NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 2645392" data-attributes="member: 5808">Part the One-Hundred Sixty-ThirdIn which: the party talks to the… you know, that women in charge of the war.Their guide takes off at a run, and the party is hard-pressed to follow.  After several hours, they are forced to ask her to slow down and allow them to catch their breaths.  The woman does, but grudgingly, slowing her pace just enough so that the party does not lose their way in the gathering twilight.Sometime after midnight, the party finally reaches a small encampment, and is escorted to see the War Hand. She is middle-aged, for an elf, and wears thick and heavily-decorated braids which give her name as Maya Reni of the Olam Tribe and describe her as a “raider of raiders.”  Like the ten warriors who accompany her, her face is painted, making her appear alien and savage.She glares at the party.  “You come to defend these stealers of children?”Reyu hurries to explain.  “We are neutral parties here.  We merely wish to help avoid bloodshed if we can, and return your children to you.  What happened?”It’s some moments before the War Hand answers.  “The human soldiers invaded our camp three nights ago.  They completely overwhelmed us and took four of our young ones.”“Why?”Maya’s eyes snap fire.  “There is no reason for what they have done.”Reyu presses the other woman.  “You’re sure the attackers were soldiers, not slavers?”“Yes.”“Had the tribe encountered the soldiers?  Perhaps fought with them?  Why were they angered?”“The tribe had done nothing to these humans.”  Maya answers quickly, and with considerable anger, but Reyu detects a hint of bluster about her.  Somehow, she suspects that she is not being told the whole story.  The other woman continues.  “We immediately called to the other tribes for aid and pursued the child-thieves across the desert.  But before we could catch them, they took refuge in the human village and have blockaded themselves in.  “Since then, we have attacked the village every night.  Thus far, they have held us back.  But more and more of the Shesher have been coming to our call to action.  Very soon, we shall have the strength to take the humans by force, raze their village, and rescue our children.”“Raze the village? But what about the human villagers?” Lira can’t help asking.“What about them?”“If you raze the village… I mean, there must be innocent people living there.  Your fight is with the soldiers,” Lira says, stammering slightly under the unflinching gaze of the War Hand.  “You’ll let the civilians go, won’t you?”The War Hand is unequivocal.  “It is the human soldiers that have brought this fight to the door of their people.  Their deaths are not on our hands.” “Surely you have warned them?” Reyu asks.  “Tried to reason with them?  Can the humans not be persuaded to return the children on their own?”“They have received our ultimatum.  Still they refuse.”The party confers.“We should speak to the villagers,” Anvil says.  “We should get the hell out of here,” Thatch counters.  “This has nothing to do with us.”“Don’t you want to try and stop this?” Lira asks.  “Innocent people are going die.”“Innocent people die every day,” Eva points out.There is a pause.“What?  I’m not saying I like it, I’m just saying it’s true,” she adds a bit defensively.Reyu turns back to the War Hand.  “Can your people delay their attack?  Give us time to speak to the villagers and see if a peaceful settlement can be reached.”The War Hand shakes her head.  “I have no time to give you.  More human soldiers are on the way.  They will reach the village in three days.  If we do not take the village before they arrive, we will not be able to take it.  And we will never see our children again.” “You have three days.  Surely, to save the lives of the children and those of your own warriors, you can give us one of those days.”“Warriors of the Shesher are not afraid to die for our children,” she snaps reflexively.  There is a pause.  “I do not doubt your resolve, sister,” Reyu says quietly.  “But it is not incompatible with our request.”The War Hand is thoughtful.  Finally, she says, “Very well.  We will not attack until sundown tomorrow.  I give you until then to speak reason to the humans.  But be warned, if you fail, we will attack.  And I can make no guarantee of your safety if you are still in the village.”   As the rest of the party beds down to catch what anxious sleep they can before dawn—when the War Hand has agreed to send them with an escort to within sight of the village—Reyu goes to talk with the other warriors to see if she can learn anything more about what has predicated this situation.She returns to the group a few hours later.“What did you find out?” Eva asks.Reyu shakes her head, and merely indicates that they should wait until they can speak privately.###Shortly after dawn, the party leaves their elven escorts at the edge of the elven encampment and makes their way alone through the no-man’s land between the wild scrub and the village.  “So?” Eva asks Reyu pointedly as they make their way towards the earthworks mounded around the village.Reyu waits until she is sure that they are out of ear-shot of their guides.  “The War Hand was not entirely forthcoming regarding the events that precipitated the kidnapping,” she admits.“No, really?” Thatch mutters.“The children… counted coup against a human caravan that was traveling on the Sea Road,” she explains.“Counted coup?”“The oldest is only 17; they are babies.  Counting coup is a way to prove honor and daring, to earn accomplishments in the eyes of the tribe.”  Reyu indicates her own achievement braid by way of explanation.  “Among my people, a youngling might track a bear, then touch it with a stick in front of witnesses, without the bear attacking or running away.”Anvil, who has been quietly grinding his teeth for much of the morning, interjects.  “I doubt the humans would have kidnapped the children for poking a caravan with sticks.”Reyu pauses, mulling her words carefully.  “The children… took trophies from the caravan.”“What kind of trophies?” Eva asks, dubious.“Tell me it wasn’t ears,” says Lira.There is a long pause.“Oh, gods!”</blockquote>

Verification