Kaileer sighed heavily, sat down and sheathed his knife. While he felt better, he still had two arrows in him, and every move felt like someone was twisting the shaft sticking out of his shoulder. "What we do now?" He asked, partly to himself.
The bandit taken care of, Torro turned to thank Kaileer and felt Gala's hand on his wound. He winced at first from the initial touch, then as the warmth spread, Torro felt much better. Still, Torro almost collapsed onto the ground, still injured, sore, and tired. "Thanks Gala, Kaileer. I don't know if I would have made it there. The guy got a lucky blow in. Besies," Torro grinned, "I am not that good with a sword. The bow is my preference, now if I can figure out why I missed such an easy shot..."
Kaileer shook his head. "Kaileer not know sword, Kaileer know bow. Easy shot make eye like bear, easy miss, hard shot make eye like falcon." He then stood still and remained silent as the gnome proceded to remove the arrows, flinching once.
Kaileer shook his head. "Kaileer not know sword, Kaileer know bow. Easy shot make eye like bear, easy miss, hard shot make eye like falcon." He then stood still and remained silent as the gnome proceded to remove the arrows, flinching once.
It was amazing that Kaileer flinched only once considering the amount of blood that poured from the wound, but Arachne quickly began chanting and grasping her sapphire. The gush of blood stopped as the small priestess prayed over the wound. She gave Kaileer an exhausted smile as she finished.
After a little bit, Torro got up and retrieved his arrows that he shot, checked their condition and placed them back in the quiver, still wondering why he missed that shot.
Gala surveyed the wounded and quickly rifled through her pack for her bandages, in case more were needed. She made the rounds of the wounded--Azrun, Torro, and Kaileer--checking bandages that had already been applied and adding healing herbs where possible to enhance the healing process. She realized it was too late to heal their wounds immediately, but with time, she could heal them, both by Lathander's grace and her simple skills.
Azrun stands (barely) and then goes over to the sleeping farmers. He gently pats one on the face, "Hello......wake up.....time to plow the fields.....Hello..."
Obviously relieved, Aloysius bent over, placing his hands on his knees and took a deep breath. "Many thanks, brave Zond. I doubt that I could have dodged that lout forever." Aloysius stood back up and surveyed the remains of the battle. Upon seeing Azrun trying to awaken one of the "farmers", Aloysius said to Zond, "come, perhaps a bit of interrogation is in order." With that, he moved over to where Azrun was, hopeful that Zond would follow.
After his intended target failed to run off in terror, Pug steadied Puddlejumper and drew a dagger from his belt. He waited for what seemed like an eternity for an opening between Zond and Aloysius, when Zond finally dispatched the last bandit. Pug reflected on the manner in which the bandit fought as he replaced the dagger in its sheath. "He didn't seem to be trying to kill Aloysius, strange." Pug wondered aloud while dismounting.
Pug immediately checked the hat in his belt and finished a few stitches as he walked over to where Arachne was tending to the wounded. "This should do nicely." Pug said as he placed a deep green hat, that seemed to have a flowing quality, reminiscent of a waterfall on the preoccupied gnome. "I think its sets off your eyes quite well. Although you may want to pin it on so you don't misplace it." Pug hands Arachne a hat pin with a wink. His ever present grin grew wider for just a moment and his eyes seemed to sparkle a bit more than usual, or maybe it was just the afternoon sunlight.
"Mmm -- huh?" Arachne looked up from her rapt contemplation of the gory mess of Kaileer's shoulder. "Oh, uh..." Her fingers were bloodstained, so she simply held still while Pug put the hat on her. "Thank you..."
Aloysius overheard Pug as he tried to lead Zond over to the sleeping "farmers". "Aye, Pug. Your words strike true. No swordsman am I, and quick I may be, but not that quick. 'Tis passing strange that this man faced me with the flat of his blade."
