Elven Encampment

KORWIN

Still scowling furiously, Korwin is offended by the king's insinuations. "If you lost a city, that was YOUR fault. Or your general's fault. It seems to me like there was a huge tactical blunder that had nothing to do with us. We didn't know we were going to be rescued. We had no idea who was fighting who, or for what reason. There was no communication between us and Lordwyn, or your archers for that matter. We still had to fight to save our own skins, and then we're expected to know who is our friend and who is our enemy? Or that some silly arrow is actually a message to us? That's ludicrous. Why didn't our rescuers come to the encampment and talk to us in person? That would have saved a LOT of misunderstanding.

I don't know who Abjuran is, nor do I care. From the time we arrived at the orc encampment until now there have been battles. People died. I don't know them. I don't know Kai, other than for the time that we've been battling against orcs and this... vreshka or whatever they are. I know Krod. That's it. If you're "missing" a few prisoners, then maybe you should ask someone else. I have no idea who the other two are or were.

I have no intention of being "trouble" to anyone, nor do I care what I'm "worth" to you. You talk to us as if this debacle is our fault and that you've gone to some great expense to rescue us. You may be a king, but you are not MY king. If you would like to have my services, then you must ASK, not demand. I am under no obligation to you, nor am I much inclined to do anything to assist you. Nobody has told us why we're here, why we were rescued, why we're in this encampment, who the enemy is, or anything else.

Throw me in a dungeon, hang me from a tree, it matters not to me. I'm not lifting a finger to assist you until you change your tone with us, and provide us with more information so we may assess the risks versus the rewards of providing any help to your cause."

Krod listens to the King's words and his ire starts to rise. Rising slowly to his feet Krod looks at the Kai and says.."Krod owe elf man nothing, Krod happy to die in combat, but words killing Krod slowly." Glancing over at Korwin Krod asks..."Korwin, we leave soon, yes?"

KORWIN

His eyes softening somewhat as he turns to look at Krod, Korwin says, "I hope we get to leave soon my friend, but I fear this benevolent king won't let us. So far, I haven't been given any compelling reasons why we should stay." Korwin shrugs and turns back to the king, waiting for answers.

The anger in the kings face is apparent as he leans forward towards the edge of his seat. On the verge of rising, you can sense the guards around you tense, halberds leaning slightly forward. The king seems about to speak before abruptly calming, leaning back in his throne. A gleam enters his eye and he grins, eventually breaking into a full laugh.

"Well spoken my little friend, well spoken. I can see that you mean your words. There needs be no disagreement between us. We have a common enemy in Abjuran. We should each use the other to our advantage while the opportunity lasts. Please, let us continue in peace. I have something that needs done, but I can't spare the elves here to do it as this is our only retreat, for the time being. For today, feel free to visit the encampment and make use of our services. You can sell any extra equipment you have, but I am afraid you won't be able to buy much as we only make what we need. until we can retake our city. Tomorrow morning we shall meet again. I shall send you each presents tonight and see you tomorrow."

Kai gives a respectful bow to the King.

"Until tomorrow then."

Kai waits patiently to see if an escort presents itself to take us back to the area of the encampment we are allowed to roam.

KORWIN

Korwin nods without speaking and turns to leave, skepticism etched on his face.

That king is just like the bullies I had to deal with growing up at the orphanage. He thinks he can just order us around anytime he feels like. He speaks of a "common" enemy. Until I was captured, I didn't have any enemies. I go from being captured to being a captive. I'm not convinced the king isn't my enemy as well.

Krod grunts and prepares to follow Korwin.

Completely ignoring the party now, the king focuses on the wife to his immediate right, who looks at him with adoration in her eyes.

The party turns to go and is escorted from the room. Walking down the hallway back out of the giant tree the party sees a red cloak on the ground, followed by a metal breastplate. Other then that, the trip back to the elven encampment is uneventful and the guards leave the party back at their room.

The party sees a two small parchments on one of the tables in the room. One is bound in a green silk ribbon while the other is just rolled.

Kai walks over to the table and picks up the rolled parchment to read it.

Interesting, already we are receiving notes.

Kai re-rolls the parchment and places it back on the table.

"Someone was nice enough to provide us with a map of the camp."

Kai picks up the second parchment, gently untying the silk ribbon. He gently unrolls the parchment and checks its contents.

Kai places the second parchment back on the table and mutters quietly.

"Wonderful. This is starting to feel more and more like home every minute."

With a sigh, Kai turns to Korwin and gestures towards the previously bound parchment.

"You'll want to read this. We should probably discuss it , though I would suggest some place other than this room. For the moment, I am going to check a few places in the camp and should return within the hour."

Kai quietly walks out of the room.

