"Perhaps you would rather have all the Orcs back that Murlsan slain?" Is all Markas could get out before being locked into a grappling match.
With the surprise of being thrown and only half heartedly wanting to hurt his comrade, Markas failed miserably with his return attack.
Darcy raises an eyebrow and stops consuming her meal at Louis's odd laughing and behavior. Louis meekly smiles back and then feigns looking about the area with disinterest at realizing he had actually given voice to some of those thoughts and chuckles. While finishing her meal she gathered dry grass from beneath the shelter of the canvas' and formed it into a tinder bundle. Out of practiced habbit she placed the fuel for a future fire into the coin purse at her waist after tying all of the previously used ribbons about it. She filled both her waterskin and Louis's with the rain runoff overhead and was soon ready to go. She stopped both Louis and herself before they stepped out into the rain. "I have a few rain hats and traveling cloaks, might make this rescue effort more bearable. Don't mind the arrow holes in them, their previous owners no longer have a need for them." From that same coinpurse around her waist she retrieved two brown traveling cloaks, a dark green hooded rain hat and a deep purple archers hat with a long narrow ivory colored feather tied to the hatband. The seasoned fighter took the green hat and handed Louis the fanciful purple one. "I can't possibly lose you with that thing, and foes can't possibly miss you. Thanks for agreeing to come with and stop arrows for me again." Darcy smiled as she kidded Louis, the burn scars on the side of her head and face made the gesture difficult and a bit unsettling. Louis got the feeling that she didn't smile much because of it.
Timerious grabs hold of the larger Markas who was caught unaware by the unexpected assault. Timerious's face has turned as red as his right arm and his wide crazed eyes are full of fury and hatred towards the evil cleric.
"Why do you consort with these beasts?" Timerious yells while attempting to pummel Markas.
"Because they do Petra's bidding!" Markas yelled back as he dodged Timerious' punch and fired back with one of his own.
Markas manages to shove Timerious off of him briefly and he scrambles quickly up from the ground. Markas notices a couple of potatoes have spilt from his pack and tumbled across the rainy ground in his rush to get out of the compromising position. In an instant his foe is upon him once again, the fight not yet finished!
Preferring melee combat to rolling in the mud Markas feigned a take down and instead fired off an uppercut.
Louis heads out with Darcy in the rain, he looks forward to the adventure, feeling a bit like his old self again. And fairly clueless that he's doing a poor job of tracking
Both combatants angrily separate and begin to trade punches. Markas clocks the furious Timerious solidly as they come apart, the fighter takes the hit and ...
Timerious was peeved when he tried to throw him and it didn't work. It's gonna be a free for all!!! Punches flying!! "You're a human! Act like one Markas!"
Louis and Darcy set out in the rain and spend a short while looking about in the direction that Timerious had lead Markas. Louis is the first to spot their path and he takes the lead in pursuit of the missing men. The rain becomes heavier for a spell but the two closely follow the wanderings of the two missing fighters for an hour. "They must have gotten lost, they've covered little actual ground. Their path meanders in no particular direction." Darcy mentions as she removes the bow from her shoulder while crouched in the middle of the prairie along with Louis. Twenty minutes later she stops her travel, her keen eyes having spotted something that is amiss. Within a few moment's Louis sees the same thing that has stopped Darcy, his hand moves to the handle of his sword. Several barely visible older sets of smaller human-like bare feet that had headed in the direction Markas and Timerious seemed to be traveling. Perhaps Timerious and Markas were following them?
Louis has an idea he shares with Darcy Perhaps it would be best if I were to go out ahead as if I were alone, while tracking Markas and Timerious. If there iz an ambush ahead, or if our enemies circle around behind me... They will fall into your sights, no? What do you think Darcy? Louis turns and looks out into rain
"Look to the edge of the sky Louis. There is an hour or so of light left before these rainy skies bring the night down upon us. Whatever ambush you worry over would have been blundered into by the two we trail at least twenty or thirty minutes ago. We either fall back to camp and find them in the morning or we double time it to catch up with them and pray to Djaea that her blessings are with us and we find something to use as shelter to wait out the night." Darcy responded to Louis's thoughts with her interpretation of what they were looking at on the trail.
After clocking Markas solidly, Timerious quickly follows up the impact by trying to bring his armored elbow back into the cleric's face in rapid fashion. With an angry snarl the fighter viscously lashes out at wicked man who defied the hallowed teachings of Halav!
