Part 3: A reckoning rides from the west

Akiran's scales ruffle into a genuine smile as he returns the hug, though it quickly fades as he turns back to the door. Taking a life in battle was easy, with your heart beating rapidly pumping out a chaotic mix of adrenaline & fear it almost came naturally. But the Dragonborn had never grown used to taking a life outside of the rush of battle. Contracts he'd taken had required it, but it never felt right even with a pouch full of gold. But today they had no choice. Opening the door he kneels in front of the prisoner, his hand reaching at first for his blade before gripping the hilt of the his hand axe. Meeting the prisoners eyes, with the axe held tightly he asks "Do ya have any last words?"

The cultist's face goes white. He shakes his head, but begins to mutter under his breath. "Great lord of the sky, give me passage to Elysium so I might suffer no more on this profane world." The mantra repeats over and over until the axe falls.

Lilliana looks at Katrin and nods. "To Dragonvale, then. But I do think you all should know something about that lightning cult that is after me. There is someone in that cult, a high ranking official that they call 'The Archon'. This person seems to think that I know the location of something they called 'the catalyst'. Whatever that even is, which I don't know, or at least... if I do  know, I don't know what it is. I got the sense from that man,"  she gestures towards the closed door where Akiran was handling things. "That the Archon will never stop hunting me for this information and history seems to agree with this. Even worse is apparently the Archon always knows where I am. So there will likely be more of them coming for us. We have an idea of where they are, right now, and I don't know if this is something we should take care of now before we leave or if we just risk them sending me people after me." She sighs heavily and seems to deflate as the air leaves her. "This is worse than I ever thought, I don't know what to do."

Akiran lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he pulls the axe free. Bits of frost hanging in the air, as the dragonborn hurriedly wipes blood from the blade of the axe. The room silent except for the scratching squeak of grinding teeth coming from the Dragonborn. "The dumb bastard just had to pray". His axe brought back to a shine he stands and says "Those were shit last words, da gods don't give a fuck." Arriving in the room as Lilli finishes speaking, his tone tired and cold  "We're gonna gut da Archon. Already gotta pissed off Hobgoblin huntin us, don't need ta add a cult ta da list." Nodding his snout towards Lilli's mechanical leg he adds "We owe her that."

Katrin looks her over with the same impassive expression. Had the truth come out in any other way, it would be easier to care. But this girl had chosen a moment of pure, raw, emotional tension to spill her life's story to everyone. And Katrin was finding it hard to care.  "Let them come then. There's more than resiq waiting for me in Dragonvale, and I wish you had chosen a better moment than the one you did. I'll fight cultists. But I won't seek them out."

Thrandimir leans heavily on his staff, weariness etched in his face. "First Dragonvale. Then the cultists. I will help you, Laurine, but one crisis at a time."

Grinding his teeth again, his eyes bouncing between Katrin & Thrand  "We're not ya soldiers,  ya can't just call us in when ya need something an' tell us ta fuck off when ya don't" Pointing to Lilli, his voice getting louder   "Kid lost a damn leg helpin da pale one, when he called in his favor. Ya owe her, an' ya know it." Pausing for a moment, his tone taking a bitter edge  " We can spend a day ta get them bastards off our back and still get ya ta da family reunion"

