-----He smiles at Runik and then points to the old farmhouse. "Shall we?"
-----Seth then takes off his ring to show the Dread Pirate the inscription, and then realizes that it says Sabba, not Sabbar. "Oh, maybe you are right and it was Abbar. Do you think Ulwe was the most hideously visaged occupant of the horned helm?"
-----The Dread Pirate looks thoughtful at Seth's suggestion of infiltrating the town on a more permanent basis, "Not a bad idea. We'd already have secret passages in and out of town. We'd just have to wait fer awhile fer the town to recover. O' course I think we already have most o' the loot the town once had."
-----As Dread looks at the ring, he says, "I'm guessin that scurvy, burned guy was Ulwe, too. Bloody humans, ye can't trust 'em. Look at 'em. Abbar, Ulwe, Raven, Sarah, Sol, Krondor. All human. Ye don't see the halflings messin about in schemes fer world domination. Or the dwarves, elves, or half-elven folk. I think the humans need to get some different hobbies."
-----The Dread Pirate tags along with Runik and Seth as they go to investigate the farmhouse.
-----Seth makes sure he has not left anything behind and indicates for Runik to lead the way to the farmhouse. "Now Dread, my father was human. I guess he had same strange habits, but you know he must have been all right if my ma married him. It's not often an elf will consent to live with a human."
-----Seth considers things for a bit as he walks and then adds, "I guess we lived on the outside of town away from anyone. Maybe my ma was a bit 'strange' as well!"
-----"Might as well take the horses," Runik chimes as he climbs into the saddle of his pony. Joren stamps as Gimplefwick jumps onto his saddle and Seth eases himself up on his own horse.
-----"Interestin' race, the humans," the dwarf says as they ride off, "Always rushin' here n' there. In'a army, they make good battle fodder." Runik chuckles and then he turns serious. "Aw, they ain't be all bad. Brandel be a good lad, he's seen his share o' trouble n' moved on."
-----A wicked light comes into his eyes as Runik adds, "Them wood elfs be needin' some lookin' after. That probably be why they needed me in the patrol 'round here, just to keep an eye out fer Marast. Now, ye be talkin' 'bout one moody elf!"
-----The dwarf then exhibits a reflective expression and adds, "I be guessin' sometimes these humans jest make good pets."
-----As if on cue, the riders draw nearer to the farmhouse and hear the happy cheerful voices of children playing. The little farmhouse tucked within its own cozy yard surrounded by a fence gives an impression of comfort amid the plighted condition of the fief.
-----There within the yard scrambling around a tall tree are five human children of various ages, playing and yelling.
-----The Dread Pirate cocks his head to one side as Runik and Seth speak, "Aye, well there be exceptions to every rule. I'm sure there are decent humans. I agree as far as yer examples go. But look at the overwhelmin evidence in favor o' me argument. Look at the incompetent leadership we've seen among the humans right here in town. And that's not even lookin at Lord Lambert lettin his fief go all to hell til it gets to the point where he has to recruit freelancers like ourselves to get things back in shape. If even the purportedly 'good' humans are screwups like Raven and Sarah, what hope is there fer the rest of 'em? And that's not even mentionin the right evil bastards we've run into on this trip. Every single one of 'em human. And our last little sojourn. All humans gettin up to nastiness. It's my hypothesis that the other sentient races have figured out better ways to exert themselves. But it's all goin to come to naught, cuz those humans breed like rabbits. All the other races will eventually get shoved out o' the prime areas o' real estate as the humans come dominate and overpopulate. The dwarves might be alright, livin in the depths o' mountains as they do."
-----The Dread Pirate looks contemplatively at the playing children, then says, "Now look right here. Ye might see five children playin and frolickin about. I see numbers that're twice what any halfling family would have. And I'm bettin that they're not finished with just five. The other races are eventually goin to get bred out o' existence. Til only the humans are left."
-----Seth eyes the Dread Pirate as he watches the five children and wonders if he plans to eat them. "Well this seems very suspicious with what the rest of the country side and the town look like. I would say this calls for extreme caution!"
-----Dread nods in agreement, "Aye, it is odd. Happy, playing children, right next to a plague-stricken town. People starving and fleeing town and next door not a sign of anything wrong. Let's go say hello."
-----The Dread Pirate then rides up to the farmhouse, waving cheerily to the playing children.