The leopard dashes forward at great speed. As it passes a bush, a hawk erupts out of it and begins flying along after the leopard. The soldiers on the wall release a flight of arrows.
Four arrows land home and the leopard keels over in the sand. The hawk cries out sharply and circles protectively overhead.
The soldiers fire several volleys. The hawk is struck multiple times but refuses to leave the leopard. Finally, an arrow strikes it full in the back and it falls dead to the sand.
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Agaban takes a moment after checking on the guards to look over the goblin. Seeing the ropes and while trusting Amari's ability he wants as much as possible to make sure their only lead so far doesn't get away.
Do you think they have some good manacles here also...If they/we do lets get them on him before I start waving these smelling salts around. Lets also move him towards the center and away from anything so he cant hide.
After saying this he remembers that Serenity took a couple blows and heads towards the cat but looks to Lo first.
Do you want me to look her over and afterwards lets position her at the nearest exit to keep our friend here.
At a nod from the commander, a soldier heads for the office at a run. He soon arrives, sweating and out of breath. "Sirs! Alni turned into a leopard! The lady who came with you ordered us to kill the leopard and the hawk with it! I think we succeeded." He looks confused and startled but flushed with the joy of victory.
As Zaza is looking over the jaguar, it reverts to the form of a dwarf wearing an amulet and a headband as well as loose robes, wielding a shield, and holding a staff of ebony inscribed with eagles, foxes, bears, bulls, cats, and owls. In a pouch around his waste is a small stick of birchwood and some mushrooms.
This staff has 10 charges. A charge can be expended to cast bull’s strength, cat’s grace, bear’s endurance, fox’s cunning, owl’s wisdom, or eagle’s splendor as long as at least one of those spells is on the user’s spell list.
The mushrooms are rare and exceptionally valuable in cooking, worth 20 gp.
Zatinya finds a small crumpled scrap of parchment on the dead dwarf.
Successfully bribed fort commander. Immediately sent message to Ahncibel via hare. Should reach them in a day and a half.
As she heads back to the headquarters building, the soldiers pick up the body of the dwarf to bury. The body of the hawk they leave out in the sun.
Zaza studies the note but can't figure out how old it is. Everything on the dwarf seems fairly dirty...
<Very good Zatinya.
One down, one captured, leaves two of the band.
The gnome caster and the fighter, if I remember correctly.
We should confront the Commander with the note.
See how he is reacting on it will tell us all we need to know.
Then we have to question the goblin.
Maybe we can get the location of that Ahncibel or the whereabouts of the remaining team out of him...
But it will be challenging.>
The commander's eyebrows shoot up in shock. "Working with the Taldanes?! What are you talking about?! I've never been disloyal to my country! My father escaped slavery in Osirion and made a life as a foot-soldier here in Qadira. I can't believe you would accuse me of this!" He turns to the door to call for his guards.
He seems shocked and sincere.
Don't wanting to let the situation escalate, Amari speaks up.
His voice is still low, barely loud enough to be heard.
"We had to make sure, Commander.
We had to see your reaction to be sure.
We will not excuse ourselves, but I think you will understand that it was necessary."
His words are accompanied by quick signs.
<I believe him.
Let's press the goblin.
Time is short and maybe not in our favour.>
The commander turns with fire in his eyes but breathes deeply a couple of times then sighs. "Yes I see it was necessary. This is a very serious problem indeed. Shall I fire a report to high command?"
"What of the other forts? Are there any among them who's loyalty is in question? Perhaps someone with financial trouble." Lo'Laan asks the commander.
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Surprised both with how quickly Zaza and Amari accuse the commander though his training still kicked in and he was watching the commander's reaction closely to have more than one opinion. Agaban still keeps a slight eye on the commander until he seems to completely settle down while mumbling to himself in shock with Amari speaking briefly.
Zatinya just wondering did the dwarf have any more writings on his person, either a journal or spellbook. Wondering if this was a message he was planning on sending or receiving. Based on its looks assuming he received the message but if not we may need to backtrack to the fort they left from to see if it was that commander.
Turning back to the goblin decides to check the tightness of the ropes again before waving the smelling salts under his nose.
While the goblin is still groggy he turns back to the group.
<Should we let him know his companion is dead or make him believe that they were both captured?>
<Maybe we can make him think that we caught everyone at once.
