"Oh, that I can tell you, she's got a fox, or a fox has her. Seems to keep her out of trouble from what Treesong tells me." Animals he knows, though that Fox is..different. "But sure, take the raven and the squirrel, consider it my contribution to the cause of helping our mothers." He hands them over to Ethulfel.
Betzolte goes to pick up the bow and hands it back to Meep.
"Was it a good idea? Well, now you know you can trust Erigga to have your back, at least. I'll go find which one of them's got your ribbon an' get it back later."
Betzolte goes over to the doubled-over Gloriana and gives Erigga a concerned look that all but screams "This is your show, I'll follow your lead."
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"Something needed to be done, but I'm not very good at talking and this girl didn't strike me as very good at listening." Put down the hammer Erigga. Her grandpa was always telling her. If you have a hammer everything looks like a nail and yadda yadda. Hum. Thing is, hammers are handy and better to hammer a non-nail here and there than being caught hammerless when a good nail pops up.
"Now... Who's the sheriff in Kassen again? As good Nirmathi citizens as we are, since we caught a gang o' thieves stealing from Meep, we've got no choice but to drag her for booking... The main street is back there, yes?" She asks Beltz, but also eyeing Gloriana, encouraging her to chime in.
Gloriana is only starting to recover when Erigga and Betzolte turn their attentions to the groaning young woman. Tears streak her face as she looks up at the fighter and the wizard with hate-filled eyes.
"You'll regret this," she snarls through clenched teeth. "Daddy'll make sure you don't have a pot to piss in when he's through."
Meep looks from Gloriana to Erigga and Betzolte, the desire to run clear in her eyes, but she stays with her friends, however nascent that friendship may be.
Talliree's house is out on the edge of town, past the wall and nestled in a copse of trees. It was once called the Yndercook House, but seven years ago, the Yndercooks went missing, leaving only their adopted daughter, Talliree, behind. Since then, it has gained a number of other names, but none quite as enduring as the Witch's House. When they arrive, Ethulfel sees that the place is now overgrown with brambles and vines and the house has fallen into disrepair. A path through the thorns and nettles leads to the door that hangs ajar. Beyond the opening, the two men see the head of a fox peering out at them with keenly intelligent eyes.
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"There are no regrets in life, silly." Erigga says, smiling and giving a couple soft taps on Gloriana's cheek, as if she was talking to a toddler. "Just lessons, and it looks like you aren't a fast learner, are you?" Perhaps the girl is right and Erigga will be the one learning, but that is life.
Turning to Betz, she asks. "What is this girl's name again?" And once she gets an answer, she turns back to Gloriana. "Nice to meet you, Gloriana. I'm Erigga Ironart. Remember the name so you can tell your daddy, ok?"
She'd have rather let the girl go and spare further embarrassment, but much like her Ma said to her sister in law Zila about her toddler, you should never make a threat you are unwilling to fulfill.
Back on her feet, she reaches the main street before yelling.
His grin falters when they reach the house. “This isn’t at all how it used to look…” he quietly remarks with sadness. “I know things were hard after her parents disappeared, but… I guess when I imagined her here while I was gone I always… well, I pictured it different then this.” He continues on inside and when he sees the fox he focuses on it for a moment and says, “hello Mister Fox, I’m Ethulfel- an old friend of Talli’s. Can you tell me where she is, please?”
He nods at the logic of the raven choice.
His grin falters when they reach the house. “This isn’t at all how it used to look…” he quietly remarks with sadness. “I know things were hard after her parents disappeared, but… I guess when I imagined her here while I was gone I always… well, I pictured it different then this.” He continues on inside and when he sees the fox he focuses on it for a moment (activating speak with animals) and says, “hello Mister Fox, I’m Ethulfel- an old friend of Talli’s. Can you tell me where she is, please?”
Grobradon is tempted to mention the love of drink a certain witch has acquired, but then He nods at the sight of the Fox and lets the bard handle the talk, as it would take him a spell. He envies the gnome that gift.
Gloriana is only starting to recover when Erigga and Betzolte turn their attentions to the groaning young woman. Tears streak her face as she looks up at the fighter and the wizard with hate-filled eyes.
"You'll regret this," she snarls through clenched teeth. "Daddy'll make sure you don't have a pot to piss in when he's through."
Meep looks from Gloriana to Erigga and Betzolte, the desire to run clear in her eyes, but she stays with her friends, however nascent that friendship may be.
Betzolte frowns.
"My papa can make pots just fine."
"There are no regrets in life, silly." Erigga says, smiling and giving a couple soft taps on Gloriana's cheek, as if she was talking to a toddler. "Just lessons, and it looks like you aren't a fast learner, are you?" Perhaps the girl is right and Erigga will be the one learning, but that is life.
