None of it sat well with Mirani. Her brow wound tight, her lips down turned as she looked between the old man and the youth, and the bandits they had tied up.

The elven archer hung her head low, and turned her head away, biting back the bile that turned behind her throat.

A croak.

"The bounty for their deaths, or capture, was issue by none other than Baron Rodhan,"

Mirani's eyes widened, and she looked to Toadwyck while Kirrikin mulled over the scene.

"I know not what haunts you, Master Hawkflesh," the old toadokin croaked as he let ease the twine of shroud he had woven to help heal the red mess across one of the men's faces. "But we've no lust for blood as you,"

The stoatlin's frame bounced with a muffled laughter from his spot in the mud.

A croak.

The stoatlin quieted at that, though his frame still bounced with a bound humor.

"We haven't killed ne'one that didn't come trying to kill us first, you blight-spitter, " the lady elf said through clenched teeth.

Toadwyck stepped bteween Hawkflesh and the prisoners, his staff firm in hand. "We've no proof of any of their wrong doings, save the bounty of a lord," he turned his eyes back unto the prisoners, and the refugrees. "And those wrongs they had committed against us,"

"The ropes were loose," Mirani gave. An eye unto the stoatlin, then back to Hawkflesh. "Too loose, just enough to be annoying, but, nothing that would've truly done us in," she shook her head. "Worse we have is a flesh wound, and we... we picked this fight," she looked back to the horde of loot. The golden apples that had started all of this quest. "none of the wagon drivers were even injured, when they'd had their shipment stolen," she
 
With thin patience Hawkflesh spun to face Mr Toadwyck.
"Is that name supposed to mean something to m..."

The woman with the dragon said something about Barons, what was it? Pock faced and knock kneed?
He could not remember a name but he could not shake from himself the way it sounded.
"... nevermind. Forgive my, eagerness Mr Toadwyck. I find myself short on patience."
If only the weaver knew what haunted him. It was an ironically accurate phrase to use.

Mirani's words stung a bit, he'd hoped her frustration had matched his.
"No proof but that and the attack on yourselves. Even if they intended to have you escape, I found you first and had I been a worse man than I am now I might have taken your lives for no other reason than to relieve my boredom. I'll abide by your ruling Mr Toadwyck I will but I caution against being too lenient. These people are far from harmless."


Next he addressed the older man and knew that his answer would make or break Hawkflesh' decision to get involved further.
"Where your children taken also?"

He hoped it was not like Oakstead.

@Mirani
 
The old man hung his head the lower. "Those that weren't run down longside their folks," voice strained by the weight of his shame.

Alen bolstered his elder the more. Fingers tight with a desperate hope. A daring that was still too young to burn out so long as he held breath. "But we're still here," he reminded the old man. Looked hard unto the red-caped elf. "No matter what you want to do with us!" he shout, all tooth and snap.

A croak.

"Any ill that would have befallen us by another's hand would have been an evil done by said other, Master Hawkflesh, I advise we not consider such a scene, and instead focus on what is before us, people set afield by acts of barbarism, and a band of rogues who, while unsavory, seem to have some degree of code to them, wouldn't you say?"

Mirani looked to Hawkflesh, then to Toadwyck and Kirikin, the habitual branch sitter. Her mouth set to firm line, she pulled free her boot knife from its sheath and strode towards the prisoners. Blade firm in her hand. She grabbed up the bindings that secured the lady elf, and began to saw them off.

A croak.
 
"Very well Mr Toadwyck."
He did not like it but he had said his piece.
"I'm not going to kill you lad you can relax but you can tell me where your village was."
Taking his cue from Mirani he knelt beside the Stoatling and began to undo the little rodents bindings.

"Give me a reason you little fop, I dare you!" He whispered.
It did not mean he was going to be any kinder to them and as long as they knew he was watching them he figured they would not get any ideas.

When it was done he stood glaring at the one whom he was certain would have killed Mirani given the chance.

"So."
Mind set he rested the handle of his sword on his shoulder, blade loose in his fingers.
"Who is coming to the village and who is escorting this lot?"

He lost the trail once and he was damned if he'd lose it again.
"I could use some help getting those kids back."
Pointedly he looked in Mirani's direction.
She was strong and while not quite as ruthless as he was her determination gave her bite that he appreciated. In the bloody business to follow he would like her there.

@Mirani

@Mirani.
 
"Why am I not surprised," Mirani said with a sigh. Shook her head. "You understand, we've no idea the number of foe that await us? No way to find out neither,"

She paused a moment, to let that bit sink in.

