Ewald is somewhat nonplussed by the effusive greeting of the elven Merchant.
"Ahhh.yes..that is..I am a ranger..in the service of his Imperial Majesty."
"A pleasure to make your aqquaintance ladies.."
"So..some lunatic running around disturbing the Imperial peace...well it's nothing but my duty to investigate as a loyal servant of his Majesty
Ewald is somewhat nonplussed by the effusive greeting of the elven Merchant.
"Ahhh.yes..that is..I am a ranger..in the service of his Imperial Majesty."
"A pleasure to make your aqquaintance ladies.."
"So..some lunatic running around disturbing the Imperial peace...well it's nothing but my duty to investigate as a loyal servant of his Majesty
"See what luck! Perhaps your god is smiling down upon us oh priest!" Amunrel turns to address Adjuntel.
The tone she used was only slightly warm, pitched as a 'delicate daddy's girl' would, even carrying a tone of innocence. The look on her face implied a justified challenge, her bright green eyes almost sparking in their intensity. "Do we get the same from you?"
Vivaeri smiled in absolute approval of Sanna's attitude, nodding and waiting for their father's answer.
When another stranger came up to their father and the priest, she felt her sister nudge her. She quickly caught on to what Sanna was trying to get across. Their father wandering off with two strangers was too much to tolerate. She hoped to ask if Sanna and Uncle Amunrel intended to trail them immediately instead, or if they wanted her to do it. Asking the boy any further questions may have to wait. She tried to show the suggestion to follow him with her eyes, looking back and forth between her and their father pointedly.
As the man introduced himself she simply raised her hand in informal greeting, "Hiya!" She let her uncle alone make small talk by with him initially while she tried to gauge what this man was about. She laced her fingers and cradled her chin atop them as if she were Terribly Interested in the matters being discussed.
"No. There are far too many new faces around here, and I don't trust half of you half as much as I should. At this point I will have to retract my earlier position and suggest we all go together."
There is a noticeable emphasis on the word trust - he doesn't seem to be worried about a coin purse.
"Good instincts," Amunrel compliments Sir Oribar.
"Certainly Sir, I'm willing to follow your lead on this and will attend in an advisory capacity"
Ewald smiles at the assembled group
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"See what luck! Perhaps your god is smiling down upon us oh priest!" Amunrel turns to address Adjuntel.
Adjunta adjusts his veil as he regards the new comer.
"Perhaps," Adjunta says, "but it's best to remember that a great many men have tried and failed to interpret the will of the gods. I'll only tell you that Abadar, like all gods, works in mysterious ways."
Vivaeri winked at Halsanna before rising from her seat. She smiled serenely at her father, as if his turnaround had been inevitable all along.
"Which one do you want to keep an eye on?" she whispered to her sister. It was clear she meant the two strangers coming with them.
Ewald/Arnhalt was trying to fathom out the various members of this strange menage..the girls were quite different, it seemed, the one rather excitable and the other cool calm and collected. Niether, he believed, was the young lady he had come seeking..but both were intriguing in their own way.
"So where should we make a start...and how do we tell these creatures form more...normal specimens of their kind"
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"I believe the lad said they were marked," Adjunta says to the stranger, "and I'm sure our first step will be having our young apprentice here lead us to the sight of the attack. If the area seems safe and the bandit has left the area, then we might be able to assist the lad in recapturing his cargo."
Vivaeri tried to quickly mask the giggle brought out by Halsanna's poke by clearing her throat. She put on as straight a face as was natural for her and stood at attention by her sister, smiling politely to the priest and ranger.
She had little genuine worry about the two, but she was grateful for the excuse to be doing something, anything, with her family that didn't involve arguing over wedding plans.
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Ned seems a little overwhelmed here by all the discussion going around . He nevertheless pick up when he hear Adjunta : 'Now , your reverence ? '
"While there's still light," Adjunta says nodding, "while the trail is still fresh. If we don't move soon we'll loose light and another night won't do us any favors. Who's coming with us? Does anyone need anything before heading out?"
Ned seems a little overwhelmed here by all the discussion going around . He nevertheless pick up when he hear Adjunta : 'Now , your reverence ? '"While there's still light," Adjunta says nodding, "while the trail is still fresh. If we don't move soon we'll loose light and another night won't do us any favors. Who's coming with us? Does anyone need anything before heading out?"