Turning to Betz, she asks. "What is this girl's name again?" And once she gets an answer, she turns back to Gloriana. "Nice to meet you, Gloriana. I'm Erigga Ironart. Remember the name so you can tell your daddy, ok?"
She'd have rather let the girl go and spare further embarrassment, but much like her Ma said to her sister in law Zila about her toddler, you should never make a threat you are unwilling to fulfill.
Back on her feet, she reaches the main street before yelling.
Following after Erigga, Betzolte's eyes widen as she realizes her angle.
"You're devious!" she murmurs, more in awe than anything else.
The fox flattens its ears for a moment.
"Miss Hemlock, please," she demands before looking back into the house. "Mistress Talliree is not awake yet. I do not know you, gnome Ethulfel. How long has it been since you last saw my mistress," she asks.
Today's going rather well. Although you're having to deal with guiding Horace Mora on a hunt again, things have gone smoothly.
As Grobradon and Ethulfel talk to a fox at Talliree's home, Erigga's yelling draws a crowd and soon after Captain Wisslo and a couple of the guards in his charge. As he rounds the corner, Gloriana has recovered enough to pull herself to her feet. On the guards' heels are the five girls that ran off after Erigga took Gloriana down with one punch. They start to yammer away, drowning out any attempt to counter their tale as they accuse Meep of stealing from them and Betzolte and Erigga of threatening to kill them. Before the bedlam can reach a climax, Captain Wisslo silences everyone with a bellow.
As a heavy silence falls over the scene, he glares at everyone to make certain they keep their mouths shut. Once he's satisfied that no one is going to interrupt him, he turns to one of his guards.
"Go get Heimr and Rols," he snaps before he turns his attention back the nine young women involved in the incident. "All of you are coming with me to get this sorted out. I don't care whose daughters you are, you run, you get locked up for the night. Is that clear?"
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Despite her efforts to ignore the noise outside and concentrate on her alchemical work, Maidie eventually recognizes Erigga’s voice yelling for the guard.
”Oh bother…this can’t be good…” she says out loud, making Tanglefoot send her a curious look from his makeshift nest in a pile of discarded rags.
She reluctantly removes her small cauldron from the brazier and scoops up the hedgehog, before grabbing her gear and heading for the source of the commotion, arriving at the same time as Captain Wisslo.
Without his speak with animals spell up, the druid must wait while Ethulfel and said Fox talk.
During this he makes no threatening gestures
As Grobradon and Ethulfel talk to a fox at Talliree's home, Erigga's yelling draws a crowd and soon after Captain Wisslo and a couple of the guards in his charge. As he rounds the corner, Gloriana has recovered enough to pull herself to her feet. On the guards' heels are the five girls that ran off after Erigga took Gloriana down with one punch. They start to yammer away, drowning out any attempt to counter their tale as they accuse Meep of stealing from them and Betzolte and Erigga of threatening to kill them. Before the bedlam can reach a climax, Captain Wisslo silences everyone with a bellow.
As a heavy silence falls over the scene, he glares at everyone to make certain they keep their mouths shut. Once he's satisfied that no one is going to interrupt him, he turns to one of his guards.
"Go get Heimr and Rols," he snaps before he turns his attention back the nine young women involved in the incident. "All of you are coming with me to get this sorted out. I don't care whose daughters you are, you run, you get locked up for the night. Is that clear?"
Betzolte instinctively snaps to and salutes Captain Wisslo.
"YesSIR!" she barks, a concerned look on her face. Clearly the training with the militia has rubbed off on her a bit.
As you walk home, you run into Olmira, Garth and Lizzie. The three of them are heading towards you as fast as the heavily pregnant Lizzie can waddle. Garth says nothing before rushing forward and wrapping you up in a tight hug.
"Maidie, I'm so glad you made it back alright," he says as he nearly squeezes the breath from you.
Maidie returns his brother's hug just as fiercely, then pulls away and looks him square in the eyes. There is deep pain in there and it is caused by more than just war memories, she now realizes.
"I think we need to talk..." she says quietly, glancing at Lizzie and Olmira. How much do they know?
"Yes we do," Garth says equally quietly.
The four of you walk out a few minutes into the woods to a small grove of trees that turns out to be Olmira's home. A small fire crackles merrily to life in a pit in the center of the grove as the druid has a number of animals running about gathering what she needs to make some tea. You also notice what can only be fey as their tiny heads poke out from their hiding places.
"Alright Maidie, Do you want to start," Garth asks as Olmira puts the kettle over the fire.
Maidie walks in silence as the small group make their way to Olmira's home. The fact that Garth did not opt to make this a private conversation between just the two of them confirms her suspicion that her Sister-in-Law and the druid already know what she is about to ask her brother.
