"I'd like to get started immediately," Fyrek replied, then chuckled. "Of course, I'd rather sleep outdoors than in a bed any day, so I may not be the right one to ask."
"Leaving right away and getting a half day's travel is fine with me. I don't mind sleeping outdoors, I think... It's an adventure, after all. Let's hear what the others have to say..."
Destany looks to the rest who haven't made their preferences known yet.
Daen took a look over at Dmitri who was clearly uncomfortable in town. "Yes perhaps it is best for us to move along. We did have plenty of time to rest on that boat, excepting the one night. But the sooner we can get our business done, the sooner we will be free to pursue other endeavors."
He also turned to Blake and put a hand on his shoulder. "I imagine Oleg's will have some beds as well. I doubt it is much smaller than this town. I also have brought some extra camping gear for extra comfort on the road."
What he didn't want to say out loud is that if there were an agent of the person who wanted them dead in town, it would be better for them to clear out than to let down their guard. He would explain it to Blake later, and hopefully they could reach an understanding.
Dmitri watched as everyone unanimously agreed to pretty much get some travel in before night-fall. He was okay with that, though, if this inn was filled with more people he would much prefer to spend his time here and learn things. Alas, the only one in the room was a burly bear of a man who he was sure was about to eat the table.
He clapped his book together and put it on his side. To the group, he walked, rather aloof.
"I believe I'd much rather travel, to be honest. I don't particularly prefer the outdoors, but, in this case, I believe I do."
He said, sounding a bit disgusted at the man stuffing his face.
The journey is an easy and uninterrupted one, the first days of Pharast were chill, but not with the bite of the winter that had just passed. You pass a guard patrol on the second day but only the one, despite the many miles beneath your feet. It would seem this area is much less patrolled than the roads further north.
Finally, a bit after noon on the second day of Pharast, you spy to the south of the road what looks to have once been a small fort or outpost. The wooden walls would once have stood strong but now could hardly stop a determined force, though they likely held fine against any animals of the plains. Smoke rose in a lazy spiral from the central area of the post and those with sharp eyes could see a man upon the roof of one of the buildings, doing some kind of work. The double gates were closed securely, though there is a slightly tarnished iron bell with a pull cord next to them. It would seem you have arrived.
Destany wasn't used to such long overland travel or camping outdoors, but was quickly learning to adapt to her new life. She never complained about the conditions along the way, but it was obvious this was all new to her. She was so grateful to be free of her prison cell, any freedoms were a blessing, and so she had nothing negative to say about being on the open road. She quickly learned to assist with setting and breaking campsites and keeping watches at night, all with a quick smile and eager participation.
As the party approaches the outpost, she smiles and her step grows lighter. "It seems we've reached our initial destination." As the party comes to the closed gates, she nods toward the bell... "Shall we ring it to announce our presence?" She reaches for the cord, unless anyone objects for some reason.
Fiddling with his horse as he dismounted, the swordsman made sure his pack was slightly shifted to allow Chernila a little relief. She could use a good rubdown. Destany's hesitation to ring the bell caused him to call out, perhaps a little on the grumpy side. "Ring the bell, my dear. We did not come all this way to admire the architectural wonders of this... He paused for a second, trying to categorize what he was looking at. "...structure."
He tried to soften this afterwards with a bit of a forced smile, but if they hadn't gotten used to his sour attitude by now, it was unlikely they would.
Destany rings the bell with two sharp pulls on the cord, then stands back a few paces, waiting for the gate to be opened, or their presence challenged. She wasn't quite sure which to expect.
For all intents and purposes, Dmitri has his scythe out. He's oddly uncomfortable, and rather paranoid about all of this.
He's rather impatient with waiting to see what arises out of ringing the bell, and is therefore spinning his scythe rather gracefully through the air out of boredom. The weapon frequently comes within centimeters of his face. At the center of the haft of the weapon is a circular hole that makes it easy to twirl and grip.
"I do wish they'd make a little more haste..."
The hammering and noises from the roof stop when the bell is rung, and a few minutes later a small slit is opened in the doors, with some rather intense blue eyes and the tip of a huge crossbow peering out. "Hmm... don't look much like bandits." A gruff voice says. "Gimme a moment, gotta get this bar." The slit closes, you hear a large bar being removed from the other side and one section of the gate opens inward to reveal the owner of the eyes, a large man, once he would have been called a mountain but it seems his nice living has softened the edges of his muscles a bit. His red hair and beard are kept neatly trimmed and his blue eyes peer warily, his crossbow not quite pointed at you. "I'm Oleg, what's your business here?" He asks bluntly.
