Combat had ended, at least for now. As Danamar rose slowly, Daldren stood nearby, ready to assist should his leader begin to falter, though he would not deny a man the pride of rising on his own by forcing assistance prematurely.

As people began to gather their wits, go off in search of survivors or guests, it donned on Daldren that here in times of crisis the true nature of people was hard to ignore. The woman, a stranger among them all had reacted quickly, utilizing the words of wisdom given to her, and potentially, probably saved a life in doing so.

Meanwhile, Sebastian, Knight of Rydor? Stood motionless when called upon to act, only to head directly to the stores of libations to help himself when lives were still potentially at risk? Something did not sit right to Daldren about this. But he knew too that Danamar, and others would not sit idly by.

So he would wait, and observe as he had been trained to do, and see what would come of this.

The flash had blinded him momentarily and Danamar was surprised to find himself lying on his back on the kitchen floor. And the surprise only mounted as Danamar found himself nearly too weak to stand up again. Slowly the cleric pushed himself up as his team members reported in. The syl was grateful for the good judgment his friends seemed to posses. Though no knight, the noble-blooded priest would have felt shame inside his heart had someone offered to assist him. It was foolishness of course and he knew it. In other circumstances help would have been given and gladly accepted. Now he was simply drained of energy by the successful turning of the shadow dread and didn't really require anyone's help.

Even without observing the situation or listening to the others, Danamar had immediately known he had been able to banish the malevolent spirit. It was as if his lord had spoken to him without any words. He could feel Nim'megil was pleased with what he had done. Defeating evil in combat in the name of the Battle Lord was the greatest honor a Warder could do or receive. It was a reward in itself. For a short moment, Danamar felt happy…

But that feeling quickly faded away as his green eyes fell on the maid's corpse on the floor. Anna! They would have to check out the situation of everyone in the inn, the Innkeeper's wife included. And what about the stable boy Bil? Was he still safe and sound? Suddenly he felt more energized and was about to ask to his team mates to have a look around, but as Danamar scanned the kitchen and the common room, he could see they were already on it. The realization made him feel proud to be part of MV6. They were good people one and all despite their different backgrounds and personalities.

Danamar turned to Daldren, faithfully standing by his side, making sure his leader was safe. Many things could be said about the man, but dependable was the first one that popped into the syl's mind. He opened his mouth to suggest changing back the swords as he noticed the other man was looking at something intently. Following the gaze, the cleric saw the servant of Rydor standing by the bar with a mug of beer in his hand. As he watched, Tadirien walked up to the warrior and requested his assistance as a knight of the realm. Understanding Daldren's concern, Danamar nodded as he offered the rapier to its rightful owner. "Aye. We will need to keep an eye on that one."

There was something familiar in the way the female newcomer, Sirya she called herself, moved. Her narrow face was beautiful and her voice full of song and she did remind him of someone in the past. Being still somewhat dizzy from the fight, the black-haired priest couldn't quite place the familiarity. The emerald eyes lingered on Sirya for a while longer and Danamar was forced to pull himself out of his memories into the reality. The woman had done well in the fight as her actions with the blessed water had probably saved Tad's life. He made a mental note to have a chat with her when the inn had fully been secured.

Taking a deep breath Danamar let his pulse return to normal while sheathing the enchanted sylvari blade. Without turning to Daldren, he started towards the doorway the wench had come from. "Well done, old friend. Seems like our companions have the inn covered. Let us check out the back rooms and the outside premises and make sure there are no more of those monsters lurking about."

---

OOC: What a piece of crap and late too. Sorry about that guys.

It made Daldren happy to see Danamar rise of his own accord, and as they exchanged their enchanted weapons back to their rightful owners, the realization that others around still were in possible danger, or state of injury seemed to energize the noble warrior-priest. As he moved down the hallway ready to seek out Anna or other survivors, Daldren followed in suit, ready to assist in whatever manner was necessary until the premises had been deemed secure and they could plan their next course of action.

