"It is indeed. I can't place the source without better tools... but it looks fresh. No more than an hour."
"I was going to suggest we rest soon, but perhaps we should continue on? Which way?"
Roland sighs wearily and rubs the back of his neck in exhaustion, "Fine. Grab one of mine who's not busy and test the newcomers. If they're clean, put them with Atterleigh and give them some time to recover. We'll sit down with everyone later try to figure out something to do with them."
Once inside they stay together in a tight group, speaking little unless asked (tense, and scared, but relieved to be in a place that they obviously perceive as safer than the forest in general). You do find out their names - as well as Hjeusander, a little more defiant than the other two, you have Lucia and Peitre - a young mother and her daughter, respectively.
Kleis is the female human, Ornsritch is the male halfling, Garradeer is the male elf, and Tandus is the female half-orc.
The newcomers are...
Hjeusander, the woman with the ruined bow,
Lucia, the young mother, and
Peitre, the mother's young and rather androgynous daughter.
”We follow the bulk of the people, across that bridge over there, I guess.”
Silas nods, checks his crossbow and starts to lead the way - carefully.
"Let's get some food into them." Caveth says to Roland. "They're probably hungry and it's likely to get them talking to us."
He sorts through his gear and comes up with a few hard biscuits, an assortment of roasted nuts in a little burlap sack and a handful of dried apricots. Unsure of just how much longer the stay at the river gate will be, he decides it would be wise to ask Milani to restore the spoiled food he'd collected from the logging site the next day. It won't amount to much but every little bit will help stretch whatever supplies are available.
Approaching the trio, Caveth smiles. "Good evening ladies, I am Caveth Itxaro, representative and agent for the Hawcroft Logging company although if you're looking to purchase or sell lumber, Mr. Atterleigh is actually the man to talk to." He motions to the older man in the expensive, albeit ruined, suit and chuckles. Offering the food, he continues, "I thought you might be hungry after such a long walk from, eh..." The half elf trails off and he looks to the women. His demeanor is entirely unthreatening as he pauses but it is clear he hopes one of them will pick up the story.
'We came from the Trisk camp, by carriage. We didn't have a choice but to leave - they weren't going to last, and I have people I need to protect. There are others out there, too - if they made it as far as us. I didn't see many others with carriages.' Hjeusander accepts the food with a nod of thanks, passing it out to the mother and child and leaving nothing for herself. She'll refuse if you offer her any more - she says that she's not hungry.
Roland sits on the ground (or chair, whatever's available) across from the group huddled together, making no effort to make them feel boxed in, but ensuring that he can speak clearly to them and hear their responses.
"My name is Roland. Around us you'll see Kleis, Tandus, Ornsritch, and Garradeer. We've held these gates for several days on our own. With Caveth and Atterleigh blostering our ranks, we're stronger than ever. I just want you to understand that you're as safe here as anywhere at the moment."
Roland pauses to see if their posture changes at all, indications of relaxation or anything that might indicate a friendlier demeanor before continuing. "We intend to ensure that this place remains safe, but we need to know what caused you to flee, who else, how many others are out there, and what, if anything, may be following you. And speaking of remaining safe, Garradeer, would you mind hooking Hjeusander up with a proper bow and string. It doesn't look like this one would be much use."
”We follow the bulk of the people, across that bridge over there, I guess.”
Harbek nods. "That's probably where we'll find answers. Good or bad."
He adjusts his backpack and loads his crossbow and follows Silas.
"Come on dog..." he calls, trying to draw the hounds attention from the blood.
'We were visiting a - well, a relative, but it isn't important. A lot of citizens think that the Trisk are backward, but they're more traditional than anything. And they offer help when it's needed.
About a day before ewe arrived they found a woman in the forest, wounded and delirious. She was a logger, and there's no love lost between the Trisk and Hawcroft. But still, they took her in.
It started the day we arrived - a meeting of the hunters to discuss the feeling of the camp, a change in some of their men and women. By the morning of the next day all hell had broken loose. They kept their best fighters inside the main camp and barricaded the entrances - they sent us away, have us fresh horses and told us to do the best we could to get home. They weren't expecting to last long.'
By the time you reach the mid-point you can see more signs of a struggle - crossbow bolts, patches of the same sticky blood and scuffs and gouges in the stone of the floor.
The dog, quiet until now, begins to growl.
"I'm no tactician, but it occurs to me that were I trying to find a place to defend, this would be it. This bridge forms a natural chokehold... chokepoint" Silas searches for the correct term "that the ability to tunnel through stone would not ameliorate."
