You walk the wall for some time scanning for Harris, but your eyes continue to be drawn towards the forest to the west. The unknown of what is within this wooden land that stretches almost 6,000-square miles pulls at your soul. Because of this, you are unable to spot where Harris might be scouting. Shaking it off, you notice Gael and Marcus are coming towards you.
Gael is the oldest member of Kesten’s crew, even older than Kesten. Looking at him you would guess him to be in his late 30s, most would believe that he is too old for the soldier’s life.
Marcus is the youngest of Kesten’s crew, possibly why Kesten put the two on watch together. He carries a hard-worn crossbow, but in a manner that says it was in his hands that it earned the look.
You ask; “Do any of you know much about Harris? What is he like?” and Gael cracks a slight smile; “Harris huh? Curious fellow. Not a great soldier, but one hell of a scout. Luckier than one man deserves. Bit of a daydreamer but never seems to be caught in a nightmare. Don’t go fallin for him, he’ll break your heart.” Gael nudges Marcus; “We need to continue on our patrol, unless there is anything else?” With a slight nod and a “ma’am” they continue on. Marcus gives you a friendly smile as they continue on.
When Kunala ask Oleg about tents he comes back from his visioning of what the Guest House could become; “Tents? I think I have a couple. I’ll be right back." looking back over the Guest House, Oleg turns towards his home and the storeroom within. After then minutes Oleg emerges from his house; "Two tents left. But, they seem big enough to hold a few people in each one. Most of you are in a pinch. If you're interested I could have them out and ready before you set off next. I would normally sell them for 15 gold each, but if you are buying both I would knock a few gold off of each one." Oleg gives you a look as if to answer.
"We can take care of all of that when the time comes. Tonight? Not much to do right now. I am going to go along outside and figure out where I will be putting the coop, possibly even a row of hitching post. If we get any more horses in here it is going to look like a barn." Oleg wipes off his hands on a towel and begins to head off; "If you need anything I'll be out of the gate. Or if you get bored enough you could always come lend a hand. There will be few post holes to dig."
"Hmm, a bit of a dreamer. Perhaps even a bit of a ladies man even. Maybe someone that has experienced a bit of wonderlust, a bit independent, and a bit of a loner. Would make him an excellent scout" Mirana reflects, wondering if she should ask the man about her lost parents. Certainly the man was well traveled, but on the other hand, it was definitely a long shot if the man knew anything.
At any rate, it seemed pointless wondering about it with the man nowhere in sight. Mirana spends ten or so more minutes on the wall, soaking in the cool air before climbing down and meeting back up with everyone else (or resting depending on what everyone else wants to do).
Mirana arives back and seats herself again at the table. At Iradyiel's question she glances over and shrugs. "It was a nice view up there, but I couldn't spot the scout, which probably means that he is doing a damn good job at being sneaky. So nothing that interesting which for us I guess is technically good news" the druid responds with a wry smile.
After a moment she glances from side to side "Did I miss anything while I was gone?"
"Kunala decided we would all be better off in tents for the foreseeable future, oh and we solved law and order" Caitir remarks, yawning slightly and swinging back on her chair. "It was a riveting discussion, full of twists and turns, and I'm for one, truly sorry that you missed out on a magical ten minutes" she finishes in a dry tone, half smiling at the end to let everyone know that she was only kidding around.
A magical ten minutes huh? Sounds like your last long term relationship" Mirana zings back at Caitir, flashing an amused smile. Truthfully, opportunities for smart retorts didn't come often when Caitir was involved and Mirana had learnt to take them when they were available. She smiles at Caitirs scowl in response before turning her attention to Iradyiel.
"Not at all, they seemed fairly confident in his abilities, said he was an excellent scout. I got the impression that he wasn't much of a fighter though, and they told me that hes a bit of a heart breaker. Did you want to wait up for him, and see that he comes back ok?" she asks.
Those who go out to help Oleg dig a few holes find him placing a stake into the group, walking off roughly 8-feet before placing another stake into the ground. As he notices you coming out he begins to fill you in on what he is doing; “Placing three hitching post along the left side of the gate here. Eventually could tie this into a fenced in area connected to an outer stable in the future. This will have to do for now.”
