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Reality Fault

Realms: Birthright Logs

Chapter 12

The party, having soundly defeated Ferg at the cost of only a few cuts, a few bruises, and a badly damaged Yuri, is left standing in the room. Ferg's former bed has been reduced to smoldering matchsticks, leaving a chest as the only remaining recognizable furniture in the room. From beyond the door, you hear faint whimpers.

    Brother Starguard is a tall man, strangely dressed in the brown work clothes of the acolyte cleric. The strange part is because he seems too old to be an student in the church. His thick, bushy, mustache and beard, once black, is now salt and pepper, the darkness interspersed with star-like flecks of white. His face is light and lively, blue eyes sparkling, though with a few hard wrinkles, a few laugh lines. His nose is a bit hawkish, giving him a bit of an intense look. His body seems in decent shape, if not particularly strong, but most of his form is hidden beneath the cloth of his clothes. He wears a midnight blue robe, short, with easy release clips so that he doesn't get caught by it in a fight. Depending on the situation, he may also wear his studded leather armor, but always has his morning star at his hip, in case of trouble. He walks more like a soldier than a priest...but the wooden symbol of the two stars entwined hung on the leather strap states otherwise.

    Tilara is a young woman both pretty and possessing that indefinable presence that transforms mere attractiveness into beauty. In disguise, she is wearing a low-cut blouse under a tight half-vest, and a skirt that comes down only to the tops of her boots, and she's darkened her hair to a brick-red rather than her usual red-gold. Her bright emerald eyes are the same as always, though she's abandoned her quarterstaff in favor of a brace of daggers. Mirra, her familiar, is nearby but not with her.

    Yuri is a young man of average height and wiry build, with sandy blonde hair and an easy, fluid demeanor. He has a ready smile and a glimmer in his eye. He is dressed in a leather jerkhin, light wool trousers, soft boots, and a fine wool clook, all in subdued grey tones. The hilt of a rapier is visible at his belt; otherwise, he seems rather lightly equipped.

Tilara sighs as a quick search of Ferg doesn't turn up any keys. "Great. How are we supposed to get this open? He's trapped everything else. And whoever is behind that door is locked in, too."

Starguard sees to Yuri, using his knowledge and abilities to coax the bruised comrade. "Well, Yuri isn't going anywhere. At least not until sunrise."

Andreth hmms. "We're gonna haveta hack that chest open."

Tilara says, "Well, there might be another hiding place. Let's search the rest of the room first." She starts in, looking for loose stones and poking with a crossbow quarrel in case there are openings concealed by illusion. "Let's see...""

Andreth cocks his head. "That moaning guy is quieting down."

Yuri moans a little on his own. "You mean the OTHER moaning guy, right? Has anyone checked that door?"

Tilara turns. "I don't hear them at all any more. Wasn't that door locked? We need to find a way in."

Andreth shakes his head. "Might as well take a look. You people keep lookin' in here, I'll go see what's up with him." He walks out into the hall, heading for the other door.

Starguard places his hands on Yuri's chest. "Lie down, and stay still. You're not in the best of shape." Starguard's hands pulse a faint blue as he repeats a divine prayer, three times, each sending a small pulse of healing into Yuri's prone form.

After about 30 paces or so, the footsteps in the dust turn to the right. Looking at them, Andreth notices they actually take two steps beyond the door, and double back. Pausing a moment, he looks more carefully, and sees a key hanging in a recessed niche.

Yuri stops moaning, but still looks quite drained.

Andreth quickly checks the key's niche for needles or traps, then grabs the key and walks back to Ferg's room. "Hey, guys, I found this next to the other door. Wanna come with me to check it out?"

Tilara says, "Ah-hah! Here we are..." She triumphantly pulls a lantern out from behind the chest and gets a burning splinter from the bed. "Let's see if there's fuel in it..."

Yuri says, "Hey, Starguard, gimme my crossbow. I wanna keep Ferg covered. I can't believe he survived six of those damn needles."

The wick is suitably oiled, so that it quickly catches fire when the splinter is brough close. The lamp burns steadily.

Starguard nods, making Yuri comfortable. "You stay here," the cleric tells him, but hands him the crossbow. "I think he'll stay out until morning, but just in case..."

