Everyone got some much needed rest after their long day in various places around Tauster's house. Several of them had to sleep on the floor, but in the end, they were exhausted enough that it did not really matter. The night passed in merciful silence. Some of them were awake by the time Gala, Kuiper, and the farmhand knocked on the door. Tauster answered it, shooing anyone back who tried to do it for him. He muttered a few words before he let them walk through. The farmhand was introduced as Johnt for the benefit of those who had not caught his name before. Kuiper, who still appeared to be recovering from serious injury, stayed very close to Gala, occasionally putting a hand on her shoulder or the small of her back.
Gala looked at Kuiper frequently, smiling softly, a warm glow to her violet eyes. She blushed lightly when he touched her.
Aloysius awoke in the morning, and withdrew a book from his pack. He took a crystal from his pouch and held it up to his eye. As he muttered under his breath, he turned a few pages of the book before placing it back in his pack. The crystal was placed back in his pouch.
He looked up as Gala and Kuiper entered, but said nothing. He seemed interested in Kuiper's familiarity with Gala, and even craned his neck at one point to see where his hand was. The next minute, he seemed completely uninterested and began playing with his copper piece again. He placed the copper piece edge-wise between the back of his index and long finger. he then tried to transfer it to the crack between his long finger and his ring finger as quickly as he could. He did this several times with various degrees of success.
Gala cleared her throat softly and spoke to the group, "Kuiper told me some stuff about the orcs and gnolls around here. I think you should know it."
She continued with the following tale, looking to Kuiper frequently when she paused:
"The Sharpfang gnolls lost their shaman. That's why they're moving. Some humans and some orcs took him. They have been sending out parties to try to find him. The ones that our group saw are scouting the "human" lands. There was another group going to check out the orc tribes in the Dale, so Kuiper followed them. They ran into a group of orcs, the ones that carry those shields with the strange symbol on it. The orcs completely wiped out the scouting group Kuiper was following, and they captured Kuiper. This wasn't a very big group of orcs, only about ten or twelve. Kuiper got away from them when they got into a fight with a different group of orcs. Kuiper could tell they were trying to get this other tribe to join forces with them."
"And, something else," Gala added, "when I did my morning prayers I saw a priest of Iyachtu Xvim." She shuddered.
"I saw him last night," inserted Tauster. "I thought he was the caravan master."
"He might be," Johnt replied. "Mosta the goods from the caravan are gone this mornin', but some folks from it are still here."
"A priest of what?" Blacky said, obviously confused.
"What, or who, is a 'Iyachtu Xvim'?", asked Aloysius. "Any relation to the one Ranchefus serves?"
"A very evil priest. Of a very evil god. Some say the son of Bane," Gala barely whispered, as if she didn't want to say the name aloud. "The god hates everything. Mainly worshipped by the Zhents I think. Maybe even the Red Wizards." Gala shuddered and stood closer to Kuiper.
Aloysius frowned as he heard this, and then turned to Azrun. "'Twould seem that a convocation of dark priests hath been scheduled. Since they tried to take Echo, mayhap they have information as to the other abductions."
"I believe they are contenders for the same dark worshippers," replied Gala softly, looking shyly at Aloysius.
Aloysius gave Gala an odd look in return. "There seems to be plenty to go 'round," he replied.
"I thought the Zhents worshipped Cyric. That priest we met in the woods got his powers from the mad god, right?"
"Yes," replied Gala. "But unlike good, evil does not work together well. There is always struggle for power--and Cyric holds many of the powers Bane claimed. And his son would have them back. And there are those who would ride his cloak to power."
Azrun listened intently to the story Gala told. He looked around at the group as he listened, trying to get a feel for each person's state of mind. He paused while looking at Jana, his look was more of respect now.
Jana was awakened by the arrival of Gala and the others. "Gmrphzlbr," she muttered. She rubbed her eyes and pushed her hair back out of her face. "G'Morning," she said, more successfully this time. She poked at her side a bit, then smiled slightly. "Good," she murmured, "all better."
Stifling a yawn, Jana asked Gala, "You didn't have any trouble with the Zhents or their Silver Tongues, did you? Oh, the Silver Tongues are a merc company, kinda sleazy. You'll known 'em by the gods-awful silver studs in their tongues." Jana made a face. "They're guarding that Zhent caravan. The bards are with the Silver Tongues, too."