Being as far from proper society as they were, Daen could hardly expect the man to know who they were. He did his best to introduce them in a benign manner. "We are an expedition sent from the King of Brevoy to these lands to explore and eliminate banditry. As you seem to be wary, you could no doubt assist us in locating and eliminating such threats. We also require some resupply of our provisions for the task." He gave the man a weary smile, shifting his weight to his back foot in the appearance of nonchalance, but was actually an Aldori fighting stance for those who knew what that was. In essence, he was actually treating Oleg with the same suspicion that they were being treated with. Who knew if this place hadn't been taken over by bandits already?
Blake glares at the man's crossbow, but is somewhat at ease. The building had likely not already fallen to bandits, and that was a good sign. 'if they were bandits,' he theorizes, 'they would not comment on us looking like we weren't. They would also,' he continued, 'not look so very fearful'.
Anticipating nothing but cooperation from the bearded man, Blake allowed Daen to speak first. Despite being... of mixed ancestry, Blake found the man charming. His candid way with words did not seem to endear people to him as much as Blake would have expected, but it was after all an imperfect world.
Alarm bells went off in Blake's head when he saw Daen's stance change. 'Too many battles, too many battles. One thing at a time.' he reminded himself.
'My good man,' Blake began, 'Word of the bravery of those defending these lands has spread far. Surely no bandits would be foolish enough to come right to your gates. Not if they wanted to live anyway' he forces a laugh. 'We have been sent to assist, for King and Country.'
'If I may,' he continued. 'I have a writ that proves our intentions. I would be happy to show it to you while my comrades rest. The journey has been... taxing, to say the least. What say you?'
Oleg snorted. "Explorers. Fine." He opened the gates wider and set his crossbow down next to the gate in a small stand. "Come on in. There's stables for your horse and mule, my wife has stew preparing, I'll tell her to make more. Come sit down here." Oleg motions with a hand to a small area with a set of tables and low benches around a large fire pit. Next to the fire is a svelte, attractive blonde woman with a ladle in her hands. She smiles at you with every kindness her husband lacks. "Hello Visitors! I'm Svetlana Leveton at your service, hold on, I'll get more ingredients, we're having a venison stew for lunch." She hurries off to a large building at the back of the fort.
The inside of the fort is quite well kept, with a small stable to the left of the gates, a midden heap just visible behind it. The larger back house and a smaller bunkhouse near and on the right, which there is a ladder leaned against and roofing supplies on the roof. Oleg closes the gates and then walks past you, talking as he does. "So stabling is a silver a night, with another silver for feed. Food and lodgings is two gold. How long you planning on staying?"
Dmitri bends over to walk through the door. His height was always something he'd enjoyed, mostly for the imposing demeanor that it gave access to.
The man at the door had been careful, and rather, cloistered. His wife, on the other hand, was warm and welcoming, which was just lovely. She mentioned making food, which pleased Mavis greatly, as he hadn't had real food in some time, and the walk had worked up his appetite.
"Venison? Sounds delicious..."
He looks back to the man who'd just asked about payment, and before answering him he decided to cast his gaze on the woman who'd disappeared.
Not noticing anything in particular, Dmitri called upon his personal talent of conversation to see if he couldn't get him and his company out of payment for now.
"My dear man, we've only just arrived. Let us settle down for just a moment, and then, then, we may talk payment, no? Let's enjoy the meal your beautiful wife is about to make for now. Besides, I'm sure with our work that we'll be doing soon, we'll be able to accommodate you plenty in the near future. How does that sound?"
"I don't know about the others, but I'm afraid I won't be staying long, or partaking of the meal, as I find myself a little short of funds at present. Unless of course you would be willing to trade such for my services as a weaponsmith, that is, if you've a forge here."
Destany slips inside, though she doesn't seat herself at the table, but stands just inside the door, facing the man, waiting for his reply...
Fyrek had enjoyed the trip through the countryside. The weather was invigorating, the skies were wide, and she was becoming more and more comfortable in the company of her companions.
Then they arrived at Oleg's.