Yuri gets comfortable in a sitting position, ratchets back the bow and inserts a quarrel. "I'm not taking any chances, especially if you're going to check out the other room.

Andreth helps Yuri with winding the crossbow. He doesn't look like he's in very good shape.

Tilara sets the lantern down beside Yuri. "There you are." She pockets a tinderbox and a pair of candles that were behind the chest, as well. "Let's go see who's in there."

Tilara reloads her crossbow and falls in behind Andreth as he leads the way to the other door.

Starguard's crossbow is also readied, as he takes up the rear.

Yuri keeps his attention mostly on Ferg, but occaisionally glances up and down the tunnel, and into the burned-out bedroom, to keep from getting too focussed.

Andreth cautiously moves to the door, eyeing the padlock balefully, before gently inserting the key. The padlock is actually holding two ends of a chain together, and the chain, in turn, is holding the door shut. As he turns the key, the padlock creaks loudly, and then falls open. Yuri, back in the room, notices Ferg twitching ta the sound, whch carries far.

Andreth pauses, and braces himself, glancing at his companions. He calls out in a soft voice, "Hallo?"

The door hangs in its hinges, silently.

Yuri listens to see if Ferg is saying anything when he twitches.

Ferg twitches, turns a little, and then collapses again.

Andreth walks past the door, so that the hallway is clear in front of it, and pushes the door open from his side.

The door swing open, and Andreth pauses in the doorway. In the far corner, a vaguely humanoid lump is hunkered up against the wall, trying to become one with the chill rock. Near the floor, a large creature seems to be gnawing enthusiastically at the twitching feet. As light falls more fully, a large rat turns to look at Andreth, its whickers twitching.

Andreth eyes the rat, and slowly steps into the room, to see if this provokes any response, ready to defend himself against the thing if it attacks.

The rat squeaks very quietly, and backs away from the gibbering hunk of humanoid. Then changing its mind, it resumes gnawing on an exposed foot.

Andreth stands to one side of the door so that Starguard and Tilara have a clear shot.

As Andreth steps aside, Tilara and Starguard loose their bolts, and they thud into the rat, one into his side, the other into his eye. In mid-gnaw, the rat sqeuals, and topples over.

Yuri says, "Guys? What was that?"

The humanoid crawls even further into the corner, the foot disappearing quickly under a blanket. He gibbers a little. The words "mercy" and "help" and "no!" can vaguely be discerned. Probably. Maybe. Mebbe this isn't Mar.

Tilara says, "Just a rat. Nothing to worry about."

Andreth murmurs, "Sshh..." in as much of a soothing tone as he can manage. He gestures to Starguard, saying, "Give 'im a hand?"

Tilara reloads while looking around.

Starguard nods, and bends down to remove the blanket, to get at the wounds he knows are there...

The room contains only the one huddled form, still gibbering, perched ona a matted pile of what may once have been straw. The boy, Starguard discovers, has been badly chewed up and is running a high fever. Looking arand, the cell contains nothing else, although there's a small hole, less than 6 inches tall, in one of the other corners.

The boy jerks back from Starguard's tender touch, and gibbers. He seems to be in severe pain.

Starguard sighs. "He's in bad shape..." the cleric says, sadly. "C'mon lad. We're not here to hurt you."

Andreth, leaving Starguard to do what he can, takes an interest in the hole. "Could I borrow the light for a sec?"

Tilara swallows. If this if Ferg's work, he's not going to make it back to town. She kneels down beside the boy, on the assumption that a female voice is less likely to remind him of the bandit leader. "Shhh. We're not going to let them hurt you any more."

The boy resumes gibbering, and keeps jerking away from Starguard's touch. His forehead is feverish, and his skin is drenched.

Looking into the hole, Andreth can see it disappear into the distance. It' doesn't look manmande, but is rather a natural fissure in the rock.

Starguard gets some herbs from his pocket, and some water. Offering the mix to the boy, he hopes to bring down the fever.

Starguard says, "Ferg should hang for this."

Tilara growls. "Aye. We may argue about what he should be hanged by, though."

The boy finally manages to drink down a little of the herbs, but his fever remains high, and his eyes slowly close as he falls into an uneven slumber.

Tilara stands up as the boy falls asleep. "He looks bad, Starguard. Is he going to make it?"

