Signy waits behind the tables with an arrow nocked.
She grins back at Brental's confusions and shrugs, enjoying the delicious coincidence.
Lorna pushes her eyes to try to see the fowl mouthed man. There was something about him - more than the voice, and she finally identified.
Happs Byron, huh? - she spoke, approaching subtly - I should have imagined your sexy sassy carcass would be dragged across the lands after the Surtova fiasco.
She smiled, showing her perfectly white teeth. There was nothing truly grotesque about her - yet, she knew very well what he was referring to, and even she felt some chills to remember some details.
Now, pleasantries aside... I'm here to talk. You know very well the noble houses will be playing their games in their keeps, and only the bread crumbs will be thrown to us. You know Medvyed are not like the others - we had always been much closer to the commonfolk. Just look how I dress...
She opened her arms. She was definitely dressed a lot more humble than the average noble, even if still somewhat nice.
So, let's not talk about picking in arms. Maybe there are business to be made. Maybe we could all sit together around a campfire and make plans that fills not the bellies of the Surtovas or Rogarvias, but the Byrons. I know you gotta have someone you're reporting to, at this point, but wouldn't you - or the gentlemen by your side - would rather report to no one? Have your own chickens for eggs, your own cows for milk? Why be risking your neck on a mosquito infested outpost to enrich someone other than yourselves?
She was now very much speaking to everybody - not only the leader - and trying to appeal to their own greed and fear. Despite all the talk and appearances, there was something sinister in the air. A different kind of evil, as a looming presence of pure, raw anger that couldn't be shaken.
A cold sweat now dampens Brental's brow as Vodnykel fidgets. Lorna is speaking in a very different way than Brental had been used to. Clearly there was something different about her than she had let on. But what?
He continues holding his breath measured. The air feels thick--ready to burst at any moment. Brental grips tighter and waits.
Bydon chuckles haughtily at Lorna's approach waving her back with his composite longbow. "Now now there little Medvyed I understand why you'd be drawn to me, I got a certain animal magnetism to me. But personally I wouldn't stick you if me crotch were on fire and y-"
"That's quite enough!" Oleg snarls at the man's disgusting mannerisms. "Let's just get this over with."
"Ohhh, ho ho ho boys looks like I struck a nerve there!" Happs jeers at Oleg as the men around him laugh derisively. A few of them seemed somewhat interested in what Lorna had to say but they all kept glancing wearily at Happs with a slight ting of fear in their eyes.
After the laughter subsides the hooded man focuses his attention back on Lorna with a wry grin. "All this f**#in talk of nobility and business. I can't really say I care much for it either way. See the way I sees it. We already got a smooth business operating here. Oleg pays his taxes to the great Stag Lord and we keep him 'protected' just like how I used to run things in Brevoy until you ruined everything for me. But one bonus is I don't have an annoying wife and two bratty half-breed kids to worry about feedin' anymore, means I get to line my pockets meself." Happs looks around at his men as if searching for their approval before returning his attention to Lorna and whispering mockingly, "Besides, truth be told I ain't much for farmin' anyways. Too much cow shit for me ya know?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lorna feels her words weren't helping much - but yet, she got some of the confirmations she wanted. Her tone changes, now, after Happs answer.
Well, I thought someone with a head full of manure like you would appreciate cows and farming, Happs. - she speaks, and her eyes now lost all tones of diplomacy - But I wasn't speaking only with you.
She turns to the others, openly addressing them and bypassing Byron.
You see, this man fears me, maybe even more than he fears the Stag Lord. He threatens me with a bow from behind a horse, but still stutters when addressing me, his puny tail cowering between his legs. But I offer you, around him, a chance. Are you really willing to risk your necks, instead of properly... Studying the options?
And finally her body turns to Happs. For a moment, it feels like her body moved independently of her own will, as if a terrifying, animated ragdoll.
Are you still afraid of me, Happs Byron? - and as she completes and shows her smile, for the split of a moment it felt as if she had a lot more teeth in her mouth than before... A somewhat sinister smirk wraps it all.
