Freeday Night, Fireseek 14, 591 Common Year

After the discussion breaks up, Newt finds Aramek when Rain is not around. “So… Aramek I was curious. What is your story? How did you come to be in the guards?”

Aramek looks at Newt and smiles. “Well, I guess it was blackmail that got me into the Guard. Shortly after I had been apprenticed to Master Parwyn, the word went out that I had a “pet” ferret. And they’re illegal in Westkeep. The Captain of the Guard came to my master’s shop and the only way we could keep peace was for me to join the guard as a sorcerer. Otherwise it would have caused real problems for my master and probably meant the end for my Snoop and I would have fled Westkeep before I’d let anything happen to my best friend.”

“How did you come to know Rain? She’s really nice, even though she acts all tough.  And she really cares a lot about you. Is there something more there?” Then she quickly adds, “You don’t have to answer of course. I’m sorry if I’ve opened a sensitive topic.”

“Rain? – Yeah!  We seem to hit it off from the first time I met her in the guard. Newt, please understand that I grew up alone. No brothers or sisters and completely isolated from other kids. Rain is like the little sister I never had and I feel very protective of her.” Aramek whispers, smiling, “Even though she’s convinced she’s the one protecting me. Snoop and I will do everything we can to take care of her – even though she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Please stick close to her and learn all you can. You couldn’t find a more capable teacher.”

Newt laughs a bit. “That’s really funny – and sweet – that you both are protecting each other while the other thinks they are the one doing the protecting! And who would have guessed that cute little Snoop is a criminal by his very existence! I would think they’d have more sense than that in a rat-infested city. But they were smart to use that leverage to recruit you. I hope it wasn’t too rough, leaving your master.

“Your childhood sounds a lot like mine. I didn’t get to interact with other children much until, well, it seems like just a little while before the Deathwalkers attacked that I got to play with them at all.”

“I’ll take your advice about learning from her. I feel bad, though. She was asking me questions the other night – prying, really. And I yelled at her. I can see now that she was just trying to learn about me for the good of the group, but it seemed different at the time. I said I was sorry, but I just hope she doesn’t hold it against me for too long. Do you think she will?”

“No, don’t worry,” Aramek says. “I know, for a fact that Rain likes you and just wants to be able to better protect you.

“To be honest, it’s clear to me that there really is something very magical about you but I sure can’t figure out what.

“I know that I never really realized my magical abilities until my dad talked to me a bit about the fact that my mom was a powerful sorceress in her own right and I had definitely inherited her abilities. But in my case, it’s my ability to use magic, while in your case it’s something innate about you.

“Any way, please don’t worry about Rain. Even if she may seem a little pushy, she really does have your best interest at heart and she’ll do everything she can to train and protect you. Work with her and, if necessary, let her know again that you’re sorry you got angry with her. After all, we’ve all been under a lot of stress – especially you.”

“Thank you Aramek. That helps me feel better about a lot of things.”

Newt yawns and stretches. “I suppose we should get some rest while we can. Sir Indranil will have us up early enough, I’m sure. Good night Aramek. See you in the morning.” Adelina steps away, to set up her bedroll and rest for the few hours remaining.

Later that night as Oro is sent out to scout the small mound, Fingol has his bow ready, but otherwise, he can’t think of anything to do. ‘May the gods look favorably on Oro’s courage.’

Rain says to Indranil, “What would be best said in Common to Oro in this situation? Good luck? Good hunting?” She smirks then says, “Or should I just leave it the hells alone this time?”

Indranil looks at Rain and says, “Well you should ask Sir Fingol, he’s the diplomat. But I suppose would say something like, ‘May Your Eggs Be Many and Fertile’ would be close to good luck. But knowing how trouble follows you like white on rice he might think you are proposing!” Indranil laughs quietly and winks at Rain.

Fingol leans close to Rain and whispers, “Whatever you say – don’t tell him he reminds you of your mom’s luggage.”

Indranil beckons to Rain and Aramek, “May I have a word with you before we bed down?” Once they are off out of earshot of the others Indranil asks, “What have you found out about Adelina over the last four nights while you shared watch with her? Any luck getting to the bottom of her identity and magical abilities?”

Rain responds, “Not really. Newt is her own girl and she will tell us in her own due time. I may push again, but for a few more days at least for now we are going to have to trust her.”

