Mahath considered splitting off to meet with Agrit. But when the patrolman mentioned the council being in Ivory Hall, he figures she'll be there too. He follows Marikel, shrugging off the fatigue of the day to keep up with the more seasoned warriors.
Following the road up Bloodmarch Hill, the party evaluates the damage as well as they can in the darkness. Unsurprisingly, the Lower Quarter has suffered the most, where the orcs were able to break through the palisade; because of the successful defense of the Inner Gate, the main damage to the Inner Quarter was done by the fires set by Katrezra's saboteurs.
Once the group has shown their token at the Upper Gate and passed through to the Upper Quarter, there is no apparent damage to the town at all; the placards in the window at Russell and Pence are still in place. The only signs of light and activity are at the Longhouse, where Patrol members are still guarding the civilians inside, at least until morning, and at Ivory Hall.
Alicia chews on her lip, thinking about what she remembers of the half-orc she spotted meeting with the corrupt Councilman as she walks. What are they planning? she wonders, not for the first time.
Ivory Hall is the first guardpost the token the party received doesn't get them past. After taking a look at it, the Patrol member replies firmly, "The Council of Defenders is meeting inside. What's your business with them?"
"Greetings," Marikel nods politely to the guard. "Marikel Selentin and squad. We were fighting beside acting Chief Defender Frum this afternoon. He gave us permission to check the outlying farms where we encountered some orcs leaving a secret message for their comrades. We urgently seek the council's advice and further instructions."
"That's right, laddie. We're here ta help. And that there," he points, "is me bird. So dont'cha be shootin' 'im, okay? Just lettin' ya know is all," he nods friendly like.
Levvy just nods politely to the guard. Neddy peaks out from under her robes.
The Patrolman listens to Marikel's explanation, hesitates a moment, then nods to his partner at the door. "Inform the former Patrol Captain," he murmurs.
The woman promptly goes inside and is back at the door quickly. "Right this way, Padre, you and your squadron," she invites him in. "Captain Frum wants to see you."
The interior of Ivory Hall is lit with innumerable oil lamps, and without being crowded, it gives the impression of intense activity, despite the late hour. The Patrolwoman escorts the party down the narrow foyer to the door to the Meeting Room, which stands open. Soldiers and members of the Council of Defenders stand in small knots in the large room; the windows on the southeastern wall are a black mirror of the well-lit interior.
Agrit Staginsdar and Sara Morninghawk are standing by the fireplace, while Lessie Crumkin and Kessen Plumb are seated at one end of the long table. Jagrin Grath, with a long fresh scar at one temple and his arm in a sling is seated in front of the fire with Omast Frum, while Baseil Sawyer is leaning over the chair at the head of the table, where a grimy and exhausted-looking Halgra Blackblade is seated.
"Former?"
Marikel looks quizzically to the others but follows the guard in.
He gives a bow towards Halgra Blackblade when he sees her.
"Chief Defender. It's good to see you again. How...?" Marikel stops himself and looks around instead.
"Former?"
Marikel looks quizzically to the others but follows the guard in.
"Aye, Captain Grath's back safe and sound ... well mostly, as is the Chief Defender, so everyone goes back to their regular titles," she informs him under her breath as they cross the foyer.
He gives a bow towards Halgra Blackblade when he sees her.
"Chief Defender. It's good to see you again. How...?" Marikel stops himself and looks around instead.
Halgra Blackblade spares the priest a tight smile from her place as Baseil Sawyer continues his harangue.
"Padre!" Omast Frum greets the group from across the room, waving them toward his position by the fire. "Told you to be back by dark! But I hear you've come by some information to show for your late arrival?"
"Yessir! We encountered a couple of orcs leaving a secret message."
He looks to the others.
"Mr Dorn's... companion spotted the enemy, Miss Alicia tracked them to their contact point and spied them leaving a broken dagger. We attacked and took one alive who confessed that a broken dagger was a message to their conspirator's that the attack had failed. We left the prisoner with the main gate. No message has been left for the enemy."
Alicia stares at Baseil Sawyer suspiciously.
Alicia's glare seems to draw the councilor's attention, just in time to overhear the end of Marikel's report.
