Ulfr eases his great bulk down from his workhorse and begins to help the work crew handle the large section of pipe. He looks infinitely more suited to this type of work than he does that of a warrior. Even with his great strength he is clearly a craftsman at best and at worst a farmer.

A'kos watches the mongrels flee into the wood.  For a moment he contemplates following, but he is no fool and instead retreats back to the work crew.

"They fled into a small copse of trees ahead," he tells Jean.  "A likely spot for ambush, so I came back to report.  I'll move ahead again and keep watch - I'll be in shouting distance, so if they're up for a frolic I'll whistle...might just leave you one just for fun and giggles if you don' take too long!"

With a chuckle he head's back up the road, pulling the lion carving again from his pouch.  Whispering the activation he tosses it toward the ground and grins at the appearance of a fully grown Lion.

"Hello, friend," he says softly before turning his eyes toward the trees.  "Roam a bit off to my left, if you will and keep an eye out for...prey."

A'kos and his lion head along the trail towards the thinly forested area. Before he gets within 100 feet of the trees...

zing...
whizzz...
Zing....

Three arrows fly over his left shoulder and into the brush on the other side of the path. Then there is a massive commotion in the trees as the three horsemen break out of the cover and head off at top speed. Un fortunately for them they get tangled in the brush and each other and their escape is not all that quick. Leo is almost upon them before they made their escape.

"Hoy, foes," cries A'kos over his shoulder before grabbing a spear kicking Storm's Wind forward.  "Fly, horse, fly!" he continues jubilantly, and once within range he throws his spear forward and draws his sword.

20:37, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 8 using 1d6+2. initiative.


"Attack the rear one, Leo," he calls as he looses his throw.

20:36, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 3 using 1d6. dmg.
20:35, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 25 using 3d20 with rolls of 7,14,4. Leo att's.
20:35, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 3 using 1d6+1. dmg.
20:34, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 17 using 1d20+1. to hit.

"You men ward the workers. I will see to A'kos."

Jean heeled his warmount into motion and rode to the sound of A'kos' voice.

One of the Pecheneg riders fall to A'kos and the other to Leo as the Magyars spear enters the back and does it's best to exit the riders chest. The onyx claws of the black lion drag hte Pecheneg from his mount and make short work of the hybrid.

The last of the riders does something completely foolish and turns toward A'kos and the lion and with a fair bit of skill bypasses both. He is heading towards the onrushing Sir Jean but does not look like he is trying to engage the Frankish knight, instead it looks like he is going to try and get passed him as well.

A'kos wheels and follows on the mongrels rear right flank.  He asks Leo to do the same upon the opposite flank, though he will not engage until the Frank has had his chance.

As the mongrel rider nears Jean he begins to veer to the right. his left hand remains on the reins while his right hand fumbles with some sort of vial about 5 inches long.

Jean lowered his Spear and heeled his horse into a thundering charge.

Sir Jeans lance catches on the Pechenegs helmet and nearly rips the mongrels head off with the force. The hybrids horse runs off into the hills alone as the freshly dead hand of the raider still clutches the vial.

Conn rides ro where the fallen Pecheneg lays and dismounts. Stooping down he picks up the vial and looks for any markings upon it. if does not see any he will open the vial and lightly sniff it.

Miroslav the big Rus jumps from his mount and lunges at Conn knocking the vial from his hand...but it is too late. He has already taken a sniff of whatever was in the vial and is now on the ground, his breathing shallow and growing shallower by the second.

The area where the vial spilled turns brown and all the vegetation dies within a minute or two.

"Quickly Miros lift him to me! You men must ward the workers while I try to get him to a healer!"

Assuming Miroslav complies Jean will ride hell bent for town shouting for a healer as soon as he reaches the gate.

Miroslav tosses Conn onto the back of Sir Jean's mount with ease..."May Stribog be at your back!" he says as he slaps the rump of the Franks horse.

"God bless him if he can keep up! Donnerhuf FLY!!"

Bred to carry armored Knights into battle Jean's war mount was a freakish specimen of horseflesh. It hurtled toward the city at a speed frightening to behold in a beast of it's size.

The Frankish knights expertly trained mount races back to the city but before Sir Jean is even a sixteenth of the way back, he feels the body of Conn shudder behind him in it's death rattle. As he looks over his shoulder he sees than a very large amount of blackish brown sludge has flowed out of Conn's gaping mouth, nose and ears...almost like his organs had liquefied.

"Hades bloody balls," mutters A'kos as he watches the Frank speed away.

"Ah...damn..."

The taste of failure was bitter in his mouth as Jean turned his mount to return to the aquaduct repair site.

"God be with you on your journey friend."

The Knights face was downcast as he arrived back with the others and he dismounted quickly and began to wrap the remains of Conn in a blanket.

A'kos slows Storm's Wind as he nears the aqueduct, and mutters a brief prayer to the four winds.  Dismounting, he calls Leo to him, and mutters the activation word...and places the figurine back into his pocket.

Sighing, he kneels and assists Jean in wrapping up their fallen comrade's remains.

Radvila from the shores of the Baltic sea lowers his head and speaks in a language that no other present speaks, "Gegužės dievų pasigailėk mūsų visų." Then in Greek he says "These men were sent to poinson the cities water supplies."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:20, Sat 05 June 2010.

Miroslav looks down sadly at the body of Conn as it is being wrapped then loaded into the wagon..."Conn was a Christian. We will find a priest in the city to perform rites for him when we return."

He looks to Radvila..."I agree with you. I believe they were sent to poison the water. Perhaps just tossing the open vial into the pipe would have done that, once it was repaired, perhaps not but that was the intent."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:44, Mon 07 June 2010.

THe work crew do an excellent job repairing the aqueduct completely and quickly. By morning the party is back in Dobrynya's camp at the north gate being fed and rushed off to bunks in the makeshift garrison for a few hours sleep.

Jean sets himself to the task of finding a priest to perform funeral rites for Conn before he rests.

As it turns out there are a few Christian Rus among Dobrynya's retinue. One of them is a low level cleric but has performed the services more times than he should have in his few years.

The Knight prays for Conn and sees to the security of his property so that it can be transferred to his heir.

Quietly he vows on Conn's grave to visit retribution on the Pechenegs for their predations.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Mon 07 June 2010.