The aftermath of the battle was almost as much confusion as the battle itself. Kaileer returned with the wayward Puddlejumper. Bodies were stripped and looted. Corpses were left to rot on the forest floor. After his fit of anger, Azrun put Torro's body on Puddlejumper and left. Gala left as well, intent on returning home.
Arachne watched wistfully as Puddlejumper went off with the late Torro and Azrun. She said nothing to any of them. She went over to where the lootings from the bandits were gathered and, after rooting around in her backpack, produced a sack that contained a gold brooch, 37 pieces of gold, 18 pieces of silver, and 18 coppers. "That's the funds the group's accumulated so far," she said dully. "And it's pretty heavy. Who wants to carry it?"
Camp was set a short distance away from the battle scene. The night passed with no further attacks. The injured woke the next morning with more pain than they were accustomed to. Lasiar finally started to stir, thrashing about from the pain of his wounds. The bandit that Azrun had beaten did not stir.
Aloysius hardly spoke at all after Gala left. He did thumb through his spell book for a while and then went to sleep.
Echo shimmied up a tree to pass the night. She all but disappeared in the foliage. "This attack wasn't an accident, you know, like when they kidnapped me," she said once everything had settled down some. "Ranchefus and his men, they were looking for the lot of you. Said you were causing trouble, and it'd be best if they took care of you now."
Blacky told the members of the band that he would stay up all night to watch if they wanted to get some rest. In the morning he checked on the bandit to see if he was still alive. "Arachne, you seem to have healing skills of some type. After you fix up Lasiar, could you check on this one." He said if the bandit yet lived. "I'll get some breakfast going. Aloysius, could you bring me some more wood for this fire?"
Arachne glanced at him, frowning. Arachne nodded. She looked first at Lasiar and then at the bandit.
Aloysius hadn't so much as glanced at Echo since her arrival. The next morning, he approached her with a look of continued sadness still present on his face.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat trying to gain her attention
Echo climbed down the tree that she had been in and smiled.
"I be Aloysius Stargazer. Formerly did I apprentice to the great Moonspawn. I regret that I did not introduce myself afore, but I had . . . . . .much on my mind." The mage's eyes seemed to water slightly as he spoke.
"Moonspawn? Never heard of him," Echo pondered for a moment. "Or maybe I have. I'm not very good at remembering stuff like that."
One of the mage's eyebrows shot up as Echo spoke. "Thou hast not heard of the great Moonspawn?" he asked incredulously. "Well, mayhap thou hast simply forgotten. In any event, concern thyself not with Janathell's greeting. 'Tis simply her nature to be most direct. Her heart is good and she be quite valiant. Thy company is welcomed, accept the word of Stargazer on this point."
"You didst say something of a person named 'Ranchefus' last eve. Praytell, what do you know of him and his men? He is correct, much trouble shall we be for him, and soon. Will you be joining us in this endeavor?" Echo could see that this thin man's eyebrow jumped as he spoke.
"All I know is that the priest's name is Ranchefus and that they kidnapped me. I heard them talking about looking for a group of people, and I assume that was you. You fit the description," she eyed his purple hair carefully. "I don't have anywhere else to go really, and I'd like to get back at them for knocking me over the head. I took that rather personally. I don't know if my company would be welcome though." She glanced over at Jana as she said this.
"Doesn't matter to me," Jana shrugged. "I'm heading out of here at first light. I only joined up with this bunch to rescue a kidnapped girl. They don't seem overly interested in that objective, so I'm getting out of here."
Jana, seeing to the packs on her horse, turned briefly toward Aloysius as she heard him mention her name. As he continued on, her eyebrows rose in surprise. She turned back to the horse and muttered a few things, apparently to the horse.
Echo looked confused. "Kidnapped girl? Who?" She looked around at the others then back at Jana, "I thought they were going looking for the kidnappers. Or maybe I should say I thought the kidnappers were the bandits who attacked you. Do you think there's more than one band of kidnappers working this area?" A pained look crossed her face, "This is almost as confusing as learning spells."