"'Conspirators?'" he repeats with a chuckle, as he moves toward the fireplace. "Orcs aren't known for clever plans, I'm afraid, particularly these barbarians of the Twisted Nail. I hardly think there's more to this than some overambitious shaman stirring things up in the Mindspins. In any event, Trunau has successfully repelled their attack; it will be years before the tribe recovers from their losses and dares to think outside their mountain peaks again."
"You're right, councilor," Marikel nods.
"That means that it wasn't an orc who organised the traitors to sabotage the front gates. Fortunately, we..." Marikel gestures to his able companions, lingering on Alicia just long enough to draw Baseil Sawyer's gaze to her "...we were able to assist Captain Frum in defeating the traitors and repairing the sabotage in time to support our brave defenders."
"This dagger message was left only a few hours ago. We may be able to send someone back there to see who comes for it. Though the conspirator will find nothing when they do."
"Send a squadron out in the orc-infested darkness and weaken the defenses of the town in her hour of need?" Sawyer barks. "Absolutely not!"
"You say these orcs were reporting to someone that their attack failed?" Halgra approaches the group, ignoring Sawyer's response. "Implying that they are in someone's employ?"
"Or in cahoots," Omast Frum grunts with a satisfied nod toward the Chief Defender. "I told you that catapult wasn't built by any damned Twisted Nail handyman."
Alicia mouths, Sawyer.
"You're right again, councilor Sawyer," Marikel says patiently. "An entire squad would be easily seen. A single person would be best, but that would be a risk best judged by the Chief Defender. We may have already missed our chance to find who's employing them."
Marikel sighs and looks to Halgra. "The only good news is that whoever was behind the attack isn't in Trunau. Otherwise they wouldn't need a message left for them. Maybe the prisoner has more information but I doubt it. Did you learn anything in your trials Ma'am?"
Halgra exchanges a long glance with Omast Frum. "They didn't act anything out of the ordinary. Ill discipline, no sense of tactics, straight-ahead brute force: classic Twisted Nail excursion. But as you say, those siege engines! I'd never have believe they could have built those up in the Mindspins. And the cave giants: I suppose it's just possible they trapped them young and raised them, but...."
"They had fuse grenades, too!" Omast points out. "I never heard of no Twisted Nail setting up an alchemical lab."
"They stole them!" Sawyer erupts. "Waylaid a caravan! Isn't it simpler to deduce that thieving savages stole some supplies than to invent some wild conspiracy?"
"As if they'd know how to use the things without help," Alicia chimes in, still staring daggers at the councilor.
"Were you able to get nothing out of the orcs about whom they were leaving the message for?" the Chief Defender asks.
"Miss Levvy said it was a half-orc from Freedom Town," Marikel frowns.
"I'm sorry. I don't speak their tongue."
Marikel looks to Levvy
"Yes, that's what the orc said. A half-orc from Freedom Town. There's been a number of half-orcs come through town, all guided here by Melira, too," Alicia says. And I know you met with one of them in an alley a few nights back too, Sawyer.
Halgra sighs. "Little enough to go on. The question remains, what reason has this mystery half-orc from Freedom Town to attack Trunau?"
"And there's something else," Frum puts in astutely. "We kept a squadron on alert behind the Longhouse, watching that path up the cliff, ready to rain down arrows and rocks and acid and whatever all else on any orcs trying to use their secret back door into town. Never saw an orc one. It's like they didn't even know what those so-called prospectors were up to back there."
"What are you suggesting?" Sawyer snaps.
"Either we've got two sets of enemies at the same time," Frum drawls, "or this fellow from Freedom Town hired the Twisted Nail as a distraction from whatever he was doing on the cliff."
Halgra considers a moment. "Could be that when we turned up on the Twisted Nail's tail, they decided sneaking in was a fool's errand. Or could be some of the saboteurs were supposed to inform the orcs where to go when they got here, but you stopped them from making contact."
Alicia snorts softly. She knew what was going on. She just had to find some sort of proof. "Never known orcs to sneak without a reason."
"It seems to be that the prospectors whose aim was to cut a path up the back of Bloodmarch Hill were just one plot to weaken the defenses of Trunau. Katreza and his service to his dark god was another. If there were any more, they obviously failed in light of the rigorous determination of those loyal to Trunau."
