The party spent their "day of rest" in Thurmaster healing and resting. Between Arachne's exhaustive efforts and a healing prayer from Etienne, everyone, including Puddlejumper and Horse, was healed enough that all would regain their full strength by the morning. Aloysius and Rumer's sheep hunting expedition was a success as well, since most of the people who lived outside the village walls kept the creatures as livestock. While they were out, the rain set in.
"'S 'ere ta stay a few days," the farmwife they were discussing wool with told them. "My chickens be out in it an' not on the roost," she pointed out her yard birds, who were indeed pecking around in the dirt in spite of the falling rain.
The steady rain did little to quell the heat, however, and those who spent the day in their rooms in the inn felt the force of it since the rooms had poor ventilation in addition to being dirty and cramped. Other than the unpleasant weather, the day passed peacefully. The town seemed almost back to normal after its run-in with the Zhent caravan.
During the off day, Blacky found someplace wide open and practiced with the two handed sword they aquired. "Jana, care to give me some more sparring lessons."
"Not today," Jana said, grimacing. I'd like to rest up today. And I have a few things I need to attend to." Jana made regular visits to Will, doubtless becoming slightly annoying in her concern for her horse. She also tried to find someone to hire to clean and repair her boldy clothing and then spent most of the day cleaning and oiling her much-abused armor.
Etienne spoke up when Jana declined the sparring session, "If you still want to spar, I'd be glad to help." He pulled two scimitars from his back and held them up, "They didn't get much use on the way down here."
"Sure, but you won't get much practice. I barely know how to use this thing." Blacky said indicating the two handed sword. "If you get bored I'll switch to my axe."
"Nonsense. The pointy end goes in here." He pointed at his chest and smiled, "Seriously, practice and patience go hand in hand. We can practice with your two hander there for awhile and then switch over to your axe later in the day. This will give you more time with the sword."
The Thornwood--21 Eleasias 1374 DR
At dawn, the party left town for the Thornwood without Kaileer, who had yet to reappear. They were able to get the horses and themselves ferried across the river right outside of town. They followed the Woldcote River on its west bank for part of the day, then left it to trek into the deep heart of the Thornwood. True to the word of Goodwife Benton's chickens, the rain had not let up. The thick canopy of trees shielded them from most of the raindrops only to pelt them with larger splatters as the collected water rolled off their leaves. Everyone was soaked through before much of the day had passed.
Aloysius seemed oddly oblivious to the rain, as it was apparent that he was pondering something quite intently. As they left the bank of the river for the depths of the wood, he spoke.
"Ne'er have we discussed any sort of strategy if confronted with combat. Methinks it would be best if Ettienne, Echo and Stargazer attend to any spellcasters we might meet, if they be interspersed with warriors. If we focus solely on the front rank of warriors, any spellcasters will be able to invoke incantations without hesitation. Confident am I in Janathell and Eric's capacities to inflict grave harm on any who would assault our group directly."
It was unclear whether the shudder that shook his body resulted from the rain or the matters he had pondered on the way. "Galaret did mention that Ranchefus has the ability to drain away a combatant's very strength. Perhaps, in light of that, 'twould be advisable to engage his person from a distance to the extent possible." He looked off into the dreary, dripping forest. "Wish do I that brave Kaileer were here. His archery skills would prove an excellent match for such a task." He quickly added to Ettiene, "No offense to thee, archer."
"Just what sort of offensive capabilities do you guys have?" Jana asked, looking at Aloysius, Echo, Etienne and Laisar. "I mean, you know what I can do, bash with my sword and get the shit kicked outta me. I'm no good until I get within sword range. Blacky's got a little range with his axes, but that's pretty limited in distance and number. Etienne looks like our best first-line attack with that bow."
"I am prepared to cast the spell of magical sleep, as well as one similar to a spell Echo employs, the one that creates glowing bolts of energy." The magic-user frowned. "I've been working on another spell, and have it ready as well. I have ne'er cast it afore, so I know not what to expect of it."
"Just the spells I said before, my daggers, and I have a sling that I can use if push comes to shove. My best bet is to stay out of the way of people trying to bash me." Echo grinned at Jana.
"Not to worry," Jana said, with a comic grimace. "They'll all be busy bashing me. I swear, I think I have a freakin' target painted on my back."
