Two horsemen ride up to a tavern...

Seeing that Kou has the orc in his grasp, Thrandimir attempts to once more call upon the icy energies as hit command, but the determined warrior shrugs off the cold.

The orc's eyes stare up at Kou's in fury, the being's strong muscles struggling against the grapple -- until his limbs go limp and the orc falls into a near death sleep. The sounds of battle are replaced once more with the trickling of the stream and the crackling of the tree branches and the shifting of the leaves above.

"You run like the wind Kou, none will escape you." Kaed comes up not too far behind the other man, "You stopped his escape and possibly saved the orcs from being warned too early of our group and its tremendous power!" There appears to be nothing but honesty in the young tribesman's claim, his adrenalin clearly still powering him. He turns and looks back at the group spewad out over the battlefield, some looking very tired, the elf looking badly hurt. He spies Ascian not too far away, the slender man stil with an arrow at the ready. "Some fine shooting againmyfriend, although do not know whether to buy you all the mead you can handle for saving me from harm or berate you for stealing my kills!"  The hearty laughter that follows indicates the first is more likely. "Ancient one,again tour spells have confused our foes and aided us, it is a pleasure to fight alongside you." He walks to Katrin,his smile broad "Mistress Katrin, your valour is great, I see much strength in you."  The next object of his praise is Cal as he moves closer to the Firebolt "Your powers are certainly mysterious,butthey seem great, your golden attack is truly a sight to see, and as for you lady of,I am sure you will be returned to us as good as new soon,ready to add to your great deeds."  Arms spread wide Kaed basks in the victory "Yes, truly, this is what it means to be alive!"

Though warmed by his praise, Katrin remains vigilant, scanning the trees below. "They may send more." She says bluntly, without taking her eyes off of the horizon. "When this group doesn't return, that will give them cause for alarm. Perhaps the next group will  not be so easily slayed." She glances over at the elven woman, clearly in a great deal of pain. "And some of us would not survive another encounter like this one. Let alone one of greater size and strength." Though her statement was pointed very much at the elf, Katrin silently included herself in that group. She didn't know how much more she could take. And she'd rather return to the Fireblade alive, rather than not at all. Keep your promise. 

"I barely survived that first hit. Who knew I pissed off the local orc population that much?"  Erika finally found her waterskin, taking a drink from it. "Better one of us take a hit like that than one of the villagers. But due to...circumstances I say we cut this little expedition short, report back to Fireblade. Maybe prepare for a potential raid." She winced in pain as she accidentally shifted her right arm slightly, reflexively grabbing it and making the pain worse, causing her to hiss in pain. "So, I never asked this because I never thought it'd come up...because I'm stupid..." Erika took another pained breath. "Are any of you skilled in the art of medicine or surgery? Or were a barber before becoming an adventurer?"

Kou applies pressure driving his elbow further into the orc's throat, the being's breath was already shallow but after a few moments it stops completely. Hearing Kaed's praise forces a smile on Kou's face, today had been trying but the man optimism was lifting. Patting the man on the shoulder  "And none could withstand your fury Kaed, we make for a good team."  Looking back to the orc he prepares to lay the warrior to rest until he hears Erika call for a healer. Kou run towards the elf and removes his healers kit " I am a trained healer, the Citadel taught me how the science of healing and my new found bound with Tempus has provided me with more divine healing gifts." kneeling down he  begins to look Erika over. Speaking calmly as he does so "That was a nasty blow but you handled yourself well. Do not worry, we should be able to get you back to fighting strength in no time."

Kou looks over the elf's wound, the potion had stopped the bleeding but the orc's blade cut deeply. It's a testament to Erika's skill that she didn't lose her arm. Leaning in closer he sees that this wound was already beginning to fester. That would take all night to fix, it would have to wait until they made it back to the Tavern. For now he could patch her up enough to make it home without too much difficulty. He first takes a deep breath clutching his Lamanian oak necklace and utters the healing word of Tempus, restoring a bit of Erika's strength before he began using more mundane efforts to heal. As he speaks the word lightning leaps from his palm and helps to knit together some of the injury but there was still much to heal.  Reaching in his pack he brings out his healers kit, setting up his scalpel, scissors, and stiches. As he is getting prepared Cal kneels down and begins assisting in the preparations. Once he is prepared he says a prayer to Tempest and with the Firbolgs assistance they begin to stitch up Erika's wounds. When their work is finished Kou looks at the Elf and says "I have done what I can for the moment. Your wound is beginning  to fester, I have the herbs to cure you of this disease but it will take at least a night of uninterrupted  work. My magics are unfortunately not up to the task." He bows his head in respect to the Firbolg and says "Thank you Cal, after all of the violence today it was nice to use our gifts to heal."

