Taras breaks the silence, "I fear we cannot catch the goblins today without risking the settlement, and I cannot do that. Without the horses, they will be difficult to track. In any case, the purpose of this was to retrieve the horses, not wreak vengeance on the goblins, though that would have been a pleasant side-effect. We must return to the settlement empty-handed, it appears, and hope that my father has enough saved to purchase at least part of the herd back. Even at the price the cursed woman says she paid, we can still make a decent profit by selling them to the Riffliani, though this will be a hard winter, and a sad one." He is now deep in the doldrums, and turns his horse, pacing back to the west slowly.
"I'm afraid you are right Taras," the ex-gladiator replies. "Perhaps your father has some diplomatic skills which could help us in this situation? Well...he'll know soon enough!"
"Should we ask the elven lady if she will stay the night here, so that we can meet her with the money at the same place?" Ullar asks
Returning to the camp, "I couldn't find the little goblinet," Rhune says with a sad shrug of her shoulders. She feels sorry for Taras and his family. Turning to Taras, "I am most sorry, Taras. Perhaps, as you say your Father has enough saved. Also I have some money that I will be happy to give your father to help in that," she says with a wan smile, trying to cheer the young man.
"A disgrace to her profession is what that woman is," responds Marika. "To read anyone's thoughts without permission is an obscene abuse of Minerva's gifts. But now that she's done so, she knows full well that we're telling her the truth. And instead of looking for a fair solution, she hides behind the Bishop." The young priestess spits on the ground at the last word, and glares darkly across the clearing at Fyodorll's wagon.
Then she sighs and lowers her eyes. Anger doesn't bring us a step closer to helping Petr's family, she reminds herself. Turning her mind inward, Marika spends a few seconds in meditation. When she looks up again, she is glad to see Rhune returning from her search for the goblinet. Sam isn't with her, though.
After everyone has exchanged greetings and brought Rhune up to date on the frustrating situation, Marika carefully turns her horse to look again toward the trader's camp.
It is then that you notice Sam has slipped off the back of Rhune's horse when she went to find the goblinet. No one remembers when you saw him last.
Looking around, Rhune speaks, "Has anyone seen Sam? He was so quiet that I forgot about him," she inquires.
Asif answers, "By the gods efendi, I have seen him not for some time. Prone is that little one, to get lost in the shadows. Are all his people like him?"
Rhune looks at Asif, "I have not had that many dealings with Haflings but Father did say that many of their kind are very much like Sam," she says with a resigned shrug of her shoulders.
Ullar walks over to Taras. "Taras, I'm very sorry we can't do anything about this situation right now, but I think it is best to head back to your home and discuss this matter with your father."
The warrior sighs deeply, looking Taras straight in the eyes.
"We lack the skill of tracking down the Goblins who carry the money we could use to buy the horses back, and it's getting dark soon, so we'll just be wandering around in the woods, leaving your home unprotected against any attack this night."
"So, if nobody has objections to head back, I suggest I'll have a word with the elven lady, just to make sure that she is here tomorrow morning."
"Ullar's right," Marika concedes reluctantly. "We have to deal with Miss Fyodorll on her own terms. She's probably already picked the location of Sukiskayn from our minds, so even if we managed to fool her guards and liberate the horses, Petr's clan would have to abandon their home before Fyodorll brought the Bishop's men down on them."
Marika looks up, judging the position of the sun in the sky. "Asif, can you ask Aten to stay out a few extra hours today?" she asks distractedly, a hint of a smile returning to her face. "If not, then we'd best get back to Sukiskayn soon. But perhaps a few of us should stay and track the goblins. By tomorrow, their trail might be too cold."
Asif oblivious to the subtle nature of Marika's joke, answers her question with full seriouness." One as humble as I efendi can but ask. But one voice am I to Aten in this distant land. True laws of hospitality cast into the dirt by that horse trader. She unworthy of Aten's blessing. I fear, however that the priests of Aten have more voice than I, to call forth his blessings. I but a simple Faris, although a pious one who obeys his laws. But pray shall I if will help."
