Talia turns and seeing Dregan in the doorway, says, "Gavriil, I hope he's with you..."
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The noblewoman sizes up her rescuers. Gavriil, of course she knows. Even if he's not the greatest duelist, he's brave and interested in the theater. The other three seem to be a competent sort - a quiet, bow-wielding priestess, a woodsman and a dwarven woman of faith. But then, Naralesh and Godwin seemed competent as well.
Offering the newcomers her best curtsey. "Talia Khavortorov and Gavriil. We've got a charter to explore the Stolen Lands and rid it from banditry, and unfortunately we've got some job openings. Would you be interested in joining us in this endevour? I'm sure there's plenty of money and fame in it, if we're successful."
Her look strays to Haps and the other bandit. "As for these two, as the charter states, the penalty for banditry is sword or rope. I say string the minion up as Oleg wants. I told you your fate was to die alone and forgotten. As for Haps..."
Gavriil grimaced when the bandit dropped his sword and surrendered. He swiftly kicked the sword away from the man and turned to his newest ally. "Tie him and the other one up," he said as he moved to Talia.
"Aye, Talia," he said as he drew his razor to cut her free, "As far as I can tell." He slipped his blade under the ropes that bound her hands and smirked, "I'd never leave a damsel in distress."
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Gavriil sat near Talia flipping open and closing his razor as she spoke to their unlikely rescuers. They seemed better at getting the job done than he had been, but looks could be deceiving, especially if the dwarf was as wound up about honor as the last knight in their group.
Gavriil looked to the bandits as Talia changed the topic to what to do with them. He smirked and shrugged to the two she immediately said needed strung up as if to say: You picked the wrong side, buddies. No hard feelings.
When the actress hung the question about Haps in the air he spoke up. "We need to question him. Find out where the others are hold up. If this group doesn't return in a day or so, the others'll come looking for them. Then he gets the sword like the rest." He'd seen enough of his friends dance at the end of a rope to ever want to subject another man to that. A blade through the heart was just more clean.
Another thought occurred to him, "We need to bury the dead, also. We may not have known them, but the others who helped us deserve at least that. Oleg, do you have any spare lumber to make coffins?"
Magna looks at the bandit, outside of the fort.
"That would have been a wise choice before, but I see it is not an alternative for you now. Come, let me help you inside, when you will have to pay for your crimes. Don't try anything. Drop your weapons, and I'll help you."
After he drops all his weapons Magna will help him stand and take him inside.
Dregan let out a sigh when the man he thought was the bandit drop his weapons, he would have hated to shoot at the wrong man.
Dregan doffs his hat to Talia "M' name's Dregan. M' friend's dealin' with tha last of tha bandits." With that he disappears out the door again.
Finding Magna helping and the bandit coming towards them he comes back to the door "All sorted. Soz about tha'. Me an' m' friend were told t' meet tha other charter bearers 'ere."
Dregan has a quick look around at the bandits, making sure none of them are his brother, while the others talk about what is next.
"I 'ave no desire t' see someone 'ang, Magna's axe'll be a much quicker death. An' if we build coffin' fer all 'em we'll be 'ere 'alf tha month, six feet of earth should be enough right?"
Talia nods to Dregan, after taking a moment to process the man's thick brogue. "Well met, Dregan and Magna. I agree with you - six feet of earth will have to do, unfortunately. They do deserve some recognition for their sacrifice, though. Oleg, Svetlana, would it be too much to ask for you to construct a simple wood cross, for each of our fallen friends? I'd pay you, of course. Well, when I can get my hands on some coin, anyways.
Dragging a stout wooden chair over to the surviving bandits, Talia takes a seat and crossing one leg over the other and putting resting her hands on her knee, the noblewoman stares at the two for a long time, eventually speaking in calm and measured voice, first to the bandit that surrendered to Gavriil. "This minion is going to die. You know little enough to be of import to us, I'm sure. So little in fact, that I'm not going to bother to learn your name, minion. The only discussion seems to be whether or not you'll be strung over Oleg's walls, or your head will be separated from your torso, or you'll be stabbed through the heart. Such is the life and death of unimportant men, as I told you."
Next, Talia turns to Haps. "Haps, you however, saved my life, and I'm grateful for that. Perhaps there is a deal to be made for your life. We need information. We know there is what, eight more of you? Where do you stay? What can you tell me about this lady with the hatchets? What else can you tell me? Sing like a songbird, and I'll advocate for your life. The more beautiful the song, the more I'll fight for you, caged bird."