Things seem to be reaching their climax out there, so Signy appeals for favor in the brewing conflict, her voice low as she says the words.
"Caniatâ i mi dy ffafr duw cwrw."
At Lorna's sudden turn and bold confidence in the face of such numbers and adversity all the bandits, even Bydon, take a step back and begin to visibly tremble with each drawing their weapons in turn and glancing nervously at one another.
"Y-You monsterous b$*!&! I'll put you down like the dog you are!" Happs snarls aiming his bow directly at Lorna now and drawing back on the string with trembling fingers. "C'mon men lets end this b+#@~ then take what we came here for! Anyone who even thinks of backing off is answering to Kressle you hear me?!"
Meneas hears the shouting, and gently nudges Veil's sides with his heels, urging her forwards and towards the gates. Hopefully I make it in time.
Brental touches his hand to Vodnykel's hide and exchanges a knowing look with him as a green rune momentarily flashes within his shaggy coat.
"Anfalla!" he whispers fiercely.
Vodnykel, now with the blessing of Guidance, pushes through the gap in the tables and moves towards the bandit, ready to strike!
Signy pops up, draws her bowstring back, and fixes a bead on Happs.
"Sounds like a hard 'no' from old Happs on playing nice. Don't exactly know where the others stand yet."
She looses her arrow.
Lorna's eyes turn all the way up, showing just absolute white.
You... You need to get out of here... - she says to Oleg, her voice trembling in fear, and clearly not fear of the bandits.
She speaks to the bandits.
You see, Happs - they see how you fear me, and they know... If you're dead, who would be speaking to Kressle about what happened here? - she pauses and addresses the goons around the lead - I will deal with Kressle. Help me deal with this situation first - and remember the sound logic, dead men tell no tales.
Something starts clawing its way out of her body in a grotesque, otherworldly manner. If there was something terrifying about her before, it now pales towards what's going on.
In a flurry of action many things happen seemingly in an instant. First Vodnykel comes bursting out from between the tables in a mad charge letting loose a mighty trumpet as he bears down on the unsuspecting bandit before him who curses loudly, eyes wide with terror at this ferocious beast’s surprise assault.
Meanwhile Signy springs up from behind the tables and looses an arrow from her longbow with deadly precision on the leader of the bandits just as he draws his own bow to fire upon her friend. A heartbeat later and Happs is clutching desperately at his neck where Signy’s arrow has found its mark. Blood pours forth from the wound at an alarming rate and the crude man only has moments to gasp fruitlessly for air before collapsing in a heap on the ground coughing and sputtering up his own life’s-blood before he grows still. His Foul-mouth forever silenced in an instant.
”B-Bloody hell!” One of the other bandits cried out watching his boss go down in an instant before they even had a chance to react. Lorna’s threats and sudden horrid manifestation only further drive’s their fear as the bandits quake in despair. ”Let’s get the hell out of here boys now! It’s an ambush!”
The bandits each begin to turn on their heels and make ready to bolt. Any fight in these cowards clearly died with their leader. The hapless Happs Bydon.
Hearing the cries of the oncoming bandits and realizing that he'll not have the chance to charge, Meneas drops his lance and draws his sword. He spurs Veil forwards, before wheeling towards the inside of the Trading Post. From the depths of his hood, he gazes at the bandits, before leveling his blade at one. "You're next." He intones without a hint of threat to his voice - just pure confidence.
Lorna finally finishes calling the exemplar. The ectoplasmic creature finishes clawing out of the woman, leaving her behind in a husk of her former self - weaker, uglier, sweating suffering.
Lorna tries to swiftly push Oleg out of the action, touching his shoulder and looking with fear towards her own exemplar. She still tries to appeal to the bandits reason one last time.
Happs is already down... There's no one to tell Kressle. Surrender, now, and your lives might be spared. - her voice is trembling, weakened, but it's noticeable that she feels truly more benevolent now that... Whatever that is... Is out of her.