Weary from his arcane exertions, Thrandimir nods to his victorious companions in respect, before turning to head back inside the tent. The job had to be completed before they could return to Fireblade. "Get him up," he tells Ash quietly. "Fetch Callahan's berry's. Let's put this behind us."

Kaed sees Thrandimir plan to return to business and decides to do the same, he moves to the horse and cart, checking that everything is in place for the horse to bring the cart back with them to Fireblade. "We should be ready to leave quickly,for all we know there are more coming, if you feel the need to torture them further hurry up about it and let us be on our way, we should not tarry. Erika almost died, I am weary and we seem to have used up most of our healing strength so any further attacks could be fatal for someone."  

Nodding towards Kaed "I agree, we shouldn't linger. Cal and I have done all we can for Erika but she is still injured, and needs rest. Their wolves were able to escape, if they run home injured without their masters it may draw the rest to suspicion and we are not equipped to take out a larger force."  Kou stands and stows his medical equipment into his pack "If we aim to continue the interrogations  we should at least move to a new location, but I feel that we have all that we need". He then walks to the Orc that he spoke to before and lifts the warriors corpse and walks the forest until he finds an appropriate tree to lay the orc to rest.

The intimidation recommences. Over the next hour, Thrandimir and Ascian learn that the first orc was indeed telling the truth. While they don't have much detail, the remaining two orcs cough up what little they can about the defenses of Ore'Agah. They more forthright than their willful counterpart, but they don't seem to know much about the specifics of the city's defenses.  Meanwhile, Callahan, Kaed, Katrin, and Erika spend the time bandaging themselves up while Kou methodically and respectfully places the bodies of the felled orcs into trees, honoring their spirits by returning their bodies to nature. At the end of the hour, the sun sits directly between the zenith and the horizon. There are only a few hours of daylight left.

Thrandimir crouches by the brook and rinses the blood from his hands, glancing across at Ash as he muses on where to go from here. First things first - they had to return to Fireblade. Marianne should hear of this and they all needed a rest. Besides, they'd promised Katrin that she'd be home for the party. "Shall we be on our way?" He asks anyone who will listen.

"Yes, we have spent long enough here, it is past time to go." Kaed goes over to the horse and cart, checking it one last time, then waving Erika to the back . "It will be easier for you to ride, rest up now, whole you have the chance. Who knows what tomorrow brings?" Sitting himself in the seat from where he can control the horse he prepares to depart. " Anyone else wants ride back to Fireblade?"

While taking the journey back on the cart sounds like a dream, Katrin prefers to walk. It gives her time to be with her own thoughts, and it gives her the space she needs after the days events. She cleans her sword in the river, not far from where the wizard is cleansing his hands of the blood he has helped spill. He's a lot more bloodthirsty than she took him for. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Yet. At this point, it didn't matter to her. All she wanted was to get home and spend a restful evening with Rose and her family.  She appreciates Kaed's offer, nonetheless. "I'll walk. Clear my head."  

Following the battle, Cal's starry form had finally faded, and with it the fog of war. His mind entirely his own once more, the events of the last quarter of an hour immediately crashed down upon him, and with it the knowledge his attempt to hear the Orc's side of the story had found itself twisted into a mess of torture and violence. When Thrandimir approached requesting another berry, he acquiesced, never rising to meet the wizard's eye, his gaze affixed firmly on the darkened ground out in the field near Erika. At the very least, helping mend her wounds brought the slightest feeling of righteousness back to him. And when Thrandimir exited minutes later, his hands awash in red, he turned away, clenching his eyes shut. The journey back to the Fireblade, he kept far to the rear of the group, eyes cast in shadow as his usual mosey was replaced with a sullen gait, as if stones lie chained behind him through shackles around his ankles.

