Turn 65 -- Back to Milbourne

Before Lyntern, Dalaes and his men can leave the camp, Gnore and Garth catch up with their group and have a few quick words with Lyntern about his experience and well wishes for his future.

"Not to be pushy, but I'm hoping we might receive an invite to the festivities. If it's not too unseemly to have your 'ol' adventuring buddies show up. I'll even see to it that most of us even git a bath." offers Garth.

Lyntern laughs at the dwarf's joke about the bathing, "Of course, friend Garth, you will all be invited."

Turning back to the camp, Garth and Gnore watch as Lyntern and the other guards disappear into the treeline heading back to his father's Keep. As they get back to the others, they quickly see that Ortho has offered a suggestion about the divying up of the loot taken from the keep.

Druckner is most impressed by Ortho's suggestion on how to divide the look as he wants the crossbow and bolts. "Hey Kersath, I'll wrassle you two falls out of three for 'em. Whaddya say?! I've never wrassled with a drow before."

With a smile on his face, Kersath says, "Aye, I might not be too good at wrestling but I'll do it for the experience. And the crossbow of course, challenge accepted!"

"Hold on that," begins Talimar, "we can figure this out in a more diplomatic way. We do not have the time to spend on a challenge of wrestling."

Druckner and Kersath both frown at the end of their proposed contest but do agree that time is of the essence with the group. Kre appears disinterested in most of the items in the pool, none of which are as powerful as his dagger, 'ColdHeart', and the rest are disliked due to their bulkiness and hinderence to his stealth. He does have an idea as far as the coins are concerned, "We might want to put some of the coins in my pouch of holding and hide the pouch in a false bottom of someone's pack. It's never good to walk around with a bulging pouch."

"I'll take the bastard sword, if allowed," says Gnore as he rubs his chin. "I also like the ring but will take it only if no one wants it."

Randor picks up the flail and begins to swing it around a little, "Not quite the same as a hammer but I suppose I could learn to use such a weapon. Unless someone else wants it I would like to put my name infor this weapon or if not that then this nice suit of chain mail." Randor swings the flail around then places it down and checks the fit of the chain mail.

"Wal, looks like the mail be yours," begins Ortho as he looks at Randor. "Don' think anyone else could wear it 'sides yeself. I'll take those nice wings if nobody objects?"

"Then mine it is then," says Randor as he begins to change into the new mail armor.

Ras picks up the bracers from the pile and tries them on, "Dain, I normally face more head to head combat and I think maybe I could use the bracers more and you would probably be able to benefit from the ring more. Bracers don't help much against a fireball."

"I believe you are right," answers Dain as he slips the ring onto his finger. "The ring would work out well for me. Besides, my Armor spell has basically the same effect as the bracers. Is anyone else interested in the ring? If not, I was wondering if I could have it."

Watching as everyone haggles for a bit of the booty, Garth clears his throat. When he has everyone's attention he says, "I'm for thinking we should reserve a fine weapon as a gift for Lyntern for adventuring with us. Also, we should save some of our money and get the lad and his bride a fine wedding gift. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it never hurts to have the future heir to a kingdom remember his friend in a kind light."

Listening to Garth as he plays with the weight of his new bastard sword, Gnore stops and nods in agreement, "We should give him a red feather, he has earned it. A promise for a position in the company, if he should need it."

As everyone else nods in agreement to the suggestions, the haggling once again commences. After a few more minutes, the bartering has ended and everyone has a new item to add to their arsenal or repertoire, excepting for Kersath and Kre who decided to stay with what they had. Kre did take the bloodstone pip dice and after trying them out for several minutes nods his head in satisfaction, "This is great, now I can start my own game at the inns. I always suspected the townspeople of cheating on me...some people....."

The conversation then switches to the party's next bit of business. Dain brings up the now sacked keep. "The place is clean and not a damn clue to be found. Most unnerving. Perhaps a clue will lie in the flasks sealed with the same seal as the elemental ring. I must investigate." He calmly reclaims his pipe, taps it out, packs it, relights it and goes off to get a better look at the flasks all the while keepin one ear open to hear the plans being made by the group.

Gnore unstraps his old bastard sword and replaces the new one onto his back, sticking his old sword under the saddle straps of his mount. "We should get to town and sell off some of this burden. I will take the front of the main group when everyone is ready."

"What about the girl?" offers Kersath to the group.

"If no one objects," begins Garth, "I'll watch out for Marlay until we can determine where she needs to go. Selune protects those who are moon struck so it would be my privilege to care for her. I know from experience what it is like to not be in your right mind and a sad thing it is."