After the introductions, in which the beautiful dwarf presents herself as "Miss Magnitorefa Skeller, ShieldMaiden of Torag, at your service in our mission to map the Stolen Lands" Magna looks surprised at Talia offer.
"He should perform EXTRAORDINARY services and gives us plenty and detailed information if he is to avoid the rope, as our charter commands us to. I don't think he is able to provide us with either, so a quick clean dead by hanging should be in order, so we can continue with our mission as soon as possible."
She grabs rope from her pack, and stands behind Haps.
"Don't worry, it will be over soon."
The bandit squirms in his chair. "Listen miss, I'm just a farmer. I lost everything to barbarian raids away west. Wife, children, my home...what's a man supposed to do? Starve to death? I know just as much as HE does, I'll tell you everything! Just let me live!"
Haps just stares at his feet while the other rants. After a moment, he looks up at Talia. "That's right, I did save your life. Ida thought ye'd be more appreciative. Don' matter tho. Yer gonna do what yer gonna do. I can tell ya everything, or that fool Nat can tell ya. We're sure as not ta see the rope anyway." He pauses, looking out towards the door.
"When Kressle hears about this, she's gonna be choppin' mad." He chuckles. "Ye don' wanna see that." He turns slowly and looks at Talia. "But it aint' her ya gots ta worry about. It's the Stag Lord. When he finds out, he'll stuff yer little 'charter' in yer backside, an' burn ya with it."
While this is going on, Gavriil feels a steady tug on his boot. Looking down, he sees a familiar red fox with his left heel in its mouth, gently pulling...
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Magna grabs Nat by the collar, and makes him stand.
"The trials we face show the metal we are made of. Come with me, and let's have a more "private" talk."
He takes him away, to another room, and makes him sit.
"Talk, and don't stop. This is your only chance."
Talia stares hard at Haps. "Stag Lord? Who's he? How many of you are there?"
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Gavriil continued to play with his razor as the others talked back and forth. He bit back his retort to Dregan. Yes, it would take some time to bury the others, but it was the right thing to do. He wasn't asking for a proper burial for the bandits as well. They'd be Oleg's problem since he already asked for their corpses, but those who had died trying to free the others would need something a little more than that, even if he did it himself.
He remained quiet as the dwarf and the actress began to question the bandits. He was just about to go inside to see about rustling up some grub when he felt a pull on his boot. Looking down, he saw the fox that had been with the wizard. With a frown he bent down to pet the poor fox, but stopped as h realized it was trying to tell him something. A quick look to the others showed that they were each occupied, so he looked to the fox and said, "Go on, show me what you want me to see."
The white-furred fox dashes to the door and whirls around, looking back at Gavriil to make sure the big human is following. She leads him down the hall to a closed door to a closet of some kind. She points at the door with her snout, her whole body trembling in concern and urgency as though straining to hold herself back from attacking the wooden barrier. Gavriil can see tiny claw-marks in the door's base from where the little animal must have spent the whole night trying in vain to get through to whatever is inside.
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The small fox rushes out of the door, turning about to see if Gavriil is following. She (Nora?) runs to the right along the building towards the midden pits, turning in circles every few feet to look back.
She stops at the second pit from the right, the pits running along the north wall of the trading post. The smell is quite...strong, but the little fox doesn't seem to heed it as she starts digging at a small hole next to the wooden grate covering the pit. Once she is sure Gav can see her, she dives into the midden. Down in the midden, on top of a pile of refuse, is the body of Naralesh. There is still the horrid arrow wound in the eye, the broken shaft protruding from it..
At least it looks like a body, but Nora is frantically tugging at the wizards collar, trying in vain to drag him towards the hole she dug.
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Gavriil kept a brisk pace following the fox. The poor creature even stopped every few feet to make sure he was following. Finally, he watched the fox slip down into the midden. As he approached the midden, he looked down to see the fox pulling at his former master's collar.
Poor creature hasn't come to grips with what's happened, yet...
The swashbuckler sighed and slipped down the hole after the fox. "Come on, uhhhh... Foxy. We need to get you inside. We'll bury him in the morning," he said, bending over to pick up the fox to take her inside. It became quickly clear that the fox wouldn't leave his master's side by the way she dodged his attempts to pick her up. He looked down at the body and sighed, saying, "Okay, okay.... I'll move him now."
He bent down to move the elf when he noticed a slight move in the man's chest. He got down on his knees and placed his ear to the man's chest and heard a very faint heart beat. "Cayden! He's still alive!" There was a moment of panic as he didn't know what to do with the wizard, whether moving him would hurt him or not. Finally he decided he needed at least out of the disgusting pit. He grabbed the elf under the armpits and began pulling him towards the hole to drag him out. "HELP! QUICK! HE'S STILL ALIVE!"
