As you ride up into the village, Petr notices your resigned faces. Fearing the worst, he asks "Is Stephen.......?"
Rhune looks at him, "We are not sure Petr. We found the village and it was completely destroyed. The only survivor seems to be the captain of the river boat we took and he is mad. He may be the only one who can tell us what happened. The boat is gone so maybe some survivors are on it. But we don't know which way they went or if the goblins took the boat and prisoners. We just don't know," she replies wearily..
Petr seems downcast, but a gleam of optimism remains in his eye.
As Rhune explains to Petr the situation, Jacobus makes an effort to try and pull his horse alongside Xania's mount. His horse is not responding well to his commands but he eventually moves up alongside her. "Stupid animal!" he mutters to himself.
He looks to her and leans forward slightly so no one can hear but her, nearly falling out of the saddle in the process "Don't you think you were a little hard on Rhune back there? She's a sensitive soul and is coping with this as best she can, not everyone here possesses your steely resolve." He shrugs as if he has nothing more to say and gives a small smile. "Some of us can't even control a horse," he says in a louder voice.
Xania looks at him coldly, then nudges her horse away from his.
Jacobus watches her move her horse away, and shakes his head slightly. "Sometimes people don't like to face the truth," he says quietly to himself.
He gets fed up with trying to fight the stubborn horse and dismounts. He moves over to Ullar and whispers something into the warrior's ear.
While Jacobus is talking to Xania, Ullar listens carefully to how Rhune describes to Petr what has happened. When she mentions the 'crazy' captain, he watches Petr reaction carefully.
For the rest the warrior is silent, clearly in inner turmoil regarding Marika.
Jacobus whispers to Ullar, "I'm going to find a place to hide in the trees, I'm not entirely convinced we're safe, I'll act as lookout"
Ullar nods at Jacobus and speaks, "Petr" Ullar says, "we'll have to let Kuzma have a look at this guy on Forte's horse. I'm sure she knows a way of calming him! He is the only one who can tell us what has happened exactly and where your brother is! Would you mind joining us in this visit?"
Petr responds, "Of course, but for now, my mother sleeps to regain her magical energy, which has been much depleted in the last few days. On the morning, during her meditations, I shall ask her to do what she can for the man. For now, you all could use some rest, I am sure. We shall ascertain the truth of the matter in the morning." He seems rather anxious about the news, but at the same time, he does not seem discouraged.
Forte turns to Augustus, "Can you hold the captain while I dismount?" Once Augustus is steadying the unconscious mariner, the large warrior slowly slides off his horse, rather ungracefully. Once down, he gently lifts the captain off his horse and lays the bound man on the ground. Then he ties his horse's reins to the hitching post - improperly.
Augustus nods to Forte when he is ready to support the weight of the captain, and helps ease the unconscious man onto one of the litters that was made at the Fyodorll's camp.
Leslie and Taras grab the litter and hoist it up, carrying it into the main hall and up the stairs.
"My goodness, am I sore!" Forte exclaims, and then proceeds to stretch and walk as much as possible, while keeping close to his faithful steed, El Esqueleto. Occasionally, he glances over at the captain, in case the man starts to stir.
"You're sore?!" Augustus says with a grin that is halfway a grimace of pain as he rubs his lower back, "and you are in such better physical condition than I...well, then again, I suppose you probably get sore in places where I don't even have muscle." He chuckles softly and begins to take Rosinante to the stable.
"Well, I'm sure a few months of strict training could help you develop more muscles. Why don't you start running with Leslie every morning as a start," says Forte, grinning. "Then you and I can play catch with large rocks to work on arm strength," he continues, his grin suddenly turning to a minor grimace of pain as he aggravates a particularly sore muscle while stretching. He walks over to the hitching post, unties his sloppy knot, and follows Augustus to the stable.
Laughing, Augustus says, "That is a generous invitation Fortissimo my friend, and one I will take under consideration. Right now however, there are other more pressing problems than my pectorals and biceps." Augustus nods in the direction of Xania. "She is taking Marika's disappearance awfully hard." Augustus takes a coarse brush to Rosinante's coat and mane while she munches noisily at a bag of oats.
Asif leads his own mount into the stable as well. He speaks quietly to his mount in the tongue of his ancestors. The voice is calming, and the horse seems to respond. Asif feed the horse a hand full of oats as he removes the saddle and rubs the horse down. He nods in the direction of Forte and Augustus.
"Time Efendi will get you used to riding. I have ridden since I could walk. Few people of my land far from the saddle. For you see our land is vast, unlike yours, and one on foot would soon perish beneath the desert sun. Still your horses are larger than ours, a little time has it taken for me to get used to them. However once a horse's trust is won the pain will be much less, you will move with the animal in motion rather than against it. Understand I hope? Anyway day most long, throat is dry let us go inside"
"Yes, I think," says the warrior, gratefully. The thought of knowing how ride a horse is exciting. . . but a long way off Forte reminds himself. He follows them back to the main building.
"Yes, my friend...I am certain that it will get easier with time," Augustus smiles at Asif. "I just hope that it is sooner rather than later." He grins as they enter the main hall.
"The path of fate we walk efendi is most strange. One knows not where it will take us. But as Aten is witness to all, we have, despite all our differences been brought together for some purpose. What has happened these days past has, I am certain, some purpose in the gods' eyes. What say you efendi, you of Jabowah.? (Asif stumbles over the provocation of the god of the Italians) Sure I am that your god is not all that happy at what has been done in his name. That is why I think he has sent you too us."
Augustus pauses uncomfortably as Asif talks about divine purpose. "Sometimes I am not so certain, my friend..." Another uncomfortable pause and Augustus continues, "Does Aten speak to you, Asif?"