Marikel sighs.
"But, it certainly does seem that the Twisted Nail were being organised by another party, or parties, unknown. And a party that needed to know as soon as possible of Trunau's fall, rather than waiting a week for the news to reach the outside world. I'd guess that whatever they were after is still here. Maybe we should do our own prospecting? Something down there created those undead beetles."
"I've never heard anything so preposterous!" Sawyer snaps. "Trunau has fended off many an orc attack before and will do so again. We live in hostile territory. There's no reason to cook up some cockamamie theory that will only serve to upset people!"
"Calm down, Baseil," Halgra puts in firmly. "Yes, we've fought off orcs before, and we will again ... but you must admit that there are some troubling differences this time around: Kerst's death," she nods her condolences to Jagrin Grath, "the saboteurs, this business of a message being sent to persons unknown. It won't do any harm to organize a thorough search of the caves below the town, once the palisade is repaired."
A thought occurs to the scowling rogue, and she looks around. "Has anyone seen Zola?"
Dorn looks blankly at everyone before asking, "Who's Zola... again? Not sure I know that one."
"What are you implying?" Sawyer demands. "My daughter took advantage of an opportunity to travel. It has nothing to do with ... with anything else."
"Daughter? Oh okay. Well that clears things up. Wait wait wait... travel? Are ya kiddin' me? Ya let yer daughter travel durin' this time? What are ya daft, lad?! No way I'd let my daughter travel with half-orcs headin' this way. I can't for the life o' me think on why you'd do somethin' like that. Well... unless ya just don't like her," he concludes, shrugging, not really having a clue.
Alicia smirks and remains silent.
Marikel squeezes his eyes closed and rubs his temples with his fingers before looking up.
"I think, Chief Defender, that your plan is an excellent one. As Councilor Sawyer said, anything that may weaken the defenses of the town in our hour of need is unacceptable. We must be sure no such weakness is to be found beneath our very noses."
"Indeed," Sawyer responds with an unpleasant sneer. "If there are any in Trunau seeking to weaken the town, let us devote every resource available to rooting them out."
"Thank you for your efforts, all of you," Halgra puts in warmly, her tone a sharp contrast to Sawyer's. "I'm sure you could all use some rest. I'll not forbid you to return to your lodging in the Lower Quarter, but it's far from secure down there tonight. I believe your fellow clergy," she addresses Marikel directly for a moment, "are in the Longhouse with most of the rest of the town. I can't promise a luxurious accommodations, but it will be the safest place in town to grab some shut-eye before we start trying to set things to rights in the morning."
Alicia snorts. Wonder if anyone'd say a word if I put a dagger in that man's back.
"Thank you, Chief Defender. I'll join my fellow clergy in the Longhouse and let them know we survived."
Marikel flicks his gaze briefly toward Baseil Sawyer. "Hopefully, none of them were hurt defending Trunau."
Taking leave of the Council, the party wearily trudges back out into the night and back along the road to the Longhouse. The guards at the door there offer no challenge: the building is a safe haven for all who need it tonight, and the only prerequisite for entry is not to be an orc.
Inside, every square foot of surface is covered with humanity, including the corridors which are an obstacle course of prone figures wrapped in blankets. The actual bunks are occupied by mothers squeezed in tight with their children. A quiet murmur of conversation can be heard from a large room at the back, generally used for sparring practice or a muster of the Patrol, indicating that anyone still active can be found there.
Alicia grumps her way toward the large room in the back, more curious to see who's back there than anything. Wonder if Ruby's still awake, she wonders silently.
As they walk back, Mahath asks the others "Why did Sawyer seem so alarmed when the undead beetles were brought up? Was that some sort of raw nerve for him?"
Marikel frowns.
"I thought Councilor Sawyer was just upset. I didn't realise the beetles were a sore point. While I believe he has much to hide, I didn't see him being connected to the attacks. After all, he obviously knows if the attack succeeded or failed. But if he knows about the tunnel where Kerst was killed..."
Marikel nods.
"Didn't someone say those tunnels were once Sawyer's?"