Birthright Tuornen Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

INSIDE THE MANOR


Gunnar sees that some of the men are grumbling or getting skittish.

Someone in the back of the dim room says-
''If we aren't going with the raiders, well, okay, but I aint no sheep! I'm staying to look after my people, not because I'm a coward. What can we do to make our families safer?"

All eyes turn towards Gunnar, the only professional fighting man on scene...

[Lord Skybolt]

INSIDE THE MANOR


Gunnar sees that some of them men are grumbling or getting skittish.

Someone in the back of the dim room says-
''If we aren't going with the raiders, well, okay, but I aint no sheep! I'm staying to look after my people, not because I'm a coward. What can we do to make our families safer?"

All eyes turn towards Gunnar, the only professional fighting man on scene...

Looking the man in eye, but not in a way to stair him down, but to show him the respect that he has earned by asking for the group what Gunnar has to say about what Cormac has said so far . "My friends this is not a time for foolish or imprudent action . We must bleed this "wolf" slowly from many cuts since the "Wolf" in this case is an army with many more "Soldiers" and I use that term losely in this case ."Gunnar says with a grin . Gunnar continues in a more serious tone of voice :"We have for one to make sure your own families are safe . So we can go and kill any and all Scouting Patrols from finding this manor . If we find patrol that is to large to kill to the last goblin then we must takes as many of them out as possible before escaping our selves into the hills and mountains . But at all cost not leading them back to this manor where your families are kept safe and sound as we can make them . Part of the plan is to remove there mobility and tracking ability by targeting there worgs first . We will kill as many as we can and keep them pinned down in this province so that the Duke has time to send troops here to force them from your lands . If we can do this then we have real fighting chance against them ."Gunnar pause to answer let others ask questions if they wish .

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

CAER HAES

Rennault stands with his arms folded as he listens to the captive. He furrows his brow at the mention of a ship--that would be murder to take on foot. And the only real soldiers at their disposal were knights--men not best suited for cramped fighting in a ship's corridors. Perhaps they could set the whole damned thing ablaze, though...

But this brigand can hardly be trusted to tell the truth. Rennault finds a map and spreads it before the captive. "Where are your supplies? Where do you keep your prisoners?"

[VAN]

Filbert is happy that they let him be present at the questioning of the prisoner. The halfling is more concerned about the spies and how they can succeed onf the invasion the next time they try it.

"Do you know if there are more spies among the Clergy, the monks etc? Have you heard anyone talk a bit too much for example, or recieve a gift. Also how do you communicate during the night or when you see each other. Do you have code words or signals?"

[Adam]

Cormac nods grimly and turns his horse to head out towards the town.

"Ye'r welcome ta come. Are ye trained wi' tha' spear? Ever used it to kill somethin'?" He arches an eyebrow. "Need to know how best to use ye'."

"As fer the rest o' ye, if an' when we finish this an' make it back to the manner, ye've my word ye'll be clear o' whatever charges landed ye on the head sheep's bad side, if I have to smuggle ye' outta that keep meself."

[ewancummins]

CAER HAES
''It doesn't feel right betraying my mates. But I guess I’ll be tortured if I don’t tell…”

The prisoner points out supply depots on the map, and where prisoners are kept (guarded by some of the duke's men, he notes)but when Filbert asks him about passwords, he balks. The prisoner looks down, his face twisted with shame and fear. He mutters something about the passwords changing every night, so that what he knows won’t be useful.

After a moment, seeing that no one strikes him or threatens him further, he speaks in a shaky voice,
“I wasn’t hired to keep the Duke’s secrets, just to fight for him. Me and my mates, and the men out of Lofton’s dungeons, have done all the real fighting since the first night, when the Alamien soldiers were beaten. Some of the other men say that Duke Carilon would rather half of us die storming the walls than pay us the silver he promised. Just so he gets Haes. I heard that your duke has promised to spare any who surrendered, let us go free-- is that true? “

[ewancummins]

IN FRONT OF RANALD'S MANOR

Cormac nods grimly and turns his horse to head out towards the town.

"Ye'r welcome ta come. Are ye trained wi' tha' spear? Ever used it to kill somethin'?" He arches an eyebrow. "Need to know how best to use ye'."

