Open Chronicles Alliria

A roleplay open for anyone to join
Dulthir walked over to the other guard, axe in hand. He looked at the boy.
"It's alright, lad. C'mon."
He escorted him over by Elliot and the older guardsman. He looked to Ceri. She was hurt, and weak. He could see it in her eyes. Karrazark was next to her, trying his best to help support her by nuzzling his head into her, gently. Dulthir looked back to Elliot.
"Well, that was a shit show, lad. Now what?"
 
"Help...mom...I got...shtuck...in the tree again...I'm sorry..." Alexia mumbled from her grasp, Ceri tilted her head slightly, turning her eyes to the girl, suddenly wondering if she’d hit her a little too hard with her heavy skull. She hadn’t meant to hit her hard enough to hurt her, just hoped to knock her out, shut her up. She frowned a little but she couldn’t take it back now, so she did not dwell on it.

Sharp ears picked up the wing sounds on the wind, her nares flared as she lifted her head to scent the air but she could smell nothing but blood and mud. Syvis patted her on the shoulder lightly before moving towards Badger slowly. Ceri watched her begin braiding the stead’s mane slowly and she forced herself to look away, turning her eyes to Dulthir r quietly as he moved to the guard and lead him to Elliot Aldmar .

"It's alright, lad. C'mon."

Karrazark was standing besides her, nuzzling his massive head against her. She leaned against him slightly, her magical resolve to stay in this form was rapidly declining and she knew she would have to shift into her pure form or she would be fully useless before the hour was up. She moved to lay Alexia over Karrazark gently. “Take her to Elliot and Dulthir please…” She said softly and as he trotted in their direction she shifted to her pure griffin form, letting her injured wing hang.

"Well, that was a shit show, lad. Now what?" she heard Dulthir say and she would have chuckled slightly, had she been in human form. She moved her head to the arrow in her shoulder, closing her beak on it and yanking hard, tearing the arrow out with a sickening squish. She saw stars for a moment, her stomach lurching. She lowered herself to the ground, folding her scaled forelimbs under her before stretching out and dunking her shoulder into the mud. The grit hurt, but the mud, when it dried, would help to stop the bleeding.

She dug her hind feet into the ground to push herself forward to get back to her forefeet, but weakness took over and she just ended up lowering her haunches into the mud and laying down for a little bit while Syvis finished with Badger and Elliot and Dulthir talked.
 
Orrem was indeed scared a tad. He balked, shoulders rolling back, when Syvis glanced his way, and his expression dropped. Gods, he hadn't even said anything! Fortunately, it was the dwarf who was appointed to escort him over to Mathew and not her.

Elliot spared a look to Syvis as Dulthir was bringing Orrem over. Saw her braiding the hair of Badger's mane for the second and last time, and he let out a small exhale of air from his nose. A sigh for the dead, perhaps. Elliot had found and broke Badger himself, out in the Taagi Baara Steppes before he had even encountered the Free Company, and yes, she had indeed been the longest lived. Looking at her now, his exceptionally bad luck with his horses continued unabated.

The Skeletal Warrior, its bloodied bones scraping against one another and rattling with an eerie quiet with each lurching and swaying movement, stood behind the two kneeling men--Mathew and Orrem--and kept watch on them. Vacated eye sockets populated with nothing more than a faint, baleful glow of necromantic magic stared down at them with the cold and ceaseless gaze of the undead.

Elliot took the few steps necessary to confer closely with Dulthir, his injured arm by his side and the hand of his other on his hip. He said, "I need an honest assessment from you. Do you think Ceridwen is able to be ridden or not?"

There was Dulthir's massive pig, Karrazark. That was one mount. Ceridwen, in her pure griffin form, had been another in the journey to the clearing. But now they were a mount down with Badger and a person up with Alexia. Add onto that the pressing question: Ceridwen's injuries. She might well be inclined to simply say "Yes, I can"--to put on a brave face--and attempt to bear the burden of one, possibly two or even three riders, but for how long would that last if her injuries were of a certain severity? Dulthir cared about her deeply--that was clear. His was an opinion that was crucial.

Elliot flicked his eyes in the direction the horses of the guardsmen had went. They were but little specks in the distance, milling about, the shadow of the far hills behind them.

"Best to know now if we need to spend the time getting more mounts."

He could feel the slippage of time in his head, like the inevitable falling of sand in an hourglass marking the arrival of the Free Company.

Dulthir Syvis Ceridwen
 
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After her preparation of the dead Syvis stood over the deceased horse. Had she more energy she would’ve tried to bury the steed but she wasn’t sure she had enough left to walk back let alone walk further.