The exemplar itself is nothing weak. Though it looks like Lorna, it's a much stronger, faster, confident and supernatural form of her; hair eternally flying as if being magically blown, hands curved like claws. The phantasmagoric creature almost seems to float on her feet, which touch the ground gracefully despite the apparently massive body it sustains. The exemplar's look is that of anger: it grins, holding an immense sledge hammer in its hands, and charges towards the closest enemy, trying to get to it before it has time to act.
The exemplar laughs openly, terrifying, not seeming to bother with anything. It's not a good laugh: it's full of anger and violence, showing teeth sharper than a human's would be.
Don't listen to her! Try to flee, and fall like flies! - it yells, and its voice sounds just like a hoarse, lower version of Lorna's.
In one swift action the mysterious and haunting figure that has emerged from somewhere within Lorna raises her arms and bashes down on the unfortunate bandit’s head which splatters like an overripe fruit at the tremendously powerful blow. The headless corpse collapses as the nearby bandit screams in absolute horror. ”Bydon was right! Th-that thing really is a monster!” the man cries out and turns to run out the gate with reckless abandon. He completely ignores the hooded rider before him and attempts to make for the horses behind him.
Seeing the gory scene unfold before him, Oleg cheers at first when Happs catches an arrow to the jugular but his expression soon turns to one of fear as the exemplar claws its way out of Lorna and even more as it caves a man’s head in with inhuman strength. Still, when Lorna reaches out to indicate the man should run for safety he eyes her with concern looking back and forth between the diminished girl and the backfield before slowly nodding in understanding and making his way to safety within his home, being careful to avoid the traps he knows have been laid out there.
Meneas slashes at the man attempts to bypass him. Of course, Veil rears back to attack as well, and the subsequent disruption between their usual teamwork leads neither to hit.
Vodnykel let's out a ferocious trumpet, attacking the flat-footed bandit (red) in front of him.
The fleeing bandit cries out as Veil rears back and strikes at him with a powerful hoof barely missing the man's head and as he ducks it causes Meneas' sword swing to go wide as well. Letting out a string of curses the man mounts his horse and turns to leave this hellish place at one.
He fairs far better than the bandit Vodnykel has descended upon, however. The man screams in agony as Vod's sharp ivory is thrust into his stomach completely bypassing anything his simple leather armor could hope to dissuade. Letting loose another victorious trumpet Vod raises the man up then throws him to the ground and proceeds to stop the wailing bandit into the ground with his heavy pads until the screaming is replaced by sickening crunching noises and then complete silence.
This utter carnage causes the last two bandits in the trading post the react. The one Meneas has challenged groans, "Not today pony boy, not today!" With this he sprints past Meneas as he is distracted by his companion and slides through the dirt to his horse, mounting it before the Cowl can stop him.
The remaining bandit drops his arms and holds his hands high dropping to his knees and looking desperately at Lorna with pleading eyes. "I surrender okay! I give just call that crazy thing off!"
Things are happening so quickly that there's no time for Signy to react to anything but targets. She vaults the table and rushes to the center of the courtyard. With probably only one more shot possible before the fleeing bandits are away, she takes aim at the more exposed bandit , and lets another arrow fly.
Signy's arrow flies true striking the bandit in the flank for what would appear to be a kidney shot. The man howls out in agony clutching tightly to his panicking horse and begins kicking at it's side to usher the creature forward.
"I don't think so, friend..." Meneas mutters as he lashes out with his dueling sword at his primary target, slicing at his back as he mounts his horse.
Meanwhile, Veil kicks out at the man as well, landing a heavy hoof on him.
With a flash Meneas' deadly blade carved through the fleeing man's shoulder making the man double over in pain atop his horse and yet, before he can even let out a scream, Veil's hoof connects with the man's skull. His head jolts far backward with a sickening snap and he falls, limply off his horse and lies still on the ground.
Brental emerges from behind the table to survey the swift carnage. With four dead, one surrendered, and one injured and fleeing, Brental knows that the day is well in-hand. And if they decide to track down the injured man, it will be a simple thing.