Starguard says, "Maybe. The rat bites and dehydration... Maybe. We need to get him somewhere better, though."

Tilara nods. "Agreed." She looks around the noisome cell, then gently lifts the boy. "Let's go."

Andreth pockets the key. "We're gonna have a hard time getting Yuri 'n the kid over the pit. An' I still want to see what's in that chest."

Starguard helps Tilara with the boy. "There must be someway to turn it off, Andreth. At least, I hope so."

Tilara oofs at the surprisingly solid mass of the boy, still muscled in spite of his condition, and lets Starguard help. They work out a joint carry and head back toward Ferg's room.

Yuri looks down the hall. "Who'd you find?"

Tilara says, "Dunno yet. Might be the rightful owner of the farm, though. Teenager, in bad shape."

Yuri says, "This farm's been abandoned a long time."

Yuri takes a look at the kid. "Jeez, has something been chewing on him?"

Starguard says, "A big rat. Now a rat-kebob."

Andreth hms. "Well, we'll have ta nurse him back to health first. He ain't in any shape to have a chat, poor thing." He begins searching Ferg's room himself.

Yuri glares at Ferg, and mutters, "PLEASE, give me an excuse."

Yuri says, "We should try to get topside. Everything that's down here isn't going anywhere."

Yuri says, "We COULD try going a little further down the tunnel, maybe there's another exit."

Tilara and Starguard set the fellow down when they get back to Ferg's room. "Hmm. No, he might be Kiel. Hard to tell in the shape he's in. Either way, he needs help. Why would Ferg have done this to Kiel, though? Unless they weren't partners to begin with? Strange..."

Andreth sighs, quickly becoming frustrated in his search. "Yeah," he says to Yuri. "Or maybe back down the tunnel where it branched those times."

Starguard nods. "Wouldn't hurt. Tilara, Andreth, would you two go? I want to help...stars...I think it is Kiel." He shivers. "I think punishment has been served on him."

Yuri says, "There was nothing down that way. It had collapsed."

Tilara nods. "If there's another exit, Ferg wasn't using it. Do you think it's worth looking?"

Yuri says, "How many more Climbing spells do you have? Maybe we can ferry across by sticking to the left and right walls."

Starguard shakes his head. "I guess not. I guess we could use the blanket at a sling to lift Kiel, Ferg, and Yuri over the pit...

Andreth says, "I think Tilara 'n I should check out the tunnel a bit more. It's worth a quick check, anyway. If'n we don't find anythin' soon, we'll come back."

Yuri says, "OK. Bang a rock on the wall every minute or so, so that we know you're still out there."

Yuri says, "Or something."

Starguard says, "Where's Mirra, Til?"

Tilara says, "Just two for now, and they don't last that long. I'm not sure tow of us would be able to ferry everything over in time. I don't mind checking farther up."

Yuri says, "Pit's only six feet wide and there's only three of us that can't jump."

Yuri says, "Anyway, go check it out. The rest of us will just sit here and get a head start on letting our bones knit."

Tilara nods. "Let's go, Andreth."

Andreth takes the bullseye lantern, and sets off, Tilara in tow. "We'll be back soon. No point in us getting ourselves lost."

The tunnel continues in a straight line for another 150 paces, give or take, before opening up into a roundish room with uneven walls. In the center of the floor is a medium sized hole.

Tilara peers down the hole, and then looks up. "What is this, a well?"

The hole looks roughly round. Not exactly formed carefully. There are no obvious marks on it, and it seems to extend down a long way.

Andreth says, "Dunno, could be. Wonder what's down there? Not much help to us now, though, I'm thinkin'. Let's go back."

Yuri passes the time looking at the walls, cieling and floor of the bedroom for unusual marks or features.

Tilara stares down the shaft for a long moment, then shakes her head and steps back. "Nothing very helpful. We might want to come back later, but for now I think we're going to have to cross the pit."

Andreth nods. "Guess so."

Yuri says, "Getting across that pit's gonna be tough. Maybe we should only move one wounded at a time. I'd start with Ferg. You can leave me, and ... let's assume it's Kiel ... and we're not gonna start trouble in your absence."

Yuri says, "We should also take the chain, lock, and key topside. If noting else, it's the only thing we have that will hold Big Joe."