After treeing the last Orc, Kou sits briefly by the stream. Using the rhythmic sounds of the water to help focus his breath and drift into a meditative state as he waits for the interrogation to finish. Focusing inward he begins to examine his body, fortunately he wasn't injured but his legs ached from the exertion of catching the final Orc. Disappointment and anger briefly flare in the man, before forging my connection with Tempus I would have been able to catch the warrior without breaking a sweat. The Strom God's blessing had brought Kou abilities, he would have never imagined possessing. But the influx of divine magic had disrupted his internal energies. His master called the energy Ki, before he had been able to use it to run faster, hit harder, and speed his perception up enough to evade even the fastest strikes. But his new divine powers completely disrupted his ki pathways, he still hasn't found a way to balance the two and tap back into his own power. After hearing Kaed, he returns his breathing to normal and rejoins the rest. "Thank you Kaed, but I will walk as well"  

Stopping to load the bags of grain found among the axe-beaks onto the cart, the group sets out for the Fireblade village. After a couple hours of retracing their steps and the old cart tracks through the hills, the hill that the group fought the lions on comes into view. The cow corpses are slightly more picked apart, likely due to returning axe-beaks. Notably, the sleeping forms of the injured lions are missing from sight. The corpse of the lion that was killed still lays amidst the cows, but the others are gone without an apparent trace.

"Keep your eyes open, those creatures will not have forgotten us, and we have no wish to have to kill them." Under his breath Kaed mutters " again ."  From his seat on the wagon he scans the area, paying attention to the landscape and looking for dips in the land and vegetation that could provide cover.  " Maybe a couple of you could scout a little ways ahead, not too far though, no sense in needing to fight anything on your own."

"I'll go," Ascian replies to Kaed, shouldering his pack with a grimace.  "Maybe they'll remember me." He ducks into the grass and winds ahead, careful to keep quiet; trying to take on the orc scout was one thing, but even he has to acknowledge a pair of vigilant lions might be more than his garrote can handle. He steals ahead what seems a reasonable distance from the group, finding a vantage point that might give him insight into the upcoming terrain - and sees nothing but the path they themselves had cut just a few hours ago. There's no mistaking the lions had run, but it hadn't been to here. He waits awhile for things to change and, when they don't, retraces his silent steps back towards the others. "There's some of those birds from before, but they're headed away from us. No sign of their friends."

With nothing out of the ordinary, the group moves past the "lion hill" and within one hour, just before sunset, they find themselves moving through the fields behind the Hornsby farm. The group reaches the small road that winds through the collection of farms and barns. The cart's wheels rattle on the hard-packed earth and stones that make up the path. An evening cool descends on the village as the weary adventurers pass, and though it is perfectly normal for the first day of summer, Ascian can't help but glance back toward the west, where the snow had fallen in his dreams. The noise of the wagon attracts some of the more curious inhabitants, and soon cheers can be heard rising from the populace as they return from their day's work in the fields. As the cart trundles by the Westbrook farm, Katrin spies Rose standing on the doorstep. With a soft smile, she blows a kiss in the cleric's direction. Rose's father, Wendell, is much more animated.  "Fuck, yeah! We got our stores back!"  he shouts, his leathery face plastered with near-glee.  Soon, the cart comes to a stop outside the Fireblade Tavern and Inn. The hall's denizens have come out and watch with small cheers as the cart pulls up. It becomes immediately apparent to the party that this place isn't a terribly exciting place to live, and all the excitement they've had recently has brought them nothing but hardship. So here, small victories are celebrated as large ones. Marianne and Na'arik stand in the door way. "Leave the cart out front," she says. "We'll facilitate getting the grain back to whom it belongs to." She lowers her gaze to address the populace. Her voice booms out, the volume heightened by magical means. "And if the distribution goes well and there's no immature pushing and shoving, there will be free drinks for everyone tonight!" Her statement is punctuated by the odd juxtaposition of excited and jubilant (and slightly drunk) farmers forming an orderly queue behind the cart. Marianne beckons the group inside the tavern.

Seeing the cheering villagers cheer the party on brings a huge smile to Kou's face. This is where he was meant to be. Being able to just help this village without having to go through the Citadel's politics and red tape, was more of a blessing than he could articulate. Waving at the people they pass, Kou nods towards  Marianne and Na'arik "We have much to discuss, though...." he looks back Erika in the cart "It will have to wait until Erika's wounds have been treated, they are beginning to fester and the disease will begin to sap her strength if it isn't treated. Unfortunately preparing the herbs and applying the treatment will take most of the night." 