Pointing to a few tools placed against the exterior wall; “Pick your tool, I marked off where we need to dig. We can start with the shovels and use the pick to get through any rock we might come across. Eventually we will have to use that to get deep enough.” He points to a T shaped tool. The main wooden shaft is roughly 4-feet before Ting off on one end with a wooden handle, and on the other end is a spiral shaped shovel. “It will take two of us to use, but it makes digging holes easier.”
After about an hour Svetlana brings out a few waterskins for the group of you and checks in on the progress, but keeps to herself not wanting to interrupt those hard at work. But, after a few hours of digging, removing dirt, and getting through rock, you are able to dig six holes roughly 4-feet deep and about a foot wide. Tossing each of you a waterskin, Oleg leans against the wall; “Tomorrow I’ll start getting the post cut down and sized. Those two new horses will make is easier to haul the wood back here.” taking a drink of his waterskin; “I’ll have Svetlana bring out some water and we can wash off.” Oleg heads inside.
Sweat soaked shirts cling to your chest and backs after this evening of labor, but the cool evening spring breeze is refreshing. Eventually, Oleg and Svetlana emerge with two buckets of water and a couple rags; “Feel free to wash up, it will help you sleep better.” Oleg says as he begins to show Svetlana the work that has been done.
Evening comes and the group begins to come in and settle down. Kesten approaches the group; “Gael and Marcus will keep watch until the sun is completely down then Dhavik will take over. He has the eyes for the night.” turning to Oleg; “We are going to keep the gate open until Harris returns. It shouldn’t be that long, and with us camped right by the gate nothing will get past us.” Looking at the four of you; “I hear your friend will be awake in the morning. I will make sure to have a man up and guarding him before the sun is up. He looks to be restrained well enough, but I don’t want to give that man the courage to do something about it when we aren’t watching. Unless there is anything else…” Pausing for a moment; “Then I will take my leave. You can sleep well knowing we have the watch.” He gives the group a slight nod before turning and heading off.
Placing an arm around Svetlana, Oleg begins to turn towards their house; “Thank you for the work you put in tonight. When you need the tents, they are yours. Goodnight.” Oleg and Svetlana turn to their house and shut the door.
As you get ready for bed the long day begins to hit you. Up before dawn, prepped for an ambush and battle with the bandits. Setting off to find the hermit Bokken and his hut. Making deals with the eccentric hermit, and a long ride back. Finding that the guards Oleg had requested had finally arrived and capping off the night by digging a few holes. Once you lay your head down, sleep quickly finds you.
Abruptly you wake up to the sound of a rooster crowing followed by the sound of someone shooing at the rooster trying to get it to be quiet, unsuccessfully. The morning might have come a bit early for your liking, especially how it was announced.
However you find yourselves waking and leaving the guest house you see that most everyone is awake and active. Svetlana is trying to wrangle up the chickens that had freed themselves from whatever enclosure they were in the evening before. You see Kesten and a man you have not seen before walking the palisade walls stopping from time to time as the man points in a direction and looks to be explaining something to Kesten. Marcus is with the bandit keeping watch. From what you can see the bandit is awake but not stirring. Dhavik, Gael, and Oleg are not within sight.
Making your way to the table, you find that Svetlana has food out and ready; bread, cheese, bits of dried meat, and a few apples. There is even a kettle over the fire with what your nose is telling you is hot spiced tea. Something that would be welcomed this brisk morning.
Svetlana sees you all starting to appear and looks back to the chickens and waves her hands at them in frustration; “I had forgotten how much of a hassle chickens can be. I will get them later. Oleg wanted to be sure you knew he went off to get some wood for the hitching post. So, if you need anything please let me know. Oh… that man started to wake before dawn. One of Kesten’s men, Marcus I believe, has been with him ever since. Eat as much as you would like, the bread is fresh. The cheese I wish was a little fresher. Be sure to give the spiced tea a try. Without your trip to Bokken’s we would not be having it this morning.”
Svetlana makes sure everyone has what they wants before she turns to go, but pauses; “Mirana, if you have a moment could I speak with you in the house?”
She appears a bit nervous before speaking up; “I want to ask you a favor but don’t want to take advantage of you… your ability.” You go to the last room on the right in their house, the storeroom; “I am embarrassed to ask this, but the thing you did with water and making it appear. If you were to do that in these two barrels would they stay and be safe to drink?” her cheeks redden a little bit; “We normally are able to collect enough rain water for all of our needs but it has not rained enough lately for that… I don’t mean to put you out or make you uncomfortable…” She is clearly embarrassed to need to ask this of you, and does not want to abuse your abilities.