Tilara steps into the room in time to hear that last. "And the chest. No point leaving it down here."

Yuri says, "Find anything?"

Tilara says, "A shaft that leads down. No way out."

Starguard frowns. "Should we try to wake Ferg up and ask him how to lock the pit?"

Andreth smiles wryly. "D'you think he'd tell us straight?"

Yuri says, "No. And he doesn't have to."

Tilara says, "He might if we told him he was going to cross it first..."

Yuri says, "All we really have to do is send one person back to Ash, get a ladder or a couple of planks, and span the pit."

Yuri says, "We're not in any hurry this time." He winces slightly. "Like we have a choice about THAT...""

Starguard says, "That would work..."

Andreth nods. "I'll go do that. Also see if'n I can find a litter."

Yuri says, "So... shall we go? Andreth can get Ferg, Tilara and Starguard can carry Kiel, and I'll... limp, I guess."

Starguard says, "What about the chest?"

Yuri says, "I don't think it's going anywhere on its own."

Yuri says, "After all, if there's no other way OUT, there's no other way IN. Unless something crawls out of that hole you found, and I don't want to meet it anyway."

Andreth nods...

Tilara nods. "It can wait. Let's deal with people first."

Carefully carrying the wounded, and with Yuri leaning on the wall a lot and resting frequently, the party retraces their steps to the first T junction. Turning right is the clean floor and the pit trap. Straight ahead is ... well, it looks dark. Andreth advances a little, shining his lantern high, and seeing more fallen rock.

Andreth hmms. "Well, prob'ly not worth checking this out any more. 'less anyone wants to search the hallway real quick?"

Yuri says, "Not now."

Tilara says, "This doesn't look promising. Let's keep going. We do have a deadline."

Sixteen slow slow paces in, the floor is completely swept clean.

Andreth nods. "Right. Onward," he says, reaching the edge of the pit. "Okay, everyone gimme room to get a running start here..."

Yuri says, "Remember, watch your steps on the other side. Stick to the path we walked before."

Pacing himself comfortably, Andreth sails across the stretch of hallway, landing safely on the other side.

Andreth calls, "Be right back!", the glowing dot that is his lantern vanishing into the distance.

Tilara watches Andreth disappear down the tunnel. "So... might as well check to see if there's some way to lock it down." She starts searching along the walls and ceiling.

Yuri says, "Wait... Til..."

Yuri says, "Don't make a mistake here. Mark out the edges first, or something."

As Andreth approaches the ladder, he sees Stormy's head leaning over the entrance, looking down. Stormy smiles, and waves. "Where is everybody?"

Andreth says, "Down the tunnel a ways. There's a pit trap. Know where I can find any good long planks, so's we can walk across?"

Stormy nods, and disappears for a moment. Coming back, he's holding a longish bench, from the Weapons Hall. "Will this help?

Andreth nods, meeting Stormy at the entrance to the hall. "Also, we'll need an axe, 'n a litter'd come in handy. Do they got any litters here?" he asks, as he goes to the weapons racks looking for a suitable chest-opener.

Stormy shakes his head. "Nah, Ferg has us bury the litter every week.

Andreth shakes his head. "Sorry, I mean... well, never mind. Just get me a spare blanket," he says, pulling a couple quarterstaffs from the rack.

Stormy nods, bustling off again and returning with a few blankets. "Everybody's still asleep.

Andreth nods to Ash as he gathers up all the supplies. "Everyone's okay down there, more or less." He bundles up the quarterstaffs and blanket, sticks the axe in his belt, and drags the bed out of the way so he can get the bench down it.

Ash nods, and heads back to the common room, to keep an eye on everybody.

After slowly and carefully dragging everything back to the pit, Andreth stretches the bench - seat side down - over the pit, and carefully walks across, ready to improvise a stretcher for Kiel.

After a few moments spent cutting up blankets and tying staffs together, Tilara and Starguard carefully carry Kiel across, put him down, and then carry Yuri across. No sense in taking chances. Then Andreth carries Ferg across, and the party slowly and carefully makes its way to the ladder, where everyone is slowly hoisted up. The bench is left behind for future use.

Ash helps the party up. "I'm glad you're all back. Stormy's been ... worried.

