The End? Or a New Beginning?
Speaks quickly dug through the collapse and reached the edge of the staircase in a remarkably short amount of time. The powerful arms and sharp claws of his bear form were well suited to moving the loose earth of the collapse.
Once he had opened a hole big enough for each of them to pass through, Speaks backed out of the hole and let Scar and Raven proceed through the hole before him. The half-orc and dwarf mounted the stairs and came to a landing where the stairs turned 90 degrees to the left. As they stepped onto the landing, they noticed that a fairly bright light filled the hallway they could see atop the second flight of stairs.
Scar approached the top of the stairs cautiously and saw that the hallway into which the stairs emptied was blocked to the right by a pair of Flaming Spheres. He called down the stairs to Speaks and asked him if those were the same kind of spheres the he could conjure.
The bear rolled his eyes. He had explained before that he could understand them while in animal form but he was incapable of human speech. Raven and Scar just didn't seem to get it. He climbed further up the stairs to where he could see the spheres burning in the hallway. They appeared to be identical to those he himself could cast, but there was only one way to be sure. He stepped into the hallway, already wincing from the barrage of Magic Missiles he knew would be coming at him.
But no missiles flew out of the darkness. Instead, there came a voice. It was high pitched and feminine. Speaks recognized it as that of the female Kobold who appeared to be the leader of their swarm. The voice said, "Stop there, I wish to talk to you."
Scar and Raven both moved into the hallway alongside Speaks. They could both hear the voice, but neither spoke the language.
Speaks realized that if anyone was going to do the talking, it would have to be him so he concentrated and reverted to human form. He spoke first to Scar and Raven. "They want to talk." Scar hefted his warhammer and muttered something about "a conversation they will remember".
Speaks addressed the Kobold who remained hidden in the darkness ahead. "What is it you have to say." As he spoke, one of the Flaming Spheres winked out followed shortly by the other.
Out of the darkness, the voice of the Kobold came again, "First, come no closer. I can easily escape you if you pursue me. Your magic has proved stronger than mine. I wish to negotiate for our withdrawal from the mines."
"Why should we let you leave with your skins after the way you attacked us," spoke Speaks.
The Kobold had anticipated this question and quickly responded, "You probably have the power to destroy us entirely. I do not deny that. But we will make it very hard and costly for you. Our tunnels range far through this ridge and will offer difficulties for warriors as large as yourselves. We still have some fight left and more of you may die if you make the attempt to wipe us out. I do not wish to kill any more of you and I do not wish any more of my people to die. I will gladly give up the possession of these mines and withdraw if you will spare our lives.
Additionally, I have certain information that may be of great value to you. I am the only one among my tribe who knows this information and if I die, I take it with me."
Speaks considered all of this for a moment. He thought back on his memories of Krase and Rhys and the retribution that he owed them. But then he thought about the slaughter of the Gnoll women and children when he had sought revenge for Krase's death. Did he really want to go through that again with the Kobolds? And he looked at his new companions. Would his quest for vengeance cost their lives in the end? He decided there and then that the bloodshed had gone on too long. "We will accept your withdrawal with certain conditions. First, we demand the return of the possessions you have stolen from our fallen comrades."
"Of course. I don't have them with me but I can have them retrieved. What else do you require."
Speaks thought for a moment. Raven asked, "What's going on?" Speaks turned around to see the dwarf looking at him expectantly. Scar had moved up the passage in the opposite direction, certain (hoping even) that an ambush was in the offing. "They are going to abandon the mines and I'm telling them the conditions." Raven was clearly of the opinion that the only good Kobold was a dead one (especially when they hurl lightning bolts) but he didn't interfere with Speaks' negotiations.
Speaks answered the Kobold with, "We require hostages from your tribe to assure your good faith."
After a pause, the Kobold answered, "How many hostages and for how long."
Speaks replied, "Three hostages to be given over to the Church of St. Cuthbert in Glynden to remain indefinitely."
"You speak of prisoners, not hostages. I cannot agree to that condition. I would agree to you retaining a few hostages until we have had time to leave the area and settle elsewhere.
Speaks thought about his earlier condition and reconsidered. He wasn't sure that having several Kobold prisoners within the walls of Glynden was going to be popular with the townsfolk either. Perhaps the Kobold had the better idea here. "Instead of the three hostages I spoke of before, we want you as a hostage while your people leave the area."
After another lengthy pause the Kobold replied, "And I have your word that I will not be harmed while I'm your captive?"
"We know of your powers and it may be necessary to keep you bound and gagged at times to prevent your using magic. But we will not harm you or cause you undue discomfort."
"And you promise to release me after a suitable relocation period?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
"A month," said Speaks.
"That is probably more time than my people require. But I will agree to those terms. Are we agreed?"
Speaks glanced at Raven. "Yes."
"Excellent. Now, about the information that I have…"
Speaks had somewhat lost track of that issue during the rapid negotiations. "Um, yes. What is that information?"
"Since it will take less time than a month for my people to move to a new location, I will trade you this information in exchange for you reducing my time as a captive." The Kobold spoke in such a casual way that it almost lulled one into thinking that she and Speaks were old friends. (Note: Kobold Sorceresses have much better Charisma's than grumpy Druids who live in the woods and don't get laid a lot.)
Speaks responded, "I can't promise that until I know what the information is."
The Kobold replied, "I will reveal the nature of the information and you can tell me if you think it might be worth reducing my time as your captive. If so, I will reveal the complete information when you release me."
"Agreed."
"Very well, when the miners fled the mines when the town was sacked by the Gnolls, they hid the silver bars that waited in the smelting works. I found them and moved them to a new location.
Also, I am aware of the nature of the threat that has the Gnolls fleeing the Darkwood."