With the Shadow Dread banished by to it’s dark realm… the party fan out and begin to recover and check the Inn .. Mendez is helped downstairs where after sitting for a few moments he still feels weak but he will recover… faster if some magical healing is used…

Danamar seems only weakened by the effort of banishing the creatures… the more he moves around the stronger he seems… a good rest will have him as good as new..

As the party begins a search of the inn for victims or survivors… Tad notices something… one of their party is not present … Tariel is not anywhere to be seen…. She was last seen at the top of the stairs watching over Mendez while the others had gone into the kitchen to set a trap for the dread.

Tad, Seb, and Siraya head upstairs to search to see if there are any more people staying up there… while Danamar, Daldren and Irael move into the back rooms of the Inn where the staff would stay… Mendez is still resting in the common room … still feeling weak …

The upstairs squad find that their party and Siraya appear to be the only rooms occupied up there… the others are empty… they find no sign of any danger upstairs… Tad finds something interesting up there in what was Tariel and Elessarae’s room… Tariel’s belongings are gone… she had been the only one in the room after Elessarae’s departure earlier that night…. in the room … on the table … is a hastily written note… the note was written in the Sylvarian tongue… so there was little doubt who wrote it…

“I have gone after Elessarae… I can not let her embark upon this journey along… I am sorry… Tariel Miriellee”
Downstairs… Danamar, Daldren and Irael move out of the back of the kitchen and into the hallway leading to the staff quarters… moving into the passage they first encounter what must be the body of the serving girl just inside the doorway… her body is emaciated and drawn as if all the life was sucked out of her… moving up the hallway they find a couple of storerooms… a sleeping room with the door open… no one inside… they find another body… a large woman who is laying just inside a larger bedroom… probably the proprietor’s room… this emaciated body is obviously Anna… the bartender’s wife and the cook of the Inn… they find no other bodies and no sign of danger…

Thinking of Bil the stable boy… the group goes out the back door and finds the stable… they awaken Bil from his slumbers and find him and all of the mounts are untouched by the horror that reigned inside the Inn… Bil is scared and wonders what exactly is going on around here… if he is told what happened he will become quiet and appear in some kind of shock at the loss of his employers… they are not his parents… he is from a village about a half days ride to the east … when he snaps out of his shock he wonders what he will do…

Returning all of them to the Inn they find that their little group has the place all to themselves for now… and decisions to be made about their next steps…

((OOC: Ok I have removed the character of Tariel because there has been no posts in over 4 weeks. I have repeatedly tried to get the player to post in a timely manner without success. Since you have gained two new players I don’t think you will miss the firepower.))

Seb wandered up the stairs behind the others, still annoyed at being dragged away from the free drinks. Boredom started to creep in. Seb liked either to be active, drinking or gambling preferably all three at the same time. At the moment however he was idle, he had drawn his sword in hope of further danger, however the rooms were empty and their was only one moment of interest, when the one who had interrupted him earlier had picked up a note. He found this highly interesting, as the readers facial expression quickly changed, originally it was of curiosity, then it changed to sadness and worry.

After the rooms upstairs had been searched, Sebastien returned to his seat grabbing another glass and filling another pint, hopefully he could enjoy this one a bit more than the last. He noticed noises coming from the kitchen, so drink in hand the tall 'knight' went over to check it out. Peering through the doorway he saw the three others of the group. Time to drum up some friendly conversation he thought.

“I guess this is our place now right? After all who is going to object.” Joked Seb, sipping on his pint.

He hoped the others didn't mind his down to earth humour. He was after all a lords son, used to people hanging on his every word and laughing at his every joke.

A smirk broke Irael's grim visage as he assisted Mendez down the stairs and into a chair in the common room. The shock, and near-death experience seemed to knock the fear right out of the foolish mage, and set him right back to his typical flamboyant self. Pity Irael thought to himself, stifling a chuckle. I was starting to like the serious side of him. . He should have known it wouldn't last.

