Eight Dead Paladins

In the morning, Morihana and Eabha meet A'mal, Thrysp and Gilthain in the dining room for breakfast and to hear what their new acquaintances learned at the Merchants Guild the previous night.

Trade routes to the Southeast have been closed, they report. The route to Ravensglass Seaport in the South may still be open, and routes to the west coast are unaffected. It would appear that the orcs, under the leadership of the ercs, have control of the Wild Mountains directly south, and may soon attack Stollhaaven. The army is preparing for such an eventuality.

In other news, the Whyte Cloaks have established a temple and residence north of the town and have good sources of information in Cockermouth. Since the street battle with the ercs several weeks ago, they have been busy questioning all elves as some of these abominations seem to be able pass themselves off as elves. No one at the table appears to be a fan of these zealous knights, and they keep the conversation hushed so that their dissent is not noted by other diners.

Thrysp then reports that their companions, Mingus and Cendra, did not sleep at the inn last night, though their things are still in the room all three of them had been sharing. No one has any clues to their disappearance, nor does anyone seem particularly alarmed. It is assumed that the ladies have been up to business of their own and will turn up eventually.

Morihana and Eabha mention that according to the newspaper, a headless body was found early the day before, in a part of town called the Zig-Zag. They share what they learned from Trixie and Zeron, but if A'mal or the others think the body is related to their business in town, they don't say so.

A'mal wants to know what brought Morihana and Eabha to town but Morihana continues to be evasive. This annoys Eabha as these people went out of their way to help retrieve Cian and Chugi. However, this is not the first time Morihana's behaviour has embarrassed her, and Eabha guesses it won't be the last.

The Druid is not willing to discuss this matter in the dining room where they might be overheard, no matter how quiet they are. It is not until they gather together in the stable after breakfast that she tells them of her brother, Dwiss.

"He left home and headed north to study under a Sorcerer named Gastell," Morihana explains. "But then he came south to Cockermouth to study with another sorcerer whose name I don't know."

"I wonder if it's Zabon," A'mal says. "He's an acquaintance of mine here in town and member of the local Magic Users Guild."

"Zabon?" Gilthain asks. "You know Zabon? He's an old friend of mine, as well. We used to travel together."

A'mal thinks that a visit to Zabon's place might be in order since he might also be able to identify the magic items taken off the horse thieves.

After attending to some business at the town bank--where Eabha is able to retrieve her weapons when it turns out her new friends are employed by Count Mather--the group heads toward the river and Lower Wharf.

As they approach Zabon's home, they are startled by the sound of thudding hooves and see a black carriage ahead of them. It is windowless, and the back door is barred. Accompanying it are eight Whyte Cloaks on horseback, four in front and four behind. The carriage speeds up Maiden Street onto Knight Street, and then to Mane Road. People in the streets stop and stare at this rare sight.

A sudden chill travels down Eabha's spine, and she glances at Morihana who seems transfixed by the sight of the disappearing carriage. A'mal is similarly affected.

Outside number 6 Lower Wharf, an excited crowd has gathered. The party learns that a resident of this house was just arrested and taken away. No one knows his name, but he fits Zabon's description: a short, portly man with a beard.

Then A'mal spots Zabon's distraught wife, Wigilinda, out on the road. She's in shock, so they put aside their impulse to follow and take her inside to make her some tea.

Her husband, she explains, has been arrested on suspicion of Druidry. The charges are ridiculous, Wigilinda insists. Of course, this has never stopped the Whyte Cloaks before. A'mal promises that they will find him. Eabha wonders what sort of plan the Sorcerer is thinking of. The Whyte Cloaks are not to be messed with, unless you are looking to be executed for heresy.

Someone mentions that Gilthain also knows her husband and hearing his name, she gets up and starts looking about for something.

"A letter came for Zabon a few days ago, and your name is mentioned in it," she explains.

She finds the letter in a drawer and hands it to Gilthain, who reads it aloud.


Zabon:

I am Anya Tappe, owner of The Bountiful Tappe in Ennerdale. You and I met last summer when you were with Gilthain and spent two weeks in our village.

Something terrible has happened in Ennerdale, and we need your help.

Your friend, Gilthain, has gone missing.

The village headman, Grigore, and my husband, Mikal, have been murdered.

All the village children and Casta have been taken to the old Ennerdale Keep.

We just don't know who to ask for help as the new Elf Lord Musoive is responsible for all of this.

Please help us.

Anya


"I'm missing?" Gilthain looks puzzled.

"How much do you want to bet this Elf Lord of theirs is really an erc?" A'mal asks.

It sounds like a desperate situation, but if he's at all concerned about the people of his village, Gilthain doesn't show it. It will have to wait, anyway. They know they must free Zabon first. Those accused of Druidry don't live long in Stollhaaven.