Timerious misses with his attempt.
Markas responds with an attempt of his own to hit Timerious after getting smacked once by the fighter.
The cleric of Petra also misses.
I will not draw my weapon in combat against my comrade, thought Markas. If I should fall it will be Petra's will.
I would like to continue to search for them... They seem to be lost and going in circles. But that is just my wishes, the others back at camp may be concerned if we don't return by night. What do you wish to do? Louis asked Darcy about Timonius and Markas. Other's opinions in dangerous situations is new to Louis but it seems wiser to know where support lies
Markas hits Timerious solidly for a second time, his feral foe snarls and responds to his attack in an instant.
Timerious catches Markas flush with the swing of his fist.
"I don't want to hurt you but it seems that might is the only thing you understand."
Timerious thunders in a booming voice. "I feel stro-o-o-o-ong! The glory of Halav fills ME!! Might you say? Then feel the might of Halav!"
"The seer is too ill to travel and is recovering back at camp. Her daughter has expended her magics and health this day to your benefit, leaving her bedridden until she can rest soundly. We've left Brion, Erik, and Latovius to tend to their needs and keep watch through the night if we rush off after Markas and Timerious." Darcy spoke matter of factly. "Markas is a good man and we'd be worse off if he passed on. The mad man could redeem or damn himself in time, truthfully I care little for his fate. With the greater good at stake for more then just two people I ask of you. Could you handle the meeting with Murlsan's kin about whatever deal was struck for his rescue or do we need Markas for that?"
Markas swings and badly throws himself off balance with a poorly timed swing at Timerious. The mad man he was locked in battle with works himself up into more of a fervor and just misses Markas with a strong left hook. Markas detected that Timerious was beginning to breathe very heavily. This fight and pushing himself so hard after barely having gotten over a horrible stomach ailment must be taking a toll on his foe.
Timerious manages a last bit of waning strength and with his dwindling anger he just misses smashing his left fist into Markas's face. After doing so he suddenly feels very winded and he begins to gasp for air. The blinding hatred and anger towards the man standing across from him was gone for the moment.
Getting sloppy with my attacks I need to end this now thought Markas.
Noticing that Timerious was starting to labor, the cleric of Petra lined up his shot and fired off a punch to his weakened opponent.
Markas hits Timerious solidly for a third time, upon impact Timerious crumples to the ground and does not get up. The cleric risks drawing a quick breath and flexing his hand while keeping a wary eye on Timerious. "Whooo hooo! The big one did it!" From nearby a male child like voice cries out a few moments later when Timerious remains on the ground. "Shucks, I thought that red was going to take him." A different voice responds to the other one. "Well that's that. You owe all of us! Pay up!" a third young sounding voice quickly piped in. "Hey, I think we know that big guy!" A fourth voice called loudly. "No kidding Darso! Your a genius! A regular old sorcerer this one is going to be some day." The first voice reprimanded the fourth voice.
Markas watches as four young halfling lads soon hurry excitedly towards him from the grasses and low brush, they had gone unnoticed by the cleric and possibly by Timerious. The boys all had packs and bed rolls along with traveling cloaks that kept them mostly dry in the rain that was still coming down. None seemed to have any weapons short of some traveling staffs. "Hey, why were you guys fighting?" One of the lads asked, he was quickly shoved in the back by another. "Hey, you haven't paid up! You going to welch?" The one who had apparently lost whatever wager had been placed on the outcome of the fight between Markas and Timerious sheepishly tossed a small leather coin purse sized bag to the others as he approached Timerious's body. The loss of the bet didn't seem to phase the young boy very much or for very long, he quickly looked up with excitment on his face and he immediately asked of Markas. "Is he dead? Can I have his sword? Please? I've always dreamed of having a giant sword!" A different boy ran up to Markas, "Why didn't you hit him with one of your weapons? Are they broken or something? They look all right to me. Can I have one? Please? You have soooo many and it would be sooo great if I had just one!"
Markas's big hand is a blur of motion and then Timerious's world goes black.
Hello young lads. I didn't realize we had an audience. Timerious is far from dead he should wake soon enough and would not appreciate me giving his sword away. So what brings you to these parts?
Oui Markas iz a key man, we should press on to find him. Quick time don't you think my dear Louis appreciates Darcy's overview to their situation and he realizes the importance of getting Marcus back with the group.