What draws his attention the most is first that Lorna looks sick and fragile near him, and second that there is something ferocious-looking, resembling her, standing over a corpse with its head brutally caved-in. Brental blinks in surprise a few times as he draws closer to the corpse. Perhaps this is why Lorna did not want to fight?
"Are you...okay, Lorna?" Brental asks as he moves by her, trying to get a better look at the battlefield.
Lorna opens both hands forwards and does a pull movement with her fingers, clearly in pain. Arms and hands look skinnier, popped veins, and a certain cold aura swiftly permeates.
Unghh! - she loudly lets out, and the exemplar is pulled back inside her in anger, inefficiently trying to grab to the grass and earth as it moves through the air. Small marks are all it lets behind as it disappears.
I'm okay... - Lorna puffs, both hands on her knees trying to recover her air as she answers Brental. Her health, beauty and strength look recovered, despite the apparent painful fatigue.
It's... Enough. - she finally says, then turning to Meneas and pointing the fleeing man - He's all yours, hooded knight. Proceed with him at your discretion.
She slowly stands her head again, and the voice sounds more recovered.
We accept your surrender. We will talk as soon as your last comrade is dealt with. Drop your weapons and knee down. - she finally orders the bandit.
The surrendering bandit stares in abject horror as Lorna recalls her exemplar. "R-Right away m'lady! Whatever you say m'lady! Please don't eat my soul m'lady!" He stammers as he gets on his knees and tosses his bow and short sword aside as instructed.
Meanwhile the final injured bandit mounts his horse and proceeds to spur his steed forward while clutching at his injured side. The horse begins to take off in a gallop moving sixty feet away down the road. You can hear pained grunting with each gallop of his horse as the man clutches his grievous wound.
Meneas takes a moment to regret dropping his lance, but gently nudges Veil to charge after the fleeing bandit, lifting his blade in the sun. When they reach him, the hooded knight slashes down, cutting at the rider.
Veil rears back and lashes out with one of her hooves as well, aiming for the rider's back, but heaves to the side at the last moment to avoid stomping on the horse.
Once Signy sees the fleeing bandit mount up and take off, she knows her part of the fight is finished. She walks over and collects the weapons of the man who surrendered. It's unlikely he's going to change his mind, but people do wacky things sometimes so it's best to guard against it.
She goes to stand beside Lorna, grinning at her with new appreciation.
"Aren't you just full of surprises! You have a fairly smutty mouth on you when you feel like it. And that... That thing you did. Can you make that happen when you want?"
Signy also glances at Brental. "I've got this" she tells him, jerking a thumb in the direction of the new prisoner. "Could you go fetch some rope?"
As Meneas charges beyond Brental's immediate vision, with the sound of steel sinking into flesh coming back as a clear report, Brental lowers his scimitar. He glances at the blood dripping from Vodnykel's tusks and nods approvingly at his companion. Vod had done well. They all had.
Brental goes quickly into the stables where he had left Vodnykel's packs and retrieves a large bundle of rope that he hands to Signy.
"You know your way around that bow," he says appreciatively. "Well-aimed."
He goes over to clean the gore from Vodnykel's tusk and calls out to their hosts. "Oleg, Svetlana: we will need to clean up out here, but you are safe."
You all did so, so very well! - says Lorna, holding her hands together. Her arms looked sore and wounded - she was obviously hurt, despite never being touched during the combat.
Thanks, my dear. - she answers Signy - Don't... Don't really mind it. I guess we all have our emotions bottled up to some extent, and my anger has a different way of showing itself.
She then carefully goes towards Oleg, avoiding the traps on her way.
Glad to see you and the wife are unharmed! My apologies if my defiance ever put you in risk. - she smiles - Would you mind us using your stables to talk to our new friend here? We heard some names, and I'd love to hear more details about them!
She turns her head to the prisoner and, again, smiles in a warm manner.
Meneas' skill as a rider becomes more than apparent as he charges down the last bandit on his dutiful steed. Despite the other man having a headstart Veil is able to outspeed the average workhorse with ease.