After getting Mendez situated he set out with Daldren and Danamar to investigate the back rooms and the grounds. There was little they could do about those they found in the back; the foul creature had already drained the life from them. Outside the stable-lad had slept through the whole ordeal, and the mounts were intact as well. He knew not what to tell the boy and left it to Danamar's judgement.

Returning inside they encountered the knight, again with a mug in his hand. Expression left Irael's face as he resisted becoming infuriated with the man; such disrespect for those who had just died! “I guess this is our place now right? After all who is going to object.”. Joke or not, he was unimpressed.

Rejoining the others, he noticed Tariel was no longer among them, which concerned him; Tad held a slip of paper in his hands. He stood silently listening to the others converse, his gaze shifting from each of them. He did not trust the strangers in their midst, but then he had no real reason to suspect them as a threat. He awaited word on what they would do next.

Turning back to the warrior-clad elf he saw her extended hand. “Siraya, I am pleased you chose to be here. Your swift action with the Holy Water may have been the moment that turned the tide in our favor.”
Siraya’s hand dropped to her side. “It was Holy Water! That’s why it affected it in such a way.” she thought as a hint of a blush briefly passing over her delicate features when she heard that it was not just simple water which she had thrown at the creature.

Holding his rapier vertical in a salute before him and tipping his head to the warrior maiden, “Tadirien Vanlithe is in your debt.”
She nodded in kind to the elf, “Sir Vanlithe. I am most relieved to see that you are unharmed, but please, no thanks is needed. In truth it is I who should thank you for giving me a usable weapon against that thing. Without it, I would have been quite useless during that encounter.”
“As Militia Vericulum we are here on Lord Dremon's service and still have duty to provide. The Inn is not yet secure so if you will excuse me I must see to my comrades and the lord’s people.“ Tad bowed to her as he turned and walked toward Danamar.
“Militia Vericulum? They are one of the MV groups I was looking for!” A wave of relief, excitement, and anger flashed across her face all at once. Relief because it hadn’t taken long to find an MV group which she’d been looking for; excitement at the possibility of finding those who had killed her entire convoy and her adopted parents; and anger as the image of her human parents’ corpses flashed through her mind. Siraya was most eager to talk to this elf, but she knew now was not the time.

At his invitation to join in the search of the entire Inn, Siraya nodded and joined in the search. Not finding anything or anyone else, the group convened back downstairs, at which point she turned to Vanlithe, “I’ve been looking for any group affiliated with Militia Vericulum. Do you think your leader and your group would consider allowing me to join you on your mission? I need to help in any way possible against the … the troubles that have been plaguing our civilizations.” The gold flecks flashed in her dark amber eyes with the anger she was having difficulty keeping under control.

Striding with purpose Tadirien led the small party up to the second to check the rooms. Tad wanted to learn more about the lovely Elven stranger and keep the “Knight of Rydor” from drinking the inn dry.
Siraya kept close to the Tad, he could sense she wanted to know more about the MV6 patrol, but she patiently bided her time. One by one they checked the rooms; the only rooms that had be occupied were those of MV6. The Knight of Rydor stood in the hall posturing like rooster guarding the hen house.
Tad had noticed that one of their group had not come down to the kitchen. Tariel was no where to be found and now Tad feared the worst. Cautiously he entered the room Tariel had shared Elesarae. The room empty, no bodies and property. Elessarae had left earlier take her things with her, but Tariel gear was also gone. Crossing the room Tad spotted a piece to paper on the dressing table. There in the flowing script of the written in the Sylvarian tongue,” Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara lanneina…Elessarae…. Lle naa haran e' nausalle….. Quel marth”. Tad knew it was left by Tariel.

“This needs to be taken to Danamar, all seems clear here, let us garther back in the common room.” Tad saw Siraya looking at the writing and slowly mouthing the sounds. It was becoming more clear to Tad that this Elven lady seemed to have lost the way of her people. “Ah, it says, “I have gone after Elessarae… I can not let her embark upon this journey along… I am sorry… Tariel Miriellee”.