Looking around, and now taking Zond by the elbow, the purple man spoke to the entire group. "Mayhap this mystery can be solved by questioning our guests of Morpheus. Come Zond, Pug, join me in restraining these men afore they awake, which shall be soon. Methinks it wise for the others, particularly our bowmen, to keep an eye out lest these men return with reinforcements." Inquiring as to who had rope, Aloysius headed over to the sleeping men, hopeful that Zond and Pug would follow.
The farmer that Azrun patted awoke with a start as Aloysius kicked his pitchfork away from him. He looked around at the party in terror, "By Chauntea's crops and fields, don't hurt me. I got no money, I swear it." He looked at the other farmer sleeping beside him and turned his head quickly back and forth. "You've killed Elden already," he moaned, "and I'll die next and won't be able to send word to his wife. We thought you was being attacked. But you knew we don't stand for having good travelers attacked on the roads in these parts, and you used it against us. I hope ye get a boil on your bums," the man's certainty of his impending death made his words more bold.
Azrun looked at the farmer and smiled, "He ain't dead friend. He's asleep, like you were. Putting you two to sleep proabably saved your lives. You could have wound up like this." He quickly pointed to his shoulder. "So who the blazes were those people?"
"Other people?" the man questioned. "Other innocents you slaughtered like Elden, I guess." The farmer quickly looked at the bodies, "And not even a clean slaughter, like I would give to hogs. You left 'em to die in their own blood, slow and painful." One of the bandits moaned, as if on cue.
Aloysius glared down at the man on the ground. "Even a bandit you be, I'd still be willing to let you go. But a gloomy end indeed to you if you lie to us. Good Zond, perhaps you can convince this man to tell us what he know?"
The farmer looked at the one the strange purple man was calling Zond in panic, "I don't know nothing but crops and animals, and you'll kill me all the same! Make it quick, at least, don't make me watch death come for me," he squeaked. He clinched his eyes shut, refusing to look at the warrior anymore.
The farmer looked at the one the strange purple man was calling Zond in panic, "I don't know nothing but crops and animals, and you'll kill me all the same! Make it quick, at least, don't make me watch death come for me," he squeaked. He clinched his eyes shut, refusing to look at the warrior anymore. Azrun stepped in front of Zond and Aloysius, "Wait a minute fellas. Before we go smacking anybody else around, let's try to make a little sense of this whole deal." He turned and offered the farmer a hand up, "Sir, can I help you up?" "Sir, we are just travelling through here. For a matter of fact, this is my first trip to the part of the country. Why do you think we're the bad guys here?" Azrun waits for the farmers reply patiently.
The man took Azrun's hand mistrustfully and stood up. He gave Azrun a look as though he thought the bard was trying to trick him, "'Cause you attacked us when we tried to help you. We thought you was in danger, but it was just an ambush you'd set for us poor folk. You killed Elden, or did some evil magic on him, and I don't know where...." he paused, "our other friend went." He carefully left out the man's name.
After seeing the bandit, on Azrun and Gala, hit the ground. Maisar checks to makes sure everyone else is ok, and that his hood is still in place. Then Maisar goes up to the body to see if he is still alive. Maisar turns towards the others and ask "This one is still alive; what would you like to do with him?"
Leaving questioning or interrogation to other, larger and more intimidating people, Arachne went to the side of the road, found a comfortable-looking tree, and collapsed at its base. Though she was still wearing the hat Pug had given her, she'd clearly forgotten about her promise to come get a hat pin from him.
After being bandaged up by Gala (with many thanks in the most eloquent manner he could manage, which wasn't much, Kaileer went to sit by Arachne. "Kaileer want thank Arachne. Kaileer say he help but Arachne help Kaileer... Thank you."
Arachne lay sprawled on her back, her eyes closed. She was apparently not asleep, though, and didn't jump too much when Kaileer started talking. Arachne opened her eyes and gazed up at Kaileer. "You're welcome -- it's what I do. What Eldath does, I mean, praise the Waters. And I guess you're not really *welcome*. I think I'm supposed to lecture you sternly about refraining from violence and this reckless, vicious life that brought you -- and so on. But that's kind of silly here, since you were just walking along the road minding your own business until you suddenly sprouted arrows. So never mind the lecture. Stupid idea. Stupid thing to bring up. I'm not sure how one is supposed to preach non-violence, any-- Well, never mind. I hope it didn't hurt too much when I took the arrow out. I don't think I did that very well. Probably, I should find someone who knows something about doing that properly...Gala maybe?" Arachne fell silent, but didn't immediately get up to go looking for Gala.