His blade glinting in the summer sun, Meneas connects with his blade at the man's neck sending his head cascading through the air as it separates from the bandit's body which collapses soon after.
Meanwhile, Oleg and Svetlana exchange looks of relief which are shortly thereafter replaced by bright smiles and cheering as they embrace one another literally jumping for joy. They even pull Lorna in for a group hug before composing themselves.
"Yes, yes of course feel free to use the stables to your heart's content, anything you want my dear! In the meantime I'll start cooking us up a special victory meal in gratitude for all your hard work. Oleg can help with the cleanup, that sort of bloody business isn't for me but thank you Lorna! Thank you all so very much you have no idea what this means for us!" Svetlana hugs Lorna again before running into the back humming about winning and praising the Lady of Graves for her favor this day.
Oleg turns back to Lorna and smiles widely. "My sentiments exactly! Not only are we gonna feed you today but you're all welcome here whenever you want free of charge for food and rent, you don't charge family after all!" The hulking man laughs heartily and pats Lorna heavily on the back before noticing her injuries and pulling back."Opps, sorry about that, is there anything we can do for you about your injuries? I didn't see you get hit but I was in here before too much action happened... gotta admit you put quite the scare in me with that trick you pulled with the ghost lady... you mages will never cease to amaze me with the illusions you can pull off, really had me going."
Meneas flicks the blood from his blade with a twitch of his wrist, sighing with satisfaction. Well, that was a nice start to the day. He pulls a foot out of his stirrup and gives the corpse a swift kick off of the horse's back, before gently urging Veil to try to corral it back towards the Trading Post.
Whether he's successful in that endeavor or not, he returns to the Trading Post, where he retrieves his lance and rides back into the courtyard, surveying the carnage that the group had wrought on the bandits. "Hm." He makes a noise of satisfaction, before dismounting and looking at the corpses. "That went well."
The animal seems to respond to Veil's caroling in returns, albeit slowly, to the trading post with the others where cleanup has begun.
"Feel free to take anything you want off the bodies Meneas, anything you don't want I'll be happy to add to my stock." Oleg smiles and nods respectfully to the hooded man. "You've certainly earned it and besides I don't think these louts will have any more use for it." Brental chuckles kicking at one of the bodies.
"Though you could have left a few more with their heads on... How am I supposed to hang this mess?"
Meneas inclines his head, wiping his blade on one of the nearby corpses before sheathing it. With Oleg's permission, he begins investigating the bodies, though he keeps a careful eye on the surviving bandit.
With the talk of hanging the corpses now on the board, Brental begins planning a better way to handle their bodies after it becomes too grisly to keep them strung up. There might be some patches of fungus nearby that could be fed. Or maybe carrion feeders would do their work in the meantime. But that was a question for later.
Brental helps to gather the bodies, trying to be respectful to their fallen one-time enemies...though still checking what they each have in their pockets. No sense in stringing up a corpse with gold inside.
After a through search of the bodies the party comes up with two vials of alchemist's fire, five sets of leather armor (the final bandit is still wearing his), a dagger, Happ's composite longbow , twelve days of trail rations, five longbows, five short swords, the strange silver stag skull amulet around Happs' neck (needs a good cleaning now for obvious reasons), one hundred twenty arrows, and eighty five gold coins. Over the course of scavenging these valuables Oleg has fetched rope and begun the grim prospect of hanging bodies from the palisade to warn off the other bandits. He decides to hang the ones without heads from the feet after much deliberation with himself.
"I don't think these scum will be showing their faces around here for a long time now." Oleg grunts, heaving a corpse over the wall and smirking in satisfaction as the rope goes taught. "These scum are cowards by nature, only striking when they think it will be easy pickings. Oh, sure they'll want to come back for revenge eventually, but by then I'm certain that the guards Restov promised us will be here and then this place will be a tougher nut to crack than they will be expecting. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, of course. And we'll buy any goods you have to trade at a fair price."
