Penelope clips the rook in its wing right as it dives towards the tiger. Jenkins lets his arrow loose and hits centermost. Spiraling away and into some low handing branches before dropping to the ground.
The hunter in the trees lets out a loud whistle which redirects the other rook. The one on the ground looks up but doesn't move. "Hey! What the! Let go!" There is the sound of struggling then they stop. "Call off your plants!"
"Are you done attacking us?!?" Penelope yells back, already drawing another arrow and setting it, in case he is not.
"She's right! You tried to put an arrow in one of us first. What reason would I have to convince them to release you?" Elowen calls out, moving closer.
Leaves fall with the sound of struggling, "It was a warning shot. Messing with my bait."
Odelai regards the sniper, assessing his truthfulness. She says flatly, ”Bullsh!t. Drop the bow.” then she starts walking up the hill, approaching the edge of the entangle. Her voice takes on a level of menace. ”Loosing another arrow will not end well for you. I repeat: drop... your... bow.”
More leaves fall and it sounds like the branch breaks. You can just see an angry hobgoblin face upside down just below the lowest leaves. The bow is on the ground and the hobgoblin looks furious, "Release me!"
The fennec lets out a long whine at all the yelling. While the rook on the gound keeps shifting.
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"Oh. Goblin. Okay, then," Jenkin says, having it now firmly established in his mind that the sniper was in the branches was not Someone Who Mattered. With that made clear, he approaches the trapped fox. "Poor little guy..."
A burst of surprise caught her at the sharp command laced with magical power from Svetiana. All light heartedness gone replaced with authority. "Interesting." she mumbled aloud, then concentrated back at the potential battle.
Penelope relaxes a little as the bow tumbles to the ground. Her draw on her own slackened, the arrow stays set of course, she isn't stupid, but at least the immediate danger has passed.
"Your powers are amazing, Elowen." the half elf compliments the woodswoman "Um, will the plants grab anyone? Safest to grab all his weapons until we are sure he's not going to be a threat, but I'd rather not be 'Vined'?" Penelope wasn't sure the proper word to use there at the end, so her voice shifts up in a questioning tone.
She does shoot a smile at Jenkin as he hurries to save the fox.
The hobgoblin look around and seem to come to a decision, "This has all been a misunderstanding. I'm well with in my rights to be angry I won't get to eat tonight. None of you got hurt. My bird is probably dead and I guess you are letting my bait go."
Still upsidedown they offer a shrug, "Can we call it even."
"That depends... what prey were you hunting?"
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The BIRD. "Heck in a picnic basket!" Peneople swears and forgets her watch on the obstinate hoby, to rush over to his bird. Falling down to her knees to the rook, she looks...
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"Your powers are amazing, Elowen." the half elf compliments the woodswoman "Um, will the plants grab anyone? Safest to grab all his weapons until we are sure he's not going to be a threat, but I'd rather not be 'Vined'?" Penelope wasn't sure the proper word to use there at the end, so her voice shifts up in a questioning tone.
"Unfortunately at this stage, yes. They cannot determine between friend and foe, and will hold any non-plant entering the area." Elowen replies to Penelope.
As Odelai continues to speak with the hobgoblin, she moves to help Jenkin by calming the frightened and hurt fox.
You shot at me. And very nearly hit, I am not buying that warning shot bullcrap
The Oracle states with a fair bit of conviction as she looks at her claws.
The rook is still breathing but not well. The arrow is still though its side so that is keeping its lung plugged up. You assume magic would be needed to keep the bird alive,
----
The fox's eye are wide as Jenkins pries the trap open. Quickly pulling away with the left hind leg pulled up. Fresh blood drips from the leg the fennic is favoring. Looking over at Elowen and seeming to calm a little, at least it didn't run off yet.
---
Struggling a little and giving up, "Something worth eating. Or I was gonna eat the fox."
Shrugging again, "I shot at you. Ok. I'll admit it. But you were threatening my dinner."
