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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Softwind" data-source="post: 1292318" data-attributes="member: 13893">Confrontation!Twenty-second Session (May 03) Laying down his burden, Grimnyr straightens up and moves towards the mine exit.  He quietly joins Brynn, who is leaning against the granite wall, his attention directed downslope, where the last of the guards waits, guarding the horses.“Whut’s the plan, then?” asks the gruff fighter.  “We rush em?  Or do that sneaky stuff?”Brynn chuckles.  “Grimnyr, my friend, as much as you decry that sneaky stuff, even you realize it works in our favor more often than not.”  Brynn sobers.  “We must capture Larry, alive, to find out what is going on.  The attack below does not fit into what we thought we knew.  We need answers.”Grimnyr nods.  “Aye.” He stands up, motioning to the mine behind him.  “I’ll go alert the others.”  He grins.  “I hope Larry resists, just a little.  My axe be itchin’…” At Brynn’s dark look, he amends, “for a good thumpin’, no’ bloodshed.  We need him, aye.”Grimnyr talks in quiet tones to the rest of the group.  Qonos seems eager to leave the confines of Silverhall, his prison for a month and more, but restrains his desire to rush outside.  He listens intently to the instructions on what they all should do if Larry resists questioning, and mentally readies his spells for casting, should the need arise.Skylar shifts her arrows within her quiver, bringing blunts to the fore, to her obvious distaste.  She makes no complaint however, and examines her bow in silence while she waits for the party.  Genoa and Athena discuss their abilities in relation to the upcoming confrontation – neither wanting to use anything directly damaging, but rather thinking towards restraint and compliance.  Killing someone as a matter of self defense was one thing, slaying them for actions taken by their fellows was another.  Tombit is quiet on the matter, unusual for the normally vocal Halfling.  His brows are furrowed as in thought, but he does not share those thoughts with his Companions.Brynn signals to the party to head out of the mines, and down the slope.  No overtly hostile action is to be taken, at least before he can confront Larry.  “Perhaps he is innocent in this,” he mumbles, but cannot even convince himself, let alone his friends.  Tombit slips ahead, and to the side, to approach Larry from another direction.  Skylar goes the other direction, looking for a position that offers a clear shot.  The rest of the group continue down the scree-covered slopes, towards the makeshift stockade built around the horses, and the figure crouched by a small fire beside it.  Their movement is not unnoticed, and the plate armor clad figure stands up to face them.  They halt several paces away, and Brynn addresses the guard.“We have need to talk, Larry.”“I am at your service, Brynn,” comes the cautious reply.  “What do you wish to talk about?”“The actions of your men, in the mines below.”“I notice they are not among your number.  Did they fall in battle then?  They must have died protecting you, for I see that you have all returned.  Even added one to your number,” indicating Qonos.  “They died, aye.  But not in defending us.” With anger in his eyes and voice, he continues, “They sought to trap us below, in chambers containing many creatures hostile to us.  They claim to have orders to do so.  My question is, did those orders come from you, or someone with in the Guild?”“Orders? I am unfamiliar with such orders.  The only ones we were given were to assist in the clearing of the mines.  That you are here now attests to their success, for I assume that task has been fulfilled.”  Larry smiles ingratiatingly.  Brynn brushes aside the attempt to redirect the conversation with a negligent wave of his hand.  “The task is done, but you have not answered my question.  They stated they had orders.  They threatened our lives.  They paid the price for their betrayal with their own, as unfortunate as that is.  We would have sought to question them further, but for an accident.  Stop!!” he shouts, as Larry bolts for the corral and the horses therein.Brynn unracks his bow, and launches an arrow, attempting to scare Larry into stopping.  The arrow ricochets against the rocks, and sinks into the hindquarters of a horse nearby.  This does not deter Larry, just forces him to choose another animal.  Skylar fires and hits the fleeing guard, but he shrugs off the blows as he makes his way to a horse.  Genoa attempts to communicate with the mounts in the corral, but with the squeals of the injured animal filling the air, they are too filled with panic to listen.  Qonos staggers the guard with Magic Missiles, but this serves to thrust him forward, rather than slow him down.  Athena struggles to reach Larry, to restrain him somehow, as a little blur that is Tombit emerges from the rocks nearby and attempts to spring onto the horse Larry has mounted.  The attempt lands him awkwardly on the horses’ rump, and he scrambles to regain his footing as he begins to slide off the animal.Larry manages to turn the horse around, to face towards the opening in the corral, as Tombit retries to jump on board.  Brynn succeeds in hitting the guard with several arrows, which disorients his opponent.  This gives Skylar another opportunity to hit, which further distracts Larry, causing him to jerk on the reins, which stumbles his mount.  Tombit regains his footing, and struggles with Larry to unseat him.  Qonos’ next volley of Magic Missiles is enough to cause the man to lose his grip, and fall to the ground, with Tombit along for the ride.Athena arrives in time to assist the feisty Halfling in rendering the man unconscious, with a deft swing of her mace.  Panting from the excursion, Tombit sits back as the rest of the group arrives, to tie up the guard.  Grimnyr returns to the mine to fetch Shemp, who is dumped unceremoniously next to the stripped and trussed Larry, who wakes up and glares at him.Brynn and Grimnyr crouch in front of the two guards, to renew the questioning.  “I’m sure you’re in a more conducive mood to talk now, Larry.  Tell us what we need to know, and we’ll make sure you get a fair trial.”  They are met with tight-lipped silence.  Brynn stands up in disgust. Grimnyr remains where he is, but leans forward menacingly towards the pair, a sub vocal growl rising in his throat.  “I’ll no’ make the same promises…” he says, fingering his axe.  Larry blanches, but says nothing, yet Shemp does not have the same fortitude of will.“I’ll tell you what I know…”  The guard reveals the orders came from within the leadership of the Guild.  For purposes unknown, they were to assure that both the threat and the adventurers were disposed of.  The plan had been to wait for the party to kill the creature in the deepest chamber, then turn on the party and kill them, assured that they would be weakened by the previous combat.  Curly had been too eager to have the group attack the monster, and none-too-eager to be part of that action.  “And that’s all I know,” he finishes, head down, ignoring the murderous look in Larry’s eyes.“Thank you, Shemp.  I’m a dwarf of me word.  No harm will come to you by our hands.  Tombit, check their bindings, would you?  I’ll ready the wagon to transport them to town.” He eyes the deepening dusk.  “Er, for tomorrow, then,” he amends.The party and their prisoners settle in for the night, memories of previous encounters in the area from the mountain and forest inhabitants keeping them on their guard.  Genoa summons Nature’s Rampart to add to the protection of the scattered boulders and rocks; the dirt and stone reforms itself to make a ditch and burm surrounding the group.  Qonos and Skylar volunteer to take first watch, knowing their reverie will take less time than their companion’s sleeping.  The night, thankfully enough, passes without incident, other than Karazak and Timber arriving in early morning.  The two animals pad to their respective friends, and curl up at their sides, asleep moments later.The party rises hours later, makes a quick breakfast from meat gathered by the animals, and foodstuffs from the forest collected by the rangers.  The prisoners are loaded into the wagon, which is hitched up and readied for travel, as the party mounts up on the remaining horses.  Genoa chooses the one she healed of its arrow wound the night before, sensing thankfulness in the animal, and wanting to keep an eye on the horse as they travel.  She turns her mount’s head towards the trail leading off the mountain slope, and gently nudges the gelding into motion.  The rest of the party forms up behind her, with Grimnyr driving the wagon behind, the early morning sun at their back.</blockquote>

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