If he sneers at us, show him the dead dwarf.
Maybe that will break him up.>
The commander turns to Lo'Laan wondering. "A good question. I know of two commanders with gambling problems. Those of Forts Seleukka and Al-Nayiz.
Agaban can't really tell any more information about the note than Zatinya. He goes over to test the ropes and they seem pretty secure to him, though not infallible. He waves the smelling salts under the goblin's nose.
The small, unconscious operative snaps to consciousness and eyes you all warily. He spits and mutters something and breaks eye contact.
"Longshank ninnies."
The goblin eyes Zatinya with hatred but says nothing.
He reacted with slight surprise when Zaza called him "Bishop" as if that is his name but he didn't expect you to know it.
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Paying close attention to the goblin's expressions as Zaza questions him; Agaban was able to note the slight dilation of the eyes upon hearing "Bishop." Turning to the group he quickly signs to not disrupt Zaza's translation.
<On the right track with Bishop though he was surprised we knew that much already and clearly he understood you when you spoke Kelish though guess that doesn't mean fluent enough to speak it...Do you think we can make him think the dwarf told us that already?>
While you are speaking and signing, the goblin wriggles some to test his bonds. He doesn't manage to slip any of his limbs out of the knots.
<Solid.
But maybe, we should raise the stakes and tell him that we got an informer in their highest circles, allowing us to attack every one of their team at once.
Show him the corpse of the dwarf as proof.
We could even tell him, how we let them steal the bows, because they have a hidden failure that would cause havoc if the Taldan's would copy it and equip their forces.>
As Amari catches the movement of the Goblin, he takes out the strain of hair with the interleaved blade and casually stows it in his backpack in plain sight of the prisoner.
The goblin eyes Amari's movement and spits again, aiming for Amari's foot.
One has to try way harder to taunt a Shadow.
Amari does not step away but simply gives the goblin a passionless look and steps a few steps back to let Zatinya continue.
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Annoyed for his friend but not quite ready to resort to immediate violence; Agaban signs quickly.
<Zaza continue to translate to not give anything else away and ask about Ahncibel and figure we can make it seem the dwarf is already talking to us with the dwarf's equipment as proof that we actually caught him...would also give us a chance to sell that our unit is bigger than it is and the other members are currently questioning the dwarf.>
The goblin shakes off the spell both times and spits toward Zatinya, growling.
"High command won't forget me. Foolish longshanks."
The goblin stares at all of you with cold hatred. He doesn't look likely to open up and chat about his secrets without a very, very good interrogation.
Lo'Laan puts his shadow training to work after Zaza steps away from the interrogation.
The goblin sputters and coughs, battling to breathe. But his resolve is undettered and he eyes you with a cold gleam in his dark pupils.
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Annoyed at the goblin's reactions to Amari. Then finally reaching the point where he doesn't care after he shrugs off Zaza's spells. He quickly steps out while Lo attempts a little intimidation and after returning a couple minutes later. He then turns to Zaza and the rest of the group.
Well Aelia has provided some information unlike our friend here so guess all that is left is the execution...Does it say anything about methods? Since he didn't kill anyone here guess a quick beheading would be the most merciful though we could always use the old nomads version of burying him in the sand up to his neck with the bonds still on and let him bake in the desert. We could even send someone out periodically to see if he is more willing to talk for some water after a day or two in the sun.
The goblin eyes Agaban coldly but still refuses to speak.
The commander turns to you "If you wish, my men and I will guard this spy while you pursue his comrades. I promise we will exercise utmost vigilance."
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Signing to the others after the goblin doesn't break to his attempt.
<Lets head to Seleukka...these came here because multiple fort/troop reports are routed through here...If I was looking for a commander to bribe I would want to be on a river out of the two and that way we also have the river to follow/move on if it isn't that commander.>
The commander nods firmly to Zaza. "We will keep three guards on him at all times with the most vigilance we can maintain. We will check his bindings every hour and keep him in a locked cell. Only senior officers will have keys." The commander has apparently picked up on the fact that, for the next few days, this is his one job.
As they are about to leave, Amari takes the Commander to the side and shows him the hair-knot he took from the Goblin and the hidden blade within.
"Don't hand him over to anyone who does not present you with this token."
Then he shakes hands and heads of with the others.
"We should make haste then before they catch on." Lo'Laan states.