Jana got up and stretched a bit. "You might want to take a look at Blacky, Arachne and Lytern. Oh, yeah, that's Lytern. He's Lord Parlfray's son. He says he can lead us to the priest Ranchefus. We were putting the horses in the stables when some of those scuzbags came in with a young girl and starting raping her. Anyway, it was a mess, and the stables were set on fire. But, the girl got away." Jana paused for breath, then went on. "Maybe they wanted the girl for the slave trade. Someone tried to drug Echo, but that gentleman," she said pointing to Johnt and smiling, "got her away from them. I dunno where Kaileer and Lasiar are. They took off to commune with the stars or something like that."
Jana blinked a few times, surprised by her own loquaciousness. "Uhm, anyway," she muttered, embarrassed, "they can explain it better." She gestured vaguely at the others and began to pack up her things and get back into her armor.
"I stayed out of trouble, mostly," replied Gala, as she went to look at the wounded, Arachne, Blacky, and Lytern.
Gala, upon seeing the severity of Arachne's and Blackie's wounds, tends to both with her healer's skill, then called upon Lathander to heal them as well.
Arachne cooperated better than most physicians become patients might. (Not a very high standard.) She was aware, though, that Gala really did know what she was doing. She did her best to watch and learn rather than second-guess. "Did you notice the burning stable last night?" she asked. "I guess they've already told you all about that, already. That's how I got burnt. I was trying to scare away some men who'd brought a girl in for a little rape in the hay." She scowled. "Ugly. It's a whole lot easier dealing with that sort of naked evil when you've got a sword and you know what to do with it. Like Jana or Lytern or Blacky and his ax. Me, I had to try to be scheming and conniving and devious." She smiled. "The way I usually am. It worked, though. I scared the man away. Unfortunately, he was a wizard and threw flame at me before giving up and running. And he was careless: He incinerated me, but he also set the stable alight..."
When Gala elected to go to the serious stuff and invoked Lathander's healing power, Arachne muttered something doubtful about whether the god might think that was an acceptable idea. But the patient held still and continued cooperative. When Gala was finished with her prayer, the gnome looked much better. Except for the scorched and burnt dress she was still wearing, Arachne seemed fully recovered. "You're the best," she sighed. "Thank you, Gala."
Echo woke up with the arrival of the others. Other than the black eye, she didn't look too bad. She listened to Jana's account of what happened the night before with considerable interest. She gave Johnt a smile and told him very quietly, "I owe you my thanks. And my first-born child too, probably. I thought I was watching them. The gods know enough people have tried to slip things in my drinks before." She put a hand to her forehead, "I feel awful." With a sigh, she dug out her spellbook and opened to a seemingly random page, staring at it with an expression of distaste for a while.
Johnt gave Echo a concerned smile, "I'm glad yer okay. An' I got plenty kids of my own, but thanks anyway," his concerned smile broadened to a grin for a moment.
About thirty minutes after Gala, Kuiper, and Johnt arrived, there was another knock at the door. "Who is it?" asked Tauster again.
"We've come for Lord Parlfray's son," came the reply, a deep male voice that no one recognized.
Upon hearing this, Aloysius cocked an eyebrow in curiosity and looked over at Lytern. He then glanced over at Azrun. "Tell them he went to the loo," he whispered, barely stiffling a giggle.
Azrun whispered back to Aloysius, "Ask them how much we can get for him?"
Azrun then looked up to the rest of the group as if to ask, "What should we do?"
When the voice at the door came asking for Lytern, (after sharing a joke with Aloysius) Azrun went to the window to look at who it was asking for him.
Jana walked over to Lytern. "You know," she said very quietly to him, "we can't force them to let you stay." She smiled, not unsympathetically, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll argue for you to stay, if you want, but ultimately, it's up to them, not us." Her smile faded and her voice became intense. "If they make you go back, you've got to tell us how to find Ranchefus, as best you can."
"Like hell!" Blacky said and turned to Lytern "If you don't recognize them, just say the word." Blacky tightened his grip on his axe.
"Nay!" interjected Aloysius. "'Tis HIS decision, methinks. Since when hast it been proper for the strong to bend the weak to their bidding simply because they wish it? If Lytern would accompany us, he shall."
"If he doesn't want to go, he shouldn't have to." replied Gala. "He's old enough to make his own decisions." She turned to Lytern. "Hi, I'm Gala." she said.
