Game thread - It begins...

"Farms again. I can't avoid them, but at least I know a thing or two about them." He chuckled to his companions while rubbing idly at the brand that had started itching, his thick brown eyebrows raised in a perpetual look of mystification.

Aaxi was the black sheep of his family. He loathed his family farm and its associated smells and noises. As a child he had an itch to explore, frequently wandering outside his shire, visiting neighboring towns and villages whenever he could. He had a passion for collecting fossils. He would only carry his two favorites, burying the rest when he entered a village or city. He forgot to bury them this time, his excitement had distracted him. He realized he would have to restrain his thieving tendencies if he didn't want to be executed. But it was a fun game for him, a challenge and an amusement that would be hard to live without.

He thought about the militia reports he had heard and kept that at the back of his head in case he had to hightail it out of here. He liked the idea of being on the winning side too.

"Not exactly what I was expecting," he said as he assessed the fort.

Arden's hard eyes sum up the structure as well: not much, that sum. Not much like the stone battlements and towers of Hoffnungsadel. But a lot of good they were when the rebels came marching. How has this happened?

Without lingering on the thought, the press-ganged soldier looks at those he's marching with. He's been trying to take their measure as well, and has settled on some opinions by the time they all reach the outpost. Arden, for his part, has been well-equipped by this new force. He carries himself like a man-at-arms, and it's not hard to tell he's familiar with the sword on his hip, his shield and his mail. His dark hair is shoulder-length and tied back; the color matches his moustache and trimmed beard. Scars, new and old, mark his hands, his forearms and his face, speaking of a hard life lived before this moment.

The man is handsome, of average height and build, and seems personable enough. He smiles just slightly as he responds to the halfling. "No? And just what were you expecting, little one?"

"What I lack in height I make up in smarts. Just remember that," Aaxi says while taking no offense but sending a message nevertheless.

"I'm not sure what you were expecting but I was expecting something a little more, oh....substantial. I like my creature comforts, ya know?" He punctuated his statement with a disarming smile, the type of smile that often got him out of all kinds of trouble.

Nehren overhears the grumbling. "We must remember the Psalms of Saint Nechrubel: number 1, verses 3 and 4," he raises his hands and his voice "Listen to the words in the Nameless Scriptures, Inominatus, of Saint Nechrubel, 'Of those who build mightily, stone by stone, so shall they fall, stone by stone. And the depths of the underworld shall bring forth flying spectres and crawling beasts. In their passing the worm grows fat, the vulture weary.' So sayeth the scripture!" He nods while making the sign of addition, with his left hand, in the air, before his chest.

"We should remember to be thankful for all things brothers. Are we not here in travail together? Let us not forget the many blessings of Saint Basilisk the younger. We have food to sup, water to drink, and a place to lay our heads. Are we not among frineds? Therefore, shall we break our fast and sup whilst there is yet time for such luxury?" he asks as he invites the two to sit upon some logs placed around a fire. He removes a bundle wrapped in cheesecloth containing a dried sausage, aged cheese, a motley apple and a small loaf of traveling bread. "Would you join me? I have enough for the three of us. By the way, what are your names brothers, I am Nehren Riste, a priest, if you will, of the Ordo Occulta, but you may address me as Nehren, for I am also laid low by the whims of fortune."

Rose remains quiet for most of the walk. She has all of her hand-me-down gear strapped on tightly. It was originally suited for someone with a larger frame, but she is making due. Her eyes often drift to Arden. He looks a lot like what she is trying to pass herself off as: a competent and experienced fighter. She tries to mimic his confident stride but it quickly becomes hopeless. The longer they march, the more she has to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other.

When the finally stop, Rose is elated. She drops her backpack to the ground wipes sweat from her brow. Their destination may not be glamorous but that is just fine with her. She wouldn't know how to act around people of a higher station anyways. She has heard rumors that the wealthy have up to five different forks and it is an insulting gesture to use the wrong one! A fork is a fork where she comes from and you're lucky to have one for each person at the table.

An amused expression crosses her face as the holy man addresses his 'brothers' and invites them to share a meal. Rose takes a seat right beside him. "Does the offer extend to sisters in arms as well?" she says with a playful tone while greedily grabbing at the food. In her household, if you weren't quick, you didn't eat. "Rose Tamblyn," she offers her name in between bites.

