The camp remained peaceful for the night. The only thing to observe was Rumer's fitful sleep. She tossed and turned and whimpered, but she didn't seem to be able to wake herself up like people having nightmares often do. She woke up readily enough when someone shook her to take her watch, however. Arachne speeded her own recovery along while she took watch.
Aloysius had sat quietly during his watch, his demeanor now much more reserved than the night before. He was basically non-conversive with his watchmates and spent his time looking out into the early morning light.
Everyone awoke in the early hours before the sunrise. Selune's light still shown down from a clear sky, although there were the faintest hints of clouds in the southwest. With the notable exception of the exhausted looking Rumer, the night of rest had done everyone good. Only Oleanne, Jana, and one of the wolves remained wounded when they awoke. After her morning prayers, Oleanne cast a few healing spells to aid their recovery, leaving everyone at full health.
While the priests were making their morning devotions, Heydrus announced that he was ready to leave and waited for the money and weapons he had been told he could have. "I could use a bow," he offered helpfully in his annoying whiny voice, "and a long sword if you've got an extra."
Even though he had traded his old bow, the thought of a bandit using it made Kaileer uncomfortable. He picked it up, and handed it to the boy, "When you go Milborne, you give bow to man name Garyld and say it from me. If next I see Garyld he not have it, I be very angry." ,the ranger said before letting go of his old weapon.
"Here." Blacky said handing the boy 118cp. "If there's an extra sword in this pile, you may take one." he added stressing the last word. After the boy had chosen a sword, Blacky wrapped up the remaining weapons (anyone have some extra cloth) and asked Oleane where she would prefer they leave them for now.
"Thank you," Heydrus said as he took a long sword from the pile. He toyed with the bow for a moment. "Good luck," he added as he turned to go. He took a few slow steps away from the party, picking up speed as he distanced himself from the group. He was soon out of sight.
Oleanne seemed indifferent as to where the weapons should be left.
By the time the spellcasters were prepared and the camp was cleaned up to the druidess' satisifaction, it was past dawn. Oleanne led them back to the edge of the clearing, the trip through the tangled, dense wood taking over an hour.
The keep's state of disrepair from years and years of abandonment was much more apparent in full daylight. The gates stood open, just as the party had left them when they rushed away from the place two nights ago.
Aloysius didn't speak during the slow walk back to the keep. He stood at the edge of the clearing and waited.
"Looks like no one was left to close the doors. I'd like to check our old camp to see if the bandits Oleanne and the wolves took care of are still there and unanimated." Blacky said.
Aloysius knelt down and held his hands to the sides of his head. A grimmace of pain swept across his face as he doubled over, but he didn't any sounds. After a moment, he exhaled sharply and stood back up. After blinking and looking around for a moment, he looked at the keep.
"Ah," he whispered,"'twould appear that mayhap the dark priest be running short of lackeys. Let us proceed with all due haste back to the lower level. According to the boy, there be naught else for us to discover above ground."
He drew a pair of daggers and held them with an expectant look on his face.
Rumer, her eyes so dark they looked bruised, drew her new short sword in response. "Let's kill him." She looked quickly to Falgout, to check his position.
Aloysius turned towards the gypsy with a start, a look of surprise on his face. Apparently satisfied that she wasn't talking about HIM, he turned back towards the keep and squinted in the direction of the tower.
"Alright, we'll go straight in." Blacky sighed "But if it looks like this is going to be an extended hunt, we need to resupply from their provisions. I, for one, am out of food." He pulled a torch out of his pack and handed it to Arachne. "Hold on to this for now. I only have one more torch after this one, so we'll have to find more of those too. Unless we come across that stone." Blacky finished as he drew his axe and walked toward the keep.
Arachne, looking puzzled, took the torch, looked at the daylight, looked at the torch, shrugged, and held the torch like it was an unclean thing. "I just got over a near-death experience," she muttered. "I wouldn't much care to target myself for another by lighting this thing and carrying it around...I know: Good of the party and a favor to the big people who blind easily. Even if, with me carrying it, it's going to be at their chest level at best. Yuck." She trudged after the rest.
"Just carry it for now. I need two hands in case we run into anything nasty. We'll figure out what to do with when we get to someplace dark." Blacky replied
"Were there any spare boots or clothing on those we slayed?" Rumer asked suddenly, pointing to Falgout. "And do we have a spare sheath for his sword?" She walked to Falgout, "Do you want to wear the bracers, Falgout?"
"I don't want the bracers," Falgout replied, the corners of his mouth almost turning upwards into a smile. "Don't worry about the clothes. I'll get mine back when we go in the keep...or I won't need them anymore." He glanced down at his feet, "I would be indebted to anyone who found me a spare set of boots though."