You find Gael standing in the field dressed only to his waist blade in hand going through different sword technique motions. Sweat showing on his chest, back, and face.
I'm going to wring that roosters scrawny little neck if its going to do that every morning" Caitir moans a little from her bed. She had slept well but she still hated back to back early starts even though she was a practical sort who believed in getting on with the rest of the day.
Grumbling to herself she rolls out of bed, and is pleased to discover that breakfast is already laid out. She feels a little guilty, realizing that Oleg and Svetlana must have been up even earlier, but eventually her hunger gets the better of her and she tears into the food before reluctantly putting some aside on a plate for Mirana.
"I'll talk to our prisoner in a little bit, I'll just check the perimeter briefly first" Caitir remarks, finishing her food and heading towards the gate.
Its relatively simple to spot Gael, the man wasn't hiding and Caitir did admire the mans discipline to get up early in the mornings and practice swordplay. She noted the sweat on the mans chest and back and realized this was probably an early morning training regime of some sort. With a smirk, she tries to sneak closer without the man noticing.
Mirana hears Caitir groan and smiles inwardly and her friends trademark morning attitude. To be fair, Mirana herself was not an early mornings person but she wasn't quite as grumpy as Caitir could be about it.
Mirana doesn't follow Caitir out the door though, instead sitting cross-legged on the bed and prepares her spells. When complete, Mirana finds a bucket, and carefully fills it with water via her Create Water cantrip. She places the bucket next to a fire, waiting for the water inside to warm, before finding a private spot to wash herself with warm (as opposed to cold) water. Once complete, she heads out for breakfast.
As she sits, she is pleased to see a plate had been left out for her, no doubt it was Caitir who had done so, well familiar with her morning routine. Mirana spots a man she hasn't met before speaking to Kesten, and assumes him to be Harris. He seemed to be doing scouty things anyway, pointing in the distance at various things.
Picking at her food, Mirana is surprised when Svetlana calls her aside, and follows her into the storeroom with an interested expression, where she listens to the request.
"You need not apologize Svetlana, I'm happy to help. The water itself is safe to drink, and wash with - its something I have been doing for quite a while so it should be safe". Smiling, to make the other women feel at ease, Mirana gets to work, carefully filling up the barrels with water with her magic. Its slow going - she could only do a few galleons at a time, but eventually she finishes.
"There, all done. Let me know if you run out, or need more" she states, before taking her leave as appropriate.
Gael continues his forms, unaware of Caitir’s presence. Caitir is able to sneak close enough to Gael that she can hear his calm deep breaths. Twisting, he spins quickly as if to parry an unseen attack. Acting as if he was not caught off guard, Gael gives Caitir a smile as he waves her over with his longsword; “There is no fun in watching. Let’s see how good you are with that rapier you wear at your hip.” He gives a slight flourish with his blade; “Come.”
As you approach Kesten and the new fellow their conversation stops, but your attention is pulled to the field west of the road that leads to Oleg’s Trading Post. You see Caitir stalking close to Gael, as a cat does to a mouse. You notice Gael doing sword forms, completely unaware of Caitir. As one trained in the Academy you recognize a few of his forms; Moon on the Water into Cat Dances on the Wall before stopping when he realized Caitir is watching. Kesten’s voice pulls you back in.
“No apology is needed.” Kesten says with a wave of his hand; “The watch is what we are here for. While you sleep within these walls, my men will keep you safe. I am glad you rest well.” Gesturing to the man beside him; “Harris was just filling me in on what he found. Harris, fill Kunala in”
With a slight bow of the head; “Kunala, nice to meet ya. Harris” he says as he waves a hand to himself; “I found where you disposed of the other bandits. Still smoldering late into the night. Too hot or you might have had a few scavengers going in to take care of the remains. Late night snack.” Pointing off to the East/Southeast. “Your tracks were easy to spot, coming and going your horses laid down the grass. I found another set going from over here.” Pointing west towards the woods; “Single file, unsure of how many there were. Probably the bandits you all took care of. Luckily, they weren’t as smart in combat as they were in hiding their numbers. I went in the woods for a for a bit just to see how long it took for them to fan out. It is clear they know these woods.” shrugging “After that I got a bit tired and wanted to fill my stomach and came back.”