"Bugger, there's another one" Dregan says notching an arrow to his bow and rushing outside.
When he sees Gavriil dragging the body clear he rushes over and also looks confused about how to help "I can 'elp stop tha bleedin', but I daren't touch tha arrow.". He goes to Bargriv and pulls out his spare tunic, folding it he returns places it over the worst of the bleeding.
Asha calls from the doorway of main building. After the fight, she had limped over towards the rest of the group. Leaning on the door frame in blood-soaked clothing, she calls out orders.
"Bring him in here! Careful! Gentle as you can now! Gods!" She slumps to the floor, obviously weak from her wound. "Easy now, lay him down so I can take a look...I'm going to need clean water and towels. And by the gods, hurry!
She begins to examine the elf's wound, always careful not to jar the arrow. "Lets start with this..." she mutters. She pulls a carved wooden symbol from around her neck, a stylized bow and arrow. Passing it over Naralesh's still form, she mouths a prayer to Erastil. A warm glow emanates outward from her, like the warmth of a midnight campfire. Bathed in that warmth, you feel the scars of your recent trials washed away.
Happs looks up in alarm before he realizes what has just happened. For a moment, doubt creeps into his brave demeanor.
Happs looks down at his feet. "Don' know about the Stag Lord. Only what Kressel says. She's afraid of him, an' Kressel ain't afraid of nuthin'"
Talia sighs, and getting up from her chair, starts wandering through Oleg's store. On the way she reaches out and grabs hold of Naralesh's shoulder, giving the unconscious man a quick squeeze. Glad you didn't cross Pharasma's boneyard, Naralesh.
There, on the wall, Talia finds what she is looking for - 50 feet of coiled rope. Grabbing the rope and heading back to Happs, Talia walks around behind him, and loops the rope across his neck. Sighing again, she says, "I'm afraid your song isn't that pretty, Happs. As you saw, we have the gods themselves on our side - I'm not worried about some two bit bandit like this "Stag Lord", can't make a dishonest living in Brevoy proper. Anything you'd like to say before you're judged, like perhaps the location of your hideout?"
Gavriil slowly started to drag the wizard out of the pit, the fox dancing all around him. Gods, let this be the right choice. He had just gotten him out of the pit when Dregan approached and offered to help. Anything was better than what Gavriil was doing, he wasn't a doctor after all.
But then he heard the Cleric call out to them and tell them to bring him inside. He looked to the ranger for help before picking up the elf and rushing him in the door. He carried him and set him in front of the Asha and nodded to her when she asked for water and towels.
He dropped his water-skin next to the woman and walked over to Haps. He stopped for a second, seeing the rope around his neck and feeling Asha's god's warm embrace, and said, "Glad to see the festivities are getting started in here." He bent down and pulled the cloak off of the bandit, flicking the broach back at him, and said as he rushed back over to Asha, "I need this, doesn't seem like it'll be of much use to you much longer. Thanks!"
He rushed back to Asha's side and handed her the cloak. "Here, it's not clean, but you can tear it where you need to. Do you need any help?"
[dice=Intimidate Haps with the "You're going to die implication]1d20+6[/dice]
"Uuhhh...Jeb, Kressel...cooks, hunts for food...wait...away east...he's allergic to dust...I don't know, but...23 summers or so? Miss..." He breaks down in tears. "Miss, I don't know. I don't know!" He begins to plead with you. Miss, I swear, I won't never take up with them bandits again! Never! Jes' let me live! Please! I'm beggin' ya! I'll do whatever ya'll say!" He pauses. "That Happs, he knows. Don' let 'im tell ya different! He knows!"
"Tell me why I should up an' tell ya what I know." Happs says defiantly. "Ya'll have already said I was dead, so what's the difference? Ya'll won't survive it anyway, why go off to yer deaths?" He looks up. "Hehe, I guess if'n Ima gonna die, I might as well take ya'll with me. The camp is in the forest the on Thorn river, at a ford down there. 'bout 20 or so miles southwest of here." He spits on the ground at his feet. "Been nice knowin' ya'll."
Meanwhile, Asha finishes her careful examination of the elf wizard. Taking the cloak from Gavriil, she grimaces at its smell. "It'll do." She mumbles. She tears a small square from it, setting that part aside. Then she folds the cloak and gently places it under his head. "This may be...unpleasant." She says to Gavriil. "Hold him steady, please."