Lilliana holds Katrin's gaze for a few moments, before turning to look at Thrandimir and gives the odd man a respectful nod. Not but a few hours ago, she was ready to incinerate the man; however, something about his unexpected support had thrown her off balance. And before she could say anything else, Akiran's angry voice cuts through. He was right about all of it, she'd gone out with the group on something that Ascian had felt was important to him and they'd all had a price to pay... her more so than the rest of them, but then they had learned about that thing ; it still was so hard to comprehend. Suddenly her own problems seemed small in comparison to a demi-god trying to manipulate one of their own to get released and wreak untold havoc upon their world.  Lilliana quickly looks between the group and immediately puts herself in the middle between them all, especially Katrin and Akiran. She turns her back to the dwarven woman, placing a calming hand upon Akiran's shoulder softly as her bright green eyes seek out his. "Akiran, it's okay. It's alright. This is more im---well, it's bigger  than just me. Bigger than any  of us." She turns to look at Katrin, then Thrandimir, then Thezra, and finally Ascian before looking back at Akiran. " We can only guess what Vecna's goal would be, but I cannot think it's anything good. I've been running and hiding from these bastards for years now and that was while I was on my own, without any powers; just a scared kid living on the streets. Now I have you , and them,"  she gestures at the others behind her. "We have time, I can be patient." She squeezes his shoulder lightly. "Who knows, maybe this will draw them out even. Might be easier to take them on when they aren't hiding in caves like cowards. If not, we come back for them. So what do you say? Shall we hitch a ride to Dragonvale?"  She smiles.  'For the greater good.' She groans inwardly. 'Barakles, you bastard.'

Thezra stands near the door as the arguing nearly picks up again, her things all gathered and held tightly in hand as she peaks out into the halls beyond their suite through a crack in the door. “If Dragonvale is your choice then let’s move.”

Nycon, the guild's human steward with a lithe form and an androgynous face appears at the door. They frown in distaste at the blood on the floor, then return their attention to the Fireblades. "I assume you will need these bodies disposed of?"

Katrin stands there, gripping the axe so tightly that her knuckles feel like they may split. If Lilli hadn't spoken just then...she knew she would've hit Akiran. Or tried to, anyway. They were both infuriating, but what stayed her hand was Lilli. She wanted to like the girl. And she did. To a certain degree. But something else distracts her from both Lilliana and Akiran. She looks at Nycon, then to the dead hobgoblin slumped against the wall. "Yes," she says quietly, "I suppose we will."   

Looking away from Katrin, Akiran meets Lilli's eyes "This is ya call kid. Personally I'd gut em now why they're realin & only a half day's ride from us. But you're the one their chasing, so it's ya choice. Last thing I'll say is unless they gotta pouch full ah good, is ta only fight for those who fight for ya."  With a deep breath and a shrug he adds "No reason ta wait around here then."

With that, the Fireblades head toward the tunnel that will take them outside of the city, first retrieving their horses and cart from the guild stables. The elementally-powered train ride is quick, and the party moves through the illusory waterfall and across the rocks from the secret entrance. They turn and head south around the city wall, passing through small shanty-towns and other makeshift settlements lined around the high stone walls. Eventually, they draw closer to the southern gate. Thrandimir casts a spell, and Katrin fades from view. The dwarven woman dodges into the city as smoothly as she possibly can. She spooks a horse, resulting in slight wagon collision. In avoiding it, she accidentally bumps into a guard standing near a crowd. "What the hell?" the guard says, looking about with confused eyes. He reaches out to grab the offender, but overestimates Katrin's height, and misses. She dodges away and keeps moving. Finally, Katrin finds herself in a large open yard filled with wagons and lined with boxes and crates. It's immediately clear which caravan is heading to Dragonvale. Three large wagons with tarps pulled tight over loads of ore and wood are hitched up to teams of four horses each. The crew stands around, aimless while a somewhat portly human man with a massive mustache taps his foot impatiently, staring at the entrance to the caravan yard.

Lilli holds Akiran's eyes and nods, leaning in close to whisper to him. "We can talk more about it later."

Her heart still beating rapidly in her chest from her collision with the guard, Katrin mutters a few Dwarven words, and she can feel the wounds on her body heal just a little bit more. Her form flickers into view, and she looks down at her blood and soot stained tunic. "It's fine," she mutters to herself, then fully steps into the yard, striding over to the impatient human. "Katrin of Clan Ironstone of the Fireblades. Sorry about the lateness, but better late than never." She casts an eye over the caravan. "The rest of my group will meet us outside the walls." She keeps her voice firm and brusque. This man was clearly irritated, but she had no patience left for irritated people. Better to get going. 