Thrandimir walks tall and proud ahead of the wagon as the newly-formed band of heroes rolls back into Fireblade, his staff picking out a path up the road as he goes. He smiles kindly to the onlookers as the pull up outside the tavern. "Oh, I don't think that will be necessary," the wizard tells Kou with a wink. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Leave Erika's wound to me. A little magic and the young lady will be well on her way to recovery."

Marianne gestures to Na'arik. "Help her upstairs," she says, and turns her gaze on the queue forming. "I'll handle this. The rest of you, feel free to head inside. I'll get you your payment soon." She heads down the small hill and begins the process of distributing the grain to the farmers from whom it was stolen. Na'arik walks over to the cart where Erika sits and says, "Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?"

Erika had been smiling on the way into town despite the pain. Seeing all the cheering villagers was truly the highlight of her line of work. However, a bunch of attention was then directed her way, concern her very recent wound. She almost instinctively shied away, but overcame it. "Oh come now, a little bit of blood loss never hurt anybody." She then noticed Na'arik had asked her if she could walk. "The wound's on my arm-" She gestured to the split open gambeson on her right arm.  "I should be fine to walk. But thanks for the offer, Na'arik." As she stepped off the cart, she became very lightheaded and lost her balance, her world spinning for a moment before she caught herself in a crouching position. "See? I'm fine."  Erika staggered to her feet and began walking towards the inn. "I'll only really have a little trouble lifting things until I heal. It's just a flesh wound, you all don't need to mind me like I'm a helpless child." The elf took another step and was very suddenly attacked by the ground. It had jumped up and hit her in the side of the head.  "Okay maybe I'm not fine."

None-too-gracefully, Na'arik picks the wounded elf up off the ground and carries her up into the tavern. He looks at Thrandimir. "You the healer? Follow me." He takes Erika up to the top level of the tavern and lays her on a bed in one of the unused rooms. "You need herbs or anything?"

Thrandimir follows Na'arik to Erika's room and opens his pack. "If you have some, they wouldn't hurt."

Na'arik leaves and returns a moment later with a well-organized satchel of various greenery and flowers. "This is a lot of local stuff," he says. "Not sure what it does. Bet you can figure out which ones you need." He sets the satchel down next to Thrandimir and turns to leave. "If you need me, I'll be downstairs." Downstairs, the party has already begun. Those that don't manage a farmstead and thus are not in charge of getting their grain back are already taking Marianne up on the offer of free drinks, distributed by the tavern's other staff. The celebrations are loud and rambunctious, with lots of back slapping and drink spilling. The party are treated as guests of honor, and the offer of free drinks is made to them. Many people stop by to congratulate the group on "sticking it to the orcish bastards."

In her room, Katrin unbuckles her sword, and removes her chain shirt. She washes up and straightens her tunic, then fixes her hair before going back down to the tavern proper. She keeps to herself, and doesn't stay long in the tavern, despite the offer of free drinks. She has somewhere else she'd rather be. And someone else she'd rather be with. The walk down to the Westbrook farm is quiet, as much of the populace are inside the Fireblade. After the day she's had, the quiet is welcome. The setting sun paints the sky in colors of pink, orange, and red, and the white-washed façade of the farm house is bathed in golden light. She has grown fond of this place. It's a place she can call home while she travels. Perhaps someday, this place can be my home. Someday. The thought leaves her a little sad. She knew it would be some time before Tempus would release her of her duty. She was still trying to figure that one out.  

Rose sits on the front porch of the farmhouse, smiling as Katrin walks up.  "From a bit early to the party to very nearly late,"  she says as she stands and bends slightly to kiss the slightly-shorter dwarf. She pulls back just a bit after a few long moments and her eyes take in the new nicks in Katrin's armor. "I was worried about you, Kit Kat. There was a fight?" She pulls Katrin to sit down with her on the porch and looks over her, worry marring her kind expression.