Amunrel dons his gear carefully hiding the fact he has been prepared before the event even happened since he learned long ago to "expect the unexpected" admittedly he didn't know anything about missing familiars' but you have to start somewhere...
"Well I'm ready perhaps we should gather food or drink that might lure them out?" Amunrel asks.
"Aye ..I can track by torch light but daylight is much better for me...are we looking for this brigand who attacked the boy..or are we leaving him for later"
Ewald settles his equipment and does his professional soldier act
"Aye ..I can track by torch light but daylight is much better for me...are we looking for this brigand who attacked the boy..or are we leaving him for later"
Ewald settles his equipment and does his professional soldier act
"I suspect this was a cruel jest at the hands of someone the childs knows but doesn't suspect, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to be prepared" Amunrel whispers to Ewald trying to spare the boy's feelings.
"Well I'm ready perhaps we should gather food or drink that might lure them out?" Amunrel asks.
Vivaeri couldn't stop herself before remembering the task she and her sister agreed upon. "It seems if we catch one we already have bait for the next in line, doesn't it?" she deadpanned.
Her eyes widened a fraction before she caught her misstep. She placed her hand lightly over her heart as she smiled politely to the ranger and priest. "A joke, of course." she reassured them.
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"Aye ..I can track by torch light but daylight is much better for me...are we looking for this brigand who attacked the boy..or are we leaving him for later"
"Not to sound unsympathetic to the lad's plight," Adjunta says turning to the others, "but it's the brigand that concerns me. The roads are the veins to any civilization and healthy trade is it's lifeblood. It is my religious duty to see that nothing hinders that trade . . . the success or failure of individual merchants isn't really my concern."
"Granted it would be easier to track a large man rather that some small animals..and the bat will be almost impossible to follow.The lad is an Imperial subject and I swore an oath to defend them against enemies internal or external. So if we find the brigand we shall secure him for the proper authorities to deal with"
"But the trails grow colder the more we delay..come lad show me where this attack occured"
Arnhalt sounds confident, decisive..obviously a man of action
You leave the inn and follows Ned who really seem awed by the quality of help he has found
After 20 minutes of walk under the September sun relieved by a breeze , you arrive at the site of the 'ambush'
It's on the main road to the capital . On your left are freshly cut fields of hay with at a distance a farm (about 300 meters) . The right side of the road is more wooded and there is a steep descent to a copse some 50 meters from there.
Looking around , it's easy to see the chariot a little behind some trees and just beyond it a mule who has been disharnessed (about 10 meters from the road).
On the wagon are several little grillaged boxes whose latches have been opened . They are alas empty and there is no sign of any other animals around. Ned seems quite happy to find Betsy (the mule )Time for some Knowledge Nature , Handle Animals , Survival and what other skills you deem appropriate here :)
Amunrel examines the area will be looking for evidence of the attacker specifically to see if the left anything behind to incriminate themselves.
"Odd your attacker left the mule behind and yet freed the familiars," Amunrel noted as they closed on the scene.
Ewald moves towards the chariot his eyes working to pick out the tracks around him.
"I would ask that you all keep your distance for a few minutes while I check the area...the more people who walk around the less chance I have of finding any decent tracks"
"Well this is most strange..who were the two people standing here and why did they curry the mule and leave it's tack in the cart. This mystery deepens methinks"
"Well this is most strange..who were the two people standing here and why did they curry the mule and leave it's tack in the cart. This mystery deepens methinks"
"Does the boy's tracks match any of the tracks?" Amunrel asks Ewald.
"It's just that from his story he was supposed to have been accompanied and I think that person has something to do with all this," Amunrel briefly explains keeping his voice low so only Ewald can hear him.
"His compatriot would hardly want the mule lost since it sounded like he's the one who usually uses it on these deliveries, but to do this seems spiteful and malicious so was it a malicious prank or a grudge against either the boy or the buyer?" Amunrel elaborates.
"Still any sign of animal tracks or were they taken?" Amunrel asks Ewald keeping his voice low and keeping out of the ranger's way.
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Oribar heads up to the wagon, searching on and under it for anything he can find.