Letting out the air in her lungs she opened her arms before Syvis fell hard onto her back. Hurting more then a little she laid there looking at the sky. As she lay there she blinked slowly attempting to shake off the faces of those she killed today. If she carried around the guilt of all those she‘d taken the life of it‘d simply consume her whole. She sighed deeply closing her eyes as she whispered in her native tongue „this world is too cruel regardless a favour has been done on to those who‘s blood was shed for a final time.“ a silent reminder she gave herself that allowed the pang of remorse flitter away. She thought back to her father, he had trained her all her life for such purposes yet he possessed the gift she did not, the ability to murder without looking back, to kill and move forward for he simply did not care. Sadly one‘s genes might only do so much.

After a few moments stretched out to feel like a new lifetime Syvis got up. She stumbled to her feet mad made the trudge back to her new found friends. Her face was grim; her eyes tired and dead as stone. After her feet ached to the point where she thought she could move no more the realization that she‘d reunited herself with the group hit her. As if announcing her arrival her stomach growled as a stomach often did before it went into starvation mode. Despite this she was too done with life to even feign embarrassment of any sorts.
 
(Sorry for the late response. My son had a BBQ tournament this weekend. Just now got back. Tired as hell.)
Dulthir looked to Ceri. His instinct was to go to her, to try and tend her wounds. But, there were more pressing matters at hand. Those fucking Free Company lads. He looked to Elliot, as Karrazark walked up with Alexia draped over his back.
"Nae, lad. I dunna think she's in any shape to carry folk. I'll take Karrazark and round up three of those horses."
He grabbed Alexia, and gently set her on the ground, leaning her against a nearby rock,, so she was sitting up. He looked to Elliot.
"Keep an eye on her, and we'll be back. Those Free Fuckers wonnna be too fer behind us."
He hopped on Karrazark, and headed towards the horses. Again, instincts said to go to Ceri, but, he didn't. He went after the horses.
 
Ceri lowered her head to her forepaws slowly, letting her eyes close for a few minutes as she listened to the discussion between Elliot and Dulthir. She cood softly as she took a deep breath and moved to raise her haunches again. She dug her hind feet into the ground once more, pushing herself forward, forcing herself to stand. She lifted her head, sniffing the air for the scent of something to eat, they all needed it she was sure.

She could eat the dead, but she’d prefer not too. She moved slowly, looking to stuff Alexia and her guards had with them… there was food, most of it spilled in the struggle but still edible. She grabbed some bread lightly in her beak and headed to Elliot and Syvis quietly, nudging her head against svyis to offer her the loaf of bread. She turned her eyes the way Dulthir had gone, before moving to grab some raw meat that had yet to be cooked. She tossed a chunk up, catching it in her beak before swallowing it whole with a few quick movements of her head. She lowered her beak to the mud, burying her beak slightly and intaking some muddy water, swallowing it down.

She grabbed another chunk of meat, moving to Elliot quietly, dropping it for Karrazark's return before moving to follow Dulthir, hoping to help get the horses,
tiredly. She knew she could carry Elliot and Syvis for a short while… but that amount of time would be very limited, she knew that. She was far too tired to get too far, especially carrying excess weight.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis
Dulthir
 
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Likely the smart call. If they went to egressing in haste with Ceridwen as she was, then their progress had a fair chance of stumbling somewhere further along. Possibly at an even worse time.

Elliot tipped a nod to Dulthir. "Heading out as soon as you're back. I don't trust this luck to hold."

He spared a glance over to Alexia as Dulthir mounted Karrazark and set out and Ceridwen followed after him. She could sit up, as Dulthir had set her to do when he'd taken her off of Karrazark, but her head was hanging low and listing heavily to her right side. A long rope of saliva hung from her mouth, and she was speaking quietly, saying, "I want to go home...I feel sick..." and it was difficult to tell if she were still in the throes of her disorientation or if she had regained a level of cognizance.

Syvis was coming back over, and she looked very much how Elliot felt with his wounds. When she got close--looking with that sort of fixated stare that came with multiple layers of exhaustion all weighing down upon a man or woman--Elliot took a step toward her. Enough to reach out with his uninjured arm and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Good job. We got her," Elliot said. Would Alexia hate them for it when she came around from her daze? Certainly. Would she also still be alive? Certainly. Elliot had wanted to see it so, see Alexia gain her freedom from Peter June, and in this endeavor Syvis and Dulthir and Ceridwen had all helped. He was grateful.

The gash on his face stung harshly, burning like a lava-filled fissure in the sundered earth, and all his neck was slick with that blood. Same went for his stab wound in the arm. It would prudent to retrieve his saddlebag from Badger before they headed out. Salvage what he could, especially items to mend--

"Elliot!" called a voice, his name carrying from the distance across the clearing.