"If you portal is to be opened, methinks it Mage Tauster's decision," Aloysius said. "After all, this be his dwelling, and I expect his encantations have sealed it anyway."
He turned towards Lytern. "Didst thou recognize the voice that hailed us afore?"
Kuiper remained silent. It seemed to be taking most of his energy to conceal the less-than-jovial looks he was giving a couple of the people in the party. It was a few minutes before he noticed Jyothki. His jaw dropped just slightly when he looked at her. He spoke to her in the language that he always used when speaking to Oleanne.
Jyothki flushed suddenly, but quickly regained her composure. She replied to the man in the manner he had addressed her. She smiled at him and gave him a quick nod.
As the discussion over the knock on the door continued, Jyothki looked very uneasy. She fingered her dagger slowly, absentmindedly and kept quiet. She stood close to Azrun.
When Azrun approached the window, Tauster barked, "You're going to set something off if you don't watch out." He hurried after Azrun to the window. He muttered a phrase at the window then peeked out carefully. He allowed Azrun to look as well, then reported, "Five or six people. Armed. They don't bear the Parlfray colors or coat-of-arms, that I can see. You _are_ Parlfray's son, aren't you, boy?"
Lytern nodded at the old mage, looking pale again. "I don't recognize the voice," he told Blacky, "but that wouldn't mean anything. But if they were my father's men, they would wear his colors."
The knock on the door came again, a more insistant pounding, "We've come for the lord's son. Turn him over, or we'll take him."
"Oh, well," Jana said softly, a humorless smile on her lips, "that's another matter entirely." She removed her hand and checked her weapons. "Is there a back door, so some of us could sneak around and flank 'em?"
"Well, mage Tauster, how would you like us to dispose of these men? I would defer to your judgement in your house." Blacky said diplomaticly, but his knuckles were white around his axe. "You didn't happen to notice any tongue studs, did you?"
"I can provide you with a back door," Arachne offered. "Tell me where, outside, you want it to open -- you probably want it out of their sight, though. Going through is a little disconcerting. Oh --" She turned to Mage Tauster. "Unless you think it would react badly with your guards and wards, Master Tauster. It doesn't draw on mana to work but ..." She shrugged. "What do you think? If you'd rather not have a battle on your grounds or around your tower and there's a wall out there close enough, we could simply leave. Except that there's the horses." She frowned.
Aloysius looked thoughtfully at the door. "If these men wear not the colors of Parlfray, and continue to pound on Mage Tauster's door, then surely they be not from near here. If knew did they that a skilled wizard resided here, they would not bang his door as a cheap gong." He looked respectfully at Tauster as he said this.
The mage (the purple, skinny one) then turned back to his comrades. "The manners of these miscreants be sorely lacking, accept the word of one who knows. Mayhap we need to provide them with proper instruction?" he queried, the PSF slowly rising on his lips.
"But if we _can_ evade them and leave," Arachne said wistfully, "wouldn't that be better? Or distract them with an illusion of Lytern galloping off back toward Lord Parlfray's manor?" She glanced at Master Tauster. "I'd think that'd be preferable to getting your flowerbeds trampled. "I'm not worried about the thugs," she continued. "Well, not _that_ much. But I know of at least one mage in the caravan and you're saying that the caravan master is an evil priest who's someone besides Renchefus. Those, I'd worry about."
"Yes, too bad I left my armor, weapons, and all but my healing kit and the clothes on my back at Lord Parlfray's," replied Gala. "If anyone has a spare mace or flail, I would be glad to help. Otherwise, I am not going to be of much use in combat until I can return for my possessions."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think to check on your things. Damn." Jana pulled her mace and handed it to Gala. "Here you go. Would you like to use my shield? I hardly ever use it when I fight with my sword." Jana also handed over the shield, a medium metal one, if Gala indicated an interest.
"Wasn't your job to." replied Gala, "I have a problem with not thinking straight if someone needs me." she sighed. "I guess I should also mention my belt pouch was there as well. I am literally dependent on all of your mercies as I now have nothing." She shook her head and grinned, "Maybe I'll remember next time." She accepted the mace and shield from Jana tentatively, as if she were not quite sure the woman really meant to offer her aid. "Um, thanks, Jana." she said, blushing.