"I'll take your word for it," Jana said, then grinned. Her smile faded. "Well, you see, I wandered into a town not far from here, looking for work. I heard about this kidnapping..." Jana recounted the story. "So anyway," she continued, "I thought if I could join up with these folks and rescue the girl, I could earn enough to buy some better armor and another horse and some field equipment so I could join up with a good mercenary company." Jana shrugged, almost apologetically. "That's all I really know how to do, fight."
Echo started rambling through the bandits' belongings again, seeming more happy to be doing that than thinking about whatever was going on. "Nice sword," she remarked as she picked up the black longsword among the booty. "I wish I could use one." She unsheathed the blade to look at it but almost as soon as she pulled it out, she jammed it back in the sheath. She put it back among the pile quickly and walked back to 'her' tree.
Kaileer's eyes went wide as he saw the black sword and he snatched it from the pile and brought it over to Aloysius. "This be Zond sword," he asked as he showed it to the wizard.
Upon hearing the ranger's comment, Aloysius's eyes brimmed with anger. "Damn them all!" he exclaimed. "Twice now have they slain our companions and we still know not where to find them. By the Silver Crown, we shall see their end."
"Damn who?" Lasiar croaked, seemingly awakened by the purple-haired mage's outburst. The disheveled youth tried to get up, but fell back down with a groan. "Dear Selune! Why does every part of my body feel as if it has been struck multiple times with a huge mallet?" Amid another groan, he continued, "What happened? Is everyone alright?" The Silverstar attempted to rise again, but this time he succeeded to sit upright. He rubbed his face gently with his left hand, then glanced about, sweeping a concern gaze at his friends.
Aloysius walked over by Lasiar and looked down at him. "Everyone, save Strongbow, is fine. Galaret has taken her leave back towards Waterdeep. Azrun has taken Strongbow's body back to Kuiper's for burial. We are discussing our next course. Kaileer hath suggested a journey to Parlfray's Keep just to the northeast of Thurmaster. That course seems wise to me. Our only other alternatives would be to continue our search of this wood, or to head back west along the river. We have traveled along the river a couple of times aleady, and found little useful information. We could wander in this wood for days since we have no trails, apparently, to follow. Share your opinion with us Brightmantle, and then we can vote. Stargazer has had his fill of these brigands and their dark priest. A debt do we owe them, and it be a debt that shall be fully payed."
After speaking with the Echo, Aloysius addressed the rest of the party. He had not spoken much the night before but had complied with Blacky's request to gather firewood.
"Methink our proper course would now to return to Kuiper's. There, we can pay our respects to Strongbow and rejoin Azrun. Perhaps Kuiper doth now have more information of the gnolls. Howe'er, since we are this far east, 'twould seem wise to continue our survey of this wood. What thinkest you all?"
While waiting for an answer, Aloysius looked into the morning sky to see if it gave any hint of the weather for the day.
The ranger dropped out of his own tree, having rejoined the party late the previous night.
"Garyld say maybe we talk lord Parlfray. Maybe wizard Tauster hear of Ranchefus? Parlfray live other side Thurmaster, we can talk Tauster on way. Arachne, you be only one can fly, you need go tell Azrun if that way we go."
"Uh, sure. I could do that," Arachne agreed. "Eventually," she added under her breath.
With that said, Kaileer moved to where his weapons and pack lay leaning against his tree and pulled out a small pouch made of a single piece of leather then moved a short distance from the group. If anyone bothered to watch, they saw him perform some sort of ritual where he occasionaly dipped a finger into the pouch and then touched his face. A short while later, the ranger returned with what could be called wings painted across his eyes and cheeks in bright blue paint. Without a word, he returned the pouch to his pack and began getting ready for travel.
"I doubt Kuiper knows any more after this short period of time. I think our best course is to continue following the river or see if Kaileer can track the bandits who escaped." Blacky stated his opinion. "Does anyone have an idea as to why these men smelled of fish?"
