"My thanks, Sir Bein," Xarafine replies, smiling warmly. "These robes are supposed to be appropriate for all seasons." She shrugs, as if to say "guess not".
Sitting down, she gratefully accepts her plate of fish from Jack. "It is quite good, Jack. You understate your culinary skills."
After eating, you make your way back to the tracks Jack found and then follow them, working your way up towards the small copse of leatherleaf and oak trees which sit on the ridge overlooking the road and your campsite. Drawing close, you can't see any sign of whoever made the tracks until, when you are a mere 30 ft. away, a small figure wearing a rough torn tunic, suddenly breaks from the trees, running at full tilt away from you Southward.
"Wait, child! Do not run! We won't harm you!" Xarafine calls out.
"It's a child!"
Knowing he has no chances to catch the running child, Finnabar calls out loud in all the languages he knows.
"We don't mean harm to you. We are not the bandits you're hiding from. The woman right here is a kind priest and the knight and myself are sworn to protect the helpless. Come back and we'll provide you with any help we can."
At your shout the child stops and waits, huddled as you approach closer. She is in her early teens - perhaps 12 or 13 and is wearing a tunic that, although ripped and stained, looks well made and fashionable. Her hair is a uncontrolled blonde tangled mass which tumbles around her shoulders. She is barefoot and has a number of clear bruises on her face and arms.
The child's eyes dart between you nervously and she crouches in the grass, ready to run.
Bein reins in, Arundel flares his nostrils as the young knight keeps a distance from the child. He was more concerned that they're shouts would bring ill down upon them.
"He speaks true child by the honor of the Order of the sword and my grandfathers name I promise to protect the innocent. Now please decide our shouts may have drawn unwanted attention..."
Afraid to spook the girl further he kept his lance pointed upward and the pegasi pennent fluttering in the light breeze.
Xarafine approaches the child slowly, and in a smooth gentle motion, kneels down beside her.
She speaks to her in a soft, soothing voice.
"My name is Xarafine, child. This is Captain Finnabar d'Orlovzky, Sir Bein'Meleth Ramaloce, and Jack Ciarathan. We are here to help you, and I promise that none of us will harm you."
She reaches out slowly and places her hand on the child's shoulder. She whispers a prayer to Blessed Viarda to remove her pain and fear.
Jack stands back and waits for Xarafine to finish her work. He stays on the alert for any other trouble around them. He was surprised the tracks were that of a child's after all, and does not like the idea of whatever circumstances led to her being alone and wounded out in this area. Perhaps simply she was with trappers who got lost in the storm, maybe the horses they saw earlier.
Taking his cloak of his shoulders, Finnabar offers it to the shivering child.
"Here, take that. You must be cold and hungry alone out there. We should have some warm food left near the fire. If you want, you can join us over there."
Bein dismounts and makes his way slowly over with Arundel. "If your tired Arundel here can carry you. He won't bite."
Xarafine takes the cloak from Finnabar and drapes it over the girl's shoulders.
"Come with us, child. We will get you somewhere safe."
She tries to read the girl's facial expressions for signs of trust, fear, anxiety or the like.
Xerafine approaches the girl who, at first shrinks back, but then settles down as Xerafine's magic takes effect, though her eyes still dart nervously between you.
She huddles close against Xerafine's side as you return slowly to camp and, once you arrive and hand her a plate of food, she hunches over it, eating wordlessly, seeming slowly to wake and gain some confidence. After finishing she holds the empty plate nervously, seeming not to know what to do with it... "Thank you teacher." she says in a whisper. Then she looks up and suddenly seems to be overwhelmed by a wave of repressed emotion, crying and gasping out between sobs "They killed my father and my mother. They took us, Aranea and I. They said we were for "The Stag". There,.. there was a storm and we got away. They got Arenea. She said to run and hide and I just,.. I just ran. They've still got her. Please. Please you've got to help her. Please help her."
Standing straight at the mention of a murder and kidnapping, Finnabar fires out a quick string of questions. "Is Aranea your sister? How long ago was that? And do you know where it happened or the direction you came from?"