"As fer the rest o' ye, if an' when we finish this an' make it back to the manner, ye've my word ye'll be clear o' whatever charges landed ye on the head sheep's bad side, if I have to smuggle ye' outta that keep meself."

The woman admits that she has no training with the spear.

Dietric takes her aside and explains something like ''push it in, pull it out, repeat till dead"


The two poachers, who look like they could be brothers, smile at Cormac's promise of help with the law.

[JMaytr]

"Yes, it is true; prisoners fighting for Alam will be given asylum in Tuornen if they surrender to me." The Duke says. "Though if you would continue your criminal ways, the dungeons of Haes are inescapable. This is your chance to start over. Pick yourself up from your past and become Tuor. Be proud. don't squander your life for a greedy, dying old man who uses you as fodder."

[Adam]

With that, Cormac turns his horse and leads the group in the direction of the village, explaining the plan to them along the way.

[ewancummins]

"Yes, it is true; prisoners fighting for Alam will be given asylum in Tuornen if they surrender to me." The Duke says. "Though if you would continue your criminal ways, the dungeons of Haes are inescapable. This is your chance to start over. Pick yourself up from your past and become Tuor. Be proud. don't squander your life for a greedy, dying old man who uses you as fodder."

The man bows his head again and speaks in a hoarse voice- ''That's a fair offer Your Grace makes. And a man would be lucky to have you for his lord, I see. That was really you, the first night, leading the charge. I wasn't sure till I saw you up close, but the others said it was true. "
The prisoner looks up at Devlin, his face held rigid but no longer contorted in fear.
"I'd like to be free, of course. Is there something I can do that won't get my friends out there killed, but will help you?"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Your Grace--a word?" He inclines his head away from the prisoner and toward the door.

[ewancummins]

THE RESCUE MISSION

With that, Cormac turns his horse and leads the group in the direction of the village, explaining the plan to them along the way.

Cormac and his four helpers ride to Fox Run.

...

As they draw near the town, they see firelight, like a bonfire or maybe a house burning near the center.
The widow holds the horses behind a hill, whispering to keep the beasts calm.

Cormac creeps forward to scout, with Dietric and the poachers watching and covering him with hunting bows.

In the dark narrow streets of the town Cormac nearly runs afoul of a big fierce-looking goblin when a loose board, maybe ripped from a house, cracks under his feet. The great goblin casts about, peering into the darkness with eyes like hot coals...but it does not seem to notice the druid, who is able to escape in the falling rain.

Lightning crackles overhead and a loud peal of thunder rolls out. The excited jabber of goblin-talk sounds from the square.

Risking a quick look in the square, Cormac sees a figure that might be a man plastered with felt, lashed to a stake or log lying on the ground, with a lot of small, wet, grumpy goblins standing guard nearby. Dozens of goblins of all sizes and several black wargs head into houses, in some cases after ripping open or busting down the doors. A black pit dug near the stake seems to be flooding with muddy water. A couple of mud-spattered goblins clamber out of it with spades, shrieking and shaking their tools at the sky. The bonfire burns high in spite of the flame, hissing and sending up clouds of pine-scented smoke.

[Adam]

Cormac looks to check that the others are ready, and then points a finger towards the goblins near the pit.

Aerik, now is the time to call down your wrath, he thinks to himself as his mind reaches out to the clouds, grasping a bolt of energy with his will and directing it to the goblin holding his shovel up to the sky.

[JMaytr]

"Of course, Captain."

Devlin walks out of earshot with Renn.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Sir, I don't know what you've got planned for that poor bugger, I think the best thing we can do is send him back to confirm the rumors of your generosity. If that rabble are grumbling against Alam, we can win a few defectors, or at least play havoc with his morale."

"But that only works if we keep him more in awe of us than he is of Carilon. Right now he's in Your Grace's pocket, but if we sent him back fear of your cousin may unman him. But give him over to me for a few hours, Your Grace, and I'll put loyalty into his heart. Back in Ghonallison, I was a warden for my father. I kept the scattered clans safe from the reivers. Little real difference between them, really. But I taught brigands like that poor sod in there how to love the law like their own mother. With your permission, Grace."