"Something happened during your time in the war, didn't it? At first, I assumed it was just memories of the fighting, the bloodshed, we all did...but it's more than that."
She stares into the flames for a moment, thinking back to her experiences in the crypt.
"Your letter. I didn't quite know what to make of it, but then we found the remains of goblin werewolves from the Bloodmoon tribe in the Crypt of the Everflame. I've been doing a lot of research on lycanthropy since we got back, learning how to fight them, but also how their curse functions."
Her gaze turns back to Garth, again looking him straight in his eyes, unflinching.
"When did you get bitten?" she asks.
"A little over a year ago, just before I came back," Garth says quietly as Lizzie hugs him with one arm. "The unit I was in, the Foxclaws, sent a dozen of us to keep an eye on a Molthuni regiment that we thought might be preparing for a raid on one of the southern villages. Turns out, it was a trap. Out of the twelve of us that went, I was the only one that made it out." He unbuttons his shirt and pulls it down to show the scar on his shoulder. The ragged mess of white looks vaguely like a bitemark.
"But I didn't make it before I got this. I didn't know what had happened to me, not until the next night. Everything went red and the next thing I knew, I was naked and covered in blood, none of it mine."
He pulls the shirt back up and buttons it back up.
"I was found after that and sent home. Along the way, I learned that I had changed, and not just the way war changes everyone. I was tougher, stronger, faster, and more angry than I'd ever felt. If it wasn't for Lizzie and Olmira, I might have lost myself fully to this damned curse."
He looks to the two other women, gratitude plain to see in his eyes.
"Olmira told me about what Meep had said, about the Bloodmoon, and we agreed that we should tell you about me when you got back. Lizzie knows, and she's braver than many I've met. When she saw me transform that first, she didn't run, she tried to calm me down, and thank Erastil and Shelyn, it worked." He smiles at the fond memory for a moment before sobering as he returns to the topic at hand.
"Olmira helps me get away from Kassen on nights with a full moon. She takes me someplace I won't run into anyone and that's why we go missing those nights. Wherever it is, I think it's close to those Bloodmoon buggers. I've seen them before, and fought them. They aren't like most goblins. That's why I warned you to stay inside on nights with a full moon. I couldn't stand the thought of you being killed by them or by me, or worse, have this curse thrust upon you."
He sighs and gives you a wan smile.
"Seems that you had ideas of your own. Should have known Maidie the Bookworm was too smart and too eager to learn to not figure it out."
Maidie sees that a small crowd has gathered around as she hears Captain Wisslo call for quiet and lets Gloriana Mora, her cronies, Erigga, Betzolte, and Meep know that they'll be accompanying him to the watch's headquarters. After seeing Meep with her hair done up for the past few weeks, it's strange seeing it down and a mess and without one of the ribbons Moon has shared with her tying it back.
Meep clings to Betzolte's robes as she hides behind the dwarven mage She keeps eyeing Gloriana and the other five girls with a wariness that neither Maidie nor Betzolte have seen from her since they arrived at the Crypt of the Everflame.
Betzolte puts her arm around Meep and firmly helps her stand up straight, giving her a look that says, "I got you, don't let these bullies scare you," before looking towards the rest of the assembled group awaiting her turn to speak.
Arms crossed, Erigga lets the girls babble their tale. The captain would listen and believe her or he was not, so lowering herself and battle the girls lies would paint her as one of them.
"Sure thing, Captain." She says, uncrossing her arms just to point to Gloriana. "I punched her shells hard. She might need some help walking straight."
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You PUNCHED her?! Why would you…oh…” Maidie blurts out, before she notices Meep’s scared impression and puts two and two together.
”Captain, whatever happened here, I’m certain this has all been one big misunderstanding. Is there any way we can resolve this peacefully? With the threat of invasion hanging over the town, we need everyone focused on preparing defenses.” she asks the captsin without much hope.
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His typical grin has been replaced with clear concern as he looks around and adds, "It may have been the best advice I ever received... but at the moment I rather regret having taken it."
"Would it be alright if we woke her? We'll wait if we must but, sadly, I won't be able to understand you for very long, unless you've learned to speak with people without the aid of magic?"
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You PUNCHED her?! Why would you…oh…” Maidie blurts out, before she notices Meep’s scared impression and puts two and two together.
"Wasn't MY idea," Betzolte mutters in aside to Maidie. "I'd planned to just use some old-fashioned Ironhame bluster to scare 'em a little."
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You PUNCHED her?! Why would you…oh…” Maidie blurts out...
"Diplomacy?" Sigh. What is done is done. Yeah, right, there were probably better ways to have dealt with the situation, but she did what she could.
"Let me know if I need to cast speak with animals to join you in this conversation." He says trying to be patient.