Elowen keeps speaking to the little fox in a calm, comforting tone, trying to keep it from running off injured. "That paw might need healing, let’s see what we can do about that” she says, reaching into her satchel and putting together a small poultice of crushed herbs and leaves, and tying it around the fox’s paw if it allows.
"Does anyone have any healing magic???" Penelope's voice is a little pained, seeing the bird slipping away in front of her eyes.
Svetlana stabilizes the bird with a cantrip, but hestiates to actually cast cure light wounds on it.
Odelai's eyes never leave the hobgoblin even as she responds to Penelope. "I'm sorry. I have no healing spells in my memory."
To the goblinoid, Odelai says, "I can't speak for my companions. Despite your lies and arrows, I may be inclined to let you live... However, I will need to look through your gear before I speak on your behalf. Do you agree?"
The Fennic stays still while being treated by Elowen. Head darting around to keep an eye one everyone. Its not bolting. Seemingly realizing it is safe for now.
---
The bird on the other hand has been magically stabilized but is seems to have passed out. Penelope can see it breathing. Eventually that arrow will have to come out but for now the rook is sleeping.
----
Groaning loudly but accepting their fate. "Privacy or death. Thats an irritating but I would prefer not to die just yet."
Odelai offers, "If you'd rather die before we look through your gear... that's certainly a choice."
With the bird in no immediate danger of death, Penelope gives Svetlana a nod of thanks, then rises. She knocks another arrow and nods to Elowen, ready in case the hobgoblin decides to be dumb.
Once Penelope has an arrow trained on the hobgoblin and the others are focused on the enemy, Elowen gestures, the grasses, vines and plants relinquishing their grasp easing back to their relaxed state swaying gently in the breeze as she whispers quiet thanks for their aid.
The thin branches and vines release the hobgoblin who falls to the ground and groans loudly. Rolling around to sit on his butt and wait to be inspected, "Can we get this over with. I might have time to get a fish and bury my bird."
Dusting off their dark brown pants and straightening the green vest. Tucking their knees against their chest and quietly glaring at all of you
Odelai looks through the hobgoblin's gear, trusting her allies to handle any treachery. "Your bird is alive."
After searching his gear and returning it all to him, she steps away and looks to the team, "He isn't carrying what we're looking for." Keeping her word, she defends the hobgoblin, "Can we call this an unfortunate mistake and go our separate ways?"
Penelope relaxes her pull. While she knew they should take him back to town, and let the magistrate decide his guilt or not, she also knew the town needed them to find these ingredients, Quickly.
"Yes from me." she lowers the bow, not yet putting up the arrow "Do you live in these woods, or just passing through? If you don't mind me asking."
Jenkin, once the fox is fine, starts paying more attention to the hobgoblin's actual words, and starts feeling a little... is that guilt? "No need to go hungry, you can have a day's worth of my rations if you need it. Seriously, though, what were you trying to catch with a fox as bait? Anything that would eat that probably isn't great eating itself."
Putting all of their things back in place with a scowl firmly in place. "Passing through. And I saw my rook shot and i ain't got no magical healing."
Slowly standing up and looking quite confused at Jenkins, "Was hoping for a doe but I take what I can get. Not great eating is still worth eating. Plus the pelts have worth." But they wait for the rations reguardless.
Penelope looks at the shot rook and frowns. As Jenkin keeps talking to the hobgoblin, she remembers her snack from her guardian. "Odelai, would you mind looking at these and let me know if they could help?" she slips the rolled parchment out of the sack and offers them for identification.
Elowen watches in silence. A misunderstanding occurred. No one was dead. The fox was free. As far as she could see it was all settled. They had more important concerns.
Penelope looks at the shot rook and frowns. As Jenkin keeps talking to the hobgoblin, she remembers her snack from her guardian. "Odelai, would you mind looking at these and let me know if they could help?" she slips the rolled parchment out of the sack and offers them for identification.
Odelai studies the parchment, "I'm not expert on holy magic but I'll see if I can figure it out... and if I can't decipher it today, I've got a spell that will do the trick. I've just got to remember the proper phrasing."