The irritated man looks down at Katrin with a scowl. "Art Doman," he says, his voice rumbling like a lion's growl. "Caravan master. At least ye know yer late." He brings his fingers up to his lips and whistles loudly and shrilly. "Let's get going, ye lazy layabouts." He climbs his bulk up into the lead wagon's seat with a surprising amount of grace. "Let's go, Katrin of Clan Ironstone of the Fireblades." He thumps the seat next to him with a meaty hand.

Katrin sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. After a brief moment, she hauls herself up onto the seat next to the caravan leader. At least I'm finally rid of this place, she thinks, a weight lifting from her shoulders as the realization sets in. I'm finally going home.

A few minutes later, the caravan rolls up to and halts before the rest of the Fireblades. Art looks the group, still scowling. "These are the Fireblades?"

As Katrin headed off to rendezvous with the caravan, Thezra went about gathering her things. She'd swore to get the rest out the gates of the city at least, and they'd accomplished that now. It crosses her mind more than once to get going while they waited, but it felt wrong somehow to go without at least saying goodbye to Katrin. For all their differences and all the bitterness, what she'd told her earlier remained true: she did  admire her. So the warrior stands and waits quietly, just off to the side of the others, until the sound of heavy wheels on gravelly road portends the arrival of horses and men and at the front of it all, Katrin, sat atop one carriage like she was leading it herself. "Now's as good a time as any then." Exhaustion tugs at her shoulders as she speaks, and while the pain was minimal the wear of the week wore on her like waterlogged weights. "Think this is where we part ways."

Katrin shoots Art a sour look before sliding off of the wagon, her feet hitting the ground with a thud. She walks around the horses pulling the lead wagon to stand in front of Thezra. "If that's your decision," she says with a nod that felt fatally final. "Thank you. You will be missed. And...if you ever make it back to the Fireblade...don't tell Rose about the hobgoblin. She has enough to worry about."

Thezra nods down to the woman. "Doubt I end up over that way anytime soon as is, but if I run into more of Gesrik's men I'll make sure they don't have enough legs left to chase after you at least."   You will be missed . What did that truly mean? She believed Katrin meant it, but the idea that that was true for the whole of them seemed... Sigh . She looks around the group of them — the Fireblades. Truly, they had hardly seen eye to eye on anything, amongst any two of them, for as long as she'd been with them. Yet the words raised something in her chest she couldn't quite place. Like pieces to a puzzle never solved, perhaps in another life, at another time, they could all have been the family Lilliana seemed to want them to be. Free from betrayals and trust and secrets and ego, a simple life of adventuring might have been.  "Our paths may yet cross again someday,"  she muses, as if trying to speak it true,  "under better circumstances maybe. I have no intention of letting Ve—"  her eyes flit to the caravaneers and back again, "—Faerus succeed in whatever he plans, after all."

Lilliana turns to stare at Thezra, mouth agape at her pronouncement before looking quickly back at Akiran, then back to Thezra, and finally Katrin. 'She will say something to convince her to stay. Just be quiet and wait.' But then it never came, the formality of it was staggering, like two strangers parting, not two people who had fought and bled together, but then she recalled the clear delineation of the group; Katrin and Ash and Thrandimir, and then everyone else. Part of her could not believe this was happening, but she also understood why. It took several moments for her to recover before walking over to Thezra. "Nothing any of us could say to convince you to stay?"

“Don’t know what hasn’t been said already,”  she shrugs. “Not gonna drag it out or rehash everything.” There was a clear feeling of resignation to the whole thing. Truthfully Thezra wished there was a better answer. Was there something that could be said? To mend twisted words and broken promises? To bridge a chasm of mutual mistrust? Maybe, but whatever those words were she had no idea. ”You’ll be fine though Lilli, you have strength enough on your own as is, and I know Akiran will be there to cut down the cult with you when the time comes.”