Hemlock's ears droop as she looks behind her before pawing the door open wider and turning around.
"Come in. I warn you, your friend may not be as you remember," she says.
Inside is a carpet of herbs, rags, and empty bottles. Dust covers things to varying degrees, some items are barely covered at all while it's difficult to even tell what color others are under the thick layers. Books, unwashed clothing and dishes, and stacks of parchment are piled on tables, chairs, and the floor. The paths through the house are narrow and winding, hemmed in by the mess that closes in like brambles on an old game trail.
Hemlock leads you to the only other room in the small house, a bedroom by the looks of it. The smell of alcohol is heavy and sticks cloyingly to the nose and tongue. Sprawled on the rumpled bed is a young woman with a tangle of raven-black hair that grows from her head and spills over her shoulders and back like vines twisting and turning over each other like writhing snakes frozen in time. She only wears a thin linen shift, and her moon-pale skin shows the blush of drunkenness in all of its ruddy glory. Her head lays on one arm like a pillow while her other drapes over the side of the bed, the hand at its end clutching a half-drunk bottle of something that probably shouldn't be near open flames.
"There she is," Hemlock says, a mixture of disappointment and disgust coloring her tone.
It isn't long before Captain Wisslo, four guards, six bratty teens, a halfling mercenary, two wizards, and a very anxious and upset-but-trying-to-hide-it goblin head off to Captain Wisslo's office. There, Betzolte sees Voronoy helping out with the paperwork, but the captain's foul mood and a growled command to keep your mouths shut while he gets everyone's story keep the two from exchanging any greetings.
One by one, the ten young women are called into the office over the next few hours. Raised voices sound from the other side of the door more than once. Most of Gloriana Mora's cronies come out looking angry and scared, but not Gloriana. She gives Erigga and Meep a smug smirk that does nothing to hide the roiling anger and hatred in her eyes.
Erigga is called after Gloriana, followed by Betzolte, then Maidie before Meep, trembling with fear and clearly not wanting to be alone with anyone at the moment, walks into the captain's office. Twenty minutes later, he calls in Betzolte, Erigga, and Maidie while the other six girls sit in sullen silence and wait.
1. Did you see what caused the confrontation between Meep and Gloriana's gang?
2. Have you ever seen Meep steal anything?
3. Where did Meep get the bow and the hair ribbon?
4. (Erigga only) Did you strike Gloriana Mora?
Inside the office, Meep sits on a chair with her legs curled up to her chest and her large ears hanging limp from the sides of her head. Captain Wisslo's face is still creased with a thunderous frown, but his ire doesn't seem directed at Meep, at least.
"Well, is there anything you three wish to add," he asks once the door is closed and the three of you are seated.
The smell of the place makes his nose crinkle, and he's tempted to start cleaning.
He's even more temptedd to dump water on the witch's head to wake her and help her out.
He decides to give into the first urge, and starts to clean. He has no prestidigitation cantrip, but between create water, mending, and just his own muscle, he can get a start while Eth wakes his witchy friend.
"You try to wake her. She'll probably take it better from you."
Did you see what caused the confrontation between Meep and Gloriana's gang?
"When we found 'em, Glorianna was holding Meep's bow, another girl her ribbons, while the three others were holding her. Six Tall-Folk against a wee goblin." That was disgusting, but she kind of wanted to have been her in Meep's place to teach 'em some advanced lessons. "Did not see how it started, but heard the girls saying they did not believe Meep had bought her stuff and were accusing her o' stealing with no proof but the will to take her stuff and the conviction they'd be fine because of their daddies."
Erigga was worked up by the end, so she breathes out. "Hum, last part about them wanting to steal from Meep is my assumption, I'll grant ye that."
Have you ever seen Meep steal anything? Where did Meep get the bow and the hair ribbon?
"Have not, but I'm new to town, so there is that. What I can say is that when Meep guided us into the woods couple days ago, she already had the bow and ribbons."
Did you strike Gloriana Mora?
"That I did, right in her shells. Uppercut, but that was more o' a limitation due to the size difference than tactical choice."
"Might have been an exaggeration, but hear me out, Captain. They were six, Meep was surrounded and pinned. Crying. Betz was trying with words, but Glorianna wasn't listening, smug like a new bull in a dairy farm." She paints the whole picture for the man, as if she was a bard telling about a famous battle. "One punch in the right place instead o' a full brawl seems like a good trade." Specially when she wasn't on the receiving end of said punch.
"Did you see what caused the confrontation between Meep and Gloriana's gang?"
Betzolte frowns when asked this first question.
"With all due respect, Captain, that depends on what you mean by 'caused.' Did I see how Meep encountered Gloriana and her friends? Nay. BUT what I did see was a gaggle of girls holding a struggling Meep while some of their friends were holding Meep's belongings in front of her, taunting her. Meep's my friend, I couldn't let that stand."