Like the others, she was initially suspicious of the decrepit settlement. The infrequency of patrols, Oleg's suspicion, the poor condition of the walls --they were all bad signs. And when Oleg named his price for lodgings, she could but shake her head.
For those prices, she thought, I'd rather sleep with the horses in the stable.
Then Fyrek asked herself what Ketephys would do.
"I guess things are fairly expensive out here," she said at last. "So game and furs must fetch a nice price as well. If I were to bring in, say, a deer, how many nights lodging would that cover?"
"I suppose that could serve as--"
"OLEG LEVETON!" Svetlana comes out of the door with a basket full of herbs and vegetables. It seems unlikely such a small woman made such a large ruckus but there you are. "How dare you harass our guests about payment before they've even seated themselves?!? And when we have had so many problems lately anyway, which they are here to help with?! You should be ashamed of yourself." The little blonde has set the basket down near the pot, continuing to stalk angrily up to her giant of a husband. "Now you will apologize to these folks right now, get back up onto that roof, clean yourself up for dinner when I call for it and then," She gets right into his face with an angry finger waggle. "Maybe, you will speak to them about their stay, their lodgings and our problems. Or Gods help me I will kick your big rear so hard you will feel it for a week."
Oleg looks angry, but quickly turns embarrassed and bashful. "Fine! I'm sorry." He says grudgingly, anger and good manners at war in his open face. "My wife is right, it was real rude of me to bother you about your money before you'd even started to unwind. The stew is free, and we'll talk about money afterward." He fiddles with his hands for a moment nervously before throwing them up in frustration. "I'll be on the roof if you need me." He says as he turns away.
Svetlana returns to chopping her vegetables with a rather large looking knife. "So..." She starts after the tension has gone from her shoulders. "Have you been travelling long? Has the King mentioned our little issue?"
"Thank you for the fine meal, ma'am... Issue? Please elaborate..." Destany is pretty sure she has an idea of what that issue might be, but feigns total unawareness, hoping to get more information that way than if she makes assumptions.
Daen was beginning to wonder if he was right in his original assessment of the situation when the prices were being discussed. Either the lodging was immensely lavish or this was highway robbery. But then his wife came out and verbally knocked sense into the man. Free soup sounded just fine, and solving a problem for the couple could be a great opportunity to ingratiate themselves to the more reasonable member of the duo. Not to mention, she was the one who actually ran the place by the looks of it.
"We've traveled from New Stetven, five days on the barge down the river and another three from Choral's Rest." Daen looked for a place to get off his feet as he continued. "Alas, the King did not give us many particulars of the goings on in this area. We would be grateful for any news or rumors you could share with us, including whatever issues you might have." He gave a nod toward Destany who seemed to be thinking along the same lines, but was far more compelling with far fewer words.
At your response the hammering on the roof comes with more force and noise than before. Svetlana shoots a concerned look up at where her husband works. "I... see. We had hoped the King would send some guards. We have a bandit problem here I'm afraid." She began to set out the table and ladle stew into bowls for the group. "We've always had bandits, one or two at a time. Usually between the walls and my husbands threats they'd stay clear. But three months ago a group of twenty five of them came to our walls, led by a savage woman wielding handaxes. She was very cruel, and overpowered Oleg, even though he shot one of her men. She threw him over one of the tables and the men beat him. Then they threatened to take his hand if he didn't cooperate. We had to give them most of what we had, the woman took my wedding ring and gave it to one of the men as payment for some bet they had. She told Oleg that if he fought back... they would..." Her voice becomes very quiet. "Take me back with them, and give me to her men. There was one, a man in a green cloak, with a bow, some kind of lieutenant I think, who wouldn't let go of me." She shudders at the memory and Oleg is suddenly behind her, his arm protectively around her as she calms down.
Oleg sits, the big man's eyes dark, and takes up the tale as his wife begins to eat her stew. "Look, I'm not a warrior. I've done my fair share of hard labor, gotten in some fights, but I've got no training, just a few shot posts in the back for target practice. I don't mind defending my home. Hell, I'd die for it." His eyes got hard and angry. "But I won't let my wife die for it. They've come every month since then, always in the first three days or so. They came back with that man in the green cloak every time, but the b&~@% with the axes hasn't been back. The first time, they came with fifteen. Then only ten. This time I'm hoping there won't be as many, and I'm hoping guards will arrive soon, since I sent a message to the king." Oleg looks steadily at you, it's obviously difficult for him to ask for help. "If you stood with us, I've got ample payment, and you could keep what you find on them, though I'd like to mount their bodies above my gate, as a warning. And I'd be happy to give you food and lodgings here for as long as you may like." He sits back, and both him and Svetlana look at you with a sort of worn eagerness to hear your answer.