Lilli nods her head sadly, then walks over to Thezra and holds out her hand. "I don't really know the customs of your people at farewells, but I wish you the best and I'm sorry to see you go, Thezra. Safe travels wherever they take you."

The brim of Thrandimir's hat hangs low over his eyes as he watches Thezra's farewell past fingers wound into the familiar wooden surface of his staff. The wizard's mouth twists ambiguously. "Don't die out there," he tells the orc. As good a sentiment as any other.

I have no intention of letting Faerus succeed in whatever he plans, after all. Ascian's weight shifts to his toes, poised as if to run. As if it might matter. As if they wouldn't follow out of fear. But for once, it seems, he isn't the one running. Wouldn't even know what he's running to, with the group a medley of those who might share Thezra's point of view and some yet who might understand. He watches the orc say her goodbyes, the chasm between them all feeling wider and deeper than ever before. What were the last words they'd even spoken? It's difficult to remember, though it hadn't been so long ago. There's a gulf now between him and the smoke-shrouded creature he'd become as much as there is between one Fireblade and another, and the last he can think of Thezra's voice it had been calling to him across it, an echo and a whisper somehow all at once.  "I'm sorry I didn't stop when you told me to."  There'd been a garrotte then, he thinks distantly. A garrotte in his hand and black tendrils from her sword and a man clutched between them, stretched over a canyon and stretched further still until Thezra had tried to save him and Ascian instead had made sure that he'd snapped. "We'll fix it,"  he says quietly. What  it  is he doesn't really know, until his arm tells him; a dull ache beneath leather that doesn't address anything that it should.  "The mark."  The last piece left binding them, if what she truly wanted was to be rid of them entirely.

Conflicting emotions swirl within Akiran as he watches Thezra make her goodbyes.  They had recently found common ground but on a fundamental level they'd never really like each other. They were too different, but even with that Akiran was sad to see her go. Outside of Lilli, she was the only one that would never stab him in the back or make plots against or without him. She'd at least have the decency to bellow a challenge & take swing of that sword of hers to his face.  Akiran walks up to the orc still warring with the sadness of her leaving and bitterness of the people he trusted in this group steadily shrinking. Pausing for a moment he says "Still think ya makin the wrong play, but it's ya life." Taking a deep breath he meets Thezra's eyes  "I'd wish ya fortune & glory but I know ya, & ya'd probably take a swing at me." Holding out his hand "So I hope ya find what your looking for"

Thezra gives a cursory glance towards the wizard but h er eyes pass over to Ascian as he speaks, and she sighs.  "Yeah, mark's still there. Guess if  she  ever comes calling, we may cross paths again but..."  she shrugs.  But it doesn't change anything here,  she wants to say. Not the lies nor the mistrust. If that dragon wanted to call them all back together, so be it. But that didn't mean they had to travel on as a group waiting for her. Instead she returns her gaze to  Lilliana, whose hand she bypasses to grasp the girl’s forearm.  “We say  durgreos ul dam  ー   No quarrel nor blood.”  At the last words, her head turns  n Akiran. If those words meant anything here, it was for him. Locking eyes, she gives the man a firm nod. "I'd say come with me but I don't pay well so..."  With a shrug she grasps his arm as well. "Fortune and glory for you then."  Pulling her things tight, she turns and within moments is shrinking and disappearing into the crowd as quickly as she’d once emerged growing from one what felt like so many weeks ago…

“Durgreos ul dam.”  Lilliana repeats back to Thezra as the warrior departs the group quickly. 

Katrin watches Thezra disappear, a mix of regret, guilt, and relief twisting inside her gut. After a moment, she turns towards Bill, swinging up into the saddle, giving the pony a scratch behind the ear.