"Have you ever seen Meep steal anything?"
"Absolutely NOT!" Betzolte replies indignantly to the second question. Then she sighs. "I'm not privvy to all of Meep's comings and goings now, but she wants to make Kassen her home, and stealing from her new neighbors'd be one of the fastest ways to ruin that. Besides, I don't think they were seriously accusin' her of stealing. No, the way they said that was in that smug way a bully says it to their victim: making up an obviously false justification for what they're doing, not meant to fool anyone on the outside looking in, but to make their target feel small and powerless...Meep knows that kind of talk well. She got more than enough of it from her old tribe to last a lifetime."
"Where did Meep get the bow and the hair ribbon?"
"That's easy: the ribbon was a gift to her from Moon. Me, Maidie and Grobradon had done some mending for Moon after her arse-wart of a father destroyed her things and ran off, and some of the things we fixed were more...I suppose kid's stuff that she weren't too keen on keeping beyond the sentimental value. So she gave them to Meep, and let me tell you, I don't think ever seen her more happy. First gift she'd ever received. As for the bow, I can only think Moon and her bought it, since she's helping us against her former tribe, and Moon obviously wants her to learn how to protect herself."
Inside the office, Meep sits on a chair with her legs curled up to her chest and her large ears hanging limp from the sides of her head. Captain Wisslo's face is still creased with a thunderous frown, but his ire doesn't seem directed at Meep, at least.
"Well, is there anything you three wish to add," he asks once the door is closed and the three of you are seated.
"Aye," Betzolte says somberly. "I'll admit my role in this. I fully intended to try and scare Gloriana and her hangers-on off. Puff out my chest, give them a little of the old Ironhame sound and fury, figured that'd be enough. Erigga's...um...'solution' was as much a surprise to me as everyone else. But she's right about what we saw: these girls probably waited to ambush Meep alone at a time Moon wasn't around to protect her. Probably figured they'd put this goblin 'in her place.' And in doing so they were acting just like the Bugwumpers did to Meep all her life. It brings shame on all of us here in Kassen that our own young folk are acting like that. Meep's risking her life by joining us in the town's defense. We owe it to her to be better."
1. Did you see what caused the confrontation between Meep and Gloriana's gang? No. I arrived at the same time you did.
2. Have you ever seen Meep steal anything? No. Since we brought her to Kassen, she has done everything in her power to fit in as a honest and productive member of this community. And she has provided us with invaluable information about the threat of goblin attack, at great personal risk, I might add.
3. Where did Meep get the bow and the hair ribbon? Those were gifts given to her by Moon.
Maidie waits for Betzolte to finish speaking, then says: "And the town's defenses should quite frankly be our only concern at this moment, not these petty squabbles. There may be those who believe our warnings about the imminent goblin attack are alarmist and false, but the enemies ARE coming. As we speak, an alliance of deadly monsters are preparing for war, and we are still woefully ill equipped to ward off that threat."
She glances in the direction of the closed door and the seated Meep on the other side.
"Regardless of what you decide to do, Captain, I think it would be best if Meep is accompanied by at least one of us at all times when she moves around Kassen. Tensions are high, and not everyone are capable of seeing beyond her ancestry."
The captain listens to Betzolte and Maidie as they speak up for Meep and remind him of the looming danger. He holds their gazes for a moment before sighing and burying his head in his hands while putting his elbows on his desk.
"For what it's worth, I agree with both of you," he says in a weary voice before lifting his head up and clasping his hands in front of his face. "Unity has always been Kassen's strength, but I'm afraid that this mess is going to strain that unity to the breaking point when we can least afford it. I'm sure you've heard about Grimscar's grumblings by now. Colbin's little better, and he and Horace are close acquaintances, if not friends, as are the parents of the other five girls."
He looks to Meep, regret softening his expression even further.
"Thank you, Miss Meep, for answering my questions as fully and honestly as you have. I apologize for pushing you so hard, but I guess I am not as free from the prejudice that Miss Henrod here spoke of as I would like to think I am. Still, I am glad to see that all of the good things I have heard about you appear to be true."
Meep's ears perk up a little at the captain's words, and she nods, accepting his apology.
"I hate the position that this whole incident has put me in," he says, a hard-edged frown creasing his brow as the thunderous anger he had shown returns. "Frankly, I wouldn't care what Horace thought if he didn't have Colbin's and the mayor's ears. I doubt he'd get far with Jonark on his own, but Colbin's got all sorts of ways to cause trouble. Having said that, those girls are not going to avoid the consequences of what they did. I've heard their story, or stories since none of them could keep even the basic details straight, and I've heard Miss Meep's story. While none of you were able to corroborate her side of things, I find her testimony far more credible than that of Gloriana and her fellow brats."