Jana sighed. "Maybe I oughta learn how to use a bow. 'Cept I'm way better at weapons that rely on smashin' things," she mused. "My mama was a helluva archer, but I don't have her good eye for it. Always frustrated the hell outta me trying to learn it, so I just quit trying and stuck to what I'm good at." She looked over at Echo, her head cocked to the side. "Do you know how to use a bow? I bet you'd be good at it. You too," she added, nodding at Aloysius.
Aloysius eyebrows both shot up as he heard Jana's suggestion.
Echo laughed at this. "If I let you have your way with me, you'll have me armed to the hilt, Jana. Although a bow sounds like a much better prospect than that big sword you wanted to teach me. I wouldn't mind learning if someone would teach me, a small bow like Kaileer has, not one of those giant things Etienne is carrying around. I'm kind of old for this now though. I bet it would take me a long time to get it right."
Jana snorted at the idea that Echo was too old to learn to use a bow. "You oughta ask Kaileer to teach you. You can speak his language, so there's no problem!" She grinned and added, "Just think, you can hide and zap people with arrows while they think they're sneakin' up on me an' Blacky!" Jana looked off in the direction Kaileer had gone. "I ought to learn how to speak Elvish," she said softly, to no one in particular.
"The only time I've hit with these axes I think has been pure luck. Usually I just toss one while I'm running into the fray. I figure it'll at least distract them until I can get close and personal." Blacky said with a wicked grin. "I believe the best tactic to handle spellcasters would be to harry them with arrows until someone could get close enough to cut their throat. But I'm not a spellcaster, so Aloysius and the rest would probably know better than me what would hinder them. My last meeting with Ranchefus wasn't very succesful on my end. The priest just could not be hit." He finished with a frown. "Maybe I'll try this magic blade on him this time."
Etienne smiled and then looked at Aloysius, "So, Aloysius. Imagine you have a half a dozen arrows flying at you and a couple people runnning at you intent on slitting your throat. What do you do?"
Aloysius swallowed hard before he answered. "I see not anything amusing in thy scenario, archer. Howe'er, I trust that my magic, my speed, and my companions will prevent such a situation from arising."
He spoke to the entire group as he continued. "The lesson here is that spellcasters wish not to be harried as thy ply their skills. If spellcasters we face, let them go not unattended. Strike at them afore they can complete their incantations. Stargazer will devote his energies to such an end, and I think it would be wise if at least two others did as well. I would suggest Ettiene and Echo, the former because of his skill with a bow and the latter for her skills in the arcane arts."
He looked down and another shudder overcame him. "Let us hope that our spellcasters be more effective, and better protected, than theirs."
The foilage was so thick that riding the horses was impossible. The only person who seemed really comfortable in the tangle of brambles, bushes, and trees was Etienne. Darkness came early in the deep wood on this cloudy day, and there was no keep in sight. The party spent a wet, miserable night on the forest floor that made most of them long for even the squallor of the Hound and Tails.
The Thornwood--22 Eleasias 1374 DR
The next morning greeted the group with more rain. They broke camp after a soggy breakfast and continued their search for the keep. The path that Lytern had pointed out for Jana was difficult to stick to in the overgrown forest, and once they had lost it, it being more of an idea than anything else in the first place, it seemed gone for good. Late in the afternoon, Etienne stumbled upon a faint trail. They followed it for a couple of hours. Just as darkness threatened again, they met up with the source of the trail. Kaileer, Oleanne, and her two wolves, Belshar and Arlin, kept them from bumbling out of the wood and into a clearing.
Rumer, delighted to see Kaileer again, ran up and hugged him. She did keep her voice down though. "Kaileer, you're back!" she murmured joyfully.
Blushing slightly, Kaileer patted her on the back with one arm then stepped away.
The clearing extended for around a hundred feet on the sides of a small keep visible from their westward approach. The plant growth in the clearing, limited to hardy grasses, was blighted and yellow. The walls of the keep stood around fifteen feet high; the roof was flat. The west wall that they faced was close to one hundred sixty feet in length, broken by a gate in the middle standing ten feet high. The northeast corner of the structure boasted a watchtower twice the height of the walls.
"Oh boy, I don't suppose one of you can sneak over there and find out what were up against?" Blacky whispered.
