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-----The paladin then begins to ride once again toward their wagon.
-----Seth tries to get up. "Dang that hurt. I just thought if I said the 'Dread Pirate Gimplefwick' we would have been easy to find later on. Well how do we get away from the Paladin and get the money box to the guild house?"
-----Gimplefwick clings tenaciously to Seth's leg, howling foul imprecations at the top of his lungs, completely unmindful of the approaching paladin. "I'll show ye who's a farmer! Bloody turnip master!" Quite obviously a nerve has been touched and Gimplefwick is out of control.
-----As Gimplefwick tries to push Seth out of the wagon, Seth grabs the top of the wagon canopy. He hangs on for dear life as the enraged halfling tugs and pulls below him.
-----Kazel stands up swiftly, and in a quick motion draws her knife. She then brings the pommel of the weapon down on the back of the Dread Pirate’s head. It smacks with a resounding thud, but doesn’t seem to slow Gimplefwick’s rage.
-----With a quick back slash motion, she cuts the ropes off the orc and frees it as quickly as possible. The stunned humanoid stares in disbelief at the action in front of it. Then, it leaps to its feet, jostling the wagon and growling at the thieves as it rips the gag from its mouth.
-----Young Jim leaps from the wagon and the thieves can hear the voice of Lotley utter a "Gadzooks!" as the paladin sees the chaotic scene before him.
-----Kazel tumbles back from the rising orc as it quickly grabs up a sword. Seth still clinging to the overhead canopy jerks and manages to kick Gimplefwick in the head. The Dread Pirate’s grip begins to loosen.
-----The orc then begins charging toward the front of the wagon and as it leaps, it grabs the collapsing halfling around the waist. Like a bizarre projectile, the humanoid and the halfling bolt out of the front of the wagon. Seth manages to pull his feet up just in time as they both pass beneath him. The two land in a heap a few feet away from the hitched horses.
-----Quickly, the orc jumps up as Gimplefwick lies unconscious on the ground. Seeing the mounted paladin in front of him, the humanoid sneers and then sprints off toward the south. Lotley urges his horse in pursuit gallantly yelling, "Slappy! Please do not flee! Thou art amongst friends!"
-----Kazel lies on the wagon and allows herself a brief sigh of relief. She then bolts up and quickly checks which sword the orc has taken. "Well, now what?" she asks Jim and Seth as she leaps off the wagon and looks over Gimplefwick before lifting him back into the wagon.
-----Gimplefwick snores heavily as Kazel lifts him into the wagon and mutters something in his stupor that sounds like, "....mhpgffhzz...crop rotation....sneeeerrtt....terrace farming..." He then peacefully and quietly lays in the wagon.
-----Seth looks thoughtfully at the unconscious Gimplefwick and considers a retributive kick to the head, but decides to let his peaceful nature take over.
-----"Well sister, I think we should let the Paladin chase Slappy down. I think we should take the chest of money and our possessions to the hideout and I think we should let Jim take the wagon in alone. Remember the assassins are looking for a group, which includes a half man, not a wagon boy on his own. It is up to you if we also take the lead coins to the hideout."
-----He looks around the ground to make sure nothing has fallen to the ground. "I think we should hole up and talk to our friends and see if the coast is clear before heading back into town. In fact, sister, we should make use of our new clothes and enact a cunning disguise..."
-----Seth now has a pleasant look on his face as he looks at Gimplefwick. "And I know now we have a most heinous weapon and just how to target it!!"
-----Jim jumps up to his wagon seat, "I’m all fer getting’ outta here! I’ll say one thing though, you people sure don’t make fer a dull trip." He slaps the reigns and urges the horses forward. "Where am I a makin’ fer first?" he says.
-----Seth smiles at Kazel, "Well, where to?"
-----"Let's get some distance before they decide to help us some more," Kazel drags Gimplefwick over to the corner of the wagon. "The guards might get suspicious if only Jim drives the wagon. How about we split up - you go on with the lead coins, and Gimplefwick to the hideout, and I'll accompany Jim to deliver the goods first. The assassins were only looking for a halfling mostly, I think."
-----Seth smiles, "I think I recall someone talking about a halfling as we left town the other day. If I recall what they said, I will tell you. In the meantime I shall try and wake our pirate friend so he can help me carry that chest when the time comes to split up."
-----Seth leans over the unconscious pirate, "Well, I guess I can always call Albert down to peck on his head. That should wake him up!" He tentatively pokes a finger into the pirate’s stomach to gauge how much effort he should put into waking the Dread Pirate.
-----"Oh, leave him alone... I think we should just let him take out his violent urges in his dreams for now." Kazel rummages through the junk pile and again examines the bent sword from the big creature.
-----When poked in the stomach by Seth's intrusive finger, Gimplefwick responds by belching vociferously and rolling over. He then continues snoring softly.
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