Ali rolls her eyes at Marikel. "Yes, and I also told you I saw him talking with a half-orc from the flophouse in the alley the night Kerst was murdered."
"Miss Alicia," Marikel says kindly, "there were dozens of people talking to half-orcs the night Kerst was murdered. While I'm not surprised Councilor Sawyer would know about his own tunnels, if he was aware of the abominations within he may know what caused them."
"I wouldn't put anythin' past that one. I still think he's daft for sendin' his own daughter on a trip durin' such a time. Daft I tell ya!" he nods vehemently.
Ali snorts in response to Marikel. "Yeah--him."
"Miss Alicia, I do not credit Councilor Sawyer with the intellect required to create the undead, nor to mastermind an attack by one of the more uncivilised orcish tribes. Like Mister Dorn, I believe the good councilor to be an idiot. But one who will stop at nothing to protect his own shortsighted interests. If he released some evil down there it would require extreme measures for him to admit it, even if it threatens those very lives he would protect."
Marikel sighs.
"The immediate threat to our lives is passed."
Marikel addresses the group.
"I'd like to thank each of you for your efforts today. You've fought bravely and well, and faced dangers lesser people would have fled from. While others may question you, I have trusted each of you with my life. I was not disappointed and I would trust each of you again. Forget the doubters. Let's take a moment to rest. You've earned it."
Marikel manages a weary smile.
The party picks their way over and round the sleeping townsfolk and arrive at the doorway of the large room. Here are sleeping people as well, but it is clear that this area has been designated for care for the wounded. Cots and pallets toward the middle of the room are occupied by bandaged sleepers, and Tyari Varvatos is awake but weary-looking, talking quietly with Brantos Calderon.
In the back corner, Brinya Kelver is asleep sitting up, leaning against the wall, with many of her small charges huddled on the floor around her.
Nodding, "Aye, I think you've got it right, laddie. A bit o' rest sounds good. It's been a blasted long day." As they make their way around, "Now me next question is: Where in Torag's beard are we suppose ta get that rest? This place is packed. I guess I could manage a rest like that one over there," he points toward the Brinya character who has managed to catch some shut-eye sitting up. "Gotta hand it ta that one ... that's determined," he says with a grin that clearly defines the dwarf as quite impressed with the woman's ability to sleep in such a manner.
Brantos glances up as the group enters. "Ah, here he is," he grins, approaching enthusiastically to clasp Marikel's hand in greeting. "Man of the hour, eh? And Alicia, well done indeed. I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he goes on in a hearty whisper out of consideration for those sleeping, smiling politely to Dorn, Mahath, and Levvy. "Brantos Calderon. An honor to meet you."
Marikel's face twists into the semblance of a smile and he remembers to extend his hand for the paladin.
"Thank you, Brantos," Marikel manages to say. "Permit me to introduce Mister Dorn, Mister Mahath and Miss Levvy, real heroes of Trunau. They defeated the waves of Twisted Nail attackers at the gatehouse and ensured that our troops wouldn't fall back into an ambush."
"And it was Miss Alicia here," Marikel rests a strong hand on her shoulder, "who cut down the Cave Giant you were looking for."
Alicia grunts in very lady-like fashion at the mention of her name, her eyes wandering the room as she looks for Ruby.
Alicia spies Ruby among the sleeping children gathered around the schoolmarm.
With a curt nod to herself after she sees that Ruby is safe, Ali turns her attention back to Marikel and Brantos. "You have it easy up here," she says to Brantos. "Doesn't bother me, though. Orcs killed my parents--least I can do is return the favor."
Marikel winces, and coughs politely.
"Actually," Marikel speaks as if with effort, "Brantos was with the Chief Defender harrying the Twisted Nail as they marched on Trunau."
He takes a breath. "How did that go? What happened? Were there any... issues?"
Brantos shakes his head. "Nasty surprise when we saw those cave giants, of course. But the Chief Defender is a fine tactician, certainly worthy of her high reputation. We picked off as many as we could from a distance in harrying maneuvers, but that considerably diminished our supply of arrows. We had to leave a few of the giants and hope that the bowmen on the palisades could take care of them. Or Alicia, of course." He offers her a playful wink.
Alicia folds her arms and averts her eyes. She grunts again, trying very hard to look like the sullen teenager she is. Still, she can't help but blush a little at the compliment.
The priestess joins the group. "You have both represented the mission admirably," she affirms Marikel and Brantos. "I have heard nothing but good things about your bravery in combat from the wounded I've had the privilege to treat. I believe that not only the citizens of Trunau won a victory this day, but the church of the Inheritor as well. There is no bond like that forged fighting side by side in common cause." She turns her attention to the others. "Alicia, you are well? And the rest of you, are you in need of any attention?"
