-----While most in the company stand stunned momentarily, Lord Howrun rubs his forehead with a disgusted expression on his face. "By the Great Hunter!" Howrun grunts through gritted teeth, "Let us give this place a wide berth."
-----"What madness is this?" Lovan suddenly shouts in anger. In the next moment, the storm priest begins charging toward the distant fortress rending the air with a loud shout of "Strator!"
-----"This is one of the strongholds you mentioned Lord Howrun?" Sol asks, mostly rhetorically as he watches in curiosity at Lovan's sudden move. "If that's the case, then as I expressed an interest in visiting one, I will take your leave for the moment, and will catch up if you intend to head on."
-----Sol then pulls and slows Thunder till he is level with the majority of his group and says in a decisive tone, "I am heading to this fortress after Lovan, to see exactly what is here...and to try and keep Lovan out of trouble. Of course you are all welcome to join me."
-----In turn, Sol regards both Garrison and Romney, though he seems more focused on the guard, "For Mirian's sake, perhaps it's better if she stays under Lord Howrun's protection for the moment."
-----Without further ado, Sol glances at Sarah with a smile and heads off after Lovan, immediately pushing Thunder into a gallop in an attempt to cover lost ground.
-----Sarah rolls her eyes. "Here we go again." She mutters. "Yell if you get into trouble." She tells the guards, and with that she coaxes Marlexana forward, trying to catch up to Thunder's lead.
-----Rinda and Raven likewise tear off after the charging priest. In the next few frenzied moments, much ground is covered through the brush toward the ruined structure. The entire time, the storm priest leads the charge while filling the air with a mixture of curses and oaths to the great Rager.
-----Finally a few yards before the closed gates, Lovan pulls his horse to a stop, shouting praises to the Rager while interspersing tales of dragon slaying and fighting deadly cults.
-----After a few moments pass, the storm priest continues his exuberant shouting as a woman appears atop the wall of the fortress.
-----Wearing scale mail and holding a warhammer at her side, the woman's form looks strong and confident. Her light hair seems to glisten in the gloom of the day as it cascades down on her shoulders. She stares down at the ranting Lovan with cat-like eyes and the expression on her face tells she is not impressed by what she sees.
-----"Lovan!" Sol yells over the storm priest's babbling, "By the winds, save th' chatter fer later!"
-----The warrior then tilts his head to look up at the woman on the wall. After a moment's regard, he calls up to her, "Hail priestess! My name is Sol Herron, an' I request that ye let us inside, so that I may further my knowledge of Strator's wisdom!"
-----Raven remains silent and lets Sol speak for the group. The hunter scans the walls for any other guardians of his fortress. It is very clear that Raven is uneasy standing around like a target dummy.
-----"Leave this place!" the woman angrily says, focusing on Sol now, "If you know anything of the Rager at all, there is no wisdom to seek!"
-----"Well said, woman!" Lovan yells up to her. Without missing a breath, the storm priest changes the subject with a friendly but wild expression. "Have you recently secured this stronghold? It looks as though this place has stood in ruins for a while." Lovan points to a shattered portion of the wall just below the battlements.
-----"It is no concern of yours," the lady says sternly but with less anger, "A storm the Rager has given us this past day is a sign of storms yet to come."
-----The woman draws her eyes up from the small company in front of her gate toward the host of Lord Howrun's in the distance. Narrowing her eyes, she speaks again saying ominously, "Those of the woods would do well to heed the clouds overhead."
-----"Damn it, can you not at least show some respect to a fellow cleric of th' Great Rager's order!?" Sol calls back, his temper having risen in a rather short span of time. "Now speaking o' heeding bloody storms, heed th' caller of one in front o' yer blasted nose!"
-----He even manages to surprise himself, by finding himself standing in his stirrups and one arm outstretched, with palm pointing to Lovan. Realizing this is hardly a proper display of diplomacy, yet also not wanting to back down, Sol stays balanced in his raised saddle stance, but says no more.
-----Sarah, not having a penchant for this type of diplomacy, keeps unobtrusively to the sidelines, glancing back towards the Lord's camp when the priestess mentions the sky, squinting with her magic eyes to see if she can see anything special.
-----"RESPECT? ORDER?" the woman atop the wall yells, suddenly enraged, "BE GONE! TAKE YOUR FOOLISH NOTIONS AND FLEE THIS PLACE!"