Elliot recognized it. Snapped his gaze toward the northern treeline.

And there they were. The Free Company. Some twenty-five, thirty mercs all arranged in a long line before the ceasing of the trees, all sat upon their horses. Watching them. Watching Elliot, watching Syvis, watching Dulthir and Ceridwen. Captain Marghast, who had called out to Elliot, was a bit surprised. Yuni's bird scout had made it seem as if the skirmish being fought out in the clearing was enormous. Instead, it was just a former Free Companier--with a taste for the gold carried by those thoroughly slain guardsmen no doubt--and a few accomplices he'd apparently picked up while in Alliria.

Elliot grunted irritably, a cursing of the foul timing of him being right about the luck holding. Mathew and Orrem, still down on their knees and watched by the Skeletal Warrior, both mouthed breathless profanities when they saw the gathered mercenaries by the treeline. Alexia seemed to take little or no notice.

But the Free Company did not charge.

"Let's talk," Captain Marghast--smiling as he did--called out to all those in the clearing.

Syvis Dulthir Ceridwen
 
Syvis gave a polite nod to Ceri as she gave her the bread. She ripped off a piece and stuck it in her mouth. It was slightly stale but still good none the less; for human food. She smiled at her friend while the bread eased her stomach grateful for her kindness.

Syvis leaned into the hand that now rested on her shoulder, Elliot’s. She smiled exhausted at him “Indeed.” One thing a person could be grateful with Elliot is there wasn’t a huge need for flowery conversation just simply interactions making your point across and that was all.

She looked at the conked out girl leaned up against something drooling. Her head cocked as she patted Elliot’s hand before removing it to go clean her up a tad. The least she could do is keep the girl decent, plus being close to the girl wasn’t a horrible thing.

Such a fact was very soon proven as she heard Elliot’s name called. Her head snapped following Elliot’s. “Not again.” She moaned in a petulant manner. She listened as they not so discreetly called across the battleground to ‘talk’. Syvis shook her head, it was up to Elliot but this was no good in her mind most definitely no good now that Ceri and Dulthir had left in search of mounts. It was just the two elves unless there was surprise allies hanging about.

Remaining crouched by Alexia she debated reaching for the bow before assessing the numbers. Two elves with an unconscious lug to take care of not to mention themselves. Elliot injured and Syvis’ arm letting of a twinge of pain as a reminder of its presence. They were frankly screwed unless they were blessed by the gods. Unless... they had the skeletal warrior and the two captives.. it was doubtful they could be trusted not to bugger off with the girl getting all three of them killed at a later date. But the enemy of her enemy was her friend.

(sorry if my replies are trash some days English isn’t my first language and when I’m tired it gets worse.)
 
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Dulthir and Karrazark headed toward the frightened mounts. Dulthir, for a dwarf, was strangely adept at wrangling horses. He had worked on big farm a few years back, following a lead on his son. He dismounted Karrazark and walked toward them, slowly. His hands were stretched downward by his sides. The lasso hanging loosely in his right hand, the coil of rope in his left. He looked back and saw Ceri hobbling towards them. "Damn woman..." he thought. She should've been resting, but, as Ceri does, she wanted to help. He kept easing closer to the horses. He came up to a big stallion. He was solid black, from mane to tail. Dulthir decided to talk to him first.
"Easy lad. I'm notta gonna hurt ye. Easy... I know ye've been thru a lot, but, my friends and I need yer help."
The stallion snorted at himand pawed the ground lightly. Dulthir stopped, then eased closer. He reached up slowly with his right hand, lasso still in it. The stallion threw his head toward Dulthir. He didn't waver in his resolve. He kept reaching with his hand until he was able to touch the stallion's muzzle. As soon as Dulthir touched him, the stallion almost instantly calmed down. Dulthir slipped the lasso over his head, gently. He patted the horse's jowls and rubbed his muzzle.
"That's a good lad. C'mon, I'm sure Karrazark has some carrots he could share."
He led the stallion over to where Karrazark , and now, Ceri stood. He walked up and reached into a satchel strapped to Karrazark and pulled out some carrots. The stallion didn't hesitate when Dulthir looked up, two more of the horses were easing their way over. Dulthir looked at Ceri.
"Bout time we had a bit if luck..."
No sooner had he said that, and he heard someone calling to Elliot. He looked to Ceri.
"The Free Company is here lass..."
Ceridwen
 
Ceri heard the Free companies arrival long before Dulthir noticed, they were all most definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place. She groaned slightly and turned her head to look back to them while Dulthir gained the stallion’s trust which in turn would lead the other horses to follow, as was the way of herd animals. She was dizzy, tired but she looked to him quietly as he spoke “"The Free Company is here lass..."

