Mikos turns back to Drurn. "Ah, you're right, Keg. We help one and this lowlife keeps beating the rest. How about we see how well he likes being on the receiving side of a beating? Maybe he'll think twice about how he treats his employees in the future." So saying, Mikos drops his falchion to the ground and advances with a pair of fists.
The Keg puts down his axe and pushes up his sleeves.
"Let's do this."
Drurn reacts in three ways in a very short span of time. He furrows his brow, eyes burning with anger. They pop wide open and he turns a shade paler. Then he turns and runs!
The half-orc flees across the yard and into his house. The guards watch, bewildered at first, but then run to join their boss.
Half of the slaves look around, surprised. The others continue to work with their heads down.
Mikos shrugs and turns to the slaves. "Now which one of you is Peet?"
A young man with a patchy beard and wearing dirty woodsman's tunic steps tentatively forward.
"Your cousin asked us to check on you. We didn't exactly like what we saw so how about we get out of here? You may need to head a bit out of the Hell Knight's domain, but beyond that, it's doubtful anyone in the River Kingdoms is going to support any claim of ownership on a slave."
The Keg immediately sets to setting the others free, echoing Mikos' warning to the rest of them, passing out some coin to each of them.
There are eleven slaves, all men. Most take the money and make a break for it. Three wave you off, mortal fear evident in their eyes. They glance towards Fort Inevitable, as if expecting the authorities to appear at any moment.
"Jeck sent you?" Peet asks with a half-smile. "He's never gonna let me live this down, but I'm grateful." He moves to leave with you, then slows up. "There's... there's another slave," he says, glancing back towards the tannery. "Bonny. Bossman thrashed him fierce." He shakes his head and frowns.
"Stay clear of the road," Mikos warns the departing slaves making to follow, but stops at Peet's hesitation. "Of course there is. In for a bit, in for a crown," he shakes his head and looks toward the nearby fort for any reaction. "Don't know if you can afford to lose your head start on the Hellknights though, kid. Best make for the woods and get started. Maybe one of us can go with you and the rest will catch up."
"Looks like this won't be as easy as we thought. Let's go get Bonny."
The Keg stalks off toward the tannery, pushing up his sleeves.
Rodi follows The Keg, noding their head. "Bonny day for a rescue, isn't it!"
"Eh," Mikos gestures for the boy to go hide in the woods and follows after his enthusiastic companions. "Alright, wait up."
As they near the house he calls out, " We're not done yet, Drurn. Heard there's one left that's too hurt to work. Send out Bonny and we'll leave you be."
You enter the tannery, little more than a converted stable building. The stink of dyes and chemicals makes your eyes water. Half of the space inside is filled with frames for stretching hides and large tubs. The back half remains stables for a handful of sad-looking cattle. There is no one inside with the workers making a break for it and Drurn and his guards fled to the house.
You find Bonny in one of the empty stables, covered by a loose layer of hay. You estimate he has been dead for a day or two. His face and body are covered in dark bruises.
The Keg is hot and angry, but wary of Mikos' previous cautions, "Let's be gettin' outta here, 'fore I put Drurn nexta this poor boy."
In a short discourse of surprising detail, Rodi can explain that, while slavery is legal under Cheliaxian law, there are also many strict laws that protect the indentured from their masters' abuse of power. Basic requirements such as adequate food and water, safe and clean housing are mandated. Punishments can be levied by the master but must be in accordance with imperial statues. Murder of a slave is considered the same as murder of a freedman.
Mikos shakes his head. "Too late for Bonny. What do you think, Keg? From what Rodi says, you could call the Hellknights down on Drurn. I'm gonna get Peet started up north, but if you want to swing by town and be a good citizen, we could meet up north. I've had enough heroics for today."
Rodi grins, in a very cold fashion. "We get the Hellknights involved and they can claim we stole their property. It might get very heated. Or we can just, you know, put Drurn next to the boy, the way Keg suggested. Quietly. At night. Where no one can see. I don't think anyone is going to mourn too hard if he falls repeatedly onto his own dagger. Repeatedly. Drunks do strange things, you know."
Mikos rolls his eyes. "And we just say that we saw him beating his slaves to death and stepped in to tell him off. He ran away and so did his slaves. And look there's a dead one to prove our point. No laws broken on our part, yet. Look, can't say that I care for the Hellknights, at all, but I'd rather keep things as is until after we get a good look at Thornkeep."