Markas recognizes the excitable boys as the halflings who had 'borrowed' some crossbows and bows from them earlier in their trip. One of the two boys near Markas picks his nose with the little finger of his left hand while he responds to the question asked of the boys. "Miller was digging under his auntie's porch, she hides things she comes across. I once found three coppers in the hole of a tree by her clothesline! Well, Miller over there," The boy pointed to a somewhat pudgy halfling with a buzz cut who was arguing with a blonde haired friend over who had dibs on what marbles they were pulling out of the leather bag between them. "He hears how his brother and his friend are planning on going out to the Miltree's old farm cuz there's a chest somewhere near their old pond. Only thing is Miller's brother has a date with Sharlane Dacharnz that same night so they are going to have to go the next day. So we told our parents that we're sleeping out at Miller's and he told his folks he's sleeping out at my house and we set out for the old farm. We are gonna get first dibs on that chest! I bet there's all sorts of neat stuff in there! What would you put in a chest if you had one? I'd put my favorite marble, my lucky white feather, a couple jars of water, and some of my mom's triple berry jam." The boy smiled and nodded affirmative to Markas that that's what he'd do with a chest if he owned one.
The sound of metal slamming onto metal suddenly rings out startling Markas and the boy who had been talking to him. The two quickly look about and see the cause of the ongoing commotion, and the commotion does indeed continue! The other three halflings who were left unattended for all of a minute or two are now taking turns hammering on the banded armor covered chest of the prone Timerious with a pair of light hammers and a silver mace! The three are laughing uncontrollably and really working themselves up as they continue to make music by hitting the banded mail, and Timerious inside of it, repeatedly. "Look he doesn't even feel it!" "He sounds like my mom's wash tub!" "That's some really good armor! I wonder why he's half red?" Timerious starts to show signs of beginning to stir with this jostling when a wayward swing of the silver mace glances off of his chest and skips upward into his face sending him back into a slumber. "Oh s~*~! That, that, that.... that was an accident! I swear it! On my mother's good name, I didn't mean to do that!" "Nice going Darso!"
Timerious feels himself being jostled over and over again. It feels distant somehow but urgent and the darkness surrounding Timerious begins to lessen and he begins to stir while he continues to be jostled. He raises his head ever so slightly and his eyes part just for a moment before his world again goes black.
[ooc] Before posting my action, is that Markas's silver mace? [ooc]
"Leave him alone!" yelled Markas angrily as he swatted as the youths.
"Leave him alone!" Markas yells at the boys as if they were irritating horseflies swatting at them as he quickly moved forward toward the man he had been hitting upside the head not but a couple of minutes ago. His size, tone, swinging of his hands, the fact that he just pummeled a man into the ground, or a myriad of other things he hadn't considered must have scared the young men as he heard frightened squeals and cries of worry at his sudden outburst and approach. The boys took off running in an instant, scattering across the prairie as if they were hares chased by a fox. With silence and calm settling in around him Markas looked downward. The still body and bleeding face of Timerious' rested beneath him. With the rain coming down Markas wondered to himself what the heck had just transpired over the last five minutes...
Faced with an unenviable set of choices. Curing Timerious could add another foe but it also could add another defender if the Halflings grew brave. Markas used Petra's Healing Touch on Timerious.
After casting the spell Markas surveyed his belongings as the silver mace the halfling had looked much like Markas' own. Does he notice any missing items?
Markas reaches out and places his hand upon the body of Timerious, expending his last healing spell of the day leaving him with no spells. A few of the very minor wounds to Timerious' face are mended but little else appears to have been healed. Timerious does not open his eyes and remains still upon the ground where he was. Markas stood and kept a wary eye out for the halfling boys, his silver mace was no longer in his possession. For several minutes there is no activity and Markas considers dragging Timerious to one of the clusters of trees on either of the nearby hills to try and get out of the rain before figuring out how to make it through the night. Markas hears a disturbance from the direction he and Timerious had come from, moments later running into his view was Darcy. The archer spotted Markas at about the same moment and she hastily covered the ground between them. Her leather armor was covered in a rain cloak and a green rain hat kept the light rain out of her face. The burn scarred woman huffed while trying to catch her breath, "What happened here? Louis is following behind."
Four or five minutes go by and Darcy catches her breath, soon the rattle of armor and metal is heard from the direction that Darcy had come. Louis emerges and shuffles his way towards you. The fighter has a similar rain cloak but wears a sopping wet archers hat with some sort of drowned grey or white feather hanging down from the side of the headpiece. He gulps air in and does not look well at having had to exert himself beyond his limits to reach Markas.