Raising a hand to rein himself in, he goes on in a more sedate voice. "Sorry about that, child. Can you tell us your name? I know it is difficult for you but we need all the information you can give us if we want to save Aranea. Take your time to answer and tell us all you can remember on where and when everything happened ."
Xarafine keeps an arm around the frightened girl, and gently strokes her hair with her other hand.
"I know you are tired and frightened, child. Please answer the Captain's questions, if you can. The more we know about the men who took Aranea, the better we can plan for her rescue. Then, you can rest in my tent, and we will guard your sleep."
Bein starts strapping on his armor, each strap pulled tight with deliberate intent. All he cared to here was which direction they had taken the girls sister. The tragedy would be avenged, the men who had her sister would face his sword and pay for their villainy.
Jack's face darkened as he heard of the child's circumstances, and regretted that they had taken the time to eat before seeking this girl out. He had truly thought it would be impossible for a child to be out here, but he chided himself silently for making such assumptions.
The dark seed in his heart, his hatred for bandits, grew--they never stopped to stealing goods, they stole dignity and lives, and at the moment Jack felt he would never rest again until his arrows pierced the Stag's heart, and all the fools and fiends who followed him.
He knew little of how to deal with children, but Bein's course of action he could follow easily enough. He had not yet removed his leathers for the evening, but he checked their straps, and retrieved his bow.
He looks at Bein. "The horses have traveled long and hard today, and need time to graze and rest, although you may judge if Arundel is sound. But we need to find this girl, and end these scum. They cannot be too far from here."
Bein looked to Arundel, who merely returned his gaze with it's unhorse like impatience. Arundel whickered as Bein finished pulling on the last of his armor. He looked to Jack then a grim look on his young face. "The storm has only abated for several hours now, travel has been tough even in the best areas. Arundel is strong enough for us to do some scouting and fighting if need be. In which direction does this Stag Lord's fort lie? As it would be the only direction the bandits would take and the most direct route if they have a prisoner. Hopefully she slows them down enough for us to overtake them..."
The girl continues sobbing loudly, her small body wracked by convulsions of emotions. "Aranea's my older sister sir. We were on our way south to Pitax for her wedding and they,.. they came from nowhere. They killed the guards and mother and father. They even killed Scout, my dog. They only took Aranea and I. I'm Minara. Minara Kelsein. It was on the Pitax Road. Just after we left the fort - the one run by the man Oleg and his wife. There were five of them and they just,.. they just killed everyone. In the storm two days ago we managed to get away, but they got Aranea. I've been hiding since then. I wanted to follow but I just couldn't. I was scared. I just hid. Please. You have to help her!"
The Kelsein's are very minor nobles from Restov.
"What did they look like? Can you describe them, or remember if any was mentioned by name?"
Xarafine continues to hold the girl, slightly rocking, as she does.
Jack looked up at the group. "Theirs must have been the horse tracks we found, while we were seeking to obliterate the birdlings."
If we had followed them, rather than a path of destruction, we might have protected them. He adds silently. But they did not know.
"I don't think so Jack, the route to Pitax is the one on the left of your map. () The tracks we found must have been the bandit's carrying both girls, though."
Looking at the sky, the back at the frightened girl, Finnabar asks his last questions. "When you last saw them, were they following the river down on this bank?"
Then looking at his companions, he proposes. "We'll have to go fast if we want to catch them before they reach the fort. If the night is clear enough to ride, I propose we stop here only for half the night to let the horses rest and to be able to ride before the sun rises. What do you think?"
"If you're right, that makes me feel even worse about not following the horse trail when we found it. Either way, I knew we should have paid it more heed."
"We must have something of a plan before we move on them. We know that the bandits utilize lookouts, as we saw with the first camp. They will no doubt do the same at their fort. Will we be able to see them before they see us, especially in the dark? We must also take into consideration the girl. We cannot abandon her, but bringing her with us puts her in great danger. If we took the time to return her to Oleg's Post, then her sister would most assuredly be within the fort by the time we came back, and a rescue would be much more difficult."
Xarafine's call to reason tempers Jack's desire to simply charge the fort, but it also highlights the need for more information, and a simple plan forms quickly in his mind.
