At last the Aasimars prayers are finished and she stretches, then comes out of the tent to find a deer, which cheers her up immensely. "Wonderful! Fresh meat will taste much better than trail rations."
Shavel sees the deer hauled in and smiles. "Haven't had venison in quite some time." He looks around one last time and then goes closer to the campsite proper. "We can also use some of it to make jerked meats. It'll help us spread out some meals."
As Shavel approaches, he notes that Darian is working pretty hard on his bindings. With a swiftness almost unknown to non-elves, his blade is drawn and at his throat.
"And speaking of spreading out our meals, since Darian here feels the need to work up a sweat trying to undo his 'bracelet', perhaps he should forgo a meal. Or all of them ever." He presses the blade in some on the bandit's throat.
Darion quivers some to the knife to his throat, looking up some as he gulps down the lump in his throat before settling back down, still quivering in fear.
“P-Please don’t kill me,” Darion whimpers now.
Hearing the commotion over by the prisoner, and turning her attention that way to see blade at the mans throat Mileana can't help but laugh. A bright, cheerful sound at odds with the dire situation the man finds himself in.
"If you decide not to kill him, I agree... he should not get a meal. Why waste food on someone who's going to be stupid and get themselves killed?" the Aasimar suggests.
"Agreed, Mileana. Darian, no soup for you!" He's not sure why he said that with a slight accent, but it fit the feel of the moment in any case. "Would someone please make his his bonds are tightened. I don't feel like getting my blade wet with his blood." He glares at the bandit. "He isn't worth the honor to be killed by my blade."
"You are a foolish bandit." Zulan decreed from his place by the fire and roasting venison. "By the gods, I do not know how you have survived this long."
Zulan stood up and moved to the cart upon Shavel's request to check the bandit's bindings and tighten them. The hunter had done so earlier, he was sure of it. So this time, Zulan pulled at the rope and bound Darian's hands and feet firmly.
When he was done, Zulan moved back to the fire. Beza sat close by, licking/cleaning her paws.
"I don't appreciate being ignored Darian. You're recklessness so far makes me concerned about your trustworthiness when you agreed to my terms of your surrender. If you continue to ignore me, your rival bandit priest and empty stomach will be the last of your worries."
"A man that cannot be trusted is worth less than nothing, my father taught me that. Your own bandit brothers and sisters obviously agree with that, and that's why they abandoned you to your fate. Perhaps this is your chance to change your worth. Prove to me... to us,that you are worth the trouble. You can start by telling me your story and relieving me of the boringness of a long night watch.
The exchange with Darian was welcome; it would distract from the lack of palattebility Wendell's concoction had.
Yet one with such flexible views as the prisoner would be dangerous. He would turncoat in a minute, Wendell knew. Just those one could "trust" to keep a secret.
Shavel steps over to Wendell and grins. "So, the deer, my friend. Any chance you could make something smoked and dried from it?" He looks over at the deer Zulan got and licks his lips. "I can taste it already..."
Darian sighed, thinking over his life. If he wanted their trust and possibly to not be handed over to the priest it seemed like he had no other choice but to reveal his life.
"Well, you see, when I was 8 my parents were killed. I had no choice but to take to the streets as my cousin kicked me out after I inherited my house... He kept it. Then when I was 15 I was told about these bandits who were recruiting so I signed up to see if I could make something of myself.... I guess I chose the wrong path really, I mean I would give anything to find a lot of treasure and buy a house similar to my parents home. It wasn't like I wanted this life, but more like I was somewhat forced into the life. I could have gone to the church now that I think about it, but there wasn't one in the town I grew up in," Darian explained.
Shavel steps over to Wendell and grins. "So, the deer, my friend. Any chance you could make something smoked and dried from it?" He looks over at the deer Zulan got and licks his lips. "I can taste it already..."
"Why not? Let me try..."
After a spite of preparation, it was clear the deer would be better than the former "dish". "There! Much improved." Wendell eagerly offered the new food about.
His views on the bandit boy changed little. "Then you leave the town. Plunder and murder are little less weighty because of your shortsightedness."
"Well you have made /quite/ the man of yourself... " Mileana says with a soft chuckle. Amused. "You chose a path you weren't suited to. That is obvious." But then she turns her attention to some of the food offered about, thanking Wendell sincerely. "Delicious!"
Zulan took his portion of the cooked venison and sat down, cross-legged by Beza. The meat filled his stomach nicely. The tiger had been fed and was content enough to lay her head by his leg and clean her paws.
Zulan simply listened to the conversation around him and pondered Darian's story for a few minutes.
"Ah, the age old decision. Do I become a bandit to live a life of violence and get rich quick schemes until my life is abruptly cut short by my enemies, highway patrols, or even my so called friends or do I choose a quiet humble life of quiet contemplation and religious fulfillment? Many ask themselves this, and it is a fortunate thing that many choose religious fulfilment. Unfortunately you did not."
"Tell me. Do you think the plan to hand you over in return for safe passage from your bandit rivals will work? Or do you think these bandits will just try to take you by force from us?"