Then he sighs and looks at the hat. "In village I live, gift hat important... maybe Pug want you be his mate?"
"Yip! The hat!" Arachne exclaimed, reaching up to it. Satisfied that it was still there, she started to get up: "A pin. I promised to come get a pin --" She glanced guiltily at her hands, but at least the blood on them was dry now. Then, the rest of Kaileer's remark sank in. "Mate?" Arachne asked. "Me? Him? Oh, but a decision like that, it takes time. The Binding, it's something you weave for, well -- You're an elf! You should know. Unless you didn't mean -- "Oh!" Arachne's face flushed. Very softly, she added, "Do you really think so?"
Kaileer looks a little uncomfortable at the question, apparently he thought the conversation was over. "Kaileer not know many gnomes... not know what mate gift for gnome is. Pug only know Arachne not many suns... maybe gnomes mate after not many suns like boars...
Arachne blinked, not liking to be compared to a wild pig. "Uh .."
"...Kaileer know gnomes live not many years." He looks even more uncomfortable and gets up to look for the arrows he fired into the forest.
Arachne glared after him. "Gnomes live not many years?" she repeated, dragging herself to her feet. "Huh! Not many years? To an elf, maybe. To one who may find the rate at which the mountains flow down into the sea to be unseemly quick -- maybe! To one who insults his nurse and then runs off into the forest -- fooey." She went looking for Pug.
Aloysius then moved over to where Maiser and the wounded man were. "Gentle Gala, perhaps you could afford this man some minor aid? No information will he dispense if his tongue is stilled by the cold grip of Necros."
"Or of Lord Kelemvor," replied Gala softly, heading over to the injured man and bandaging his wounds with her meager skill. Looking up at Aloysius, she said, "I have helped him all I can." She then waited to see what and how Aloysius would question him.
Gala's tender touch brought the bandit back from the very edge of Kelemvor's realm, or someone's realm on another plane at least. His wounds were grave and he did not regained consciousness.
After watching the injured man for a moment, Aloysius looked at Zond and Gala. "'Twould not appear that enlightenment is forthcoming from this man. I've no stomach for cold-blooded slaughter, so perhaps we should just leave him here and let the Three Sisters choose his end." Looking back towards the cowering "farmer", Aloysius continued. "Man, if my intent had been to slay thee, slain thee would be. So far as I am concerned, ye may take leave of this place, 'lest the others object." "How far is it to the next town? I doubt that we have seen the last of these brigands. Let us move on before they return." As he looked around at the others, awaiting their response, his facial expression slowly changed, and his eye began to twitch. Gradually, his PAINFUL SMILE FACE returned, and he began to mutter, "sisters . . . .brigand . . . .town . . . .return . . . ."
Maisar turns his hooded head towards Gala and asks "If she could please remove his bolt from this man's leg, the one at their feet. I would probably kill him getting it out."
Gala quickly moved over to the wounded man with her healing kit. "Would you hold him steady, please?" she asked Maisar, with a small smile. She then carefully removed the bolt and bandaged the wound left, poulticing with herbs to speed the healing and hopefully keep any infection from forming. "Thanks," she smiled to Maisar. "That should take care of him."
Checking the other bandits, Gala found that one of them was still alive. She bandaged him just as she had her friends. "Zond," she called, "this one is still alive too."
Looking cautiously into the woods, the purple man stroked the stubble on his chin. "In any event, methinks a quick dash for the next town would be prudent. I like not the residents of this wood. . . . ."
"I agree, we don't want anymore surprises. What should we do about them?" Pug said nodding in the farmers' direction and looking more than happy to tie them to a tree.