Blake pretended to be looking around the room inspecting things curiously as the couple told their tale. Though people now tended to avoid staring at him due to his hideous burns, he was still terrified of the idea that they might be able to read his past on his face. They'd know that he worked with bandits, and didn't even have the honour to stand with them. Blake swallowed, and forced himself to turn around when Oleg stopped talking.
Regardless of how many they come with," he began, "We'll almost certainly be outnumbered. I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing how these strong individuals fight," he continued, gesturing to his comrades, "Yet I think it would be safe to say that ten to five is an unfortunately lopsided battlefield."
He smiled, "Or rather, it would be, if we were choosing to fight fairly. Tell me - my sense of timing is all rubbish - how many days do we have before they arrive?"
"If we end up fighting them hand to hand, I am ready, but if we are to take initial shots with missile weapons, have you one I can borrow? A bow or crossbow and some arrows would be a welcome lend, if you have one to spare."
Destany finishes off her stew, sopping up the last of it with a piece of bread, and looks at Oleg and his wife a long moment.
"I think we can be ready to face them when they arrive..." She turns to Blake, her head tilted curiously. "What did you have in mind about choosing not to fight fairly? Perhaps setting some traps for them? I'm afraid such is not my forte, but I can help if directed what to do."
Fyrek thanks Svetlana for the stew, then listens as she and Oleg explain their situation. She grits her teeth at the description of the bandits -- barbarians all. Then she nods in agreement to Blake and Destany's words. We are all of a mind here, I see.
"Of course we will help you. The King may not have briefed us, but he did send us directly here that we might aid you. Have no fear, we will take care of your bandits."
Fyrek turned to Destany, who seemed to be already thinking about strategy.
"Traps are a good idea -- perhaps some earthenworks? Ditches or shallow pits to funnel the bandits where we want them to go? Speaking of which, I didn't really notice on the way in, but if there are plants in an area, by the grace of Ketephys I am able to make those into a kind of trap. Are there any areas like that around the gate or within the compound?"
"As for ranged attacks, while I would appreciate the use of a longbow, if you had one, I can more than make do with my sling. Is there a good vantage in the compound for shooting, on the roof of this building perhaps? If so, it might be nice to affix some cover there."
Dmitri, surprisingly enough, is a slow, well-mannered eater. Provided they have utensils, he uses them systematically, trying to remain as proper as possible. Finishing the last bit of his meal in much the same manner as Destany had with the bread, he enjoys the last bite just a bit more than he had all the rest.
He listens intently on the conversation, especially after learning that the leader of the bandits was a woman. His curiosity practically made stabs at him, curious about her looks as well as her purpose. To harm a woman was sacrilege, and without the right circumstances he wouldn't have it.
The idea of fresh combat intrigued him, however, and he could see that the group planned to wait for the next batch of bandits so that they could, well, send a message...
"Thank you dearly for the meal, the venison was delicious..." His voice trailed off a bit, considering all that had just been said. The woman had obviously been troubled by the encounter and that was enough to make Dmitri's blood boil.
"My apologies, that wasn't the best choice of words in such a tender moment... You say they send less every time?" His hand reached his chin, pondering his options. "I have no fondness of traps, but, if it assists us in getting our point across, then I see no issue."
The remarkable thing about all this is that the women were the ones preparing the potentially lethal traps, so, if any women were harmed, it was out of Dmitri's hands.
"After seeing the mental anguish that these men have inflicted upon this dear woman, my religion requires that I emaciate them. However, friends, if you wish to speak to one to learn of anything, I would request you say so presently. I've a habit of losing myself in the debauchery that is combat..." He looked to Fyrek as he said that last bit. He wasn't certain why.
The choice was obvious, not only was it financially advantageous to them to take care of the bandits, but it was also part of their charter. Now the question was, what would they do. The half elf began speaking aloud to coalesce his thoughts.
