The Key to Victory

"Then we best let no one know about the crown," Elder Tyion says as the group hides in an alley watching other elves hurry to the burning tower. "The few who know the better, but the human army is exactly where you all should go. Once your escape is learned of, any of Dorimir's cohorts will come looking for all of you. The last place they would look would be a slow moving army."

"Your right," the ambassador cuts in. "They will think we took the quickest route. We will be days ahead and in a place they will not think to look."

The elves disappear into the tower and Elder Tyion motions everyone to move.

"Hurry now," he says as the group heads into the woods outside the city. "You have the key to ending this war before it truly starts. May Selvalean guide you all safely to victory."

[sblock=OOC]Thus ends this part of Off to War. You all may post up/RP as you head back through the woods quickly to the human army. I am reserving my 10,000 post to be back in that thread (and after XP - which you will be getting a bonus of for finishing the adventure). Since you will be above ground and not following the twist and turns of the Ways of the Dead it will take a lot less time.

Was a great little adventure can't wait for the next part to start. [/sblock]

Ern nodded towards the Elder as he disappears. Since she had no idea where the current army was at, and decided to wait for the rest of them to start leading the way out.

She was very interested in that rod, and grabbed it and held it while they were moving. It was some time till they were to break for camp, but she was going to investigate it thoroughly once they did. She did not want to use it, as Aver's cursed boots all to much reminded her of what happens when you dont investigate something before using it.

She also thought over the recent events. Being rescued from the Reavers. The trip to Tirol. The revealing tales of the ambassador. No doubt Jareth will want to run straight up to the Treylor and investigate this rumor. However, the biggest thing right now is being able to walk towards a new life, and join the army of Pesh to prevent a war from destroying everything.

Once the group is well away from the elven city, Trinham raises the subject of what to do once they get back to camp. "Well we are nearly back to the army. So who do we tell and what do we tell them. I trust Follan and Martomum and I think we can tell those two what is actually going on. I definitely don't trust Dellex. However, technically he sent us on the mission so he will expect a report. Personally as far as he is concerned, I believe that we need to be economical with the truth. Likewise Dellex appears to control the duke, so we should tell him the same tale as Dellex. Finally, there is my teacher, Archimedes. Unfortunately he is old and I don't think he is a match for Dellex so I want to keep him out of it."

The battle had ended just as swiftly as it had begun. Mal had moved to the chimera and made sure that is was dead, as his gauntlet flung down into the beast. When Ern moved to check on the fallen elven traitor, Mal assisted. The next thing he knew, they were running again. This time, they were to head back to the army.

He glanced all about, the surroundings unfamiliar to him, as he wondered just what Emma had gotten himself into this time. Had she known about the elven traitors? Was this another test?

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he moves with the others, alert and ready to spring into action should the need arise.

Turning back to Jareth, he asks, "Which way?"

Jareth grimaces as the decision to return to the army is reached. "Returning to the army is a mistake. Don't say I didn't warn you when something bad happens."

Jareth pauses to dig something out of his pack - an olive green cloak, inscribed with runes in the pattern of leaves and branches. He holds it out to Tharivol. "This belonged to your father. Your mother wished me to return it to you, my friend."

He looks to Mal and shrugs. "I don't know the forest. Tira does. So lead the way, sister."

Jareth is quiet and contemplative during the walk... He hadn't expected things to go as they did, and he especially hadn't expected such information. These things put all in a new light. That light wasn't even close to reassuring, but it did bear consideration. His reverie is broken by Trinham's question. "Martomum neglected to give us vital information before. If you want to inform him, go ahead, but I won't talk to that incomprehensible dwarf more than I absolutely have to. Fallon might actually be able to give us advice and help us on our way. Dellex... we'll have to report to him, as you said. But technically, he only wanted us to find Tharivol and bring him back. No need to even think about the crown when talking to him. But we can tell them about the rest - we snuck into elven lands, found Tharivol and brought him back out."

Ern was making mental notes of all the people they were talking about to meet. Dellex. Fallon. Martomum. Archimedes. A different set of people whom she was about to meet.

"And what of the ambassador?" Ern said, nodding to the following elf. "Should we hide him for now?"

"It goes without saying that we don't tell Dellex about the crown. But what about all the other things. Like the fact that there are two factions in the Treylor. Do we even tell him we have found Tharivol. We could say that we found out he has been sent to negotiate with the Treylor. This would give us an excuse to go there."

Up to now, Trinham has just been throwing out ideas as they occur to him. So he stops talking and starts to thinks things through.

Lora was sitting in the comfortable, cushioned armchair and watched the embers in the hearth throw a dim orange cast at the green rug beneath her outstretched feet.

Her tiny, slender frame had all but vanished amongst the comfortable piece of furniture, no doubt fashioned for the tall, strong men of Vance's family. Next to the hearth, leaned her discarded glaive, a testament to her lack of reason. Below it, curled into a heap, lay a muddy dress with holes torn trough it, and dried blood running across it like a dark crimson decoration. That, was a testament to her foolishness.

The girl was calm and collected. The old Wizard had done much with her over a short time. She had once more returned to the path she had set on with Mirella, her master. The book she had read on Witchcraft had given Lora valuable knowledge on how to further advance in her craft. Fallon had given her guidance and reason.

She no longer ran around, wailing a polearm at men far superior to her in skill at arms and strength. Vance, if anything, had been glad for her change. No doubt he would stick her in his kitchens. Or his bedchamber. Probably both.

Lora had now embraced what it was to be a witch. Her strength was her mind, and strength must not be flaunted. She could not swing swords or axes as men could, nor could she brawl and grapple with them. The soldiers around the camp-fires and in the training yards had shown her just how far she was from the world of martial pursuits.

She no longer needed to prove herself equal or better to any man she met, and no longer desired to match them in the areas in which men usually excelled. She had, perhaps, grown slightly more wise than when she had set off to "beat sense into her brother's head".

Arthur. That was another subject she needed to ponder tonight. He seemed very much Dellex's creature. He did not aid his sister when she was in need, nor did he offer consolation. Had she not known him as well as she did, she would have been furuious. Now, Lora suspected compulsion magic to be in effect. She would not put it past Dellex, and Arthur had most probably let it be known he was her brother, trusty as he was. He had always expected other people to answer his kind and earnest nature with the same. Even after Lora's rape, he had still kept to his naive ways.

Dellex's manipulation of her brother made Lora's gut boil with cold rage, but she tightened it and clung to it as she thought. Her hands gripped the armchair, but the girl held her temper in check. Dellex would pay, but such a man in his position was not to be taken lightly. He had power and influence that made her an insignificant gnat. It was good then, that gnats were easy to to underestimate.

Freeing the paladin whom had annoyed her greatly was another thing Lora had not expected to do. Yet she could tell right from wrong, and Claude was no evil, fallen paladin.

Something was off, and she needed to talk to the others. The girl needed to gather what she could, scribe any spells she could from Fallon's numerous spellbooks that littered his room, and she had to go off. Someone had to end this war, after all.