"Well...I admit, I am slightly taken, but of course. Feel...free to partake...," Nehren gives up and just hands her the entire meal and draws out another one to share with the others. "Shall I call you Rose, Miss Rose, Sir Tamblyn?...it is not my intention to offend - neither brother nor sister." He smiles gently to himself, enjoying the fact that he was able to serve Rose in her time of need.

"Nice to meet you Rose. I'm Aaxi but my friends call me Ax." He smiles his most charming smile. "Believe it or not, my weapon of choice is an ax." He chuckles at his own very bad attempt to be funny.

Rose gives Nehren an odd look but then politely smiles. She has very little exposure to formal religion. She wonders if all practitioners are so... well, formal probably would be the best word for it. "Just Rose is fine, thanks."

She does laugh at Aaxi, but is she is being polite more than anything. "Glad to meet you. All of you," she adds, looking around at each of them.

Arden mills for a moment with the other soldiers before he joins the group, trying to get a better read on where they are, on what their purpose will be here. On who they are to defend against and watch for.

"I've no doubt about that," he'd said to Aaxi when the halfling claimed sharp wits, and to all of them he offers merely, "Arden," as he comes to sit by the fire. He notes the fit of Rose's armor with a glance, and the cleric's penchant for discourse as he takes a browning slice of apple and a piece of cheese from the man graciously. Chewing, he quietly adds, "Good to meet you too, Rose, Ax, priest. I used to hail from the city. But no more. I'm a conscript now, like the rest of you."

He fingers the brand briefly, and asks, "Anyone know the story with these?"

"I must admit ignorance sir. I'm sure they are heretical at best, but I haven't a clue," says Nehren.

"Otus," Arden says without rising, "what more can you tell us about who it is we're to guard against? Are they loyalists who have escaped the city, or outsiders, mercenaries come to aid the deposed nobles for coin? What do our scouts know of their numbers, their disposition?"

Our, he said. A word purposefully planted.

While Lord Commander Emil's man answers, the bearded warrior lifts an eyebrow as he looks to his fellows -- Rose the farm girl, green as can be, Nehren the priest, and the little one, Ax. This could prove a challenging task. The notion of rewards is an interesting one, though, and so Arden asks about that as well.

"What of these rewards, then?" His eyebrows are up, his expression is mild. "Fresh brands, I'd wager, but what else?"

---

"Aye, there are few things that make man risk his life: Fear, Love, Faith, and Gold. I've good reason to think perhaps it's not Gold after all...," says Nehren under his breath.

Aaaxi listened with interest to Arden's questions. How could they protect anyone if they didn't know who they were protecting them from?

While he waited for answers he thought about those he would be working with and perhaps fighting with to the death if need be. It seemed like Arden was a smart fella even if was a bit of a smart aleck. Rose was polite but what kind of fighter would she be? The priest? Well, he didn't like priests being the far opposite of honest as he was.

Rose frowns while rubbing the shoulder where she was given the brand. She was not overly fond when she saw it was in the shape of a rose. She can already picture her brothers teasing her over it when she gets back home, as if she chose to have it done.

She has mixed feelings about their mission. On one hand, Rose is proud to be protecting farmers like herself. On the other, she feels like she is robbing them of their hard work and livelihood. She has been on the other side of that exchange; when soldiers come to demand tribute. She just has to hope that the new rulers are just and fair with what they take, and more importantly, with what they leave for the farmers...

Rose snaps out of her thoughts and tries to wear a face that says she is deeply focused on the conversation even though she has long sense lost track of what is being said. She hopes that she didn't miss anything important.

Rose clears her throat to get the attention of Otus. "Are we under the impression that any opposition capable of fielding a professional army has already been taken care of? We should expect to see only small bands of raiders, bandits, and--" she stops short of saying desperate people just trying to survive. "is there any hope of recruiting these would be enemies to the cause?"

So the girl has a voice.

Arden looks sidelong at Rose as she asks her questions -- good ones, it turns out. The man was going to respond to the barb about him not being a soldier, but watching Otus answer the farm girl was going to be more entertaining. He eats another piece of apple as his eyes flick to the man.

"Well, unless we got something else pressing, I'd say it's time to move out, if you're rested enough," says Nehren. He dons his pack and holds his staff ready to walk to the farm(s).