He turns his attention to Erigga and sighs again.
"Unfortunately, you did assault Gloriana, Miss Ironheart. I can't let you go unpunished any more than I can let her and the others. However, I think the fact that you were honest about what you did has earned you some leniency. You'll be spending the night in the cell we have here," he says. "After that, you're free to go."
He turns his attention back to Maidie, his expression stern as he speaks to her.
"As I said, I agree with you, Miss Henrod. It's unfair to Miss Meep, but she's too likely to become the target of everyone's anger and fear as tensions rise, and I think you are right-- Olmira has confirmed the goblins are massing for something big-- if that something is attacking Kassen, then even if Meep beat them back single-handedly with Ekat Kassen's ghost blessing her, there would be those that wouldn't see past her ancestry. She should have someone there to keep her safe and things from getting out of hand. Can I trust you and Miss Ironhame to do that for me," he asks. After he has Maidie's and Betzolte's answers, he turns to Meep.
"I know this is grossly unfair to you, Miss Meep, but I hope that you also understand that I am worried for you. By and large, the folk of Kassen are a decent lot, but there are, unfortunately, some people that are bullies, idiots, and worse. Don't go anywhere alone. Do you understand me?"
Meep nods glumly, her ears as low as they'd been when Betzolte, Erigga, and Maidie walked in.
"I've said all I need to, I think. Do you have any questions before you leave and I inform Gloriana and her fellow brats what their punishment is to be?"
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"Unfortunately, you did assault Gloriana, Miss Ironheart. I can't let you go unpunished any more than I can let her and the others. However, I think the fact that you were honest about what you did has earned you some leniency. You'll be spending the night in the cell we have here," he says. "After that, you're free to go."
"You do what you think is fair and necessary to keep the folks around here from freaking out, but here, between us, saying that I assaulted her is just absurd Captain." She uncrosses her arms, her hands on her waist in the most fearsome pose a tiny woman can make.
"I incapacitated her and stopped the situation from escalating beyond control. Painfully? Yeah, otherwise it would not have worked." She doesn't raise her voice or anything, for she isn't dumb, just impossibly stubborn. "That lil cunt will be walking as if nothing had happened before lunch. As intended. Had I kicked her leg, her knee would be dislodged and she'd limp for a week at least. A proper punch in her mouth, still short o' what she deserves, could have costed her a tooth she'd miss for life. That would be assault."
"This is a travesty, Captain, but rest assured that after you let me go, when the attack comes, you'll still have my shield and I'll still do my best to protect folks from this town I've nothing to do with, including, that, lil, cunt." She finishes driving every word to a point, before unbuckling her sword belt and putting it on top of his desk.
Captain Wisslo glares at Erigga for a moment before the anger washes out of him with a long, low sigh that is more of a groan as he settles back into his chair.
"Dammit. You're right," he says in a voice that holds just a hint of bemusement. "In your place, I probably would have done worse. You're a sharp one, Miss Ironheart, and while I'm not happy it happened at all, you do have a point about how your actions probably kept things from getting worse."
He pulls out the ribbon that Meep had been wearing before it had been stolen from her and stands to walk around his desk.
"I believe this is yours, Miss Meep. You, all four of you, are free to go."
===
Later, as the sun is setting, Moon returns with the small hunting party she'd been guiding through the Fangwood. A guard jogs up to the small band as they pass through one of the gates in Kassen's walls.
"Mister Mora, Captain Wisslo said he wanted to talk to you as soon as you got back," the young man says, then turns to Moon. "You're friends with that goblin girl, um, Meep, right? She's with the Henrods," he tells the ranger.
Moon gives the guard a discerning look. Why would a guard know that or feel the need to tell me? This smelt ominous, like lightning on the horizon. She acknowledges the message with a ”Thanks” then heads to the Henrod household to get some answers. And if she didn’t like what she heard…
Grobradon starts with dusting, cleaning surfaces, and flushing some out the windows and door. THat way he'll have room to put dishes on so they won't get dirty again when he sets them down after cleaning them.
"Aye, none of us are happy about this, Sir," Betzolte agrees with a nod. "What exactly did Gloriana say happened? You know, so we know what kinda augdunar sh!t we're gonna have to put up with."
why didn't you tell me, Talli... why didn't you just write and say you needed me... why didn't I write and ask how you were coping alone... gods, why did I wait so long to come back... I never should have left her alone after she had lost so much...
The gnome carries the bottle over by where Grob's cleaning and sets it down. Then he whispers to the half-orc, "I can't bear the thought of troubling her for a favor right now... please, see if there's some hair on a brush or something that we could use."