"Blessed have I not been Efendi to speak to one of the Djinn Efendi. I see not Aten's messengers, for I am but a Faris not a Inman but their invisible presence do I feel often. Their subtle guidance keeps me from too much harm. I travel here in Italy because of their subtle protection. If not for them I would be dead now, a victim of the ill will of Prince Salim."
Rhune looks over and smiles a little, she nudges her horse farther into the village and lightly dismounts. Looking around at her companions, "There is much we have to discuss and much to divide, while we wait to see if Mother Kuzma can help the captain," she says still in a slightly weary tone of voice.
Rhune follows Asif to the stables. After leading her horse in she turns around towards the others. Smiling at Augustus and Forte she slides a little closer to Asif. "The day has been long indeed." As she walks with him toward the main building, "Perhaps later we can have a few more lessons?" she asks him. "Also, perhaps after we have eaten and rested a bit we can divide up the money that has been found so that Leslie and Forte have their share of the money from that female trader. Then we can decide what more we can do for both Marika and Stephan," she says to him. Her hand had started to come up as if to take his but then it drops to her side. She does not know if that would embarrass him or not or if he would shy away from her again.
Asif turns to Rhune an flashes her a warm smile. "Pleasure much be in that Rhune. The tongue of my ancestors is precious to me, and great honor is it to share it with another.".
"Trader? That's putting it kindly!" Forte smirks, remembering the goblins and humans who had transacted with the elf. Then suddenly looks a little sad as he remembers killing Fyodorll.
Xania moves her horse so that she is not riding particularly near anyone. She thinks momentarily about Jacobus' words, then shakes her head slightly. Rhune can take care of herself, and if she can't, well, everyone else in the group will help her.
Xania briefly wonders what it would be like to be as *good* as Rhune. She can recognize that her words to the elf were not quite fair, but she is too worried about Marika, the first woman to try and be her friend, the one that had saved her life, to try and soothe her hurt feelings.
And this, this worrying thing, she doesn't like that either. Xania first had always been her motto, but Marika's kindness in the face of Xania's selfishness had struck something in her, and she was horribly worried, on some silly inner (selfish) level, that Marika had left to get away from her.
Her hands tighten unconsciously on the reins until Noir tosses his head angrily and she forces herself to relax.
Seeing Jacobus dismount and go to Ullar, she shakes her head slightly, wondering if they were talking about her. Her eyes narrow as she gazes momentarily at them, then she quickly looks away.
And, even worse, what if the elves had taken Marika. That one elf, she couldn't remember his name, he made the comment not to save them they were just humans... And Marika was of mixed blood. But Rhune...no, she wasn't in league with them. It was just an easy accusation to imply and implications were Xania's life.
She rides on, these thoughts turning over and over in her head, wishing she was someplace where she could nudge Noir into a gallop and just ride...
As Jacobus heads out in the forest and Xania anxiously paces about on Noir, the rest of the group move their steeds into the stable, where Petr and Taras help them bed the tired horses down. They brush them quickly and vigorously, then bring blankets out to cover them, the whole affair done in minutes with the grace and speed of men born to these duties.
Xania take care of Noir herself, grooming him carefully and arranging for some extra sweet feed for his stay.
The Sukiskayn men are happy to see someone involved in their horse's care and obviously not burdened by it. They do not approach the withdrawn mage, but freely provide some better feed at her request and nod approvingly as she beds him down.
Once done with this, the group is brought into the main hall, where Gregor and his men have set up sleeping quarters and the party's thrown together beds are rapidly set up again. The hall, however, is quite crowded, and Gregor snores loudly and lustily, which doesn't seem to bother his men, but is quite annoying to the rest of you. However, you are tired enough that it doesn't keep you from sleeping.
Xania studies Marika's book for a while before falling into a restless sleep in a corner. She murmurs unintelligibly in her sleep, much softer but no less annoying than the snoring.
>From his perch in the trees outside the settlement, Jacobus watches quietly to see any signs of watchers. However, his vision is rather limited in the night, and to light a torch would surely attract unfriendly attention, so he merely sits atop the tree in the hope that whatever has been shadowing the party might surface. After several hours and the sun beginning it's rise above the eastern mountains, he realizes that either the watchers are cleverer than he, or they have chosen to leave their posts this night. He returns to the settlement to catch a few hours of sleep before plans are made.
Petr eagerly wakes you with the sun high in the morning sky. However, it's a murky day, as the clouds seem to press in, and it looks like rain may break forth at any time. "Come, come. There is good news!" Petr insists. When the last of you awakes, he rushes up the steps into the gallery and then into the tower, then up one flight of stairs into Kuzma's quarters, "Tell them, mother!"
The wizened woman looks at her son with some displeasure, but the same gleam of optimism that you all saw on his face in the wee hours of the morning resides on hers as well, "Better to let the captain tell the tale himself. Kalanos!" She speaks loudly to the figure on the mattress. The man's hair is matted, and sweat beads down onto his chest, but he already appears more rational than he did on the previous day. "Focus, man!" Kuzma snaps her fingers at the man.
The man begins to speak quietly, shuddering, "They came upon us from everywhere. They overran the fences as if they were not even there. Pointy-eared demons, hundreds of them! They swarmed on us like a current, unstoppable. Then came the fanged forest spirits. They ripped off limbs, tore the flesh off living men." He shivers, "Screams of the dying, but the worst was yet to come. Demon shadows out of the night. They flew down and landed on the men, and when they departed, the men had been drained of any color. Their skin was like parchment!" His eyes begin to glaze over, and he begins to shake.
Asif's face mirrors the horror of that vision. He wipes a bead of sweat from his brow, his mind briefly thrown back to his childhood and the stories told by the Eunuchs in the harem to frighten children into behaving. He suppresses a shudder and continues to listen to the tale deep in thought.