Luthien considers how to broach this with dignity...

"Was it necessary to feed the Lion to the snakes? There were quicker ways to dispatch him. Moreover...if the snakes are thorough, there won't be anything left of him to deter others."

It bothers him a little, though he wasn't about to question it in the field.

   The Elf Motions to the Porch  next to him, or the rocking chair Behind him,..have a seat, Good Luthien..... Then continues  after he swallows the last of his roll, taking a sip of the  wine. He looks at the Moons while he speaks.

 ..the first Lion..the Leader...Lies  flayed and quartered in the grasses...by now?..scavengers..whether it be Goblins, or large Insects, or Birds, have torn it  up more...But..any who come across the remains, will know the Leader of that Unit was killed and tortured...a very..very Undignified way for a Lion to die....word will spread...word always spreads......  he Sipped  again and frowned that the mug was now  empty. He put in down , next to him with a sigh.

 ..the One we fed to the Serpants? That was for the Gods. The Alpower looks on..he allows the others  to HAndle the running of the world...if the Alpower  takes a hand in things...it is often quick and Brutal... I gave the   second Lion as an offering to Mina...that she sees the balnec, more or leass , being restored..the Cats ate Humans and Elves....I fed a Cat to the Serpants...it helps the CAt i offered to her, was one of the those, who fed on us....

 ..Somewhere across the river Storm...is a third party of Cats, that belobged to the Group....They would have heard the Cat's Cries...may have even heard the first Cats cries of pain, as we Questioned it....normally, Good Luthien..the Second Lion would have been staked to a Dead tree, while it slowly Bled out...so others would hear it  calling out for aid...But we may need  Mina on our side at some point...i figure the offering was for the best...

As an offering to Mina...well, he could accept that. Mina and Tra are allies, as befits goddesses of Nature and the Hunt, respectively.

"There is indeed balance in nature. And I know that cat and others had eaten our kind before. I was helping the girl who'd been marked for dinner wash her hands clean before we arrive. Perhaps it's because Tra guides me that I keep feeling like things should be killed quickly. If it were animals being hunted for food, we certainly wouldn't cause them any suffering, and we'd try to waste as little of them as possible."

Because that's how a good hunt should be.

"Hunting sentient creatures...I suppose I feel I should do the same...and offer them the same sort of Hunt, even if they technically deserve worse."

  Kree casts a glance over his shoulder, a wane smile on his face,...if i went to hunt....say...survivors of a battle, against, those i fight for?..I would kill them quickly, maybe....maybe..even take a prionser, depending on what race they were....But Slavers...Catfolk...and RedIsle Halfings....and Red Elves...they have earned more then a quick death...I want my foes to realize, there are fates worth then Death, Should  Me and Mine, come upon them...if it stops one Human, from turning slaver?..it is worth it...because that one person , could  ruin, dozens of lives...

 ..My foes, have Much to Atone for...and everytime  i find a group, such as this?...the MArkers collect...very heavy indeed...on my side of the scale...when time for payment comes...I am not squeamish, about collecting...

Luthien ponders.

"I get the value of deterrence, but there's also another front such a war can be waged on. It would be of equal value to teach people that no man, or elf, should set himself above another. That nobody has the right to hold another as a slave. We can't be everywhere, and fear only reaches so far. But if people's values change, and the great majority of people start believing in the dignity of their fellows, most ideas of slavery should be shut down before they ever take root...not out of fear of reprisal, but because it's simply not a path they'd ever consider in the first place."

Of course, the problem with Luthien's way is that it takes longer to change the culture of a people. The plus side is, it IS more permanent.

 ...good Luthien...the City Engar, is  an allie of Ironmound...yet...yars ago, we found the Compound of one of the LTs that lead the raid on my Village....they were just outside the reach of Engar...in..'free' lands....The LT, and his family, and all his men, and those slaves who were turned..died....The Arrows reach  is long..the stories told, reach further...on the tongues of Bards..and tales in Inns...