Perception: 1d20+2 = 4.
Knowing his skill is in dealing with people, he graciously allows his new comrades the room they require.
"This does not appear to have been a violent attack. I'm somewhat familiar with the art of words, and I suspect that intimidation was the key factor here."
Ewald straightens up and shakes his head..I'm sorry Sir but I can't be sure who made those tracks
He turns to Ned
"Tell me lad..how long were you on the road to get here and could the man who should have been with you have caught up to you in that time?"
He can't help noticing the purposeful stance of the armoured girl..she might not make as much of her looks as her sister does but her stance exudes confidence.A girl, he thinks, who would not be impressed with the frills and trappings of nobility...the same ephemera which he has rejected in his service on the frontier.Looking again he decides she might even pass muster with the real Arnhalt..at least her kit is in order in every respect but one which he resolves to talk to her about later.
Ewald straightens up and shakes his head..I'm sorry Sir but I can't be sure who made those tracks
He turns to Ned
"Tell me lad..how long were you on the road to get here and could the man who should have been with you have caught up to you in that time?"He can't help noticing the purposeful stance of the armoured girl..she might not make as much of her looks as her sister does but her stance exudes confidence.A girl, he thinks, who would not be impressed with the frills and trappings of nobility...the same ephemera which he has rejected in his service on the frontier.Looking again he decides she might even pass muster with the real Arnhalt..at least her kit is in order in every respect but one which he resolves to talk to her about later.
Amunrel coughs before breaking Ewald's line of sight with Halsanna.
"A fine point but let's keep our eyes peeled in case they are still lurking around okay?" Amunrel points out raising an eyebrow at Ewald.
With not much to do, Sir Oribar notices the young soldier's wandering eyes. He steps up beside Ewald, both men watching Halsanna.
"She certainly knows her way around the sword, boy. Why not ask her to spar? You may even win."
Amunrel merely blinks in shock before looking at the pair of them and then his nieces before returning his attention to the scene before him.
Vivaeri stood by her sister, glancing around and trying to at least look like she was studying the situation. She had no clue what to really look for though. She was more of the city-type, and her bright travelling clothes showed that. Even the rapier on her belt looked too showy for actual use.
Seeing Ewald looking at her sister and her father and uncle's interception of such, she elbowed her sister lightly, winking. "Hey," she whispered. "This could be your lucky break! Quick, brush her hand through your hair and stare wistfully into the breeze!"
With not much to do, Sir Oribar notices the young soldier's wandering eyes. He steps up beside Ewald, both men watching Halsanna.
"She certainly knows her way around the sword, boy. Why not ask her to spar? You may even win."
"I'll keep that in mind Sir" the young man grins.
"I think we can discount the possibility that Ned's erstwhile companion was responsible for this attack..if he was as heavy in his cups as the lad claims then he could never have concieved such a plan never mind beaten the cart to this spot"
"I think we can discount the possibility that Ned's erstwhile companion was responsible for this attack..if he was as heavy in his cups as the lad claims then he could never have concieved such a plan never mind beaten the cart to this spot"
"And what if he was actually drugged rather than just drunk?" Amunrel asked.
"Sorry getting off topic so does it look like they just free these pets like they did the mule?" Amunrel adds having only just caught and understood Vivaeri's comment to Halsanna albeit more worried that this may be a more serious situation than he originally thought.
'..what are you talking about?', she silently asked with her expression. As twins, they did not quite have their own language, but they could read each other almost like an open book if the other wanted. Another glance back in the direction 'Vae had been looking saw her father looking at her, misunderstanding his look. She shook her head, spreading her hands to imply that she got nothing from the tracks, or her surveying of the area.
Vivaeri turned her back to the others, as if searching the area opposite from them. Looking at Sanna, she tapped her face near her eyes and pointed at her, soundlessly mouthing "Soldier", followed by placing her hands over her heart in mock dramatic posture, putting the most lovestruck look in her eyes she could muster.
It wasn't the first time she had tried to push her sister into romantic pursuits. While she envied her sister's natural deterence against the pampered or chauvanist members of Taldor's populace, she still couldn't resist meddling with her affairs and teasing her. Besides, this man seemed like a professional soldier. Not some snobby upper-class twit at least...