I find it difficult to speak about someone I didn't truly know. Lyriel pauses looking towards the swirling ashes of Trish's funeral pyre.

However, I find that despite all of his horrid actions as a monster, she draws in a breath as she raises her hand to touch the place where she had been bitten, I would like to think that perhaps the man has found peace at last.

The five companions now form a ring, facing inward at each other. Zuriel begins to speak, wanting to say something to honor Giles' history as a hero. Honor the man, not the beast. But as he opens his mouth, the image of Trish's decapitated head, sightless yet starting accusingly floats to his mind, and his throat closes up.

I...can't

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 357):

Either unaware or unconcerned with the difficult sentiments his companions have voiced, Keef steps forward.

He crouches on the ground and finds a roughly flat stone the size of a tea plate and turns it up on its side so that it sticks out of the ground a few inches.  A memorial of sorts thus erected, Keef clears his throat and begins.

  Oh... people gathered here, we gather here to remember the great Sir Giles Thistleworth, hero of the people, rogue, scholar and... uh... werewolf.

We knew him only a short while, but we had his long and glorious reputation to know him by as well as that short time... he protected the weak and he protected his own.  Also he was dashing and skilled, which I guess counts for something.

He was good.  He wasn't a hero because he was good looking or strong or fast or smart... I mean he WAS, but... he was a hero because he gave of himself for others.

Keef pauses to think.

I guess when we knew him... he wasn't being very heroic all the time, but that wasn't all his fault.  He was a cursed man and a tortured man.  Maybe it was hubris that led to his fall, maybe just the curse, I don't know.

He had one failing though at least... maybe we all do.  We both had it rough, Giles and me... and I failed by leaving my father alone.  I should have stayed at home, maybe... but I wasn't doing a good job there so I hoped that by leaving, he wouldn't have to deal with my failures.  If I'd stayed, I could have helped if only I were good enough.

Giles went the other way, he went back and... well I guess he tried to save those he'd left behind.  He spoke a lot of heroism and morals... I could tell that he'd thought really hard about all that stuff and I wish I had more time to learn from him.

Keef wipes tears and snot from his face with a dirty glove.

I guess that's it then.  Giles WAS a great hero, then something went wrong... he tried to come back I think... and that's what we can mourn: the hero he was and the man who tried.  Also too we can mourn the fact that we never knew him as he was... we may have learned from that.

Keef lowers his head and steps back.

For a while, nobody says anything, until finally Chubbs hops forward.

He blinks and shakes the sleep from his eyes, then clears his throat at great length.  From there, Chubbs launches into a long series of croaks, grunts, gurgles, sputters and chortles, seemingly without end.  As the noises continue, they alternately rise and fall in volume, become at once a heartfelt whisper, then a seeming laugh, then as casual as any conversation.  Chubbs shuffles side to side and bobs his head with the oratory.  As he goes into his fifth full minute of the speech, Keef's jaw finishes its long fall and he remains silent.  From Boreas' good eye, a single tear forms and glistens in the light.  Though nobody else can understand a word of it, a sense of reverence fills everyone nevertheless and all are compelled somehow to remain silent.

Chubbs finishes his speech and looks around.  For an instant stretched to eternity and breaking, there is no sound but echo.  Then, Chubbs blows a long wet raspberry at the deceased, kicks over the stone Keef just placed, and hops off.

In reply to Keef (msg # 358):

Well spoken, Keef. Maeve says after the youngster has said his bit.  You do honor to the man that Giles once was.

He speaks with wisdom beyond his years.  He's grown on this journey

As for Chubbs, Maeve has no idea what he said, but she assumes that it was both profound and poignant, if Boreas' expression is anything to go by.  The woodsman wipes at his eye, trying to pretend that it was irritated by the smoke from the pyre.

We should discuss our plans on how to proceed from here.  Zuriel, do you have the special ink for contacting Baldwin?  First order of business, we should let him know that we have retrieved the Godstone.  And then I guess we ought to consider setting up camp for the night.

Thank you Keef...for saying what I could not.

Zuriel nods in agreement at Maeve, taking out the map. And handing it over. "Good idea. I'm sure the bard will be happy to know we've recovered the Godstone. Before I head back to Hae'driel, though, I need to return to the wild elves. I have to take her ashes home...I don't know if she had family, but there must have been somebody who cared for her. And besides, somebody ought to let the elders know what has transpired."