“That they are” she said softly, growling slightly. She moved her head to nuzzle her beak against Dulthir’s cheek gently before she turned and dug her feet into the ground to force herself into a run to Elliot and Syvis . She, as a predator, would be a deterrent to the other horses when they followed the stallion, so until Dulthir had them contained it was best for her to leave his side. Her muscles burned as they rippled beneath her mud soaked pelt and she forced her wings open as she came up alongside them, threateningly as she watched Captain Marghast closely. Her beak was parted as she panted from exhaust, her eyes taking in the sight of Syvis tending to the cause for all of this.

She looked to Elliot Aldmar quietly, waiting on his response. She could see no other option but to do as Captain Marghast wanted, they were highly outnumbered, exhausted, injured and hungry. If Elliot opted to die fighting, then she would as well… but she honestly hoped that would not be the outcome. The muscles in her flank twitched beneath her short pelt, threatening to give into the exhaust, causing her to step slightly to make the blood flow a little faster to her legs, trying to keep the muscles going.

“What do we do…. Elliot?” she asked defeatedly. These ways were not her people’s ways, at least not the ways of the Elven she was raised with. Everyone in her village was taught to fight, in the event it came to be needed, but never since she’d been alive had they needed to use the skills. War, fighting maybe something her species did, but she knew little about that. She was raised as a being of peace with her elven family, all this battle stuff was new to her and it seemed a substantial waste of time, energy and life.
 
The Free Company all held their ground. Made no movement yet. But from the treeline they watched.

Elliot, meanwhile, hardly needed to take stock of his injuries to know that he was in less than favorable fighting condition. Ceridwen had been wounded as well, and Syvis had the arcane exhaustion set in from what magic she had used. Dulthir and Karrazark were fine, but even if this health and vigor could be extended out to him and Syvis and Ceridwen (and even as well if Mathew and Orrem joined with them against a common foe), they were still vastly outnumbered and in terrain that heavily favored said numbers of the Free Company.

He waited for the arrival of Ceridwen and Dulthir back onto the campsite island. They rejoining with him and Syvis. Then spoke his mind. "The way I see it," he said to the three of them, "is that we have three options: fight, run, or talk."

Elliot winced. Beads of sweat dotted his brow, and some trickled down the sides of his face. With that knife gash cutting just below his bottom lip, talking--as it were--was painful enough. And yet...

"I think talking with them is a good first choice. If it comes to it, we'll switch to one of the other two." He looked to Ceridwen, to Dulthir, to Syvis, each in turn. Their thoughts on the matter he wanted to hear as well. "What say you all?"

Could they negotiate an acceptable way out of this? Elliot wasn't sure. He had his hard line, and he was certain that Captain Marghast would have his. But the Captain was a reasonable man--that much Elliot knew from his time with the Company. This was no guarantee of anything, of course, but the sole fact that Marghast wanted to talk in the first place was something.

Something good or bad, Elliot admitted, but the four of them were in a sore spot regardless.

Syvis Dulthir Ceridwen
 
„Two of us go, you included. Two of us stay with the girl. First sign of anything the two with the girl bail. We‘d need a place nearby for a proper recouping, and time margins of course. How long to wait before we sod off, in case something happens.“ she said tiredly. „That’s up for negotiations of course but that’s the way I see it.“ Syvis let out with a breathe as she sat beside the unconscious woman against the stone.

She eyed the dwarf and griffon. „Thank you.“ Her head dipped in her normal manner of expression. There was no way Syvis could have wrangled a horse on her own. Eyeing the rest of the group she waited for their input. Alexia June stirred beside her a tad.

„I do believe she won’t be how shall I put it.. docile for much longer. Perhaps it’s best we found a sorts of way of containing her. Not to mention I feel it’s best we find something to do with the blokes over there, the lesser of us there are the smarter it would be to make a move substantially based on our weakness. Truthfully speaking Dulthir is our most powerful asset as of the moment. That’s if you’re up for it, don’t let me speak too far on your behalf good sir.“ Her tone was proper as she spoke, speaking everything on her mind, discussion was the best way to sound decision.
 
