Landon walked over to Ellondra's horse and fetched the waterskin. He walked back to Ellodra with it and handed it to her.
"Here you go." he said with a serious look on his face, showing some worry over the dwarf.
"And I agree with that. He doesn't look like he's had a proper meal for a long time."
The dwarf took a sip from the waterskin and then downed the entire thing in one long sip.
Aer'rad's body stopped twitching, but the blood kept soaking the earth under him, making it crimson red and sticky with blood.
His back was faced to the ground and his dead, colorless eyes looked up into the sky.
"I-m sorry for your friend, I did not want any help from you"
The dwarf managed to climb to his knees again and sit up against the wagon.
"But I am ever greatful for what you have done. They planned to sell me in Mungen, as a slave. Slave! ugh, I used to own slaves myself"
The dwarf looked to the sky and then a tear dropped to his cheek.
"Before.."
The dwarf was particulary sturdy looking, a few wrinkles on his chubby face and some grey was mixed with his light-black hair along with the stubble on his chin.
He wore ragged nobleman's clothes and had a tattoo of a wine bottle on his lower left arm.
Ra'ive looked down, disgusted at the wretched creature before him.
"Scum and to think, we put our selves in harms way for one such as you. We should have left you to your deserved fate" snarled Ra'ive as he turned to Ellondra
"We should leave this degenerate for the wolves and be on our way"
The dwarf rose from his sitting position and stroked his stubble.
"My family, the Vinwards, owned a farm east of here. It was the fifth biggest and most industrial vinyards in these parts, until a large group of orcs came and slaughtered most of my family and destroyed the entire estate"
The dwarf shed a tear once more as the memories started rushing to the surface again.
"I am sorry for holding slaves, we did so with much honor, and they were treated with more respect that most others. They had quarters, free food and were never beaten"
"Oh, sorry if I am rambling. My name is Leonarden, Leonarden Vinward"
The dwarf held out an open palm as he stretched his hand toward Ellondra.
"No man, woman or child should be a slave to another, regardless of conditions. I hope this expierence has taught you that at least." Vik'nar thought back briefly to his time as a slave himself.
Vik'nar looked over to the body of Aer'rad. His blood staining red the grass where he fell. He dismounted and went over to carefully remove the 2 arrows without causing further marring to the body. The elf had been too quiet for him to feel much but indifference for him, but as always Vik'nar felt most folks bodies should be treated with a certain dignity.
"I don't believe he ever mentioned where he hailed, but perhaps we might find out more in Flemworth. It's on our way regardless if we stop there or force on through the night, which might still be advisable."
Evela is still sitting on Landons horse, being tied up, he couldnt help. He begins to chuckle to himself that they are all protesting Slavery and people being prisoners when he is tied up himself.
"Is everyone dead? Should i help or not?" Evela yells at the group surrounding the dwarf
Ellondra extended her hand to the Dwarf's, somewhat awkwardly because of the topic of discussion and her companions' reactions to it. She nodded and straightened up, handing the vintner the waterskin.
"I'm Sergeant Renaldo. Take that skin. If you go to the Elves of Flemworth and warn them of the men hunting here, they should reward the information with kindness. Recover your strength there for the journey homeward. Perhaps..." Ellondra glanced aside at the body of Aer'rad; she was at a loss as to how to proceed with his death. It seemed a waste to lose him so abruptly. "Perhaps you could also tell them one of their own has fallen here. Truly, there's no better place for it." That last was added in a mutter.
The Sergeant climbed back into her saddle and looked toward the rest of the party. "Just keep quiet, mage..."
The dwarf nodded and smiled.
"I shall inform them of what transpired, as well as your comrade's death"
Leonarden then turned around and before he started his walk, he said out loud in a cheerful voice:
"We shall meet again, on the fields of battle or nobility, and you shall be repaid for what you have given me... my life"
Then, the dwarf stepped forward and kept going toward Flemworth.
The group however, headed slightly to the south, supposidly cutting through a shorter distance to Flemworth.
They arrived there seemingly four hours later.
The town of Flemworth was fairly modest. It was quite small, since it was only the market place and some other housing and finery.
The Main Road, as it was so reluctantly named, was basically a large road that went through Flemworth like an arrow. And so, it was often called "The Arrow" by some of the local townfolk.
The buildings were mostly wooden with grass decorations and some rock and metal to support foundation and the larger buildings, as well as wells and statues.
Flemworth looked basically like the figure "8", with the Main Road cutting right through it horizonally.
Fairly small, no fencing of any kind but guarded by elven bowmen and blademasters that stood and chatted beside the roads.
Watchtowers were scattered through the town to prevent animalistic attacks of any kind, but that was very rare since Flemworth was often so largely populated.
In the middle of the "8", as Flemworth was, was the market; a setting of wooden stalls and merchants with caravans, traveling traders and thieves roamed the market.
On the northern side of Flemworth was the Gyia chapel, where people would offer food or materials to Gyia or pray to her.
Along side it was the main hall, or the City Councilerium, as it was known to the locals.
It served as a meeting place of nobelmen from Wurden, Herelden and Flemworth and also as Flem's own personal housing. A living quarter, if you will.
By the time the group of rag tag adventurers -as they appeared to be- arrived in Flemworth, it wasn't as greatly populated due to the lateness of the hour; dusk was breaking and the sky was turning orange.