The next several days of travel are quiet, save for the grumblings of the caravan workers and the rattle of the wagon wheels under load. The road is calm, open, and clear for several days.  As the caravan comes to a stop for the evening and everyone settles in for the night, Lilliana approaches Akiran. "Would you mind coming with me to collect some firewood?" Finishing brushing out Aurum's gleaming coat, having spent the journey finding tasks to keep himself busy. Turning towards Lilli he nods and says , "I'll give ya a hand, good ta get a lay of da land with us so close to Dragonvale." Lilli smiles and nods, she's quiet as she leads the pair away from the encampment in search of some fallen timber; in fact, she'd been very quiet and insular for much of this day's ride. She was finally starting to get used to riding, she wasn't nearly as sore as she'd been the first night; she'd barely slept at all from the pain of the long ride and the awkwardness of her leg. Still, there was a bit of a hitch to her step with the artificial leg as they go further away. After several minutes of companionable silence, she stops and stares up towards the darkening sky. "It's my birthday today." She says quietly, still not looking away from the sky, searching for something, but what she didn't yet know. The Dragonborn's snout drops, with all of the conflict & terrible shit they'd been through he was expecting some new horror. Flexing his snout into a human smile he pats Lilli on the back and bellows "Happy Birthday!!" Letting out a low sing songy whistle. "Ya had me worried! Thought ya was going ta tell me da moon itself was out ta get us."   Patting his pockets " I wish I knew, I woulda picked up a nice bottle 'fore we got kicked outta town."  Taking a closer look and seeing Lilli's more wistful mood, he adds "How ya doing with it? A name day without ya people can be hard ta get through." His eyes growing soft & thoughtful he adds with an uncertain tone.   "Not sure if I've had one in exile that was better than back home."  Lilli turns her gaze away from sky to Akiran with a melancholic smile. "You don't need to get me anything, Akiran, but thank you, I appreciate the thought." She starts walking again, collecting small branches and some twigs they could use for kindling. She glances over her shoulder a few times to make sure no one else was within earshot. "I had forgotten we were coming up on the day until this morning, and it got me thinking on a lot of things. When I was younger, when my power first manifested, not my magical powers, but the other stuff, I was always asked to sacrifice my own needs and wants for the greater good. At first I was happy to do it, because it made my parents feel good, feel... needed, I guess? But the more it went on, I started to resent it and them in a way. So when I ran away, I told myself I would never put someone else before myself. And I lived up to that, for a long time. Six years or so by my best guess that I've been away from home. Until now, because of Ascian. Because this is bigger than any single person.” She stops and turns towards Akiran, lowering her voice and glancing over his shoulder towards the encampment. "I didn't do it for him, but because and I hate to say this... but for the greater good. If we had rushed off to deal with those cultists, I think he would have pursued Faerus' intentions without us. I don't trust him at all, Akiran. I was hoping to have this conversation with Thezra as well, because I know Katrin and Thrandimir will try to stop us, but we cannot allow him to do Faerus' bidding. If we cannot break his hold over Ascian, and he tries to destroy anymore of the seals holding back Vecna. You and I have to stop him, in whatever way we have to."  With a shake of his snout he grumbles out. "Da greater good." Snorting, he continues, "Nothin more dangerous than da greater good. Can mean anything ta anyone, an' ta many are ready ta die for it." Looking at Lilli, he says, "It was your call but we shoulda went ta gut da Archon." His tone growing just slightly colder. "Ya gotta know what ya want an' be willin ta fight for it. Thezra had it right, they don't care 'bout us. After Dragonvale, it'll be the Shadowfell, and who the hell knows what else after that. Thrand, Da Pale One & Katrin are damn near family. They'll keep puttin themselves first."   B lowing out a deep breath through his nostrils Akiran looks back to Lilli "It's a long story but I'm tryin' ta do some good too. But ya gotta know they won't stand by. They'll kill ya ta protect him an' go ta sleep with a clear conscious."  His voice softens and in a kinder tone says "I got ya back kid, but don't throw ya life away. I'm with this crew ta help ya get free of da cult & ta get ridda of da beast's mark. Thezra had da right of it, if ya want ta da good, we'd be better off findin a new outfit. Hell all we're doin with Faerus' is cleaning up Da Pale One's mess.  Find what ya want, an' make sure they give as much as they get." Lilli's cheeks flush with a slight dark purplish glow beneath her pale skin either with embarrassment or frustration, Akiran isn't sure. "I know what you're saying, Akiran and I get that, but... what good is living a few more days if Vecna gets released and ends the world anyway?" She lets out a huff and takes a few steps away. "I don't want to hurt any of them and I would like to see Ascian get out from under the influence of this being, not because I care for him one way or another, but because I hate to see anyone being manipulated that way." She glances back over her shoulder at Akiran. "I know how that feels; having some higher power trying to use you for their own goals. I was strong enough to break away from that influence, but Ascian isn't. I don't know what trauma he has faced in this life, but the boy is pitiful. And let me be clear, I do not care for him, this is about the people I do care about; myself, you, even my misguided family. If we walk away from this now, we both know that he will get away from Katrin and Thrandimir, and he will continue breaking these shackles. But maybe we can succeed in breaking the connection to Faerus and whatever hold he has over Ascian. Once we have succeeded in that, if they refuse to help us with the things that we need help with." She walks over to him, reaches up, and touches the spot on Akiran's arm where the dragon's symbol still lingers, "Then we walk away. We take care of ourselves, you and me. Maybe find some other good folks to join up with us, but my friend, I have to at least try. I don't think this is something I can walk away from. I hope you're with me on this, Akiran, I cannot do it alone, but we have probably lingered out here long enough. The others would not react will to this conversation. What say we head back?" It takes a moment for Akiran to respond. "I'm serious 'bout tryin' ta da some good. An' I'll back ya as much as I can, but I promised myself a long time ago I'd never through my life away."  Flexing his snout back into a smile, he says, "But that's enough of depressing shit for one day. Let's go see if we can find a bottle an' ring in ya day in style!" Lilliana gives Akiran a hard look, before breaking into a laugh. "That's fair, my friend! Let's do just that!"