Darcy tips her head and hat forward to drain the rain that had pooled and rises from their quiet conversation. "Try your best to keep pace then, eyes open." She asks of Louis before she launches into an all out run. The lightly armored archer's skill in this land amazed Louis, after five minutes Louis was no longer able to occasionally look up to try and keep Darcy in view ahead of him. Instead he was running with all he could muster and was forced to keep his eyes focused at most four or five steps ahead to avoid falling. Lucky for Louis their pace didn't allow Darcy to try and cover or avoid making tracks so Louis always had a trail to follow even though she was out of his sight. Becoming winded after ten to fifteen minutes Louis is forced to walk and attempt to recover his breath before running ahead for another couple of minutes. The run and walk he found himself suffering through eventually came to an end when in a small area between two hillsides with patchy tree cover on them he caught sight of Darcy, Markas but no Timerious.
Louis takes a knee and tries to catch his breath Where... What... Happened? Puff puff! the fighter attempts to find out what's going on.
Markas was extremely thankful to see his two comrades. Praise Petra thought the cleric.
"It is good to see you friends. Petra truly provides. Before I tell my tale be wary of a band of halfling thieves. They struck again adding insult to injury." Markas paused briefly shivering from the cold and rain. "In my continued folly I accompanied Timerious in hopes of talking sense into the madman. For my efforts I was attacked but Timerious never took out his weapon so perhaps that is a good sign. After fighting for awhile I was able to best him and that is when the Halflings engaged us and robbed me of my silver mace and likely some of Timerious' goods. Then as a final insult the halflings hit the fallen fighter causing more injury, even more than Petra's healing touch could recover and alas I am out of spells until I pray. How far are we from the others? We were lost." Still angry from the second robbery Markas added, "what is the penalty in this area for thievery?
"The penalty is the same as being a traitor. Crush his skull or slit his throat and be done with the threat. If you are feeling merciful take his sword and bind his hands and become responsible for him until he can be locked away from society." Darcy held her bow and looked about at the tracks near where they stood. "Three or four on one? No bloodshed? If they were thieves of any skill you'd be a corpse lying next to another corpse out here in the middle of nowhere." Darcy straightened her back after having evaluated for herself Markas's story and the signs around where they stood. She looked concerned about how rapidly nightfall was approaching to bring about a close to this rainy day. "Well, standing out here in the rain with nightfall fast approaching is foolish. Louis, check the trees to the left and I shall see to the ones on the right up ahead. Whichever will afford us the most shelter from the rain will be where we hold up for the night. It shall be a cold and miserable affair but we accepted that when we came to fetch you cleric. From now until we parlay with Murlsan's kin you will stay at Louis's side. He tells me that you are the only person to sway those talks in the favor of more protection for those living outside of Melinir's walls."
Louis finds that the grove of trees he was poking about should provide some amount of shelter and goes about throwing up a lean-to after calling to the others to join him. The others soon are in the small grove of trees and with darkness closing around them the rough frame of a shelter starts to take place. Darcy pulls four large wooden tower shields with primitive and gory motifs painted upon their protective surfaces from the purse at her waist(all have a few to several arrow sized holes punched through them). In little time the shelter has a make shift roof and is covered in debris to lessen the rain coming through the holes. "Took these from a gnoll war party about six months back. Thought they'd be interesting and worth a few coins especially if they were hung on some tavern or keep's wall, never thought of using them for a roof but I'm out of supplies and we are out of time. I've a couple warm blankets and winter clothing for a woman along with a bit of tinder but that's a lost cause tonight. We huddle up for the night and set out as early as possible."
Markas pulled Timerious under the makeshift shelter and made sure he was still breathing. Another challenge lies ahead as the night shall be challenging. Thank you Petra for another lesson.
Louis accepted the decision of Markas concerning the fate of Timerious while he kept himself busy with the shelter. He even assisted Markas in getting the crazed man mostly under the minimal shelter they were able to cobble together. When that was done Louis nestled in close to Darcy both for warmth and that it was the more appealing option to sharing body heat with Markas.
Overall the evening was indeed long and miserable for all huddled under the four leaky shields as the rain continued through the night. Markas checked on Timerious occasionally through the night, there was little else to do to pass the time and sleep was near impossible. Though Timerious breathed, he remained unconscious and he began to shake with the chills violently from the middle of the night onward.