"There was.....a bit of a fight. Nothing I couldn't handle." She pats Rose's hand reassuringly. "Helped to have reinforcements though." Katrin leans back on her elbows, surveying the large front yard of the farmhouse. She glances over at Rose. "Gonna be sticking around awhile longer. The orc problem isn't solved yet, and I have a vested interest in keeping this place safe." She leans her head against Rose's shoulder, and takes a deep, contented breath. "But that's for another day."  

"A vested interest , huh?" she says, leaning her head onto Katrins, her hair falling down to tickle the back of Katrin's neck. She giggles. "Do go on. You're such a charmer." She laughs and points up the hill toward the Fireblade. "You know, dad's going to take Marianne up on the offer of free drinks. We made some food, but we can save it if you want to head back to the tavern. We can have his party there."

Katrin wrinkles her nose and wriggles slightly as Rose's hair tickles her neck and nose. She sighs. "I'm not much up for company now, but if Wendell Westbrook declares free drinks on his birthday, then so be it." She laughs, and intertwines her fingers with Rose's. "And, you know, if it gets too crowded....." Katrin looks at Rose with a coy smile, and then pops up, pulling Rose with her, beginning to head in the direction of the tavern.

Rose returns the coy smile and grabs Katrin's arm as she begins to head back to the tavern. "Well, like I said," she says, pulling Katrin back toward the house. "Dad's going to be a while with the grain..." 

Katrin abandons all thought of returning to the tavern, and follows closely behind Rose as they enter the house. The door closes with a gentle click, and the sound of laughter lingers on the cool evening air for just a few moments longer before dissipating in the slight breeze.

'Kou gives a small head nod towards Thrandmir  "You are a man of many talents, I would be very interested in studying your technique."  He sighs  "But that will have to wait for another time, for now a strong beer and good meal are my only interests." As Na'arik carries Erika away Kou focuses the last bit of his divine energy and speaks the healing words of Tempus hoping to aid Thrandimir in his efforts to aid Erika.  "You fought well Erika, by tomorrow Thrand will have you feeling stronger than ever" Following the pair into the tavern, Kou walks up to the bar and orders a heavy stout. He looks back and sees Cal walking sullenly into the tavern. He orders a second, and walks over to the Firbolg handing the man the drink.   "Drink up, my mentor often said the only way to survive a dark day like this is to find a darker beer."  He chuckles warmly at the last bit as he thinks of his former master. He takes a more somber tone as he looks at the Firbolg  "But truly how are you doing Cal? Interrogation is not something that sits easy on the conscious. And if you don't mind, I'm curious about the form you took in the interrogations. You almost seemed to be a different person."

"Wheeeeee" Erika tried to say as quietly as possible as Na'arik hefted her like a sack of potatoes. She didn't say much except a quick "Thank you." to Kou as he focused a bit more divine magic into her, causing her to shiver. She'd probably never get used to that feeling. Felt better than False Life, however. When she was placed on the bed, she shifted, taking her sword off and setting by the bedside, then removed her cloak. Her backpack and trident were still at the cart, they'd probably be fine. Erika glanced between Thrandimir and Na'arik, then to the herbs Na'arik had. Some small amount of time had passed and she hadn't noticed. She had been fiddling with the cut open part of her gambeson, above the wound. She'd have to get it fixed up at some point, along with her shirt underneath it. She took her left glove off, then began to unfasten her gambeson. "I assume you'll need direct access to the wound to treat it, Thrandimir? I must admit I know little of the medical arts." Medical arts? What the hell am I saying? That sounds like something some sophisticated elf noble would say. I could almost vomit.

Thrandimir nods in gratitude to Na'arik as the man leaves and rolls his fingers over Erika's face where she lies. Images of twinkling stars and tweeting birds circle above her head. "Hush, grasshopper," the wizard mutters, mostly to himself as he sorts through the herbs that he's been provided with. "We'll get to that soon enough." Once he's satisfied with the available supplies, Thrandimir summons an unseen servant to undress the elf while he sets about steeping leaves for a foul smelling paste.