With that Tad turned leading Siraya from room, them past Seb in the hall as Tad headed down to report their findings.

Finding Danamar, Tad handed him the note, “I fear our number has been reduced again, but this seeming by choice.”

“What will be our next assignment?”

Two more dead. Two more souls lost to the evil spirit. Two more lost because he had been too slow to decide what to do - too slow to fully trust himself in the hands and in the power of the Battle Lord. Danamar knew the fault was not fully his. He was not responsible for releasing such an aberration into the world. He had not given it the freedom to destroy the lives of innocent beings to quench its insatiable thirst for life. Yet the pale skinned sylvari priest could not stop wondering whether Anna and her wench would still be alive had the thought of banishing or using holy water come to him sooner. Not that he could take credit of Tadirien's quick thinking at all or would would want to for that matter.

It made no difference who did what and who not. Everyone had put their lives at stake as they had sworn to do when joining the Militia Verriculum in the first place. They all served under oath to do their masters' bidding, but at the same time serving the realm was something everyone took seriously. Common people might not be aware of who the members of the militia really were and they might not always be able to show their gratitude for the work done to the right people. But Danamar was fairly certain none of his team, as it really was now his team, were in it for any thank you's or pats in the back. Money was always needed, but not necessarily the only driver either. Definitely not for himself.

So when the cleric, Daldren and Irael made it outside the inn and found Bil sleeping unawares in the stable, the sylvari could not help the genuine smile that leaped on his lips. Fortunately for the lad as well as the team itself, the stable and the horses had been spared by the evil. Bil took the news in a bad way, but that only strengthened Danamar's view of his employers. They'd been good people those two, loved by their servants and patrons alike. And they deserved a proper burial.

The priest laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and spoke softly: "Do not be ashamed of your tears, Bil. Let them feel your love, for I am certain Kendal and Anna are watching you from behind a beautiful white cloud. Let it all out and when you feel like you have the strength to come inside, do so. You must be strong now." In all honestly Danamar wasn't at all sure the spirits of the innkeeper and his lovely wife had survived the dread's attack. For all he knew the evil shadow might have dragged them both into the deepest of hells with it. But a little white lie for the best of a little damaged soul would not hurt.

Taking a deep breath Danamar rolled his shoulders a few times and went back inside into the common room and found the rest of MV6 already there along with the two strangers. Before Tad had the time to present him with the letter, the syl had already noticed Tariel was missing. He accepted the note with a nod to warrior. Danamar knew what it contained even before he read it. Tariel and Elessarae had been close. They were a team in itself. And although the scout had an obligation with the Militia, she had a stronger bond with the bladesinger. Honor could be a funny thing, but yet no laughing matter. Holding back a sigh, the team's leader opened the letter and read it aloud:

"“I have gone after Elessarae… I can not let her embark upon this journey alone… I am sorry… Tariel Miriellee”"

Folding the letter twice, Danamar pocketed it for safe keeping. He would have to explain Tariel's departure to his superiors. He would make sure they'd understand and would not call her a deserter. For the cleric was sure the decision had not been easy for the ranger - breaking one oath to uphold another. Danamar saluted both sylvari silently in his mind and turned to address his fellow militia. However Siraya beat him to it.

“I’ve been looking for any group affiliated with Militia Vericulum. Do you think your leader and your group would consider allowing me to join you on your mission? I need to help in any way possible against the … the troubles that have been plaguing our civilizations.”

Danamar gave Tadirien enough time to wave his hand towards the team's leader before responding: "It seems you have found what you were looking for. Not the easiest of feats to accomplish as we rarely reveal our routes or the purpose of our travel in public." The warrior priest turned his green eyes on Tad for a heartbeat before carrying on. "You have certainly performed well helping us defeat the dread. However, as I am certain you understand, we cannot place our trust into the hands of any or every stranger we come upon on our travels. Therefore I cannot reveal you our mission for now, but would definitely like to hear more of whatever evil or misfortune you have met previously."