Sure that the Whyte Cloaks have taken the Sorcerer out Mane Gate and are headed up to their northern stronghold, the party realizes they need horses quickly. However, they don't want to waste time going back to The Green Dragon for their own mounts. Thanks to A'mal's powers of persuasion and the group's connection to Count Mather, horses are rather easily obtained at the castle, which is not too far off.

The party leaves by Mane Gate. Morihana, deciding against riding, transforms into her eagle shape and flies ahead. From the air, she watches the pursuit as they travel up the same road she and Eabha travelled down to get to Cockermouth just a few days earlier.

They ride gently down the first stretch of road but as soon as they are out of sight of the guards, they quicken their pace. Without a heavy carriage to pull, the party makes good time.

When the Whyte Cloaks reach an appropriate point on the road, and when there is no river traffic to witness what is about to happen, Morihana tips her wings and swoops down, watching with satisfaction as the weeds along the trail suddenly reach out to wrap themselves around horses' legs and carriage wheels. The weeds are joined by tree roots heaving out of the ground, slowing and then stopping the carriage and the four Whyte Cloaks behind it altogether. The four knights ahead of the carriage turn their mounts to see what has happened.

As the party moves in for the attack, A'mal reminds them of the seriousness of their intended actions.

"Remember," he shouts above the noise of the river and horses. "There is no half-way here. We kill them all. Not one of them is left alive to identify us."

There are no arguments from the rest.

As they ride up behind the entangled Whyte Cloaks, the group suddenly finds itself in the same predicament when the surrounding plants reach up to hold them in place as well, but they cannot tell which of their foes has cast the spell. They are forced to leave their mounts and jump to freedom in the bushes alongside the road. Only Gilthain is not immediately able to free himself.

Eabha and Thrysp scramble toward the river bank, followed by three knights who have also been forced to leave their mounts behind. From the air, Morihana assists by heating the metal weapons in the hands of these knights. One is forced to drop his mace, leaving him weaponless for several long seconds during which Thrysp brings him to the ground with a trip; another is so badly burned he runs straight into the river for a few moments in order to find relief before returning to the fight.

Nearer to the road, A'mal ducks lance blows as he saps the strength from two of the knights and traps another couple in a fog so thick it slows movement. Gilthain finally frees himself to join the fight.

Then the back of the carriage opens unexpectedly, and a hooded figure exits. A'mal stares, unsure whether this is his friend, and if so, how he has became free. Perhaps he is under some sort of compulsion.

The others look to A'mal, questioning, but the Sorcerer offers only a shrug as he ducks yet another lance.

The hooded figure, whom they can only assume is indeed Zabon, takes aim at Morihana, still flying above the melee, and brings her spiralling down with a blast of fire.

"Zabon," A'mal cries out. "What are you doing?"

Smoldering, the Druid falls into the river and drags herself back up onto the bank, human once again. She joins Eabha and Thrysp in dealing with the Whyte Cloaks there.

Then the hooded man holds up his arms and shouts, "Cease hostilities! Stop fighting!"

The leader of the knights signals his men to stop their attacks; A'mal urges his own group to do the same. There is confusion and doubt on both sides but also a gradual backing down until the party and the knights are merely eyeing one another warily, their weapons ready.

Eabha inches toward the cover offered by the bushes, holding her side. She has been badly injured and reaches for a potion. As she does so, she keeps a close eye on the knights and her friend, Morihana, whose rage is plain. She seems only seconds from breaking the tenuous ceasefire and dispatching one or more of their foes.

One of the Whyte Cloaks has also been injured and lies near death just outside the entangle field. A'mal signals to Gilthain to make sure the knight lives. Meanwhile, the thick fog A'mal conjured earlier dissipates, and the two Whyte Cloaks who had been trapped in it group together, taking defensive positions and waiting for whatever comes next.

The leader of the Whyte Cloaks shares a quick word with Zabon and allows A'mal to approach.

"Who exactly are these guys?" A'mal asks Zabon. "What's going on? Aren't these guys Whyte Cloaks?"

Zabon is furious and answer's A'mal's question with one of his own. "What are you trying to do?"

"We're trying to keep you out of the clutches of the Whyte Cloaks."

"Do you know what you've just done? You've just committed treason. You can be burned at the stake for this!"

A'mal is bewildered.

The leader of the Whyte Cloaks steps forward. "You're under arrest."

A'mal is indignant. "I don't acknowledge your authority. Since when do Whyte Cloaks go around arresting innocent citizens and taking them right out of their homes? Zabon cannot be guilty of whatever he's been accused of. For all we knew, you were merely masquerading as Whyte Cloaks."

"Masquerading?" the leader growls. "We are Tolgarian Knights!"

Sensing that things are about to get out of hand again, Zabon motions that he would like a private word with A'mal. The two Sorcerers move twenty or thirty feet away. The others cannot hear the details of their conversation, but it is clear from the body language that Zabon is seriously displeased with the way things have gone.