"I say let the girl go, she'll only hinder us," begins Gnore with a thoughtfull frown. "Or kill her, it doesn't matter to me."

Randor looks at Gnore and replies, "Most certainly not! Where do you come off with a death sentence for this poor girl. She may be mad but she has not done anything wrong. I say we bring her along. There are priests more powerful than I who could help her, and Garth has offered his help in this delicate situation."

Gnore looks at Randor with a noncommital gaze as he meets Brother Randor's challenge, "I don't care what you do with the girl as long as you keep her on your own leash, as I did for Lyntern. By the by, how do ye know she wants ta come with us? What if she'd like nothing more than ta plunge a knife into each of our backs. We did destroy her kitchen as it were, something that probably meant the whole world to her. Being misguided in the head does not help matters much either."

"The last thing this group needs is another quarrel," begins Randor. "I shall take her along and if she causes any problems I will deal with her then. As for the here and now, she has done nothing wrong in Tyr's eyes and he is the one to be judge, not you. Please, let this not be an argument, she will be my responsibility."

"You forget yourself," replies Garth. "I have already vouched for the care of the lady. If you wish to assist me then we shall both watch and tend for her but neither you nor Tyr may walk in and merely shove me to the side in this matter."

Gnore smiles deeply at the response from his fellow dwarf, "You tell him there Garth!"

Garth turns his disapproving gaze to Gnore, "That doesn't mean that I have forgotten your desire to have the lady killed on the spot." He then turns away from Gnore and the group to go and sit with Marlay.

"Fine, priests," replies Gnore. "As I said, just keep her away from me."

"That's enough of that," responds Talimar. "Garth and Randor shall watch out for the lady till we reach Milbourne and can find more suitable care for her. Now, everyone get yourselves ready to leave. We ride out within the hour." He then turns and begins to pack his own things.

Just as Talimar said, within the hour the party is packed up and heading back north through the woods toward Milbourne. Marlay rides on Brother Randor's horse before him with Garth riding on his pony beside them. Both speak to her on occassion, further trying to find out the cause of her malady and any possible cure.

As the group enters the Thornwood, the smoldering fires of the old Parlfray Keep still wind into the early morning sky, a vivid reminder of the passing of the Red Feather Company. Several red feathers sway in the soft breeze from the broken gates of the keep as well as from various other vantage points around the walls. The six shallow graves outside the walls are also a testament to the might of the group. Storm clouds still cast an eerie pall over the grove and the keep, the power of the altar to Cyric destroyed but the evil taint of the death God still lurking. No sign of Jelenneth and the lack of any clues still leaves the party in doubt as to the mystery of the kidnappings despite their victory.

Once deep within the confines of the Thornwood, Ras rides forward to speak with Kre who is still upset about the near death of his friend. "My friend, do not blame yourself. I am the one who almost died, you may have met the same fate. I learned a lot from that bad experience."

Kre smiles at the comforting words from his fellow thief and friend and pats him on his back. Seeing the uncharacteristically jovial mood in the eyes of his friend, Kre can't help but feel relaxed and less guilty.

"If you say so, friend," answers Kre. "But I get the next chest, deal?"

"Deal!"

With the loss of Beleg, the group was forced to make a change in their travelling order through the forrest. Kersath still takes the lead riding several yards ahead of the group always scouting with Gnore and Druckner leading the remainder. Talimar, Dain, and Ortho ride ahead of Kre and Ras with Brother Randor and Marlay and Garth briging up the rear. Although most everyone is tired, bruised and battered at best, the journey on to Milbourne is made with lifted spirits by the companions, fresh off their recent triumph. The mood is dampened ever so slightly as one by one, the party members begin to notice the lack of Beleg's lilting playing and singing that for over a month now had accompanied them on all their journeys. Thoughts turn inward as each of the companions think about their lost comrade in arms and his journey to his homeland to fight the growing evil there.

An hour before dusk, the Red Feather Company triumphantly enters the town of Milbourne to the cheers of the townsfolk. Garyld meets them at the edge of the town and explains that Kuiper had already been through to pass on the word of their victory. The town is decked out for a celebration it seems as all are excited about the victory. The mood of one reveller quickly dampened as Andren discovers that the party has still yet to find Jelenneth or any clues to her whereabouts. It is a tired group that is ushered into the Baron of Mutton by song and dance and promises of free drinks from the townsfolk of Milbourne.