Picking up the torn piece, she wraps it around the broken shaft of the arrow, and gains a firm hold. "Erastil guide me..." She says, and pulls. There is a sickening sound of flesh tearing, and a wash of blood, and the arrow is free. Quickly she says a soft prayer, and once again the healing warmth floods through the room.
She looks up at all of you. "He'll lose the eye, but at least he will live." Then she slumps to the ground, exhausted.
Magna hugs the bandit.
"Be brave! Dead reach us all, and we must face it bravely. Be glad that your dead will help others to take the right choices, and avoid a life like the one you had. I promise you a clean dead, with minimum suffering."
Dregan looks on in amazement as Asha heals the Naralesh, he finds his hand closing around his own holy symbol of Erastil.
Turning to Gavriil he asks "D' you 'ave any other companions? We should check if they are truly dead an' all. Oh was you talkin' about coffins fer 'em? I thought yew mean' tha bandits."
Magna hugs the bandit.
"Be brave! Dead reach us all, and we must face it bravely. But if you are sincere in your repentance, your life can be spared. Do you swear you will forsake your life of crime?"
Think he will, she will release him, and warn him.
"If you commit another crime, I will be forced to enact justice. Now come, and try to help as much as you are able, as you will be required to make repairs for a long time before you can go away free."
She goes to Naralesh and the others, and smiles at seeing the elf alive.
"It is a happy ending to see him survive. I am sure he will get stronger at having survived this test. Nat, start your penance here, helping taking care of him. Wash him, and his clothes, and when he awakens, give him everything he asks for. Also bring clean water for him to drink when he open his eyes, as I bet he will be thirsty."
She then go with Talia.
"I am afraid Nat didn't give me much to work with. But he seems sincerely repentant, and as long he behaves he will be spared the rope. What about this guy? Do you think he can be saved too?"
Talia answers Magna's question, all the while keeping her eyes on Happs. "Well, I said I'd advocate for him if he told us what he knows, and he seems to have done so. We need a little more information, and if he gives it he certainly shouldn't be put to death until we know honest he's been. You think Oleg and Svetlana would be safe, if we armed them and left Happs tied up until we get back?"
Getting up from her chair, Talia moves to face Happs, and cups his face in her hands, tilting his head up to meet her gaze. "Thank you, Happs, for the information about your camp. We're going to need more than that though. I have three more questions for you. One, how are watches structured at your camp? Two, if we kill this Stag Lord, do you think the rest of your people will scatter? Three, can you be a penitent man, capable of atoning for your sins?"
Nat is overjoyed at Magna's judgement. "Yes, Miss! You won't regret it! Thank you, Miss!" He follows her out, and looks intently at Naralesh's unconscious form. "Ok, Miss. I'll do what I can." He crinkles his nose. "Prolly start with a wash..."
With Asha's help, the elf is lifted carefully and taken to the room where Talia was bound. A few words are spoken, and Nat comes running out and leaves the building. He returns moments later with a bucket of fresh water. He enters the room, and closes the door.
"Kressel posts a few of our lads as watch." Happs begins. There's always someone keepin' an eye out. As far as the Stag Lord, dunno. Never met him. But Kressel says he's a bad man, an' if Kressel fears him, you lot ain't in no way goin' ta kill 'im."
He leans back in his chair, stretching his feet out in front of him. "Mebbe I am sorry, mebbe I'm not. I didn't start this fight, you all did, remember? We was jes' comin' to conduct our business, ya know? And out you came, all threats and bluster. This is a right dangerous land, ya know? A man has to protect hisself."
"Not me, when I arrived I saw you attacking the official owners of a legal charter to explore and tame this lands. And we are bound to remove the banditry here when we found it. And found it we have. Maybe you are sorry, but we certainly will hang you. May Torag forgive you."
Magna, unless stopped, will proceed to hang Happs, in the most "humane" way possible.
"Ahem"
Kesten Garess, sergeant of the Restov guard detachment, stands in the door, clearing his throat. "While you are the appointed representatives of Restov in this area, I must interject here. We have no evidence that this man's claims are false. Other than your word. Might I suggest sending for my men, and - more importantly - the Levetons? It would seem that their testimony would be key in this matter." He looks directly at Magna. "If they confirm the accusations of banditry, then your judgement is justified. If not...well, I would advise you to reconsider."
He stands tall, almost at attention. "That being said, I will defer to your decisions in this matter."
"Sounds like a good think, sergeant, now that we can have a trial. Please bring them."
Kesten salutes. "Right away." He turns and leaves, and soon you can hear the sound of a horn blowing from the yard. A few moments later, a second horn answers from the east. Kesten returns.
