Turn 85 -- No Rest for the Wicked

Randor places his hammer back on his belt and takes off his badly battered helmet checking on just how bad the damage is and if it can be hammered straight again. Seeing no hope for the helm, he walks over to where Druckner is lying and assists Dain in bandaging the dwarf's wounds.

"If only I hadn't cast two spells I would have had more energy to heal him without hurting myself," groans Randor as he checks Druckner's situation.

Faltering a bit as his hands start to shake, Dain comments, "I guess the battle took a little more out of me than I had expected. I think it would be in Druckner's best interest if I were to turn him over to a professional." He then steps out of the way and lets Randor continue bandaging Druckner's wounds. Leaning heavily on his staff, Dain walks over to where Ras is checking the bodies of the orcs.

"Out o' me way!" thunders Ortho as he pushes his way to Druckner's side. "Ye've got ta learn ta duck now an' then Druck," says Ortho softly as he kneels to cast a cure on the prostrate dwarf. "Moraddin's not done with ye yet an' I wish ye'd quit tempting 'im. Tha's a good lad," comforts Ortho as the healing energies flow into Druckner. Druckner's breathing becomes even more regular after the healing of Ortho but he is still unconscious despite Ortho's ministrations. Feeling exhaustion sweep over him, Ortho backs away from the prone Druckner. "Ah'm spent. Someone else will 'ave to help 'im now."

Still caught in the grip of battle, Gnore turns to face Talimar and points at him with his bastard sword intent on venting his anger at the elf's bad judgement of pursuing the conflict. He opens his mouth but, to Gnore's surprise, finds nothing to say, at the moment. Druckner is hurt and that is where he, as dwarf kin, should concentrate his efforts.

Talimar just looks back at the dwarf unemotionally, then turns with his bow to watch over the group. The elf takes a moment to bind his wound to stop the bleeding.

Looking down at his cloak, Ortho can only shake his head. "Ah did it again. What's the use of having a nice cloak if people are going to keep bleedin' all over it? Gnore, lend me some water so Ah can clean up a bit, eh?"

Setting aside his shield and mace, Garth ambles over to where Randor has been bandaging Druckner. Wheezing slightly with fatigue, Garth kneels down to see more closely how Druckner is fairing. Alarmed by the pale mask that is Druckner's face, Garth speaks up, "The pain you wear with such fortitude shames me for feeling so tired when I have sustained no wounds meself."

"Randor, would you hold him steady for me? Bear with me a moment, Druckner."

Stilling himself a moment to catch his breath, Garth takes out his holy symbol of Selune. Gripping it in both hands, he kisses it gently and says, "Selune, I pray to you. Though my flesh is weak, grant me the spirit to heal this worthy soul."

Garth lays his crescent pendant on Druckner's chest with reverence. Placing his left hand lightly upon Druckner's wounded crown and his right upon his pierced side, he prays, "Oh Selune! I ask that this humble servant be worthy enough to shed some of your radiance and goodness in these forsaken caves. By your light I ask this one be healed. His heart is good and his spirit strong. He has served well alongside your servant."

Garth's face begins to glow slightly with the radiance of the moon. This subtle glow spreads quickly to his hands. Like water coursing down a brook, the glow runs from Garth's face and hands into Druckner's wounds. Slowly, the glow fades, until like a point of starlight it fades away. Although the wounds can not be seen beneath Dain and Randor's bandages, a slight pinkish glow can be seen tracing it's way round Druckner's cheeks, peeking out slightly from above his beard.

Utterly drained by his prayer Garth's winded state quickly returns. With only the strength to retrieve his holy pendant, he grabs it in time to fall unceremoniously on his bottom next to Druckner. Looking at him while massaging his temples painfully, he says, "We must both look a sight, eh?"

Seeing Garth's weakened state, Randor moves forward to speak, "My friend, you should not have weakened yourself so. Our friend will live and brother Ortho has already healed him some. Although it certainly helped him you needn't have taxed yourself so." Randor sighs then continues, "At this point our friend here is likely to be mostly healed and needs only sleep. Actually I would suggest that you do the same yourself and rest."

With that Randor helps Garth to his feet and carries him over to a nearby cavern wall where he sets him down, leaving to come back with a waterskin for the priest. Garth accepts the offered water with a warm smile and quickly gulps down half the contents of the skin. He closes his eyes to rest as he hands the skin back to Randor.

While the priests and mage have been working on the heavily damaged Druckner, Kre moves about the cavern retrieving his thrown daggers as well as those of Ras and Dain. Returning the blades to his friends, he moves over to the entrance to the eastern passageway. Hugging the shadows as best he can to remain hidden, he listens for anything coming from the passageway beyond. Hearing nothing, he moves back to the rest of the group.

