Turn 64 -- Rest and Recovery

Talimar looks appraisingly at the column of smoke rising from the burning keep, "That smoke is going to bring us some visitors. If we found no orcs in the keep, they are most likely around. This camp is set up in a fairly defensible position. We've got our backs to this stone wall of the keep and anyone coming on us has to come at us over open ground. Kersath and Kuiper, why don't you two take a roving patrol, the rest of us can patrol closer in." He then turns as if to speak to the exhausted clerics, but seeing them already out cold decides not to disturb them.

"Aye, good idea," begins Kersath in response to Talimar, "we haven't inspected all the rooms on the outer keep before we went down. Maybe we can find some other clues to help us."

Druckner perks up at the mention of this, "I agree with Kersath. I reckon there's a few loose ends to tie up here. First, the one friend Kersath just mentioned. Second, we should interrogate missy here." Druckner points to the sleeping woman Beleg rescued. "Third, what happened to the sniper in the tower? He could be a valuable source of information. And last, as Talimar mentioned, we didn't meat any more orcs in the keep. Either they're away or barbecued, or they live in some other place....like the mines."

Kuiper takes a moment from looking through his backpack to respond to Druckner, "I think I might know what happened to the sniper. Apparently after Randor commanded him to surrender, he started to come down out of the tower. He must have run into his the others who broke the spell because he was one of the ones we killed in the first room of the keep. I recognized him during the battle."

"Well that's settled then," answers Talimar. "As for the other, we'll handle it in the morning. I don't think the keep will be cool enough for exploring any time tonight."

Eyeing the booty with a sparkle of greed in his eyes, Dain speaks, "Aye, perhaps now I will have the coin to purchase a set of finely balanced throwing knives."

"I reckon there is enough magical loot here to keep me busy for quite a long while. Talimar would you care to help me when you have time? I intend to spend every moment I have on the way back to civilization."

Talimar nods to Dain as the mage begins to secure the items and prepare them for their identification.

Kre stalks off with the remainder of the chest, letting the others sleep. He moves to a spot away from the fire, but still in the light. Taking out his tools, he goes through the motions of opening the lock. As he works, he mumbles to himself, "Never should have let him do it...should've looked at it first and done it myself. Poor Ras never should've been hurt picking the lock. Curses....stupid lock..." He moves to clear some dust from his eyes and quietly mouths the words, "Everytime, someone always gets hurt." He then gets up and tosses the chest into a nearby tree, breaking the rest of it into little pieces. As the chest is splintered, from the bottom falls out a large leatherbound book of some type. Seeing the book fall to the ground, Kre moves over to retrieve it, turning it over and over in his hands as he brings it over to Dain.

"Here Dain, this might interest you."

Dain's eyes grow wide at the sight of the book, his smoking pipe actually falls out of his mouth and into his lap. He quickly recovers and places the pipe back in his mouth as he stammers, "A spellbook? Oh please, let it be...." With an almost reverent expression, he takes the book from Kre and begins to thumb through it.

"Yes! Yes, it is! Look Tal, a spellbook!"

Talimar smiles at the exhuberance from his friend, "Yes, Dain, a spellbook. We sure can use that."

The others then leave Dain and Talimar to the new spellbook and the identifying of the other magical items. The others lay down to rest for the evening, rising to take their appointed watch at the right hour. The evening passes quietly as the party rests beside the keep and the dying fires of the buildings. As dawn breaks Ras, Ortho and Randor rise feeling ravenous. Ras still can't move very well but he gulps down two portions of the gruel substance prepared by Kersath.

"Apologies that it is not as good as Dain's," offers Garth with a nod toward the sleeping mage, "but he went down about an hour ago. The best I could do."

"Good enough," says Randor around a mouthfull.

As they are finishing eating, Kersath walks out of the gates of the keep and into the party's camp. He has a crossbow and a quiver of bolts in his hand, his boots are covered in ash from the fire. He walks over to Druckner and hands the crossbow and bolts to the dwarf.

