Turn 51A -- Another Dilemma

Beleg listens carefully to Kuiper's report. When the ranger has finished he moves to stand beside Lyntern. Placing his arm around the boy's shoulder in an attempt to be friendly as well as to keep him from running off, he then addresses the companions, "It is obvious to me that we can not assault this keep while the young lord here is with us. As much as it galls me, I must insist that we depart and escort the lad home." Beleg then turns to look Lyntern in the eye, "Young Lord, you have a responsibility to your father and your people. Your being here without your father's approval is unforgivable and I will not countenance such behaviour." Beleg then releases the lad and turns away.

"Members of the Red Feather Company, if you allow this boy to run away from his lawful responsibilities, you will do so without my aid. What say you all? Will you join me in taking the lad home?"

"Sure, we can take the lad home. Buy why?" asks Ortho. "The lad shows some spunk by following us here. Yes, he may not be fully ready to go adventuring, but which one of us was when we started out? Even now we, as a group, are woefully unprepared (notice Ras' lack of armour?). The lad has his own mind and desires, wants and needs. Who are we to tell him what is best for him? Who of us listened to our betters? Probably only you Beleg as you have this great desire to have those around you live up to your own personal code of beliefs and desires."

Ortho moves over to a position to address the whole company, "Nay, let the boy stay if he so desires. If he is man enough to make his own decisions, then he is man enough to live with the consequences! Hear me, boy? You may get skinned within yonder keep. Are ye prepared to die like that?" Lyntern merely nods his head in acceptance. Ortho shakes his head as he continues, "I, for one, will try to see that no harm comes to you buy you must be aware that the only one that can truly keep ye from hard is yerself. Are your skills up to such a task?"

Again, Lyntern nods his head. Placing his head in the palm of his left hand and shaking his head, Gnore looks up at the group and smiles defeatedly. He then steps up to speak so that everyone can hear him, "No, the boy was introduced to adventure by my idea for a little adventure. I summoned the demon whelp, I will take care of him. I also agree that we should question him for all he knows about this keep." Looking at the boy, Gnore continues, "Lyntern has come here of his own re-course and should accept the consequences of his actions. I will comply with what the company decides. Regardless, he is my responsibility and I will safe-guard him."

He finishes with a stab of his bastard sword into the ground before him.

"For the record," begins Ortho again, "I follow Moraddin the Soul-Forger. And it is written that there is no greater developer of one's soul, of one's character, than proving oneself in battle. If the boy feels he is ready to prove himself, I will not stand in his way. It would be doing him a great disservice and would be seen as a sin against the lad."

"I say we pursue our own course. The boy has chosen his. Are we such tyrants that we will not allow another person to make their own decisions? Nobody gave us the power to impose our will upon another. Nor should we want to. And it should not matter who his father is!"

Beleg listens respectfully as Ortho states his opinion regarding Lyntern and life's philosophies. "Why take the boy home? Because it's the right thing to do. I agree that it makes no difference who the boy's father is. Even if his father were a poor shepherd, I would say the same. The boy's father has made it clear that this is against his wishes. The boy is not of an age where he can make such decisions on his own. I will not force him to return to his father, but I will not join myself with any person who disregards what is right." Beleg looks at Ortho before continuing, "Once again, Master Ortho, you open up the great philosophical debate. Perhaps someday you and I will have the leisure to sit and discuss such questions. You ask, 'Who are we to tell him what is best for him? Who of us listened to our betters?' I am not telling anyone what they must do. I only make all of you aware of what my heart and codes tell me is proper."
Beleg turns again to face Lyntern, "What say you, young Lord? Are you truly prepared to ignore the lawful command of your lord and father? I have no right now any desire to force my will upon you. Yes, if you remain here in spite of your father's known wishes, then I tell you that I have no respect for your decision, nor will I countenance such a choice with my presence. I will gladly accompany you on the road home if that is your decision. Otherwise, I will have to separate myself from you and your companions as soon as circumstances permit me to do so. I await your decision." Beleg stares at the young man, waiting for a reply. Lyntern is about to answer when Dain interrupts him.