Aramek says, “If Newt is more than she appears and she knows it, she will tell us in her own time. For now, to me, she’s just a young girl who has lost her family. We’ll know what we need to know when the time is right.”

Indranil says, ”Hmm… A puzzle she remains. Well you two get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”

Indranil pulls his blanket around his shoulders and says in a low voice to Fingol and Lorindel so only they can hear, “What do you two make of Adelina? There is something about her I just can’t put my finger on. Aramek said he senses magic about her, but said it could just be a spell of protection someone else placed on her, and that she had a amulet that was magic but he couldn’t tell what type or what it did.”

“There must be something special about her,” answers Fingol. “I don’t see how a ‘normal’ child could have survived the massacre at Cypress Hill, when no one else did.” Fingol whispers back, ”What else is odd about her is that she would have witnessed the battle… slaughter I would imagine… and yet she seems so innocent. She acts half her age, really. I have met young ladies her age married and running a home. But the pieces are intriguing. I don’t believe you were in town yet, but Father Gar and I met a Master Parwyn who said not all wizards and sorcerers had animal familiars. Some carry an item that focuses their power. Wizards study many years to learn magic. Of course, we’ve all heard that. Sorcerers come to it intuitively. I think that is why they are looked down upon for some reason, although, I wouldn’t have the balls to show disdain to a sorcerer myself. Perhaps Adelina is such a one, not truly aware of her power yet. Anyway, that might account for the magic about her and the item. Well, it might… I don’t really know a great deal about such things.”

Indranil says, “I asked Rain and Aramek to teach her the martial arts as well befriend her and if possible find out whether she has any magical abilities that could help or hurt us. Rain told me before we settled down tonight that so far she has not found out anything. Young Adelina is quite unforthcoming. I do agree she acts quite young for one of her age and seems rather locked down. It is one reason I am a little concerned. If she is a sorceress and has some experience where due to stress she ‘comes into her magic’ it might have consequences and blow back for all around her. I was hoping that guided by a friend and mentor she might ease into it. Ach, but I like it not that I know so little about magic.”

As they are talking Chief Rahk approaches with a couple of his warriors. It is hard to read his features, but he seems agitated. “I have dire news to report. We watched from the reeds as Oro went into the water and swam submerged to the small mound. We could not see him out there but as we were waiting he dived off the mound back into the water and in the light of the waning moons we could see and hear him swimming back to us as fast as he could. To his credit he never cried out, but something was coming for him from the direction of the path, and it was fast. We could not see what it was but it was at least as large as our warriors if not bigger judging from its wake. It caught him before he got halfway back from the island and pulled him under. He did not resurface. It was too dark to see what it was, and Oro did not cry out, as he did not want to alert those in the shrine. We will mourn him later, for he died courageously and in the service of his people, but it seems we may have to rethink our strategy.”

In Draconic, Lorindel replies, “Oro will be remembered with honor.”

A little shaken, Fingol says, “We should all live as bravely as Oro. His fortitude has bought us this chance to change our plans. He has saved many lives.”

Indranil adds, “Farewell good Oro may your eggs bring you much honor in the future,” Then to everyone else he says, “Clearly the Deathwalkers are in some unholy alliance with some creature, but the plan to distract them is still good. If we can still take a third of them out with an ambush here beyond the tree line, that would help us immensely. So we’ll wait until the hunters have crossed the footpath, ambush them, and let the sounds of battle call out more of them from the main mound. Then Sgt. Apone and his squad led by Lorindel will hide in the tree line fire upon them as they are on the footpath, and then the rest of us from hiding will attack as well.”

Fingol speaks up, “Sir Indranil, I think that is the best that can be done. I worry about two things. My worry for the success of the overall plan is that the Deathwalkers will not take the bait. We must be sure that they believe they can rescue the hunters. To that end, I would make the assault on the hunters as weak as we dare.” Fingol glances over at Chief Rahk as he says this, “I don’t like the idea of risking more of your warriors, but unless that fight appears to go badly the rest of the Deathwalkers might simply fortify the mound. Only your men should attack, or the Deathwalkers will know something is afoot. They should attack, and then feign retreat. That might get the remaining Deathwalkers out in what they would see as an easy ‘mop up’ operation. I expect they would find that too tempting to resist. After all, I am sure they are eager for more victories against your people as bitterly as you have fought against them!

“Secondly, I still worry for the safety of the hostages. We could send two men to the mound using Aramek’s invisibility potions. But the idea is so fraught with peril that I could not ask anyone to take the task, although I would volunteer. I am so eager to realize the hope of saving anyone held inside.”