Signy Would throw an arm around around Brental's shoulders if he weren't so ridiculously tall. Instead she wraps her arm around his waist for a quick hug.
"Thanks but there was a goodly portion of luck in the mix. Like with the drinking game, I'm a good lucky charm to have around."
Signy knows her way around a kitchen well enough to be of some assistance, so she volunteers to help Svetlana.
Meneas bends to pick up the silver stag amulet, wiping it off on Happs' clothing. "Well, this is a sign that the Stag Lord was involved in this little racket." He looks to Lorna, offering it to her. "Lady Medvyed, do you want to look at it?" Huh. Looks like I've already acknowledged her as a leader...
Thanks, dear! I'm sure some supper and rest will suffice for me. - Lorna thanks Oleg.
She walks around, helping cleaning and organizing whenever needed. As Signy speaks of luck, she shakes her head in agreement.
Definitely! If you weren't so fast and lethal with your bow, I fear I'd be the one with an arrow through my neck.
She notices Meneas picking up the little amulet, and as he calls her she approaches with curiosity. She concentrates, looking at the jewel and the rest of the gear, and detects magic.
You are correct! This seems to confirm what they said. - says the human, manipulating the item without much ability.
Finally, she approaches the man who surrender and points the stables.
Would you mind accompanying us? - she asks politely, then moving towards the stables as well - I'd love to get out of the sun a little bit. You already know I am Lady Lorna Medvyed. We both know that carcass over there with a new mouth on his neck was Happs Bydon. What do we call you?
The bandit nods slowly following the woman, his while body trembling as he does. "V-Vlad." the young man states eyeing his surrounding nervously as he set foot in the stables. "Though, the boys called me Chicken Chaser on account of... you know what it's a long story. What do you want from me exactly? I've give you all me gold and valuables already and if it's about the trading post... it weren't personal I want you to know. Just business. Man's gotta eat and the Stag Lord demands his due." the man gulps, his baby-faced features denote him is being quite young, possibly just over eighteen and his inexperience shows in his lack of professionalism and willingness to gab.
The items are a bit more than what Brental would have expected common bandits to possess. Not incredibly well-armed, but adequately for a troupe. They seem organized, at least. Seemed.
Brental eventually follows Lorna into the stables at least to observe and ask a few questions of his own.
"Vlad, have you ever met this Stag Lord? And were you more following Happs, or this Stag Lord. I understand eating, but why this life? There are easier trades to be sought than threatening the lives of others."
"Aye, I know the Stag Lord alright. He's me uncle a-and he'll be proper peeved if'n you keep his favorite nephew here s-so the best option is to just let me loose. I'll pit in a good word for you with him if'n you just let me go." the young man squirms, his eyes darting about the room looking for potential exits.
"Happs was just givin' the orders for this run. He was a crack shot with a boy but other than that he weren't too impressive. Me thinks he just got to his lieutenant position cause he was havin' his rolls in the hay with… Ne'er mind all that." Vlad mutters nervously. "As for why this line o' work. Well it's the freedom of it all isn't it? In Brevoy we always had to play by the rules of high and mighty 'nobles' but here in the Stolen Lands we's free to live as we please. But someone's gotta foot the bill at the end of the day."
Meneas folds his arms before turning his hood towards Vlad. "The Stag Lord is not someone we care to curry favor with. Besides, I doubt he would care enough to even investigate your death, even if you were his nephew."
He turns back to the others. "If he's going to keep lying, we should focus our efforts elsewhere and let him join his fellows." The knight-errant waves a hand at where Oleg has hung the corpses.
"Wait! Wait! Alright, alright so I ain't the Stag Lord's nephew. Can't blame a poor sod from tryin' eh?" Vlad chuckles awkwardly scooting slightly further away from the wall of corpses.
"I ain't ne'er even met the Stag Lord. None of us have 'side's Kressle, she's the one what that Happs was havin' a time with. I've 'eard stories though. That he's as tall as an oak and sturdy as one too. That he's been boiled alive and still won't fall and that's why he's all covered in such horrible scars. That the skull he wears on his his head actually IS his head and there aint nothin' underneath! And that he was granted his dark powers by an ancient godess of spite and hatred and he still calls out to his Queen wonderin' how she could abandon him!"