"I think you'll like these my friend."

Druckner looks at the crossbow and remarks at the exceptional quality of both the bow and the twelve bolts.

"Thank you, friend. Where did you find them?"

"Hidden in a compartment in the middle of the floor of one of the rooms. Apparently the fire couldn't get into the sealed hidden compartment. I found it though and the bow and bolts." Kersath turns to address Talimar as he moves over to ask about the keep. "Nothing left," he says as he sees the inquisitive look from Tal. "I couldn't get down to the lower levels as a lot of areas caved in. The outer buildings still stand but the ceilings all caved in. I did find an area with a cell that they kept the prisoners in but it was empty. Didn't look like a permanent prison cell just a makeshift holding cell. Nothing else within the whole mess. It's still pretty hot in some areas."

"Well thanks for the report," replies Talimar.

From the edge of camp, Kuiper then comes over to speak with Talimar and the others. "I think I'm going to head back to my farm and then on to Milbourne. Someone should tell Garyld what happened here and I can travel fastest alone, especially considering your injured companion. If you need me again, you know where to find me."

After everyone says their farewell and thanks to the ranger for his help, he heads into the woods back to Milbourne. With everyone now awake, preparations are made to break camp. As blankets and bedrolls are rolled up and ready to place back onto the horses, a squadron of armed men come riding through the trees and toward the camp. Everyone instinctively begins reaching for weapons and the group forms up into a tight circle for defense. As the riders draw closer, Lyntern cries out.

"Hold! Those are riders from my father."

As the group gets closer, Talimar can finally make out the standard of the Count of Parlfray. With weapons lowered but not put away, the companions let the riders enter the camp. A solitary figure dismounts and approaches Talimar. Dressed in his battle attire of chain mail vest and longsword at hip, the man is none other than Captain Dalaes. He nods to Talimar and the others before approaching Lyntern and falling to one knee.

"My Lord, I bid you greetings. I hope all is well?" Seeing the approving nod from Lyntern, he rises.

"Your father sent me to investigate this fire here in the Thornwood. What is the meaning behind the blaze?"

Lyntern relates the story of the sacking of the keep to Dalaes as well as telling the reason behind it. Dalaes listens intently and seem truly surprised at hearing of the bandits in the keep. He is especially appalled at the notion of Ranchefus and is horrified to hear of the presence of the altar.

"The sacking of yon keep seems long overdue," he replies after Lyntern finishes the tale.

"But that is a matter for others to consider. Your father also sent me with orders that if I find you for you to return to the castle. It seems that he has arranged for a wife for you. The bride is the daughter of an important noble in Cormyr I believe. It will be a most beneficial wedding for the House Parlfray."

Lyntern appears unnerved at this notion at first but as he thinks about it, he slowly seems to reconsider it. Strangely enough, he doesn't put up a fight about it or raise any objections. He simply turns back to Kersath and unsheathing the sword given him by the elf, returns it to him.

"Thank you for the use of your weapon," he says. "And thank you all for allowing me the privilege of adventuring with you. I do believe that I am not cut out for that life at the moment. I....I....never intended to kill a woman." he says with a look of deep sorrow in his eyes. "I guess I have a lot to learn."

After everyone says their farewells, Lyntern mounts up on a horse brought by the soldiers and they quickly leave the camp, Dalaes once again offering his gratitude to the party for looking after the young prince.

As the commotion from the departure of Lyntern and the soldiers dies down, Randor comes forward to address the group. "Well, I've been trying to talk to our prisoner. It seems that she's quite mad and beyond any of my powers to heal. Her name is Marlay and she worked for the men in the keep but she had no idea what was going on. She simply cooked for them on occassion and seems quite disturbed that her kitchen is gone. She's no use to us I'm afraid."

"Well what do we do now, cap'n?" asks Ortho to Talimar.