"At least, we have a name, now," she mused, while Kaileer was making his preparations. "Ranchefus. Huh." She shrugged. "Aloysius, I don't know about going back to Kuiper's. _Kuiper_ may not even be at Kuiper's. He went gnoll-hunting only yesterday, remember. And I suppose that continuing toward Thurmaster is -- It all comes back to the river, you know. Water. The growing mire. The kidnappers' trail leading to the river. Twice, at least. The kidnappers of the novices _and_ Zond's kidnappers. I don't know about surveying these woods or wandering toward Thurmaster. I _do_ think I want to look around the river. I just don't know if I want to go upstream or down. What did the rest of you think of that area of dead grass you saw on the other bank upstream from Milbourne?"
"I didn't know any of the bandits did escape," Arachne said, looking around at the various bodies. "Except the one who was carrying Gala. I still have no idea why he abandoned her or how he disappeared. Kaileer, do you want to see where I caught up with her? I think I can find that tree again. And I'd guess that the men might smell of fish from spending time in the river. Or near it. Or somewhere like the river."
Aloysius was still angry was hearing about Zond's sword. He sighed deeply and tried to suppress his anger. "Mayhap a return to Kuiper's would be premature. Kaileer, what did Kuiper tell thee of this 'Lord Parlfray'? His keep be to the north and east of Thurmaster, yes? Surely this man doth keep apprised of the goings on near his dwelling. We could take our captive with us, question him on the way, and then turn him into this lord when we arrive."
"Ahh, scratch the captive." Blacky piped in"Azrun did rather too thorough a job yesterday."
The mage stroked his chin absent mindedly "Stargazer hath need of speaking with Tauster of things arcane. I may be able to obtain certain items from him that would be of assitance to us. Also, we need to be certain that he is aware of these abductions. E'en a wizard as skilled as he is may be taken if caught unawares. We have been west many times, but only so far east and then only briefly. Kaileer's suggestion was wise. Let us head towards Thurmaster, and then towards the keep. Arachne can advise Azrun of our whereabouts . . . . .assuming he is coming back."
"You'll be getting no answers from your captive bandit," Arachne sighed, "unless you want to take him to Oleanne -- and even then..." She shook herself. "He's dead. We let Azrun wreak his rage on him and then didn't do anything about the injuries the wretch had suffered. So much for questioning him. And as for consulting Tauster, Aloysius, you'll want to be sure that you bring money. My understanding from Kuiper was that Tauster does nothing out of the goodness of his heart. A fair price, yes, but generosity, no. You could try appealing to his desire to recover his apprentice, I suppose. But we've precious little to show for our efforts in that regard. Talk to Tauster, if you wish, Aloysius, but not with an empty purse."
"I agree, following the river toward Thurmaster seems the best course to me. Unless Kaileer finds tracks that lead us otherwise." Blacky cast his vote.
"I can't say that I see much point in going all the way to this Parlfray's keep to tell him that there's trouble in his realm. Any farmer could do that and I doubt that he could tell us better than old Dirkaster what the cause might be. I still think our interest should be in the river. On the other hand, if what Echo says is true, then whatever we do, we'll likely attract trouble. And that trouble will only get more vicious, especially if they know what happened to _him_." She nodded at the dead captive. "We ought to do _something_ about these men we've slain -- and the prisoner. Bury them, burn them, I don't know."
Aloysius approached Jana as she was packing her equipment. "Janathell? Didst I hear correctly? Thou art leaving us as well?"
Jana turned back again toward Aloysius. "I'm not here out of the goodness of my heart," she said, somewhat gruffly. "I'm only in this to find the girl and claim a share of the reward. I really don't see much progress being made in that direction. Or interest in it." Jana sighed, looking downcast. "I can't get to where I need to be by taking a few coins off of gnolls and bandits." She turned back to her horse and rearranged the packs she'd just arranged a moment ago.
Aloysius contemplated what the woman warrior had said. "Progress? Nay, nor do I. Interest? Methinks that we all see now that a common evil doth reside behind all these abductions. We may not be of like mind in how to proceed, but we are resolved to finding the missing."