"And I'm crazy enough to do it, but, Toadie? Kirrikin? Far too sensible for all this, heroism," she grinned with a shake of her head. "No, we'll need more folk," she looked to those tied up. Nod her nose at em. "We'll need them to come help,"

A croak.
 
Scratching his dirty face Hawkflesh spat again, gods below was he never going to be rid of the taste.
"No, I don't...
His dark eyes fell on the one referred to as Alen.
"But he does and he's going to tell us everything he knows, numbers, where the village is, what direction they came from, whether there were weavers with them or cavalry and anything else about this I should like to know."
He'd strolled over to the young man, leaned down to face him, spat another fleck of blood onto the dirt between them.
"Isn't that right Alen?"

Without moving his gaze went to the others, the Greencloaks or hopefuls at least. Mirani had a good point, he'd be lost even if they went together so he turned back to look at Mirani again.
"These Greencloaks of yours, they'll come if we get them?"

@Mirani
 
"Too far," she said simply, and stepped to the brigands-would-be-freedom-fighters. Cut them loose. "But we can get help from this lot, I reckon,"

The lady elf who had been cut free looked on in disbelief. Hands rubbing the hurt from her bones as she caught her breath.

Next Mirani cut free the two humes, and stopped by the stoatlin. Paushed a moment with knife in hand. Took hold and cut it free.

"With this lot, maybe we can do a bit of damage, hmm?"

Rodrick thrashed his muzzled. Ganshed his teeth and scrapped, ripped, tore the gag to pieces. "Felt like a bloody hog ready for the spit!" he hissed as he sprang up to his feet. Turned double quick to face Hawkflesh and Mirani with a spring back. Hair on end and tail twice its usual size. "You lot," he growled.

Mirani raised her hands and motioned for peace. "Easy now, we need work together,"

Alen watched with eyes like eggs. Cracks at the bottom looked ready to spill. "Rodrick! They can help us get Lakshmi back!"

Rodrick spat. A shake of the head, down spine and tail, saw the fury worked out of him. "Very well," he agreed. Hissed at the big elf. "don't think I'll be trusting you any time soon though, gangle rot,"

Toadwyck eyed the situation. Looked to Hawkflesh and Mirani. "I... I will send for the greencloaks, whence we get to the nearest town," he looked to young Alen, and the elder. "Kirrikin and I will escort you, and any others in your party to safety,"

The noseless man, cut loose by Mirani, stepped with the Toadokin. "I'll follow," he said, voice muffled and nasaly through the freshly healed stump of flesh that used to be his nose.
Mirani nod. "Then it's settled, we move once we've gathered what we can, and the kid has told us what he knows,"

Rodrick, the elven archer, and Paul nod their agreement.

Mirani looked to Hawkflesh. "Well, scarecrow?" she asked with a hint of a smile, and the hope of a comrade.
 
"Shut up you fur covered dandy or I'll punt you again and this time you won't come back down."

Hawkflesh smiled at Mirani like wolf in a pigpen and answered with a dangerous excitement in his voice.

"You have to ask Browneyes?"

He spat again and stood up towering over half the troop. Hooked his sword over his shoulder, blade in his hand.

He'd done it before though he could not speak to the results, which were none to be seen but this time he'd have help and by the luck there'd be no cursed dragon to vex him from his quarry.

"Help us get them back Alen. We'll need what you've seen. It'll be enough if you try lad."

Almost gentle, at least as much as he could Hawkflesh threw Mirani a wink before turning his attention to the others.

"Good speed Mister Toadwyck. We'll see you on the other side."

@Mirani
 
"On moth's wings, Mister Hawkflesh," Toadwyck croaked as he nod to the mercenary.

Kirikin zipped up. Hand snapped a quick two finger salute. 'Luck to ya, tall man," he showed his big incisors, nod, and swiveled away with a kick of leaves and twigs.

Toadwyck moved to Mirani. "Do not feel the need to play the hero, Mirani," the old weaver croaked to her.

"Bah, Toadie," she shoved him with elbow and forearm. "You know I cannae promise you that,"

The old toad nod. "Lamentably reliable in your stubborn ways, green cloak," a croak, an arm outstretched in warm-if-not-a-bit-clamy-embrace. "Do come back to us in one piece,"

Mirani hugged the old toadokin the more. "I'll do my best, Toadie,"

Alen told them what he remembered. Where he had last seen Rodhan's dogs. Where Rodrick and his crew had managed to scare them off the trail, at the edge of Lekander territory, near the foothills of the northern Mheara range. They learned the lady elfs name, Loreliean, and made out for the Rodhan's men, as far as they could go before nightfall.
 
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