Yuri says to Ash, "Well, it wasn't easy. Ferg put up a hell of a fight. And we think we found Kiel."

Yuri says, "Come to think of it... if this IS Kiel, when was the last time we heard something from upstairs?"

Andreth says, "Someone was snorin' up there earlier tonight."

Yuri says, "Then I wonder if the 'Down the Hole' that Jonesie was referring to was that well you guys found."

Yuri says, "Kiel didn't get this way in a day. Which means, we don't know who or what is up there."

Andreth scratches his head. "Big Joe 'n Jonesie know anythin' about dogs?"

Yuri just looks blank. "Like the ones that attacked us?"

Starguard says, "Yeah, where are they?"

Yuri says, "I dunno. Outside? We haven't seen them."

Andreth glances at the attic door.

Ash shrugs. "They disappeared shortly before you showed up. Probably died from their wounds."

Starguard points up. "We might have heard them, though.

Yuri says, "Keeping dogs in the attic? Maybe, I guess."

Andreth hmms. "Well, someone musta been their trainer. Any idea who?"

Tilara says, "Only one way to find out..."

Yuri says, "Anyway... I don't think we're doing anything else until morning. Let's get the prisoner and the victim secured."

Andreth says, "There's still that chest down there. Anyone else wanna see what's in it, or do we wanna rest up first?"

Yuri says, "We can put that chain and lock from downstairs on the attic door if we want to keep anything from getting out."

Starguard says, "Let's put the chain and lock on Joe. The attic can keep."

Andreth shakes his head at Yuri, as he secures Big Joe with the chain and lock. "If that lock's already on the door's done till now, it'll do for another couple hours."

Yuri says, "One more favor, Andreth..."

Andreth says, "Eh?"

Yuri says, "Let's put something heavy on Ferg's trap door. And make sure the front and back doors are barred. I dunno about you guys, but I'm not in the mood to be interrupted."

Tilara says, "Andreth, shall we go retrieve your playmate first, before something eats him?"

Andreth nods to Tilara, and returns with Kearney's still-unconscious form, which gets tied to a bed like the others.

After securing Ferg in the common room with his friends, the party carefully places Kiel on Jonesie's bed - the only bed still in good condition and not containing a thug. Mirra follows Andreth home, and greets her mistress like a long lost lover. The kind of lover who keeps pieces of meat handy for snacks.

Yuri collapses onto a bunk, satisfied that, with the doors barred, the trapdoors blocked, the prisoners tied, and the bosses frisked, tied, chained, and thoroughly beaten down, he can sleep for a few hours with a reasonable chance of waking up.

Tilara calls Mirra back while Andreth retrieves Kearney, and happily nuzzles her cat while feeding her. You did good, love.

The morning, the eighth day, dawns bright and fair. A little chilly, still, but the morning mist burns off quickly.

Starguard quickly goes to pray to the stars by their fading light.

Yuri levers himself out of bed, having slept uneasily, and quickly makes sure that everyone's still alive.

Starguard finishes his prayers, stretching and grumbling a little bit. "Way too much like the army. Short sleep, injuries everywhere..." He mutters, strtching, heading first to Yuri.

Yuri feels much better, humbled by a night spent so close to death.

Starguard smiles at Yuri. "There. You look much better. Now I need to see Kiel..."

Starguard frowns at the rat-gnawed form. Laying his hands on the sleeping boy, he prays once more.

The boy slowly opens his eyes, as he watches Starguard. While the fever is still high, the intelligence seems to have returned ...

"Kiel?" the old man questions. "You're going to be alright."

The boy looks, then twitches, looking around and huddling under his blanket. "I ... Jane ... Ferg ..." His eyes roll up, and he faints again.

Yuri comes up behind Starguard. "How is he?"

Starguard says, "Feverish. I think he'll live though."

Yuri says, "He'd be useful for cracking those locks."

Starguard shakes his head. "He's not going to be much use for a while. He needs a lot of rest, some water, and work on the scratches.

Tilara returns from a quick morning bath in the hot spring, dressed properly for the first time in several days. "Much better. Now... what shall we do with our friends?"

Yuri sighs, and leads the others into the kitchen to talk that one over. "Ash, will you watch our friends while we talk this one over?"