Asif dismounts from his horse and lays a blanket upon the ground. He removes his boots and washes his feet and hands with water from his canteen. He then kneels upon the blanket and begins to sing quietly an rhythmic chant in the tongue of his forefathers. Asif continues to sing bowing his head upon the ground at regular intervals. He then sits for a few moments contemplating the sun, before once again putting his boots back on, rolling up the blanket and then remounting his horse.
Marika glances at Rhune, and then cranes her head to find Jacobus. She smiles as she spots him off to one side flirting with Xania. "Rhune, you know the woods better than any of us. And you and Jacobus might just be able to steal...er...reacquire the goblin's ill-gotten gold if you find them. Sam might help too, if he shows up again..." Marika pauses, a little worried for the halfling...but he's surely been wandering off from places his whole life, and isn't likely to stop soon. She decides to trust in Sam's luck and the gods' graces to keep him safe.
Rhune looks at Marika, "I would like to do that. These woods are different from my homeland's and the ones that I am most familiar with. But I could try. I would prefer though if someone were to take my horse with them. If I were to do something like that I would be better off without the horse," she replies wearily, though for some reason as the sun is setting, Rhune actually seems to be perking up a little. She frowns for a moment, "I don't have any sort of tracking skill, though." Rhune is prepared to try this course of action with Jacobus unless someone comes up with something different or she is talked out of it.
"I could come along too, although I'd better not sneak into the goblin camp with you," Marika tells Rhune. "I haven't got much magic prepared, so all I can offer you is another pair of eyes. But then, that's also all I could offer back at Sukiskayn." She looks around to see how the others feel about the idea of splitting their forces.
Jacobus turns at the mention of his name, "We shall endeavor to do what we can to liberate the horses." He looks around at the mention of Sam's name, "He does that a lot doesn't he? Go off on his own I mean." Looking back at Xania he smiles, "It seems our paths lead in different directions, at least for the time being, If there is peril I shall use my thoughts of you to light the way to safety." He laughs out loud. "Failing that, at least I'll die smiling."
He chuckles to himself as he prepares for his task at hand, "Retrieving the gold from the goblins at least gives us something to buy the horses back, she generously allowed us to buy them back for what she purchased them for, a fine deal we're not likely to come across again."
Rhune, who is back by now, "I don't have any other suggestions Ullar. However I may have enough money with me to purchase one of the horses for Taras. But, at the moment I would rather give you the money than deal with Miss Shakanelain. (it is an elven word and the way that Rhune says it is quite obviously not a nice word). I am afraid that my temper would get the better of me." She hands him the pouch with the money she had gotten from the old woman (I think you said that it was enough to purchase a horse from Taras).
"Thank you Rhune," Ullar replies. "I think that if we can at least bring one horse back right now, Taras' father will be convinced that it is the right thing to do; buying them back instead of fighting for them. Those horses are really marvelous and I can see now, Taras, why you are so attached to them."
Then, facing Taras, he continues: "I promise my help to regain your horses, but let's do it with reason instead of with strength."
Asif looks up with great concern, he looks to both Ullar and Rhune..."Efendis there is a saying amongst my people. He who eats when he is full, digs his teeth with his teeth. That foul women will face the consequences of her actions. But I for one shall not stand by, while a friend fills her purse with coin she does not deserve. For in what land does a man pay a thief for the return of that which is already his."
Rhune looks over at Asif, "I wish that it were so here, Asif. But Taras and the others are right for a change. There is nothing we can do for the moment. She is a thief, but then so am I Asif. Granted I would never steal from a friend or party member and I do have some sense of honor. But I am still a thief and I understand her even if I don't like her or her words. She is taking advantage of the situation and unless we fight her and her guards we can do nothing but purchase the horses from her. And if anyone of these people live to report to the Bishop...well. you know what will happen then. I don't like it but this is all that we can do. I know that it must be hard for you to understand all of this, but bear with us," she says with a weary shrug of her shoulders. She is not happy about having to purchase a horse from this woman but she wants to do something to help Taras. Her unhappiness is clearly written on her face and in her mannerisms at the moment, as is her exhaustion. She pulls the cloak tighter around her to ward off the chill of the air.