Kaileer looked at each of the others in turn and let out a sigh as he shook his head slowly and took off his pack, put most of his weapons on the ground and kept only his bow and knife.
"This place be evil," he whispered, "I try find safe way in, you wait. NOT make fire." he said softly with a slight grin. "I send signal. If owl cry three time, it be not safe. If owl cry four time, I find safe way..."
With slow, deliberate steps he stayed in the shadows as he walked south about ten paces before pausing to whisper back to the party.
"If owl not cry before sun come up, I be dead." he said without a hint of humor in his expression before starting further south.
"Can I come too? I can be quiet and sneaky." queried Rumer.
"It might be wise to not go alone," Echo said. "And before it gets dark. I can go too, if you think that would be good. I guess too many people wandering around would be bad though."
"Too many scouts defeat the purpose," agreed Aloysius. "Methinks the two of them shall be as safe as can be expected." He watched as the elf and the gypsy slipped off into the darkness. The concern on his face betrayed the confidence of his words.
"It be danger if you come and I be caught," Kaileer whispered with a frown, "but it be danger if you stay and they be caught... do what you want, but do quiet." he warned her.
Rumer grinned at Kaileer's frown. Her bangles had already been removed, wrapped, and placed in her backpack so they wouldn't make noise or draw attention. Without a further word, she followed Kaileer, as silently as she could.
"Good luck, don't get yourself killed." Blacky whispered. "If you run into some guards, lead them back here, Jana and I will help you take care of them."
Aloysius knelt next to a tree and watched Kaileer sneak away. The sight of the keep had clearly made him very anxious.
"Arachne," he whispered. "Dost thou think that an aerial survey of yon keep would be wise? That guard tower may well be occupied. Mayhap thou couldst detect characteristics of this place from the air that brave Kaileer might miss from the ground."
Arachne looked unhappily at the light and the weather. "It's nearly nightfall," she said. "And birds don't much care for flying in the rain with good reason. I don't know that I'd be able to scout from the air without looking unusual. Even if I were a big bat... Still, I can't think of anything better to do." She moved slightly away from the others and stood thinking.
Etienne kneeled down and looked at the grass within the clearing. He frowned after examining the yellow growth. He then turned and watched as the Elf left the group to scout ahead. He then walked to Oleanne and smiled. He then began to speak in her in an unknown tongue.
After Kaileer and Rumer left, Echo walked over to the nearest tall tree. "I'll climb up. Maybe I can see better from up there."
"Just be careful and quiet." Blacky whispered. "I just had a bad thought. Orcs and undead function better at night, don't they? Its almost dark, I bet we can expect some patrols soon."
"Quiet as a mouse," Echo whispered in return. She disappeared into the foilage of the trees.
Etienne finally finished talking with Oleanne, "Oleanne, unfortunately, knows nothing of this keep. I looked at the patch of yellowed grass over there. It appears to be some sort of blight and is not natural. I have a feeling there is something extremely nasty going on here." His mood seemed to reflect his last sentence. "Perhaps we should spread out a little bit around here. Not real far away, but enough to keep us from all getting caught up in an area spell. Groups of two or three would be good. What do you all think?" He looked at Oleanne to get her response.
"I and wolves not sleep close people," Oleanne replied. She added something else in the language they had been speaking earlier.
Aloysius' eyes widened as he overheard Oleanne's reply. "Hmmm......" He looked at Etienne. "Perhaps the wolves could make a quick circumnavigation of the clearing? They be both swift and keen of eye. Also, if they were seen, they would not create any sort of alarm. Why don't you speak with Oleanne about it?"
"Aye," concurred Aloysius. "Methinks there be far more than sharp blades and standing stones protecting this foul place."
He looked up at the tower. "Stargazer can not tell whether there be a sentry or not in yon tower. It would seem likely that some type of device or magics are in place between where we stand and the gate." He knelt down at looked at the grass. "I like not the hue of this blight. For now, perhaps we should stay together until Kaileer and the gypsy return. If we remain concealed in the trees and remain vigilant, the threat of disocvery and attack would appear small."