Rose is visibly perplexed by Otus's response. What makes this man so confident? This Emil fellow has been running things for all of what? A week? Can he not even fathom the possibility that someone might do to him what he did to the last rulers? That false sense of confidence combined with the seemingly lax enforcement of orders has Rose thinking about the troubles her brothers must have gone through before they died. Was it incompetent leaders who should be held accountable for their early deaths? She isn't going to let that happen to her.

She does not voice her concerns to Otus or the group. Rose instead looks around at those gathered. She is trying to pick out who among them will step forward to lead. More importantly, she is looking for who she is going to follow. Because surely, that person who steps forward is going to be just as unqualified as Otus. In her opinion, a good leader is never the person who wants to lead.

When Nehren stands and suggests it is time to move out, Rose cannot help but smirk. 'I think I may have found the would be leader. Now to fine the natural leader.'

Arden is none to quick to step up and lead the way himself, and he walks with Rose and Aaxi as they take their leave and head for their destination. There is much going on behind the man's stormy eyes, and while he doesn't speak of it, it's clear he is turning over options in his mind after Otus and his men take their lead. Truth told, he's a man who's unafraid to switch allegiances when it makes sense to do so, but this branding nonsense is absolutely the wrong for forward for the new lord, and the conscript finds it a difficult hurdle to clear.

Later, when they have reached the farm and are setting up in the barn, he examines his kit more carefully, checking the steel and the craftsmanship of his sword, the skill of the armorer who made the chain shirt he wears. He looks up when Swaneke asks his question, then shrugs.

"I think it's early days in this rebellion. We'd do to keep our eyes and ears and wits about us. If some of the nobles owing fealty to the old [Lord? Duke? Burger? Bürgermeister?] decide to come with their cavalry and footmen, I'm not like to test this cheap steel against them. Seems unlikely, though. They had their chance to through in with his lot... and didn't."

Used to walking long distances, Ax wasn't particularly tired from the day's journey. Picking up a straw of hay he chewed on the tip and looked at Arnd. "You should have been a farmer you say? Bah! It's thankless work. I grew up on a farm and couldn't wait to leave. Swaneke's got it right."

Scratching his stubble he turned to Arden. "Good advice. There are likely going to to be shifting alliances depending on which side of the fence has greener pastures."

Rifling through his backpack he picked out his favorite fossil and felt the cold rock between his fingers.

As he ruminated about the day, he glanced at Rose and remembered seeing her visibly unimpressed with Emil before they set out. Smart woman, he thought.

Rose cannot help but smirk when talk of working on a farm comes up. This turns to a scowl in Swaneke's direction as he dismisses the worth of the life she had to leave behind. He doesn't know what he is talking about. Of course there were times when she too questioned her life on the farm, but her father always set her straight. His answer whenever she tried to ask questions about the world was always a curtly given "We must cultivate our garden." That always drove her crazy.

"I was a farmer," she dryly offers up to Arnd before he walks away. "And I still ended up here. No use crying over where we should be. We're all here now."

Other than that, Rose mostly stays quiet. She listens up to everything that is said while taking careful mental notes. She already had her suspicions that the greatest danger away from home would not be swords and spear, but trusting the wrong people. She has no trust in Swaneke or Arnd. The former is a fool and the latter a coward. The other three seem capable. Trustworthy though? Time will tell. The talk between Aaxi and Arden at least makes it clear that they are thinking along the same lines as she is regarding the dangers to be wary of.

Rose will spend some scouting out the farm. She tries to take note of the general shape of the farm. If things are falling apart, it is unlikely anyone considers this place of high value. If is well maintained and the farmer has a large crop harvested and ready to ship to market, there could be highwaymen lying in wait for the right opportunity.

Nehren follows along quietly, listening to the group as they walk along and finally get to a place to spend the night. The farmer seems amenable enough considering the changes. He understands that everyone is seeking something. It makes him pensive for a moment, this idyllic life...ahh what would that look like. He's only known the life of a cenobite and the life of a brew master was not to be. The calling came to him as he drew water from the brook.

Now, clad in chain, outfitted with mace, shield and staff, he was not quite sure a martial life was what the Pan Creator had intended. However, he chose not to doubt, for every path added to his experience.

"Soldiers, I just wanted to add to this conversation that I do not intend to be your leader. That will most likely be Arden, though I might also be mistaken. I wanted to be away from the eyes of Commander Emil. He seems to mean well, but I don't know how strong his ambition is. I do know this: He is the embodiment of the Law; and, any law can be enforced at the point of a spear. I did not want to test that truth. Now that we are here, I vote Arden for leader, now, feel free to ignore me. I'm quite satisfied living a hermit's life."