Kesten speaks up; “Thank you Harris, that is all for now.” Harris nods and makes his way down to the ground. Kesten looks past you and walks over to the corner of the tower; “What do you make of this? She looks agile, but I have a crown on Gael if something happens.” he pulls out a gold coin from a pouch and places it on the wall. Looking up, Kunala sees Gael giving a slight flourish with his blade and says something. You don’t need to hear what was said. She was invited to a duel
With the comment of Bokken, the tea, and his bird, Svetlana laughs to herself. “I don’t know who is older, Bokken or that bird of his. He said the bird lost its eye when he was attacked by Thylacine. He said Ingram distracted the creature long enough for him to kill it. We all need someone out here watching our backs.”
At the mention of Bokken’s berries she smiles, pours herself some tea and sits; “I take it you have never experienced Fangberries before? They are like a raspberry and their bush grows low to the ground. But, they gain their name from the sharp nettles and thorns that grow throughout. They even grow at the base of the berries. Sweet they are, but difficult to harvest.” Taking a sip; “So how many are you to gather?”
A Thylacine is similar in appearance to a dog or wolves. But, a thylacine is much more slenderly built, with a long stiff tail, and powerful jaws. Their oddly shaped legs are not suited for running, but they allow them to stand on their haunches for short periods of time. They also allow them the ability to jump.
Caitir smirks a little at Gael. "I wasn't watching I was sneaking. Which is lucky for you, as it happens. If I was a real enemy I'd have your throat by now."
Considering the offer for a moment, Caitir circles the man slowly in thought. "Fine, I'll cross blades with you, even though I think dueling is a waste of time. Its not often your enemy is focused on giving you a 'fair' fight."
Caitir takes note of the position of the sun and draws her blade, keeping the sun at her back. On Gael's first attack she spins to the side to that Gael gets the full force of the glare directly in his eyes. Even in a duel Caitir disliked fighting fair.
"Its some kind of animal, basically similar to a wolf. I haven't really faced one before, but I hear that they can be ferocious. Good jumpers too. Thats a very brave bird Bokken has there if it flew in to help him" Mirana explained, mostly for for Iradyiel's benefit.
As the conversation turns to berries, Mirana shows a deep interest. "I could help with that. I'm not much of a gardener but I have a bit of knowledge about plants and cultivating them. I could probably help with a planting. Besides, theres some spells that I could cast that could help with productivity if required - that sort of thing."
With an exhale of silent laughter, Gael smiles; “A waste of time? Don’t be so dismissive. It is time that allows you…” taking a step forward with a testing swing of his blade, Gael squints his eyes as the sunrise catches him; “allows you to learn your own weaknesses, and your opponent’s strength.”
Positioning himself so the sun is behind neither of them; “You have been out here for a few minutes and I already know a good deal about you. You are stealthful, able to get in and out of places while everyone else is none the wiser. You are proactive while being reactive, you watched for my attack and spun away. And that gets me to opportunistic. You use what is around you to your advantage. I wonder if it only the objects and land around you that you will use to your advantage.”
Sheathing his sword, Gael wipes his face with a nearby towel; “I believe I have learned what was needed.” picking up a water skin and taking a drink; “Did you?” Gael stands expectantly.
Svetlana smiles as she continues on with her tea; “I would like a garden. Oleg said that we would plant one, but there has been so much to do around here. But, that isn’t all that bad.” Sipping on her tea; “if you two were able to bring back some starters, we could plant them and begin to grow them around the trading post. The nettles and thorns would only be a slight deterrent, but it could help prevent anyone from trying to scale the walls.” turning to Iradyiel; “Plus, I do like the sound of Fangberry Jam.”
Standing up; “Thank you both for the moments rest and talk over tea, I have missed company that isn’t all about trade. I need to get back to work, those chickens won’t catch themselves. Your brother mentioned gates around the buildings. I think I will fashion something behind our house for just that.” She begins to walk off, pausing and turning; “Be sure to wash the berries. I do not know if Bokken will take the time to clean them before using them. That does not seem to be a priority for him…” she turns off to get to work.
the bandit tracks you followed, were they headed towards or away from the fort? Harris responds before leaving; “They were heading towards us. They are the tracks of the ones you took care of yesterday.