"The passage seems quiet, but Kersath and I can scout down it a ways to make sure there aren't any traps or ambushes. I was never very good at questioning prisoners anyway," he says this last with a look of the two remaining orcs, now free of the web thanks to Ras and bound and gagged.

From his vantage point watching the passageway, Talimar nods to Kre and Kersath as they enter the chamber to scout ahead. The two quickly disappear into the shadows of the passageway without a sound.

As Druckner rests on the chamber floor, Gnore moves forward to place a hand on the shoulder of his companion, "Druckner, we won the day. I scored two kills and half a lizard. It seems all is returning to normal." Gnore says with a smile not knowing if his friend hears his words or not.

Druckner wakes up weak and in pain, but he grins at his friend. "I'm not sure how much I got, can't remember too clearly." He sits up slowly despite protestations from Gnore and looks around. "Well, as usual, thanks Ortho and Garth." He winces from the pain in his side, the wound healed but the bones sore nonetheless, "I thought I would wake in Moraddin's Halls. I hear that the dwarven wenches have comely beards there. I guess we gave those slimy orcs quite a whipping. Looks like you were right to attack Tal, although next time let us know. I'm sure we would be more effective if we acted in a coordinated manner."

Talimar simply nods from his post, relieved that the dwarf is alive and awake. Gnore smiles wider when Druckner wakes and remarks to his statement. He then moves over to the orcish prisoners and stands in front of them with his bastard sword in hand.

"What's the password?" Gnore spits through clenched teeth in the beast's tongue. "Speaking now would be less painful on your filthy hides."

Guttural orcish curses are the initial response from the creatures and Gnore repeats his question, this time with the point of his sword drawing blood from the smaller of the orc's neck. Gnore can see the fear in the beast's eyes and for a second he even imagines that he can smell it. Despite the fear, the orc refuses to answer and even spits in the face of Gnore as he asks a third time. Air explodes from the lungs of the orc as Gnore's fist slams into its abdomen. The blow is quickly followed by a hard slap to the face and blood trickles from the gnarled lip of the beast.

Gnore turns his attention to the larger of the orc prisoners, repeating his question for yet another time. A strange, garbled laugh emanates from the orc following the question, hatred fills Gnore's body and he turns his back on the orc fighting hard to control his anger. A curse from the orc causes Gnore to spin on his right heel, the pommel of his bastard sword crashing into the nose of the beast. The orc howls in pain as its already disfigured nose becomes more so with the bones breaking.

While the interrogations of the orcs continues, Kre and Kersath venture down the passageway for perhaps a hundred feet or so when they stop dead in their tracks. Coming from ahead down the passageway can be heard the booted footfalls of what sounds like a large force of some kind, perhaps a dozen or so. Of what they cannot tell but each can hear a few guttural urges as well as the familiar clinking and clanging of armor and weapons on the running beings. Whatever the creatures are, they are not trying to conceal their approach, speed being the priority here. Quickly judging the sound of the approach, the two know that they have a few minutes before they will reach their position and a couple more before the chamber beyond.

"Great.....It's a good thing we went scouting," whispers Kre to Kersath. "I'd hate to have them attack us unawares. What do you think we should do? I guess we should go back and warn the others, we might be able to set up a trap of some kind, you know, make it look like their guard force killed some of us while the others are hiding to hit them from behind. We better start heading back, we can think of something on the way."

Upon hearing the sounds of oncoming footsteps, Kersath's eyes widen in realization of what's going on. "We can't fend them off ourselves," he whispers, "I agree, let's get back now and we can prepare for their arrival better!"

Sheathing their weapons, the two companions turn and head back up the passageway to the chamber beyond, foregoing stealth for speed.

In the chamber, Randor continues looking at his battered helmet, "I don't suppose anyone has anything that I can fix this dent with?" he continues motioning to his helmet. "I have a hammer of my own but..." Randor says with a slight smile indicating the warhammer which is made to be more likely to damage armor than repair it. Shrugging his shoulders at the lack of response from his companions, Randor turns to look around for a suitable rock to hammer out the dents.

Across the chamber from Randor, Ortho sits up straight from the boulder he was leaning against and his eyes open wide. "Where is Bob?!" he asks everyone as he stands with axe quickly in hand, his eyes searching the chamber. The others look around frantically but Bob appears to be nowhere in sight. As Ortho takes up his pack and begins to move toward the western door to look for the prisoner, Kre and Kersath run into the chamber, each breathing heavily.

"We've got trouble," begins Kersath between breaths. "A force of armored creatures, perhaps a dozen or so, coming this way quick. We've got a couple of minutes before they come swarming into the chamber."