"They are on their way in now."
Gavriil nods to Dregan. "Aye, that'd be a good idea. And yes, I meant the coffins for them" He turned to go off with Dregan when the bandit and Magna walked into the room. The bandit was taking orders from Magna and immediately went over to help Asha move him somewhere safe and wash him. Gavriil stood slack-jaw for moment before saying to Magna, "Are you out of your gods fearing mind?! The man murdered people and now we're going to just let him tend to our wounded? Excuse me if I don't think that's a very good idea." He watched the man immediately go off to fetch the water to take was the wizard and scoffed to the Paladin, "He's your responsibility."
Gavriil looked at Dregan and said, "Could you check the rest of the bodies alone? I don't want leave Asha and Naralesh alone with that man." He walked into the other room with the priestess and said, "You need to check your own wounds and get some rest. There's a bunkhouse right across from this building. Don't worry about him, I'll keep an eye on him. If anything happens I'll come wake you." Gavriil grabbed a chair and propped it up in the corner of the room to sit and watch over the fallen Wizard.
[occ]sorry if it's sloppy. I'm posting from my phone.[/occ]
Talia eyes Happs suspiciously, but ultimately can't read him. "So you've never met your leader? That seems... preposterous." Waiting a beat, Talia waves her hand dismissively. "He's probably made up, a bogeyman to keep your dimwitted fellows in line. I look forward to speaking with Kressle about this, and if you're still around, I look forward to seeing your face when I bring her in..."
Standing up, the noblewoman's done with Happs, and will leave his fate to Magna and Kesten.
To Gavriil Magna answers
"You are right, it is a big risk. But for a man's life, I am willing to take it. I find myself unable to condemn him to dead without a change at reform. My responsibility. And I beg you, your help and support. Give both of us a chance, please. Maybe together we can forge a good man from a broken bandit."
Dregan nods and goes out to check if anyone is still alive, and while doing so he'll make sure none of the dead bandits are his brother.
Once he has checked them he'll start bring all the bodies to a central area.
Dregan doesn't find his brother amongst the slain.
A horn sounds from outside the gate. Kesten steps out and meets his men on the front porch. With them are the Levetons. After a few brief words, he escorts Oleg and Svetlana into the room. The guard sergeant then takes up a position behind Happs.
Oleg looks around, his eyes finally resting on the bound form of the bandit leader. "You..." he breathes, red-faced with anger. He takes a couple of strides forward, and grabs Happs by the collar. "YOU! Come back here to gloat? Well now, you got what was coming to you!" He whirls to face Talia. "Finish it now! Hang 'im and we'll post his body on the wall as a warning!"
Svetlana places a hand on his shoulder. "Oleg dear, calm down. Let these fine folk deal with him."
"CALM DOWN??" He screams. "I'll calm down when this rat and all of 'is kind are hanging from the walls for the crows! I'll calm down when..."
"Oleg..." she tries again.
Kesten clears his throat. "AHEM. There is the matter of the testimony of the Levetons?" He looks over at Talia and Magna.
Magna stands between Oleg and Happs.
"We will have a trial, and we will find the truth about the accusations about this man. Mr... Leventon is it? What did this man have do to you? And please speck only the truth, and only things you know and saw firsthand."
Talia gives a nod to Kesten. "Indeed, Kesten. You should have all the information you need at your disposal. Oleg, I encourage you to follow Magna's lead. Please tell Kesten what you know of Happs here. And Happs, please feel free to defend yourself."
Gavriil looked up from his post when he heard Oleg shouting at Haps and leaned in the doorway so that he was at least present for the trial of the bandits. He wasn't sure why a trial was even really needed. He nodded to Oleg and spoke up, "The man's right. Let's stop dancing around the subject. Talia, both you and I watched these bandits try to rob the Levetons first hand and gave them a chance to surrender. And what did that get us? You captured, the knight burned to a crisp, the wizard on the brink of death, and me running for help. They had their chance to repent and they chose not to take it.
"Gods, even after we came back they still killed two of us, while still being completely aware that we were on official business from Brevory," he continued. He pointed to Nat who was still running through his chores on Naralesh and pushed on, "The only reason that one is even repenting to the banditry is because he lost. If the fight had gone the other way, we'd all be in the midden right now while they got drunk and congratulated each other," he pointed to Haps,"And that one won't even tell you he's sorry for what he's done!
"I'm not saying hang'em. Just give them a merciful death, because that's all they really deserve at this point." With his little speech completed, Gavriil returns to silently watching the others.