Dulthir eyed the mercs in the treeline. He thought for a moment. The gash on his cheek was stinging, blood still trickling into his beard. He looked to Syvis and nodded.
"Aye lass. Elliot and I will go talk to these fookers. Karrazark will stay here with ye and Ceri. If shite goes south, lash the lass to Karrazark and get the fook gone. Elliot and I will catch up."
He patted Karrazark.
"Ye take good care of these lasses, little brother. Do as Syvis says. We wonna be fer behind."
Karrazark snorted and rubbed his bloody muzzle, which was still trickling blood from the wounds the wild girl inflicted, against Dulthir's chest. Dulthir patted Karrazark and turned to Elliot.
"That is, if yer OK with that plan, lad."
Ceridwen
 
Ceri looked to Elliot quietly as he spoke

"The way I see it, is that we have three options: fight, run, or talk."

She noticed his wince, he was sweating, she sniffed the air slightly, attempting to sense if infection was starting but it was far to early for that, the sweat must have been just from all they’d been through thus far… she hoped anyway. Her emerald eyes noticed the gash on his lip, which likely made talking painful, so perhaps that was the cause of his wince.

"I think talking with them is a good first choice. If it comes to it, we'll switch to one of the other two. What say you all?"

Elliot looked to each of them, waiting for their response. Syvis spoke first, Ceri would keep her opinion quiet until the others had spoken.

“Two of us go, you included. Two of us stay with the girl. First sign of anything the two with the girl bail. We‘d need a place nearby for a proper recouping, and time margins of course. How long to wait before we sod off, in case something happens. That’s up for negotiations of course but that’s the way I see it.“

“Thank you.“ Syvis said in reference to the horses. Ceri nodded softly in response and nuzzled at her gently for a moment as Syvis continued speaking ”I do believe she won’t be how shall I put it.. docile for much longer. Perhaps it’s best we found a sorts of way of containing her. Not to mention I feel it’s best we find something to do with the blokes over there, the lesser of us there are the smarter it would be to make a move substantially based on our weakness. Truthfully speaking Dulthir is our most powerful asset as of the moment. That’s if you’re up for it, don’t let me speak too far on your behalf good sir.“

Ceri eyed Syvis slightly, she disagreed a bit but kept silent while Dulthir spoke. She watched him quietly through softening emerald eyes. He too bled like the rest of them, but his wounds were minimal. She followed his gaze to the Mercs nestled within the treeline.

"Aye lass. Elliot and I will go talk to these fookers. Karrazark will stay here with ye and Ceri. If shite goes south, lash the lass to Karrazark and get the fook gone. Elliot and I will catch up."

Dulthir patted Karrazark gently whom was also suffering with some cuts and scratches.

"Ye take good care of these lasses, little brother. Do as Syvis says. We wonna be fer behind. That is, if yer OK with that plan, lad." Dulthir continued. Then… it was her turn. Ceri frowned slightly.

“I think I should go with you two, they will be less inclined to attack you two with me there. I do not trust that they will not just strike you down when you get there, and that will not help us at all. Karrazark and Syvis can handle the girl, though perhaps the girl should be secured, tied up and readied on horseback first, should Syvis need to bolt.”

She awaited response, looking to Elliot quietly. It was racing through her mind whether she would listen even if he told her to stay. She generally was well behaved, but she did not like the idea of Dulthir and Elliot going without some back up. She was a frightening beast, she knew that, that could work in their favor.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis
Dulthir
 
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Elliot was initially in favor of Syvis's suggestion. The merit was readily apparent. He and Dulthir could go to the Free Company and shoulder all the risk involved with that. Something happened, Ceridwen could take Alexia and fly away while Syvis defended for as long as necessary. But then Ceridwen added her thoughts, and to this Elliot was forced to agree. Having even an injured griffin on their side could act as a strong deterrent. But he didn't want to leave Syvis alone, nor Alexia without the option of flight to escape. So Elliot thought for a moment to come up with something. And he circled around on the idea that it was best if they were all together.

"Let me try something," he said. Turning to call to the Free Company, he shouted across the clearing, "Send some envoys. We'll talk."

He glanced back to Syvis, Dulthir, and Ceridwen. Back to the gathered mercenaries of the Free Company by the northern treeline. Captain Marghast seemed to be conversing with a few of them close at hand, but otherwise they all still sat on their horses and held their ground. He thought that they might not take to the idea.

Then, after a moment, four of them started forward, their horses moving along at a leisurely trot toward the campsite island. Little splashes of the shallow water that the legs of their mounts waded through. Captain Marghast was definitely one of them coming forward.

"Stay ready," Elliot said in a low tone.

And as the envoys from the Free Company were approaching, Alexia seemed to have regained some level of cognizance. Her eyes flicked fearfully from Elliot to Dulthir to Syvis and very briefly to Ceridwen and to the approaching men of the Free Company. Then she found Mathew and Orrem, down on their knees with an actual skeleton armed with a sword behind them.