Getting the rations and tucking its under their vest. Picking up the bow and climbing down to check on the rook. "I can't fix this. i can put them to end though."
I can fix this, if you make it worth the expenditure. Information is ammunition.
Svetlana offers, partly in order to gauge his reaction to it.
Kneeling over the bird but looking over at Svetlana, "That's a cruel thing to say."
Looking back down, "Don't know have I know that you will want."
Once Odelai tells her what the scrolls are, Penelope's mood lifts. Moving over to the bird, she kneels down beside it. "Tell her whatever you Do know, and I'll help your bird." she understood what Svetlana was doing, it made logical sense, but there was no way she could stand by and let it die. Hopefully this would be enough.
She tries to get the arrow out without too much damage, then does her best to recite the scroll.
Simply pledge to share the information you have about threats in the area, we are just on a glorified delivery mission.
"Shooting at her was cruel as well." Elowen points out.
Glaring over at Elowen, "Threating to let him die is the cruel part."
Crossing their arms and chewing on their lips for a moment, "Like I said I'm passing though. I know there is a red Dragon up in the mountains. Lawmen in town. Seen a drake flying overhead the other day. And there are hill giants out in the hills not far from here."
Looking around, "The fey are dangerous but more reasonable than humans. Otherwise, you have the normal forest troubles like wolves, lumberjacks, and adventurers."
Jenkin rifles through his (stuffed somewhat haphazardly at home) pack, extracting an oilcloth wrapped packet of dried meat, nuts, and hardened biscuit. "It's not exactly appetizing, but it will fill you up, in case it's too late in the day to do any better. Can't say I love your hunting methods, but I guess, at the end of the day what you were doing isn't that different than baiting a worm to catch a fish. Just that the fox is fuzzier than a worm." He reaches out to pet the fennec and then realizes that's a bad idea before doing so.
They nod, "To each their own." Patting the parcel and nodding.
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Penelope sighs as the bird's wound knit shut. "To each his own." she repeats softly, then stands. With a firm hard stare she tells the hobgoblin "Remember how this went, and Imagine how it COULD have gone." she raises her finger "The next time you decide to shoot at a person, imagine that again."
Penelope has never killed anyone before, and REALLY didn't want to have to, but she would if she had to.
Hmm, am I the only one who has killed sentient intelligent beings before? May well be the case. Definitly easier to kill if you dont talk with them first. My tally is at 1 Orc, 2 Goblins and one half orc. Irrisens forces prevailed over a sizeable Hold of Belkzen raiding force, the greenskins scattered, and our areas got hit by some stragglers. I was hunting them together with the militia. Yes, 4 kills, but on wounded half freezing malnourished enemies. Svetlana is lost in thought for a moment.
I was almost ready to let them leave because they were completely miserable, but then I saw that one of the Goblins hat a childs head as a souvenir. She gives an angry glare, before calming down as Sir Pounce rubs his back at her knees with a purr.
Odelai waits patiently to continue their trek.
Once again taking the lead, Elowen continues on toward the lake, heading for the great tree on which they'd find the elusive Elder Moss.
They nod and scoop up the new healed rook. Leaving without saying a word and wistiling single note which causes the other rook to fly over and land on their shoulder.
The little fennec flinches at the almost touch. Sniffing at the bandage on its paw. And it limps after you all.
There are a few hours of daylight left before you will have to camp for the night. Basking in the sun is a massive grey and brown snake seeming can't be bothered to want to make a snack of the fennec that is shadowing the group. It does start to cool off as the sun starts to set.
Penelope like the others want to get what they need as quickly as they can, but when sense tells them all that they need to stop for the night, she does so. Taking her share of the camp chores without complaint.
At dinner she pulls out the snacks her guardian gave her, and shares them "With Lady Cirthana's compliments." apples, bread, dried boar and cookies "The temple's cook makes these. Oats and honey." the young half elf smiled warmly, making sure everyone gets something from the snack pack of their liking.