-----Seth motions to Runik, "You can ride my horse if you like. I'll ride in the back of the wagon." He then looks at the robed man and wonders why he attacked Kazel. "You know Dread, some persuasion may be necessary to find out why this heathen-ill-mannered-denizen of poor taste attacked our fair Maiden and her man at arms!"
-----He now looks at Kazel and adds, "Unless you know why already? Oh, by the way," He now looks around and not seeing Marast queries Brandel, "Unless you have a major problem with heading back to Oakwood, we will need to at least go near there to locate our brave companion."
-----Kazel shrugs indicating she doesn't know. She starts to drag the robed man towards the wagon. "Let's bring him along and ask him in the wagon. But I think it might be because he is evil. And that he wanted the dragon hide all to himself."
-----After putting the man on the wagon, she drags Jim's body and places him in the jaws on the dragon so that it looks like it was biting on him. "I s'pose we should go look for Marast at Oakwood, but someone should wear your hat just in case they still have a horse problem."
-----Seth nods and hops up on the wagon. He searches in his pouches and finds some silver coins. He flips one to each of the peasants that helped with the dragon hide. "A mere token of appreciation from Sethanales the Merchant. I shall be back this way soon with my wares of wonder, as well as to purchase items of untold beauty." He now eyes each and adds, "Go home and tell of how your friend here," he now indicates the dead man laying in the teeth of the dragon, "was killed by a dragon in its death throes so as to allow his friends to escape!"
-----He flings his cap to Dread and says, "With your boots, I guess you're the best one to scout around looking for Marast!"
-----"Aye, that I'll do," replies the Dread Pirate, "though I be hopin' we'll be meetin' Marast on the way back here with the priests we sent him for. We got at least a couple of days' ride ahead of us, so I won't need yer hat yet, unless you want to see me try changin' into naked elf maidens. Even then I'm afraid I'd get it all wrong and they'd have hairy feet." The Dread Pirate hands the hat back to Seth with a forlorn look. "You best hang onto it fer now," he adds.
-----Runik mounts up on El Binko while the Dread Pirate gets a maniacal look in his eye. With a whoop and a bit of drool oozing out one side of his mouth for effect, the halfling pirate draws his cutlass and proceeds to chase the peasant men off. The three turn and run through the bushes fearing for their own lives.
-----Satisfied that the peasants have been chased off, Dread then runs at inhuman speed toward the wagon and leaps up on the tailgate. Placing one boot on the robed man's chest, he forces him onto his back while holding the point of his cutlass inches from the older man's nose.
-----"All right, ya prissy robed spell-caster," the Dread Pirate says to the prone prisoner, "I be the Dread Pirate, the scourge of the seven seas, the slayer of corn demons, the bane of explodin' undead, the devourer of small children and now, yer worst nightmare! Yer gonna answer some questions me crew has fer ye or I'm gonna start slicin' n' dicin' that tomato ye call a nose!"
-----Gimplefwick then falls silent for Seth and Kazel to question the prisoner though the look never leaves the pirate's eyes.
-----Seth eyes the robed man and then asks, "Why did you attack the Lady?"
-----Kazel sits down crosslegged and asks the man after Seth, "Yes and who are you and what were you doing helping the local peasants to obtain dragon hide?"
-----The robed man looks around calmly at his capturers and answers, "I was about to bargain with the young man that the Lady killed when she and those in her party attacked. I could see that she wished to take the dragon hide and claim it as her own. There was no fighting here until she came."
-----The man's voice seems almost pleasant as he speaks.
-----Seth shrugs and says, "So answer the Lady's Question. Who are you?"
-----Kazel rolls her eyes and says, "Hmm, that almost made you sound like a fine upstanding gentleman, except that both of you attacked me first just for trying to stay and talk, let alone bargain for anything. You know that is no way to do business. Maybe you can tell us what noble cause you will serve with that dragon hide?"
-----"I do admit the young man you killed was most rash," the older man begins, "and I had just met him and the three that were with him just before you arrived."
-----Nodding his head, he introduces himself before continuing. "I am Amdracks, a priest of the Magic Most High. I had hoped to use the hide or at least secure a few of the scales for magical research. As you had interrupted our bargaining, I did not, as I still do not, know your full intent."