Ullar returns to Fyodorll. "Milady. I understand that you are completely in your right and that you even made a noble gesture by assuring us you would sell us the horses for the same amount you bought them from the Goblins."
"However, we don't have enough funds with us and perhaps will track down the Goblins to get some funds. But since the home of the young lad, who lost his temper a couple of minutes ago had been attacked last night, we feel it is unsafe to leave it unguarded through the night, so we HAVE to head back there."
"My question to you is, if we can meet you and your men back here tomorrow at noon? You have my word for it that we will not try to solve this matter with violence directed at you or your men."
Ullar's blue eyes shine with pride, as far as that is possible to determine for anyone NOT inside his body, but at least he pretends to be in control over the situation.
"Milady, as I said, we do not have the money to buy all the horses back right now, but I can afford to buy one. Will you allow me to take one back to our camp, as a proof that we have found them?"
Waiting until Ullar is finished, Fyodorll smiles quite prettily, "Of course we shall still be here. This has been our encampment for some time, and we would not leave it." At the mention of buying one of the horses, her smile increases and she motions for the man to come forward. At that very moment, one of the black clad men shouts, motioning toward the rear of Fyodorll's wagon. You can see a very small figure has darted out of there and begins running quickly on his short legs, carrying a book nearly half his size with him. He holds it up victoriously toward the group as he runs, but his pace is matched easily by one of the men, who brings up his sword. As everyone prepares to yell or run for help, time seems to slow for a few seconds. The weight of the book has clearly slowed Sam down even more than his usual half pace, and before anyone else can get close, the man has come in behind him. With a vicious stroke, his sword crashes into the back of Sam's neck, tossing him forward like a rag doll and flinging the book forward as well, which slides into the dirt at Ullar's feet.
With almost amazing speed that even Asif envies, Fyodorll looks at the group with a nasty smile and begins casting while throwing a stream of fine sand into the air. Immediately, though it does not appear to make Fyodorll happy, Taras falls from his mount and lands on the ground awkwardly, laying as if dead. The others are not affected. Xania, who appears to have been waiting for this moment, responds with another pinch of sand which produces a wedge of beautiful moving lights. The two burly guards at Fyodorll's side duck and move away from the effects of the spell, but she has nowhere to go. She reels awkwardly back into the tent.
With a hell raising cry of, "ATEN IS GREAT!" Asif spurs his horse forward, and charges through the tent lines of the horse trader and her men. He slashes to the left and right upon the shoulders of any who stand in his way.
"FACE THE JUSTICE OF ATEN, YOU SCOUNDRELS, ATEN IS GREAT AND NONE SHALL ESCAPE HIS WRATH!"
Asif rides toward the three black-clad men in the corral and begins hacking at them with one scimitar (as his opposite hand is needed to hold the reins to the horse). Seeing his advantageous position, and evidently being familiar with horses, two of the men halt his horse while a third hauls him down forcefully. Asif comes down on his still sore leg, but does not fall. Rather, while flailing with one blade, he draws the second.
Jacobus uses the sudden confusion to circle the battle and to try and approach from behind. He draws out a dagger and attempts to backstab the nearest combatant, before slinking back into the forest.
"***!" Marika curses as she struggles to rein her horse around toward the disaster unfolding in the corral. Just as she is ready to give up, the animal sets off at a gallop in roughly the right direction, and the priestess leans far forward, dropping her staff to cling to the horse's neck with both arms as she tries desperately to steer it toward Sam's fallen form. "Ullar," she shouts, as the warrior pursues the stunned elf into her wagon, "grab her and make her call off her men!"
