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Cloudbreaker and I found Abu sitting outside the Inn. He too had been crying and I assumed he was feeling just as confused about last night as the Goliath was. He mentioned that he was to pick Bal Vyr’s ring up in a little bit. We told him that first he should come hear out a contract we were offered.
Back in the room, Bal Vyr was resting on the bed as we entered. He stood up and asked about the ring to which Abu repeated what he told me. Cloudbreaker then went on to tell the men about what Garth had asked of us; to kill the Druidess in return for 12,000 gold pieces and all the cold iron weapons we needed. The Goliath wanted to take the deal.
Bal Vyr chastised the Goliath for wanting to side with the Sylphsbane Clade. He reminded all of us how the town literally screwed us over and though Cloudbreaker and I didn’t care about Grendel, we still needed to save him and Trickfoot. I quickly interjected that I had set aside my opinions of Grendel for the Drow had reminded us a few days ago that he is marked like all of us and therefore we needed to stick together. I also added that if Grendel continued to threaten the party, then I would defend us against him.
The Drow gave a curt nod before continuing on with what I had originally thought after hearing about the contract. It was an opportunity to help the Druidess get in and take out the Sylphsbane Clade from the inside as well as the rest of the town. Of course, I had my qualms about that... the innocent town folk, who have no real say about who their Mayor was our how the town guard acted, would be slaughtered for the wrongs of their leader and protectors.
Abu jumped on that notion and said he would only agree to help the Druidess if we can spare the innocent town folk. Bal Vyr confidently said that we could convince the Druidess to keep the murders to those she had requested of us. That way we can put new leadership into play that the Elves were satisfied with.
Cloudbreaker however spat out that we were naive. The Druidess had forced us into a contract in which if we didn’t fulfil, our own lives would be taken. If sided with her, who’s to say she wouldn’t turn on us? Once in the town, who’s to say she would keep her word and spare the town’s folk? Bal Vyr argued that these people had once coexisted together and was optimistic that that was what the Druidess wanted. It was those in charge that had slighted her and needed to be disposed of.
The Goliath shook his head. He went on to say that if we sided with the Druidess, we had nothing to gain, and everything to lose. If we sided with the Sylphsbane Clade, we then gain money, better weapons, and good standing with a faction that could turn this city around. We can then put the Mayor on trial for his crimes and more civilly turn the town around with little blood shed.
His thoughts were more desirable, but I shook my head and questioned how he was so certain that the Clade was any better than the Mayor. What had they done to prove themselves to us? Bal Vyr agreed and suggested that all he was to them was muscle. How right the Drow was as I recalled the way Garth Thorplewood treated Cloudbreaker.
We finally ended the discussion on the note that we’d first focus on figuring the Goblin situation out and saving our friends that way. Hopefully we wouldn’t be slighted by the Mayor. And so we made preparations to leave immediately.
The Goliath was concerned about how to tell Garth that we have yet to decide whether to uphold the contract. I informed him that we can tell Garth that we are under contract with the Mayor to take care of a situation and therefore can not commit to his contract until that has been fulfilled. Cloudbreaker lit up at my genius and agreed that that would be best.
Once the message was delivered to Garth and Abu returned with Bal Vyr’s ring, we packed our bags, bought some rations for the road (I also buying a waterskin), and took off toward the hills. We had a lot of ground to cover before we arrived to the farm lands.
As night began to fall upon us, we noticed smoke in the tree line next to us. Cloudbreaker mentioned that it smelled of some kind of fuel and quickly we ran into the woods. I could only hope it wasn’t the Elves setting a trap for us.
As we approached, we saw a small woman running around her cart throwing a towel at the fire to bat it out. Immediately the three of us, for Bal Vyr had scouted around elsewhere, ran to help her. I pulled out my waterskin and pulled my cloak off, soaking it in water. I heard Cloudbreaker ask if we could help to which the woman shouted, “Yes! Put the fire out! Quickly!”
It was an exhausting 2 minutes but we finally managed to beat the flames out. The woman had gotten burnt from throwing herself upon the flames inside the cart. Apparently she was transporting a kind of oil that when lit couldn’t be put out with water. The town guard as the buyers and part of me didn’t like the idea of the guards having such a weapon to use against the Elves.
The woman clearly was a Dwarf, so it surprised me that Bal Vyr didn’t try to kill her outright, what with his obsession and paranoia of the race.
I had the first watch of the night. It was quiet and uneventful. I then went to wake Cloudbreaker up.
“Hey, it’s your watch,” I said. I gave him a hand up.
“Thanks,” he said groggily. Then with a squeeze if the hand we said good night and off I went to sleep in my tent.
“Thanks,” he said groggily. Then with a squeeze if the hand we said good night and off I went to sleep in my tent.
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