffs two distinctive smell... blood (stronger that it was expected), and also a strong swine smell (a wild boar). Freyja is actually able to see something big that is apparently feasting on the tied men.
Lady Argentea is pleased and surprised by the quality of the food Blaze and Evelina are able to provide her. Blaze found a hare already skinned in the kitchen, probably a work in progress of the previous cook, and soon was able to fetch a couple vegetables, chilies, mushrooms, and some unknown/unlabeled spice powders to produce an incredibly tasty stew. The lady eats more than one bow with a smile in her face, "This is delicious! I must insist for you to give my servants this recipe! It reminds me of a Qadiran dish... one of the only good memories I have from that kingdom."
The lady finishes her meal and gets ready to rest, but since the others have not arrived back yet, she seems a little apprehensive. "So... if I understood correctly, you were sent here to rescue me... is your mission also get rid of these ice-fey?... I have not heard or seen too much during my captivity but one thing I'm pretty sure is that their leader, Teb Knotten, is quite powerful..." she then points to the still unconscious prisoners, "...that bastard is dangerous but even he feared this Teb."
Meanwhile, Blaze tries once more to get some answers from the bad-mouthed fey. Blaze notices an evil grim on the fey's face as she describes the possibility of leaving it locked with the man in the basement, but the smile quickly disappears, almost as if it had remembered something. It is clearly terrified by Blaze's show with the biscuit and its glow even diminish but the fey doesn't talk. Perhaps it fears something more than his own death... "Do as you please, white-monkey... the image of you all impaled on the frozen trees of this forest is enough for me..."