Does Gael prefer first touch or submission?[b] “Neither. Gael is a season vet, he is smart when it comes to combat and tactics. He knows what to look for in those he is fighting beside. He is finished when he learns what he needs to know.” Watching Gael sheath his blade Kesten exhales through his teeth. Picking up the crown he laid down; “Doesn’t seem like anything will be happening here. But then again, you said she is a killer…”
Pausing to watch the two in the field, he pulls away from the wall; “So, the bandit. I will be there. Give me a few moments to station my men and I will meet you there. I’m sure Marcus could use a bite to eat.” He takes a quick look back to the field then heads off.
With your sense motive you would know that Kesten is being truthful about Gael. You also noticed that after he said “But then again, you said she is a killer…” Kesten was looking out at Caitir when he paused to look back at the two in the field.
Caitir keeps her eyes on Gael, taking careful note of her footwork and his opening stance. She listens carefully to what he has to say, and immediately notes his movement out of the sunlight when she reveals her tactic.
"I think I know well enough. You enjoy swordplay, or perhaps more accurately challenging yourself against another. You have discipline as well - to get up at such an early start and start training implies rigorous focus and attitude. You seen continuous improvement - its not enough to focus on your own style, you are interested in other tactics, it shows a willingness to be flexible and embrace change."
Caitir keeps her eyes fixed on Gael, but looks at the terrain, trying to see if there was a suitable spot within close proximity to Gael where footing could be a little more vulnerable or precarious.
"You are an intelligent fighter, you observe and adapt, which is somewhat of a rarity to find a smart bladesman. That said, you don't expect dirty tactics - probably because there is still that belief somewhere that people will always choose to fight fair. You also approached this sparring session casually - you didnt see me as a significant challenge in terms of pure technique - which was probably a fair assessment if I'm being completely honest. Its probably though why you had a brief lapse in concentration and lost sight of your environment and where you were standing, which let me turn the sun into your eyes."
In an almost ironic moment, Caitir suddenly steps onto a patch of grass slippery with morning dew. Her blade flies out of her hand and onto the grass, and she stumbles, relying on either Gael's chivalry to catch her, or if he makes no move - she steps closer to him anyway to stop herself falling.
It becomes clear though that Caitir was merely feinting, using the alleged stumble (and the fact that she was no longer armed) to get closer to Gael, lean against him, and trigger a spring loaded wrist sheath for a dagger to appear in her free hand right next to Gael's throat.
Caitir holds the pose slowly for a moment after the lightning quick maneuver, before giving the man a quick wink. "To answer your question, no, I don't just use objects and the land to my advantage, I'll use my enemies preconceptions as well. I might as well use everything I have at my disposal to get an advantage in a fight, my opponent probably won't hold back so why should I?" she finishes in a teasing tone before stepping backwards, checking if Gael does anything sneaky before picking up here own blade once again and sheathing it.
"So, how well did I do?" she asks, keeping her tone light and with slight amusement.
Mirana observes Caitir's sparring round with interest, but not concern. Caitir was streetsmart and knew how to handle herself - probably better than Mirana herself.
"Shes probably shattered any positive opinions he might hold on wealth, kindness, and his faith in the human race as a whole" she states, laughing slightly as Caitir heads towards them with Gael in tow. "She best be careful though that Gael doesn't hold a grudge or gets his revenge somehow - once you get used to her tricks and dirty tactics she becomes a little more predictable"
Mirana watches for a moment longer before nodding at Kunala's proposal. "Yes, we have delayed things longer than we probably ought to, Lets go talk to our captive and see if he has anything further to tell us."
Gael listens to Caitir’s observations, slightly smiling at what the young woman picked up about him. Suddenly Caitir slips and reflexes kick in, Gael drops his waterskin and reaches Caitir in time to help her up. Only to find a blade at his throat. “That was unexpected.” the half-dressed man says; “I don’t have anywhere to hide a blade on me.”
With a smirk Gael takes hold of Caitir’s forearm of her bladed hand. The strength in his hand is not the strongest that Caitir as seen through the world, but it does surprise her to find it in a man his age. “You shouldn’t hold back, because what you might find out there will not.” loosening up his grip on her forearm and releasing Caitir from his embrace that prevented her fall he moves to pick up his belongings.
”So, how well did I do?” with a pleased smile “You are impressive, but I am curious about what other tricks you have up those sleeves.” Holding out the water skin to Caitir as he heads off towards the trading post.