Shavel nods at Darian but still looks stern. "As Anchard said, there is always a decision. You, poor Darian, chose wrong. You could have done a million things with your life."
Looking away at the horizon, he sighs. "But that is neither here nor there. WE should eat soon and then rest. Sooner we are back to the task at hand, the sooner we get our... Well, let's just rest soon."
"Honestly, he would rather take me by force than let you guys go along your way, and he would rather take your things, they'd likely kill me," He stated before chuckling some and then thought for a moment.
"You know I'd much rather be turned over to a patrol guard than turned over to that bandit, he's a bit of a creep when it comes to killing his foes... You guys, you'd have an honorable death, me... He'd take me off and do a dark ritual. I'd rather die by the hands of a town than be part of a dark ritual," He stated.
Arianna took the food and nibbled on it before grinning some and then looked to Darian, hearing what he said before looking towards the rest of the party.
"... I don't think we should forfeit him to this enemy of his... If what he says it true then this could prove problematic for us," She stated.
Finishing her part of the meal, Mileana stretches and takes a drink of water. "Trading his life for passage doesn't sound good, but we could always drop him off with the guards at the next settlement we pass." of course, that was her suggestion from the beginning. "But good thief... Some dark ritual? That is a curious thing to say. What perverse rites does this 'priest' of a bandit get up to?"
"A dark ritual, you say?" Wendell had read of magic's workings, but he was not a true practitioner himself. "What the devil would he do with you? Putting a head on the pike is voodoo that doesn't have real effects."
Teasing out the information - the first of interest to him - put his mind to use.
"He would cut my skin off while I still live... piece by agonizing piece, letting my blood spill on his stone altar to some forgotten god, he would then pull my muscles off... It's sick, believe me, I've avoided him thus far and I'd like to avoid him still. You guys, he would just kill you and desecrate you bodies, bring you back to life for this god... This god that no one knows about. The guy is a creep... I mean, maybe some of you wouldn't mind that, but I know a child undead wouldn't be something sightly to see," he stated.
Shavel tenses and looks at Darian. "A foul act, no doubt. So we'll just have to deal with him when we get there." He places a hand on his sword. "Worst comes to worst, we toss Darian at him and dash off on the horses. After all, only need to outrun the slowest person."
"Shavel, this dark bandit may not be dealt with, especially if he seeks to turn us to appease his god."
Looking at the tied Darian in the wagon, Zulan questioned him across the space, "What is this bandit's weakness? Such knowledge may aid us if we mean to bring him down without endangering...the group."
Wendell wrinkled his nose. "Pull off your muscles? You seemed to be in full use of your arms and legs here." There was a certain taste of fabrication here, the chef knew. If you're talking about preparing a steer for a roast, maybe, but a living person? "And you chose to stick around him all this time? Never once had an opportunity to escape? Why, if you ever came upon a group like you did upon us today, you could have simply fled. I imagine making it on your own in the wilderness beats being butchered alive!" After giving a slight snort of disdain, Wendell went back to his food.
"The best thing to do would be make sure we know that he is there, before he knows where we are... surprise counts for much. But.. interesting. A forgotten God? That's not something you hear about every day..." The Aasimar glances towards the silent, shrouded Rygas. After all, at least part of that whole description could apply to her in a way, maybe that's why her smile is so easy and serene as she warms her hands by the fire.
There isn't any knowledge you can figure out about the god, other than what Darian said.
\/Time Skip Next morning as their is nothing else to be done tonight other than eat or sleep, Darian has no more useful information.\/
Anchard performs his spell preparation ritual for the dayWell, I'm ready to get going. Shall we?
Extinguishing the fire in the pit and helping dismantle the tent and campsite, Zulan collected his gear and placed it back on the cart. The hunter checked Darian's bonds to ensure the bandit had not tried to slip his ties, again. Once all was checked, his weapons on his person and his tiger companion by his side, Zulan acknowledged Anchard,
"Beza and I are ready to go. I will lead. Beza will stay close to Anna."
He mounted Aumia and moved to the front.
The Aasimar woman is slow to wake, yawning and behaving in a fashion that indicates a bit of grumpiness. She does not seem to be a morning person, as if her rest were not entirely sufficient. Luckily she has Rygas to help load up the wagon and do menial, unskilled tasks.
"I say we tie our little friend to the back of one of the wagons and let him walk for the journey. Perhaps it will help teach him some humility that he is sorely lacking." Mileana smiles brightly as she makes that suggestion, before stifling another yawn and working on getting her horse saddled, the cart hooked up, all those little things that take longer when you're tired and cranky.
"I will take the rear, and keep an eye on our friend.." she offers as well.
As the party readies themselves in the morning, Shavel prepares his spells and mounts his horse. "I will stay close to the front, between Zulan and Anna. And I agree, Mileana. Would someone be so kind?"
"I would help but that was something I don't really know how to do so well... besides, the guy kind of creeps me out, with his story about the other bandit and everything," She said before looking over to the rest.
"Anyone willing to tie him up?" She asked.