As soon as the darkness began to lighten the three moved out from under the temporary shelter with Darcy returning her items that were used to her belt purse. Markas carried the body of Timerious over his shoulder on their return to the other camp as there was no other option available to them. For almost an hour and a half the three walked across the prairie under a light rain and lightening grey skies. Most of their tracks from the day before had been washed away but enough remained for Louis and Darcy to get them back to the other camp. As they arrived they were greeted by everyone, all appeared much better rested and chipper then the four who had gotten lost and spent a long rainy night in the woods. Brion and Latovious had been getting ready to search for you, since that was no longer needed they inquired about what had happened and kept you in the wilds overnight.
Markas tells the group about the skirmish with Timerious. His own feelings aside he holds back no information allowing the party to form their own opinions of the actions of Timerious. He also tells of the teen halfling thieves showing his anger a bit in the storytelling.
In the cold, damp, and drizzly morning Markas tells the others of what had transpired the afternoon and night before. Both Darcy and Louis learn more of the story as the others hear it for the first time. Louis pipes in at the point that Markas stops talking about the actions of Timerious and informs everyone that Markas has chosen to take responsibility for Timerious and that the man's hands are bound and he has no weapons. Erik speaks up after learning of the crazed man's actions. "He is your charge now Markas, may Petra aid you. On my honor he shall never set foot in Melinir ever again. The man's a danger as far as I'm concerned, just as likely to help an old lady across the street as to break her skull open with his bare hands." The nodding of more than one head in agreement tells Louis and Markas that Erik's thoughts are shared by many they travel with.
Gertie spoke up; her voice stronger than it has been in recent days. "The boy's anger and thoughts are unfocused; he's little more than a heated piece of metal in the hands of a smith. Find him someone that will forge him into his true potential or mercifully quench his flame for he can't be left to burn down everything." The old seer begins to lead the horse she had been riding away from the cover of the makeshift tent.
A full day of hard travel lies ahead of the group with the rain letting up by mid-morning. The travels are largely uneventful; Latovius finds the remains of a very old campfire in the early afternoon. Timerious remains out of it for the entire time, draped across the back of Darcy's horse. Louis, Darcy, and Markas are beyond exhausted when they finally stop in the late afternoon for the rest of the day. The three are forced to depend on the others of the group to handle the chores of setting up a camp for the night. As the group settles in for the evening Murlsan takes the banded armor that had belonged to Timerious and begins to pound out the dents. With dusk beginning to fall and with most of the group gathered around a very small campfire Timerious shows signs of stirring.
Timerious awakens; he is lying amongst the grasses of the prairie on his side. He feels the cool dampness of the earth through wet clothes and is already quite chilled. Throbbing waves of pain emanate from his head, face, neck, and chest. Pushing the pain aside he opens his eyes and sees that night will soon come and there is a small fire with figures seated beside it ten or so feet away. Timerious discovers that his hands are bound behind him as a few of those seated around the fire rise and make their way towards where he was resting.
Where am I? What happened? How did I get here? Upon seeing the figures walking towards him Timerious remembers the walk in the woods.
"Why am I bound? What say you Markas? First you question my god with your banter and then when we discuss it further I wake up from a nap and am tied up? What is the meaning of this?"
"Timerious do you not recall attacking me? That is most troublesome. We fought for quite some time and I was hopeful it was just a difference of opinion as you never drew your blade. Now the others trust you even less and have put you in my charge." Markas continued to tell the tale of the battle and the halfling thieves. "I would like to release you from your bonds. Can you give me your word that you will not attack us? Gertie has faith in you that your fate is important to the cause and that is good enough for me? I worry that I am not strong enough to fend off an attack on you should you turn."
"Before coming to the Black Knight's keep we had stopped at Hawk's Hill and before we arrived there our wagon had some of it's good stolen. Your uncle and I tracked down the missing goods that were lifted and the thieves were a band of teen halflings. Those same halflings were watching us grapple and when you were knocked out they distracted me and stole my silver mace and I fear a couple of your weapons. One of the little buggers then hit you in the face with my mace. It was then that I remembered them and I chased them off to prevent you any further damage and used Petra's healing touch to help with some of your wounds. I am sorry that I didn't remember them before it was too late."
Timerious' face is pointed downward. "I remember now. I remember how it started."
Timerious turns his head up and looks in their eyes. "I just remember doing what they told me. Release me Markas."