"Why don'tcha ask Natasha why she bothered saving us when you get back. She didn't give a damn before if we lived or died. Bah, whatever, doesn't matter anyway."
"If you believe that, then you just gained a little more of my trust."
Kathai looks thoughtful for a moment.
"She didn't have any allies before now. I'm pretty sure right now she thinks I've got her back if anything goes down, so it behooves her to keep me breathing.
"At least... that's my theory based on what I've seen. Don't worry, it's not in my best interest to keep being cryptic. I just haven't had the time to share."
"Huh? Small women and big words make me itch. Talk plainer, even I can tell you she ain't got hooves."
Kathai pauses for a few seconds, thinking...
"She... likes... me... now..."
@ Alendrethala - Ruhk seems like a man of few words. But I'm sure he'd have let it slip that it was a magic dagger. If you cast a detect magic, and meet or exceed a spellcraft roll (DC 18) that will reveal the properties of the item. Ruhk never explicitly said he was trying to determine the items properties, so I don't think he'd know.
Seeing everyone is okay Vestilet moves off to begin praying to Helm for his help. Once done he watches the others once more hoping what had happened was not a sign to come.
@ Alendrethala - it's a lovely, snake handled dagger +1! The edges have a subtle green glow. Beautiful - and deadly!
Alendrethala runs to Ruhk's side and greets him cheerfully
"Don't worry i'll use only few words, first i want to tank you for the gift. A mage is always interested in magical weapons, especially when she is trained in their use. Second it may be best used by someone who engages in melee range, but i'll let the party decide, i'll keep it unless someone else wants it. Bye and thanks again."
Ruhk raises an eyebrow as Alendrethala moves away.
A gift? These elven people surely have strange customs, I better learn some of them fast before I inadvertently end up marrying one of them.
Shrugging, Ruhk continues to look for the caravan master.
Anyone looking for Velnik: he's back and forth between the caravan and the hamlet of falcons hollow, trying to supervise his guards (who are taking shifts digging graves) and wringing his hands over lost time and, presumably, money.
Anyone looking for Natasha: She's at falcon's hollow, silently digging graves. She's moved her cart (along with the prisoner inside) up the road so that it is closer to her; She walks back every few minutes to see that the cart is still secure and the prisoner within.
It's mid afternoon now, the 2nd of Uktar; your third day on this trip with the caravan.
Alendrethala enjoys some deserved rest. If someone needs her, they know where to find her.
Kathai returns to camp and does exactly as she promised. She finds a blanket, food, drink, and squats down in front of the campfire (if there isn't one, she makes one). She sits and stares at the fire, contemplating just how close she came to gripping death by the bosom. After a few minutes, she pulls out her golden coin of Tyche and stares at it, unblinking. Finally she closes her fist around it as if it's the most important thing she owns. She leans back, closes her eyes, and lets exhaustion take her.
Ruhk approaches Velnik and calls out.
"You!"
This is followed by a growl as he grabs his throat and coughs.
After that he holds out the parchment with the seal.
"Recognise this?"
Velnik turns quickly, startled, at Ruhk's brusque words.
Whats wrong with yer throat, boy? Did ya take a blow durin' the fight? Taking the parchment slowly, Velnik appraises the seal closely. The seal is a simple cross inside a circle. I don't recognize it, lad. You can ask around, if'n you wanna, but I don't think we have many seal experts on this here caravan.
He thinks for a moment, then looks at the seal again. It does look a smidge like tha sigil o' Gond, the God of wonders, maybe?
Lockjaw paces the camp restlessly, moving between fire and the outer edge of the camp, staring blankly at the village where he almost dies.
"So close, so close, so close."
Ruhk once more clears his throat.
"It was found...in a secret room, ledgers indicated someone has been...keeping tabs on caravans...what they ship and the number of...guards.
It included...this caravan...
There were...disguises...and this seal."
Bloody hells, Velnik says, almost under his breath. Well, it sure weren't Gond's people, they be smiths and artificers, not spies. He shakes his head. I don't rightly know, son, I'm sorry. Natasha has been from one end a' Tethyr to the other; maybe check with her, if'n you can get 'er to talk. She seems pretty shook up bout the attack on Falcons Hollow. Not that we all aren't, if you get my meanin'.
Velniks words causes Ruhk to nod.
"Uh huh, thanks, I'll...try."