They talk for several minutes.

The rest realize there is no chance this can end peacefully. A'mal said at the outset that they would have to commit to this attack completely. No one escapes, no one lives to identify them. Nothing has changed. The Tolgarian Knights will not be convinced to forgive this treasonous act.

Then, without warning, Zabon turns and points at the shocked leader of the Whyte Cloaks along with another nearby knight. A ball of flame shoots from the Sorcerer's fingers and surrounds the two of them. Hostilities resume.

Those knights still mounted continue their assault on A'mal, who avoids their lances for the most part while managing to singe them and their mounts with more balls of flame and lightning bolts. Gilthain abandons the injured knight and assists A'mal and Zabon with his sword.

Thrysp and Morihana remain near the river, slowly taking down the knights there. The Monk trips them, renders them nearly helpless, and the two women finish them off with relative ease.

Eabha, though, is not able to recover from her earlier injury, and fumbles for another healing potion even as she fends off attacks. Realizing she is fading, she throws herself under the bushes for cover and hopes for the best.

Through a combination of brute force and magic, A'mal, Zabon and Gilthain also make progress. They grow even more furious in their attacks, using everything at their disposal. The two sorcerers open up great patches of mud along the road and trap the Whyte Cloaks there. One unlucky knight is unable to pull himself free and sinks in the magical mud up to his neck.

Eabha lays under the bushes slowly losing consciousness. The last thing she sees before it all goes black is A'mal savagely dispatching the knight who has been trapped up to his neck in the mud, and she wonders exactly what they have done.

A few more fireballs and rays of flame, and combat ends. A'mal revives Eabha with a healing potion. Zabon curses furiously. And the reality of what they have just done begins to sink in.

Eight Paladins are dead, their bloodied and singed bodies lie scattered on the roadside. Except for the one who disappeared into the mud.

A'mal wants answers from his friend.

Zabon explains that he is on a secret mission for the kingdom. The Whyte Cloaks were not enemies; rather, they were helping him. He is genuinely sickened by their deaths and having had to play a part in what happened here.

"As far as anyone is concerned, I was arrested by Whyte Cloaks. I was going to send word that I had been killed. I’m not sure what I’ll do now. No one knows about this, not even my wife. So I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourselves."

They agree to do so.

Zabon shrugs helplessly. "I guess I'll just tell them we were attacked by bandits. It's not too far from the truth."

A'mal explains that they had been on their way to visit him on Lower Wharf and asks if he can identify some magic items for them.

Zabon cannot quite believe that such a trivial matter has somehow led to the slaughter of eight Tolgarian knights. He snaps that he cannot perform the needed spell, but gives them the name of someone at the Magic Users Guild who can.

Then, Morihana asks about her brother.

Finally starting to calm down, Zabon considers this briefly.

"Oh, yes, I remember him. He disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"About a week ago. He was a pretty cheerful fellow, always happy, but he didn't seem very focused on his studies. He didn't seem to want to learn and wasn't applying himself."

"He didn't by any chance eat at The Green Lagoon a lot?" asks Eabha.

"Well, yes. He was staying there."

The party members share a knowing look.

Zabon indicates that the same person they can talk to about identifying magic items may be able to give them more information about Dwiss. Right now, there are more pressing matters to take care of.

The corpses are a problem: they realize an intact body can bear witness against them. Therefore, the bodies of the knights must be decapitated, a task which Gilthain volunteers to do. Thrysp offers to go into the mud and retrieve the body there so it too can be beheaded. Zabon reluctantly creates another patch of mud so the heads and bodies can be buried in separate areas. The Ranger and Druid work quickly to cover their tracks and erase all signs of combat from the area.

The only real problem left is what to do with the knights' horses. They each bear the distinctive brand of the Whyte Cloaks and won't be easy to get rid of. A'mal would like Zabon to tie them to the back of the carriage and take them with him but Zabon refuses. There is some discussion about killing the horses and dumping them in the mud, as well, though no one volunteers for that job. They could sell the horses on the black market in London. Or they could let the poor beasts wander about the countryside and find their own ways home.

Exasperated, Zabon curses loudly.

"Oh, just tie them to the carriage! I'll take them with me."

Before Zabon leaves, Gilthain brings up the letter from Anya Tappe and asks for advice. Zabon does not have any.

He, too, is confused about what is happening there. He has heard of ercs, but never seen one.

Gil explains that ercs usually look mostly like orcs, but some can pass themselves off as elves. Clearly this new elf Lord of Ennerdale is doing just that.

"But why a little village like Ennerdale?" Zabon asks. "Why take all the kids? It doesn't make any sense."

A'mal suggests that they visit Ennerdale soon. As the ercs have so disrupted trade routes in the area, it would be good for Cockermouth if they investigated. Plus, it might be fun to liberate a village.