"Perhaps we should find out why the boy is here before we drag him back to daddy by his ear. When we do return him, the count will either reward us for saving the boy or have our heads for putting thoughts into his head. Take your pick."

Kersath moves closer to Talimar and speaks low enough that Lyntern cannot hear him, "Personally, I'd prefer to tie him up in a tree and gag him, so he won't interfere, but that's only me" he says with a half-smile.

At this point, the newest member of the company steps forward to address the group, "Sir Beleg, it appears you've created an impasse for us," says Kuiper. "I disagree. If he is the son of the local lord of the area then this keep is, by rights, his property. It would seem only proper that a representative of royalty be present. It also seems obvious that he has encountered many difficulties in attempting to join us. A man alone would have many problems in these deep woods yet he lived to meet us here. Perhaps he was under the eye of a divine protector. You have to admit, the timing was rather providential in his meeting us here at this time."

"I am sorry that you disagree with me, Master Kuiper," says Beleg. "However, I must respectfully say that I am not concerned with convincing anyone here of the validity of my reasoning. He has violated the law and given no mitigating reason for doing so other than youthful pride and exuberance. Your reasoning seems to me to be no more than a weak attempt to justify the situation based upon facts that the young man could not have known when he decided to act. I would agree that providence may well have allowed him to survive the dangers of the forest and arrive here prior to our explorations. However, I would argue that this was done to allow us to protect him and see that he returns to his rightful place, not so that he could assist us in our exploration. Whatever our personal opinions of this matter may be, this is neither the time nor the place for a lengthy debate of religious faith or the dealings of fate. Let the young lord answer me as he sees fit and I will choose my road based upon his answers."

With a slow smile, as if enjoying a joke only he can hear, Kuiper turns toward Lyntern, "So, Master Lyntern, it comes to this. Our stiff-necked friend here has seen fit to let you choose your fate. Please share with me your story."

"Enough!" says Lyntern rather forcefully, drawing a number of raised eyebrows from the members of the company. "You will no longer call me 'boy' or discuss my future as if I am not here!" He then rounds on Beleg, pulling up to his full height, looking up at the paladin to address him, "You sir, claim that I have broken some law. What law is that? I merely said that my father did not know where I was and that he would not have let me out of the keep without an armed escort. He never forbade me to go looking for you and this group looks like a pretty darn good armed escort to me!"

Feeling confident now, Lyntern moves to walk among the company as he speaks, "You are the ones who have been dishonourable. I entered into an honourable agreement with you to trade my information about this keep and the secret to it's past in exchange for an adventure. I held up my end of the bargain and you attempted to fool me with some stupid little trip to Milborne to 'escort' the mage here back to town. Do you think I am that stupid? I am only glad that you did not go along with your crazy idea of having the thief there attempt to attack the camp."

Dain attempts to hide a smirk behind his pipe. Other members of the party are not as quick to hide the incredulous looks on their faces that the boy knows of the ploy.

"What? Did you think you could actually have a conversation in the middle of the great hall of a keep and not have it overheard? You are the naive one's here then. I knew of the whole story. And I think it time that you live up to your end of the bargain."

"Also, you will note that I am of age to make decisions on my own. Why, I'm as old as he is," he says as he points toward Kre.

"And Master Kuiper is right. I am the lawful heir of this property and it is well within my rights to be a part of this expedition. Just because my father wants to keep this black spot on my family's history hidden that doesn't mean that I want to. And if bandits are once again using this keep as a base of operations then I feel it is my duty as the future ruler of this land to be a part of the expedition that rids them of this base."

Lyntern ends by turning to face Beleg once again, "Again, master Beleg, I am breaking no laws by being here today. And I feel that I am only living up to the responsibilities of my lineage to be here and protect my lands and the people that live on them. The question is for you now, are you prepared to live up to your end of a bargain entered into honourably on my part or will I return to my father's court with the words that the Red Feather Company is not an honourable group fresh on my lips? I will let the company decide." Lyntern then steps aside to let the group discuss the next course of action.