| Logs |
2002 February 24
| Birthright |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Birthright Logs |
Chapter 10
Fit To Be Tied
A tall man with obvious muscles and unspecified source of income. He looks like a farmer's son, but carries himself with an unsteady grace and dignity befitting that of an aristocrat (or the son of one). Deep brown eyes stare out of a weatherbeaten face and are accompanied by a hook nose, widely smiling mouth and dusky, unruly hair.
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.
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.
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 jerkin, light wool trousers, soft boots, and a fine wool cloak, all in subdued grey tones. The hilt of a rapier is visible at his belt; otherwise, he seems rather lightly equipped.
After securely tying up Harry, the party pauses for a moment. The silence is broken only by the occasional snore of a drugged man.
Yuri looks around at the others. "OK, what now? We've got the three bosses to deal with.
Andreth sighs softly. "Now for the hard part," he whispers.
Tilara flexes her fingers. "One at a time, and hope they'll stay asleep? Who first?"
Starguard waits by the door, watching for movement which hasn't come yet.
Andreth wanders to the door of the common room, studying the doors to Big Joe and Jonesie's rooms.
Both doors are closed, and open outwards into the rooms beyond. The latch handles need only be pressed down to open, and there's no obvious signs of the doors being barred.
Yuri murmurs, "It would be good to find some way to keep the other two from opening their doors.
A gentle rapping sounds from the commons door. "Hey, it's me," Ash's voice calls through the stout walls. "Back with eggs.."
Andreth stiffens, and slinks quickly and Silently to the door, drawing a dagger.
Tilara glances at the others. "Moment of truth for Ash. Let's see what he does."
Yuri holds up a hand at Andreth, and mouths, "Don't kill!"
Starguard turns, looking into the bunkroom, following Andreth in to the other side of the door.
Ash calls, "My hands are sorta full here.. someone want to grab these before I spill something?"
Andreth catches Yuri's eye, reconsiders, and puts the dagger away, motioning to Starguard to open the door while he hides behind it.
Yuri calls softly, "OK, wait a minute, I'll be right there."
Yuri whispers to Andreth, "Restrain him when I let him in, OK?"
Andreth nods uncertainly to Yuri, and slips behind the door.
Starguard slips into the darkness on the other side of the door, ready to help if he needs to.
Ash's foot taptaps at the door, apparently trying to open it without the use of hands.
Yuri fumbles with the door latch for a moment, and lets Ash in.
Yuri gets ready to catch anything Ash might drop.
Tilara sits down at the commons table, waiting for the door to open.
Ash saunters into the common area, a basket of eggs cushioned in straw precariously perched on one hand. In the crook of his arm he's got a gunny-sack balanced - it looks lumpy, maybe a bagged game animal? Under the other arm is held a wooden keg labeled BEER (for the literate). "Hey!" he calls cheerily.
Yuri decides the beer will make the biggest mess and moves to take it from Ash.
Ash uncurls his arm and rotates it around at the shoulder. "Thanks," he grins. "That was getting mighty heavy."
Tilara puts a finger up to her lips and shushes at him. "Don't wake up the boss."
Andreth comes up behind Ash /now/, and grabs at his arms, before he remarks on the rope...
Ash blinks a couple times. "Say, what---HEY! What's the big idea?"
Yuri makes a similar shushing motion.
Tilara stands up and moves closer to Ash, so she doesn't have to raise her voice. "We're arranging a change of management. You with us, or not?"
Andreth relaxes his grip as Tilara speaks.
Ash smiles calmly. "You have a man at my back who may or may not have a weapon. I'm outnumbered. I'm listening."
Tilara says, "We're recovering stolen property, and dealing with the folks who arranged to steal it. That'd be Ferg and the fellow upstairs. The rest - we don't care one way or the other. Help us, and we'll cut you in for a share of the reward. If not, you take your chances with the others."
Tilara pulls her dagger out. "Cause us trouble, and we deal with you here and now. So what'll it be?"
Yuri glances at Harry, to see if he heard that.
Harry projects a complete sense of being entirely asleep and not even remotely awake. he even snores a little, artistically.
Yuri looks back at Ash, to see if this is going to get messy.
Ash looks downwards for a few seconds. The basket of eggs, forgotten, wobbles just a bit in his still-outstretched palm. A moment's passing later, he meets Tilara's gaze. "I have no choice. What do you need from me?"
Andreth lets go of Ash, and gently takes the basket of eggs from him.