As it nears the corral, the horse neighs and shies away, frightened by the chaotic melee and the screams of the wounded. Marika has no idea how to guide the animal against its own better instincts, so she bails off its back, forgetting any hope at a graceful dismount and merely making sure she lands far enough away to avoid being trampled.
Ullar sighs deeply. Seeing how Sam had it coming and now how Asif is charging, the warrior sees no option but to retaliate for the attempt to cast a spell at him.
Retrieving his large two-handed from the scabbard on his back, the warrior moves towards the wagon where the Lady was positioned, trying to put her out of business for sure.
Ullar rushes into the wagon with his blade drawn, but finds that there is no room in the tight quarters to wield such a thing. Fyodorll meanwhile has fallen onto a pile of clothing. She reacts with the same speed you saw earlier, though, and waves her hands at the approaching man. Ullar finds himself rising slowly off the surface of the wagon's floor, hitting his head on the deck. As he raises his hands to protect himself, dropping his bulky blade to the ground, the woman runs forward maniacally and pushes him out of the wagon. As the others outside engage in battle, Ullar slowly but surely rises into the sky.
Ullar, a little panicking at yet another new experience to him, flying, tries to hold on to anything he can. First he tried to grab something of the wagon, but the combination of 'flying' and 'reaction' is not something Ullar can comprehend to, so his first attempt fails. Seeing however that he HAS to get a hold of something, he reaches out to branches of the trees, making some sort of rather funny 'swim-movements' in the air to get into position.
Some twenty feet up in the air, Ullar manages to snatch a branch from an overhanging tree. Though the magic continues to push him upward, Ullar is able to match it and pull himself in closer to the tree. Once there, he manages to cling to it with all his might.
Rhune cries out and draws her bow. She immediately targets the man by the corral hoping to get at least two shots off before she has to abandon that plan and draw her sword. She should have known the witch would try something like this.
Rhune targets the guard by the coral with her bow. Her arrows fly true, hitting the man in both legs. He falls to the ground. Rhune then drops the bow and switches to her longsword. She dismounts and runs toward the man and the book and Sam. She is trying to get to Sam so that she can protect him if necessary.
The man on the ground pulls himself to his feet and draws his own sword, slashing awkwardly at Rhune, who ducks underneath it and sheathes her sword in his stomach, all the way to the hilt. He falls backward and she releases her sword to check on Sam.
Sadly, it appears the little fellow's days of cheer and mischief are over. He lies face first in the grass. His head lies crookedly, and a pool of blood has formed underneath him. As Rhune looks closely at him, it is apparent that the man's sword broke his neck, killing him quickly. He still wears a pleasant smile on his face and his eyes are wide, though the blood from his injury covers his face.
Asif quickly recovers from coming to the ground, and is a whirl of curved blades and flashing robes. One of his scimitars rips through the intestines of one of his opponents, but the second of the two remaining wreaks vengeance, and his straight blade arcs down into Asif's shoulder. The injury is quite horrible, slamming down and digging deep into the bone. Once again, though, Asif proves remarkably able to survive such injury. He is forced to drop his left scimitar as he has lost all the strength in that arm, but he continues to stand off his foes with the right one. Blood pours heavily down onto his arm and the ground.
Asif swings his blade, but finds that his balance is off. However, help is at hand, as one of the men falls to the ground with the end of a blade sticking out of his chest. Jacobus pulls the blade free and smiles at the worn out Arab. However, the one remaining man is not willing to give up. He whirls and awkwardly hits Asif once again in the injured arm. This time the pain is too great and Asif falls to the ground. The man smiles as he turns toward Jacobus, "Ever fought for your life, con man? Or do they do that in the city?" The two trade ripostes, unaware what is going on with the rest.
Jacobus grins at the man, "I can understand why you live out here, your dull wit must make it hard for you to cope with city life. I thank the Gods for small blessings like that."
