Din thinks they might be pushing their luck but agrees to Terion’s plan.
Meta gaming note: You won't hit goblins until night BUT I will roll for encounters... IF that is the plan you are going with[/ooc]
Sarn and Terion head out... Sarn has decent skill at hunting, and it seems game is in the area.
Encounter roll for camp...
Encounter roll for forage party...
Bushcraft for forage party
Sarn comes close to snaring a squirrel and for a moment Terion thinks he might be able to stalk a deer but no joy.
Sarn is able to find a double handful of berries, late in the season but look good. Won't feed anyone on there own BUT maybe something can be made of them.
It is late afternoon when you reunite and neither group has seen the goblins or any other new monsters... but then again, goblins are sneaky buggers.
“Apologies fellows. I caught naught but berries. Perhaps the dwarves will like…porridge - with berries! I am no pie-baker or sweet-maker.” Sarn makes a brave face, but it is obvious he is crestfallen, and feels to have let his party down by failing to catch…anything.
You start looking around and can locate basic cooking ceramic pots and frying plates...
What's the plan for the meal? After Nilelane takes to the grain grinder for springs and parts (which will take some time), what's her next course of action?
You can find oats for a berry porridge desert in one of the sacks in the supply tent.
"Meh! I can see a pretty darn fine meal with what we've got!" - Terion smiled - "Stevi had some pretty good ideas about it. I was thinking we could cut him loose, and have him do the cooking? What do you think?" - he asked his companions.
”Cut him loose? Free him? He’s been captured and is due for the hangman’s noose. And you want to, in between that capture and hanging…get him to cook for us?”
Sarn frowns, mulling it over. He brightens considerably.
”Fine. But I am NOT helping him.”
”Nay, I put little faith or trust in a bandit. Best if we keep him constrained,” the responded quickly to Terion’s request.
"That's fair enough" - Terion nodded at Din - "I am sure I can get something going - my dad taught me to be a smith, but how hard can it be? I used to watch my grandma doing it all the time! Sarn, give me a hand?"
Terion does a bang up job with what he has on hand... memories of hard times and mother making the best of whatever was on hand spring to mind. He raids your own packs for little bits and pieces. Scrounged bacon grease found in the supply tent is added to a few rare crushed pepper corns, salt and the remaining supply tent jerky in a pot of beans. It doesn't take long before the results give off an odour that that indicates he hit the mark.
Going the extra mile Terion follows the earlier suggestion of fruit and porridge and remembers some wax wrapped honey comb he had stashed with his own rations.
As darkness descends you've got the impression you might just pull this off.
After nightfall the two dwarves make their way out! They are armed and armoured but again, shields are not in evidence and they look friendlier than last time.
Moradins beard that smells a treat! Better than old Fred's fare by the looks of it too.
The other dwarf, the one known as Banhammer, throws you a large leather bottle.
We could smell it from in there. Here ya go! Put hairs on her chest!
And with that they present their metal mess kit pans for a heaping helping of goodness and join the group to eat round the fire.
The fragrance of the meal is pleasing, and those also indulging in Terion's labours find the result to be hearty and savoury.
So if the other lads aren't comin back? You're it then? Or is her royal snootypants gonna hire some more?
Sarn passes on the proffered drink with a firm smile.
”Nays, me reckins thaybe’s all deader’n bone. I’m jes happy to have a post that pays.”
Terion smiles at his own workmanship with the meal, and provides everyone with a healthy helping - "Come get it while it is hot! Hope you lads enjoy it"
Then he himself joins the others, and partakes of the food and drink, passing the bottle along - "To be honest" - he started as they ate - "This whole job is starting to stink more than my underwear" - the man grunted - "Working with gobbos and those scaled... Things - and took another bite - "Is not to my liking. At all"
I hear ya... if the coin wasn't so good? Hells I might have walked... but I'm here now and a deal is a deal. Once struck? It's as good as gold.
"If you say so" - Terion continued eating - "I'm betting there is more coin to be made from turning the tables on them though" - he added - "I agree a deal is a deal, but c'mon - cooking for gobbos and cannibals for coin? Makes my stomach churn" - the man pressed on - "And at the end of it all, we just leave the whole place to them? Bah!"