"Mathew??" she said, nervous and her voice cracking with uncertainty.

"Sshhh," Mathew hissed in response. He didn't like anything of what was going on, what was being said, what had been done to his friends and fellow House June defectors, but knew he had to keep his mouth shut. Try his best at it, at least.

Captain Marghast and the other three riders (Perc, Onager, and Yuni, as it turned out) halted their horses just shy of the campsite island. Marghast sat in a relaxed, self-assured manner in his saddle, and cast his eyes out over the condition of the party and the bodies of the men they'd killed.

And he whistled. "You had a hell of a time, didn't you?"

"Sure."

"You never did introduce us to your newfound friends there, Elliot."

"They can speak to that if it suits them," Elliot said, standing straight and with a sound stance even if his chest and his arm and his face smoldered with the pain of his wounds.

"Mm." Captain Marghast clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Looked to the four of them, Elliot and Syvis and Dulthir and Ceridwen. Spoke frankly, "What's this one girl mean to you?"

Syvis Dulthir Ceridwen
 
Syvis nodded in agreeance with his plan. It made the most sense, plus no travel. She slipped a knife in her boot once again just in case. She also withdrew her bow from off her back.

Her eyes darted as she watched the group of four come down from the hill. She let out a breath. Her instincts said she should draw her bow as greeting yet it was a conversation nothing hostile.

Alexia woke up. She was aware and talking. Good. Syvis stared at the approaching free company riders and murmured lowly “The free company is coming, I understand I am covered in blood and stab happy you’ve no real reason to trust me but we will not turn you in that is far from our intent, furthermore I need you to stay calm.” She patted the girls leg. “I promise you will emerge from this situation alive.”

She looked at Mathew shushing Alexia and she smiled at him as warmly as she could muster. His duty was done.

As the riders made it to their stopping place calling out to Elliot. She listened to the conversation then called out after Elliot said they could speak for themselves. “I’m Daina! Pleased to meet you!” She called out with a pearly white smile and a wave. There was no real point for picking a different alias but her own sick enjoyment. Her smile remained, hopefully making her seem extremely unthreatening. Being underestimated is a person’s best tool. The captain asked what a girl meant to them. “Oh you know I’m just along for the adventure my good sir, on my own nomadic journey before I wander my way back home away from the minuet human problems.”
 
Dulthir spit on the ground. He looked to the four riders, one of which was a fellow dwarf. His axe in hand, he looked to Marghast.
"Dulthir Ironfist..."
He left it at that. Better to Elliot do the talking with these folks. He knew them better, but, Dulthir was ready. His crossbow hung at his side, a bolt already loaded. He kept his eyes on the four of them. Karrazark eased up next to him, ready to attack if need be.
Ceridwen
 
"Let me try something," Elliot Aldmar said before turning to the other group. Her eyes followed his gaze and she watched them quietly, ears twisting back and forth as her attention rested on them cautiously. "Send some envoys. We'll talk."

Four men nudged their mounts forward. She lifted her head quickly, sniffing the air as she watched them. She held her wings open slightly, pain burning through the broken one as she moved it. Her natural magic already beginning to heal the break, likely in the wrong position but healing non-the-less. Her feathers fluffed up along her head defensively.

"Stay ready," Elliot said softly. Ceri turned her head towards Alexia who seemed to be coming to her senses. "Mathew??" she heard the girl say in a stutter.

"Sshhh," the man named Mathew hissed to the girl. Ceri’s eyes turned to him for a moment and she nodded as she looked back to the incoming men. The one she remembered as Captain whistled before saying "You had a hell of a time, didn't you?"

"Sure." Elliot answered shortly. She could tell he was extremely displeased with the current situation. She wasn’t overly excited about it either.

"You never did introduce us to your newfound friends there, Elliot." the Captain stated, Ceri’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked to him, then Elliot.

"They can speak to that if it suits them,"

"Mmmmm. What's this one girl mean to you?" mumbled the Captain. Ceri remained silent, letting the others speak first, she would follow however they answered, with truth in the names they gave, or false.

“I’m Daina! Pleased to meet you! Oh you know I’m just along for the adventure my good sir, on my own nomadic journey before I wander my way back home away from the minuet human problems.” said Syvis brightly. Ceri avoided raising a brow at the chosen name. She looked to Dulthir quietly, awaiting his answer.

"Dulthir Ironfist..." he replied, not answering the second question.

It was quickly her turn. She tore her eyes from Dulthir and looked to Captain.

“Griffin…. And I am just here so I don’t get fined.” she answered quietly, dragging her tongue slowly over her sharp beak as she shifted her stance, making sure they would get a nice glimpse of the threatening sharp talons adorning her forelimbs.
 