Jana shook her head. "You weren't in a position to gather things up. No, it was our responsibility, and we screwed up." She noticed Gala's reluctance to take the mace and shield. "Go on," she grinned, "they won't bite. 'Sides, I prefer to use my sword anyway, so you're doing me a favor by holding them. Dam-- Uhm, they're heavy. Oh, you'd best hold on to them until we can get your things back, okay?" Jana removed one of her belts and handed it to Gala as well. "This is for the mace," she explained, somewhat unnecessarily. With a last encouraging nod, she returned to the back door discussion.
Aloysius nodded as Arachne spoke. "Aye, small one, thy discretion has merit. Howe'er, if these men be not Parlfray's, then they be consorters of rapists. 'Twould be helpful if one among us could discern if their intent be evil. Such magics I have not access to."
Aloysius looked away from the front foor. "Wonder do I if they have surrounded the house? Arachne, perhaps thou couldst perform thy . . ." he stopped and thought for the right word, "trick and reconnoiter our circumstance. If there be but 5 of them, then mayhap we could simply speak with them directly."
Jana grimaced at the thought of Arachne's "door," moreso as traveling through it was described. "If our host approves, I'm willing to go." She looked around at the others. "Unless anyone has a better idea."
"I might perform my trick," Arachne said, "if Master Tauster consents to it. When you phrase it that way though, Aloysius, it does seem to me quite unlikely that there will only be the five or so visible men wanting to take Lytern. After the stable incident, they'll know we're dangerous. I don't think they'd be out there unless they felt themselves seriously reinforced. "Azrun, perhaps you might engage them in a time-consuming parlay through the secured door? Keep their cunning little minds focused on that point...?"
"I, too, would venture through this 'door'", added Aloysius. "Janathell should not go alone, and Stargazer hath an interest in this ability of Arachne's anyhow." He turned towards the small gnome. "How many persons can go at one time, small one?"
Still waiting for Master Tauster's approval, Arachne reacted slowly to the question. "Hmm? Oh, at one time, I wouldn't advise more than one. But you want to move quickly when you go through it. Do NOT stop halfway to meditate on the sensation. The sensation would be painful. But if you keep moving, it's not bad."
"It's not bad?" Jana winced a bit. "Usually, 'not bad' means pretty awful. Will I need time to recover from this sensation? And I won't be stopping to meditate." Jana forced a smile, not overly excited but certainly willing to brave the bizzaro portal. "How long in between and how many total can you send?"
Aloysius pondered this information for a moment. "Again, I hate to send Janathell out by herself, even as formidable as she is. I'm going to peek out the back to see how many more are there." He turned towards Tauster. "Uh . . . . .with your approval, of course."
Echo listened between Arachne, Jana, and Aloysius. "This door...where will you open it to?" She twirled a dagger that she had pulled from her wrist sheath, "I'll go too, but I am more useful in some situations than others."
Jana nodded, smiling somewhat viciously. "Okay, tell me what you think," she said to the back door folks. "I go first, in case there's someone waiting. If any of us have to take a punch unprepared," she explained, "best if it's me. Echo, you come through next and break off to the side, uhm, unobtrusively. Aloysius comes last, using me as a shield." Jana turned to Aloysius and added with a grin, "Just watch out for those daggers, 'kay?" She looked around at the others. "That sound like a good plan to you?"
"Well, it be a good start of one," agreed Aloysius. "Perhaps the others could go out via the front door concurrently and we could flank these vermin?" he suggested hopefully. Aloysius frowned and turned slightly red. "Unless . . .of course . . .there are alot more of them out there than we are aware."
"And worry not for my blades, Janathell, seldom do they strike the same target more than once." The mage immediately began pondering his last comment as if it hadn't quite come out the way he had intended.
Jana put her hand over her mouth as if in thought, but any who looked could see she was covering a laugh.
"I'd like to open it somewhere that's not in sight of Tauster's front door," Arachne replied. "That way, you might manage to surprise our visitors."
"I don't suppose any one of you has a fondness for shooting arrows or -- Oh, right!" Arachne dug into her backpack for her sling. She didn't have to dig very far, since she had come close to using it the previous evening. "See, if we're lucky and I'm good, there won't be anyone right up close for you clash with and you'll want first to shoot arrows and --" She shrugged and hefted her sling. "And throw rocks and do other such sophisticated stuff from a distance before you charge those guys." She moved a couple of sling stones from her backpack to her purse. As she did, she said, "I guess it's Kaileer and Torro who are good with bows. Were. Was. Where _is_ Kaileer, anyway?"
