Marikel steps forward.
"Let's just skip the pleasantries and move on," he scowls.
"I'm going to provide some light. The spell is harmless. Then you'll show us the girl."
He pauses a moment before following through.
Marikel's cantrip lights up the cavern and reveals Skreed Gorewillow standing just at the edge of the darkness deeper into the cave. He obligingly steps forward so that he is more visible and smiles pleasantly at the group. "I'm sure you meant to say, I'll show you the girl and you'll show me the stone, yes? She's just around the corner. Would you like to send the dwarf to check?" He gestures to the darkness to his left.
Dorn cuts his eyes toward Marikel. "Whaddaya think, lad? I'll do it if ya be needin' me to. I don't trust 'im either," he says plainly and unconcerned, cutting his vision back to the half-orc.
Mahath touches his thigh, reassuring himself that the tingling pressure of the mage armor is still there. He glances at the ground to see if he can identify any giant lizard tracks, but he doesn't really know what to look for. He too glances at Markiel, waiting for a cue to retrieve the stone from his pack.
"I can check myself."
Marikel glances to Mahath.
"Stay here, for now."
He advances slowly into the cave, peering around corner.
Gorewillow politely withdraws nearer the eastern wall of the cavern so as not to crowd Marikel as he investigates. Around the corner, the cave floor ascends in rough and irregular natural steps. Among more scattered bones and multiple bare branches that might have been last season's nesting material, Zola Sawyer is sitting, dirty and unkempt but outwardly unharmed, her wrists bound and a gag in her mouth. She squints as the light off Marikel's shield suddenly angles around the rocky corner into her face.
A dark shadow briefly crosses Marikel's face.
"Your father sent us to help. If you're alright, I want you to stand and walk towards me. Mahath, bring the stone around the corner and show we have it."
Mahath stows his cudgel. He reaches over his shoulder, drawing the stone from his haversack. He holds the stone tightly in both hands, as though he were expecting it to try and escape of its own accord. He steps forward carefully around the corner, taking in the scene.
A dark shadow briefly crosses Marikel's face.
"Your father sent us to help. If you're alright, I want you to stand and walk towards me. Mahath, bring the stone around the corner and show we have it."
Zola pushes her hair back out of her face awkwardly with a forearm and does her best to look dignified as she struggles to her feet and advances carefully toward Marikel, trying not to stumble over the debris littering the cavern floor.
He holds the stone tightly in both hands, as though he were expecting it to try and escape of its own accord. He steps forward carefully around the corner, taking in the scene.
Gorewillow can't conceal his eagerness as Mahath produces the stone. He doesn't move toward the wizard, but his fingers involuntarily flex as if to grasp his treasure. "The girl for the stone: that was the deal. Set it on the floor and leave it as you lead her out."
Dorn keeps a stern eye upon the half-orc. I don't like this at all. While I'm not one for sacrificin' someone for a stone, I've got a bad feelin' about this trade. We're gonna have ta find a way ta get that stone back. And I'm thinkin' sooner rather than later.
Marikel sheathes his sword and takes Zola by an arm. As he walks her to the entrance, he nods at Mahath.
Mahath grimaces and crouches down. He lays the stone on the ground with great care, choosing a slight indentation where it is certain to not roll. Then he steps back away from it.
Gorewillow stays in place, but his eyes dart sharply between the stone and the retreating party. "Pleasure doing business," he calls to Marikel when they reach the cavern entrance. "I admire a man who keeps his side of a bargain." He touches the brim of his hat in farewell.
"Probably doesn't meet that many," Marikel mutters removing the bonds and gag from Zola.
"How are you, Miss Sawyer?" he asks leading her away from the cave.
"'Pleasure doin' business'," the dwarf mocks quietly in a mocking voice of mockingness. "I'll pleasure ya doin' business with me hammer upside yer head," he mutters under his breath, keeping an eye on the half-orc until he's completely out of sight.
Once Skreed is gone, Dorn makes his way toward the others. "So when do we leave? I mean, we're goin' after that walkin' piece of scum, right? We're not goin' ta just let 'im get away with the stone, are we?"
Alicia stays in the shadows, watching the mouth of the cave until the others are a safe distance away. She then rejoins them.
"How are you, Miss Sawyer?" he asks leading her away from the cave.
"Dreadful!" she responds as soon as the gag is removed. "I haven't had a bath since Father sent me away from Trunau, and those people eat like animals! No plates, no utensils, no napkins! Everything I'm wearing is just going to have to be burned! I thought I was going to Vigil! I've never seen Vigil; I hear it's lovely. What's going on anyway? What was that rock, and why did he want it so badly?"
After making sure they aren't being followed, Alicia rejoins the others. "A magic rock that he'll probably use to turn you into a zombie," she says to Zola. Under her breath--but slightly too loudly--"Not that that's much different from your usual."
"It's alright, Miss Sawyer." Marikel glares at Alicia then turns to Dorn. "Vigil is lovely, but we'll be returning you to your father in Trunau. He didn't give you to that man though, did he? What can you tell us about your journey and the people that abducted you?"
The dwarf cuts his attention toward the child, curious as to her answer.
Skyreaver has found himself a place to rest near the others, seemingly unconcerned about anything.
"Vigil is lovely, but we'll be returning you to your father in Trunau. He didn't give you to that man though, did he? What can you tell us about your journey and the people that abducted you?"