"Surprise is one of the best traps. Although the walls are a suitable defense, we need to maintain the mystery of what's going on against the bandits and letting them escape will only allow the rest of them to prepare with too much knowledge of what we can do. If we let them in, and ambush them here..." He points to where they were a spot between two buildings near the entrance, and then to various locations as he continues. "...having ranged support there and there on the tops of your buildings and the wall, we should be able to pinch them in there, and have several avenues of attack while they would be limited in their response. It would be best to lure them into the area, believing they were to do business as usual, and then Dmitri could cut them off on the front. I can close the rear by hiding behind the open gate so they won't see it coming and the rest of us can hide on the rooftops, completely out of sight."
He turned over to Fyrek, "We should focus on perhaps keeping one alive we can press for information on their organization's whereabouts and strengths and weaknesses. If we cannot do so we may require your animal to help us track down the rest of them before they come en masse, expecting a fight." He nodded at her acknowledgement of his suggestion before turning back to everyone.
"It's a rough plan, and amendments are certainly encouraged. Oleg and Svetlana, you shouldn't participate in the combat unless you absolutely insist. These bullies should fold quickly once we confront them, as most bandits aren't familiar with life or death combat as people who die can't be stolen from twice. Speaking of business, we may wish to look at your wares. Something may be of use in the coming ambush."
Fyrek nods at the half-elf's words, and turns to
"That looks a likely spot. Is there grass there? I can turn an area of grass into a quagmire, though I can also do that to cut off retreat if we prefer. I agree about luring them in before striking."
Then the air around Fyrek churns more quickly for a moment, as she glances down in embarrassment. "I'm afraid I don't have an animal at the moment. I was hoping to catch and train a falcon once we'd arrived, or perhaps purchase a trained one from Oleg here, though it doesn't look like he sells them. All of which will be too late for this battle."
"They should be here in the next day or two. I've got a longbow you could borrow if that's your bent, but I expect it back before you leave." Oleg looks considerate at Fyrek's questions. "There's a lot a plants outside, but I keep my courtyard clean. Bet I could get some feedbags up on the roof to make some cover. Seems like it'd be mighty obvious though, might tip the bastards off. Seems like pits and earthernworks would be the same, it's too easy to see from real far away out on the plains."
Oleg looks excited at Daen's plan. "Aye, there's even some grass outside the gate, the only way they could flee would be into the compound. Put me and your friends on the roofs and we'll fire down from all sides." The man seems far more animated than he has been previously, and his wife smiles to see it.
Daen gave Oleg an unpracticed, but pained expression of a smile. "It would be best if you let them in, Oleg. If they didn't expect anything other than being given their normal tribute they may not fall into our ambush. Lead them back over here and Dmitri could step in front of you, keeping them from attacking you directly and our ambush should quickly take care of most of the threats. It is still dangerous for you, but as I said earlier, getting involved in the combat part of our plan should be voluntary.
"If you can cut off their retreat Fyrek, I could instead fight alongside of Dmitri, making it safer for Oleg if he is concerned about that. My stealth behind the door is the weakest point of our plan so far, so I'm open to other options. Perhaps if there were a pile of goods near the entrance I could hide under the tarp instead. I'm afraid that my magical studies haven't included many stealth considerations, though it is the best strategy in this situation." He concluded his statements in his normal wooden style. Hopefully their plan would work, but it would be hard to tell until the moment of truth.
"Ah how I wish I had a crossbow... I'm not even skilled with a longbow, so someone else should use it... That of course leaves me with no missile weapon, but I could stand behind the gates when the are opened and be ready to engage them directly. Unless of course someone has a spare missile weapon I can use."
"Destany, I'd be happy to let you use my sling. I can show you how if you haven't used one before. It's a simple weapon -- I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time."
(sorry cannot formet on my phone)
Destany smiles at Fyrek. "i haven't used one since i was a child, but as you say, i'm sure i'll pick it up again in no time. thank you."
"Then it would seem I am the door greeter." he said as he walked away.
Dmitri smiled a bit. It was a little foreboding to say the least. The thoughts of what he could do to a man freely because of the restrictions being lifted off of him by his divine rights were... enjoyable.
He looked around though, mostly curious. He knew little of both of the women. He'd known that Destany was rather squeemish the first time they'd met, and Fyrek was rather open about her own religion, and actually heard him out about his own. Secrets weren't something Dmitri liked to keep, as he was open about just about everything.
He wished to learn more of everyone in the group, but, he wasn't going to be the one to start up a chatty campfire. Instead, he more worried about another potential debacle. The bandit leader was... a woman.