The tall priest offered his arm in greeting to the lady and eyed her reactions closely :"Elen sila lumenn omentilmo" (A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting). I am Danamar Amarillis, son of Alanmir. I am a servant of Nim'megil or Therassor if you like, a Warder of the Gate defending the light against the darkness and evil. I also the servant of the Militia Verriculum and have been honored by its leaders with leadership of this skilled team. As such I am not in power to accept you as a full member of the militia, but I am authorized to hire you as a helping hand which I will gladly do. I cannot say anything of the pay you are entitled to while working for the realm, but I can promise you a compensation for your efforts." Turning his gaze to Seb Danamar nodded. "The same naturally applies to you, should you wish to join us on our journey as well."

"Now then. We have a lot of work ahead of us. But first there are more urgent things we must take care of. Unfortunately, as you all know, the stableboy Bil is somewhat too young to handle the Inn by himself. I am not aware of anyone having a claim over the establishment, family or lender. But that needs to be found out. However, in the case of no one having such a claim to inherit the inn, I am willing to give it over to Bil and his family should they wish to accept it. If you have any other knowledge or objections on the matter, please share them now. If not, I will make the necessary documents."

With a weak sigh Danamar cast a glance at the dead innkeep. "In the meanwhile, I would ask the rest of you to dig graves for the deceased in a place as peaceful as possible. When you are done, we will hold a short ceremony for their souls before getting back on the road again."

---

OOC: After sorting out the inn, MV6 will carry on with the assignment.

The morning sun would not rise this day with a warming glow, embracing sun kissed skin and filling the hearts of those it touched with hope and warm fuzzy feelings. Not for those left at the inn this dreary morning. Even as Danamar, Irael and Daldren himself found only Bil, sleeping soundly unawares and unaffected by the horrors witnessed and combated moments before Daldren knew grim tasks lay ahead.

Danamar spoke with wisdom regarding possession of the inn, though such material things seemed unimportant to the Rider of Pardinal given the weight of their current situation. Information however had been called for, and information would be found if it was there.

Heading inside, with little more than a curt nod to the strangers in the common room, Daldren disappeared back into the personal quarters of Kendal and Anna and began searching for a deed, written will, or anything that might indicate the couple held family elsewhere. Typically Daldren found when a couple opened an inn upon the road, their entire livlihood was poured into that one business venture. As such, he ventured the thought that any important documents would have been kept close as well. (Should Daldren find anything he'll present it to Danamar for his discression; either way he'll head out and start helping with the digging of graves.)

A smirk crossed Irael's grim visage as he assisted Mendez down the stairs helped to deposit him into a chair in the common room.

Mendez felt pretty bad, both physically and emotionally. Usually his brash sense of intuition and gut instinct served him well. Still he failed and there were still those that lost their lives. Maybe not so much as a result of his actions, but if he hadn't acted so rashly, he may have stayed conscious and have been more help.

His mental capacity seemed to shift back and forth from his thoughts to an almost dream like state of garbled speech in the back ground. The pain in his left leg, it felt as if it was being sucked into a lifeless void, a vacuum, when that shadowy form touched him. And now, his leg felt cold and painfully numb, as if it was no longer a controllable part of him. He could barely move it.

Teo, his familiar, went back to his pouch as Mendez was righted and set into the chair, but Teo kept his head poked out to observe things going on around him. When Teo noticed that Mendez was about to lay his head down on the table and possibly doze off, Teo came out of his pouch, ran up Mendez's left arm, and did a jumping lap around his back to his right shoulder and arm, and stopped right in front of his human friend's face.

