Midnight: A Lost Faith's Shadow. Book 1, The Awakening. Chapter 4, Pursuit

[Hrothgar]

OOC: Just want to remind the Heroes that they do have parchment with writing on it from the dead horse.

The Elf looks at Starhl with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "In these dark times, Northman, even the enemy of our enemy can do us great harm." Her eyes sweep over Mardo, Kaela, and Lodric, her body tensed like a coiled spring. Her eyes dart quickly like a striking snake at any body movements, straining to spy hidden weapons or dangerous intentions.

Her hard exterior is shaken momentarily by Herger's and Valurel's words, especially at the mention of two names: Elaurel and Aislinn. Drop your weapons. All of them. Follow me into the forest. At least the Heroes would not be vomited back onto the ashen plains. You are now prisoners of the Caransil. Any false intentions will be repayed with a quick death. Run, and you will be slain. Say goodbye to Erenland, for those foolish enough to enter Erethor rarely return. Then again, maybe the plains weren't so bad.

I repeat, drop your weapons and follow me.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Lodric removes his inutek and dagger and holds them out. "I realize we are in no position to bargin, but would you mind bringing our weapons with you? They are hard to come by out in world beyond this forest. On the slim chance we earn our liberty from the Caransil, it would be good to have them again. Should we remain prisoners, I'm sure you could find some use for them yoursleves. ooc: Diplomacy +10

 

[Bobitron]

She knows something. That is all it takes for Kaela to be willing. Stepping forward, she takes out the slender knife from her belt and tosses it onto the ground before Lodric.

"Please! Tell us what you know," she says, turning to face the archer. "We are desperate for a moment of hope after many dark days. We don't want to hurt anyone who is the Shadow's foe."

ooc: Help with Diplomacy, +12.

 

[Bihlbo]

With mention of the group becoming prisoners, Mardo's expression turns dark and hard. Without taking his eyes off of Valurel, Mardo's hands eventually start to move again, now patting himself down for any weapons that he should relenquish. "Weapons, eh? ... prisoners."

As the gnome moves his hands methodically over his jacket looking for weapons, his elbow nudges the hidden dagger, and moves it back into place hidden well under his clothes. "My good elf, we should have a talk about your negociative abilities. I would have thought that becoming a prisoner to your own people was something only humans were capable of doing."

Mardo, with no obvious weapon on his person, has nothing to lay down. His mind however, races in making a list of the weapons he knows of that the party has concealed or cannot lose.

OOC: In a roundabout way, Mardo is attempting to help with the Diplomacy check also, +12.
Mardo's hoping that the dagger is hidden enough, and that they don't notice that the strap around his shoulder is a sling.

I totally missed the papers we found on the horse. Was there time enough for Mardo to have read them (Erenlander*) while on the run from the undead?

 

[maddmic]

Herger watches as the others began to relinquish their weapons. He hears their words, but he does not understand what they are doing. The last time they really trusted strangers, they were betrayed. He would not stand for this. He agreed with Kaela that the Elven woman knew something. That was apparent in the manner in which she treated them once the names were spoken. Yet he was unwilling to be fooled again.

"Forgive me, but I cannot surrender my weapon. We have trusted people whom we didn't know in the past and that is what put us in this situation. A girl was stolen from us. She is the one we seek so that we can take her to the Queen. We were charged with that task and now hunt her captors down. Captures that include an old man by the name Fallax, another man named Ibor and..." He pauses, then continues. "elves. I know not all elves are to blame for this, but you must understand my unwillingness to trust you without so much as an explanation. I understand you are protecting your people, but you have to understand that I am protecting mine. I failed at keeping our Hope safe, I will not fail at keeping my friends safe."

 

[Hrothgar]

OOC: Bihlbo, the parchment had flowing, High Elven script. Valurel could read the parchment, but never had time before the Fell attacked.

The Elven warrior nods as weapons are dropped to the ground. She turns to Lodric, Your weapons will be brought, lest they fall into the Shadow's hands. Her cold eyes turn to Kaela, If you are to know anything, it will not be my decision. A small sneer appears across the warrior's beautiful face at Mardo's stinging words, My tactics are dictated by the times, river gnome. Even our society can learn the brutish ways of humans if it serves to protect us against Shadow. Now, quickly. Finish disarming yourselves. With the approach of dusk more terrible things than just Fell stalk the wastelands below.

As Herger hesitates, the Elven woman listens to the Giant's words with no sign of emotion. At the mention of Elves, however, the lithe warrior's muscles quiver with rage, a rage she cannot contain, but does not address. Instead, she vents on Herger's last few statements. Fool! How many Elves have died, tricked into taking ragged bands like yourselves into Erethor? How many Elves have died, providing shelter and food and sanctuary from Shadow to refugees to only find them agents of Shadow? The only reason I did not have you cut down is because of the Erunsil amongst you. But, by the old gods I will keep my land and family safe from the likes of you! Her bow drawn with arrow knocked and at her ear before the Heroes can react, she spits her final words like venom, Put down your axe, Northman, or by Shadow we will cut you down where you stand!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Lodric drops his weapons. With hands out by his side he carefully moves between the Elven woman and Herger, his back to the woman as he address Herger. "Herger, I understand your reluctance, but you endanger yourself, and perhaps the rest of us as well. If she has unseen warriors covering us, we cannot fight them all and expect to survive. We cannot flee, except to run back into the burning fell. Dead, we are of no use to Aislinn. Alive we, as well as Aislinn, have hope. Our trusting has betrayed us before, but rather than becoming altogether untrusting, we need to be more cautious in giving our trust. Unfortunately now is one of those moments where we must give limited trust that this woman will take us to someone who might be able to help us, and then decide whether they deserve our trust as well. If she means to betray us yet again, we are likely already doomed. Whispered to Herger, And we are far from helpless without forged blades.

 

[Krug]

Starhl observes with hands in front of him. "Our goals are the same," he says quietly.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

Having no weapons except for his claws and the bow still slung across his back, Valurel doesn't bother dropping anything. Pent up anger and frustration mixed with feelings of despair and hopelessness surface and the snow elf's normally grayish face turns a light shade of crimson.

"Who are you to call us fools?" Valurel growls, his feral instincts beginning to show through. "Do not think your threats scare me or my companions. We have faced much scarier things than the likes of you. I'm warning you, I am done being treated with loathing and disrespect. That fact that it is coming from one of my own kind is even more unbelievable. I left my home over a year ago with an Erunsil raiding party. We were attacked and all of my friends were slaughtered. My wife was killed in that same attack. Since then I have found myself in the company of these brave people. Our hearts are pure and our intentions are good. If you loose that arrow, many of us will die here today, including possibly yourself. You are the one escalating this into a conflict, not us. I will not relinquish my bow nor can I put down these," Valurel says, holding up his hands. "Being unarmed in this world is a death sentence, even beneath the bows of the trees of Erethor. If you attack us, you will have a bloodbath on your hands."

Valurel drops to a crouch, ready to spring towards the elf if she should actually fire her bow.

 

[Bihlbo]

As Herger speaks, Mardo noticably relaxes, and having nothing else occupying him at the moment, folds his arms and picks at his teeth with a splinter he found earlier, nodding on occasion.

But then Valurel growls and begins to speak in his elfy-talk. Mardo stiffens and his glance darts from elf to elf, trying to discern what's going on. As he speaks his tone is more hostile, and Mardo's eyes grow wide and nervous.

Then, as Valurel drops into a crouch, Mardo yells and springs to the side, arms covering his head, diving behind a tree. "I think you're doing this wrong! I don't want to get shot!"