And my uncle and I are long overdue for a family reunion...

He pauses before continuing. "If you all would rather head back directly, I understand. I just...have to do this."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

Of course.  Trish's family and friends deserve to know how she met her end. And you and your uncle undoubtedly have much to discuss.  It would also be good to see how Cassie is coming along in her training with the wild elves.

At the same time though, I would just as soon proceed straight to Hae'driel. We have important matters to discuss with Baldwin that we should address without further delay.

And no doubt Boreas' gold is burning a hole in his pocket. . . .

Maeve shrugs.

But that's just me.  What do the rest of you think?

Boreas listens, moved by Keef's speech.  Not by what he has to say about Giles, but by the maturity and emotional depth that he had not shown until this point.

After a moment, he joins the discussion of what to do next.

I understand your grief, Zuriel, but we came here on a mission.  We finally have the object we were searching for, and it would be foolish and dangerous to delay in returning it to the bard.

I know.  You feel responsible for her.  You want to learn more about your past.  Adventurers make sacrifices.  It's easy to sacrifice your own comfort, your own health.  The harder sacrifices come when you have to give up someone else's honor, or comfort, or life.

I get the feeling that, if the bard is right, we're going to need every day we've got.

Grief is a luxury that a hero can't afford.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:45, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

"You're right, of course. We can't delay returning the Godstone to Baldwin. You all should return to Hae'driel. I will go on alone back to the wild elves, and rejoin you in the city." Noting Boreas' expression, he continues. "This isn't about my grief. I can mourn anywhere. But somebody is expecting Trish to return, and I refuse to put them through the pain and uncertainty of not knowing whether she is alive or dead. Furthermore, I would feel much better about the state of the Wilderness if the wild elves were aware of what has transpired here, and keeping an eye on Mid'riel. My uncle may also be able to shed additional light on the situation with the gods."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:18, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

I have no doubt that Baldwin is in command of the magic we would need to contact the Wild Elves from Hae'driel.  I agree with you; they should be aware of what's going on in the forest.  But we don't have time for that.  You are part of the P.A.R.T.Y.  We need your strength and skills at our side, and our mission has to come before our personal needs.  Even noble ones.

Once the Godstone is safe, perhaps we can return, or at least we could send a messenger of some kind.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 364):

Keef nods and smiles.

I wouldn't mind seeing what Cassie is up to, but we should probably get the stone back... either way though, I'm ready!

As Zuriel and Boreas debate, Maeve busies herself with adjusting Wes' saddlebags to her approval.  The horse for his part appears to have been contendedly chomping the grass in a circle around him while the P.A.R.T.Y. have been braving werewolves and magical vaults.

He has a point, Zuriel.  If you leave on your own, you not only put yourself in danger, but us as well.  I think we all know that Lyriel would choose to go with you she smiles at the cleric, who predictably blushes at the truth of her words and if she does, you leave us without the benefit of your healing powers.  If any danger were to befall us on the way back to the city, I don't like to think of how we'd fare against it.  The same can be said for you.

And besides, if we learn more about the Godstone from Baldwin, we'll be able to approach Wildheart with more information and a better sense of how dire the situation is. Not to mention better equipped.  I'm sorry Zuriel, but I really don't see how we can delay this.

This...this is exactly the sort of thing Knight-Captain Edrahil tasked me with keeping Zuriel from doing...the reason I'm here, Lyriel thinks to herself bitterly. I have to stop him before somebody gets hurt.

Lyriel steps over to Zuriel, putting her hand on his arm. I know you feel honor-bound to return her ashes, and that's noble, but...the living need you more. We can get a message to the wild elves, to inform Trish's kin. And someday we will go back and return her ashes, I promise. You can keep them safe until then. Please Zuriel...

She knew that if Zuriel decided to go to the elves, he wouldn't allow her to join him. He'd send her with the party. She, of course, wouldn't leave him, but she'd have to explain why, and Lyriel didn't think she could bear it. Don't fight this, please. Don't make me reveal why I'm really here. Don't make me break your heart.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:15, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

Zuriel looks into the faces of his comrades. I hadn't considered a Sending...such a callous way to break tragic news, but, I think we don't have a choice.

"If...if we can get a message to the elves," he says slowly, "then we don't have to go back. At least not right away." He lets out a breath explosively. "We should try to get a move on before it's too dark. I don't want to make camp in this clearing. Too many ghosts."