Yuri murmurs, "For starters, Kearney's still lying out in the woods. It would be good to get him inside. Then we have to deal with Ferg, Jonesie, and Big Joe. In that order.
Starguard takes the game from the other side.
Tilara shrugs. "You have a choice. We're not going to kill anyone we don't have to, and you don't have to help us. If you don't want to, we'll tie you up with the others. But if you say you'll help and then try to betray us, you're dead. But if you help us, it's a way out. Your choice."
Yuri murmurs, "You know the odds. I'm sure you know your own character. Make your choice.
Starguard grumbles. "The only reason we ask is that Ferg would probably kill you as it is."
Ash smiles hollowly, like the face of a man resigned to a death sentence. "Trusting sorts. If I meant to betray you, I'd offer to help anyway and then stab you in the back. But......" His face brightens a tad. "Count me in."
Yuri says, "Good. Welcome to the Revolution."
Yuri says, "Now... do we wanna get Kearney, or leave him for now?"
Starguard looks to Andreth. "He's not going anywhere, is he?"
Tilara says, "He'll be fine. Mirra is keeping an eye on him. Let's not waste time."
Yuri says, "Alright..."
Andreth says, "Well, I wouldn't want him to be eaten by wolves, but... well, if Mirra's watching him, okay. Now, how are we going to jam Joe and Jonesie's doors?"
Yuri searches around for a couple of likely wedges for Joe and Jonesie's doors.
Yuri says, "Woodpile. There should be something likely in the kitchen."
Yuri says, "Wait here, I'll be right back."
Andreth says, "Long narrow pieces of wood, Yuri?"
Andreth says, "Why not the practice swords?"
Yuri waits a second to see if anyone objects.
Yuri stops. "Wow. That's an impressively better suggestion."
Yuri says, "I'll go see what I can find. The rest of you want to get by the bedroom doors? We don't want any nasty surprises."
Tilara nods. "I'll watch Ferg's... if he wakes up, I can always pretend I couldn't wait for tomorrow." She rolls her eyes at the thought.
Starguard says, "I'll take Jonesie."
Yuri grins rakishly, and murmurs, "Well, you couldn't. But not for the reasons he's thinking."
Andreth says, "Which leaves Big Joe for me. I guess he and I are fated to be opponents."
Tilara grins at Yuri. "Truth."
Yuri pads down the hall to the practice room, looking for wooden swords and/or wooden wedges. And a pair of crossbows, while he's at it.
Yuri thinks to himself, 'I hope we're right about Ash."
In the practice room, one rack is taken up with wooden practice weapons ... a few short swords, a mace or two, a whole collection of quarterstaffs. The far rack contains nine or ten light crossbows.
Ash tags along after Yuri. "Gotta get my other sword," he mumbles. The greatsword is still strapped to his back - an imposing weapon, good to keep people on the road and in the woods from troubling him.
Yuri murmurs, "What's wrong with the one on your back?"
Ash mumbles, "it's too big for indoors use, and I'll want my shield. This bloody big thing's mostly good for scaring people."
Yuri checks the wooden weapons to see which are most wedge-like.
The short swords are wedgeshaped but in short supply. There's a longsword, and mebbe lose maces can be adapted ... they can certainly be used as fulcrums underneath the short swords. And the bolts are fairly strong, too.
On the other hand, there's an abundance of metal - also known as real - swords in the remaining two racks. Couple with real maces, real quarterstaffs (identifiably by their iron banding), real great clubs (two), and a real whip.
Yuri picks up two crossbows and a pair of shortswords, and a bunch of bolts.
Yuri looks to see if Ash has recovered his hardware.
Ash finishes adjusting the straps of his armor and hefts his shield in a silent salute.
Yuri hefts the other crossbow. "Who wants one?"
Starguard hefts his own, grinning.
Tilara says, "I'll take it. I did pretty well with it on the practice range."
Yuri hands the crossbow and some bolts to Tilara, then gets down and quietly wedges Joe and Jonesie's doors shut with the others.
Andreth kneels next to Yuri and whispers, "Give Big Joe a few extra, I think."
Yuri nods, and drives another pair of bolts into Big Joe's doorjamb.
Yuri listens carefully at Joe and Jonesie's door to see if anyone inside is stirring.
"Til," Starguard whispers, "you want Stormy while the rest of get Ferg?"