Stormy eyes Tilara, his eyes wide. "You're ... you've ... you're pretty." He sighs.

Ash nods. "Sure. I'll enjoy watching them."

Yuri hears the undercurrent in that one, and chuckles, the first time he's laughed in days. "Yeah... I'm sure you will."

Tilara grins at Stormy. "This is more the thing, after all. I'm not really a slattern." Mirra purrs in agreement.

Stormy ohs. "So I ... you'll be ... When will you have time to teach me?

Yuri grins at Stormy, his bad Lurinese gutter accent gone. "I think we're going to be spending a few weeks in town doing a whole lot of nothing, kid. She can teach you then."

Tilara grins at the boy and reaches out to tousle his hair. "Stick with us, kid, and I'll teach you everything I can. We're not going anywhere right away."

Starguard says, "Well, we're not gaining anything by standing here. We need to check upstairs...and get the chest..."

Tilara says, "Ash, is there a crowbar around here anywhere? We didn't find a key for the attic."

Andreth holds up his own key. "We should try this one. Just in case."

Yuri says, "Let me do it, Andreth."

Andreth hands the key to Yuri. "Right. Ferg's pretty fond of pleasant surprises."

Yuri says, "I don't trust any machines in this house more complex than a privvy."

Yuri gets his gloves and goes to the attic door, listening carefully, and checking the lock for 'surprises'.

Yuri tries the key in the lock.

Yuri says, "If there's any meat in the kitchen, now might be a good time to get it."

The key doesn't quite fit, but a little jiggling and poking and the lock pops open.

Yuri frowns. "Not a very serious lock..."

Yuri carefully lifts the trapdoor a few inches and looks around the attic.

Andreth says, "You wouldnt'a had time to fiddle with it like that with Ferg lookin' over your shoulder. That's all it had ta do."

The attic, a large open hardwood floor, contains two bedraggled dogs, both sleeping, and several bowls of water.

Yuri lowers the door again.

Starguard says, "So?"

Yuri says, "Whoever guessed dogs was bang-on. There's two beat-up curs in there and some water bowls."

Yuri says, "There might be some other stuff stored there, but that's all that's alive."

Andreth hmms.

Yuri says, "So... what do we do with the dogs?"

Tilara says, "Seems an odd place for them... shall we go retrieve the chest, then?"

Yuri says, "Yeah..."

Yuri says, "Hey, shall we split up?"

Tilara says, "We let the dogs go when we leave."

Andreth says, "Split up? What for?"

Yuri says, "It won't take all of us to get that chest up, and there might be something more in the attic."

Yuri says, "Who's best with animals?"

Starguard says, "I'll help with the chest. Or getting what meat we have."

Tilara says, "Besides that, we don't want to let them alone up here. They'll be waking up soon."

Feeling much better, Yuri and Tilara set off down the long passageway again, walking daintily across the bench, and making it safely to Ferg's room where the chest stands undisturbed. Yuri bends carefully over the chest. It looks fairly safe to move, and he's not convinced it's been trapped, either.

Straightening back up, Yuri grabs one end of the chest, and lets Tilara carry the other. There's a brief argument near the pit, and then Tilara carefully carries the chest across, before sharing the load again.

Meanwhile, savoury smells are drifting out of the kitchen, gently waking the prisoners, most of whom seem resigned and not inclined to struggle against their bonds ...

Andreth grabs a bundle of the sausages, makes sure the kitchen door's open, and makes his way upstairs, watching the dogs for a moment.

Yuri gathers the loot obtained so far in Big Joe's room, and then blocks the trapdoor again.

Yuri puts his gloves back on, and opens the chest while SG and Andreth are upstairs.

The dogs loll about on the floor, snoring, and completely miss Andreth's entrance or the enticing sausages.

Andreth gently prods one of the dogs, and if /that/ doesn't elicit a response, carefully goes to pick up one of them.

The chest opens easily, releasing a greyish powder into the air. The smell of burnt feathers quickly permeates the room. Visible at the top of the chest is a set of chainmail, neatly folded. Yuri and Tilara both inhale the mist, and suddenly begin to feel very queasy.

Yuri, realizing that it's blown up in their faces yet again, begins shouting for Starguard, stumbles towards the kitchen, leading Tilara by the hand... or possibly being led, if she's faster.

