Back to Page Seven
-----While asking the question, she opens the pouch with her other hand and looks inside.
-----Sol watches the proceedings for a short while, before moving to tend to the horses. He does appear to still be listening intently.
-----Dreda’s eyes narrow and she struggles in her bonds. Seeing how futile her situation is, she stops and glares angrily at Sarah. Her lips move but the gag stifles any words she says.
-----Sarah pats Dreda on the head. "Good girl. Just chill here for awhile." She says. Then she goes over to Sol and talks to him and the rest of the party so Dreda can't hear. "Okay guys, the book talks about an agent in Hearthorn to make merchants panic, driving animals insane and rampaging orcs. I'll tell you more later, but let’s just say that there’s still a lot more evil out there. It mentioned that Evlar guy, he must be someone important." She pauses and then her eyes focus on Sol’s shoulder. "Ouch. What happened?" she asks somewhat rhetorically and moves over to remove his armor and shirt and start bandaging the wound. "Anyone else hurt?" she asks.
-----"Blood thirsty one moment, nurturing the next. Like the flip of a coin." Thalog turns away from Sarah to the entire group to say, "If I charm this woman she will not hurt me when I remove the gag to question her."
-----"Yeah...that sounds...good...idea." Sol blusters in reply to Thalog. His attention is not so much on that mage though, but on the one treating him. Unsure of how he should react to Sarah's controlling ministrations, he decides to settle into the role of unassuming patient...and keeps his mouth shut.
-----"Yes, charming her would be great. Good idea, Thalog!" Sarah quips while finishing the bandages on Sol. "If only you kids didn't play so rough." She muses.
-----"Oh well, beats being dead." Sol replies.
-----Sarah shows the contents of the pouch to the rest of the party, revealing another black disk and ten black stones. "Be sure to ask her about those disks, Thalog. And the dagger..." Sarah says.
-----Thalog walks slowly behind Dreda as if examining the bound woman. She looks suspiciously at him with narrowed eyes and twists, trying to keep him in sight.
-----Suddenly Thalog's hands conduct a mystic orchestra as he says, "Thantia morian igona." Dreda’s eyes widen and she gasps through the cloth binding her mouth. She continues to stare at Thalog first with a questioning look and then suddenly her expression changes. Her eyelids flutter and as she watches Thalog’s hands, her head begins to sway with the motion. She then settles down, her body relaxing and she looks at Thalog as if waiting patiently.
-----While the party decides whether to remove her bounds, Raven walks down the ramp, rejoining them.
-----Raven says to Thalog, "Thalog, you lady killer." Raven walks up to Thalog, "I found this map upstairs. I think this help us find their other base." Raven unrolls the map and motions for the group to take a look.
-----Sol nods to Sarah in appreciation, "Thanks fer the fixup." He once again slips on his tunic and chain shirt, pretends that it doesn't hurt (almost convincingly), and walks to Raven's side to stare at the map with some interest.
-----The map seems to show the area surrounding a large town. On the map are four locations marked in red. One of them is the town itself. Another one is a point south of a small village to the west of the town. Raven explains that it is the location of the tower they are in now. A third one is in a forest to the north of the town. It looks to point at a cave there. Perhaps it is the cave where the party met the evil priest. A fourth one is in another forest, south of the large town.
-----"You’re not going to hurt me or my friends now, are you?" Thalog waits for Dreda to nod before he removes the gag from her mouth.
-----Sarah walks to Thalog’s side and says, "Ask her about this dagger." motioning towards the dagger that is now on her belt, "the black disks," which are still in their pouch, which Sarah is still carrying, "And the name of their agent in Hearthorn." Sarah puts the book in her backpack.
-----Dreda looks up at Thalog with raised eyebrows and an open expression on her face. She shakes her head no to Thalog’s question with a look that suggests, "Of course not."
-----When Thalog asks her the questions directed by Sarah, the red-headed woman calmly answers, "The dagger is a ceremonial and sacred weapon carried by those who worship the Dark Lady, Noctura. It is given to only her most faithful of worshippers. It is rumored that if the weapons are worn by those not of the faith, the offenders will be cursed by the next new moon." Looking over at Sarah with a dazed look, Dreda asks, "Are you a follower of the Dark Goddess, too?"
-----"Uh...yes, yes I am. Not." Sarah gulps and takes the dagger off her belt. She puts it in her backpack instead.
Go to Page 9