"Well, they were awfully crude and smelly," Zola replies, "although of course I knew not to expect any better of common guides. Father said I would take a ferry down the Kestrel to Vigil; but the first night out, before we even got to the river, we stopped at a dumpy little farmhouse of some kind to spend the night, and when I got up in the morning, this woman had arrived. The guides all seemed to know and expect her, and she said I wouldn't be going any further. I was locked in there with them for ages, and one day she took my earring and said my father could have that much back for free but he'd have to pay to get any more than that. Then, after a while, that half-orc showed up and said he'd be taking me home, and I never got to see Vigil or even get on the boat!"
Marikel looks carefully about the area and leads Zola back up to the horses.
"I can't guarantee you the esteemed company to which you've become accustomed, but we will be returning you to your father and asking him some more questions about these people he hired. We'll also be getting the exact location of that farmhouse from you. We may be paying a visit there after you're safely home."
Marikel looks about the others.
"If we're all in agreement..."
Nodding, "Ready when you are, lad."
Mahath nods, then finds his voice. "Yes. It will be nice to take the focus of all of this away from town."
"I can't guarantee you the esteemed company to which you've become accustomed, but we will be returning you to your father and asking him some more questions about these people he hired."
"Does he have my other earring?" she asks, putting a hand to one ear self-consciously. "I feel just silly wearing only one, but of course I wasn't going to take the other one out: I was sure those people would steal it if I gave them the chance."
Alicia sneers in contempt. "Yes, he does. Be glad you still have your ear."
Zola shoots Alicia a nasty look but doesn't deign to address her. "I'm sure I couldn't tell you where exactly that farmhouse was. I mean, knowing where we're going was the guide's job. I just went with them. It's between Trunau and the Kestrel ... unless they were lying about that, too." She stops and thinks a moment. "It is near the river, though. We left the farmhouse and took a raft to get to that dark cave. And we floated on the current. So the farm has to be upriver from that cave, right?" She looks very pleased with herself for figuring that out.
"Yes. Well done, Miss Sawyer. We'll make haste back to Trunau. If there's anything else you can remember that may be useful, please share."
Marikel raises his eyebrows at Alicia behind Zola's back.
Alicia shrugs nonchalantly at Marikel, not even bothering to look innocent to the cleric.
The group mounts their horses and turns back toward Trunau as the sun begins to sink behind the peaks of the Mindspin Mountains to the west.
Leaving immediately should (barring any adventures along the way) get the group to the river shortly before nightfall; if the party were to wait and leave at dawn, they could expect to arrive at the Kestrel by noon and have more daylight ahead of them to deal with whatever they find there.
As darkness falls, Marikel pushes for the group to continue.
"Mister Dorn, if you could lead us with your sight for an hour or so. While I appreciate the need for rest, I'd like to first distance us from that unpleasant location."
Nodding, "You got it, lad. No problem at all." Dorn quickly looks over at Skyreaver to make sure he's near and then proceeds to lead the way.
Dorn keeps the party moving forward, though the horses are uneasy being led through the dark of a cloudy night. After a while, the party's apprehension is joined by discomfort as a light rain starts falling.
"Ugh, this is miserable!" Zola complains, huddled over her horse's neck. "Isn't there anywhere dry we can stop?"
Mahath rolls his eyes and mutters quietly "We could drop you off in Dis."
Dorn lets out a slight chuckle. "She's a funny one," he mutters under his breath. "Alright; probably best we find us some shelter and call it a night. What do ya think, lad?" he asks Marikel. "We surely don't need the lass there gettin' sick on us if we were ta drive all night. I could just see that goin' over well with you know who." he says with an emphatic wink and nod, dreading the thought of having to deal with the girl's annoying father.
"Yes, we'll stop and find a decent place to rest. Hopefully the rain will discourage followers and predators."
As Marikel turns his back to Zola, the faintest trace of a smirk might have touched his lips.
Opportunities for shelter are scarce in the scrubby badlands, but Dorn locates a large rock with a bit of an overhang, and the horses' packs contain tents and bedrolls, as well as some dry trail ration.
"Hmm, Mr Dorn. Do we need a fire to keep predators at bay, or will it attract their attention? I know moths are drawn to flame. I'm not sure of wolves, though."
"Aye, I'll get one started. A fire will do us good. And if predators just so happen upon us, well, then that'll be somethin' for us to kill. And possibly some food for 'Reaver," he says, winking.
It takes some doing to get the wet brush Dorn collects to light, but he eventually gets a small fire blazing in the dryish space next to the rock.
"Ugh," Zola shudders at the food and the bedroll and the weather and the makeshift shelter all together. "I'll never be able to sleep in these conditions." Ten minutes later, she's taking up most of the dry ground and snoring.
Alicia rolls her eyes and tries to shove Zola back onto her own side of the dry ground. "Don't wake me up unless something happens."
Dorn can't help but chuckle at Zola and Alicia. "No worries, lass, we got it covered."
"Many thanks, Mister Dorn. I'll take the first watch, you get some rest. Mister Mahath, if the final watch suits you."
Marikel nods to others and takes up a guard position.
The group is just settling down to try to get some sleep, despite the wet ground, when the horses start to shift and sidestep, nickering uneasily.
Marikel, still alert, stands and readies his shield.
He makes his way towards the horses, peering intently into the darkness. As he reaches the edge of the campfire's light, he pushes his sword forwards and mutters a prayer.
His sword bursts into light.
Mahath settles in to sleep until he is awoken for his watch.
At the edge of the ring of firelight, Marikel ignites his sword. Twenty-five feet away, in the dim light, he sees a familiar figure: a flood troll.
Marikel thrusts his sword high and swings it down with a prayer cried to Iomedae, and a copy of his sword appears beside the troll. The spiritual weapon slashes down at the troll.