Dmitri wasn't allowed to harm women.
His own devices spread thoughts of alliance with the bandits. Perhaps he could goad them into... a rather lovely diplomacy. Surely with his own looks he could gain an audience, whether forcefully or through his much-beloved silver tongue.
He looked over to Fyrek, attempting to catch her attention rather subtlely, as she was the only one he thought would understand his position on this. He beckoned her over, at least 20 feet away from the rest of the group.
"You know," Fyrek added, "I'm not usually that concerned with the legal niceties, but as long as we've got the time..."[b] Fyrek begins speaking very quickly in a voice that is practically a monotone. [b]"We've been authorized by the King to enforce the laws, especially as regards to banditry. Oleg and Svetlana, you've made an official complaint of banditry, the penalty for which is death. Do you both swear that the information you've given is true?"
Fyrek paused for them to reply, and then keeps going.
"Sounds like the group you've described is guilty, and subject to execution. We may allow them to surrender, and may give them a sentence of less than death after examining them, but that will entirely depend on circumstances. If practical, please let us know if any who arrive have not previously been involved in banditry."
Fyrek looks around at her companions for approval. "Is that done? Then done. Now it's official. And I am officially ready to rest and prepare for the bandits."
Fyrek stands, then notices Dmitri beckoning her. She walks back outside, inclining her head that he should join her.
Dmitri shrugs his shoulders, not one to say no, and either way is perfectly fine. He walks out along with her, and as they leave, he makes mention of something rather serious.
"I may have a problem with these bandits in the future, Fyrek..."
His tone is a bit grim, but it's more worry than foreboding.
"Oh, I don't imagine they'll be that much of a problem. We certainly have our work cut out for us, but I think the plan that Daen has put together will make work beautifully."
Fyrek turns to look at Dmitri, and sees as much worry in his eyes as before. Not that then. What could be bothering him? She thinks back on her earlier conversation with him.
"It's possible some of these bandits are women -- we don't know. How strict is your injunction against 'harm'? Can you knock her unconscious if you know it will keep one of us from killing her? If she hurts you first? Are you allowed to swing your scythe wildly and look threatening while the rest of us attack?"
"I don't want to put you in a situation where you don't feel comfortable -- just let me know what you need."
"Harm is... allowed, but... Killing her is strictly out of the question for me, and the other 2 men. I would greatly appreciate it if we could leave her alive...
Dmitri pauses for a moment, pondering plenty of thoughts. He's been open about his religion plenty of times, but this woman seems to actually be paying attention to the details, which makes him smile a little.
"I could very easily reason with the female members of bandits. If they fall in combat..." As he pondered the thought his mind flooded with horrific images of the women falling and himself parting his own flesh in the usual atonement dance. He'd only had to do it one time before, and he'd barely survived the ritual.
His eyes were wide with life, but, a small tear appeared in his right eye. He collected his senses quickly and wiped it away.
"I guess what I'm trying to ask is along the lines of planning. These bandits could possibly be converted to serve the kingdom, provided we cut them off at the source. If this woman rules them, I could potentially coax her into joining our cause, making the kingdom..."
She looked at her with serious eyes, although a hint of worry was apparent.
Fyrek bit her lip pensively. There are strictures, and then there are strictures, and the tenets of Dmitri's faith seemed inconveniently restrictive, given their mission. Still, you work with what you've got. And Dmitri was certainly handy enough with his scythe to be worth a lot of inconvenience.
Besides, as long as Fyrek wore shoes she could hardly fault someone else's piety -- she could only be shamed by it.
"I believe in mercy...within reason. I don't think anyone would be upset if you convinced them to surrender. I can't promise they won't hang afterwards -- it depends on how much they help us -- and what they've done."
She watched Dmitri's reaction very carefully. Then she leaned closer to him, speaking very clearly.
"I do hope you remember these bandits' crimes. They have attacked the local homesteaders -- men and women both. And they will keep doing that if we don't stop them. I expect you to do everything you can to make sure we do."
Fyrek listens to his response, then returns inside.
Dmitri closes his eyes for a long moment, but eventually sighs a bit of a mournful sigh.
"As you wish. I will atone for the rest of you, however, I would simply request audience with their leader. I may be able to make an arrangement we could all easily agree on.