Alexia just regarded Syvis with a mixture of fright and simmering disbelief, flinching when she patted her leg. Her face still stung with pain from where claws had dug in, her skull throbbed where it had been struck to render her unconscious and its accompanying headache pulsed like an intrusive, searing light just above her field of vision. She just wanted to be away from here, but she felt like if she stood then she would vomit up what little was in her stomach. Though she pointedly did not look at neither the party of four nor the Free Companiers riding up to the edge of the campsite island, Alexia did inevitably see someone among the approaching mercenaries. Someone dreadfully familiar. Onager. The dwarf who had shot and killed her mother. And her breath froze in her chest.

Captain Marghast asked his question. Got three answers. One of which he quite enjoyed. "Fined!" He had a genial laugh, rolling his head back and holding his stomach. "Fined, she says! Now that's something." Looks to his left and right, at his companions. "Isn't that something?"

Still smiling from that, he then glanced Elliot's way.

And Elliot said, "She doesn't mean a thing to me."

Captain Marghast lightly pointed a finger at him. Bounced it twice for emphasis. "Right there, my friend. That's honesty. You've always been that way, haven't you Elliot? I'm much the same. Honest, as well as sharing your lack of care for the girl. I'm afraid I wouldn't shed a tear if she were to be flayed alive right here, right now, and soundly would I sleep come the night if I witnessed the whole bloody ceremony of that." A slight turn of his head. "Do you know what I do care about?"

"Let's hear some more of that honesty then."

"Happy to oblige. My men, Elliot, of whom you were once one. Free to come, free to go, and you chose to go. That is alright, and you still have my respect, even if we're on opposite sides this time. In deference to that respect I thought we could perhaps settle this account like gentlemen, and I'll say that it appears we can."

Marghast looked to Syvis. "You're just along for the adventure, and minute human problems mean nothing to you either, right?"

To Ceridwen, "You're just avoiding some manner of fine."

To Dulthir, "And you've kept your own counsel."

Then to all four of them. "Hardly a spirited defense of the girl, is it? Why, if I were an outsider looking in and had to guess at this, I'd say you lot were simply here for the coin carried by these dead fellows--" He gestured to the bodies of the slain House June guardsmen, "--and these live ones." A similar gesture to Mathew and Orrem.

Captain Marghast spread his hands in an open, inviting way. "Surely we can come to terms, and both walk away with something. Could we fight? Yes, certainly. But I would rather not risk losing a few men when an easier alternative to battle is well enough in play."

Elliot, keenly aware of his wounds and those of the three with him, felt a similar way about the risk. Fighting while at a disadvantage was a mistake, and the four of them were at several. He would do it if he had to--when backed into a corner there was but one option, after all. But right now the forerunner to violence as a means to achieve one's ends--discourse--was still alive. So long as it was, this wouldn't go the way it had with the guardsmen. Yet readiness could not be spared.

"Lay it out. What do you and the Free Company want?"

Marghast smiled and showed those white teeth again. "It's simple. The gold, or the girl. Either will be suitable enough."

Syvis Ceridwen Dulthir
 
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Reactions: Dulthir and Syvis
Her eyes wandered to Ceri. She‘d gone with a fake alias as well. Almost,, proud Syvis smiled at the threatening beast. How could one not quake at the sight of such magnificence.

Syvis winced after listening to the whole conversation between the men. Finally she looked to the scared Alexia. Her face formed to a frown watching her companions.

Gold or the girl.. Gold.. or.. the girl. She reached into her blouse where the gold pouch had settled before the journey. Unaware of the true cost of Alexia‘s head she stood up and threw it in the mud in between herself and the captain‘s horse. „I’ll make down payments if it’s not to your satisfaction.“ Her chin upturned and cocked to the side. The arrogance shining through her composure despite it hurting her to part with such coin. „The breaking of noble humans as servants is one of the Elven court‘s pass time. It’s important to return home with gifts.“ she said with a seductive smirk in the captain‘s direction staring up at him.

Syvis didn’t wish for any sorts of romantic interactions with the captain it was just extra precautions in the hope he make take pity on her, allowing far less coin to be departed from her safe.

„What say you?“ she questioned him. Praying her companions played along. She knew a man, who could help Alexia, give her new documentation of course Alexia would need to be willing to drop all of her names and titles but for survival Syvis found it a minor price to play. She didn’t know why she was helping the girl, and for such a high price at that. Perhaps it was pity, perhaps guilt, and perhaps it was a hope for good karma.
 