Brental sees through the young man's lie immediately and snorts as Meneas does the same.
"Free to live as you please is all well and good until you begin to force your way on another at their expense," Brental chides, his face darkening. He knew plenty of the Green Faith who enjoyed living off the land, keeping to themselves, hunting and fishing and growing. They had no need to involve others. To use one's freedom to restrict another's with no just cause smacked of gross naivete at best.
Just because you flee society does not mean that natural laws no longer apply to you. You can only go for so long stealing and maiming before those you victimize rise up against you. Action and reaction. Better to seek harmony in your anarchy, if anarchy you choose.
Brental saves his philosophy lesson from Vlad's ears. It seemed increasingly likely that Meneas was going to push to string him up anyway, and Brental would accept this.
"Where is this Kressle?" Brental follows up.
Lorna sits down, patiently, and waits as her companions speak to the man. Finally, then, she interjects.
That's exactly the single point I want to hear more about... Nothing about the Stag Lord, but actually about... Kressle. - she starts - Where we can find her, who exactly is her... And who is protecting her right now. And please, don't try my patience.
She leans forward, waiting for details with a somewhat stoic face.
"Tch." The bandit grimaces and looks down at the straw strewn about the floor. "Aint that exactly what a government does? To me it don't seem so different."
When Lorna moves forward and threatens the young man he falls backwards and quickly scoots his way into a corner as far away from the woman as he can get. "Nu-huh, nope I know the way this all plays out I does and it's with me joining me fellows at the end of a rope soon as I tell you anythin'. I-I want assurances, yeah that's what I want, that if I tells you what you want to hear then you'll let me go an' we'll ne'er see each other's ugly mugs again! Yeah?"
"It won't be that hard to track them down." Meneas muses. "Even without his help. We can just follow the tracks." His hood turns to the bandit. "I don't think we need to debate philosophy here, honestly."
The knight-errant shrugs. "But either way, we should deal with him swiftly. The next few days will be critical if we want to follow the trail they came here by."
Brental leans back against one of the walls in the barn and shrugs in turn. Meneas was right. It had not been raining these last few days, and Brental was sure that the bandits had not been careful about concealing their tracks. It would be a simple matter to track Kressle down. This was a simple matter of convenience: getting the right information sooner rather than later. Brental understood the boy's desire for assurance--no one wanted to die--but he wasn't really helping his case.
Brental liked this new, more intimidating side of Lorna too, even if it seemed like whatever had happened to her had taken a lot out of her.
Unfortunately it seemed like the group's routine had caused more fear without necessarily producing results. Brental had no strong feelings over whether to imprison the man or execute him, but letting him go seemed overly risky, especially without assurances of their own.
"You claim to want assurances, but how do we know that you will not return to your previous employ and employer? A tiger does not easily change its stripes."
Vlad cringes fearfully away from the hooded man as he makes his threats. He searches the eyes of his captors finally settling on Brental as his only possible source of compassion in the room. "Listen I can't goes back anyways now what that Bydon's dead and gone along with all me mates. Kressle and the Stag Lord they ain't partial to cowards. See, when Kressle were just a girl she were already savaging the wilds here with her parents she was." Vlad begins hoping to curry favor with the druid.
"But you see one day her kin were slain in an ambush on the road an' she went to runnin'. Then two o' the Stag Lord's boys caught hold of her and meant to attack her in the most terrible of ways sir when she took her axes an' hacked an' chopped them boys fingers an arms clean off 'em so she did. Then the boys went to runnin' themselves but Kressle was hot on their heels. They got to the fort afore her though but when the Stag Lord saw the cowards and Kressle's tenacity he threw the poor sods to her and hired her on as she made mince outta them right then an' there. So the story goes. Now I've give you half of what you want to hear now I want me half o the deal and then I'll tell you were to find her eh? Sound fair?"