Indranil, Lorindel and Gar find no more rioters visible, but there are at least three other burning buildings on Tanglefoot Lane. In one of them, a couple can be seen calling for help from a third story window. The bottom of their shop and home is in flames and they are choking from the smoke. The woman carries a crying baby in her arms.

Seeing this, Indranil shouts to the others, “Lorindel!  Father Gar!  Hurry let’s go rescue these citizens. Father Gar can you fly up and catch the baby first while Lorindel and I figure out how to get the adults down safely?”

Gar looks up at the family on the third floor a little worried, “Fly? That would be nice, but no, I can’t fly. I can help put out the flames though.” With that, Gar moves a little closer to the building while touching the Green Man around his neck. He lifts his right arm and water gushes out of his mouth toward the base of the flames.

“Outstanding work Father Gar! I would hate to think what would happen if you ate a bad meal! Hah!” replies Indranil.

“Thanks,” smiles Gar, “but it’s especially dangerous for others when I belch after a meal. Talk about a friendship going up in flames!”

Gar’s Storm Blast is indeed helpful in beating back the fires on the shop level and what is left of the awning in front of the shop. Indranil, however, sees that it will take some time for Gar to completely put out the fire if he is not overcome by fatigue first. In that time, the smoke will have overcome the couple and their baby on the third floor unless they can find a way to get them safely down.

Indranil quickly scans the area looking for any way to reach the family
trapped on the third floor. He sees nothing obvious to use from the ground level and then he realizes that the roofs can offer access! He calls Father Gar, “Father Gar, please make a quick check up and down the block to see if there is a ladder in one of these alleys in between buildings we can use. While you are doing that Lorindel and I will each attempt to gain access to the roof of this burning shop from each side to access the family and see if we can get them out across the rooftops. Lorindel, I will take the building on the east side if you can take the one on the west side. We can meet at the top.” With that he and Lorindel each run into a building and race to the roofs.

Lorindel makes haste to get to the roof of the adjacent building on the west side. He finds that the building on the west side is locked up tight, so he bangs on the door shouting for someone to open it.

“Go away! We’re armed and we’ll fight you to the death we will!” a man shouts from inside.

“Look, I’m with the king’s guard. I need to get to your roof!” pleads Lorindel. “Your neighbors home is on fire. I’m trying to save them. That fire is moving quickly and I fear it will spread this way. I’m only trying to help. Look down from a window. You’ll see I’m no common thug.”

A shutter opens up above, and since the awning of this shop doesn’t cover the door the person inside is able to get a good look at Lorindel. The shutter closes and a woman’s voice inside can be heard shouting down to the shop. The door opens and a worried looking man in fine clothing opens it up. “Sorry good sir, I didn’t realize you were with the King. The stair is up that way,” he points. Lorindel quickly vaults up the stairs.

Gar runs up and down the street as instructed looking for a ladder in any alley or anything that could be used as a ladder. However he continues to also watch the house to see if the family or the Marinus brothers need more help in squelching the flames. Gar finds no ladders, just a lot of those pesky cloth awnings stretched on poles over the outside display areas of many shops to prevent rain or ordure from above striking the heads of those beneath.

Indranil races up the back staircase and quickly gains access to the top. Indranil looks around for Lorindel but does not see him. He decides time is of the essence and decides to proceed on his own. After securing his shield, he jumps the ten foot gap over to the burning building and looks over the roof edge to the balcony below and calls out to the family to gain their attention, “Good Sir! Up here! Help me with your wife first! I will grab her arm and hoist up while you push from below! Once I have her up then hand up the baby! Then we will hoist you up last!”

With that Indranil hoists the mother up, followed by the baby. Then Lorindel is there, having jumped over from the building on the other side. Indranil hands the baby to the mother and then he and Lorindel help lift the man up and over as well. 

Gar feels a little nervous in the street by himself and so says a little prayer for protection. Then he again Storm Blasts the house to make sure the fire does not spread into the adjacent buildings. Gar nervously watches up and down the street while spouting off, especially noting anything further of those in front of Master Parwyn’s shop.

With the family safely up on the roof Indranil calls out, “Hurry follow me.” He, his brother and the rescued family then head down the stairs and back out to the street.

Looking at Gar he says, “Father Gar, please look this good family over for injury. I fear the baby may have suffered from breathing the smoke and need your green friend’s skills!”

Looking at Lorindel he says, “Brother my heart is heavy. Inside the building are the bloody corpses of the shopkeeper and his family – slaughtered for no reason by the rioters. My blood is boiling. Let’s continue to sweep the rest of the block for families and remaining rioters who may be hiding.”

Gar checks out the family. “You should be fine now,” he says to the couple and the baby, “just a little smoke inhalation, though my healing powers can’t help that. Perhaps your neighbors will let you stay inside their place while we try to make the streets safe again?”

Gar says to the Marinus brothers, “I’m ready when you are!”

Indranil responds, ”Let’s continue searching the block looking for trapped citizens and hidden rioters.”

“You bet!” exclaims Gar as he looks up and down the street.

Just then, a couple of knights from the keep ride down the street. One of them stops before Gar and the others. He flips back his visor and asks, “Are you Father Gar and the Marinus brothers?”

“Yes, we are,” smiles Gar as he openly admires the handsome knight.

“The Prince wants you all back safely in the palace. It’s not safe out here. We need everyone who’s not in one of our units off the streets. Things are confusing enough as it is, though we appreciate the help you may have given so far.” He says this last with a glance at the rescued family who are heading into their neighbor’s house – the same neighbors that allowed Lorindel to use their roof. Then he looks over towards Parwyn’s shop. “Is that Sir Fingol over there? Good, I’ll go tell him. Please head back now.”

After patting the soot off his clothes, Lorindel looks at the others and shrugs. “Anything would be better than these streets.”

“Indeed. Let’s head back,” adds Indranil.

As the knight approaches Sir Fingol and Rain, Aramek finally reappears from Parwyn’s shop fully equipped and dressed in the red tabard of the Guard.

“Sir Fingol,” says the knight. “I just told Father Gar and the Marinus brothers that Prince Prospero wishes you all to return to the palace. If you’re not with one of our units, we need you off the streets. It should be safe enough if you all head directly up the Processional. The rioters are Riverside and being pushed downriver along the dock-levees.” The knight looks, at the two Olman prisoners and sighs. “Sir Fingol, please take these back to the keep with you if you could. You can hand them over to the jailers there.”

“Thank you, sir, I’ll be happy to be rid of them,” responds Fingol. “Have all our friends gotten through this fight safely thus far? What of Sir Godric and Sir Jankin?”

“I saw Sir Jankin saddling up just as I was riding out. I do not know how Sir Godric is doing. He rode out early this morning before the riots had started. He’s probably down at the dock-levees helping the watch restore control to the city.”

The knight then looks over at Rain and Aramek. “You two, why aren’t you with your unit?”

Rain answers, “We were separated and kept busy by the Olman here. We intend to join them at the dock-levees presently.”

“Alright, follow alongside us,” the knight indicates himself and his companion. “You’ll have to jog a bit, but you should be doing that anyway, and it will be safer for you if we’re with you. We’re headed down that way ourselves.”