Ash stands by quietly, his face an unreadable blank - a warrior, however inexperienced, putting aside all thought except the impending contest.
Yuri murmurs, "Let me go in first. I make the least noise."
Andreth takes a shallow silent breath in meditation, stretching his limbs in fluid grace as he does a silent kata.
Starguard whispers, "If we've done out job right, noise shouldn't matter any more. But before we go in, let me offer a prayer..."
Tilara thinks about that. "See if he's awake. If not, no problem. If he is, I'll bat my eyes at him."
Yuri nods, and checks the frame of Ferg's door for traps while Starguard prays.
Yuri quietly opens Ferg's door.
The sound of snoring intensifies just a little bit.
Yuri pokes his head in, half-expecting something to try and bite it off, and waits for his eyes to adjust.
Once Yuri's eyes adjust to the utter and complete darkness of a windowless room, he sees that the table stands in the same place as it usually does, although one chair is pulled out a bit. There's a hump lying in the large bed, snoring.
Andreth mumbles sotto voce to Tilara, "Y'know, /this/ is where we could've used Mirra..."
Tilara blinks. Where's the kid? I hope this isn't what it looks like. "Wouldn't help. She doesn't have darksight, either. Someone have a lantern?"
Yuri pulls his head out of the room and draws back, closing the door softly, and murmurs to the other, "There's someone in the bed, asleep. I can't tell if it's Ferg or Stormy. In any case, they're out cold.
Yuri looks at the others for suggestions.
Starguard finishes his words, and you feel a little like the gods are watching over you.
Starguard says, "Go in quick, as we're as prepared as we can be..."
Tilara nods, and gestures. She wants Ash in front of her.
Ash steps forward quietly, weapon at the ready.
Yuri nods, and pushes the door open again, wide this time, leading the sneak inside.
Andreth mumbles. "Maybe she can't see, but she could smell..." He sighs. "It'd take too long to get here. Someone get that lantern... dammit."
Starguard quickly moves off, returning with the light.
Yuri waits inside Ferg's room while the lantern is retrieved, and looks around, checking the corners and the ceiling.
As the door is opened wider, the lump in the bed slowly rolls over, and emits a particularly penetrating snore ...
... Whereas the ceiling and corners are singularly empty.
Yuri whispers to Tilara, "I don't think it's Ferg. Ferg wouldn't snore."
Tilara blinks at that, but nods. "Let me check..." She moves up and sits down on the bed, moving the covers back to reveal the face....
Ash turns and sidesteps a bit, ready to engage people either in the room or coming from the hall.
Andreth mutters, "Whoever it is, we have to deal with them," and looks back and forth at the common-room and kitchen doors...
... of Stormy, one hand curled under his pillow, the other curled protectively around his head.
Yuri turns to Andreth. "Go watch the common room. If Ferg's loose, he could come back and untie the others.
Tilara grins. "Okay, it's the kid. Should we wake him up and ask where Ferg is, or shall we go upstairs?
Andreth is already headed for the common room, even as Yuri speaks.
Yuri murmurs to Tilara, "You want to try and talk him out of a life of crime while the rest of us search the area?
Tilara snorts. "Not by myself, no. If he's drugged, he won't wake up anyway. Let's try upstairs."
Starguard grins. "I think he'd listen to you the most by yourself, Til. :)
Tilara says, "Well, yes, but would he be paying attention?"
Yuri pads off to check the kitchen.
Andreth breathes a small sigh of relief as he finds the common room empty of everything save snores. He locks and bolts the door, being especially careful to make sure the bolt is secure, then returns to the hallway. "I've bolted that door. He ain't comin' that way without making a lot of noise."
Ash stands guard in front of the door while Tilara stays inside.
Starguard whispers. "We should tie the kid down. We don't want him burning the place, anyway."
Yuri stops to listen near the kitchen door.
The kitchen is completely empty, with only the banked coals in the hearth given off a little light. As it almost always is, the door is locked - padlocked shut.
Tilara shrugs. "I don't think he needs it. He's asleep, anyway."
Yuri walks back to the others, near Ferg's door. "Where the hell did he go? Well, what now? Do we try for the number 2's, or do we check the attic?
Starguard gets out the rope. "Better safe than sorry..."
Tilara says, "Attic."
Andreth says, "Just thought of somethin'. Tilara? C'n you talk to that cat of yours from a distance?"
Tilara nods. "Of course. Well, sort of. I know what she's feeling, and vice versa."