Speaks replied immediately, "Those are both pieces of information that I would be interested in. I will reduce your time in captivity by one week for each of them."
"I am to be your captive for two weeks then?"
"Yes."
"Agreed."
Speaks felt that he had been a bit generous and wanted to toughen his stance a bit, "We demand that you return the items taken from our friends, as well as the magical bottle immediately. We will wait here."
The Kobold paused for a moment. "The items we took from your friends I can retrieve now. I do not have the Bottle of Water. It is somewhere to the south."
"What do you mean?" asked Speaks.
"When we removed it from the stone you put it in, none of us could control it. I had the dragon fly south with it to place it beyond your reach," the Kobold revealed timidly.
"Must we fight the dragon for it then?" Speaks asked.
"No. The dragon is no longer there. Look for a small new river to the south of here and you will find it I'm sure. It produces a lot of water."
"Very well. Now bring us back our friends things."
"I shall do so immediately." With that, the Kobold departed.
That left Speaks to explain the arrangement to his companions. Both seemed to feel that the Druid had let the Kobolds off easy. But Raven spoke up to say, "Krase and Rhys were your friends and not mine. If you feel that the Kobolds have paid their debt in blood, I leave that decision to you." The group settled in and waited for nearly an hour before the Kobold reappeared.
She called out of the darkness, "I have gathered the items we took from your friends."
Speaks responded imperiously, trying to sound authoritative, "Bring them forth and know that we will be on guard for any treachery."
"Well, I can't carry them all at once. I'm only a Kobold, you know. I'll bring them a few at a time if that's ok." The Kobold sounded apologetic but didn't stray over the border into obsequious.
"Oh. Of course, just bring what you can carry. You can go back for the rest."
The Kobold appeared for the first time during the negotiations and lugged Krase's Mithral Breastplate over her shoulder while she dragged Rhys' Mithral Chain Shirt with the other hand. She approached the group with caution and deposited the armor a few feet in front of Speaks. Then she scurried back into the darkness of the mine shaft and returned with several more trips until the party members were satisfied that she had returned all of Krase and Rhys' loot.
The party collected the items and had the diminutive Kobold leader walk between Scar and Raven who stood ready to give her a sound drubbing with their warhammers at the slightest hint of sorcery. They returned back to the main entrance to the mines and found the tunnel dug by Speaks' badger completely collapsed. They clearly wouldn't be leaving that way, at least until Speaks had time to prepare another spell to Summon another giant badger.
The only other exit to the mines that they knew remained unblocked was the tunnel further up the ridgeline where Speaks' raptors waited to prey on the unsuspecting rat familiars the Kobold Sorcerers seemed to favor. They asked their captive about this exit and if it would be accessible to the party.
The Kobold replied, "Most certainly, so long as you don't mind crawling. Part of that tunnel caved in when you used the magic bottle to try and flood us out. But we cleared that out a day or so ago. I can take you there. Are you certain that you feel comfortable being in such a confined space with me? I would have a distinct advantage if I chose that moment to betray you. You can bind my hands and gag me if you like."
Speaks was taken aback by the Kobold's candor. "We won't bind you. We have warded ourselves against your magic and I intend to trust you so long as you remain trustworthy. But we will offer you no second chance. If you betray us, you and your people will pay dearly for it. Remember that."
"Certainly. I just want you to feel at ease around me. It won't do to have you jumpy if we are to spend the next two weeks together. Oh, and since we'll be spending so much time together, my name is Frakir. I'll show you where that exit is now."
"Lead on, Frakir." With that, the group ascended to the third and top level of the mines. From there, they took a small, Kobold-sized tunnel which climbed further until it opened up on the northern side of the ridgeline under the large oak tree. All were relieved to have survived to see the light of day again. They marched back to the Tower where Frakir was put under guard in the lowest basement and the party drank a toast to their success.
In the afternoon, Speaks left the Tower and moved off into the woods to contemplate and commune with nature. When he was first taken into the druidic order, he had seen some wondrous things done with the power of nature. He hadn't imagined that some day he would be capable of many of the same powers. His link with nature was stronger than ever though and he was starting to get an idea of something that he could do with that power.
The following morning, he spent longer than usual in his communion with nature. He returned to the Tower at mid-morning and descended to the kitchen level where Rhys' body had been kept since it was brought back from the mine. Speaks approached his dead friend and, despite the foul smell the body was starting to emit, he tenderly washed the corpse with water and wine.
The then reached out for his connection to nature and called forth as much power as he could hold. He felt the power fill him to his limit and a pale green nimbus surrounded the Druid. He then placed his hands upon Rhys and moved them up and down the length of his body, pouring this energy of life into the young man. The nimbus began to encompass both of them and then to linger more strongly on Rhys. This halo of golden green energy began to completely suffuse Rhys' body until it became a featureless form of glowing energy.
Speaks could tell that his friend was being renewed and refilled with the energy of light. But he also knew that the living power of nature was the very essence of dynamism and change. He could see the energy form of Rhys altered shape, ever so slightly. Then the halo of green light began to weaken and dissipate in the way that the light of a sunset fades to leave the night stars visible in the sky.
When the light faded, there, where a few minutes before had lay the lifeless human body of Rhys, now, there was the living, breathing body of an Elf. The fine, handsome features of the Elf's face twitched and then his large, pale blue eyes flickered open.
"What happened?"
The voice had the smooth and lilting quality of the fey, but the indignant inflection was pure Rhys. Speaks tried to answer but his voice caught in his throat as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. His friend was alive.
NEXT: Distrust, Betrayal and Oathbreaking (not necessarily in that order)
? After their negotiation with the gnolls, I figured that wouldn't work again!
! Now what ever happened to Tavis...