Standing on his hind legs and resting his paws on Mendez's nose for further balance, Teo said firmly in a series of squeaks,* "Oh no you don't! You won't get the healing you need, that way Sleeping Beauty! You also need to get the lead out of your backside and stop feeling bad for yourself. Listen up to those around you! There are things to be done! You wanna feel useful? Then make yourself useful!" *
Medez said nothing to the rodent but just smiled that familiar, cocky self assured smile, cleared his head as best as he could and listened to the plans being made. The focus hurt his head but no worse than hangovers he's had in the past, so he focused past the pain and the discomfort in his leg didn't seem as bad, as long as he didn't dwell on it. The first voice he became aware of was strange to him but at the same time a bit familiar. Why that was, he couldn't be sure, but listened intently on the conversation starting with the new elven woman....

She said,“I’ve been looking for any group affiliated with Militia Vericulum. Do you think your leader and your group would consider allowing me to join you on your mission? I need to help in any way possible against the … the troubles that have been plaguing our civilizations.”
As a Beguiler, Mendez knew how to negotiate without volunteering unnecessary information, to use magic to sway things his way, and to not insert pauses into his speech, in fact, when negotiating anything, he spoke somewhat quickly. He also knew how to read a person like a book, in the way one on the other end of negotiations spoke.

"Hmmmm....a pause, I wonder if Danamar caught that. She's leaving out information, and possibly an ulterior motive for wanting to join us. " Thought Mendez

Danamar then spoke,"It seems you have found what you were looking for. Not the easiest of feats to accomplish as we rarely reveal our routes or the purpose of our travel in public."
Then Danamar turned to Tad with a brief pause before continuing, "You have certainly performed well helping us defeat the dread. However, as I am certain you understand, we cannot place our trust into the hands of any or every stranger we come upon on our travels. Therefore I cannot reveal you our mission for now, but would definitely like to hear more of whatever evil or misfortune you have met previously."
Mendez thought to himself,"As would I."
Danamar offered his arm in greeting to the lady and said,"Elen sila lumenn omentilmo" (A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting). I am Danamar Amarillis, son of Alanmir. I am a servant of Nim'megil or Therassor if you like, a Warder of the Gate defending the light against the darkness and evil. I also the servant of the Militia Verriculum and have been honored by its leaders with leadership of this skilled team. As such I am not in power to accept you as a full member of the militia, but I am authorized to hire you as a helping hand which I will gladly do. I cannot say anything of the pay you are entitled to while working for the realm, but I can promise you a compensation for your efforts." Turning his gaze to Seb, Danamar nodded. "The same naturally applies to you, should you wish to join us on our journey as well."

"Now then. We have a lot of work ahead of us. But first there are more urgent things we must take care of. Unfortunately, as you all know, the stableboy Bil is somewhat too young to handle the Inn by himself. I am not aware of anyone having a claim over the establishment, family or lender. But that needs to be found out. However, in the case of no one having such a claim to inherit the inn, I am willing to give it over to Bil and his family should they wish to accept it. If you have any other knowledge or objections on the matter, please share them now. If not, I will make the necessary documents."
With a weak sigh Danamar cast a glance at the dead innkeep. "In the meanwhile, I would ask the rest of you to dig graves for the deceased in a place as peaceful as possible. When you are done, we will hold a short ceremony for their souls before getting back on the road again."
Mendez waited patiently, not wanting to interrupt. He finally spoke up,"Danamar,I would be more than willing to help dig the graves if you could help Restore me back to working condition, if you feel up to it. I feel weak as nothing I've felt before and my left leg isn't working right where that shadowy dread touched me. I guess I should feel lucky it didn't get a better hold of me."