This isn't going to be as free-form as Swaere was, this is basically an "enter-exit" scenario, no real stopping, unless you want to slow the story down more. If you wish of it, then you can. Otherwise, I will allow market browsing of course
"I suppose we may as well freshen our supplies while we're here. Although," she added with a measure of derisiveness, "I don't know what you intend to do with the sorcerer in the meantime." Ellondra dismounted almost regretfully, hating to continue to delay the ride Herelden, however much the rest was necessary. She could use a change of bandages and another dose of salve to her amateur self-surgery... And simple things, like matches.
She looked over her shoulder at Skaar, Ra'ive, and Evela.
"You can just leave me at the church for the meantime. Just take off my chains and make sure my mask is on correctly and ill be set." Evela remarks. He looks around the town, amazed by it. He hadn't been in many towns before, mainly the forests and his Monk Monasatry.
"I can stand watch over him, if you so wish." Landon said.
"I will make sure he does not escape. Or do you not trust me enough?" he said in a calm voice.
Vik'nar either didn't hear or was ignoring the monk. He dismounted and followed after Ellondra towards the market. He didn't have anything to buy, but he was eager to check in with contacts and something else now that he was closer to Herelden.
Among contacts, Vik'nar had drop locations in most cities. He'd instructed San'tar, his lieutenant, to start looking into the murder of Tristan Garth. If the contract had been dealt through or even carried out by The Guild. While not an extremely well known man, he was important enough to warrant having San'tar check into it.
Another piece to convince the king The Guild has gone unchecked for too long and I am sure Landon would be most interested in the news.
If the caravan had not bartered for too long in Flemworth, there should have been just enough time for some early results to reach the drop here. Sure enough, there was a neatly folded and resealed letter adhered to up and behind the removable rock brick. The location was alongside one of the buildings out a ways from the main road and under the shadow of nearby trees.
New information was always inked to the bottom of the list until someone came to retrieve the whole letter. The whole thing was written in a simple but tricky code, so saving the rest for the ride, Vik'nar skipped to the bottom.
Vik, early probing does seem to indicate some involvement in the matter you wanted me to investigate. I'll probably know more when you return to the city.
Afterwards, his contacts only drop local gossip. The biggest item of note being the increased poaching in the surrounding areas, so he heads back across the market.
"You ain't goin' anywhere." Warees muttered, facing towards Evela. "They tied ya' to the damn horse and you will stay there until they say otherwise."
Warees turned towards Landon, and then said, "Need help guardin' him, or do ya' think you can handle it by yourself? I'm guessing da' former, considerin' this guy caused a bloody earthquake."
"Can I go if I promise I wont make an earthquake?" Evela pleads towards Warees and Landon.
He was agitated that he had to stay on the horse, he had never ridden one before and he found it quite painfull. And the hcains around his arm were hurting his wrist.
"Please? I'll only be going into the church. I definitley will not do anything in there."
"I will accompany him to the Church." Skaar said quietly, suddenly looming over the Monk. "His powers are... strange... no doubt. But you have seen what I can do. There will be no danger of him escaping or causing a ruckus under my watch." The Death Knight was confident in his own prowess, and believed himself capable of handling the half-bound; and in truth, why shouldn't he? He had survived for nearly 5 years in the Mountains of the North on his own, and there were things there that were older than humanity itself, not to mention entire clans of degenerate, insane half-bounds. He had tested his might against them all, and had emerged victorious; this lone half-bound, however unusual his powers may be, did not frighten Skaar.
"Yay. Can I be not chained up too?" He raises his arms to show that he is still chained up. "I wont do anything, I promise on Gyia. And besides, weve gone past many fire's that I could have used to kill some if not all of you." He paused for a moment to smile at them, "So please, can i get out of these chains, Im sure Skaar can handle me... He looks mean and hard to kill."
Ra'ive hung back from the rest of the group, be had refrained from talking or even making snide comments for almost the entire trip. He was instead silently assessing, judging even, the new additions to the group and as he had done with Ellondra and Vik'nar, he was sizing them up and looking for signs of weakness.
He thoughtfully lit his pipe that he had previously stuffed with a 'healthy' dose of Ceaweed and inhaled the smoke deeply. There was really no point in all of this silent judging business, soon enough they would be back in the capitol, receive their rewards and go their separate ways. Strangely the thought saddened him slightly
'Must be the Ceaweed' he thought as he let out a large cloud of smoke.
I've finally gotten rid of my chronic writers block and I'm posting again! P.s Check out the new avatar
The Church of Gyia was one of the last places Vik'nar wanted to be, so after spotting Skaar, Evela and Landon headed in that direction he turned back to enter the market.
As dusk was beginning to give way into night he was able to purchase a small bushel of fresh wild berries that the merchant hadn't sold that day for a greatly reduced price. The assortment of black and blueberries, native to these woods, are quite succulent, although a little on the smaller side due to their wild nature. He popped a handful in his mouth savoring how each one burst with juicy flavor.
Hmmm, I'd heard before that to get larger berries you cut the flowers the first year in order to let the roots develop more, I wonder if that's true?
He spotted Ellondra across the market way purchasing a few supplies, looked like bandages and salve mostly. Knowing she'd want to leave as soon as possible, he headed over to see if she wanted any help.
"Want some?" Offering the small bushel of berries. "Not quite as good as strawberries from the field South of Wesburg, but they certainly beat the dried traveling fruit." After pausing for a moment. "Did you need a hand with anything?"
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