He will approach Natasha, and mindful of his effect on against Velnik he will first clear his throat softly to attract attention, and then really force himself to speak less gravely and clipped.
"We found evidence of someone spying on caravans in the area, including this one. There was a seal, do you know it?"
Ruhk holds out the parchment to her.
Alendrethala begins to show interest in this "ledger affair" so she is neraby listening.
"Sorry, i'm not eavesdropping, i'm really interested. Resting became boring"
He is cute when trying to get social. Clumsy but cute
Natasha is chest deep in a grave when Ruhk comes to question her. She turns, grim faced, eyes red and puffy. She takes the parchment wordlessly and looks at it.
Where did you say you found this? She seems greatly agitated at the mention that Falcons Hollow contained a spy. When she finds out which house the items were found in, she leans heavily on her shovel, weary, and closes her eyes for a moment before responding. That was Adrina's house. She was .... I thought she was .... a friend of mine.
She looks again at the seal. I don't know who that represents, I've not seen it before.
Sense motive DC 15:
I need to check on my prisoner. Natasha walks swiftly away to her cart.
"Hang on, you're holding out on me, you recognized this...come on, tell me. What harm could it do?"
Ruhk moves over to walk besides Natasha.
"I'll keep looking with or without your help, I'll find out eventually, why not just tell me now?"
When Kathai awakes from her nap (it should still be daylight) she goes in search of Velnik.
Sense Motive:
...and got distracted by a shiny rock, apparently.
Natasha sighs in exasperation, then takes a look again at the seal. I think ... I think that seal may belong to a group called The Knights of the Shield. A group of foreigners, meddling in Tethyr's business. Don't let the noble sounding name fool you, they are thieves and murderers, brokers of information and assassins to any party willing to pay. She thinks for a moment. A spy here was well situated to report on traffic heading up and down the trade road. That it could have been Adrina though...... her voice trails off, and she appears lost in thought, or perhaps memory.
Lockjaw wanders over, seeing excitement and hoping there is food involved. Seeing only graves being filled and too much talking he quietly watches the proceedings, unconsciously scratching himself.
"You're not the acting like the woman who hired me. What's going on here?"
@ Kathai Lli:
Velnik shakes his head sadly. I can't abide by the way the girls being' treated, regardless. But if what Natasha told ya is true - if the girl is some kinda royalty, come back to claim 'er throne - it could plunge us all right back inta war. But I wouldn't want to be the one who delivered the girl to torment an' death. But Nat, she's as tough as nails, I'd not lift a finger 'gainst her, lest it be chopped off at the knuckle.
Casting a quick glance at Natasha, he says quietly Nat's travelled with my caravan several times - I'll tell ya, she's as cold and unpleasant as a snake ta deal with sometimes. But she loves Tethyr, loves the common folk in the villages and th' towns. I know she holds the seven of you in high regard now - rushin' off to defend the hamlet and all - maybe you can convince her ta lay off the whippings, and the humiliations, and maybe have the girl handed over ta Helms people for questioning. Cuz, I'll tell ya, if the People's Fist get a hold of her, she'll not see the light of day again.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0...and got distracted by a shiny rock, apparently.
Natasha regards the dwarf grimly for a moment before continuing on to the cart. You don't know the first thing about me, dwarf.
"Aye, that's what I'm saying."
Is that what I'm saying? Yup.
Evenor has been thinking about his mistakes and how he could've done better. He feels humbled by the defeat.
Unsure if he is missing something, and sensing that nobody else will ask the question, Ruhk grunts and forces himself to once more speak.
"Who is this Adrina? And why is it so surprising it would be her?"
Alendrethala is still waiting for the scene between Ruhk and Natasha.
Natasha replies cooly to Ruhk. She was just someone I knew. Past that, it is not your concern. Bloody hells! Between you and the dwarf, I've had enough of questions! Either help with the gravedigging or piss off! Looking at Lockjaw, she adds, If you want to be paid, then get back to your duties, you smelly oaf! You think that little tramp in the cart wouldn't escape given the slightest chance? Earn your coin!
With Natasha preoccupied with Ruhk and Lockjaw, Kathai takes the opportunity to collect Evenor, Vestilet, and the siblings. She ushers them out to where she is sure they won't be overheard. She fills in Ruhk and Lockjaw a little later.