Daldren had searched the owner’s quarters and found no will or deed but he did find a strongbox hidden under some floorboards… inside there was a bag of gold pieces… estimated at around 200-300 … and a small bag containing about 20 gems of various sizes… he estimates the worth between 10-100gp each… (let me know what you do with it)

Danamar (with Raven’s permission) examines Mendez’s condition and with a quick prayer and laying his hands on his injured leg… a warm tingling feeling passes through the mage and he feels better… (HP recovered fully)… he feels his strength recover for the most part… but he walks with a slight limp (Still suffering from Con loss)…

“I am sorry” Danamar says.. “But I am not a complete healer… I am afraid that is the best I can do.” (He is not sufficient level to have Restoration)

The group gets together and as the sun rose higher in the morning sky they took bedding and wrapped the bodies in them and carried them outside where they began to dig three graves…

Bil came out of the stables… he looked like he had been crying and saw what they were doing… he saw the three wrapped bodies and walked over to them…

“Who… who are … ?” the boy asked…apparently still shaken…

When told he gave a strange look and seemed lost in thought for a moment…

“Tomas…” Bil said and when they inquired he continued… “he… went to town yesterday… he is Kendal and Anna’s son… he is due back this morning some time”

An hour later… after whatever service they deemed appropriate for the deceased… and the bodies had been interned… they were about to go back inside and plan their next move when they heard a wagon approaching… a minute later the wagon came into the yard and they saw a young man… in his mid 20s… stop the wagon and look at them questioningly…

Bil runs over to the wagon and the team watches as Tomas hops down and Bil and he talk … in only a few seconds they can see the crushed look come upon Tomas’s face… he drops to his knees next to Bil… the boy grabs on to him and they hug and soon tears begin to flow…

An hour later… the Inn is closed and the door is barred and Tomas and Bil sit in the common room with the team and discuss what will happen with the Inn… it seems Danamar's thoughts on drawing up documents giving the place to Bil are not required... Tomas would inherit the place and he decides that he will continue his parents tradition and keep the place open… but he decides to keep it closed for a couple weeks until he can get things in order and hire some help… Bil will stay on in his usual profession…

With that decided… the party decides that they should be moving on… they have a mission to complete… so after stocking up on foodstuffs and water… Tomas gives them whatever they require... they pack their gear on their mounts and soon are ready to move out by mid afternoon… (Here the non MV members must declare their willingness to continue on)

Leaving the Inn of sadness behind them they head on East towards the Mountains which is still at least a two day ride at a normal pace… they ride until nightfall and find a suitable spot to camp where they are off of the main road but still able to see the road if anyone passes by…

(Please declare how the camp is set up… any watches that are set.. Watch order and duration… any other pertinent camp issues you deem necessary… )

Having searched for some means of information that would allow the inn to be passed to a proper inheritor, Daldren was dissatisfied when no such papers were found. He did however find a small trove of wealth hidden away. It seemed this inn was quite successful before Kendal and Anna's unfortunate and untimely end. Leaving the private quarters and heading towards the others, he didn't speak anything of the valuables found as Daldren learned of Tomas from Bil.

An hour later, when the young man arrived, and decided he would indeed take up the reins and run the inn in his parents tradition, Daldren withdrew two small pouches, and slid them across the table towards Tomas.

"There were no papers of ownership that I could find, but your parents had accumulated a fair reputation, and the wealth that goes along with such amicable respect of service as well as character. I'm glad this will go towards keeping Anna and Kendal's dream alive through another generation. Spend it wisely, and God's willing this place will be back up running and filled with life and mirth anew upon our return trip."

~.~.~.~

As rations are restocked and the team takes to the road once more, Daldren rides a little ahead (30-50') as per the usual custom. With Tariel gone, his responsibilities for being the eyes and ears of the party would be tested even more. As nightfall fell and they chose to make camp, Daldren offered to take first watch, a two hour stint of pacing around their campgrounds, checking for any trees of suitable size and strength to support his weight should he choose to climb one, and keeping a careful eye on the two new 'volunteers' (should they come with us), as much as the surroundings.

Seb took a gulp of his drink, each swallow tasting sour on his throat. He was starting to realise the inappropriateness of his actions. He finished the glass quickly and as he took his last gulp he was given a proposition. Seb pondered over this for a few minutes, not answering the cleric. Seb had never been under someone else's authority, he knew it would be hard to adjust, however it was the clearest way to Rydor's blessing.

