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-----The Dread Pirate rolls his eyes at Raven's theatrics, "First of all, yer not the only one riskin yer life out here. I'm pretty sure I saw everybody fightin those orcs back there. And if only fer that reason, I have the right to say what I want, when I want. It's not my fault that half-orc chopped you up, so keep yer threats to yerself. Secondly, if'n ye wanted to kill those orcs, ye should've done it back at the battle, or shortly after it was over and ye were healed up. Not after I've been draggin 'em along after me fer the last few hours. At this point they be in my care and my responsibility. If I were to slaughter those that are my prisoners when it isn't absolutely necessary, I'd be as much a force of darkness as these orcs are. If'n ye want to consign yer soul to the Dark, then do it on yer own time, don't be draggin me down with ye. If yer too thick between the ears to understand that these orcs'll end up dead anyway, then go run off to yer Hunter. I'm sure yer god'll be more than overjoyed to accept someone who kills the helpless and also threatens to kill others who oppose the forces of Darkness in this world. In other words, ye pretentious treehugger, BLOW IT OUT YER ARSE!"
-----Sarah looks back from the halfling to the ranger and she feels like crying. Not only because of the friction around her, but because she knows she has no right to tell them to stop.
-----"Dread, let him go!" She says to the halfling. "Talking to him now will only make it worse for everyone. How great would it be to be right, but friendless?" She says, hoping the halfling doesn't ask her why she's saying this, because she doesn't know. In fact Sarah can't think of a single thing to say or do to make things better, except cast a charm on someone. She shudders at the thought.
-----Sarah then coaxes Marlexana over to Rinda, the only person in Sarah’s mind that can help here. "Please, Rinda." She whispers. "Try to talk to him, we need him! And you." Although Sarah had always been rather intimidated by the priestess she knew now was the time to ignore such fears.
-----Sarah then urges Marlexana so her mare is planted in front of Raven. "Wait! Raven!" Sarah pleads the hunter. "Um...don't you want to say goodbye to Sol first? He's still up at the shrine, how would you feel if you went off into the woods to look at something and came back and found all your friends fighting and your best one gone off on his own?" Sarah pauses for breath.
-----"And how could I, as one who has studied healing, possibly let you trek through the forest with your leg injured the way it is? I couldn't sleep if you were crashing through orc country with a war about to break out in such a condition! Please, if for nothing else stay for my sake, until your leg is fixed! Please!" Sarah gulps, trying to hold back her tears. She's done all the begging she can stomach for the time being. But she owed that and more to the group for keeping her around and even helping her when she left them. She couldn't let the group split up now.
-----"I stand with Raven," Rinda answers sternly, "If he wishes to return to WilderHaven, I shall follow him. He is wise in the ways of the Hunter and it is the path that I also passionately choose to follow."
-----Looking at Dread, she continues calmly, "You have heard the oath he has taken and his reasoning is not simply of tales that he has made up. No, I have also seen the evil the orcs have plagued the land with. I know that everyone does not see the way of the Hunter, but this I can tell you, for Raven to remain, the orcs must be destroyed."
-----"Dread, I have heard you call upon the name of the god of justice," the Huntress continues, "if you truly follow his way, then I ask you now to bring justice upon the orcs you hold as prisoners. They would have surely not allowed any traveler safe passage through the forest. Sol holds the Writ from Hearthorn that grants the power to act in place of the knights there." Rinda pauses to see how her words are taken.
-----She then looks around at everyone and says, "Everyone, whether they know it or not, has been called together on this hunt. If, we, the hunters choose to give up the hunt, then the prey lives another day. For each hunter to carry on together, we must respect each other’s ways."
-----With a shrug, Rinda then turns toward Raven and says, "My Hunter, your path is my path. If we journey back to WilderHaven, it shall be so, but it might be wise to go to this Oakwood town for you to heal first." Even though Raven’s fury is evident, she flashes him a respectful proud smile.
-----Just then Sol comes down the hill, with his mouth open as he heard the full exchange.
-----The Dread Pirate nods at Rinda's words, "Aye, I understand yer point. Orcs are evil. They can't be redeemed. But if I were to slaughter 'em when they're helpless, then I'd be actin in a manner just as evil as them. Sol holds the Writ from Hearthorn. It was given to him. If he chooses to dispense justice on these wretched creatures, then he can do so. But I won't soil me hands with such a task, nor will I allow someone else to violate me responsibilities by acting on a personal vendetta, rather than justice. If Sol feels it is absolutely imperative to execute these creatures in the middle of the woods rather than waitin to turn 'em over to Oakwood, then he can execute 'em in the name of Hearthorn and justice right here. But it will be an execution in the name of justice, not a slaughter of the helpless because Raven's got his knickers all knotted up. Furthermore, I don't see the pressin need to kill 'em right now. If the sole reason fer killin is because Raven doesn't like orcs, that's not justice and it's not immediately pressing. So I'll have nothin to do with killin these vile creatures either, even if Sol does think it necessary fer whatever reason he may have."
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