The next day, around the middle of the afternoon, the caravan finally arrives at Dragonvale. The small settlement looks unremarkable as the road rolls down the final hill. It sits tucked next to the forest and a small, lonely mountain, as well as the expansive lake for which the settlement is named. Much has changed since the last time Katrin was here. An embankment has been created around the town on the north and west sides, basically a semi-circle of earth that surrounds the exposed side of the town where its borders aren't guarded by mountain, lake, or forest. Completely surrounding the town on all sides but the shore is a wooden palisade, the longs ending in sharp points. None of that is the most startling sight for the dwarf however -- that honor belongs to the small encampment outside the palisade, flying the green, pink and gold colors of the Heartlands military. As the caravan draws near, it is halted 20 feet from the palisade gate by soldiers. Master Doman grumbles under his breath. "Whaddaya want?" he snarls. The soldier seems unfazed. "This settlement is being blockaded under orders from his majesty, the king." Doman fishes through his belt pouch and pulls free a small scroll case. "And here, I have a trade writ from the king's fucking brother, to deliver these goods to this city. So which is it?" The soldier takes the scroll case and looks up at Doman, suddenly far less sure of himself. "I...uh...I'll need to show this to my superiors."  "Go do that then," Doman growls as the soldier leaves. The caravan master sighs and slumps in his seat.

Katrin had kept to herself, barely speaking to anyone as they'd journeyed further from the city and closer to Dragonvale. But the sight of the Heartlands flag stirs something inside, and as the soldiers depart from the head of the caravan, she comes up alongside Doman, still astride her pony. "What the fuck is happening? Why have they stopped us?"  Dragonvale had changed so much since she'd seen it last, and her stomach twists with...fear. Fear that this was no longer the home she thought it would always be.

