Tolgrith scratches his head with confusion, but he seems to trust the group and their judgment of the situation. "This giant agreed to be an ally? That seems... unlikely... but, I certainly have no cause to believe that you would lie. Thank you for speaking to this giant."
"If you give me a bit of time I will write up some decrees about it. You can bring my decree back to the giant to formalize this agreement."
He looks at Pavo, his mouth twisted in consternation. "How did this devil come to be in the Vale?" he asked.
"I am unsure of the specifics involves, but I know it is here to be hunted down and slain by my order. By my hand, specifically. The legions of Hell are huge and well organized, and to combat and control such forces, we must learn from them. So am I ordered, and so am I destined."
Pavo looks Sir Torgrith in the eye, black painted helm covering his face.
"Lying is beneath me, the truth will out in time regardless, and only the cowardly fear the results of their actions."
Casamir nods at Wulfgar, "Indeed, let's leave it for the morning. I've no great desire to tramp back out there in the dark."
"If the boy cannot care for himself, and his master does not wish his return,why not hand him off to Signifier Salazar? The Order will raise and provide for the lad, and be all the stronger for his addition to the ranks "
Talia shrugs, happy to have the evening to spend at the Fort, instead of at a campsite. As to the boy...
"Perhaps it should be his choice? There are some options for him here. Pavo mentions the Hellknights. He could approach the keeper at the Boar's Bones and see if there's a merchant there in need of his services. Or, the forge - perhaps there's the need for help. Maybe he should visit the Erastilian shrine? They are the sort to offer charity."
Moreso than my faith, for sure, the Abadarian thinks, leaving her last thought unsaid.
Reaching up, Talia gives Wulfgar a comforting pat on the back. "Regardless, as you say, you're a priest of war. The boy is not your responsibility. We've done good by him to get him safely here. Let him find his way in the world. Unless you'd like an apprentice war priest, or someone to mind our camp and horses, when we have some again?"
Tanu nods in agreement. "Morning it is. We can finish the business with the giant and be about other things after." He doesn't seem terribly concerned with the boy's fate; the boy was headstrong and willful, Tanu had very little doubt that the boy would figure out where he wanted to be and how to get there.
"If we are present, perhaps we can kill or capture these bugbears assaulting the fort. I imagine they will continue doing so, but who really knows with such creatures."
Talia nods, staring at the expressionless helmet-covered face of the aspirant Hellknight. "Agreed. The bugbears will be a problem until we make sure they won't be."
Turning, the once-playwright sees Wulfgar's hulking form following after the Fort's commander. Sighing, Talia follows after. She meant what she said about letting the boy find his own path, but keeping their priest happy was more important.
"Our Gorumite has developed a soft spot for the boy. And the boy - Kyle - does seem to be an eager sort, possessing the qualities that would make him a good assistant or apprentice. Persistence." To the point of stubbornness. "Respect for his betters and elders. Any guidance on where we could place the boy would be appreciated. It is too dangerous -" Talia waves her hand, indicating the out there beyond the Fort's walls "- to take him with us."
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Tolgrith seems confused by Pavo's answer. It was indirect and nonspecific but also boasted of its own honesty. Nevertheless, he shrugs and drops it. He also promises to take custody of the child who needs looking after. If his master could not be found, he would find another merchant in search for an apprentice.
The rest of the evening is spent in the Fort, resting. The boy Kyle is found in the Boar's Bones, plied with ale by the various adult traders as a joke. He thanks the party members for rescuing him and bringing him back to someplace safe.
No attacks plague the Fort tonight, and the party is able to rest more soundly in the mercenaries' barracks.
In the morning the party packs up. With a destination already clearly in mind, they set out on the road early, headed northwest to the corner of the Vale to confer with the giant once again.
The weather today is clear and fair, with blue skies and the sun flying high overhead. It is bright, there is only a little wind, and neither rain nor clouds. However, the approach of winter brings the temperature down to a chill 45°F (7°C).
With nightfall coming and no money for a meal, Talia decides to take advantage of the prime hunting time and slips out of the Fort. She stays nearby - within a quarter mile - and nocking an arrow into her bow, looks for dinner - and with any luck, meals for the next day.
It is a less successful evening than she'd hoped, but she still bags a pheasant, and finds a clearing with some tough - but edible - dandelions, grown large in the last days of the late fall. They'd be fine braised with the wild garlic she finds nearby, poking from under the fallen leaves of nearby oak. The night is growing cold; tomorrow will bring winter's chill on the wind.
----
The next morning, Talia exercises while the others prepare. When they are ready, Talia starts one of the great Brevic odes to the beauty of her homeland, and puts her feet to the now familiar path.
Casamir thought of offering to initiate the boy into to mysteries of the faith of Lalaci, but seeing the shine that Wulfgar had taken to him he decides against it. The Gorumite priest had a good heart, that much was clear, and as long as Kyle stayed out of the Hellknight’s clutches Casamir was happy with the situation.
