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[howandwhy99]

Darius was willing to take on new followers, but only if they were fully aware of the dangers of entering the Keep. He wanted no one captured and sold into slavery without first knowing the risk beforehand. “I am far from home,” said Housang. “I need coin, money, cash, how do you say? Gold. If there is such inside, I will help cleanse it for you.” Darius was unsure of what he meant, but the team needed any help it could get. In his mind, the eagle had messaged him more disturbing news. Leaving the dwarf behind, Rose took Houshang back around the bend and made group introductions.
The others agreed on Houshang’s joining, but Father Ben had one question. “What Gods do you worship in the land you come from?”
Houshang bowed curtly. “We have many.” And he left it at that.

“More wagons!” shouted Miklesh. The second caravan was coming up behind them. The team had wasted far too much time.
“We need to stop them from entering,” said Darius. “My eagle has been watching the Keep for the last several days. Dozens of large green, hairy men have moved in and out during that time. These must be the trolls the gnoll warband warned us about.” Father Ben and Ormand the Redd moved to block the path with their horses. Rose jumped up next to Gwenna in the wagon’s driver’s seat.
“We need to talk,” she told the mercenary leader. “I need to get rid of the Earl’s spiralstone, so I can use both hands again. You must have used one before.” Gwenna explained there was a box just inside the first gate with many such stones inside.
“This is where the keeplord has always stored them.”
“Wait just a minute!” shouted Rose standing up. “That’s my sword! Those are for the Front!” She had just noticed the mercenaries were wielding some of the Earl’s contribution.

“It was part of the deal for hiring us. Take it up with your Dwarf.”
Rose was fit to be tied. “He had no right to give them to you! They are my responsibility, not his!”
“Tough luck for you.”
Rose regained control of herself. Politely, she agreed to talk about the matter later when appropriate. “Now. When were you last at Keep Adlerweg?”
”Gee…” Gwenna considered. “About two… maybe three weeks ago. There was no avalanche then. Everything was normal. The guards were out. You understand.” Behind Rose Gwenna saw the other caravan’s wagons pull up and stop. She quickly jumped down and ran over to go talk with their drivers. Rose watched her run off without a word.

Darius was concentrating on his eagle again. His new mount had seen a veritable army of red people, goblinoids Darius believed, fighting the tall green people near their stone nest. He knew by now, the eagle termed the Keep a people-nest. The Red Army was fighting the Green Army to get inside. I had been repelled every time so far. Darius asked if it had seen any humans and fixed Dalin’s face in his mind. It had. Six riders entered a day ago and had not left. “Heeere bird bird bird bird bird.” Rose was calling birds to her and he could understand the meaning of her chirping. Rose asked a sparrow to go inspect the Keep, but it kept calling out ”Seed? Seed?”

Dram and Dalin ducked back around the bend. Three figures had come out from the Keep and were walking towards them. Peeking around the stone again, they saw the grey figures reenter the Keep through the nearer gate. “We can’t just sit here,” whispered Dalin. Dram agreed. The two went back and interrupted Darius who was simply standing in the road with his eyes closed.
“Listen,” started Dram. “That keep is full of trolls. We both know it. I don’t think they are just going to let us stroll in there like slavers from Kera and buy my brother back. I think we’re DEAD, if we go inside – if you don’t mind me sayin’ so – or even if ya do! But I have better plan. If someone were to sneak inside, we could see where they have Tankurd tied up. Then we know he’s been sold to the trolls, right?”
Darius nodded solemnly. “It’s good of you to volunteer.”

“Oh no! I’m not so big a fool as to sneak in a keep o’ trolls!” said Dram. “That’s suicide!” Rose hopped down from the wagon and ran over. She had overheard the conversation, as did half the team.
“I’ll go. I need to get rid of this thing anyways,” Rose said holding up the spiralstone. Darius looked over at Dram who twice as tall as Rose and three times as heavy.
“Thor’s Hammer was never so heavy! Here! Take this.” Dram handed the Fey a potion in an unmarked vial. “It should make you harder to see.”
“Thanks!” said Rose gleefully.

“Just a moment,” Darius told her. He had been interrupted trying to learn as much information about the Keep from his eagle as possible. His mount knew of a much smaller structure farther up the road where more people stayed. Darius did not quite understand if more people meant goblins or the Keep’s original human occupants. The eagle then showed him a second path. A narrow trail wound back along the roadway some seventy above the team. It led to a door in the Keep at a much higher level. Darius believed the original occupants had fallen back using that exit. In his mind’s eye he saw it wind upwards to the mountain’s precipice. Unfortunately, the eagle had seen no human people during its stay here, only more red walking on the high narrow path.

Rose was tired of waiting. She swallowed all of Dram’s potion and unexpectedly disappeared. Dram and Dalin watched as her little footprints formed in the dust walking away. Suddenly a large hole appeared in the middle of the road. Dalin went over and picked up the cloakhole. “If the Gods are with us Dram, she’ll come back alive.”
“I sure hope so,” replied Dram. Behind them Ormand the Redd still watched sadly as the little tracks marched closer and closer to the Keep.
“Get a move on!” shouted Gwenna. Miklesh was already helping her maneuver the wagons around for a quick getaway.