Kaed stands by a window, cup of mead in hand, looking out into the village, his good humour remains but he is a little subdued. What he had hoped would be a riotous celebration before they left had been marred a little as the group went about their own business. The dwarven woman had not joined them, the elf was too badly wounded and the wizard was tending to her, Kou seemed to be trying to cheer up the strange Firebolt, and Kaed sympathised with the large druid. The methods of the group to get information from the orcs had left a bad taste in his mouth, a feeling he guessed cut a lot deeper to the firbolg. Ascian was about, the pale man looking almost ghostly amongst so many other hale and boisterous figures but Kaed found himself liking the fellow, and he had certainly been impressed with his skills. But then he had been a part of the torture, and Kaed wasnt ready to forget about that yet. Sighing he turned back into the room, catching a fragment of Kou's question to Cal, "Yes, please tell us, I was very curious as well, it seems a great magic." He walks up closer patting the firbolg on the shoulder and nodding with a smile on hid face to Kou. " Come on friends, tonight is still a good night, even if the day was hard at times, on the body and the soul. Who knows what tomorrow brings so let us sing and drink as if it will be our last night,  in case it is!" Raising his mead he finishes the cup in a single pull, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand even as he ties his head back and laughs in satisfaction.

Kou's hand sits outstretched with the darkly-colored flagon before him. Cal hears the man's words and steals a quick glance at the drink, the murky brown brew within sloshing gently about. He returns his focus to the furthest plank of wood he can see that juts out at just slightly-too-far of an angle from the corner wall of the tavern, it's timbers frayed and splintered along the edge where it splays against the building's frame. It occurs to him that the paint in that corner seems to have been applied rather haphazardly, now that he sees it. The coats are clearly uneven and ill-fitting; a sore thumb hidden through chipper, ornate handiwork. The firbolg clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Nope, too dejected for beer right now. That's right, you can't accept that from him. He pulls his lips back into a half-grimace and starts to shake his head. "Wouldn't be right for me to accept that..."  His eyes never move as he speaks, but his stomach betrays him, letting out a pitched growl as he feels his mouth dry after the last few hours passed without any real food or drink. It does look pretty refreshing, admittedly... Cal lets out a heavy sight, his shoulders slumping, "...at least, not like that. You don't think Mr. Na'arik'd happen to have any more of that fresh milk lying around, would'ya?" Despite his verbal conciliation he continued to try his best to maintain that feeling of pain. Ain't wrong to have a drink, of course it isn't. No. Not betraying them by having a single drink...

Ascian lurks against the wall, a better fit to the outskirts of the party than its heart. After the others had dispersed he’d drifted to the edge of things, one of his quivers pulled to the front for better access to count the arrows he has left. He’s under no impression he’s a beloved figure to the many who had taken issue with the manner in which they’d procured information, but that can’t be helped. Ascian is no stranger to seeking knowledge, and apologizing for what works never once crosses his mind. Just on the fringe of earshot, he can hear the morally sound discussing the day and half expects the subject to come up, but Callahan is inexplicably quick to deflect. He looks up, considering the lions and the tent and the way his knife had dragged promisingly down many an orc’s trachea, then shifts his quiver to his back again and makes for the bar. A moment later, a tankard of milk is set wordlessly in front of Cal.

Regarding the tankard and the gaunt, pale hand that placed it where it now sits, Cal can only blink. He searches for the correct words or reaction but his mind is a mix of fear and anger and hunger and exhaustion. This seriousness thing isn't his thing , usually, and that in and of itself frustrated him about it. He didn't want  to feel this way. There was no fun in this! No smiling or joy to be brought, or wonder. But he also couldn't just ignore it, either. It would be so easy to just reach forward and take the milk. Pour it in with the beer Kou'd offered him, mix it about with a good swirl and sit back with a hearty, defusing laugh. He'd been asked about the stars and on any other day and at any other time he'd be absolutely overjoyed  to divulge every last detail and talk about their grace and wonder and elegance and wisdo- - Right.   Wisdom. The wisdom to see the right path ahead. To know the right way to go. To know the right thing to do. Swallowing hard, Cal turned from the tankard and looked up to Kou and Kaed, proud warriors the both of them, and likely well-meaning in their questioning. But the boy was nearby too. He closed his eyes and saw once more the orcs face as he glared through the eyes of a dragon down at the quivering man. The starry form lingered in the center of his mind even as he opened his own eyes once more. "It's a mistake, that's what."  His voice is flat, lacking any of it's usual lilt, and he hardly lets the words linger before turning to leave. "I fear I don't quite belong here, friends."  