Tilara swears as she bolts for a bucket. Doesn't he have anything that isn't trapped?

Yuri coughs out, "Starguard! Poison!"

Starguard curses, and moves to meet Yuri in the hall. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Yuri says, "Powder... in the chest... Tilara got a faceful..." He coughs."

Tilara is, at this point, heaving into a chamberpot.

Starguard says, "C'mon, water helps to flush out your throat. If you can get through the first ten minutes, you'll make it..."

Yuri helps Tilara into the kitchen, following the doctor's orders.

Starguard says, "Water neutralizes it, c'mon, we need to get you two wet!"

Tilara says, "Just ... took bath..." She retches again, and manages to gulp some water in between gags."

Starguard quickly douses the two would-be theives, getting them to drink...

Andreth lifts the dog gently onto his shoulders, and carries it downstairs and outside, laying it beside the house, then goes back upstairs to carry the other one.

While recovering in the Kitchen, Starguard, Yuri, and Tilara discuss what to do with the prisoners.

Once outside the house, both dogs lie loosely. They seem to be drugged, and respond neither to the fresh air, nor to their manhandling.

Andreth hmms, and goes to Starguard. "Hey, the dogs're awfully dozy. D'you think maybe they just had some of last night's stew?"

Tilara says, "Could be. How would that affect them?"

Starguard says, "Pretty solidly. The doses were for human sized targets..."

Andreth checks upstairs for anything else interesting, and finds some dried stew and an unconscious mouse...

Andreth comes back down again. "Yup, it's just the stew. We'll prob'ly be long gone by the time the dogs sleep it off."

After a sumptuous breakfast, the party collect in the commons room. Under general supervision, the lads are delivered, one at a time, to the kitchen where Yuri puts probing and subtle questions to them. Questioned thugs are kept in the Weapons Hall. Of them all, Harry is the most voluble, but the story lines generally match. Each of the men was approached by either Big Joe or Jonesie, big men in the Middens, and promised a gold piece to come out here and be trained. There's other people in the band, but they left two weeks ago for places unknown. The lads seem very impressed with the neat way in which they've all been sewn up, and once in the Weapon Hall can be heard exchanging admiring comments on the questioning.

Big Joe and Jonesie are tougher nuts to crack. Big Joe looks and acts betrayed, particularly by Andreth, or Tom, as Big Joe knows him. He shrugs, and freely admits that Ferg promised them a wonderful hideout, and the chance to be in on the beginnings of a new brigade of bandits. Much better trade than trying to lighten the pockets of the middle class in Woolwich. Jonesie, on the other hand, claims to be have been hired as a traps and locks expert, and disclaims any knowledge of both the secret door under Ferg's bed, and the plans to form a banditry brigade.

Ferg, after being carefully woken up by Starguard, is the last to be questioned. Not that Yuri's actually getting any answers from him. Ferg is refusing to admit his name is ferg, let alone admit to knowing anything else. His eyes glare, under beetled brows, as his gaze follows Yuri around the kitchen.

His baleful glaze falls upon everyone in turn, as he sees them, and he seems to be memorizing everyone's appearance. His last, darkest glance is kept for Stormy who quails, turns pale white, and then suddenly faints.

Starguard sees to the kid, taking him off into another room, glaring back at Ferg unflichingly. He's seen bullies like Ferg before, in the army. They came to no good end either.

Big Joe and Jonesie are sent back to the kitchen together, for a little chat with Yuri.

Yuri faces Joe and Jonesie, and then walks around them. After a few scathing comments on their current predicament, he shakes his head. "I can do you a favour; find you a job. But it won't be easy, and it won't be soft, and it will be dangerous. I hear there's need for small guard companies, and I hear the roads are particularly infested this year. But we don't like executing small fry, and right now that's all you are. Small fry. Small fry with excellent potential; training together as you have, you're a lot stronger than you were even two weeks ago. The choice is yours, gentlemen. We can hand you over to the caravanserai, since they were your intended targets. Or we can hire you out. But if we do, we will be watching you."

Big Joe looks intently at Yuri, then nods once. "I'll do it, if you find us a good captain." Jonesie, smiling, nods too, one eyebrow raised. "I can function as a healer; a guard company can always use on of those."