The ghost of my uncle can wait.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:21, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

Boreas nods in agreement.

Let's cover as much ground as we can before nightfall.

Wes, good to see you again friend.

With night rapidly approaching, Maeve helps Keef clamber up onto the horse's back so as to cover more ground quicker.  The band of travelers walks/rides in silence for a time before Maeve breaks it.

I understand if you don't wish to speak of it. . . . .but what did the rest of you see in your visions?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:47, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

In reply to Maeve Hassan (msg # 370):

Keef, who had until that time been providing minute-by-minute commentary on the journey, Wes as a mount and his new sword, falls mute.  He lowers his eyes then looks away.

I saw... my ho- my OLD home... I saw my father... I was reminded that I abandoned him... it wasn't very pleasant.

Lyriel glances back at Keef, riding haphazardly on Wes. It's your father's responsibility to take care of you, Keef. Not the other way around. From what you've told us, you were right to leave him.

The cleric shudders as she remembers her own vision. I saw my brother... she says quietly, voice barely more than a whisper.

[Private to Zuriel Silendril: Lyriel locks eyes with you, expression haunted. It's clear there is much more to the story than simply seeing her brother's memory.]

I saw what could happen... will probably happen, if I see my father again.  He was never a good man, and I always had my suspicions.  But I never though he would go that far...

Maeve decides that, given the opportunity, she would not mind knocking Keef's father around a bit, at the very least putting the fear of the gods into him.  She wouldn't mind a crack at Boreas' sire either.

I saw my father as well, she says, quietly, but not at all distressed.

"And I saw mine as well, as you know. I saw him in a different light...Oddly, I think I understand him a bit better."

Zuriel looks off into the gathering night. We all saw visions of our fathers, yet Lyriel only mentioned Eldric. There's something more to that vision...she saw something. I've never seen her so haunted.

The party continues along, until a small clearing is visible just off the path. "We've made good time this afternoon. Let's stop here, and get an early start tomorrow," he says, indicating the break in the forest.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:30, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

Boreas surveys the area, ensuring it to be free of dangers and easily defensible.

[Survival 25]

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 376):

Funny that it would be fathers... I guess that makes sense.  Did you like yours Zuriel?

Chubbs follows Boreas around the perimeter of the clearing, double-checking his work.

Maeve rifles through the saddlebags for the tea leaves.  She briefly contemplates the chamomile but rejects it in favor of the Gaelian leaf that they're barely touched.  Given their busy day, the need to stay awake for watch, and the fact that it looks like there will soon be more reminiscing, she figures that they could all use a mild stimulant.

The smell of the brewing tea reminds her of home, when her father and his subordinates would sit around their dining room table drinking tea and mapping out battle tactics while a much younger Maeve sat in the corner playing with toys. She recalls the hardened warriors laughing delightedly on one occasion when they glanced over at the little girl only to notice that she had arranged her dolls in a perfect phalanx.

A small smile crosses her lips as she settles down to hear more about Sir Edrahil.  From what she has heard from Zuriel, the man reminds her a great deal of her own father.

If they ask me about the General, I'll tell them. she thinks.  I have proven my own worth, there's no reason to keep it a secret anymore.  Maybe there never was a reason at all.  Zuriel and my vision have shown me that.

Zuriel looks over from where he sits by the fire, delicately sipping at his steaming mug of tea. "My father is...complicated. He's a stern, hard man, bound by his code of honor as a paladin, but even more so, the code society forces him to live by as scion of House Siléndril. That weight has always weighed heavily on him, and he has taken to thinking he alone knows what is best for the family, and the family name. What is best for me, without explanation. So yes, I suppose he and I didn't always get along. But the vision I had showed me that he does care, in his own way. Within the constraints that bind him. It's just that...he rarely shows it."

The paladin falls silent, staring into the fire.

Someday soon, Father...you and I are going to have a chat long overdue.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 379):

The P.A.R.T.Y. slowly files into its accustomed watch order, keeping a rotating sentry over the dark forest that surrounds them.

The faint warmth of the morning sun plays across your features without incident, and the P.A.R.T.Y. finds itself facing another day's travel through vaguely familiar terrain -- a little older, a little wiser, and little better equipped to face the dangers that surely await them on their quest.

Ding!  Boreas, Lyriel, Maeve, Keef, and Zuriel have reached Level 6!  Please update your sheets accordingly.

~~ END CHAPTER 05 ~~