"Evil, schmevil," Jana muttered as she continued to fuss with her horse's saddlebags.
"I hope I be not too curious, but exactly where is it that thou 'needs to be'?"
"I need," Jana said, not turning away from her re-rearranging, "to earn enough money for better armor and another horse and to get better at fighting so I can join a halfway decent mercenary company." She paused for a moment and tightened a strap on her saddlebag a notch or two tighter than was strictly necessary. "As opposed," she added quietly, "to the orc-sucking one I left." Jana double-checked the straps on her horse. "Quit holding your breath," she murmured into the horse's ear, tightening the saddle strap just a bit.
"If all of you go off in different directions, the only thing you are going to get accomplished is getting konked on the head like I did," Echo said. "These people that you are dealing with know how to work together and they are _after you_. The priest escaped. I'll bet he can get more zombies, and brigands are a silver a dozen. Judging from the money these had on them just walking around in the woods, I'd say he'd have more than a few in his employ, especially if they're Zhents." Echo smiled a cynical smile, "Two of your number have left in the short time I've been here. You'll be that much easier to take in smaller numbers or alone. Jana, I'd lay a wager on there being money in this for you if that's what you want." She walked over to Jana and added something that the others couldn't hear.
Aloysius folded his arms and nodded in agreement as Echo spoke. However, his demeanor hardened as she spoke quietly to Jana. "Nay! Methinks this group hath kept secrets enough. As I said afore, either a group we be or a group we be not. Either we be open and work together, or we become worse than fodder for the fish in the river. We may not agree on why we are here or how we are to go about the business of finding these people. The first issue matters not so long as we all WANT to be here. The second can be resolved by a simple vote if nothing else. For one, Stargazer is grossly offended that someone is cruel enough to deprive others of their liberty simply because they are skilled in the arts of some type. I also aim to repay these fiends for the loss of Zond and Strongbow, as well as good Pug more indirectly. Mayhap if all of you would share with the rest why you are here, we can start down the path of cooperation and trust rather than one of discord and certain doom." It was apparent that Aloysius had not been this angry since Arachne kicked him in the Mire.
Echo finished speaking to Jana and turned to looked at Aloysius. She seemed uncertain as to whether this outburst was directed at her or not. She lowered her eyebrows after a moment and decided to comment on it all the same, "I was telling the lady that I should not let her go on her way without mentioning how striking I found her violet eyes. The only harm a kind word causes is if it is left unsaid." She smiled at Aloysius, "Everyone here speaks the fey tongue, or do crows caw 'black' at the ravens?"
Jana looked at Echo, an odd expression on her face, then laughed softly. "Fair enough," she said quietly, to whom it wasn't clear.
"Thy words be not lost on me, woman. Many things am I, but a hypocrite be not one of them. I claim not to be perfect or infallible, merely straight-forward." Aloysius sighed loudly, sat down on the ground, and put his hands on his head. "I seek not to cause all of thee to disclose each and every detail of thy lives. I simply wish that we had more trust amongst ourselves. Mayhap I be too idealistic."
"So you're here because you're offended and seek to repay evil?" Arachne asked. "Very well. I have no objection to that, though it seems to me that with motivation like that you _might_ want to temper your allegiance to perfect openness and frankness." She smiled. "Yes, I'm twisting your words. But Aloysius, it is sometimes good for a group if people try out a thought privately before blurting it out to all and sundry." She stared up at the wizard. "Secrecy is not always from disloyal motives. And perfect knowledge is no prerequisite for coordinated action.
"As for me, I came to this quest for the silliest of reasons: A small errand, a delivery. That, at least, is accomplished. But people went missing and we were attacked while on our little errand by brigands who behaved oddly. It was a mystery, an unexplained thing. So, now, there's a sizable list of folks who are undeservedly missing. I want to find and rescue those missing people. And I want to know why they were being kidnapped. I would also want to stop those kidnappings from continuing, but that will probably be by helping other people who are better skilled at knocking heads together." She smiled. "The mystery and the missing are why I'm still here." Her smile vanished. "El --" She shrugged. "All the gods know it's not to further practice my medical skills."