"Er, maybe we could try talking to them first, before you kill them all?" asked Gala tentatively.
Jana shrugged. "I'm willing to cooperate with that idea, so long as they are." She paused for a moment, thinking. "You know," she said slowly, "the mage we fought in the stables, he did something that knocked me out flat. Didn't hurt me, but it sure took me out. If Blacky hadn't fallen over me, I'm not sure I'd have ever come to." She turned to Aloysius, then to Echo. "Can either of you do that to them?"
"Just open the front door and let me at them, the rest of you can clean up the mess after I'm done." Blacky practically growls. "I'll be sure to leave one so you can question him, just be sure to find out where Anth is being held. Along with the others they took, of course." He added to Tauster. When he hears Gala's concern he relents a bit. "OK, one of you tell them to leave on pain of death, if they comply, we don't cut them to ribbons."
"They have Anth?" Gala looked alarmed. "That is a different story. We know these men are kidnappers? I saw Anth yesterday day and she seemed fine." She looked at Blacky for confirmation.
"The Zhent merc at the gate said she disappeared after killing the local tax collector, which I don't believe for one second." Blacky said grimly.
"There's no way she would have done that." said Gala, wrinkling her brow. "After we get done here, let's go find her."
"Agreed. After I get done with them, they should be begging to return all of those kidnapped." Blacky said without a trace of humor
Aloysius looked down at the sand he had withdrawn from his pouch. "Uh, methinks I can handle that, although doubts have I that all of them shall succumb. Here's a thought. We have three means of approach, the front and back doors, and Arachne's, uh, door. Let's give Eric, or anyone else with a suitably loud and threatening voice, to advise these men that we are giving them a chance to leave. If they don't see fit to take advantage of that opportunity, then we'll have to at least drive them off. We can't stay here forever." He smiled weakly at Mage Tauster.
"Janathell and I can go out the back, while Eric and Azrun can go out the front. Arachne can, uh, send, Echo and then herself to the far house. The men should be so intent on Eric that they likely won't notice. Janathell and I can hit them from the side, Echo and Arachne can accost them from the rear, and Eric and Azrun can push through the front. Galaret, mayhap thou couldst accompany Janathell and I?" The mage started turning red as he realized how long his 'speech' had become. "My apologies, but Moonspawn was heavy on tactics for some reason."
Arachne had had her attention divided between trying to see as much as she could out of Tauster's windows and listening to Aloysius's battle plans. "There's a real back door?" she asked. "Where? -- And I don't suppose we could see before opening it whether there's anyone already lurking at it?"
"All right," Arachne said. "I think the best place to put my exit is there." She pointed it out for whomever was planning to go through.
"Now, part of the reason it can be disorienting is that I can orient each end independently of the other, so when you step through, you are going to be facing toward the gang at the door. Is that clear? And since I use this thing," she indicated the sling she had in her hand, "I think I might as well go through my doorway also." She looked toward Blacky and the hammering. "So. Shall I get started?"
Gazing out Master Tauster's windows while the hammering persisted, Arachne muttered to herself: "They're at the front door. They might well know that we could come out the back. They'd be watching for us to come around ... or for us to come around the tower. If they know we can't get to the tower from in here, the tower would be a good place for their reinforcements to lurk.... It _could_ just be a bunch of thugs.... I don't believe it, though. Starsurf! The only direction that _would_ be a surprise to them is right out there. Unless they can hide behind those things... Oh well..."
"All right, then," Aloysius began, "we have some semblance of a plan."
He looked at Blacky. "Eric, Janathell, Galaret, and I shall proceed to the back door. Let these miscreants know in no uncertain terms that we don't intend to let them have Lytern. If they persist in their demand, make a loud noise of some sort before you and Azrun proceed forth. The three of us shall exit from the back and proceed to flank them. Arachne, once Eric has sufficiently gained their attention, transport thyself and Echo to a suitable position."
The mage then glanced back at Jana and Gala and headed for the back door.
Azrun listened quietly and relayed the plan to Jyothki in Elven. "Might I recommend that you scan the surrounding building for back-up and archers. Johnt did say there was still some people around from the caravan. Who knows how many could "actually" be out there. I'll do what I can to stall them in here.....how I don't possibly know....Good Luck" He looked them over as they headed for the back.
Gala walked to the front door as the others walked to the back. She talked through the door. "Who are you and by what right do you seek Parlfray's son?"