Approaching the group as they come to the storage pen. “Marcus said the prisoner has not spoken a word. I don’t get much of a read off of him, just stairs at the dirt on the ground. I will follow your lead.”
Walking under the covering of the storage pen. Moving a crate besides the prisoner, Kesten helps the man off the ground and sits him on the crate. The prisoner takes you all in. Looking at him for the first time awake and not in combat, you realize that he is right around your age, or just a little younger.
"Thats not going to work" says a little voice in Mirana's head. The druid blinks for a moment, wondering where that thought had come from before realizing that that she was recalling some of her lessons in the First World. Mirana remembered that (among other things), teachings on intrigue and its associated skills had been a significant focus. Mirana had learnt how to influence, lie, intimidate, seduce, manipulate, read emotions, gather information, and other such tactics. She was no master, not yet, and she hadn't used those skills as much since arriving back on the material plane, but this tiny voice was nagging at her, pushing her to step in.
Mirana had learnt that typically most interrogations failed because the victim usually wanted to frustrate the questioner. They wanted to say no, which in truth, was easy to do.They believed that staying silent was some way of proving absolute loyalty. So the preferred tactic was to change that mindset.
Mirana had subscribed to the philosophy that asking straightforward, simple, easy to answer questions was best. In other words, if she could string together a conversation that the victim was actively participating in, it was harder to then say 'no' when the real questions came along. Build up a pattern, build up a rhythm, and the answers will follow had been that mantra, and Mirana wondered if something similar could still happen here. Mirana also knew that out of all the people present, she hadn't actually harmed or killed a bandit during the attack. Which meant that she would be viewed as less of a threat during a conversation.
Trying to put her strategy into practice, Mirana sits next to the bandit and puts an arm around him "Oh Kunala look at him, hes so young, maybe a even little younger than me. Hes probably terrified. Whats your name darling? Mine is Mirana. I came here for a bit of an adventure. What about you? Did you grow up here or did you travel here for an adventure too, like me?"
Caitir frowns, ready to step forward and coax some answers out of the man before pausing as Mirana takes the lead role. "Now thats interesting, I didn't realise she felt comfortable enough taking the lead role in an interrogation...thats rather unexpected. Now, time to see if I can push her to be more like this in future" she muses slightly.
Caitir wanted to support Mirana's efforts, but she didnt feel that further kind words on her part would help. She wanted the man to gravitate to Mirana, not necessarily split attention between different parties. So she decides to be the nasty one, the scary one, so that the man would lean away from her and towards Mirana, presenting the kind and thoughtful approach.
"Oh please, can we skip to the part where we watch this guy croak his last already? He tried to steal from an elderly couple - why are we wasting time?"
The group of you stand around the prisoner and even before you say a word you can tell that this young man in intimidated by this scenario. As Kunala begins speaking to the prisoner and even showing him the charter, he timidly makes eye contact. Any hope that he might have had leaves his face when Kunala reads; ‘any captured unrepentant bandits be executed by sword or by rope.’ When the option of helping the party appears hope seems to reappear on this young mans face.
“The Stag Lord?” looking down he starts to shake his head; “ain’t ever seen no Stag Lord. That’s just some boogeyman stuff that Happs and Kressle been sayin.” looking up at the four of you; “They use that story, their necklace things, and fear to get the camp to do what they want.” sighing and laughing at the same time; “we do what they wait, you would to!” he is clearly getting frustrated. “we get anything we want; food, cloths, weapons, booze… we don’t get any coin out of it all, so we need them. It’s one jacked up family.”
Trying to move a little bit, but the rope and manacles don’t allow much; “Any chance you can remove some of this?” looks around to each of you; “Anyway, like I said they use that boogeyman story so we don’t do anything stupid. Those who speak out get sent south to where the Stag Lord ‘lives,’ they don’t come back.”
Looking back to the dirt floor; “No way to prove any of that, and I’ll end up executed by sword or by rope” he repeats Kunala’s words.
Mirana comes close to him and her touch makes him flinch at first, but her voice and care eased his worry. “I’m Sanok, but they all call me ‘Nok. Ran away from home when I was younger, met some friends and eventually one of them led us here. Most of them have moved on elsewhere doing other jobs, dead, or taken to the Stag Lord… which is basically dead.”