Chief Rahk responds, “I do not object to risking any of my warriors in this, as long as I know that you and your warriors and especially Father Gar will back us up. We can certainly attack the hunting party and then fall back into the trees and amongst these ruins. However, the creature in the water is mine. If it should try to come up out of the water or if we need to get to the smaller mound I will take care of it personally as the warchief of the Malarat tribe.”

“The gods give you strength in that fight!” says Fingol.

“Thank you, Chief Rahk,” says Indranil. “We are most grateful for your warriors!”

“The ambushing of the hunting party while it needs to be noisy should be overwhelming and quick and Father Gar with his boost spell along with Sir Fingol and I will back it up. Sir Lorindel and Sgt. Apone’s squad will be hidden in the tree line ready for the rush of reinforcements we hope will follow.”

“I do like the idea of a small number of warriors appearing at the base of the foot path to taunt the Deathwalker reinforcements as they come out of the shrine and then to fall back into the trees to rejoin the main war party. Chief Rahk, perhaps ten or so of your warriors can lay hidden from the hunting party and once they are ambushed appear on the pathway?

“Sir Fingol, I am very uncomfortable with sending two people – even volunteers – into the main shrine alone. The potion only lasts five minutes. Let’s wait until we see what happens after the distraction and ambush.”

“Chief Rahk, if you are willing to hunt that monster, then I suggest after we conclude the distraction and ambush, we venture out upon the causeway and have Father Gar build us a magic bridge to the small mound. I would be honored to assist you in assaulting the small mound and killing the creature who took Oro’s life! I think once we have gained the small mound we will have more options for the final assault on the Shrine. Chief Rahk, Sir Fingol, and Sir Lorindel, how does that sound?”

“Very good, Sir Indranil,” replies Fingol.

Chief Rahk says, “Yes, it does sound like a good idea to take that small mound using Gar’s spell if we can get that far up the path, but we’ll be taking fire from archers on the large mound the whole time unless the rest of you can cross the pathway and break into the mound quickly. That concerns me. Certainly we can advance more slowly with our shield up, but even then our shields are not so large as to cover our whole bodies, esp. those who will be in the front ranks.”

Fingol says, “My hope is that the main force of the Deathwalkers would be engaged in the forest outside the compound, where we would have the advantage. This may not work out, but if the attack on the hunters and the taunting work as hoped, than they will send most of their strength out to save their hunters. This would mean we would be attacking a small force left behind in the mound. This may make the difference in itself, as there may not be enough of the savages left to put up a concerted defense. Perhaps this smaller force would even see the hopelessness of the situation and give up. Although, they worship a god of death, and such a thing may be too much to hope for.

“We could advance as you describe. Before Indranil advanced his first plan, though, I had envisioned building mobile breastworks that would protect our front lines from archers. Your warriors could move them forward as our archers follow providing cover. I don’t know if we could make these screens in the time we have left. And I think the plan may be too intricate to be workable. I’ll leave that for you all to judge,” bowing to his peers. “It makes the advance more survivable though.”

Indranil says, “Our best guess is there is between two and three dozen remaining Deathwalkers plus their priest inside the shrine. If we can eliminate a dozen from the hunting party and another 6 – 10 from the ambush we would then have to deal with only 6 – 14 remaining. That makes the final assault much easier.”

Rain speaks up, “What do you think about forming a small strike force of those of us who are more stealthy. We could be very useful as ranged support or flankers to support Sir Fingols charge.”

Indranil answers, “Yes, Rain, that would be good, you are included in the assault force that Sir Fingol is leading shooting arching shots from the back down upon the mound over the heads of Sir Fingol and the lizardfolk.”

Adelina asks, ”So are the same people rushing to get into the shrine? Let’s make sure we cover the distance quickly and get inside. I don’t like the idea of staying outside in a big fight. Oddly enough, I feel like it will be safer in there – at least at the start.”

Indranil responds, “No one is going to rush into the shrine. If we gain the mound in this first push we will then pause and discuss our plan to enter the shrine. Much depends on the assault on the mound and the smaller mound. Adelina, you are to stay in the rear with Rain.”

Newt says, ”Glad I asked.” Mumbling, she adds, “I knew the part about staying with Rain.”

She says to Rain such that it doesn’t disrupt the other conversation, “Do you make as good a shield