Andreth says, "Well, maybe instead of watchin' Kearney for a few minutes, she oughta be watchin for whether Ferg's comin' back..."
Tilara says, "I asked her to watch for intruders... she'll let me know if she sees anyone coming in. I can't really tell her to watch for Ferg specifically at this distance."
Andreth says, "Okay. Don't have to be Ferg anyway. So, how's we gettin' up in the attic? Anyone know how to pick locks or somethin'?"
Ash continues to stand by, face as smooth as an iced-over river, thoughts running like a torrential stream under the surface.
Yuri umms... "I can try. I guess... Ash? Do you know anything about locks, or where Ferg might keep... a key...
Yuri pads into Ferg's room to search for keys. After all, if it's only Stormy and Stormy's asleep, it can't be that dangerous.
Ash shakes his head. "No key that I'm aware of - not even sure if it really opens, in fact," he whispers.
Starguard waves Andreth over, to help tie Stormy down.
Andreth moves to the bed beside Starguard. "I'll grab him, then you tie him up. Til, be ready if he decides to set us on fire..."
Tilara says, "Try not to wake him up. I can't stop him if he uses a spell."
Yuri opens the cabinet very cautiously. It contains neatly folded clothes on the top shelf, and a pair of boots on the lower shelf. There's also a small chest. As well, behind the boots, there's a small but heavy sack.
Andreth moves in to grab Stormy... but the young sorcerer wakes up a fraction of a second too soon, and with a violent thrashing motion squirms out of Andreth's reach and lands on the floor nearby.
Tilara hisses, "I said wake him up, not pounce on him. Stormy? How would you like to learn from a real sorceress?"
Stormy eyes his opponents warily, before settling his gaze on Tilara. "But I don't know any sorcerers!" he wails. "And I n-n-neeed to g-g-g-get this under control, or p-p-p-people will d-d-suffer horribly!"
Tilara moves closer, shushing. "I'm a sorceress, Stormy. Ferg doesn't know anything about it, and he wants to use you to hurt people."
Andreth's eyes narrow, and he mutters, "He's losing it..."
Stormy scrabbles up against the wall, and curls up in a ball. "I don't want to hurt people! But if I ... uh ... you are? You're sure? Then why do you act like a ... like a ... you know."
Andreth hisses at Tilara, "Calm him down... quickly..."
Stormy looks confused.
Tilara grins. "I'm in disguise. Watch closely...." She concentrates on a minor cantrip, and little will-o-wisp lights dance through the gloom. "See?"
Stormy looks at the will-o-wisp lights flitting around the room, looking entranced. "And you're promising to teach me? And you won't hurt anyone? And ... oh ...." His face shines, as he tries to take it all in.
Tilara turns the boy's face toward her with a finger under his chin. "I'm promising not to hurt anyone I don't have to. And I'll teach you if you want, though I'm not very advanced myself yet. We're here to retrieve some stolen property, and I'd just as soon not have to hurt anyone. Do you know where Ferg is?"
Yuri waits, watching Tilara's face for a cue.
Stormy shakes his head. "He told me to go to sleep, so I did."
Starguard hmms. "Upstairs..."
Tilara nods. "We have to look. Kiel's up there, too, isn't he? We want to make sure we get him back to Jane more-or-less intact."
Stormy looks up at Tilara, adoration in his eyes. "Kiel? Who is Kiel?"
Andreth relaxes a little. He decides to leave Stormy to Tilara, and rejoins Ash out in the hall.
Yuri stands up, slowly, and leads the others towards the door.
On his way out, Yuri whispers to Tilara, "Take good care of him. He needs someone to talk to. I'm sure you'll hear if we get in trouble."
Starguard heads out into the hall, smiling. "Welcome to the team, kid."
Starguard quickly fills Ash in on Kiel.
Tilara nods as the others go to check on the upstairs door while she brings Stormy up to date. "Kiel was Ferg's inside man when he stole Lady Jane's stock...."
Ash ahhs.
Stormy looks confused. "Lady Jane?"
Tilara says, "Jane Geroldsdottir. Weaponsmith, and a master, I think. "
Stormy ahs. "Jane. Yes. And Kiel was the ... no. I'm sorry; I didn't meet any Kiel."
Yuri takes a peek in the common room to see if anyone woke up, then goes to check the attic door.
While Tilara is filling Stormy in on what's been happening, the rest of the party ...
