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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1617578" data-attributes="member: 6783">On the RoadIt was only a day since the four friends had left the svirfneblin community.  They had made good time in the tunnels once past the orc caves, had opted to take the tunnel that exited near Kupier’s farm.  The former scout, now farmer, was happy to see them this morning and had invited them in to breakfast.  Delilah, his wife, accepted the unexpected guests gracefully and quickly produced more settings and food for the four.  After the meal they had stayed only long enough to help with the morning chores and collect their horses.Now Ashimar, Jallarzi, Kellron, and Kestral were pushing themselves hard onward to Thurmaster, for Kupier had delivered grave news.  Not a week before bandits had descended upon Thurmaster and their goal had been Kellron’s inn.  Fortunately no one was killed though some people had suffered minor hurts.  The inn had been less fortunate for the bandits had been intent on finding some ‘great store of gold’ hidden somewhere within the building.  The bandits didn’t find what they were looking for before they were forced to flee however, for Count Parlfray’s guards were quick to respond to Thurmaster’s cry for help.  Kupier had then been summoned to track the bandits down for the good Count knew that wise lords didn’t let known thieves settle in their lands.  Only half the bandits had been caught though, hiding out in the forest.  The other half had decided to take their chance in the swamp.  No trace or trail of those bandits could be found.Ashimar and Jallarzi were riding close together at the rear of the group, passing the time with pleasant conversation.  Neither spoke of their childhood except in the vaguest of terms, but they took a companionable pleasure in recounting their feelings on their recent experiences.  Both were dressed comfortably in their well worn, non-descript riding clothes, though Ashimar took obvious pride in wearing his bright mithril chain shirt.Up taking point, Kestral sat proudly in the saddle with her shoulders back and her feet firmly in the stirrups which had been shortened to the closest notch to accomadate her small legs; only Kellron was the better rider amongst the four of them.  The young woman was dressed in fine black leathers, very like she had wished she could wear when she was just a simple courier not that long ago; the style was impeccable and was obviously tailored to her vanity.  The only trace of color was the jaunty leather hat dyed blue with a brim wide enough to block the sun from her eyes.Squarely in the middle of the group rode Kellron, wearing his dented and scuffed plate armor with padding underneath.  The paladin looked at Kestral and made a sound almost like a sigh of resignation.  His thoughts then turned inward, churning over the events of their days in the endless nights below the ground; and the events that had occurred above the ground while they had been gone.  According to Kupier, the damage to the inn was minor.  A few broken windows and doors and some smashed up furniture.  Apparently Garyld, the carpenter in Milbourne and an old scouting partner of Kupier’s had already offered to fix up some new doors and furniture at a good discount, so at least that was out of the way.  None of the girls had been hurt either, for which the paladin was profoundly grateful, but the bouncer Joe had his right arm busted in two places.  Kellron hadn’t met the bouncer before he had left; the boy was apparently a relative of Alice’s, his defacto steward while he was gone.Kellron shook his head, reflecting he seemed to be doing that a lot of that lately.  There wasn’t anything he could have done for the inn while he was out.  There was only one of him after all, for now at least.  In the meantime he would have to figure out how to look after Joe, the boy… No, the man had stood up to the bandits for at least a little while.  He deserved better then weeks of painful, itching healing.Then there was his performance in the endless night below the ground.  He had performed adequately and with honor he knew; but an honorable death wouldn’t necessarily help his friends.  Somehow he needed to move faster so he could keep up with Ashimar.  The young man was devilishly fast and still impetuous enough to want to be the hero.  Kellron didn’t necessarily mind that for he could admit there was an appeal to being the hero, but if he couldn’t figure out how to speed himself up then there were going to be more deaths in the future.  Compared to that, his quibble about the time it took to cause his swordblade to burst into flames was minor.Kellron looked about at his companions again.  Jallarzi and Ashimar were trailing a little behind him, still passing the time in conversation.  They were talking about what they planned to do when they got to Corlean; their planned destination if all worked out in Thurmaster.  Jallarzi was talking animatedly about a new wand while she held Sarah in her saddle.Up ahead, Kestral was whistling a merry little tune.  Her hat was now gone, revealing her hair done up in a mass of curls and braids held together with a silver comb in a style that would make any noblewoman preen with pride.  The black, sinister looking leathers were also gone replaced with a light blue velvet blouse and matching dress, slit up one side to allow her to ride.  He noted not quite absently that the one leg that was revealed was encased in white hose and she was wearing pale blue slippers.Kellron shook his head again; he was certain it was a habit he wasn’t going to be giving up anytime soon.  The sorcerer-orc they had fought underground before meeting up with the svirfneblin the last time had been wearing a strange, magical hat.  Jallarzi had identified it as a magical hat that would alter a person’s guise.  Kestral had immediately asked for the hat saying how it would save on her wardrobe costs.  Kestral was no fluttering maiden though; she was a brilliant, determined woman with a silver tounge capable of tying a priest up in verbal knots.  Kellron was well aware that Kestral was smarter than him and wondered what sort of trouble she was going to get into.</blockquote>

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