"How does anyone know where they belong? I have wandered far in a short time, I would have ridden on today, in search of something else if I had not found you all, and a noble quest to undertake. But now I feel like I should be here, you may find that moment comes in a minute, or never comes, I cant say for certain. I feel that together we will do great things, and I will not leave until this work is done now it has started. I hope you will stay too ." Kaed's eyes soften, and he stands squarely in front of the firbolg, hand out on his shoulder, locking eyes with Cal. " Things happened today, and those things were not right. As men we must stand up for what is right in our hearts. I would argue with you for the rest of the night about spending time saving a lion that was trying to kill us but I understand you being upset by what was done to the orc prisoners. You were part of something that went too far, was too cruel and you struggle with it, good, you should. I will deal with my own feelings on this, and should it come to pass again I may well behave differently. I have a feeling Kou would agree with me. You must be honest with yourself, you must know where you will draw your line and you must not cross it."  The tribesman let's his hand fall away, after a friendly squeeze , "It is all we can do, all we need to do, be honest."

Kou nods as Kaed speaks, though he is conflicted himself. Today was a dark day, I have been apart of many interrogations even ones that turned bloody. But none so brutal as today. Though Kou can't say for certain that he wouldn't be apart of something like it again, the information they obtained could be used for good. To protect the village, and insure that no one else has to experience the heartache the farmers family going through. Kou gives a sad smile to the Firbolg  "Finding a place in this world is something I've struggled with as well. It's why I left the Citadel, I felt that their bureaucracy hindered them from truly helping the people. So I followed my conscious and left, and found my way here. And now I know with certainty this is where I should be, today we were able to provide justice for the Hornsby family, return the villages grain back to the people, and learned crucial information that can help to protect the village. While it may have taken some darkness to achieve this, the good balances out for me. Seeing the hope we brought the people, is something that I will cherish until my last day" Taking a long draw from his mug Kou pauses and says "The balance is something you will have to find for yourself Cal, though in my heart I feel you are right where you need to be. We couldn't have done the good we did today without you, and we need your good nature to keep us from falling to the darkness."

Ascian is silent from where he floats behind Callahan after putting the mug down, listening to the others. Glancing from Kou to Kaed to Cal, his brow is slightly pinched as he tries and fails to follow – for all the threats of violence he'd made, his knife hadn't had to lift until the end. When all was said and done it had been no different than slaying them on the battlefield, which no one had seemed to protest. But it's becoming increasingly evident the only one who might seem to share that idea is Thrandimir. Pale eyes stare for a long moment at Kaed as he finishes, unblinking at  You were part of something that went too far, was too cruel and you struggle with it, good, you should,  trying to reason out the concept. It says much then, he supposes, that he doesn't struggle; that he'd do it a hundred times over again the same way if asked. They had needed information, and they had gotten information, and now the village was to be saved for it, as Kou said. If that's something to grapple with, he fails to see why. "Rest easy, Callahan, your purity isn't in question,"  he says distantly, heading toward the door.  "That darkness isn't on your hands."

Cal looks swiftly from Kaed to Kou to... not quite where Ascian stands but part of the way before stopping and looking down again. "I appreciate what you two are saying, really, but what happened there wasn't just wrong, it was horrifying. And I was involved in it. From the start all I wanted was to help talk to those men and ask their side and I let myself get talked into something twisted by those two. I know that's on me, I just can't shake the look in that Orc-fella's eye." He turns towards Kou, eyes all at once fierce but shaking with trepidation, "So no Mr. Kou," he starts, shaking his head, "If that kinda thing is required to help folks, I don't know I'm the one oughta be helping 'em." He stands and starts towards the far end of the bar, stopping only as he is still within earshot of the boy. With his eyes on the ground still he speaks in a hushed tone, "For a boy as pale as the deepest snows in the north, more darkness surrounds you than the brightest star in the sky." He doesn't wait for any kind of response, just walks towards the bar and takes a seat as far from any of the group as he can, pulling a small crystalline orb from his pouch once seated which he proceeds to roll between his fingers - back and forth, back and forth.

Standing behind the bar, Na'arik looks at Callahan. "Couldn't help but overhear. I don't know what you did, but the people here are better for it." He pauses for a bit, seemingly contemplating his next words. "Probably not helpful to hear though," he says quietly, setting another drink down in front of Callahan. "We've all got shit that haunts us. Our fault or otherwise. Gotta learn from it, because if you dwell on it and kick yourself over it, you'll second guess yourself until you end up dead." The large man looks fairly proud at his attempt  to give sage advice, but his grimace tells Callahan that Na'arik's not at all sure that he's convincing.  "Anyway, you're a smart kid. You'll figure it out."