Yuri examines the attic door carefully; the door has been locked with an old padlock which doesn't seem to have any distinguishing marks.
Andreth pssts at Yuri. "Try searching Ferg's room again. Just in case he left the key behind."
Yuri nods. "I don't wanna upset Stormy, though...
Yuri sighs, and pads back to Ferg's room.
Starguard examines the lock, checking its strength, and the door's
Andreth listens at the door, curiously.
Yuri murmurs to Tilara, "Can you take him into the kitchen? I need to look for a key."
Ash shrugs helplessly - not knowing any better way up, and not liking not knowing.
The lock looks sturdy, as does the door itself. In fact, the door looks reinforced with metal bands.
Starguard winces. "Breaking this down seems...unlikely."
Tilara nods, and leads Stormy out to sit in the kitchen while they talk.
Andreth hmms. "Someone's asleep in there," he murmurs, then nods to Starguard.
Starguard frowns. "Deal with Joe and Jonesie first?"
Andreth says, "We'll have to. They'd hear us breaking this down halfway to Woolwich."
Yuri moves back into Ferg's room, opening the door of the cabinet a little wider. He pulls out the tunic and pants, checking both for pockets, but finds nothing. He places them out of the way on the bed. The boots are similarly empty, and are placed underneath the bed. Now he pulls out the sack, which clinks a little.
Yuri lifts the sack out gingerly, before opening it carefully. It's actually fairly heavy, and requires some careful handling. Opening it up, he can't actually see anything inside at first. Then he sees the glint of metal.
Yuri hmms, and checks what's in the sack a little more closely. . o O ( Money? )
Ash mills about in the hallway, eyes on the stairs up to the inaccessible door, ears attuned to sounds from the common room.
Yuri stops.
Yuri checks to make sure the bag is lumpy, like money, and not pointy, like that nasty dagger Jane told us to stay away from. He goes to pull out the top few coins, before pausing, and sliding his hand into the mouth of the sack. Gingerly, he feels inside, finding a few needles, and then a handful of coins.
Yuri withdraws his hand carefully, and spreads Ferg's cloak out on the bed, and then dumps the contents of the sack on it.
Yuri thinks, Ferg's a clever son of a bitch. Too clever. And he's out there, somewhere, and I don't know where.
As Yuri holds the sack upside down, two more handfuls of coins fall out, as well as a wrapped bundle of wicked looking thick needles, three daggers, a small ring, a belt, and seven feathers.
Yuri sighs. No key.
Yuri wraps the cloak up and puts it aside, then quickly checks the chest to see if it's trap-free and unlocked.
As Yuri tries to open the chest, he feels a sting in his hand, penetrating the glove. Swearing, he sees another one of those thickish needles, as he begins to feel faint ...
Ash continues standing by, impassive face melting to reveal moments of worry.
Yuri yelps as a needle sticks in his hand, and runs out into the hall. Seeing Starguard, he turns and steps up to him and holds up his hand. "I think it's poisoned!"
Starguard quickly peels off the glove to look at the wound, worried.
Yuri looks nervous. "What is it? Can you cure it?"
Starguard brushes some powder away from the wound, and squeezes the blood out through the wound.
Starguard says, "Just a prick, Yuri. You'll be fine."
Yuri nods. "Let me check that chest one more time. If we don't find a key we'll have to try something else.
Starguard nods. "I'll come with you, just in case, K?"
Yuri goes back into the room, and lifts the little chest up gingerly. Examining it carefully, he notices an odd looking little stud and hears a click as he presses it. Now he opens the chest again, carefully, and the needles stay retracted. Inside he sees a large pile of gold coins. Shaking those out on to the bed, he is left with a small empty wooden chest.
Yuri looks the little chest over carefully, going so far as to measure inside and out. If this chest has a false bottom, it must be paper thin.
Yuri says, "Alright. To hell with it. He's too clever for me. Let's get Big Joe and Jonesie over with."
Yuri says, "If he's hiding in here, he's gotta be invisible or something. We can check out his other goodies later."
Yuri preps and loads his crossbow. "I say Jonesie first. I've got his damn weapons practice right here..."
Andreth hmms. "All the same to me. I think Big Joe'll break out quicker if we start with Jonesie, but we'll have to deal with 'em both anyway."
Yuri says, "How about Starguard on the left, me on the right, and Andreth and Ash up the middle?"