"No idea," Doman says. "Some sort of new edict by our glorious ruler ." Sarcasm practically drips from the man's words.

The fear in her stomach turns to dread. The King....this is...this is all my fault. And then another thought. Darius doesn't know I've been released...but if he knew...if he somehow found out that Darian had let me leave.... Katrin thinks for a brief moment that she might be sick. Instead she just nods, her knuckles white as she stares at the closed palisade before them. "What's the edict?"

"Just a trade writ," Doman says. "It's the standard procedure for domestic trade."

Standard procedure. She sincerely hoped that was all this would boil down to. "I hope you're right. I wouldn't put anything past King Darius, especially out here."

After a few long minutes, the soldier returns, looking sour. "You're...uh...cleared to go through," he says. "Sorry for the confusion."

The relief that Katrin feels is immediate, as is her satisfaction at the soldier's obvious disappointment and irritation. Without waiting, she spurs Bill past the soldier, past Doman, to the gate of the palisade. The only thing now between her and her family.

As the group approaches the blockage, Lilliana urges her horse closer to Akiran's and gives him a look. She tensely watches and listens to the exchange, prepared for hostilities should they arise. Once they are waved through and Katrin rides onward, she relaxes and puts her heels to the horse's flank. She speaks to Akiran in a low voice. "I wonder what this was about?"

The military camp sits about 300 feet from the gate to the palisade. As the caravan trundles forward, a head pops up over the palisade, brown hair and beard fluttering slightly in the wind. "Halt, travelers," the voice calls out in a familiar accent -- Holvannian, but lighter, more like Katrin's than Gesrik's. "State your business and-" The face seems to lean in as the caravan gets closer, the eyes focusing on the pony and its rider.  "Katrin, is that you?" Osrik says. His eyes look up at the caravan. "What...why...?" He disappears for a moment, and soon, the gates open and he steps out to greet his younger sister. The dwarf is clad in full plate armor, with a metal shield slung over his back and a warhammer by his side. Like Katrin, he's tall for a dwarf. His armor is emblazoned with the blazing silver sword of Tempus on the breastplate.  "What are you doing here?" he asks.

Don't cry. You promised yourself you'd never cry in front of them. Them being Osrik and Tordek, her brothers. How they would tease her when they had all been much younger. And much more innocent. But she supposed that now, it made little difference. Katrin dismounts, walking up to her big brother while still holding the reins tightly in one fist. A swirl of conflicting emotions flood her: happiness, fear, anger, regret, joy. And at last, she can't contain it anymore.  She flings her arms around him, the sound of metal armor scraping against metal armor ringing through the air as she hugs him tightly to her. "Osrik," she says in his ear as she practically strangles him with love, "Where's Dad?" She pulls back, looking at him. "I promise I'll explain, but I have to speak to Dad."

"Ow," Osrik remarks, looking curiously down at his sister. "Have you been working out?" He gives Katrin's bicep a quick squeeze, his eyebrow raised. "Anyway, dad's at the forge. Let's get the caravan inside first."  The caravan begins rolling through, bringing the rest of the Fireblades into the town, near the brother and sister pair. "Who are they?" Osrik asks, gesturing at the rest of the group.

Katrin hesitates, but only for a brief moment. "They're....friends. I met most of them at the tavern in Fireblade. We've sort of taken it on as a name for ourselves."

Osrik turns and looks at the group. "Welcome to Dragonvale. We have mountainside living, lakefront views, and a cadre of belligerent soldiers right outside our walls. What more could you ask for?"

“Resiq,” Ascian says flatly. “Is it here.” 

Osrik gives Ascian a startled look, followed by a curious look, followed by a confused look. "Uh...yes. We have some," he says. "You uh...you're not one for small talk, are you?"

Katrin looks at the group. "This is my brother Osrik. He's the smart one."

Thrandimir chuckles. "Then he must know where to find a warm fire and a cold drink."