He spends his evening in typical Lalacite fashion, which is to say, doing as little as possible with a mug of ale in hand, making idle chatter with anyone who’ll listen.
Making sure to wake up on time, Casamir greets the sunrise with a prayer to Lalaci and an affirmation of his devotion to his god, ”Shining Prince, the trials and tribulations of this land give me strength, and I thank you for the tests I am given.”
With that, he eats a simple breakfast at the tavern and hefts his pack onto his back, ready to go.
"I would suggest our talker carries the paperwork, she is the one who made the negotiation, she should be the one who gains the credit for it's success."
Girded for combat, Pavo is enthusiastic about heading back into the field.
Making her way to the mercenary barracks, Talia rouses Tanu and Portia. "Up and at 'em. We've got a giant to talk with."
As they leave the Fort, Talia smiles to Pavo's helmeted countenance and taps a small parchment scroll bound in a worn leather case tucked into her belt. "It was your idea, Pavo, but I'm happy to carry the paperwork."
The march this fine cool morning is accompanied by a lighthearted romantic story of playful deception, a masterpiece of the great Brevic Bard Wvilhelm Marlowe. The play's protagonist, a willful young noblewoman, pretends to be a laundrywoman on a visit to a neighboring noble's dacha. The nobleman is of course foolish, a foil for the protagonist's quick wits. A comedy of errors ensues, and in the end the noblewoman, still posing as a laundress, captures the heart of the nobleman's younger brother, and they are married during a picturesque winter storm.
As she talks, Talia keeps her attention diverted to her surroundings. The forest yields a bounty; wild blackberries covered in morning frost, more wild onions and mushrooms, soft newgrown bamboo shoots, and fortunately, a large fat turkey strolls but 30 feet onto the path in front of them, and is quickly felled by Pavo's longbow.
"Weird, I don't recall it being my idea. But that doesn't really matter much,since I could never have pulled it off. An idea is one thing, but executing it, that's the real trick. And might I say, this marching magic stuff? It's great!"
Decked out and rested, Pavo, Wulfgar, Talia, and Casamir head back out into the field. Hastily-written agreement with Tolgrith in Talia's hand, the skald leads the expedition with her verse and her song. The walk today is simple and pleasant. The road this way is mostly safe, and certainly safe during the day. Merchants travel back and forth this way on approximately a weekly basis, which means that if you keep to a good clip, you shouldn't have anything to worry about from the looming hills and woods on either side.
Close to mid-day, the party returns to the area with the giant's house. The destroyed wagons are still there, of course, but this time the party knows just which way to go. Turning west off the road, the party hikes up some hills until they reach the giant's home. Since they are expected this time, the giant does not heft both axes and stand at the ready for battle immediately. Instead, his stone weapons hang from iron loops at his belt. He had told you his name the last time you were here -- Stonebrow Ironfist. He waves in greeting.
The giant rumbles out a greeting. "bringer du aftale fra leder? Fortæl mig."
Giving Stonebrow her widest smile, her voice warm. Talia waves her arm towards the fat turkey dangling from Wulfgar's prodigious paw.
"Hej, Stonebrow! Vi har en aftale fra vores leder. Med tiden vil du være rig og magtfuld. Mere magtfuld end du er nu, selv."
"Vi har også noget lige så vigtigt - frokost! I min kultur er aftaler forseglet med måltider. Må vi pålægge dig en time eller to i eftermiddags? Et måltid med nye venner?"
"Hvordan har du det med vejret, Stonebrow? Vinteren nærmer sig, ja? Min yndlings tid på året personligt ..."
"We also have something just as important - lunch! In my culture, agreements are sealed with meals. May we impose on you for an hour or two this afternoon? A meal with new friends?"
"How do you feel about the weather, Stonebrow? Winter approaches, yes? My favorite time of year, personally..."
"Sure, why not? I mean, we can break bread with a giant as easily as other men, right?"
Pavo remains wary, but removes his helm when it comes time to eat.
The giant shrugs and accepts the offer of lunch, even pulling out some stumps and boards from a storage shed behind his house. He asks if anyone wants to help set up the dining area, and then pulls out a jug of what seems like moonshine from the inside of his house.
Once everyone is seated and ready to eat, he asks again for the terms of the deal. Stonebrow is capable of eating for at least four men, but the volume of food created by Wulfgar's magic is enough for lunch for the entire party.
Casamir grins at the jug of moonshine. He produces a worn cup from his mess kit and after struggling some with the size of the jar, he raises the cup tilting it towards Stonebrow as if to initiate a toast before saying, "Noroc!"
"Cheers!"
Casamir chuckles, ”Of course, my friend.” He pours Wulfgar some moonshine before tucking into the meal. He sighs happily with his first bite. What a life he’d found here. Never in his wandering with the caravans would he have found himself eating lunch with a giant!