"I'm not one for lies, and so, I will inform you that I came to this adventure for my own selfish desires, as well as the worship of my wonderful Lilith, but, the scale of this is greater than I'd imagined... With that being said, gaining assistance from the bandits could hasten the construction and further our goals, but not before the transgressors pay in life. I will be the one to pass judgement on this... woman leader.
His words were stoic, and his expression was stern. He obviously wasn't happy with the thought of women dieing, despite their actions. With such a religion, if anyone truly took the time to delve into it, they would understand why. Maybe he'd tell them at some point... maybe soon. The sooner the better.
Dmitri seemed pretty troubled about something, but Fyrek took him aside and seemed to talk things out. Dmitri seemed a little fuzzy on the details of the mission, but the druid always seemed supportive of Daen's plans, so it was likely she would straighten out any particulars.
Having a sling himself, he found some stones and practiced a little with Destany in the afternoon. He also chatted a bit with Blake about his "projectile" weapons, and set up a watch system that would give them advance warning about the approach of bandits.
After hearing Oleg's position, the half elf set out to make preparations for his place of stealth. Just being quiet and unobtrusive was never enough for him in his father's castle when his brothers were looking for someone to beat up. Ingenuity was the best way to make oneself scarce, and he had been rather good at it until he had gotten tall.
He spent some time looking for suitable camouflage, and settled on some barrels that were near the entrance. One on either side was good, and the one in the middle required a little modification. Loosening the ring around the top so the planks had some give and turning it upside down, he could blend in perfectly as long as he stayed inside the barrel. It was rather uncomfortable, and it took some time to set up, so hopefully they would have enough time to get into his hiding spot between the time they were seen and the time they were coming in. The only trouble is if they thought some barrels by the wall somewhat behind the wall was suspicious.
He couldn't imagine being more ready for this with the resources and people they had. Hopefully it would run smoothly, but there was really only one way to find out.
Destany practices a bit with the sling, then makes sure she has plenty of bullets. She hadn't used a sling since childhood, but it was a skill like any others and not easily forgotten.
Before the bandits are scheduled to arrive, she takes her place on the walls, hidden but able to stand and fire when needed...
Fyrek watched as Daen and Destany took target practice with their slings. It reminded her that she hadn't used a bow in a long time -- not since her father had taken hers away, calling it 'unladylike'. He was just being cruel, of course, by that time he'd had no illusions that she would ever be considered a lady.
So she took her turns at the targets as well, and was reasonably satisfied at how she performed, especially at close range. It had definitely been too long since last she shot, but the practice helped. If only the bandits would stand as still as the targets.
After they finished she climbed onto the roof and, following Daen's suggestion found a spot she would be hidden while laying prone, but would give her a good view of both the ambush spot and the front gate when standing. It would do nicely.
That evening, as they were finishing up dinner, she mentioned to the others, "Dmitri has requested that we avoid attacking any women among the bandits, if we can. We shouldn't make things any more dangerous for ourselves -- this ambush will be challenging enough -- but if you have a choice, it would be nice to honor his request. We should probably focus on taking out their leader in the green cloak anyway."
Fyrek thanked Oleg and Svetlana for their hospitality once again and then retired for the night. She slept restlessly -- partially from being indoors and partially because her first true battle was at hand. In the morning, she meditated upon the Barefoot Hunter, and asked for him to provide Entangle and Aspect of the Falcon in addition to her usual orisons.
Dmitri sat close to the front gate, leaned up against the wall. He heaved a sigh, knowing all too well that women may be potentially harmed in the coming fights. He closed his holy text, and cracked his knuckles. He opened his arms wide, and then embraced himself, wrapping his arms around himself as much as possible.
Ironically enough, this was the prayer method of Lilithayans. It was to symbolize the deity's love of her worshipers in the embrace. To speak words during this wasn't necessary, as emotions played a key role. If the devout truly felt the way they did during the embrace, then that was easy enough for Lilith to understand.
Dmitri was worried, and mostly sad that all this was about to happen. However, even deeper, he was excited for the soon-to-be frenzy... He couldn't wait for all this to happen, but he has enough sense in his blood lust to avoid the women.
The night is quite quiet and subdued, with everyone looking toward their tasks when the bandits arrive. Dinner is nice, and Svetlana opens a bottle of wine to celebrate your arrival. There is a washing area behind the bunkhouse for those who wish a bath and the bunkhouse holds a partition to keep the male and female sections separate. It begins to rain during the night, the onset of spring mixing with the last dregs of winter to make it chill but not uncomfortably so. The next morning is overcast and the rain comes down steadily, quickly making the courtyard inside the fort into a quagmire of mud and puddles.
