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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 560768" data-attributes="member: 1674">The witch is back- part 4 of 4"I'll scout ahead", Torn volunteered, and barely making a sound, he proceeded into the field of granite blocks and wall-fragments ahead. Then, just as he was about to enter the remnants of a corridor and turn out of his companions' view, four Ratmen with arrows already readied in their shortbows jumped up from behind the cover that the walls had been offering them, and before Torn could react, they let loose.Two of the arrows bounced of his chainshirt, but the other two hit him. Wincing with pain, Torn got out his spiked chain, while Trepat shot the first of the Slitheren archers and the other two charged ahead.Seeing that he was surrounded and that his enemies had the advantage of their heightened position, Torn stepped back a bit and swung his chain at one of the slitheren who was just then shooting another arrow, but his chain bounced off the cover.As he doged more arrows, Ben and Niklas arrived. The monk made one giant leap up to the wall and using the momentum, he landed a flying kick to the head of one of the Slitheren, who was momentarily stunned by this display of acrobatic prowess, breaking his spine. Ben, in turn, unrolled his frogtongue, and pulled down another one.Now, there was only one of the Slitheren left on the wall. Seeing how the tables had turned, he dropped his bow, ready to run, but Torn hit him with his spiked chain, which tore through the neck of the helpless slitheren. With one quick jerk, the half-orc freed the chain, and a fountain of blood spurted out of the Slitheren's neck, who collapsed to the ground.Now there was only the one Ben had trapped left. The ratman swung his scimitar at Ben, cutting him, but the halfling slashed back with his sickle. In spite of being held fast by the oversized tongue, the Slitheren kept on fighting, and he showed no sign of giving up, until Niklas, who had stepped up from behind, landed one brutal punch with his fist to the ratman's head, shattering his skull in the process.Seeing that they had defeated their enemies for now, Niklas said:" I think it would be best if we stick together for now. There could be more ambushes ahead.".They all nodded in agreement, and proceeded cautiously. The ruins lay still around them, and again, there was no sign of any of the slitheren. Hadn't the adventurers known for sure that their enemies were up here with them somewhere, they could have sworn they were alone. The only sounds they heard was the wind blowing through and around the cracked stones all around them.For a while, they walked through the labyrinth of the ruins, always looking out for the central spur where they had seen the intact part of the keep still standing. Then, as they were standing in front of a wall segment that was blocking their view, Ben picked up a voice from behind the wall.Signalling his friends to be silent, he climbed onto Torn's shoulders. Peeking over the wall, he saw a plateau in front of him. The ground dipped a bit, forming a large, shallow depression beyond which the intact part of the keep was nestled against the base of the spire of Mount Croiganne.In the center of the depression, where he could see them while he was protected from sight by the wall and the slope of the ground, there were about twenty Slitheren standing in a rough circle, scimitars and shortbows ready in their furry hands. In the middle of the circle, he saw a small cooking fire and two additional forms: one very large ratman with dark fur who was more than a head taller than any other of the slitheren and another crouched low figure who was almost completely hidden by a hooded cloak the color of old blood.The smaller figure was leaning over a small pool of water, and she was speaking to an image of the pool. Straining his eyes, Ben could make out the face she was talking to: It was Amra Varith, the lieutenant of the Home Commander of the Vigils! She had even been present when they had received their orders in the hall of command!Quickly recovering from the shock, Ben picked up the voice of Amra. "...at all with your current progress," she said with barely repressed anger. "Do you understand the consequence of failure here, you little rodent?""I understand better than you, I think", the robe-covered slitheren hissed back."I don't think you do. I've placed my position here in jeopardy, ensuring that you and your stupid minons would know where they are at every step of their way. Now I learn that they are not only alive, they are headed your way! They could be in the ruins right now, yet you-""They are", the slitheren interrupted with a hiss,"and I have better things to do than listening to your sniveling".Before Amra could answer, she ended the conversation with gesture of her hand, and the pool lay still again. It took only another gesture for he companion and the other slitheren to fall in line and follow her into an entrance of the nearest intact part of the keep. As most of the Ratmen went into the keep, four stayed behind. Unaware of being watched, they positioned themselves behind huge chunks of granite. Apparently they planned to ambush the adventurers once they reached this entrance.Ben had seen enough for now. He climbed back to his friends, and whispering, he told his friends what he had seen and heard.Torn cursed under his breath:" So it was the woman! At least now we know why that thief had known who to plant the brooch on."Trepat nodded:" Yes, it all makes sense now. We should definetly speed back to the Hall of Command once we are done here. Who knows what harm she will do in the meantime.""Yes," Ben said. And grinning wolfishly, he added:" At least we know where the four Slitheren are hiding. They want an ambush? They will surely get an ambush...".And as they planned how they would dispatch the slitheren, Trepat never stopped watching the Incarnate's predatory look in his eyes. For a moment, the Elf wondered just what kind of predators the innocent looking halfling had been in his prior incarnations. He didn't know that he would see one of those incarnations within the day...</blockquote>

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