“My gravest apologies are put forward to all of you. I have not acted respectfully or responsibly during the last few hours. On Rydors name I will change. If you would have me, I accept your proposal and am happy to travel with you.”

Hoping that his apology would be accepted, Seb stood and awaited a reply.

“I would like to dig the first grave. To make amends for my previous actions.”

* * *

As they set off Seb called his celestial steed , in a bid to buy some respect. However, no-one seemed to notice or care, about the summoning. With a sullen look spread across his features he mounted up and tried to get some more information, he was most curious of their mission.

He rode alongside each one of the adventurous' groups members, trying to pry information, it turned out it would've been easier to get blood from a stone. They were all as stalwart and stubborn as their leader... Danamar.

Seb was starting to get bored again and was looking for some mischievous fun. The problem he felt with the group was a lack of entertainment, they were very serious about the task in hand. Seb was used to having lots of jesters or friends to joke with, here... so far their were no laughs, he was stunned for every joke he told got a silent reception.

* * *

The camp was set up in a small clearing with the sight of the road. Watches were beginning to be set up and Seb offered for the last watch just before dawn. He prepared his bed underneath a leafy tree nearby, laying the bedroll on the floor and draping the grey wool blanket on top of it. Seb took off his heavy half-plate armour, laying it on the floor in another woollen blanket and wrapping it together into a bundle. He changed into a leather jerkin and black trousers to keep out the chill of night.

(OoC: Seb will stay up until everyone else has decided to go to bed, apart from the sentry.)

Irael spent the ride in silence. With Tariel's departure, and Daldren's redoubled efforts to scout ahead, he sought to clear his mind of absent thoughts and focus upon on the environment around them. Acting in this manner, as the inner line of awareness, he paid little mind to the attempts of the knight to acquire mission details - something that he would not discuss with strangers unless ordered to. It was not that he was purposefully trying to excluded the man, but he had a hard enough time relating to his own companions, let alone those he just met.

With camp being set the matter of watches needed to be addressed. Looking to his companions from MV6, Irael felt a surge of concern. Surely Mendez was in no shape for watch duties, and Danamar needed to regain his strength. For all his resilience even Daldren had been in close quarters with the dreadful creature they had encountered, and he'd pressed himself all day scouting. This left himself and Tad in the best of shape for extended watch duties- he was not ready to trust the lives of his companions to these strangers yet, despite their previous actions. Right away Daldren offered to take first was - a noble effort from the tiring man, and one that made sense to Irael. The knight- Sebastion?- had offered to take the final watch before dawn, which was fine by Irael; he would be awake and alert by that time. Irael himself offered for third/fourth watch, the 'shift' before the knight's.

He sat within the camp and began to pull out some of his scrolls, still fully clad in his armour. ((If there is no campfire)) An orb of light appeared beside him, reduced in brightness to only really benefit him in his work, and not distract the others from resting. His eyes caught the knight's who appeared to be waiting for everyone to retire. "Rest now" His voice was flat and distant as he reached for a quill from his pack "I've studies to attend to"


((OoC: Ok, so it is short, and not very good, but it is something. If I hadn't been so busy I would have thought this out sooner.

During the 'discussion of watches' (I'm not about to railroad it) Irael would, where appropriate, insist that Mendez rest the entire night, and that Danamar rest just as much, or at least take a reduced watch. Since I didn't have time to reach anyone, I'll out my proposal here. Tad could take a three hour shift after Daldren and the Irael cover from that point on to Seb. I only seek to rest first, as Irael rose before the others in the inn during his self imposed 'guard duty'.

Irael plans to trance half-way into Daldren's watch, (so in an hour) removing his armour but keeping it nearby. If Tad takes a three hour shift, or it is split further, he will awaken from his trance in four hours time (three hours after Daldren goes to rest) and prepare himself to relieve watch where appropriate. When it is appropriate to awaken Seb, Irael will do so, and use the time thereafter to practice martial maneuvers (footwork, bladework, etc.). Tis time to redouble the Duskblade's dedication.

-TO))