Dulthir wasn't exactly what you'd call crafty. He was blunt, to the point. He looked to Syvis, who said she wanted the girl as a gift for other elves. He looked to Marghast who gave the terms... the gold or the girl. Dulthir could make more coin some other time. For him, this was about right and wrong. He looked to Ceri, who was putting on a display, even tho she hurt, badly. He then looked to Elliot.
"Give em the fooking gold, lad. I'd hate to deprive Daina a plaything."
He left it at that. He kept his grip on his axe. He didn't trust these mercs. He was ready for betrayal. He waited for Elliot's response.
Ceridwen
 
Ceri listened to all that was discussed... Gold for the girl... Interesting options. Ceri didn't really care about the girl, she was a loud, spoiled princess as far as Ceri could tell. But luckily for the girl, Ceri had less care for gold. She was a griffin, she did not need gold for anything, she took care of herself and didn't need to buy things.

She watched as everyone spoke and she simply nodded in agreement, her eyes remaining on the captain the entire time everyone spoke. She did not like this man. He made her very uncomfortable and she did not trust him. He was apparently overly amused by her statement, coming across as quite simple with the over exuberance of laughter that he bestowed upon the still air. The corners of her beak curved downwards as her eyes remained on him, though her ears twisted as she listened for anything that would be deemed a threat.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis
Dulthir
 
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Captain Marghast and the three mercs with him all just leisurely watched Syvis procure the pouch from her blouse and toss it toward the shallow water's edge. Chuckles among them. And Marghast said, "We'll take extra. There's no problem there."

None of them made any motion to dismount from their horse and grab the pouch of coin. They awaited still what they wanted--the gold that the guardsmen had taken from the House June coffers.

Elliot glanced over to Dulthir. Slightly bemused as to why he was being told that, but he kept said puzzlement out of his tone. Said, "I don't have the gold." Then he arced a thumb back toward Mathew and Orrem. "They do."

Captain Marghast clapped his hands together. "And a nod from the lovely griffin. So it's settled then." Then he looked to the two men down on their knees with their hands on their heads and with the skeleton watching over them. "Seems you gentlemen aren't in much of a position to object. Now. Where is it?"

Mathew grimaced, struggling with the last vestiges of fight within himself, slowly relenting into a surrender of what they had taken from that bastard Peter. He growled in a scornful way, then said, "It's over there. By that collapsed tent, all in a single chest. Take it and may you burn in hell, Captain."

"There's plenty of room there for company," Marghast replied. "Right, Elliot?"

"Mm." Merely a simple grunt of acknowledgement.

Marghast eyed Onager and Perc. Pointed his fore and middle fingers toward that collapsed tent. Wordlessly they followed his order, and started to ride their horses up onto the campsite island and over toward it--making sure to give Elliot and Dulthir and Syvis and Ceridwen a wide berth.

"I hope you have fun with her," Marghast said cheerfully to Syvis as Onager and Perc were dismounting by the tent. "You or whomever in that Elven court you might be gifting her to."

Alexia, meanwhile, was staring across the gap toward Onager. Face shaken with a horrified disdain and disgust for that dwarf. For what he had done. And she said quietly, "How can you live with yourself?"

Elliot glanced back toward her.

Alexia, louder this time, "How can you live with yourself!?"

And this time Onager took notice. He stopped in his search of the tent and stood up straight and cast the girl a gaze with one eye squinted. Then the tiniest smirk edged across his expression.

Alexia, even louder: "I SWEAR THAT YOU WON'T GET--!"

She needed to be calmed. Stifled. Stopped.

And if none acted, Elliot would.

Syvis Dulthir Ceridwen
 
Dulthir walked up to Alexia. He leaned down, right in her face.
"I know ye dunna understand this, but, we're saving yer life. A life yer fixing to put at risk, if'n ye dunna shut tha fook up. Now, ye can do it yerself, or I can. Which will it be?"
Dulthir looked to the other dwarf, his axe still in one hand, his other placed on his crossbow..
Ceridwen Syvis Elliot Aldmar
 
(Sorry my kid was sick.)

Syvis nodded and flashed him a smile. „I’m sure we will! Now as fun as this has been I pray we never meet again.“ she said in a light joking tone.

Her face turned red as the girl started to scream. Fuck. Dulthir stepped in it seemed thank the gods. She stared at Alexia, the girl was ruining everything, all she asked was her to be calm, Alexia just needed to go along with it and she‘d be saved. What was the use?

She faced the captain once again. „I apologize for the outburst.“ after all Syvis in theory had just bought the young thing. „Lots of spirit in this one, eh?“ Syvis recovered with a smirk attempting to keep the peace between the groups.