"Yea, Imma turnin' 'im inta the Hellknights. Keep their focus offun us fer a while and make his life miserable. Hopefully unable to chase down the freed 'uns."
"Fair enough," Mikos tells Keg. "If you can't get to the Lady Commander, I reckon one of those Pike Knights will do. Like the one that was on our caravan, Sir Ullust. I'm going after Peet. We'll be on the old wagon track. It's better if we stay away from the main road."
The Keg thinks about the Lady Commander, but decides the Paralictor is probably too busy and decides to report the abuse to Sir Ullust instead per Mikos' recommendation.
----
"Swung by the tannery, ta see what was available. Drurn be abusin' his slaves. And I dunna mean some slap and tickle, but pure malicious harm. We growled at 'im, told him the Hellknights mightna like it, 'n he ran to 'is house. One of the workers told us a boy was missing. We checked the barn, slave were dead. Pummmeled by half-orc hands it appears. We left the scene fer ya to take care of. Slaves ran off .
Seems Drurn might've freed 'em outta guilt, methinks."
The Keg heads back into town and asks around for Sir Ullust. He finds the knight in the Red Shield Tavern, convalescing with a handful of fellow patrolmen. They are sitting at heavy oaken table cut in the shape of a shield.
Ullust raises an eyebrow as the Keg starts his story, but by the end his face has darkened. "I doubt Tanner Drurn has enough good sense to feel guilty. He has been warned, and fined, a number of times for mistreating his property. This latest transgression will be his last, I assure you." He sighs, finishes his mead, and stands. His men stand with him and they gather their helmets. "Thank you for notifying me. We will take it from here." The Hellknights leave the tavern in good order, following Sir Ullust.
***
Mikos catches up with Peet and a handful of the escaped slaves at the wood's edge a few miles north of Fort Inevitable. "A couple stayed behind... too afeared a Hellknight bounty on their heads, I s'pose. Jonn and Urst made south," Peet says with a shrug. "Thank ya again. Drurn were a right bastard," he hocks and spits. "So, ya with the Seven Foxes or wot?"
Rodi shadows Keg, staying out of sight until they hear that the Hellknights have things in hand. They sigh, not really wanting to commit open murder, but honestly a little curious about the process. They spend their time wandering around, poking their head in various shops.
Mikos sighs as he notices Rodi hasn't followed and turns his attention to Peet. "This way through the woods; the Hellknights stick to the road. Yeah, too bad Drurn didn't put up more of a fight. Keg would have really enjoyed giving him a taste of his own lash. How did you end up in his "service" anyway?"
"No. Who are these Seven Foxes? We're new here. Got our own company, the um..."
"I might have stuck my hands in some places wot they weren't welcome," Peet grins.
Peet looks a bit surprised at your next question. "Seven Foxes are some kind of resistance 'gains't the Hellknights in Fort Inevitable, if'n ya can imagine it. I'm told they give warnings wot them who're about to get raided by the Hellknights, or get fugitives into hiding or outta town."
"I'd thought it was just slaves thinking wishful... 'savior at the gates' kinda thing, coming to save us. But ya seem so keen to get us free, I thought ya might actually be them!"
"Company of the... eh, you know, I don't think that we ever decided. Well, not important, I guess."
Mikos continues leading the way into the woods and Away from Fort Inevitable. "Oh yeah, I think I saw a wanted poster or something about the Foxes. If they're harassing the Hellknight, they can't be that bad. I'm kinda off crusades' though, not particularly profitable. At least for the crusaders."
Something occurs to Mikos. "Could be they might be willing to spend a good bit of coin for that little book of incriminating evidence we found against the Hellknights," Mikos ponders with a smile slapping Ben on the shoulder.
"I don't suppose you've heard anything about where they're based, Peet?"
"We still have that book, eh? The money could be nice. 'N since them slaves exist cuz the 'knights have laws that allow it, I dunna feel bad about it."
"I don't suppose you've heard anything about where they're based, Peet?"
"Hmmm, no. I hardly believed they existed til today, and I never met one of 'em knowingly before. I mean, they got bounties on 'em... Hellknights are on order to kill 'em on sight. You'll not find 'em by asking around -- you need to get their attention and maybe they come to you."
"Freeing us might've done that," he adds with a chuckle.
Mikos nods. "Might have at that. Well, let's get away from the fort and closer to your home then." Mikos leads on to the meeting point.
The Keg follows.