Lost Scout

[StarrNico]

As she searched him, she'd quickly find a hunting knife attached to his belt. Next to it was a drawstring pouch heavy with gold coins, enough wealth in that pouch to keep a man supplied for years with food, ale, and women. Also in the pouch was a small, valuable trinket that her late father had carried that had been mysteriously missing when his body was returned to Aberdeen...

Anna went completely still when she found the trinket. She sat staring at it then looked to Leathros. She blinked and grabbed his knife, bringing it up to his throat "What did you do? I should kill you! You killed him, didn't you?" She pushed back tears as she held the trinket close to her heart. It was a small pin that her grandfather had given to her father, he had always carried it with him everywhere, despite it's common worth for the jewels, there was a sentimental worth that couldn't be given a price. Her Grandfather had been given the pin for saving the life of a king back when he had been young and had kept the pin as a memento.

 

[Frundette]

"Gytha." Gomez gave a slight nod, indicating that he was familiar with the woman he spoke of. Compared to the hot rage being directed at him by Aelfric, the orc-creature was infuriatingly calm and collected. The chaos around them was normal in his world. "How many others could be called into battle should the need arise? What condition are they in?"

Aelfric wondered briefly if his bound hands would fit through the bars of the cage. If he could but get his fingers around this creature's throat, he would throttle it to death before another orc could come to its aid. But the bars were set too close for both hands together. "Does she yet live?" he countered as Gomez said the scout's name, still just barely in control enough to not tell Gomez everything he demanded without some confirmation that Gytha would not be killed.

 

[Frundette]

Ezra nodded gratefully at Jasper, he had forgotten that detail in his nervousness. "If we don't do something now the orcs will only grow in strength." He countered Dain, disagreeing with the man's casual dismissal of the human lives still imprisoned in the orc camp. "And Aelfric and Strider are still there trying to rescue Gytha and the other slaves, we can't just leave them there to rot..."

"Not to leave them, friend," Dain said, looking at Ezra as he tried to soften his words. Then he turned his gaze to Ragnar, "My liege, if I understand your purpose it was to ask our council in this matter." Ragnar nodded and Dain continued, "I love Aelfric as a brother, but if every man here goes to his aid, we put our wives and our children, the future of Aberdeen itself, in great peril. We should instead send riders to Wedmor and Camden, both who can furnish more men to face this threat."

Ragnar, indecisive, looked to the others in the room for their thoughts on the matter before he made his decision...



Dain:

 

[Frundette]

Anna went completely still when she found the trinket. She sat staring at it then looked to Leathros. She blinked and grabbed his knife, bringing it up to his throat "What did you do? I should kill you! You killed him, didn't you?" She pushed back tears as she held the trinket close to her heart. It was a small pin that her grandfather had given to her father, he had always carried it with him everywhere, despite it's common worth for the jewels, there was a sentimental worth that couldn't be given a price. Her Grandfather had been given the pin for saving the life of a king back when he had been young and had kept the pin as a memento.

As the knife came close to his throat, Laethros seemed to focus his eyes on Anna's. He swallowed hard a few times before he could force out words, so quiet that Anna would have to lean in to hear. "He begged ... in the end... cried like a girl."

 

[StarrNico]

"Not to leave them, friend," Dain said, looking at Ezra as he tried to soften his words. Then he turned his gaze to Ragnar, "My liege, if I understand your purpose it was to ask our council in this matter." Ragnar nodded and Dain continued, "I love Aelfric as a brother, but if every man here goes to his aid, we put our wives and our children, the future of Aberdeen itself, in great peril. We should instead send riders to Wedmor and Camden, both who can furnish more men to face this threat."

Ragnar, indecisive, looked to the others in the room for their thoughts on the matter before he made his decision...



Dain:

(David)
David looked to Ragnar and gave a nod. That plan would be better than leaving their families unprotected and give the missing Aelfric a chance to return on his own with more news if he was going to. And if Strider was there, he would have his own view of the situation.

 

[StarrNico]

As the knife came close to his throat, Laethros seemed to focus his eyes on Anna's. He swallowed hard a few times before he could force out words, so quiet that Anna would have to lean in to hear. "He begged ... in the end... cried like a girl."

