Marklin was on the battlements playing lookout.

Taerix rejoins the others.

Eoni gathered everyone at the front gate and explained what she and Aldara had discovered.

"This isn't just a raid on Drellin's Ferry," she said, holding up the rolled parchment of impressions.  "It's a coordinated invasion of Elsire Vale.

"We need to get back to Drellin's Ferry and warn them of what's to come.  We've done good work here but this wasn't the last of them by far.

"Gather up their bows and replenish your arrows if you haven't already and we'll take the road straight back to town.  Leave the armor, we have to make speed."

She'd expected that Gaston and his men searched the dead hobgoblins for valuables, but their bows were the lightest, most valuable, items the archers probably had.  Any weapons they could take and keep up their pace would be welcome back in Drellin's Ferry when the attack came.

The Sister believed they would lose Jorr once he neared his home.  The woodsman had been vital to their survival in the Witchwood and would be missed but he'd well earned his reward and Eoni was not loathe to part with four platinum from her purse.

Valthur returns to the others with a sack of gold slung over his shoulder. At first, he considers trying to hide it from the others, at least until the hired hands are paid and departed, but he soon realizes that the extra weight is best distributed among the party.

Aldara casts about as quickly as she can for daggers -- anything she can use to replace the ones she lost.

Sarah observes the riches found by others and looks  . . . disappointed?  Yes, that is the best word to describe her reaction.

But, she attends to the task of looking for useful weapons -- particularly crossbow bolts, as she has grown fond of her new toy.

"We'll need to be careful on our return," Eoni pointed out as she looked off to the East.  "We didn't find the plate clad leader we saw during our first ambush and he may be out with a patrol between us and Drellin's Ferry.  If they get word of our assault, they may be headed back in this direction or perhaps creating an ambush to catch us unawares.

"Taerix," she said to the halfling, "would you be able to scout the trail ahead of us as we go?  Just far enough out so that you have a chance to spot them before they hear Valthur coming down the trail."

"Sure thing," answers Taerix, moving to the fore when the party moves out.

"Hear me coming down the trail?" Valthur objects loudly. "I'll have you know we Ironhelms are quite soft of foot when needed. I can be just as sneaky as any of you."

He pauses for a moment to consider his last claim. "...except for maybe the halfling... and those of you who don't wear armor."

Another pause. "And the girl. Definitely not as quiet as her."

Gaston enters the keep and asks, "Have we found anything of value to make up for the great effort spent in raiding this forsaken keep?" Gaston's company seems quite intent on searching the keep for valuables.

"Valthur Gaston found a sack of coin," Eoni replied to Gaston.  She then repeated that they should replenish their arrows and collect the bows and perhaps swords from the hobgoblins.

She could have sworn the three men had gathered with the others when she'd first explained her plan.  She double checked to ensure that Jorr had joined them as well at the front gate.

They needed to get going.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:52, Mon 20 Nov 2017.

 Marklin was still playing lookout.

"Yeah, great efforts," Valthur snorts before mumbling to himself. "I didn't see much effort from any of you when that minotaur was swinging his axe at me on top of the wall."

Gaston storms up close to Valthur and seethes, "We did exactly as asked, Master Dwarf."

"My boys scored several hits against the manticore and other foes," he calmly states. "That was the plan, was it not?"

Anders stands beside his leader and has a determined look on his face. Lenny stares off blindly in the distance, either not interested in the proceedings or lost in his own world.

Jorr cuts in, "Le's not get all testy now. We all made it through when we plain shouldn't 've."

 "And you ignored me, when I called you three forward to the breech,and remained down the Hill." Piped in Marklin.

Eoni stepped in to prevent the arguments from escalating.

"Everyone did their part," she said loudly.  "Gaston and the others followed the plan I'd laid out and did well.  I don't think we would have survived the flying lion without them.

"Now if we've picked up everything we need, let's get moving.  Drellin's Ferry is counting on us."

As they travel, Aldara aids whoever is having the most trouble walking.  Aside from being sort of jarred by the encounter, the mage is in relatively good condition.  Still, she occasionally looks over her shoulder.

Valthur slings the sack of gold over his shoulder. It takes him a moment to get his feet underneath him, but once he does, he nods to Eoni. "Let's move out."

Taerix is ready when the others are.

The party gathers up weapons and treasure and hastily departs the ruined keep, bound southward to Drellin's Ferry, presumably to relay what they believe to be hobgoblin designs on sacking the town in the coming days.

The adventurers make good time and soon see the small town ahead in the distance. A few hours still remain before sunset, though all are weary and perhaps looking forward to a bit of rest in preparation for what might be hard, sleepless days ahead.

"Valthur," Eoni said as they marched along, "when we reach town, divide up what we've found.  I'm going to see if I can find Captain Anitah and show her what we've discovered.  They need to know what's coming."

The Sister was footsore and weary but they needed to pass along what they knew before they could rest.  She was looking forward to a bath and clean clothes.  It wouldn't last long with was to come, but she'd try to make it last.

"Aye," Valthur agrees, shifting the weighty treasure slightly over his shoulder. "I'll divide it up into equal piles. Should be a healthy share for all of us. Marklin may even find it difficult to drink away his in a single night like he usually does." He chuckles at the fighter, then takes a step closer to Eoni to speak in a more subtle tone. "Have we paid the hirelings yet? They don't get an equal pile, do they?"

"Equal piles for everyone," she replied resolutely to the dwarf.  "And don't forget to sell off the bows and swords we picked up if no one wants them."

She didn't point out that Marklin was already wearing the most valuable treasure they'd found.  That was something not easily divided.

"But-" Valthur hesitates, thinking it best to select his next words very carefully. Sparring verbally isn't his specialty, but it is still a combat of sorts, and he knows victory in this particular battle means gold in his own pocket.

'...they didn't really do anything.'...No, they did actually put a few arrows in one of the worgs and its rider (even though I had the whole situation under control by the time they arrived).

'...what about Lenny? Does he really need an equal pile? He probably doesn't even inderstand what a gold piece is.' ...no, this is Eoni we're talking about here. We gave the cleric his equal share after our adventure in that rotten tree trunk and he was already dead.

'...it'll be a lot easier to divide 350 gold by six instead of by ten.' ...yes ...now that's an argument she can't refute. It's just the laws of mathematics.

Valthur turns to deliver his decisive reply only to realize Eoni is no longer walking beside him. Nor is anyone else. He is, in fact, standing still, deep in thought about 30 feet behind the last of the party.

"Hmmmph," he mumbles to himself. "Don't wait for me. I'll just catch up." He readjusts the sack over his shoulder and scurries to catch up to the group. Once back in the fold, however, he does not pursue his argument with Eoni. Verbal battle is all about timing, and Valthur realizes the time has passed (luckily for her).

Sarah waits with the larger number of her companions.  She seems to be waiting for something but gives no clue as to what it might be (or even if she is actually waiting for something).

But at least she's there.