Andreth carefully removes the wedges from Big Joe's door, then, taking one last glance around to make sure everyone's ready, opens the door and slips inside. Creeping up to the sleeping lump, he takes a deep breath... partly to center himself and partly to steel his resolve. Finally, he swings a solid punch at the end of the lump where the snores are coming from...
Ash follows Andreth into the room as the punch connects, sword at the ready. There is a painful-sounding thud, as Andreth's fist connects with the man's head. The man roars in pain and sits up...
Starguard touches Ash on the back as he goes. "May this person be a beacon of heroism. Virtue!"
Ash rushes forward quickly, sword point out and aimed at Big Joe's throat. His thrust doesn't carry the full weight of an attack, he's clearly more interested in holding Joe at blade point than skewering him.
Starguard slips in behind, his hands at the ready to heal if things go bad...
Big Joe freezes in his tracks, as Ash very neatly places the point of his long sword on Big Joe's carotid artery. "Yes?" He squeaks.
Ash smiles almost warmly. "My new friends aren't sure about the strength of some rope they purchased. Help us test it."
Big Joe glares at Ash, as the color floods back into his voice. "Traitor! Coward! Thief! This is the thanks we get?"
Ash tsks. "Keep it down, please." The blade point twists just a bit to reinforce his other point.
Big Joe holds out his hands, balled into fists. "Fine. Tie me up."
Yuri looks at Tilara. "Keep an eye on Jonesie's door, I'll bring the rope.
Tilara steps into Ferg's room to get the rope, glancing at the pile of stuff on the bed. She brings it back and smiles at Joe. "Ah, but we're using ropes and not daggers. We're not all that bad."
Big Joe looks at Tilara. "Tart. Whore. Slut."
Yuri sees that Tilara already has it covered, and keeps an eye on Jonesie's door himself.
Tilara just smiles at Joe. "It was rather a good disguise, wasn't it?"
Andreth nods to Tilara, taking the rope from her hands and begins wrapping them around Big Joe's wrists.
Big Joe watches in concentration as the rope is wound around his wrists, arms, trunk and bed, glowering at Ash all the while. He tests the rope, straining against it, before flopping back on the bed.
Starguard grins. "Two down, three to go..."
Andreth gives a smile. "Lucky so far..." he mutters as he listens at Jonesie's door for a moment...
Andreth's face hardens, and he turns to face everyone, a finger on his lips.
Andreth cautiously opens the door, knowing that Jonesie is probably already awake. As he steps forward he hears a hiss, as a throwing axe comes flying through the air and carves a gash in Andreth's shoulder, before clattering to the ground.
Yuri nods to Andreth, and slinks a bit back down the hall, so he's out of the way of the heavy hitters.
Andreth charges into Jonesie's room, wasting no words, and lets fly with a kick at Jonesie's chest, but the bandit lieutenant easily dodges out of the way of his foot.
Big Joe's voice reverberates down the hallway. "Thieves! Runts! Varmits!"
Ash follows Andreth's motion, swinging his sword in an arc that hopefully follows the path of Jonesie's evasion. There's no turning back now!
Ash's blade bites deep, cutting a gash across the chest of the man in motion and covering the tip of his sword in a satisfyingly-large crimson stain.
Jonesie collapses to the ground, bleeding from a gaping chest wound.
Starguard enters, and, seeing Jonesie go down, lays his crossbow on the bed, before moving to heal his friend first. "Stars, shine your healing light down upon this man. Cure Light!"
Starguard turns to Jonesie, moving to stop the bleeding, but not wasting his spells on the back-shooting thief.
Ash returns to Big Joe's room to administer a proper gag.
Yuri covers Ash as he opens the door.
Ash opens the door from the side of the hall, sword at the ready - axes flying suddenly out of the last opened door is still quite fresh in his mind
Yuri calls to Tilara, low but clear, "Make sure they bind Jonesie.
Tilara nods. "Check."
As the door slowly opens, Ash notices that Big Joe is no longer lying on the bed. And there's this dagger flying at Ash. Fresh from Big Joe's hand.
Starguard looks up at the sounds of battle. "Shit. Damned Joe." He heads for the hall.
Yuri, who has been waiting all night for something nasty to happen, fires a wild shot at Big Joe and misses.
Ash flows into the room with unusual grace, swinging his own weapon in the wake of the crossbow bolt - tearing a gash across the abdomen of his former superior, a dark smile crosses the big man's face.