"Liar" Anna cried out and backed away from him "You want to die, so you will live." She shook her head and pocketed the pin, trying to think of what to do now.

 

[Frundette]

"Liar" Anna cried out and backed away from him "You want to die, so you will live." She shook her head and pocketed the pin, trying to think of what to do now.

Laethros sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head rest back against the sandy gravel that lined the edge of the river bed. She was right, he was hoping that she would kill him. With his leg broken as badly as it was, there was no hope that he could flee. So that most likely meant being humiliated before Ragnar and either stripped of everything he owned or hung. Unless the orcs found them first... in that case, maybe they'd just stick a sword through his belly if he was of no further use to them.

 

[StarrNico]

Laethros sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head rest back against the sandy gravel that lined the edge of the river bed. She was right, he was hoping that she would kill him. With his leg broken as badly as it was, there was no hope that he could flee. So that most likely meant being humiliated before Ragnar and either stripped of everything he owned or hung. Unless the orcs found them first... in that case, maybe they'd just stick a sword through his belly if he was of no further use to them.

Anna sat down and put the knife beside her, then dropped her head into her hands, trying to think past the pain. She couldn't carry him, he was too heavy for her. She was highly doubtful he would walk with her to Aberdeen, if she was even strong enough to support him and walk herself. Yet she couldn't just leave him here to the wild animals, and possibly orcs around here. Her head came up and she looked around at that thought. What do I do? She questioned herself. It would be simpler to kill him and take word back to Ragnar than to try to help him, and safer, but could she really do that? Finally she stood and walked over to Leathros, standing over him "If you want to die, you will have to kill yourself, cause I won't." She said and dropped the knife then turned and walked to the stream to clean and bandage her own wounds as best she could.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Aelfric wondered briefly if his bound hands would fit through the bars of the cage. If he could but get his fingers around this creature's throat, he would throttle it to death before another orc could come to its aid. But the bars were set too close for both hands together. "Does she yet live?" he countered as Gomez said the scout's name, still just barely in control enough to not tell Gomez everything he demanded without some confirmation that Gytha would not be killed.

"Yes, she will live. You have my word." He sounded reasonably honest. As much of a crook as he was, he wasn't one to go back on his word.

"Not to leave them, friend," Dain said, looking at Ezra as he tried to soften his words. Then he turned his gaze to Ragnar, "My liege, if I understand your purpose it was to ask our council in this matter." Ragnar nodded and Dain continued, "I love Aelfric as a brother, but if every man here goes to his aid, we put our wives and our children, the future of Aberdeen itself, in great peril. We should instead send riders to Wedmor and Camden, both who can furnish more men to face this threat."

Ragnar, indecisive, looked to the others in the room for their thoughts on the matter before he made his decision...

Ezra bit his lip, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed that he had spoken out so quickly against Dain. "I'm sorry, you are right. I'm not thinking clearly." Although he didn't mention it, his thoughts revolved around Danielle. Was she still there? Had Aelfric or Strider found her?

--

"I can travel to Wedmor." Terrowin offered, clearly stating his position on the matter. "My brother, Mark is cousin to (insert name of Wedmor leader here... )."

 

[Frundette]

Laethros cracked opened his eyes again to see the girl drop the knife beside him. Very slowly, he reached out a shaking hand, fingers fumbling until he able to grasp the hilt of the blade, which he then pulled to his chest, cradling it and closed his eyes again, undecided if he was willing to take his own life.

--


Charles staggered through the tunnel that ran under the river before finally coming out to the daylight beyond. He blinked as the rays of the morning sun hit his eyes, then looked to his hands to see they were red with blood. He hadn't even realized that the back of his head was bleeding until now. "Guess I deserved that," he said out loud to the birds chirping nearby as he sat down on a rock, unsure what to do. If he returned to Aberdeen, was there any way his previous treachery would not be known? He doubted it. And yet, he was unwilling to continue his allegiance to the orcs.

He pushed himself to his feet and, with a heavy heart, started making his way toward the road. Which way he would turn when he got there, he still did not know...