When Caitir brings up ‘skip to the part where we watch this guy croack’ and ‘why are we wasting time?’ ‘Nok tries to stand up in frustration, but is unsuccessful. “Listen lady, I’m talking right? If you don’t like what I’m saying then why don’t you push that thing” nodding to Caitir’s rapier; “through my gut like you did Liam and be done with it. That’s what all this is goin to get me anyway. If not you then from Happs and Kressle.”
‘Nok slouches down on the crate.
You get the sense that he believes what he is saying. Happs and Kressle are spoken in a way that they are clearly the two in charge of his group. He doesn’t know if the Stag Lord is real or a way to for Happs and Kressle to hold power over those they are in charge of. He also believes that he is going to die no matter what.
"Shhhh" Mirana says softly, taking the boys hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze, hoping the pressure will be comforting. "Caitir is just a little upset is all. Liam was trying to shove a blade through my chest at the time remember? She's just feeling a little upset about all of that" she explains in a light, non judgmental tone.
Mirana was happy with how the interrogation was going, but she didn't want the boy seeing her just as a soft touch, she didn't want him to think that she was a pushover - which means a display of authority was called for. Mirana cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Caitir
"Caitir, we are not holding this young man responsible for another's actions. You will move on and refrain from threatening him further. Am I clear? she asks firmly, projecting a note of command. She wanted Sanok to feel like the trading post could be a safe place for him and that he didnt need to look over his shoulder. In her experience scared people usually did stupid things after all.
After Catir's response, Mirana turns back to Sanok, speaking in a soft, normal tone as if nothing much had happened.
"Do you know where Happs and Kressle might be now? Or how many men they might have wherever they are?" she asks quietly, before nodding at Kunala's comment about the shackles "I'm also happy for us to take off his bindings" she nods befre switching her attention back to Sanok.
"Two more things I think. One, a group of bandits attacked this place previously, and they made some particularly nasty threats. One of those bandits was a lady who mentioned attacking limbs, and another bandit suggested taking the woman back to camp for more fun. I don't particularly like people who make these sorts of threats...would you able to name these particular individuals for me so we could perhaps teach them some proper respect?"
"Oh and the second thing. Sanok, I think it would be nice if you apologized to Oleg and Svetlana. They are honest people, trying to make a living and put food on the table, and the attacks made that almost impossible. They also feared for their lives and it caused them no small amount of stress and worry. I know that you might have felt that you had no choice, and that you felt alone, but I think its important you acknowledge the small part you had to play in making them feel this way. Would you be able to do this for me?"
Caitir straightens from where she had been leaning against the wall. She bore Mirana no ill will from her command, she could follow exactly what her friend was trying to accomplish. Sanok couldn't truly relax here if he thought she was going to shove a blade through his gut, he had to feel like this was his new family - hopefully one he didnt feel like betraying.
She nods in Sanok's direction, giving Mirana a bit of a scowl before half bowing in the boys direction. "I apologize Sanok, I remembered what Oleg and Svetlana went through, as well as what my friend suffered, and I got a little...heated. I'll keep a tighter handle on it in future" she replies in a matter of fact tone.
As Kunala and Mirana continue to ask about Happs and Kressle, the archer on the bay, and a lady who mentioned attacking limbs, Sanok lifts his head and is confused; “What are you doin? You trying to confuse me and trip me up? I know you have Happs,” nodding towards Iradyiel; “he has his bow. I would recognize it anywhere. What, you have him in those stables over there to see if the story lines up? Not lying to you all…” shaking his head; “Happs is your archer on the bay”
Turning towards Mirana; “Maiming sounds like Kressle, she is a madwoman. She says that stuff to those who step out of line at camp. Ya know, I don’t know about those other comments. I’ve been here this time and the last, that’s it.”
“If I get to live I can do whatever you want, I know nothing about gardening but I can learn. I will apologize to who I need to.” Sanok bends his head over to brush his hair out of his face with his tied up arms.
Sanok did not say, but Oleg/Svetlana shared that the woman only came the first time and the ranger(Happs) took the lead every time since then. Sanok also said that she sounded like Kressle from the way she threatened Oleg.
Your character believes that she is back at the camp that Sanok has mentioned keeping things going while Happs lead the small party up here.
Interesting...if the bandit camp is near here perhaps we should attack it more or less immediately. If its a few days away though, they will probably be on high alert. Caitir glances at Mirana and could see that her thoughts were progressing along similar lines.