"There are probably a spare set that would fit you on the bandits Oleanne killed back at our first camp or we can probably find you a set in the keep. I'm sure some of the bandits kept a spare set in their quarters. " Blacky stopped and waited.
"Is the original camp near here?" asked Rumer. "I can go get them if someone will show me where. I'll be quick."
Rennirolas looked at the gate doors as they hung ajar, and paused as the discussion turned to boots. "That I cannot help with," he smiled slightly as he glanced toward Aloysius.
"But as for the storming of the keep, when we reach this Ranchefus beast, I have a blessing that will aid us in our fight," Renn said evenly. "It is only a short spell, a little over five minutes in duration. But, it should suffice."
"It's where we stopped first on our way out 2 nights ago. It was dark, so I have no idea how to get back to it." Blacky said
Aloysius followed Blacky towards the keep, occasionally looking up at the tower.
Aloysius stopped next to Blacky a little ways towards the keep and turned back around. He waved the others forward. He then turned back to the axe-wielding warrior and briefly spoke with him.
Etienne looked about, "Well let's get to it. We've got a large group here so I'm only guessing on how to cover this. Blacky and Jana on point is a given. We could put Renn and Lasiar on the tail end of the group. Me and Kaileer behind Blacky and Jana. We can provide additional sword arms and missiles. Arachne and Aloysius can follow us. Then Falgout and Rumer. Then the priests. Arachne being in the middle can open her portal to let Rumer in behind Ranchefus or provide an escape far all of us if things go bad again." He looked around to see if anyone had another idea.
Rumer looked at Etienne curiously, then at the others, "I don't quite understand this portal thing. How does it work--what I mean is, can I go through it and come out where you say and I feel fine when it happens, or does it leave you weirded out or what?"
"Also, why do we have the two big noisy fighters up front? If we're trying to sneak at all we'd be better off having someone that can either sneak in general, like me, or someone that is good in the forest, like maybe Kaileer run point."
"Are we just walking in the front gates then? Have we killed enough for that?"
She looked at her feet. "Sorry, but it just seems that I've heard inklings of plans, like me somehow using some mystical power of Arachne's mind to get into the keep and behind Ranchefus, but I'm not sure how the rest of you are getting in."
"If anyone was still alive up top, they would have closed the gates. The boy was under the impression that we had killed almost everyone. So, yes we're going to walk in the front gates." Blacky replied "You guys can worry about being sneaky when we head downstairs. Which we should do by way of this other trap door, instead of the way we went last time." He finished pointing to the map.
"We not send Rumer alone behind Ranchefus, it be too easy for zombie or bandit take her again." Kaileer said. "We do better if we stick together. When Jana and Blacky charge, we not can shoot bow. Let enemy charge us and they be hit many arrow before axe and sword start fight. Maybe you like charge, but I not want carry Etienne again..." the ranger stated matter of factly.
"Maybe both of you could go through to take him from behind. It would help if we could do something to take him off guard. He always seems to have the tactical advantage." Blacky replied. "OK, here's the plan. Etienne's order sounds fine except for when stealth is needed. Let's proceed to the lumber storage room and open the trap door. If it's dark down below, Kaileer and Renn head down first and check things out. When they signal that it's OK, we light a torch and head down. Jana and I go first. If we run into a locked door, Rumer you try to get it open first, otherwise I'll open it my way." He finished with a grin. "Keep an eye out for some boots and anything unusual. Lets go."
Jana mumbled her thanks to any who participated in healing her. As various plans were discussed, she said with evident exasperation, "No side trips! We're looking for Echo, remember? If we have to find Ranchfus to find her, great, I'll be more than happy to rip out his spine. But lets not forget that the primary goal here is to find Echo!"
"Not for all of us, Jana." replied Rumer. "I know you care for nothing but her, but I need to kill Ranchefus or to see him dead. If not, my life is nothing. I'm hoping that killing him will free me. And Falgout needs to cleanse his shrine. These are all important goals. At least to some of us."
"None of these noble goals may be achieved from here," interjected Aloysius. "Let us follow Eric and Janathell down the alternate route Eric hath suggested, using the order Etienne suggested."
He looked wistfully at the keep. "Methinks we may well have an advantage and should press it as best we can."
"If you are not going after Ranchefus, I wish to know. I am going after him whether the rest do or not. I would also like to help Falgout, as he helped me. And then I want to help rescue any of the spellcasters we can, including Echo." Rumer said softly, falling into position at the end of the file.
"I care about rescuing anyone and everyone he's taken, Rumer," Jana said gently. "And I want him dead too. It's just that freeing the prisoners is my first priority. Pounding Ranchefus into a greasy spot is second, but trust me, it's on my to-do list."
"Well, I want to do both, but I have to kill Ranchefus first. Or I may not be sane enough to do the rest." whispered Rumer.
Once again, Jana asked Oleanne if she would watch over her horse, same request for care as before.