Katrin splashes water onto her face, and glances over at Rose, still half dressed laying in bed watching her. All she wanted was to stay forever, curled up in Rose's warm embrace. As she pulls on a fresh tunic, the sound of a door slamming reaches them. "Oh shit. Your dad's back." Katrin tip toes over to the bed, and sitting on the side, begins to pull on her trousers. Rose hasn't moved, despite the fact that Wendell Westbrook was downstairs, probably getting ready to head to the tavern for free drinks. Happy birthday, Wendell. Katrin has moved on to her socks and boots. Rose still hasn't moved, and a soft smile is playing on her lips.  "What?" Katrin smiles, as she throws on her overshirt, and buckles her belt around her waist. "I know that look, honey. What's on your mind?" "Oh, nothing really. It's cute the way you panic when my dad comes home. Like he's going to walk in on us." She smirks, and finally moves to pull on a slip, followed by a clean dress, green with white flowers patterned across the skirt. "Here, let me." Rose grabs a brush, and combs out Katrin's hair, braiding it down her back. "There we go. Beautiful." Rose plants a kiss on Katrin's cheek. "We can walk up to the tavern with Dad. He won't mind."  Katrin frowns. "Are you sure? I don't want him to think...." Rose interrupts with a laugh. "Even if he knew, he wouldn't care. Besides, we've been together for quite awhile now. Dad isn't one to get in the way of love." Her eyes sparkle. "Of all kinds."  Katrin sighs, shaking her head and smiling. She grabs the necklace she had given Rose from the washstand. "Can't forget this." She fastens the chain around Rose's neck, and kisses her shoulder. "Beautiful." She takes Rose's hand, and they head down the stairs.         

The gruff-looking bartender had a point in there somewhere, to be sure, but Cal was fighting with every ounce of himself to resist these attempts at easing his pain and anger. He didn't deserve to be happy-go-lucky, as much as he wanted to be. "Those are real kind words, sir. I know you're speaking from a place of wisdom most likely, but it's more complex than all that, unfortunately. I betrayed my values today. Ran roughshod right over 'em and the worst part of it all is in the moment, I didn't see nothing wrong with it! That ain't something ya just down a drink for and forget about." He lowers his chin to the counter side, his shoulders sagging, "Don't misunderstand Mister, I'm real glad there may be something positive from it and y'all deserve that much. I just think I may have made a mistake somehow. Thought the stars would lead me in the right direction but it was their guidance  that got me into this." He lets out a heavy sigh, "Anyway don't mind me. I'll be alright, just need to rethink some things is all. Thank you kindly for the drink and lodging, though."

On the balcony overlooking the common room, a door bursts open with a resounding thud and arcane fireworks sail overhead with a whistle, before bursting harmlessly into a cornucopia of colours and patterns. "FIREBLADE, ARE YOU READY TO PARTAYYY?!"  Thrandimir can be heard crowing his victory over the jubilant locals as they indulge in their free drinks. Fashionably late, he slides down bannister, arms and legs crossed and toking merrily on his pipe as he slides, before landing at the foot of the stairs with a flourish. Gone are his raggedy grey robes or the lank merchant's costume. Tonight the wizard is resplendent as a gleeman in silver and heather blue, weaving a magnificent light show around him as he revels in the attention. "My friends," he exclaims, joining Ascian, Kaed and Kou at their table with a beaming, energetic smile. "Where are the others? Tonight is our night of victory and glory! Would anybody care for a celebratory smoke with me?"

The denizens of the tavern are stunned by the arcane fireworks, but suddenly begin to hoot and holler at Thrandimir's grand entrance. Cheers go up throughout the tavern. Na'arik calmly and matter-of-factly extinguishes the now-flaming greatsword that he had removed from the wall behind him at the sound of the fireworks and replaces it on the wall. He turns back to Callahan.  "It won't be easy," he says, clearing his throat and smoothing his leather apron. "But you'll work through it eventually. And as for your newfound friends , they could use someone that sticks to his principles. A guiding star, so to speak."