-----The Dread Pirate waves his cutlass wildly about, chasing the farmer all about the yard, "Ha! Charge folk to bathe in a stinkin' pond, will ye? Here's what I think o' that." The Dread Pirate begins herding the hapless farmer towards the pond, apparently intending to make the farmer jump in.
-----Kazel watches the chase for a while and then shrugs. She starts to look around the area and peek inside the buildings for the mysterious figure. "Hey mister, I think what he really meant, was he wants to know who that hooded man is. Maybe that'll calm him down."
-----As the farmer runs, his arms frantically pinwheel as the Dread Pirate darts to one side of him and then quickly to the other side. An image of a man being chased by a furious large hornet in a pirate's hat comes to Kazel.
-----The man's head looks from one side to the other trying to follow the motion of the furious halfling. Without watching where he is going, the man is suddenly pitched forward into the algae-ridden waters of his pond. Under the surface, the water suddenly turns brown with the disturbance of the mud there. In the next moment, the farmer sits up in the water wet and muddied with wide eyes filled with terror. A lily pad unflatteringly adorns his head.
-----"Hep! Hep! Bandits!" he yells between gasps.
-----To the northeast from the pond at about a distance of about fifty yards sits a tavern building near the road. At that moment, a group of people exits the tavern staring in the direction of the pond. Six men among their number glare angrily in the direction of the commotion and draw their swords. One woman stands off to the side holding her hands over her mouth in a shocked expression.
-----Apparently content with a job well done, the Dread Pirate flops down at the edge of the pond, sheathes his cutlass, and rests his elbows on his knees. He then looks bemusedly at the muddy farmer and says, "Now ye wanted to charge us fer the pleasure o' bathin' in that algae covered, festerin' puddle o' muck? Does it really seem worth chargin' fer now, ye usurious dog."
-----"How dare ye," the farmer gasps unbelievably, "this be me land! If'n I be layin' claim to the pond, I have me right!"
-----The six men begin dashing across the field that separates the tavern from the pond. They look to be wearing various forms of leather armor as they carry their swords in their hands.
-----The Dread Pirate scowls at the soaked farmer and replies, "Very well then, here be yer pittance, ye scurvy dog." The Dread Pirate stands and gropes in his pocket for moment, emerging with a few old copper pieces, which he then hurls into the midst of the pond.
-----"Now ye be paid. And more than ye deserve. May yer stingy heart be more generous to the next passersby."
-----The Dread Pirate then stands and eyes the approaching men, as they sprint across the field. Feeling particularly spiteful this morning, Dread makes several obscene gestures at the running group, culminating in his turning his back on the vengeful crew, and dropping the back of his pants at them. His sense of honor thus satisfied, Dread then hastily pulls his pants back up, rebuckles his belt and starts running in the opposite direction.
-----Realizing it's a good time to move on, Kazel runs around back behind the tree and puts on her ring.
-----Suddenly, Runik appears from behind the farmhouse with his warhammer in hand. Spotting the Dread Pirate heading his way, the dwarf hefts his weapon and nods toward the people beyond the pond. "We kin take 'em, Cap'n . . ." the dwarf says before pausing, "less ye be thinkin' it best to head off."
-----The Dread Pirate looks surprised to see Runik popping out from behind the farmhouse, then replies as he runs past, "No, I don't think that'll be necessary. Somehow those angry gentlemen running across the field there seem to have the impression that we be bandits o' some sort. I'd really rather not stay to argue the notion."
-----Runik pauses momentarily and then tears off following the Dread Pirate though the dwarf is soon left behind by the speeding halfling. Gimplefwick dashes swiftly through the woods and exits out onto the road. The wagon has moved!
-----As a momentary feeling of panic threatens to take hold, the Dread Pirate looks up the road toward the village and sees the wagon stopped just a few yards away. Brandel, Krord, Seth and the little girl appear to be watching the activity by the pond from the road.