Yuri nods back, silently. "Good enough, then."

Tilara strides into the break room like a conquering general, Mirra riding her shoulder and looking around alertly whereever her mistress's attention is not. "All right, lads, listen up." She waits for them to stop talking, and stares down anyone who acts impolite. "We didn't come out here to kill anyone - at least not anyone who didn't deserve it - and you're not actually guilty of anything at this point. My friends and I were engaged to retrieve the weapons that Ferg and Kiel stole, and return them to their rightful owner. Now... here's the deal. You've been training with Joe and Jonesie, and you've got useful skills now that you didn't before. We need to take all those weapons back to Woolwich, and we need someone to help carry them. We're going to ask you to carry them... and we're going to keep you roped together on the way. When we get there, though, we'll let you go. We'll vouch for you, and help you get jobs as caravan guards - maybe with Big Joe as your sergeant, and maybe not, but there's no re

Tilara says, " maybe with Big Joe as your sergeant, and maybe not, but there's no reason you can't earn an honest living with your new skills. It'll keep you alive longer, too, even if you won't get as much money out of it - as if anyone but the bandit chieftains ever get rich from banditry. So, what do you think?" "

Starguard takes Stormy into the kitchen. After he comes to, Starguard grins, trying to calm the kid. "Don't worry about Ferg, kid. It's awful hard to get back at anyone after you've been hung, and between being a bandit leader, and torturing Kiel, He's going to swing. Just stick close to Til, and she'll put you on the right path.

Harry looks at Kearney, who looks at Peter, who looks around the circle. Finally Harry speaks up. "I think, miss, that we will take your offer. We haven't been paid yet, but even so I've eaten better in the past two weeks than I have in years."

Stormy nods at Starguard, and stays really close to him.

The other lads nod, too. "We'll carry, miss. There's armour, under the floor, and weapons on the racks, miss. And we're sorry if we were disrespectful."

Tilara smiles. "Good. You won't regret it. And you weren't that bad. I wasn't acting like someone who needed all that much respect, was I?" She raises a finger, and the smile turns feral. "One thing. If you backslide and try to betray a caravan you've been hired to guard, my friends and I will find out about it, and we will hunt you down. Don't make that mistake."

Harry leans away from the smile, and there's a fervent chorus of "Yess Miss!" from the ranks.

Kearney nods at the corner where the weaponsrack with the dummy weapons stands. "It's under there, miss. There's a loose board, and the armour's underneath. Just studded leather, miss. Ferg wouldn't let us steal the really expensive stuff.

Tilara says, "Very good. Let's get it packed up! The quicker we get started, the quicker you'll have left this unfortunate episode in the past."

Harry nods at Tilara, and plaintively holds up his bound wrists. "Can't help like this, Miss."

Andreth and Yuri, meanwhile, return to Ferg's old room where he checks through the chest, after wetting it down first. Folded on top lies some chainmail. This covers a brace of well balanced throwing daggers, and a few unmarked ceramic bottles. As well, there's a collection of plain black leather outfits.

Starguard serves a welcome warm and filling breakfast, before putting the lads to work. Eventually the weapons and the armour are loaded up, and the lads - hobbled as they are - form a long line that leads out the door. Each of them is wearing one suit of armour, and they're carrying caskets of weapons two by two. With the exception of Big Joe, who is carrying his own casket on one shoulder, and Jonesie, who isn't feeling up to carrying anything more than the armour he's wearing. Ferg is led by the neck, feet hobbled, hands tied and gagged, and carefully watched by everyone, including the cat, who keeps heading out and circling back.

Shortly before nightfall, the party arrives in Woolwich.

The first stop is at the guard hall, where Ferg is delivered to the unsympathic captain, while the rest of the lads are kept out of sight. Then the others are brought to Jane's, where the weapons and armour are returned. Jane welcomes the party with open arms and visible concern for the ailing Kiel. Her youngest apprentice is immediately sent to fetch Father Pesci, while Kiel is put back on his old pallet.

Yuri whispers to Ferg as they drop him off, "Don't take it personally. We all know that outside of town, there's no law but the one you bring with you, and nobody can say mine is better than yours. But I'm a businessman, and letting you run loose isn't in my budget."

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