"Sanok, would you be able to inform us as to where they place their scouts or watchers? Is there a way to approach the camp without being seen?"
As Samok answers, Mirana gestures for the keys, before unlocking Sanok's restraints with a smooth flick of her wrists. "Sanok...you mentioned being part of an earlier raid. Can you tell me how long it would typically take to travel from here to the bandit camp - ideally transporting stolen goods? How long do you think Kressle would wait before she got suspicious in the absence of Happ and put the camp on high alert?"
Rubbing his wrist after the manacles come off; “Thanks!” Sanok stretches his arms; “feels great to get those off… camp? Its off of the Thorn River in a clearing within the Narlmarches. We get a lot of drifters there, things could range from half a dozen to a dozen.” thinking to himself; “How long have I been out? Kressle expects us to be back in two to three days, otherwise she get paranoid and will start demanding everyone to return and defend the camp.”
Bending down using his finger to sketch in the dirt; “The river runs through the camp, and the trail follows the river. It’s a small stream by that point. Two towers keep lookout, one facing north and one south. They are hidden in the trees, they are hard to see unless you know exactly what you are looking for. Get around them and you should be safe getting into the camp.”
Shrugging; “That is only if you get there before Kressle becomes paranoid. I don’t know what she will do at that point.”
Looking around, Sanok sees the waterskin on Kesten; “How about some food and a drink? I feel like I deserve that…” Kesten takes his waterskin and hands it over to Sanok.
Six to twelve is more than what we had to handle during the attack on the trading post - and that was with the element of surprise and a battlefield of our choosing Caitir reflects sourly. On the flip side, twelve men would be even more difficult to handle. We might have to risk it, even though I'm not thrilled with the idea" she reflects to herself, before nodding at Iradyiel.
"I agree, a dozen men is going to be extremely difficult if we let sleeping dogs lie. We might need to travel quickly."
‘Could your men see that he's fed’ Kesten looks at Gael and nods his head towards where the food was laid out. Without hesitating Gael goes to collect some food.
“We left early on the first day then camped” Sanok says; “then here before sun up.” looking to Iradyiel; “the towers are up in the trees, 20.. 30-feet? One ladder up on each one. They always have someone posted.”
Gael comes back with some bread, meat, and cheese and hands it to Sanok. Sanok digs in, with a mouth full; “Thanks”
Kesten walks up to the group with his back to Sanok; “Sounds like you have some places to be… I can have a man on him at all times, so you won’t need to worry about this place. When Oleg gets back, I am sure there will be more than enough work to keep Sanok busy. If there is anything specific you want him to be doing beyond that, let me know.”
"With what all Oleg said he had planned for with the stables on the outside I am sure Sanok will be sleeping well for weeks.” Kesten said as Kunala waives the group back to the tables. “We will make sure he starts today once Oleg returns.” he says with a laugh.
Once gathered around the table you noticed that Svetlana has already build a makeshift fence between the East wall and their house, just after the ladder to reach the wall. You also take notice that she has trapped a few of the chickens back there. But, a few still to roam about.
You see Harris and Marcus talking as they make their way around the perimeter of the walls, keeping an eye on what is going on within the walls and on the outside equally.
Gael nods with Iradyiel’s request. “I would like to see if he truly earned that Aldori dueling sword he wears at his hip. I was never fortunate enough to train under the Aldori Swordlords. They say they are the finest swordfighters in the Inner Sea. No, not today. But it will have to be some morning; I will put out the invite to train together. I am sure there is something we both can learn from each other.”
With the arrival of Kesten and his men, you know that Oleg’s Trading Post is in good hands. What does the party want to do moving forward on this early day?
Mirana calculates things for a quick second, weighing things up.
"Six bandits plus Kressle is beyond our capabilities to handle I think. We struggled with five bandits, and that was with the element of surprise and with a fortified position of our own choosing. The only, only strategy I could see potentially working is us surprising them, me casting an Entangle spell to slow them down, while everyone else pokes them with arrows. That strategy doesn't work though if they also have ranged options and eventually they end up overwelming us."
Mirana reflects on things further "If we could bring Kesten, or Gael with us, then that potentially might even the odds, five vs six + Kressle is potentially workable but apart from that I think we would struggle with those numbers"