"But then again, you lot probably were hired for something different than we were" - he shrugged - "Maybe it is worth it for you"
We're specialists don'cha know. Apparently she needs us to lead her down a certain passage underground, and somewhere important I'm thinking. We're pretty damn good. She said we'd travel with her to the place once she finished doing her..., he wiggles his fingers mysteriously, magic with whatever she's working on, Cagbral Maryam says.
Besides, says the other, Much as I like the sentiment, don't think you're picking up what we're laying down. Deals a deal. Mind you... we aren't necessarily pledged to protect this place or the scum livin' in it. Just her and then lead her to her destination an' out again. I'd imagine if you lot kicked off with the Gobbos? Weeeell, he holds out his arms in an exaggerated shrug, I mean what could we do?
Banhammer then belches.
Don' think it will be worth your while. They don't seem to have much worth having though.
Sarn is enjoying Terion’s bang up repast, but cannot for the life of him fathom what the dwarves and his companion are jabbering about. He has just enough sense to realise he hasn’t the sense to not put his foot well and truly in it, so Sarn keeps mum, munching away on greasy morsels.
”Aye. Sure as not.” he adds meaningfully, nodding for good measure,
"Got it" - Terion nodded with a smile - "What about the scales? Do you care? If it comes to blows, what would it take to have you on our side?"
The dwarves both look at each other, frowning.
Look boys, ya cook a good meal but if'n yer don't know now? I'm tellin' ya - A Dwarves word, an' ours in particular being mercenaries an' all, is more valuable than gold... it's about the only thing that is. We're happy for ya to kill the gobbo's an' the stinking lizard bastards and such. We ain't been paid to protect them. Just don't go to th' second level down is all. That's too close to our principal, and unless ya want a face full of axe, definitely don't try to threaten or harm her. If these buggers have loot worth a damn? Be rich... but we two? We're not gonna lift a finger one way or another otherwise.
Meal consumed, they rise, this time less casually. They aren't threatening you but you can tell they're ready to act if need be.
Feeling the frisson of exquisitely strung tension, Sarn’s mouth is dry and his errant eyeball begins to twitch.
Perhaps this is why folk consume alcohol. I feel mighty parched, almost to my soul. I for one do not relish a face full of axe!
”Ahl reet then. Naw going ti tha saccind livul, indeedy naw.” he stammers, trying not to say something incredibly stupid.
The dwarves leave then you are here alone... in the dark... with your fire... and no sign YET of those Goblins.
Plans?
"Fair enough" - Terion nodded, continuing his meal as the dwarves left, and making no aggressive movements.
"I guess we cannot count on their help for now" - he grunted to the others - "Still like the rest of the idea though - if gobbos come out, we try to convince them the scales want to eat them. If scales come out, we jump them. Otherwise we head inside in the morrow. What do you all think?"
Once the dwarves left Din came out of the tent, ”That could have gone better. Curse the stubbornness of dwarfs. It would be easier to change the course of a river than get one to change its mind.” After he is don ranting he looked at Eddrick and muttered, ”Present company excluded.”
He turned to Terion, ”Sounds like a fair plan. Tomorrow it is.”
Sarn nods companionably. He was happy to have had a good meal and to have avoided conflict.
”I feel tired now after a good meal, thanking you Terion. Methinks we need to keep an eye on Stevi, he’s an appointment to keep with Master Noose and we wouldn‘t want him to miss it. And being sleepy, I feel I can’t watch the lad nor keep safe from nocturne’s goblins. I am happy to take an early morning watch…”
"I can take first watch" - Terion nodded, grabbing some food and drink for Stevi - "And I'll make sure the boy gets some food and water"
”I’ve been watching the prisoner and could use a break. I’ll take a watch somewhere in the middle,” with that the mage retired for the night.
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Its near the end of Terion's watch that he becomes sure that he's being watched, and moments later a pair of armed goblins make their way to the edge of the firelight, eyes reflecting its gleam.
You... our eyes say you new... our noses say we know you from Captain group. Who are you? Why not dead like others? You run?
They speak with a degree of confidence, cautious but without fear.
"You bet your ass we ran. Else we'd be out in the field with our heads bashed in like the others" - Terion replied gruffly - "What's it to you?"