Marikel looks from Brantos to Alicia and fire from a nearby torch flares briefly in his eyes.
He looks up as Tyari arrives.
"Ah, Miss Varvatos. We're well. How are you doing?" he asks her carefully.
"As Alicia says," she smiles at the girl, "I've had it easy up here: healing soldiers who could be sent back out into the fray, bandaging those more seriously injured, and trying to get a sense of the battle from the reports they brought back. Brantos has been able to inform me of the expedition's exploits; I hope that you can give me a fuller account of the combat on this side of the walls. But tomorrow," she insists, "after you've all had some rest."
Alicia shrinks back into herself further, her scowl growing deeper at the additional attention. "Yeah, well...."
Marikel nods and turns away. His shoulders slump as he reaches a patch of wall and lowers himself to the floor. He peels pieces of armour from himself, but doesn't finish before he falls asleep.
Despite the spartan accommodations, exhaustion after a long day of stress and combat brings sound sleep to the party. They awake in the morning as the Patrol are changing shifts; around them, others are stirring as men and women too old for active fighting are doing their part by passing around warm and nourishing, if bland and unappetizing, bowls of gruel to the waking citizenry.
Marikel awakens sore and tired but quickly pulls himself to his feet with years of discipline. He gathers his armour and carefully moves outside to a quiet area where he settles in to say his morning prayers followed by some practice drills with his sword.
He returns awake, alert and hungry.
The mood inside the Longhouse this morning is quietly upbeat. While the citizens of Trunau know that there will be some rebuilding to do, the successful repulse of the Twisted Nail attackers has filled them with optimism and civic pride. Warriors both inside and outside the walls are trading stories with each other about what they did and saw, and noncombatants are listening eagerly to all of them.
Among the cluster of schoolchildren Brinya Kelver is keeping together, Zechariah Landon is holding court in the midst of a mob of fervent admirers.
Ali awakens in a foul mood that is made fouler by Landon's boasting. As soon as she is awake and aware, she walks over and sucker punches him. "What the heck were you thinking, running off like that?! You're lucky to be alive!" she scolds.
Squawks of surprise and protest arise from the children as Alicia accosts the boy.
"I was defending my home," Zechariah blurts angrily, "resisting the orcs with all my strength, neither running nor hiding, and standing firm next to my neighbors!" Everyone recognizes the well-worn words of the Standing Vow. "We ain't all Lastwall spies!" The last epithet is flung as an accusation.
The schoolmistress, having started in that direction as soon as Alicia attacked, arrives in time to interpose herself between the child and the rogue. "We'll hear no talk like that this morning," she tells Zechariah firmly, gripping his shoulder. "Have you been so busy bragging you haven't heard how the followers of Iomedae served the town yesterday?"
Alicia stares daggers at Zechariah. "Part of which was only necessary because we were looking for you, you snot-nosed brat."
Brinya gives both Zechariah and Alicia a firm look. "There's no need for name-calling. We're all on the same side here. Save your aggression for the orcs."
The rogue rolls her eyes and stalks off to wash up and find food.
Mahath looks up when the yelling starts, but goes back to studying his spellbook. Sitting cross legged with his back to a wall, he makes notes in his spellbook on formulations that he is still working through.
He also notes when Marikel rises and prays. He keeps the warrior priest at the edge of his attention, knowing that when it is time to gather or move,he'll probably be the one to initiate it.
Periodically he looks up and scans the hall for any sign of Levvy, always looking down with a grimace when he doesn't see her. I should look for her he thinks, but doesn't act on it. If that vermin Neddy has been whispering to her again, she could show up any time, or be gone for days or weeks. Still, he couldn't help but check the room one more time for her.
Marikel marches back in and looks around. His gaze wanders over his companions and rests on Brinya Kelver. He approaches her and nods respectfully.
"Miss Brinya. I trust you're holding up well? And the children? Are they all...?"
He looks them over and gives Ruby a nod when he sees her.
"All accounted for," she assures him. "Now."
Ruby gives the priest something that might be a smile or a grimace, caught between reflected glory from the achievements of her guardians and adolescent mortification at not being just like everyone else.
Marikel ensures his voice carries across the assembled children. "Excellent. I'm sorry we were... distracted. What with all the running around yesterday, Miss Alicia only got to kill one cave giant."
He looks round to the others.
"If you'll excuse us, we have to make some more reports."
"Hey! But it was a load of fun though, right, lad? It may have just been one but one is better than none!" he nods, giving a wink. "By the way, when you say 'reports' who is it are we ta be reportin' to?"