Jacobus lunges forward hoping to take the man by surprise.
The man is indeed surprised as Jacobus' sword takes him in the stomach. He falls to the ground, bleeding badly, and looks up at Jacobus, "Mercy! It was just business! Spare my life, please!"
Meanwhile, the two bulky guards have drawn their massive swords, but do not appear to be too confident as to what to do with them. Standing in front of them is the unarmed Marika, alone, as Ullar rises up into the trees and Asif engages three men in the corral. Fyodorll emerges from the wagon "You great idiots! Kill her!"
Marika rolls once and rises to a crouch, looking around to reorient herself. Not far away, Rhune is kneeling over Sam, and Marika's hopes turn to ashes. The expression on Rhune's face tells the priestess all she needs to know about Sam's condition. She looks to the wagon to see if Ullar has subdued Fyodorll, and is further dismayed to see Ullar flailing angrily in the air above the wagon, and the damnable elven trader emerging none the worse for Xania's spell.
Saddened at the death of the little man, Rhune quickly brushes the tears from her eyes. She stands and kicks the book back away from the wagons. It is then she hears the orders. Turning to look at the woman, Rhune's weariness, hunger, coldness and sadness over Sam's death get the better of her. Screaming an ancient Elven battle cry, she rushes toward Marika and the two guards prepared to help the young woman. She stands in front of Marika defending her from the two guards. She is close to berserker mode at the moment so ignores all but the most debilitating wounds. She continues to attack the two men. But if she happens to see the woman trying for the book she tries to keep her from it.
Marika smiles grimly; finally a stroke of good luck amidst this catastrophe. With no offensive magic and no weapon, she's no threat to Fyodorll or her men...but they don't need to know that. If she can keep these two bodyguards occupied, then perhaps the others will stand a chance. She grasps her holy symbol with one hand and raises the other dramatically as if to call down the wrath of her goddess on these fickle cultists...then, pretending to realize she has no time to cast her spell, turns and runs, doing her best to lead the two large men as far as possible from the action.
Leslie stood, sword drawn, and was fighting a battle all his own and inside his head. On the one side, battle was raging around him, and every instinct told him to let loose with his usual battle frenzy. Added to that were the days of excruciating boredom which had just ended, and his body was filled with energy just waiting to explode...On the other side, stood Leslie the farm boy, who always berated his father for his mindless cruelty, and what was this if not mindless? Killing enemies was one thing, but attacking this ragged band, who's only crime was claiming their stolen property...ALLEGED property, he reminded himself, and lady Fyodorll IS his employer, he reminded himself.
He looked questioningly to Forte, as if asking for his advice. Meanwhile, two women planted themselves in front of him, the small elven one in a frenzied state he recognized well from his own experience. Well, he would defend himself if need be, but for now, he would just watch...
Forte grabs Leslie's arm with his free hand, shouts, "The book!" and dashes off toward the book, avoiding the fight (he hopes) and worrying about the effects of his "cowardice" later.
The small elven woman intercepts him on his way toward the book, though, as that is where she is coming from. She slashes at him quickly, but he manages to dodge the blow. Though he masses nearly twice her size, she is of such an aspect that she will not be displaced easily.
As Marika reaches the edge of the woods, she sees that the taller of the men has engaged in combat with Rhune while the smaller, an incredibly well-muscled specimen, has not budged from his position alongside the wagon. Marika mocks casting a spell, at which Fyodorll ducks back. Realizing that the spell has not taken effect, she emerges once again and clouts the stout fellow in the back of the head, "Are you deaf? I said kill her!" The massive fellow does not move in the slightest, though, merely looking back at her impassively.
"Damned dunce!" Fyodorll draws her own sword and strides down the steps of the wagon, "What have I paid you for?" She seems enraged beyond belief to see that her men in the corral have been defeated. She brings her sword up in a vicious arc, aiming at Leslie's head.