"As to what we do next, I agree that attempting a vote makes sense to me, though with a multitude of options, constructing the vote is not painless. Nor is it necessarily quick. My vote, if you are interested, is to look along the river. As to whether to look east or west, I like the west, but I expect to get outvoted on that."
"There are reasons enough for a dozen more just like any of you to be here," Echo said. "Money, revenge, adventure, romance, thwarting evil, whatever. If you'll have me go along, I will. If you won't, then I won't. I've been where I'm not wanted or needed enough in my life that I won't push myself on any of you for want of adventure and revenge for being hit on the head. I'll continue my tour of the Realms or maybe I'll go back to Thurmaster and stay there. Or Milborne. Barthlew always needs barmaids old enough to hold their own. Whatever. Is that honest enough for all of you? I've nothing better to do with my time." She seemed rather annoyed. "I'll hold my vote 'til I find out if you are going to let me go. And then I'll hold it longer since I don't know anything about this." She harumphed loudly and then suddenly looked quite embarassed about the whole thing. She pulled her cloak over her head and leaned against a tree.
Arachne frowned while Aloysius invited Echo. Then, she added, "Of course we'll let you go if you want to go elsewhere. But I agree with Aloysius on this: Please come with us. We do want your help. We do need it. We need all the help we can get. And you probably know as much as the rest of us about the most important question, which is where Ranchefus fled to. If you don't know, neither do we. If you have any guess, from where you were when they grabbed you to where you are now, that's more than we've got." Arachne glanced down at her small pack, reluctant to heave the thing on her back. "Which way should we go, Echo?" she asked, looking up at her.
Jana had not as yet given her opinion on the subject of what to do next. She glanced over at Echo leaning against the tree with a confused expression. She shook her head as if to clear it, then got back to getting her possessions in order.
"Nay, it doth not," interrupted the wizard. "But secrecy does lend to distrust amongst one's comrades. This thou should know above all others. As for my thoughts, trust that I AM keeping a few unspoken."
The wizard lowered his eyes and scratched at the ground with his toe. "As far as I can see, there be but two reasons to maintain a secret from one's allies. One, because you be not an ally true and seek to use some hidden talent or knowledge to thine own advantage. Two, because you be too embarrassed or ashamed of something known only to thee and wish not to receive the scorn of others. Stargazer hath not any secrets of the first class, but many of the second." The wizards eyes began to water.
"Stargazer has ne'er, save for the time spent with Galaret, known a friend in his entire life. E'en Moonspawn was cold and tutorial rather than paternal. Mine own parents remain unknown to me, and shall fore'er more. I be a veritable fish out of water amongst others, and I am all too aware of this." By now, tears streamed down the mage's slender cheeks.
"Your definition is too narrow," Arachne replied. "Suppose, for example, that there was a city where all the people feared and distrusted... uh, sapphires!" She reached under her chemise and produced a small sapphire that hung on a chain around her neck. Suppose that these people had heard terrible things about sapphires and believed them. I don't know what, maybe some stories about a wizard who did evil magicks using sapphires. It doesn't matter, except that the people of this city believed that sapphires were a bad thing. And they didn't have any sapphires around with which to disprove the beliefs. Suppose that possessing sapphires amounted to a crime whose punishment lay at the whim of the crowd.
"Now suppose that a traveller wishes to come to this city and stay a while. It's a nice place except for the awkward attitude toward sapphires. And suppose that the traveller has a sapphire. It's a precious sapphire, given to her -- I mean, him -- by, uh, his late mother. It's all he has to remember her by and he can't bring himself to dispose of it. And being a traveller on the road, he has no safe place to leave it. So he carries it hidden and keeps the fact of its possession a secret. What sort of secret would that be?
