Saturday, August 26th, 508 AF, continued
"Get back up the rope," Geoffrey orders. "We need to start bringing those kids down, and if you can do this floating option then you're the best chocie for the job."
Blarth nods, then starts hauling himself up through the waterfall hand over hand. When he reaches the ledge at the top, he sees two of the children huddled as close to the wall is possible. The third is sitting on the edge, shivering, and Blarth recognises it as the child Geoffrey wounded.
"What wrong?" Blarth asks.
"I'm cold," the child says meekly. "and I'm scared. I don't want to stay here anymore."
"That okay," Blarth says as assuring as he can, pulling himself onto the ledge. "Blarth will get you out. What you're name?"
"Dorik."
"Well Dorik, Blarth carry you down first. Get you warm fast, yeah?"
Dorik offers Blarth a small smile, the reaches forward for a hug. Blarth blinks a few times at the offer, the gesture not something he's used to, then bends down to return the childs embrace.
To late, he notices Dorik's eyes glowing blue. Energy seems to seep out of Blarth's skin and into the child, leaving him disoriented and weak. He staggers to one side, barely conscious as his head swims with dizziness and fuzzy vision. With as much effort as he dare expend, Blarth attempts to clout the child. It catches Dorik on the side of the head, knocking both of them through the waterfall.
On the bottom, Halgo is the first to notice Half-orc and human child hitting the water.
"He's fallen," Halgo yells, spuring the others into action. It proves to be unnecessary, as Halgo lurches to his feet in the small pool and grabs Dorik before he floats away. The child is unconscious, battered by the pressure of the water and the fall, and Blarth dumps him on the shore with a grunt of contempt.
"What happened?" Halgo ask.
"Dorik psionic," Blarth mutters. "Tried to use power on Blarth, make Blarth think he was weak and puny. Blarth hit Dorik, make him sleep for a while."
"The kid attacked you?" Halgo sighs. He can already feel Geoffrey beaming behind him, feeling vindicated.
"I'm not going to say a word," Geoffrey says with an exagerated politeness.
"You shouldn't," Halgo replies. "You dug around in his head. Twice. And didn't find anything. "
Geoffrey looks for a retort, but nothing comes on short notice. He goes to open his mouth, but Halgo merely holds up two fingers and mouths the word "twice" at him. The Cleric of St Cuthbert grasps wildly for something that will salvage his dignity in this situation, eventually deciding to retreat into orders.
"Tie him up, blind-fold him and keep him unconscious until we get out of here. Blarth, how you feeling?"
Blarth stretches, limbering up his limbs for a few seconds.
"Blarth good."
"Excellent. Want to go get the other two while I get to work binding our young friend?"
The other children prove to be little problem, clinging to Blarths back as he makes the climb with ease. They both cling to the half-orc after he emerges from the water as well, seemingly valuing his armored presence.
Blarth's floating trick proves equally effective at bringing the treasure stored in the heart of Valea's pool to the surface, leaving it floating along with the current where a swimming Yip or Geoffrey can pull it to sure. Within the space of a few minutes the bottom of the pool is cleared, gaining the adventurers a few small sacks of scattered coins and copper jewelry.
"Looks like she really hasn't seen much company," Halgo comments blandly as he looks over the haul.
As they pass through the statue room, Goeffrey calls for a halt.
"What's up?" Halgo asks, scanning the room with an alart expression.
"I don't know," Geoffrey admits. "I keep getting the feeling we forgot to do something in this room, but I'm not sure what. I think we should make camp here for a while. I want to send Yip topside to get a closer look at what's going on in town before we try sneaking in, and we need to work out what's we're doing with the kids while we try and go in."
"We could go closer," Halgo suggests. "There's more secure places, fewer exits."
"No more light," Geoffrey counters. "You three can see in the dark, but you and Blarth will need as much sleep as I do. Here we've got more than enough light to..."
His voice trails off as the cleric stares at the brazier of flame.
"Halgo, what does that look like to you?"
"Brazier of fire, probably magical."
"Yep, and what do you think they used it for?"
"Who? Dragon people, or the scale-skin we killed?"
"Either."
Halgo thinks for a moment before his eyes light up as well.
"Gaint magic offering dish?" he asks.
"Giant magic offering dish," Geoffrey says. "Yip, get up there and see what's inside."