The bandits are spotted by whoever is on watch about an hour before noon. Four of them, with six horses, two being used as pack animals. The man in the green cloak is easy to spot, though like the others he wears a motley assortment of armor and weapons in green and brown earth tones. Everyone gets into position and waits for about an hour, finally, the bandits ride up to the gates at noon.
"Open the gates old man. Time to give us our tribute for the month." The other bandits hoot and jeer along with the man in green as Oleg opens the gates. The moment Oleg gets them open enough for the horses the bandits ride through, coming close to riding him down as he hurries out of their way. "Hey where's that pretty piece of yours old man?" The man in green asks with a sneer. "Maybe I should make her help me take all your crap onto our horses." The bandits begin to laugh at their crude leader.
The threatening of the woman in question was enough to make Dmitri's blood boil, and the eagerness of the hooves coming toward the gate at the prospect of it was enough to make Dmitri's blood boil over. He wanted to get one particular question out of the way before the fighting began, and that was whether or not there were women or not.
This wasn't some casual assassin, no, this was an entire group of men who'd probably killed before for fun and gain.
As the bandits waft past, Dmitri watches as they entire, kind of happy that they'd not even been aware of his existence. He could easily make out the green man in question, and his brow furrowed. He looked around at the rest of them for a moment, already having his weapon out as they'd been spotted earlier.
He placed his scythe against the dirt, as the anticipation was in the middle of making him go wild. He wanted to draw blood, but, he wanted to go about this by learning as much as possible. He ground it rather audibly in a line as he walked past the gate. He stood in the middle of the opening, finishing his line. It was a death line, to him. If they'd cross it for any reason, they were fair game. Good enough rules, no?
"The fair lady is out, i'm afraid."
Dmitri smirked as he placed his heel firmly on the ground and put his scythe in a defensive stance. He was keen on getting wounded, but this way to make them think twice. His job was to stall, and that was easy enough.
"I've heard stories of you, green man. What say you share a few more? Pardon my stance, but... I'm well aware of your treatment of the "unimportant"
The word "unimportant" in that sentence was Dmitri's sanity biting back at him as he realized that the man who'd ordered the lavish, unpleasant debauchery of the woman was standing right in front of him. His grin was very visible, as he knew very well where this was going to head.
From her perch atop the roof, Fyrek watches the bandits ride into the courtyard, where Dmitri confronts them. His words will doubtless be in vain, but she sees no reason to interrupt them with an arrow. Instead she remains out of sight, and offers a prayer to the Hunter that her aim be true.
Daen crouched in his camouflage as the cocky bandits rushed into the courtyard, with the large doors bumping lightly into the barrels he was hiding inside. They seemed fixed on Dmitri, which was good. He stood up and set the barrel he was in on the one next to him as quietly as he could. He didn't expect them to bring horses, which complicated matters a little. Hopefully they would dismount and deal with the man at the end of the trap so Blake could use his chemical weapons. If no one else tipped their hand, they shouldn't have to deal with any runners, but just in case he prepared to close the door that blocked his view of the action to seal in any bandits who were looking to escape if he heard anything of the sort going on beyond the door.
Destany stays perched on her elevated spot and waits for Dmitri to start things off with either diplomacy or hostilities. Either one is fine with her, though if it is hostilities, she'd rather be up close and personal, with steel in her hands rather than this strap of leather.
Blake stands behind a tree, moving around the side of it as the bandits approach. He slips a bomb into his hand and stands poised. 'While the man may not object, it would probably be within my interests to try to avoid hitting Dmitri.'
He stands back, waiting for some kind of signal before letting fly with the bomb.
"What the..." The man pulls his horse up with a near-rear as he listens, stunned by Dmitri's boldness. "You standing in our way prettyboy? This territory belongs to the Stag Lord. Don't you dare get in our way. I'm Happs Bydon, and if you don't walk out of here right now I'll kill you." He motions for his men and they draw their weapons. "So out of the way prettyboy, before I burn this place to the ground."
Leader:
Blake:23
Destany:
Daen:
Fyrek:
Dmitri:16
Order: Blake, Destany, Fyrek, Bandits, Daen, Leader, Dmitri