Pavo helps move things around and set up their meeting without a word, then sits and eats with the others.
He seems stiff and wary, and refuses to drink any alcohol during the meal.
"So, where do we go from here? Are any of the other resource areas near enough to head there directly?"
Talia catches the gleam in Cassamir's eye and smiles. Yes, he gets it. Some things are worth it for the tale they bring alone!
As they eat, Talia unfurls Tolgrith's writing and translates for the giant, word for word. Finishing, she rests the parchment gently on her knee and leans back, sighing contentedly. "Excellent meal, Wulfgar. We can have the blackberries I foraged for desert."
Reaching again to the parchment, Talia places it on the table in front of her, indicating it is not quite a done deal.
"Vores leder, Tolgrith, har et ord, der er stærkere end denne tabel. Vi ville elske, som venner, hvis du har mere information om denne Varrask eller bemærker hans drakes bevægelse, at du fortæller os. Så har vi en aftale?"
The giant scratches his head, confused and slightly frustrated that his several requests for more information have, so far, been ignored. He pokes at the piece of paper Talia brought for him and rumbles. "jeg er forvirret. vi har spist, vi har talt om aftalen, du beder mig om at være enig. Hvad er vilkårene? Du må fortælle mig, jeg kan ikke læse dette."
"Jeg undskylder, Stonebrow. Vilkårene for aftalen er således. Ahem. Jeg citerer vores leder:"
"Til gengæld for ikke at angribe rejsende, der passerer langs vejen og nærliggende områder, der dækker Stonebrow Ironfists landejendom og ejendom, som omfatter bakken, som Master Ironfists hus ligger, såvel som selve huset, rejsende, eksklusive soldaterne fra Fort Thorn, bosiddende Hellknights og dets udpegede agenter, inklusive men ikke eksklusive for Wulfgar Ivarson, Cassamir Ydrasku, Pavo Gallonica, Portia Porphyria Jeggare og Talia Khavortorov fra Brevoy, betaler 1 sølv."
"In return for not attacking travelers passing along the road and nearby areas that skirt Stonebrow Ironfist's lands and property, which encompass the hill upon which Master Ironfist's house resides, as well as the house itself, travelers, excluding the soldiers of Fort Thorn, resident Hellknights, and its designated agents, including but not exclusive to Wulfgar Ivarson, Cassamir Ydrasku, Pavo Gallonica, Portia Porphyria Jeggare, and Talia Khavortorov of Brevoy, will pay 1 silver. Master Ironfist may reneogiate this deal at an time in good faith, by traveling to Fort Thorn for an audience."
The giant grunts with satisfaction. He grabs a huge nail and the paper off the table and then says, "Godt. Jeg kan fastgøre dette på min væg og vise det til alle plagende mennesker, der kommer til at rode med mig eller mine ting. Nu vil jeg gerne have dig til at kneppe. Jeg har ting at fuldføre, og jeg vil ikke sidde med dig mod Vardak. Jeg håber ærligt, at han vinder. På den måde vil du og dine slægtninge være væk."
When no one responds, the giant flares his nostrils and slaps the table open-handed. He stands up, hammer and nail in hand. Voice rumbling, he issues a second frustrated directive. "Hørte du ikke mig? ifølge dette er du på min ejendom, og jeg vil have, at du giver mig lidt ro og går af."
Talia shrugs, and giving the giant an exaggerated bow, turns back towards the road.
"We may have to come back and kill this guy yet."
"I vote to go with our original plan and head east to the mitheral mines."
Talia and Wulfgar lead the group on the hike back down the hill giant's hill. Crossing the road, the hike directly to the east leads back into lightly wooded hills, which are inconvenient and uncomfortable but far from impossible to walk through. It's six miles to the Petal River from here.
"Something tells me this fella is going to be trouble in the future. Oh well, if we have to come back and settle it permanently, so be it "
Pavo resettles his helm over his head, then moves out at a slow jog, happy once again for the bardic marching magic.
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It is midafternoon by the time the party reaches the banks of the Petal River. The sun hangs in the sky, lazily drifting towards the mountaintops to the west. The forest and hills are peaceful, and the short jaunt off the walk uneventful. Those versed in natural knowledge recognize a great variety of rare flora and fauna here in the Vale. Areas unsettled by humans are rare, after all.
The hills to the north are harsher and rockier than those to the west. Sheer cliffs divide the mountain from the forest in more than one place, and the path which the party must skirt at a jogging pace is rough and uneven for most of the way.
Eventually the party reaches the end of their hike. The Petal River was once clear, clean, and beautiful. It flows through Fort Thorn to the southeast. Today it is polluted, with a muddy appearance and a foul smell. The river is about thirty feet to the other side and it moves at a decent clip. Its depth cannot be determined at sight due to the pollution.