"As long as the moonlight is with us, I can scout ahead tonight to get a sense of where we are going and get a sense of what we have to face. Bein can come with me, while you two stay here with Minara and the horses. When I get closer, I will have to move ahead on my own so they do not hear Bein in his armor--no offense my friend--but with this cloak to help me stay in the shadows I hopefully will not be seen. I have no interest in a suicide mission--I will not get too close and at the first sign of my being spotted I will run back to Bein. I have my signal whistle with me to call for help if I get in over my head before I can get back to him."
Bein nods to Jack and then a cruel thought forms in his mind. "Ha no offense my friend, besides if it's dark out your eyes and bow will be even more deadly. No matter what happens you hide and take the bastard who has her sister by surprise. In the confusion you escape, i'll handle the rabble as best we can. Arundel looked even more impatient. "Now we only need a direction to ride and we will overtake them."
AS he waited for his orders he strapped on Arundel's parade armor, covering his destrier in the finery of the order of the sword. He didn't fear the confrontation, he welcomed the coming fight with the bandits. It just mean't that the stag would have fewer lackeys and another innocent would be saved. At least he hoped they arrived in time...
Minara tells you that the bandit party that captured her and her sister consisted of five men all armed with shortswords and longbows. All five wore badly maintained studded leather armour and all were riding horses.
The group crossed the rickety bridge just before the storm hit and managed to find some shelter in a group of trees. During the storm the horses were panicked and it was then that the girls managed to get away in the confusion. The bandits were unable to recapture the horses but did manage to catch up to the running girls - who separated and Minara saw her sister recaptured.
The bandits were unable to recapture the horses but, after the storm, resumed their journey following the river back to the Stag's fort. Minara followed the group until she lost them on the previous night. She's been hiding here, not knowing what to do since this morning.
Based on what she overheard, Minara thinks that the fort is only 5 hours away by foot (3 by horse), but thinks that they may be moving more slowly because of the mud and having to force Aranea to march.
You break camp in the cold darkness of the early morning, the moon's light illuminates the undulating landscape well enough to ride without too much risk. Jack moves off ahead, scouting the landscape and leaving clear signs for you to follow. Minara, exhausted, rides in front of Xerafine, sleeping most of the time but waking occasionally and asking groggily if the bandits are close yet.
As the thin streak of dawn's light illuminates the sky to the east Jack comes to a ridge overlooking a still-smoking firepit. The Stag-lord's fort, you think, lies a mere 2 hours away by foot. It will take the rest of the party 20 minutes to catch up.
Jack scratches in the dirt the number of people he thinks were at the campsite, and an arrow that points in the direction he thinks they went. He keeps moving, not wanting to lose their trail. If these are the bandits with Aranea, he wants to lose little time in tracking them.
Once he leaves his message, he follows in the direction of the campers, shifting to a slower, stealthier approach if and when he gets close to them.
"Soon, now," Xarafine says softly, as Minara drifts back to sleep.
She moves along with the group, trying to decide what to do with the girl if the bandits ambush them.
As the three riders follow Jack's traces, Finnabar begins laying his objectives.
"We need to capture the leader of this group of bandits. Xarafine, I want you to identify him and when he falls, stabilize him or warn me so I can do it.
Then we need to prevent the bandits to warn the fort of our presence. Bein, That will be your and Jack's job. You're faster than them mounted, so use it well.
I will reach and protect Aranea."
When they reach the smocking pit, he looks quickly at Jack sign and at the cinders.
"They are close, let's move quickly to catch Jack.", he says, signaling Bein and Xarafine to pick up the pace.
Bein readied his lance, the first strike would be intended to kill. He wasn't fond of bandits and knowing the young girls older sister was still their prisoner only enforced the fact these men would be put down. Hard. If the leader was identified he couldn't promise anything more than to bring the man low, if he proved too weak to survive than let the gods will be done. The longer the older sister remained with them though the more likely something unsavory would befall her.
That thought alone made him barely restrain himself from charging forward and roaring out his challenge to the bandits. He hustled alongside the Teacher, Finnabar and their newest companion.
"Aye, Milord, I shall bring them down hard. The Stag Lord shall not be given another innocent to harm, not this day."
