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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hairy Minotaur" data-source="post: 1239090" data-attributes="member: 11574">The blade flies through the air towards Raziel, Alriand watches as the dagger hits Raziel with a thud. The blade then drops to the ground at Raziel's feet. Turning to face Alriand, Raziel gives a two-teeth smile and begins to giggle to herself. "Come here my little tree swinger. I have been awaiting your arrival" Raziel calls out to Alriand.Staying low and quiet, Alriand begins to circle around to get another shot at the witch's back. "I'm waiting for you. I'm not going away, face me coward! Don't make me come looking for you." Raziel shoutsAlriand waits in the brush counting away the seconds, theorizing that the witch has some kind of protective magic on. Alriand bides her time waiting for it to wear off."OK, we'll do this your way." Raziel states. She then pulls out a bottle from within her robes and drinks it down.Alriand decides she doesn't have time to play a waiting game, down to only one dagger and the witch apparently is more prepared. Alriand hoped to end this quickly with the sneak attack, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. Backing up on her knees Alriand begins to plot her retreat through the trees. Alriand hears Raziel talking but has stopped paying any attention to her.Raziel ends her spell with a wiry smile, watching Alriand retreat through the brush. Alriand stands up and turns her back to the clearing and faces the opposite direction. She gives one last look back at Raziel before turning her head around and walking into the fangs of the waiting spider. Sinking it's fangs deep into Alriand's shoulder, the spider which was bigger than Alriand's head, releases it's back legs and drops onto Alriand's back. Crying out in pain Alriand tries to stab at the thing with her dagger, however the weight on the spider on her shoulder and the pain of the bite limit that arms movement enough to make the spider unreachable. Alriand feels the her shoulder go numb and cold, panicking, Alriand tries to run. Thinking if she can get enough distance between her and the witch maybe she'll be hidden long enough for the poison to wear off before the witch finds her. She gets two steps, then collapses as her legs just won't move anymore, her arms become ridged at her side, and the world becomes a swirling blur of colors retreating down a drain and into darkness. Tharhack approaches the grieving halflings, he stands next to them, staring at the smoking ruins of their house. The three of them stand there in silence. After a short while, Tharhack says a prayer for the young children, asking that Kord give them strength during judgment. Tharhack then offers the family the fifty-five gold pieces he has left."I know it's not much, nor will it replace anything, but I hope that it can at least be a start to help you rebuild." Tharhack states.Gabbo looks up at Tharhack who puts the gold into a pouch and hangs it on Gabbo's wrist. Tharhack nods his head and pushes Gabbo's arm back to his wife's shoulder. "You will need to be strong for the rest of your children, they will need you guidance now more than ever." Tharhack says matter of fact"What? We have no home, Two of our children have died." Meribee gets out before breaking down into a sob again. "Do you not expect us to mourn?" Gabbo asks Tharhack "Would you have us forget this happened and just move on?""Mourn for the loss of life, do not mourn for your lot in life." Tharhack answers"I mourn for my children! Why are you here?! Feeling guilty for your powerlessness?" Meribee accuses"Guilty? I ended the threat. I am sorry that I could not be here to help you save you children. Guilt however is for those that are too weak to admit their own failings. I have no guilt." Tharhack says "You think me weak because I saved sixteen children but not eighteen? How dare you judge me!" Meribee answers"I neither judge you nor wish to. I merely state what you will need to keep your children from descending into the abyss of hopelessness." Tharhack responds."Oh so now it's pity is it?" Meribee answers "Begone with you and your pity, and take your charity with you." Meribee tries to take the pouch off of Gabbo's arm."Honey we could really use the money." Gabbo says "Typical, always thinking you need to better us, we have all we need. We don't need his charity." Meribee cries"Keep the gold, or give it away. It matters not to me. I no longer need it." Tharhack answersMeribee manages to get the pouch off of Gabbo's wrist, but Gabbo manages to keep her from throwing it back at Tharhack. Tharhack decides to exit this domestic dispute, and leaves to go check on Xanoniel.Rebrey and Rillkep reach Durac's house where Balrin was staying. Searching through the belongings that were left, The two men discover four sacks full of stolen items from halfling residents. Rillkep pulls out each item and names which house it came from. Rebrey finds a dagger, a club, and a list of halfling houses, some with checks by them, which match the names of halfling homes Rillkep has sounded off on. Rillkep gets through the sacks with Rebrey's help and looks disgusted. "What's the problem?" Rebrey asks"Balrin's been coming here for the last three years now, the children loved him, er them. Now I'm going to have to explain that he, I mean they, were nothing but common thieves. The children will take this hard." Rillkep explains"The innocence of children is very precious, they don't need to know the whole truth. While you'll probably need to tell them that Balrin has died, tell them that the ogre got lucky and Balrin slipped in the mud. A constant reminder that you never know what perils today will bring." Rebrey answers"Lie to the children?" Rillkep asks"No, just stop short of the letdown. You can tell the adults about the thieving, and then the children as they grow up." Rebrey answers"Won't they find out the truth?" Rillkep asks"Maybe, but the problem is solved from your perspective." Rebrey answers"Well, I'll have to think about that." Rillkep answers as the two of them repack the sacks and head out to the mayor's house to report their findings.Tharhack arrives at Frorry's house to check on Xanoniel, only to find she's not there. Thinking maybe she left with Rebrey, Tharhack exits the house and sees Rillkep and Rebrey heading into Opee's house with bags full of stuff. Tharhack makes his way down to Opee's and knocks on the door. Opee answers and invites him in, telling him Rillkep has determined that Balrin was a fake and a robber. Tharhack asks Rebrey if he's seen Xanoniel, to which Rebrey replies no. Tharhack leaves Rebrey and Rillkep to their findings with Opee, and heads back up through the Hamlet looking for Xanoniel.</blockquote>

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