"Yes, good tactics indeed. I just wish the dog could speak our language..."
With her flail in hand, Kay presses forward cautiously.
Silas starts to say something, then is suddenly quiet for a while.
"If we were to rest, this would be a good place to do so." he muses, picking up a crossbow bolt
You are now close enough to the gate at the other end of the stone walkway to see the damage to it - iron bars bent out of shape, rivets and bolts twisted. The gate, however, is intact - and there are torches burning in the room it blocks the way to.
"Looks like whatever came through here didn't get through the gate. Mr Toruun, do you care to hail the fort? Quietly if you please."
"I was thinking to do just that, Mr Bishop, but that I do not know, Mr Toruun if you could please do us the honour, the collective noun proper form of address for dwarves. We really don't want to have me inadvertently insulting them."
Roland leaned forward as he listened to the tale, "And? What was it? What happened?"
Harbek nods to the doctor, shrugs at Kay's comments. Then he cups his hands around his mouth and calls towards the gates, softly raising his voice.
" Ho! Any one there? "
'And we owe you our thanks, for taking us in. I don't know what's out there in the forests, but it's wrong. we were attacked, twice, by animals. Their faces were all... Well, they weren't natural, I know that much.'
She sighs and pulls a battered pouch of tobacco from the traveling bag at her hip, casting a look over her two companions to make sure that they're okay.
'Тихо себя, дурак! Они тебя услышат, и тогда мы все будем прокляты вместе!'
"The rest of the Hawcroft team should return from High Krandon soon. Until then, this is the safest place for you to remain. When Silas, Kay and Harbek get back, we can decide what to do next."
"What did they say?" whispers Silas.
" Shh "
Harbek moves up to the gate motioning for the others to follow. He tries to angle himself so he can see the speaker and then hisses back
" Мы пришли с миром, чтобы обмениваться информацией. Пожалуйста, дайте нам дюйма "
"I'm sure Mr Toruun has it well in hand. Best to do as he says and stay quiet.
'The gate will rise for a few seconds, and then it will shut. Now.'
The gate does indeed rise by about 3 feet with a scraping sound. The sound echoes around the huge pit, an oppressive echo in the half-dark.
Do you duck under the gate?
Silas slips under the gate like an eel.
Kay tilts her head slightly as she quickly walks under the gate.
"What is it? What's out there?"
Responding to Garadeer's alarm, Caveth hurriedly gains his feet and heads towards the north end of the compound. Prior to the watchman's cry he had been sitting at the small table, mending his cloak, which had suffered rather grievous damage in the explosion at the logging camp, using the needle and thread he always carried just in case. He cast the garment aside rather than fuss with the sewing supplies so he is already wet when he reaches the north wall and can look forward to getting wetter in the incessant rain that has followed them as surely as the plague.
"What is it? What do you see?" he calls, racing up the nearest stairs.
Harbek ducks under the gate as it begins to shut again beckoning to the hound to hurry.
He looks about for the dwarf manning the controls and whispers " What has happened here? "
Which stares back at you with piggish, unblinking eyes.
There are maybe forty of them, forty five at a push. The same swoop-eared creatures as the dead one stuck in your walls. They stand there, staring at you in the half-light, weapons drawn but not raised. Nyriskus - out in the open, in front of you.
After a few moments, one of them steps forward and raises a skinny arm towards you, palm open and upward-facing.
'Ne jemi këtu për të zhvilloj bisedime ... për sigurinë tonë,' it says loudly.
[b]'I... there aren't many of us left, and the Высший совет will be able to tell you better than I can. Just, stay quiet, okay? I'm risking enough here as it is. Come on, follow me.'
He walks you over to a stairwell and begins to ascend, beckoning for you to follow.
Silas looks at Harbek, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
Gripping her flail as an indication of nervousness, Kay ascends the stairs with the small group.
"I don't understand him," Caveth says under his breath to Garadeer beside him while doing his best to not looked alarmed by the sheer number of the creatures before them. The mythical goblins do not appear threatening at the moment but there are a lot of them, enough to cause real trouble if they set their minds to it.
He raises his voice and, in a wary yet jovial enough tone, calls out to the leader of the Nyriskus, "Do any of you speak the common tongue?"
.
" He's taking us to the Supreme Council " Harbek says to Silas and Kay. He nods to the dwarf and follows him up the stairs.
"Ah." Silas answers, and falls in behind Harbek, discretely throwing the catch on his crossbow.
"Should that calm our fears, or confirm them?
"I'm sorry, being quiet now, not talking at all any more."
" Everything will be fine... "