KORWIN

Korwin follows the escort back to their accomodations and scans the map of the encampment, noting places like the armory, smithy, and others. Rummaging through his haversack, he pulls out the following and catalogues them in his memory.

7 Masterwork Studded Leathers and 7 Masterwork Longswords
A cloak, a haversack, mug and rations, an Everburning Torch, a bedroll, a healer’s kit, three flasks filled with differing liquids (one labeled HW, one labeled AF, and one labeled A), and a waterskin

Taking the armor and weapons, Korwin decides to sell those, and so stows them back in the haversack. Having no need of the torch, he leaves that behind to see if Kai needs it, as well as the rations, the mug, and the healer's kit. Carefully opening the waterskin, Korwin sniffs at it and then closes it and puts it in his haversack along with the flasks and the bedroll for identification purposes.

Looking to Krod, Korwin says, "Would you like to help me find places to sell these things? Is there anything you saw that you need? I'm ready when you are..."

Krod watches Kai leave then looks to Korwin and says, "Korwin read paper to Krod? Krod hope paper show where to fight."

Grinning slightly, Krod turns and faces the door, his bulky frame immobile in the middle of the room waiting on Korwin.

Krod not like to think about home, make Krod sad.

KORWIN

Nodding to Krod, Korwin picks up the parchment and begins to read...

((I am assuming you mean the ribboned parchment and not the rolled parchment))

The previously ribboned parchment reads,

"New Friends,

I fear I have left you in danger, but the reasons for it are great. Needless to say now that I am gone you will have no one to trust, other then Lordwyn.

Be wary of the king. He was a good boy but has many issues. Losing Bilionion was a steep blow to his ego and he will be problematic at times because of it. Some of the elves are blindly loyal to the king and some are not, but I could not tell you which ones.

I am sure we will see each other again.

Hilarion"

Krod listens closely as Korwin reads the paper. Many seconds go by as Krod tries to understand it all. Finally, shaking his head, Krod looks down at Korwin and says, "Krod tired of elf-men and kings and hard names. Krod want to leave and find mon-a-stairy killers."

KORWIN

Korwin begins to read the message out loud, but stops almost immediately and looks around the room for doors, windows, and other places where prying eyes and ears might see or hear too much.

Gesturing to Krod to come close, he whispers quietly in the big warrior's ear, just loud enough that only Krod can hear what he is saying. Once finished, and realizing that Kai has already read the parchment, Korwin tears the parchment into tiny pieces and begins eating them, giving half to Krod so that he might do the same.

Whispering softly once again, Korwin says, "This could be dangerous to someone, including us. Best to destroy it.

Almost fearful of what the other parchment might reveal, Korwin unrolls it and looks intently at the contents...

Krod nods and eats the bits of paper as Korwin hands them to him. Swallowing the mess he grins and chuckles, "Taste like pour-ridge from mon-a-stairy"

The contents of the rolled parchment is a hastily drawn map showing the elven encampment and the location of the different services provided by the elves. You can clearly see an armor/weapon smith, a general store and a mage. In darker letters in different hand-writing you see the positions of the archer towers.

KORWIN

"Ok. Here's the plan," Korwin says as he looks at the map. "First, we go to the smithy to see if we can sell this armor and these weapons. Then, we take the rest to the mage to get these other items identified, and sold if needed. Then we see if we can find Kai and share the loot with him and sell these other items if he doesn't need them."

Korwin packs everything back into his haversack and heads off to the smithy...

Krod nods and sighs as he follows Korwin from the room. Krod start fight with Krod soon

Korwin and Krod make their way to the smithy and find the door closed shut. A knock at the door brings nothing followed by a Krod pounding at the door. After this the door opens and the pair are immediately surrounding by the sound of a fully functioning smithy. A young elven girl stands at the door, dirtied with soot.

"Yes. May I help you?"

KORWIN

On the way to the smithy, Korwin chatters idly, "Krod, we should probably find a place to practice with out spiked chains, or find out if there's any elves that wouldn't mind a friendly "spar" where we try not to do any REAL damage, but might help keep us sharp with our combat skills. What do you think?"

Korwin chuckles softly and thinks, This is probably killing the big guy. It's one thing to be a gate guard and have a mission and purpose, it's another to not have a purpose, but be unable to use your combat skills. Maybe a little spar is just the thing...

Smiling brightly as see fully sees the party in the bright light, the young elven lass exclaims, "Oh! It's you. Our guests. It's been sooo long since we have had company, pretty much ever since the old king died. And you too are about as strange as anybody else I have ever ..."

"That's enough Kyraligison. Just show them inside if they have business." A large male voice booms from further inside the shop.

"Of course father," the young girl says with a sigh. "My father is in the back to the left. Follow the sounds of apprentice hammers missing their mark and you won't have trouble finding him."