 ..I seek not, to bend you to my thoughts. I merely hope  for your understanding..whether it comforts you...or turns your bowels...  he shrugs as he looks  back to the  Moons,..HArte...is  the beating heart of this evil...until Harte is overthrown...we musttreat ourselves to the deaths of the slavers and thier allies...as we can...

Well, if Harte's the problem...

"If Harte's the center of the issue...how well defended is it? How much reconissance do you have on that city? Not every city necessarily needs an army of comprable size to be taken down..."

Hearing there was a central nerve point to attack did wonders for his faith. Because now he can focus on getting information to take THAT down.

  Kree slowly shook his head, HArte...or HArgen..depending what language you use..is on par with Ironmound...the two titans of this world, each with its own allies...there have only been a hnadful of open war betwen them...because the High Peaks are a nartral barrier..so?..Minions do battle...

Luthien can't help but think of grand deeds of glory, storming a mighty city of evil like like that, taking it down...ending its influence on the world.

"We aren't strong enough to assault something like that. Not yet. But someday...perhaps. I guess we must...keep practicing on the slavers we see until we're ready to take the system itself down."

   We hurt them. We hurt them bad enough for a price on our heads..Arrows..at any rate....everytime then send people..we make  more examples...Harsh ones...and let the word  travel back...The Furman's chain acts  as our  eyes and Ears, in the Mountains....they send runners, when troops are send over the Peaks...I say?  Let them come..the more we kill now? the less we need to kill later...

Hmmm.

"Well, until we have sufficient strength to take down the system itself, and the city it comes from...that'll have to do."

But taking down the city itself...what a blow that would be to evil everywhere. Disorganized, without a command center...they'd be easy to wipe out from there.

In reply to Luthien (msg # 37):

"Don't underestimate how resourceful evil can be." Diana said.
"It is like the proverbial organized crime syndicate.  Take down one leader, and another is quick to rise to take the place.  You can  deal it crippling blows, but at the end of the day, that is all you can do. " Diana said.

  The Night  Goes  by, only the sound of  the Ferry Horn as another Group of  people come across to reach the other side.

  The Arrows  assembled as the Ferry Made ready to go across, None of the people the saved were going to Ironmound, or Bowshot, at least HAlf were going with teh wagons that came over in the night, to go to Tou, the rest were Going to Razorhawk Village

   Mia was approached By Kree as he gave her the parchment , with the list of kills on, He also gave her an Arrow pin and gave her a soft Voice  lecture  on listening to her trainers, and whomever became her foster parents.. She nodded Dutifully, and  went out the GAte  with the wagons and those headed to the Village...The woman  with the little Girl who had been marked, also was headed towards the  Black Timber, But, the 'leader', and the man, were headed to Tou.

  Then, Kree whistled for  the arrows  to  board the  Ferry,

In reply to The Inn (msg # 39):

Rising early as was his custom Justin conducted his pre dawn devotions at the temple. Returning to the inn for a morning meal and possible brief from Kree. After which he bid the refugees safe passage then boarded the ferry.

Laithia headed outside and spent the night with Navarre. She hoped Foril may join her but knew he was busy with Kash exchanging arcane knowledge. She just could not find sleep this night as she slipped in and out of reverie.

When the morning came, she quickly packed up and getting Navarre set headed to the ferry. When Kree whistled, she looked around and with a teasing grin, nudged Kree, "so where are the dogs? Oooh we are the dogs eh? Should I sit and beg?" She laughs as her hip swings into Kree playfully as she boards the ferry.

 With a slight Kree, he keeps  walking as he says over his shoulder,...always like it when you beg....

 Ivy Came Up from behind them, Looking from one to the other..wait?..You beg?..why do I have to beg you?

"Hmmm I would love to see you both beg! You do know that you could never resist my begging Kree! You would be putty in my hands were I to plead with you," she says with a sexy little laugh as she turns to Ivy.

"I know you love to beg Ivy! You just can't help yourself when you are around me," she jokes with the two as they walk onto the ferry.

  Well...still think  its not fair.... he grins  as they walk, Ivy twirling his  bow in his right hand.