"Suppose the traveller was in company of other people with whom the traveller was friendly. Now, the traveller might hope that these perhaps friends do not have the same peculiar prejudice toward sapphires as the people of the city, though the traveller may know of the wrongheaded tales that persuaded those urban folk. Perhaps there once was an evil Sapphire Mage. This is all hypothetical, Aloysius, so don't tell me there is none such. I know that. But suppose:
"Suppose that the traveller has not shared the fact of possessing a sapphire with these companions before they come to the city that dislikes sapphires. Suppose the traveller, not having seen any of the others in possession of a sapphire, cannot be sure that those companions don't share the prejudice. But they seem nice enough, in truth. When would you say there was a need for the traveller to advise her -- his -- companions that he carried a treasure that might make the local citizenry very upset were they to learn of it? Not that it embarassed or shamed the traveller, but that it might be read amiss by others. Mightn't it be wise not to burden the companions with the secret sapphire? And as well, leave them innocent of any charge of evil conspiracy that an irate citizenry might invent were they to find out about the gem?" Arachne glanced at her sapphire, then tucked it under her chemise again.
The mage smiled broadly at the gnome. "Arachne, truly thou hast a gift for analysis. Mayhap my 'definition' be too narrow, but 'twas not my aim to create a legal treatise. I would consider risking the scorn of others to be on par with being embarrassed. If your traveler traveled alone, then keeping the sapphire secret would be his own choice as the consequences are his alone. Howe'er, if he doth take on companions, then they too are at risk for this traveler's transgression, e'en if only by association. Then, methinks the traveler should advise the others of this secret and let the companions decide if they wish to take the risk of this association." The mage again looked skyward. "Mayhap 'tis only an exercise suited for a tavern game. Stargazer hath often intertwined theory with practice when practice alone be what is called for. Let us finish our vote and be off."
"I think you're right," Arachne said quietly, but added immediately. "So where _are_ we going, today?"
With a shrug, Kaileer put his pack back on the forest floor. "I look for master, Fein. I want learn how human be. I not need revenge, but I need fight evil. I look for missing girl... When I find, maybe I stay, maybe I look for master again," he finished, looking through the branches of the trees as if expecting to see something familiar.
"I vote we go Parlfray," he then added suddenly, shifting his gaze back to the people in the clearing.
"Arachne has the crux of it, we do need all the help we can get and so do those hostages, if they yet live. That goes for you too, Jana, we need your sword arm as much as we ever did. I'm sure that Ranchefus has a cache of gems to buy your equipment for you, after we send him to his dark god." Blacky interjected.
"I'd rather earn money from an honest commission," Jana grumbled, "than loot the dead." Overnight, Jana had cleaned her armor, but had decided against changing her bloody clothing. Her wounds were still bleeding slightly. "But then," she added, "what I'd prefer to do and what I end of having to do don't seem to be anywhere close these days." She pulled her sword out and inspected it briefly for nicks. She twirled the sword and slipped it back into its scabbard, a flashy move performed with practiced ease.
"I'll stick around until we make it to a town," Jana said sullenly. "I don't really care which one it is."
"I'd rather grow grain and hops and brew good ale. But those choices were taken away from me by people similar to the ones we seek. So now I try to help others against those who would deprive them of their freedoms and choices." Blacky says with uncharacteristic bitterness. "Its not pretty at times, but it's all I have left." He adds more quietly.
"Aye Eric!" Aloysius said excitedly, slapping the larger man on the shoulder. "Thine aims be similar to mine own. It hath been written that the right to swing one's sword ends at the tip of another's nose. If our freedoms be deprived, then we can not follow our curiosities and unearth knowledge of our world, and other worlds as well for that matter. Knowledge is my treasure, and where freedoms be restrained, knowledge is often restrained as well."
Perhaps due to his sudden excitement, the mage apparently forgot his prior etiqutte "lessons". He grunted deeply in his throat for a moment and then launched a greenish-yellow gob of goo from his mouth. He then walked along with a broad smile on his face as he reached his hand inside his robe to scratch his armpit.