Returning to the bed, he gingerly lifts the witch's hand to his mouth and gently kisses her knuckles. "Talli..." he says softly, "Talli, it's me, Ethulfel... I've missed you... would you please wake up for me?"
A brow lift, "Ethically sketchy as I am some days compared to Iomedaans and other goody goodies, I wasn't going to take any of the three's hair without permission. Yes, it's tempting, but... it's not fair given the power that might be had over her. Besides, we might get a fox hair for all we know. And fine, 'I'll' ask her." A bit impatient perhaps but this is hanging over their head and it feels "Just wake her, please."
He has already made up his mind that if she doesn't stir within a minute of the gnome's attempts, he's going to wake her with a create water bath.
Ethulfel frowns. “I didn’t think about that…” he confesses, “you’re right, we should get her permission, of course… but, please, let me wake her gently and talk with her some before we dive right in to asking for a favor. Gods know I don’t really deserve one.”
a beat, "Good luck though. This ain't easy for you either. I know that."
"She claimed that Miss Meep threatened her and had you and Miss Ironheart attack her and her friends," the captain tells Betzolte. "All of them told something like that, but none of their stories matched up, and one of them couldn't even keep her story straight. If I have anything to say about it, you shouldn't be dealing with this from those six again."
Talliree stirs as Ethulfel's voice pierces the haze of whiskey and sleep. It takes another few moments, but she opens her bleary eyes and blinks as she sees Ethulfel holding her hand.
"Eth," she asks with a bit of a slur. Her breath reeks of the cheap booze she'd been clutching. "'Zat hyu?"
Meanwhile, Grobradon doesn't make much progress in cleaning things up. He does find a strange trinket on one of the tables groaning under its load. A silver medallion with intricate, geometric knotwork and a raven's feather hanging from the beaded cord looped through its center. As he picks it up, he feels the echoes of something old and powerful. before he can investigate further, he hears Talliree's slurred voice from the bedroom.
The sun colors the western sky orange and pink as Moon makes it to the house where Maidie and her family live. She's greeted warmly by Maidie's mother as she's let in and told where Meep is. The small goblin is curled up in a thick blanket and has wedged herself in a nook between a wardrobe and a corner. Her hair is down and ruffled, the ribbon that had bound it this morning clutched in her hands along with her bow. She's fallen asleep as she waited, though Moon can see she had been crying before that.
"Maybe not from them, specifically, but that won't stop them from gossiping about it to anyone who'll listen," Betzolte says with a sigh, folding her arms. "Some kinds of folk find it real hard to choose between their life and their pride. And I'm pretty sure we're all gonna be banned from the general store on principle."
Betzolte is waiting for Moon when she arrives, a frown on her face.
"Glad you're back. Meep's had a rough day," she explains.
Grobradon doesn't have the right spells to examine this thing. And he hears the noise from the bedroom.
He takes one last peek at the talisman
But whatever he does or does not surmise, he puts it back where it was, and goes to see how it is going with the bard and the witch.
For a long minute, Moon silently regards the goblin’s tear-streaked face and the spot she’s wedged herself in for some sense of protection. She turns slowly at Betz’s comment, anger radiating. ”Tell me what happened and who is responsible for this.”
"Usually, the first version of a story is the one that sticks." She hated gossiping and to be honest she did not give a rat's ass about what others in Kassen would think about her, but it was a fact her way of dealing with the situation would possibly bring trouble to Betz and Meep. More trouble than letting them bully Meep over and over again? Probably not, but still, she did feel responsible.
Erigga was waiting at the counter for the meal she'd ordered. She did not really pay attention to the girl telling her what they had for lunch for she was watching to make sure there was enough people around.
"Another one, friend." She asks the man behind the counter, raising her mug. Erigga wasn't a strong drinker. Not yet anyway, for she was cautious with stuff that would cloud her mind. Thanks Ma for painting very vivid consequences of a young woman getting drunk alone. Still, she had watched drunk people enough to pretend being tipsy. She also wanted to look tired and pissed, but unfortunately she'd not need to pretend to be that way.
"Got in some trouble earlier." She shares with the man, not really caring if he was interested in hearing or not. From her experience, the more a tavernkeeper pretends to not pay attention, the more they did. "Had to defend that goblin girl, Meep's her name I think, from getting robbed in plain daylight. Bunch o' girls ambushed her in an alley. Nasty stuff if ye ask me." She shakes her head. "This is not the way of Nirmathas and that I can tell ye, uhn?"
Erigga takes care about not sharing the girls' names and thus sets her trap. With some luck, her own gossiping would reach the girls families before they could spin their own tales and if that happened, the girls wouldn't be stupid enough to spin their lies and incriminate themselves.