He was thankful for their horses, they put them through their paces time and time again. But they proved to be hearty beasts and, because they were well taken care of, recovered quickly despite the tough ordeals they faced as of late. He hoped today though that they wouldn't lose any of them in the confusion of battle...
Xarafine spurs her horse to keep up with Finnabar and Bein. She keeps one arm firmly around the girl, making certain she would not slip from the saddle.
After another fifteen minutes of riding Jack thinks that he is catching up with the bandits. Approaching a small rise, jack dismounts and carefully moves forward on his belly. Peering over the ridge he can see five figures trudging through the mud a short distance ahead. The one in the centre has her hands tied behind her back.
They're moving very slowly - Move speed of 15. The rest of the party should be able to catch up before they reach the fort *but* you're unsure of whether they might be in sight of the fort.
Sorry,... Jack is currently 300ft. away but could possibly move closer without likely being spotted.
Crouching low, Jack stays within the cover of the forest and tries to follow behind, till he can get within reasonable bowshot (100 feet).
It takes a little while, but Jack manages to move within range of the bandits without being spotted.
Jack knows he could cause himself--or the girl--a great deal of trouble, but she will be all the more impossible to rescue should they make it to the fort, where the bandits have reinforcements. Staying within cover of a tree, he readies his bow, nocks an arrow, and fires at the bandit last in line--if he misses, hopefully they don't notice the arrow, and if he strikes true, he might even take one out with a delay before they realize their rear guard is down.
Your arrow streaks forward and strikes the bandit square in the back. The man stumbles forward a step, emitting a cry of pain. Shocked, they turn... Aranea gasps and stares around..
INIT:
Bandits:
Aranea:
Jack:
Aranea: Hold action
Jack:
Bandits
Jack nocks another arrow and shoots again, before retreating to the cover of another tree.
Bein continued to slog his way through the mud and tried to not tire out Arundel before they caught up to Jack. He hoped the half elf left some if he enemy for them to deal with. He chuckled at the thought of arriving and Jack having already having deal with the bandits...
The second arrow flies into the bandit's back and he falls to the ground
before even being able to react. The other three bandits turn and run for cover, pulling out their bows as they scan the hill for you, shouting you position to their friends.
(Bandits & Aranea are in cover = +4 AC)
Bandit 2: Perception
Bandit 3: Perception
Bandit 4: Perception
Aranea: Perception
Jack clumsily moves himself into view rather than out of it, misestimating the ability of a nearby bush to help cover him, and as he hears the bandits shout, he realizes he's been spotted.
He tries to angle down in such a way that he can moving in closer, behind and toward Aranea and bandit 2 () and shoots at bandit 2.
As Jack's arrow ricochets off the rock the bandit is cowering behind, they each draw back their bowstrings, taking aim at the ranger and releasing their arrows. Two of the arrows whistle harmlessly past, one digging into the bush but the third streaks through and takes Jack in the leg causing a minor wound. Aranea takes one look at the scene and, suddenly turns, running for the cover of a copse of trees atop the next ridge.
Bandit 2:
Bandit 3:
Bandit 4: , Dam:
Jack winces at the wound, but fortunately it is no more than a graze. His bigger concern is Areana running in the opposite direction--fearing he will lose her entirely in the confusion. He runs toward her, trying to catch up, calling as quietly as he can (which is not very quiet, under the circumstances) as he approaches. "I'm with Mirana! Run and hide girl, but don't get lost." He gestures with his hand in front of his chest--so the bandits behind him cannot see--the direction he suggests she runs and hides, toward a rock or tree in the direction from which the others should be coming.
Sorry if i've been lax with double-checking the spelling :) - AR-AN-E-A -
Jack runs around the perimeter of the area, shouting as loudly as possible at the running girl. As he does so two of the bandits take aim and fire towards him, whilst the third, swearing, runs after the girl. who continues running into the cover of the trees....
Bandit 2:
Bandit 4: , Damage:
As Jack runs, one of the arrows finds flesh, buring itself in his shoulder whilst the other flies wide of its target.
You can hear Jack's voice from around 30ft beyond the ridge in 30ft in front of you (total 60 ft) yelling: "I'm with Mirana! Run and hide girl, but don't get lost."
Previous spoiler + it sounds like he's running - away from you.[/b]