Ardell heads into the cold night air.
"Um, doesn't he want a bed?" Svetlana asks.
"I'm sure he does. Don't worry Svetlana. I've known Ardell a long time. He's a good man, but he has a poetic streak."
Matrak gives a very exaggerated yawn and stretch. 'Yes, sleeping always good before big fight. Tomorrow we deal with bandits'. He picks up his pack and heads for the stables.
Svetlana looks puzzled and says, "But, don't you want to know how many you'll be facing? Admittedly, we don't think there'll be many of them. The second and third time they came, only the crude, hooded man accompanied them."
"The second visit, he came with only six other men, and then the third time with only four."
Oleg interjects, "They think they've got us cowed! We'll teach 'em to let their guard down!"
Svetlana continues, "Hopefully, there'll be even fewer of them tomorrow. And hopefully, the scary woman won't be with them."
"Oh, to answer your question, Pavla," Svetlana remembers, "We just wait in the yard, as they load the furs and goods onto their horses. Maybe you could hide in the guest house or the stable and rush them whilst they're busy."
"Aye, gut those leering bastards." Oleg growls, "And when you're done, I'll hang from the south palisade as a warning to any others who might want to try their luck."
"Do you think they might actually bring more then you're seeing? I mean, might they keep some men out of sight, watching the exchange, in case of an ambush? If not, I think hiding in the guest house and stable might work well, to attack them from two sides."
"Kari, if you or I put on Svetlana's cloak, we could stay right out in the open. If they do bring reinforcements, we'd see them moving at least."
Pavla idly traces a map of the trading post. "Hiding is good too, but you're right that they might have more people."
Ardell walks in just as Pavla makes her suggestion and light up as if he just solved the whole thing.
”You said they came for fur and trade goods, right? Trade goods can involve many things, even heavy things. It wouldn't be to strange if a couple of heavy sacks were among the goods.. If you know what i mean” He says with a knowing smile.
”If one of you girls were disguised as Svetlana, we would be able to all spring up in the middle of them and finish it quickly.” he hook his thumbs in his belt and looks satisfied with himself.
His face beams once more in enlightenment ”OR! We could even let them take us straight to their camp and ambush them right there and score a heavy wound to the bandits”
Svetlana shakes her head at the disguise idea, "That wouldn't work. They know what I look like and they... get quite close." she says with distaste.
"I'm sure there haven't been any others. We watch them leave and there's never anyone else with them."
"Your plan is to tie ourselves up for them." Korren stares at Ardell in disbelief before shaking his head and turning away.
"Well.. eh.. Loose knots of course"
"Ardell. I can't speak for Kari, but I can tell you there is exactly no way I will allow myself to be tied to a pony for handy transportation to a bandit camp. The other plan is better," she adds more moderately.
"But we won't be tied. We will be in the sacks, with our hand and weapon free and can cut us out. But if you insist on doing it the hard way then let's just do that" he says and cross his arm over his chest.
"You do know that people in a sack look, well, like people in a sack right? A person in a sack doesn't look like, say, wool. Especially since trade goods don't breathe. And, with a hand and sword out, we'd look even less like a sack. I'm just a farmgirl and even I think that's just a really strange idea."
"No, that plan is not feasible, the difference between a sack of grain and a body in a grain sack is quite obvious. Confronting the entire camp from a single position would be folly as well. I'm not even sure all of our weapons would fit in a grain sack, are you sure you're not with the bandits?" Blackbow suggests mockingly...
”Allright, Allright" he says throwing his hands in the air
"I think it's already been established that we don't want things delivered on a silver plate for us. Can we move on already?”
Pavla blushes slightly when she realises that Korren will be sharing her hiding place.
Blackbow will hide up on the balcony, ready to draw down on the bandits from above. (lower left on the map.)
4 squares left and 1 down, so I'll be taking cover behind the barricade.
As per their custom, the bandits arrive an hour after sunrise. From his vantage point, Blackbow can see that their are 4 riders, and 6 horses (2 obviously to be used as pack animals). The men enter the outpost through the open gates.
The front rider calls out, "Right on time, fat-arse! And speaking of arse, I wouldn't mind a bit o' that, eh lads?" he crows as he ogles Svetlana.
The men chuckle quietly.
You can see that the leader is a bearded man wearing a dark green hooded cloak and carrying a tall longbow.
Pavla feels her teeth gritting and an almost uncontrollable urge to fry the leader where he stands.
Korren spins a hatchet in his hands, itching to throw it.
Kara peeks around the corner, and if she doesn't see any bandits, she moves along the back side of the building towards the gate.
Kari sees that the two pack horses are currently near the gate, but no bandits. Presumably it will only be a matter of seconds or minutes before they dismount to bring the horses further in.
Blackbow will stay low with his crossbow, but keep it aimed at the rear rider. When the trap is sprung, he will call down to them:
"Drop your weapons, we have the advantage fools."
Kari moves along the building. As she gets to the other end, she notices that one of the bandits is on his horse, round the corner from her.
The others are now dismounting.
Also only if we succesfully trap them:
"And speaking of arse, I wouldn't mind a bit o' that, eh lads?"
Ardell kicks the door to his hiding place open.
"And from what i'm hearing i wouldn't mind a bit of your girls. But since you didn't bring her i guess yours will have to do. Though i hate my asses bleeding to death..."
Kari moves along the building. As she gets to the other end, she notices that one of the bandits is on his horse, round the corner from her.
The others are now dismounting.
Kari ducks back, trying to not be seen, until the bandits are a little further from the gate.
Also only if we succesfully trap them:
"And speaking of arse, I wouldn't mind a bit o' that, eh lads?"Ardell kicks the door to his hiding place open.
"And from what i'm hearing i wouldn't mind a bit of your girls. But since you didn't bring her i guess yours will have to do. Though i hate my asses bleeding to death..."
Taunt
Wild die
Blackbow switches his aim to the mounted one.
The bandit nearest Kari dismounts and goes to the pack horses.
"Bring them horses up here and let's get started." the leader says as he dismounts.
The other bandits start heading towards Ardell's location. The rear man has hold of the 2 pack horses.
Pavla stays focused on the leader.