Whilst you haven't the faintest clue as to what magic this trinket possesses, you do recognize the feather. It's sheen and the slight iridescence of the blue-black feather brings to mind fey creatures. Whatever this feather is from, it is no mere raven.
Meep stirs as she hears Betzolte and Moon talking. She opens one eye as she sits up in her little nook and rubs the other.
"Moon? whu's th'matter," she asks sleepily. Her voice is rough as she speaks.
For a long minute, Moon silently regards the goblin’s tear-streaked face and the spot she’s wedged herself in for some sense of protection. She turns slowly at Betz’s comment, anger radiating. ”Tell me what happened and who is responsible for this.”
"Dunno how it started, but apparently Gloriana Mora, Horace Mora's lass, got a gaggle of other local girls together and thought they'd bully Meep while she was out alone. Grabbed her, took her bow and ribbon and were dangling it over her while she tried to struggle out of their grip. Were saying slag like 'I bet she stole these,' probably looking to put Meep 'in her place,' like bullies do. I went up there to try and stop them, spit a bit of the ol' Ironhame fire and scare them off. Erigga beat me to it, though. Punched Gloriana right in the crotch! Shocked damn near all of us, if I do say so."
She pauses.
"Then Erigga ran to get Captain Wisslo, accuse Gloriana of stealing, get in front of her trying to spin a line of slag about how things shook out, and Captain Wisslo, Grundinnar bless his heart, asked each of us, Meep included, what we saw and what happened and saw our stories had the ring of truth, while those of the girls didn't. Was gonna have Erigga spend a night in the jail-cell as a formality, but Erigga convinced him while she was rough, she prevented a bad situation from gettin' worse. He's recommendin' at least one of us is with Meep whenever she goes out so they don't try somethin' worse later. Wise, I say."
Betzolte puts her hands on her hips, looks down at the floor and sighs a bit.
"As much as this turned out halfway decent, I worry. Like Papa said at that last dinner, folk are starting to whisper to each other about Meep, like Grimscar and his ilk. Sparks a-flyin'. And Gloriana's gonna be more than happy to spread her version of the story, pump the bellows to get that flame growing. I saw her face as she left: she is not gonna forgive or forget this. I imagine we're gonna be banned from the general store at the very least. A good smith needs to keep the flame in their forge from getting out of control, and if we don't do the same, we won't need the goblins to destroy Kassen because we'll have turned on each other. An' poor Meep's gonna blame herself for it."
Moon listens closely to Betz’s retelling of events, only offering the occasional comment.
”Gloriana Mora… got a gaggle of other local girls…”
”Which girls?”
”Erigga beat me to it, though. Punched Gloriana right in the crotch!”
The ranger offers a grim smile. ”Good. That was the right choice.”
”Captain Wisslo, Grundinnar bless his heart, asked each of us, Meep included, what we saw and what happened and saw our stories had the ring of truth, while those of the girls didn't. Was gonna have Erigga spend a night in the jail-cell but…”
”That explains why a guard told me to come here and wanted Horace at the gaol.”
”He's recommendin' at least one of us is with Meep whenever she goes out so they don't try somethin' worse later. Wise, I say.”
Moon shakes her head. ”That’s two different issues. Keeping an eye on Meep is reactive… and good for the dangerous folks in town. But those girls need a proactive lesson. Bullies don’t stop until they get stopped.“ The look on the ranger’s face says she has some ideas about that.
”Moon? whu's th'matter?”
Moon’s tone goes notably softer, ”Nothing wrong with me, little sister, except the problems you had today. Go back to sleep. I’ve got to run an errand or two but I should be back soon. Then, if you’re awake, we can talk about it.”
Assuming Moon can get the goblin to go back to sleep, she heads over to see Captain Wisslo and, if luck has it, at least a couple of his 'detainees'.
”Which girls?”
The ranger offers a grim smile. ”Good. That was the right choice.”
"Wouldn't have opened with it," Betzolte says, a tad miffed.
Moon shakes her head. ”That’s two different issues. Keeping an eye on Meep is reactive… and good for the dangerous folks in town. But those girls need a proactive lesson. Bullies don’t stop until they get stopped.“ The look on the ranger’s face says she has some ideas about that.
As soon as Moon says that, Betzolte gets a concerned look on her face.
"Moon? Captain Wisslo's already scared most of 'em enough...the only one I think we oughta worry about is Gloriana herself. We push this too hard too quick, we may turn these girls' parents against Meep and us. That means more mouths spoutin' gossip, gossip the likes of Gloriana and Grimscar'd be all too happy to embellish out of spite, and before you know it we've got a mob howling for our heads."
"Moon? Captain Wisslo's already scared most of 'em enough..."
The ranger raises an eyebrow. "And how did he scare them? What punishment are they getting... aside from Gloriana's daddy being called in immediately?"