Tilara starts to aim her crossbow as the dagger comes flying out of Joe's room, but can't get off a shot in the confusion. She swears and moves into the hallway, looking for a chance to shoot.
Andreth, hearing the noises and cries from the next room, rushes out the door after Ash, and swings the edge of his palm in a whistling strike, that glances off the mail of Joe's mail with no effect.
Big Joe, looking like an overgrown but very cornered rat, slashes out flailingly at Andreth, missing both times.
Ash takes another stab (so to speak) at downing his new enemy, but Joe is readier this time and the sword doesn't connect. Ash quickly begins to step back as more combatants approach.
Tilara shakes her head at the melee and steps down the hallway to make sure that the others are still tied up.
Yuri drops his crossbow, since he might hit Ash, and charges in to miss Big Joe with a wild dagger slash.
Andreth dodges Big Joe's first swing normally enough, but the second looks sure to hit, but at the last moment, Andreth is simply... not there. As Big Joe steps out of the way of Yuri's swing, he almost... but not quite... steps into the way of another chop from Andreth.
Big Joe steps forward to face Andreth more squarely, and slices once with his left hand; and blood spurts from Andreth's chest, and once with his right hand, and blood spurts from Andreth's abdomen, as he collapses screaming to the ground.
Starguard hears the scream, and drops the ropes in mid-knot, slipping into the hall. "Andreth!"
Yuri tries another slash at Big Joe, but he's moving too fast. "Tilara! We need some help here!"
Ash growls and lunges forward, once again trying to gut Big Joe and feeling the fire of revenge for perhaps truly the first time.
Big Joe, spitted on Ash's sword looks down, gurgles once, and collapses to the ground. Ash, smiling, pulls his sword back out, and watches the blood gush out of Big Joe's abdomen.
"Scum. Villain. Corpse," spits Ash. Then he turns to appraise Andreth's condition.
Yuri swears loudly in Lurinese. "Dammit. Starguard, Andreth and Joe are down!
Yuri looks thoughtfully at Big Joe. "You stupid bastard. You shouldn't have given us an excuse."
Starguard frowns, seeing the carnage. "Dammmit!" He's on kis knees, hands on Andreth's chest in a twinkling. "Stars, shine your healing light down upon this one. Cure Light!"
Tilara opens the door to the practice room, looking around before heading back to the rest. "Everything's still secure."
Andreth struggles to a sitting position, not leaking nearly as badly as he was a moment ago. "Ugh... I shoulda tried harder on the ropes."
Ash slumps back against the wall and withdraws the blade Big Joe had thrown earlier, as his breath starts to slacken a tad. "We'd better.. have more luck next time," he whispers.
Yuri tends to Ash's wounds, while Starguard tends to Andreth's.
Starguard turns to Joe. "You moron..." He works on staunching the big man's wounds...
Tilara says, "You've got to admit, he's consistent. Wouldn't give up the first time we fought him, either."
Ash looks from face to face, chest rising and falling unevenly. "You wanted to know if I was on your side," he mumbles. The bloody knife is tossed carelessly onto the bed in the room, staining the covers. "There's your answer."
Yuri sighs. "Let's get these two tied to one of the common room bunks.
Andreth nods to Ash, and glances at Joe, a small smile on his face. "Well answered."
Yuri says, "It may not be pretty, but I think it will make our point to the others. Then we have to find Ferg."
Tilara nods. "And we're glad to have you with us, Ash. Thanks for helping." She sits down beside him. "Now, what can you tell us about Ferg? Where is he?"
Starguard sighs. "This is not going _quite_ as well as I hoped.
Yuri puts a hand on Starguard's shoulder.
Ash frowns. "Ferg..... comes and goes. If he doesn't say where he went, he doesn't want us knowing."
Yuri says, "Help me get these two restrained, then we should check on Stormy."
Tilara says, "And no one seems to know how to get upstairs. We don't have a lot of time, I suspect."
Ash says, "I suggest you - we - search Ferg's room. There may be alternate means of access, either above or below."
Yuri says, "Uhh... do we call it here?"
Tilara nods. "I was thinking the same thing. He goes in, and he doesn't come out... but he's nonetheless gone."
Starguard smiles up at Yuri. "Right. Jonesies almost ready.
Yuri says to Starguard, "I hope the Gods appreciate the extents we're going to in order to spare our enemy's lives.
Starguard smiles. "I'm sure the stars do, at least. But it's not over yet. We've got two more problems to deal with..."
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