When Etienne suggested splitting the group into smaller pieces, Echo's voice drifted quietly down from the tree. "How will we handle group watches if we do that? There aren't enough non-spellcasters to set up watches for three small groups. I don't know what kind of area priests can affect with their spells, but my gut feeling is they don't have much mage power. If they did, they would have been sending them on the kidnapping raids." She came down from the tree. "I don't believe they would have come after you like they did with Ranchefus without a wizard if they had one. Unless he's the leader. If they have a wizard more powerful than the Cyricist, we're screwed anyway. I can't see anything from up there either." She pointed back to the tree.
Aloysius looked back at the group. "Hath anyone the capacity to detect the presence of an incantation?"
To Aloysius, Echo said, "I can try to detect magic if you think that's the thing to do. I'll wait until Kaileer and Rumer get back though, to make sure they don't bring guests."
"Excellent," Aloysius replied quietly. "I suspect that there will be some manner of arcane protections warding the way inside. It will be most helpful if we know about it afore setting it off."
He thought for a moment. "Be we awaiting them to come out, or be we searching for a way in? Methinks it would be best if we tried to enter this place once the night sets in. I doubt they would be expecting that. As for their mage power, you may well be right Echo. Howe'er, it may be that Ranchefus was not looking for us specifically when we encountered him afore."
"They were looking for you," Echo told him, sounding slightly peevish. "I told you that. They were holding me hostage, if you remember, and I overhead them talking about taking out your group because you were causing trouble. If we are going in tonight, I'm not very keen on casting my one spell on the gate looking for magic either. I have no intention of going in through the gate. And I'd have to go into the clearing to get the gate in range of the spell."
"You did? Hmmm.....I must have been diverted at the time. I don't suppose you overheard anything else useful during your captivity?"
Echo pulled her cowl over her head. "No," she told him.
Echo glanced at the keep. "If I could surprise the guard in the tower, I could probably take him out and make it safer for the rest of you to approach. Still, we have to wait for Kaileer and Rumer before we make any definite plans. Maybe they found an easy way in."
Aloysius looked back at the tower. "Art thou certain there be a guard there, or art thou simply assuming that to be so? Mine eyes be not keen in the dark of night, but I have seen nothing to indicate the presence of a guard."
"I am assuming they have manned their watchtower. I think that is at least as likely as them having magical traps, which you seem worried about. And if they don't have a guard there, that makes getting in that much easier. Of course, if they have more than one, that could be a problem," Echo said. "I could give you some sort of signal that it was clear and you could...do whatever it is you're going to do next." He turned towards Etienne and Lasiar. "Hath either of thee the capacity to cast a spell of silence? Moonspawn did have a clerical companion that often found utility in such an incantation."
Before Aloysius could start speaking, Etienne and Oleanne were in the middle of talking. Once finished he turned to Aloysius, "She's going to send Belshar to scout around for us. He's the one that found the keep for her and Kaileer."
Jana nodded. "Yeah, and those bandits smelled fishy, too. I haven't noticed any such smell around here yet, but then, that doesn't necessarily mean anything." She fidgeted, keyed up and nothing to do. "I don't think we ought to spilt up. Lets face it, we're not good enough to take out any competent force. Strength in numbers is our only defense. Besides, something bad always seems to happen when we split up."
"Agreed," said Aloysius, nodding his head. "Do any of thee have a notion as to how we might reach the tower?"
Aloysius watched as Arachne stood in contemplation. "Small one, Stargazer is quite curious of this ability of yours. When thou art a bird, doth thou see as a bird or as a gnome? Robins, I know, be not especially keen sighted in the dark, but gnomes are. If thou are considering a proper form for a surveillance flight, might I suggest an owl? They be strong fliers and have excellent night vision."
"Huh? What? Owls?" Aloysius's light conversation brought Arachne out of her contemplation into a confusion which was not exactly her usual one. "What, you want me to pick a particular bird?" she asked irritatedly. "And explain right now the whole business of shapechanging? Are you fond of being asked to explain the nature of magic when you are trying to concentrate on the right, witless sequence of gestures for your next spell? Really, Aloysius!"
"Damn!" she whispered, her voice having become, for her, almost loud. "You'll have me making people think I can't keep quiet when it's necessary. All right, enough of this. I'll see you when I see you."
Aloysius began to respond, but remained silent instead. He knelt down in the darkness and focused as best he could on the gates of the keep.