"Miss Varvatos wanted to hear our account of the battle," Marikel replies his voice still loud enough for the children to hear. "While the slaying of the cave giant by Miss Alicia was witnessed by many, there's also our defeat of the traitor's at the Killin' Ground and retaking the Lower Gate from them."
With a polite nod to Brinya, Marikel departs.
Giving a two-fingered salute/wave goodbye, "Have a nice day, lads and lasses." The dwarf then follows after the healer.
The party takes their leave from the Longhouse, the Patrol standing dutiful if slightly bored guard at the door waving them through without question; their heroics of the previous day clearly categorize them as able-to-take-care-of-themselves rather than in-need-of-protection. Having been informed that the priestess has returned to Sanctuary to check the building's condition, the group heads back down Bloodmarch Hill.
In the morning light, the damage done to the town is evident. The treasured trees in the Inner Quarter are badly charred, but the town's famed elven hermit/druid Silvermane is moving intently between the blackened trunks. As they pass through the gates they defended yesterday, they see a couple of Sara Morninghawk's smiths taking apart the broken portcullis mechanism.
The Lower Quarter is crawling with activity, as the palisade is under active repair and the owners and occupants of property that was in the way of the battlefield are assessing the damage. Cham Larringfass and the small army of halflings that is her staff are swarming in and around the Ramblehouse. The door of Sanctuary stands open to the morning breeze.
As the party makes its way through town, Alicia can't help but stare at the elven druid, awestruck by the rarity of his elven features.
"REAVER!" the dwarf calls loudly, looking around as they walk. "Where are ya ya blasted bird? Probably sleepin' still," he says to no one in particular. "He's always sleepin'. Or eatin'. Or pickin' at himself. Silly bird," he says with a grin and shake of his head as they walk on, confident the over-sized avian will show up shortly.
Marikel looks around at the destruction and chaos with a grim but determined look. He nods approvingly at the repairs underway but doesn't linger until he comes to the door of Sanctuary.
"Home," he thinks sourly. "For now."
He pauses and calls loudly through the door. "Miss Varvatos?"
He calls again, not as loudly, "Brantos? Anyone?"
As the party makes its way through town, Alicia can't help but stare at the elven druid, awestruck by the rarity of his elven features.
The druid ignores the passing party, in contrast to Dorn's roc, which comes spiraling lazily in to join them as they make their way down the hill, swallowing a last furry bit of what might have been a small marmot it caught for breakfast.
Skyreaver perches atop the mission as the others enter the building in search of Tyari Varvatos.
He pauses and calls loudly through the door. "Miss Varvatos?"
He calls again, not as loudly, "Brantos? Anyone?"
"Back here!" the priestess's voice echoes distantly from inside the mission. Following the sound, the party finds her in a storeroom at the far end of the building, normally a windowless room which is now open to the sky thanks to a crumbling hole where the wall meets the roofline. Inside the room with the priestess is a large rock, surrounded by shingles and broken shards of plaster, presumably thrown over the palisade by one of the Twisted Nail's siege engines.
Tyari is checking the scattered and overturned contents of shelves and crates, sorting that which is irretrievably broken from that which can be salvaged. "This is the main damage to the building," she informs Marikel cheerfully. "Fortunately, winter's almost over, so if we keep the door to the rest of the mission closed and pack the gaps well with rags, we shouldn't have to worry about Ruby and Alicia getting too cold at night. You and Brantos can climb up and attach a tarpaulin to keep the rain out until we can get it repaired. We'll wait until everyone else in Trunau has completed their own repairs, of course, and employ local labor."
"Of course," Marikel echoes.
"Is there anything else we can do to help right now," Marikel's eyes scans the wreckage, "or were you just after the details of yesterday's battle?"
He gestures to the others. "My companions here each selflessly risked their lives to stop the treachery that happened at the lower gate.""
Waving off the healer, "Nah! 'Twas nothin'. All in a day's work when it comes ta riddin' ourselves of a couple o' thirty orcs or so," he winks.
"It is a pleasure when duty aligns with inclination, isn't it?" Tyari leaves her work and offers a hand to Dorn and Mahath, her eyes twinkling at the dwarf. "You are Councilor Staginsdar's apprentice, are you not?" she asks Mahath.
"I am her apprentice. Yes." Though for a moment he thinks, Am I still, or am I beyond that now? "I came across these fellows when they were dealing with a breach, and I fell in with them."
"Many comradeships forged in battle prove to be enduring. The Inheritor willing, I trust that the citizens of Trunau and the residents of Sanctuary will fight side by side as allies for years to come."
Echoing down the corridors from the direction of the front door by which the party just entered comes a tentative "Hello? Anyone here?"
Dorn turns in the direction of the call. Stroking his beard in thought a moment, "Aye! There's the lot of us in here!"