Birthright Tuornen Chapter 3

[steveflam]

Roald looks Dominica up and down, eyebrow arched. "You mean some gold can find you, of course."

"Yes, there is that too," she says with a smile. "I'll need my gear, however."

[Varrus the Ethical]

"Then let us return to the inn. There, we can discuss the matter."

[Adam]

"Huntsman! There's more where these came from! Follow me!"

He stands and slings his bow back over his shoulder, sprinting to Dietric and the horses.

[steveflam]

"Very well."

[ewancummins]

HUNTED BY THE GOBLINS OF THE NORTH


As Cormac reaches for the saddle horn to mount, he sees a cloud of dust rising from the gully where he left Gunnar, a half mile distant. What exactly is going on there, he can't be sure, because the folds of the hills hide most of the gully from view.

The Huntsman thunders past Dietric and Cormac, in full flight.

As soon as Cormac sticks his feet in the stirrups, Dietric spurs his own horse and trots downhill, weaving to avoid ditches and big rocks.

A moment later, Gunnar's warhorse, with Gunnar bent low over the beast's neck, rides into view to the northeast, coming through a neck of high rocks. His big horse flags a little, but keeps coming towards Cormac and Dietric.

Arrows arc over the rocks and trees to the north, behind which Cormac had lately been hiding. Savage war cries, high pitched like the screams of hawks, drift over the hilltop. Hornblasts ring out across the hills to the north, joined by the howls of wolves...

[ewancummins]

DUKE'S CHAMBERS CAER HAES

CAER HAES

"Your Grace," Renn says with a bow as he enters the room. "Beg to report. Then men our holding the walls. They could probably hold longer, but our supplies are dwindling. There was a riot over bread last night, but my boys put it down."

"The way I see it, we either need to find a way to get supplies in, or find some way to convince Alamie's thugs that they can find better plunder elsewhere. I've been burning the bastards like wheat stubble, yet still they come."

"Now, if the attackers were to be struck with a bout of the flux, if their food supplies were to become tainted, then we'd have a chance. Perhaps we should find ways to...hasten along such misfortune."

Braedonnal spits on the floor.

"Poison? A cowardly trick. "

[ewancummins]

THE SPECKLED COCKEREL INN & TAVERN, FREE CITY OF ENDIER

"Very well."

Dominica and Roald return to the tavern to find that Reese in the commmon room, engaged in a little chat with a squint-eyed, large-bossomed chambermaid.

The young fellow looks up as his boss enters.
"Sir, everything's in order. Nice and tidy."

[VAN]

Filbert thinks for a moment Renn's idea and says:

"The need makes a man a thief my father uses to say...Coward trick yes, but useful at the same time. The supplies are running low, the morale of the defenders of Haes as well. They wake up and see people they use to know, people that might be their friends hanged...For how long do you think they can fight believing we can't win and that we don't care. Have you heard the voices that get around the palace? They are saying that there is no hope. And let me tell you this, if the hope is gone the war is lost. People need to believe in something, need to believe that we have a plan and we do care for them. Get rid of the thugs will do the trick. Because once they leave we can sneak at their side and get the bodies of these poor men and even steal [btheir[/b] supplies. And then hope will get again the hearts of the defenders of Haes, they will have something to fight for and something to defend. I know that I'm not in the Militia or the army and I'm merely a jester, but my opinion is to react, not just defend, do something drastic as Captain Ghonallison suggested. In few words lets do our best to get supplies and make sure the thugs leave and leave Alamnites alone. Then we can take them, hope will be back to our people hearts and everything can be done if there is hope."

[Adam]

Cormac draws his bow and pulls an arrow flush.

"Keep comin!" he screams, "I'll cover yeh! Just put yer spurs in an' go!"

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald smiles and chuckles as he sees Reese. "Very good, Reese. Go ahead an enjoy yourself. Just not too much. Funds are a bit tight after our little visit to the temple."

Roald turns to Dominica. "Shall we fetch your things?"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

CAER HAES

"I never said we should poison them, Commander. Forgive me if I misspoke. I'm a simple backwoods scout, despite my blood. I have no fine words or courtly manners. But if I had an army, I'd lead it out the River Gate and storm our foe like the songs of old. I yearn for the glory of combat. But we don't have an army. What we have is a duty to protect this city, and His Grace," he adds with a slight dip of the head. "With cruelty, if necessary."

"Whatever we do, we must not let them sit in luxury while they invest our city. Good gods, even the jester sees the truth!" he says, gesturing to Filbert.

"They have healers out there somewhere, sorcerers as well no doubt. But where? What do we know of their siege camp? If we are too weak to strike, at least we must scout their positions, find where they are weak, and exploit it with no mercy."

[ewancummins]

CAER HAES


Braedonnal shrugs at Renn's words. ''Of course I have already gathered such reports as best I may. But the situation is changeful.''


The elf turns to his duke.
"Your orders?"

[ewancummins]

ENDIER

Roald smiles and chuckles as he see's Reese. "Very good, Reese. Go ahead an enjoy yourself. Just not too much. Funds are a bit tight after our little visit to the temple."

''Thank you, sir.''

Reese returns to chatting up the servant girl.

[steveflam]

Roald smiles and chuckles as he sees Reese. "Very good, Reese. Go ahead an enjoy yourself. Just not too much. Funds are a bit tight after our little visit to the temple."

Roald turns to Dominica. "Shall we fetch your things?"

Dominica can't suppress a smile but says nothing. She will nod at Reese and wink discreetly, but nothing more.

"All right then. Once we gather my belongings, if you don't mind, I want to attire myself accordingly. I think you know what I mean
by that, Roald. And forgoe the Lady, just call me Dominica or D. Though I am noble by birth that doesn't mean I agree with all the cow manure that is attached to it."

[Varrus the Ethical]

"Whatever you say," Roald says as he turns to go to his room where he keeps the chest with Dominca's things.