  There is  one last cart coming off 3 human men were with it, one  driving the CArt, the other two seemed like hired swords.

  The ONe Looked at Kree, Ivy and Laithia and snorted in disgust. Damnable Elves...ye can't swing a dead Cat without hitting one...

  Kree stopped and  looked at the man, and the CArt,..funny you should say that...we just finished...'swinging dead cats'..however... I am thinking...the Cats would  be swinging you...

  Then he looked at the CArt Driver,..old man?..You should get your coin back for this one...his sword hilt  has loose  wrappings  and the top shows tarnish...the last time he used this blade was to open a  sack of horse manure...

 The MAn MAde a MOve to grab the  baddly cared for blade,  Ivy stepped between the two, his Bow slapping down on the MAn's hand,..Sir?..You draw that blade? and you will be serpant bait before you know you are dead....

  The Man looked at Kree, the angry elf's dirk was already drawn, and held  in such a way, to have come up , under the man's ribs....the  DArkness in Kree's eyes..scared him more then the blade...

  The CArt driver   said something in an odd language,and the three Moved off, the driver..twacking..the  man on the back of the  head with the buggy whip.

  Kree swiveled the Dirk in his hand  as he shook his head. Sheathing the Blade he walked onto the Ferry, heading to the far side...

Luthien noticed the man being a little rude...and tries to phrase a more diplomatic response.

"To be more exact, we just took down a group of catfolk slavers that were planning on, among other things, eating a little girl...a human girl, might I add...for their next supper. If you cannot respect who we are, at least respect what we do."

Luthien, of course, is no elf...but he doesn't look quite human either.

Riku didn't sleep at all.  She would come to and fro from the building, make rounds around the small ferry camp and then would come back in and check on everyone.  When Kree alerted everyone that they would be leaving, she was already satcheled up and ready to go.

When Laithia, Kree, and Ivy were flirting about, she nestled on one of the arm rests of the ferry as they traveled.

Only beautiful people like us get the best taunts at those less fortunate to beg for attentions, she winked between the three and let her wings flutter to keep her balance.

Kashtheil waited patiently till it was time to leave. He said nothing and just followed the others quietly.

In reply to Kashtheil (msg # 47):

Diana rose in the morning, went to have some breakfast, and got ready to leave.  She gave her horse a quick brushing, even though he didn't really need it.  then she saddled him and climbed aboard.
She didn't say much of anything to anyone. Truth be told, she was glad to be on the road again.  While it was nice to sleep in a bed, and have a hot, cooked meal, truth be told, she missed the road.
So, when word came that they were moving out, she was glad.

  As the group stood on the ferry, the men and elves of the Ferry used the sweeps and Guide  rope to pull them across the Tou..The Storm River was Vast, mearly a Half mile wide in some places, This spot on the Tou was on of the most narrow, and was a mere 300 yards across.

 As they Looked around they could see some folks  from the ferry ( on eitehr side)  fishing  with Large poles and Fine Line, Pulling in fish, for food, or  for salting...once in a while, they might get lucky, and get a smaller serpant..but they were as hard to land, as they were to catch.

 Looking into the Murkey water  itself...they could see a Fin off a ways as a serpant flexed to dive down towards the bottom...sometimes a bird  would fly down an snatch a fish from, just below, the surface.

Foril smiled to Kash, "I heartily approve of utility magics.  You have a good selection too.  I had to more or less settle on mine, as there were few effective war spells but utility purposes are served by most of them as many can be applied to more than just turning foes into large candles.  Magic is an interesting thing, more powerful than any of us, but still it bends to the will of almost the weakest and enthralls even heroes."

He put himself of the ferry close enough to the others to where he figured he could converse with any that desired it.  He wasn't trying to close himself off from any of them he just didn't know what to say really... to hand combat specialists from such a hostile land.

In reply to Foril Kaniir (msg # 50):

Kashtheil nodded in agreement. "Well my time was spent in libraries or taverns mostly, so there was no great need for offensive magic."