"Ok, so here goes. Please let me finish before you say anything. I've been in the prisoners cell talking to her. She claims to be the last of Tethyr's royal line, or at least the last that she knows of. She claims she's trying to bring peace, but also that she was trying to gauge support for a claim to the throne. Her guard, Natasha, beat her and caged her. Natasha works for an anti-royal group The Peoples Fist. Look, it's a crazy story, but there's more. Look at the way she's dressed. She was captured wearing some pretty expensive clothes. The Red Strapless ballgown? The opera gloves? The tiara and earrings? She's wearing a mint. But I'll also say this: She's wiry strong. If she's a princess, she's certainly not the lazy kind.
"And there's even more. When Natasha went off to bring Jaseera to the stream, I thought she was going to kill her. So when you guys saw the bandits, I slipped off to check on her. I rushed out and told Natasha I had recognized Jaseera and wanted in on the assassination. Natasha didn't deny this for a second and even seemed proud of herself. She claims that Jaseera was caught telling royalists that Calimshan would back them in the event of Civil War. Natasha's family was hurt bad by the royals, which is why the bad treatment. So much so she readily offered to let me whip her for fun. She's taking her to Zassesspur for interrogation. I've talked with Velnik. He believes that Natasha means well, but that if Jaseera makes it to Zassesspur, no one will ever see her again. Velnik doesn't want to take action, but agrees with me that no one deserves what's waiting for her in that city. He seems to think that if we could get her to Helm's people, the situation might be able to be resolved without finding Jaseera floating face down in the sewage afterwards.
"From what I've seen of Natasha, she can kick our collective behinds. But on the other hand, I am not comfortable just letting this girl get executed by a poorly run mob like The People's Fist. So what do we do?"
Ruhk is more than a little annoyed at being brushed off like that, and deep down his confidence also takes a hit due to him apparently being so bad in social situations.
Still, he manages to restrain the desire to just punch someone and instead wordlessly grabs a shovel and begins to work, pleased at having something to do besides talking.
Bah, next time, someone ELSE do the questioning...
After Kathai's speech, Alendrethala stands in contemplation for some long seconds OH! Corellon, what have i get myself into?
"We do owe Natasha our lives, and we are talking of intervene in a political intrigue involving a civil war. While i won't go against the people of this caravan, i cannot stand aside when jaseera is killed out of convenience, and in a most gruesome way i bet.Did she tell you if she has other support? Someone who can be asked for help?"
"I knew about the prisoner not being who she seemed to be. The church of Helm told me of this. The rest I did not know and I will not stand for I was ordered to keep the prisoner safe, murder attempts cannot be left unchecked." Vestilet says with anger clear on his face.
Lockjaw shrugs at his dismissal by Natasha and goes to guard the prisoner.
"Aye, cold one that. Have fun Ruhk."
"Well, she did say that she had been betrayed by someone she trusted. So she has at least one ex-ally. It does stand to reason that she has more. But would we have time to find out who they are, contact them, and have them come get her before we get to the city? And that would set her free. What if Natasha has a point? Look, I think having one person in charge works way better than the handwashing of sin that goes on with rule by committee. But plunging us back into civil war? And what if Jaseera isn't telling the whole truth? What if it IS a plot... but one to get a Tethyrian Queen susceptible to the will of Calimshan? I think Velnik's right, our best bet is to get this girl into the hands of Helm. If anyone's going to be able to sort this out and give everybody a fair shake, it's them."
"Another thing. She also claims to be a Calimshite Princess. I didn't have the time to get her entire life story, so I don't know the marriages that connect the two. But if Jaseera IS telling the truth, and she is not just Tethyrian royalty but also a Calimshite Princess... what do you think Calimshan will do when she doesn't return home safely?"
"I'll pray Corellon for wisdom, nothing i can do about."
Velnik walks up to the group. Just wanted ya all ta know, we're headin' out tomorrow, back on the road to Zazesspur. Get some rest tonight, we're gonna be double timin' it tomorrow!
Velnik moves along the caravan, letting each wagon know of his intentions for the coming day.
Natasha leads her prisoner down to the stream; she snarls a warning at Lockjaw (and any other males) to keep away, under threat of castration. Velma, the young ranger with the scarred face, closes and locks the cart, then follows the two down to the stream. Seeing a couple of the guards edging forward for a view of the proceedings, Velma shakes her head and warns them off.