Birthright: Tuornen Chapter Five

[Adam]

Cormac's eyes narrow and he growls. "Drop the keys an' go. If I see you in another mob attackin' us, I'll kill ye myself."

[ewancummins]

WATCHTOWER


The goblin drops the keys, and then bolts out the hall door before Dietric shuts and bars it.

Brother Aelfred recovers the keys and opens all but one of the hatches in the floor. With help from one of the woodcutters, the monk pulls up nine dirty, ragged, chained men, women, and children.

The other woodcutter lights a torch he has found and begins searching through the heaps of supplies.

The men have freed all the prisoners and unchained them when axes smash into the hall door, splintering the wood. Goblin faces leer through the cracks. Wargs howl in anticipation of the slaughter to come.


The freed prisoners cry out in alarm. Three men among them take up the weapons of the fallen goblins.

Hob the Poacher goes partway up the stairs, looks down, and shouts,

''The way is clear to the top, but the door to the belfry is shut. Dunno if it's locked.''

[ewancummins]

RIVERSIDE

Torthur clears his throat, then sighs. "Me names Torthur I were wresslin an I seen that oily haired man approachin Magga suspiciously acuz she has the coins purse fer tha bets. I stopped wresslin an went after 'im. But 'e grabbed er from behind an putted a knife ta her throat, nickin 'er. Then its all happens fast. He slitted her throat 'n ran. Roald ran after 'im an got im.

The watchman tells Torthur-''Okay, we are going to need you to come with us, since you are a witness.''

Roald hands Fez to the guards and says, "He murdered a woman in public, not smart. He also hired some fool to try and put a crossbow through me. That's even less smart. I'd like a chance to question him myself when we get back to Watch Headquaters."

The lieutenant replies,
''I can't make any promises, but if things are as you say, then you may be allowed to question him. That will be up to my superiors and to the magistrate in charge of his trial, assuming he gets a trial. From the look of things-''
The young officer glances towards Meg's corpse,
''It seems plain there was at least one murder in this affair. But what's this about him hiring somebody to kill you?"

[Varrus the Ethical]

"Before my would-be assassin died, he said Fez paid him to kill me. Considering that Fez is known to have connections to our friends across the river, well...it sparks my curiosity."

[ewancummins]

"Before my would-be assassin died, he said Fez paid him to kill me. Considering that Fez is known to have connections to our friends across the river, well...it sparks my curiosity."

''Oh, now I see the connection! I thought you looked familiar. You are Roald the Sellsword, and you killed the crossbowman at the Kraken's Arms, earlier today. Right, I'm going to have to take you before the magistrate for that. He’ll decide if what you did was justified. Am I going to get trouble from you over this?”

The young officer motions for a couple of his squad to come closer. They lay hands on their rapier hilts but don't draw blades. Their faces wear neutral, almost bored expressions.

[steveflam]

"Uhhm, tha crossbowman attempted ter kill Roald first, 'e were jest protectin imself, sir," Torthur replies to the guard.

[ewancummins]

"Uhhm, tha crossbowman attempted ter kill Roald first, 'e were jest protectin imself, sir," Torthur replies to the guard.

The lieutenant glances down at Torthur.

"You should tell that to the magistrate. You'll be going too. Witnesses said you were involved."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald coldly eyes the guardmen before holding up his hands. "You'll have no trouble from me, guardsmen. I am a loyal servant of the Duke, after all. Take me to the magistrate so we can clear this all up."

[ewancummins]

Roald coldly eyes the guardmen before holding up his hands. "You'll have no trouble from me, guardsmen. I am a loyal servant of the Duke, after all. Take me to the magistrate so we can clear this all up."

The young lieutenant nods.
"Good. If you and the dwarf will just follow me, we can get this dealt with, as you say."

His watchmen make no move to disarm either Roald or the dwarf, but simply motion for the pair to fall in line and walk on.

A black-clad dead-cart man comes along to collect Meg.

[Adam]

"Get it open!" Cormac calls, "We need somewhere to fall back to, an' I doubt Foerde can call his lightnin' into here. The rest o' ye head up there. Foerde an I'll cover our retreat up the stairs."

[ewancummins]

WATCHTOWER

"Get it open!" Cormac calls, "We need somewhere to fall back to, an' I doubt Foerde can call his lightnin' into here. The rest o' ye head up there. Foerde an I'll cover our retreat up the stairs."

Hob rushes up out of sight.

Cormac and the others hear the poacher bash the upper door several times before it creaks open.
All of a sudden thunderous tolling rings out from the top of the tower, and a moment later, Hob tumbles down the stairs unconscious and bleeding from the scalp!

[Adam]

"Son of a-" Cormac shouts, turning to head up the stairs past the wounded man. He barrels up the steps into the belfry, hatchet in hand, a murderous look in his eyes.

[ewancummins]

"Son of a-" Cormac shouts, turning to head up the stairs past the wounded man. He barrels up the steps into the belfry, hatchet in hand, a murderous look in his eyes.

A huge goblin with crazy eyes, dressed in a loincloth and a blood-stained bed sheet looms in the door, a rope trailing backward in one hand and a heavy axe clutched n the other. It smiles at Cormac, revealing huge yellow fangs, and then it jerks the rope...

[steveflam]

Roald coldly eyes the guardmen before holding up his hands. "You'll have no trouble from me, guardsmen. I am a loyal servant of the Duke, after all. Take me to the magistrate so we can clear this all up."

The young lieutenant nods.
"Good. If you and the dwarf will just follow me, we can get this dealt with, as you say."

His watchmen make no move to disarm either Roald or the dwarf, but simply motion for the pair to fall in line and walk on.

A black-clad dead-cart man comes along to collect Meg.

Torthur shrugs and just follows. "Clyde, come on, we going ter see the Magistrate, my friend" he calls to the bear.

[ewancummins]

Roald coldly eyes the guardmen before holding up his hands. "You'll have no trouble from me, guardsmen. I am a loyal servant of the Duke, after all. Take me to the magistrate so we can clear this all up."

The young lieutenant nods.
"Good. If you and the dwarf will just follow me, we can get this dealt with, as you say."

His watchmen make no move to disarm either Roald or the dwarf, but simply motion for the pair to fall in line and walk on.

A black-clad dead-cart man comes along to collect Meg.

Torthur shrugs and just follows. "Clyde, come on, we going ter see the Magistrate, my friend" he calls to the bear.

LATER, IN A DRAUGHTY COURT-ROOM BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE

The wigged and powdered judge looks down from his chair at Roald and Torthur.

"You have not yet been charged with any crime. I wish to hear your side of things. Tell me exactly what happened today, and why two men and a woman are dead by violence. "