He begins to inspect his gear and begins to undo his chainmail and greaves, all the while saying a prayer under his breath.

"Tell me Moer, do the other farmers in the area share your sentiments?" Ax asked when they were chatting with him earlier. He was curious to find out how much support Emil really had and how easily it might be turned.

When they picked their spots to settle down for the night he withdrew another fossil and flipped it from finger to finger, a trick he had perfected over the years.

"I have no preference for a leader. Just because one has the title of a leader, doesn't necessarily mean he will be followed."

Arden has his knife out to slice up some old cheese as he listens to the conversation around him. The bristling halfling. The farm girl who's found her voice. The twin morons he's afraid are going to be a liability. It's the trouble with conscript units like this one -- the weakest link and all that.

He just looks at Riste and raises his eyebrows a little when the man mentions voting for a leader, but it's the farmer's words he responds to. "Something you can help us with? Sir, we appreciate your hospitality, but we're here to help you."

To Aaxi, he grins. "True words," he says with a nod as he chews... leaving the topic at that.

Rose is impressed with Nehren's speech. Perhaps she had misjudged him before. At first he seemed like the type to grab hold of power in order to spread the word of his god, but that no longer appears to be the case. Arden's response reaffirms Rose's growing opinion that he would be the best leader for the group.

She is perplexed by Moer being perplexed over their presence. It doesn't seem like anyone in Emil's new little empire knows what is going on and everyone is afraid to rock the boat. Herself included. Rose doesn't insert herself into the discussion. If they aren't needed here, then they continue on the road until they are needed. At least that is how she sees it.

Ignoring the talk of Emil's rebellion and the ensuing chaos -- the man just didn't trust his companions enough to speak openly about what he thought -- Arden speaks up for the group, though he says nothing about accepting the mantle of leadership.

"With the sun down, we're best to stop for the night, and your offer is a generous one, Moer. We'll have plenty of evenings under the stars, so would appreciate a roof over our heads tonight. We'll pay you what we can, and if there's extra stew in the pot we'll put coins in your palm for that too. When, by the way, do you expect the have the crop ready to take to town?"

---

After the farmer has gone to the house, Arden glances outside, then up at the loft as he speaks to the troop. "We'll want to set a watch," he says lowly. "It seems safe enough here, but Moer might be friends with these militias we keep hearing about, or they might have a spy about."

"I'll take first one. I'm not tired yet." This would give Ax time to think and search the barn and the immediate vicinity for anything useful without the others watching him. You could also tell much about a person by watching them sleep.

"I have to agree with you Arden, about Moer. I didn't get a strong feeling about his loyalties to Emil either. And I'd like to keep my options open, if you know what I mean."

"I do," Arden returns quietly to Aaxi. Lowering his voice further, he gestures with this eyes to Arnd and Swaneke and adds, "And keep one eye on those two, even after your watch. They could prove worrisome."

"Good. I'll take second -- wake me at midnight," he says loud enough for the whole crew to hear.

Rose is more than a little tired. She is very glad when Ax volunteers for first watch. "Wake me when my shift is up." She quickly doffs her armor and slips into a deep sleep even faster. She is used to working hard, but with more varied tasks. Walking all day in heavy armor has worn her out.

Before they bunk down for the night, Arden fetches water for them all to wash in, relieves himself outside against the side of some outbuilding, and settles in for some shuteye. But he keeps tabs on Rose as she sleeps, making sure she's not bothered by the two men that argue back and forth like children; he trusts neither of them around a young woman. In the morning, after everyone has risen and made ready, he collects the coins for Moer and prepares to lead the group away from the farm just after the sun is above the horizon -- and finds that Swaneke and Arnd have their own ideas.

The squabbling pair are headed into the fields when Arden looks to the priest, the farmgirl and the halfling and shakes his head. He's not for traveling long with these fools if they keep it up, but he calls to them regardless as he walks towards them, ready for the day's travel.

"Arnd. Swaneke -- wait. We won't be ambushed in a pasture, it's more like to be on a road. But that shouldn't steer our course regardless -- we'll need to use those roads, they're faster."

In the distance, two farms are visible, and Arden points at both of them. "I spoke with Moer this morning about who resides in each of those places. One of them is a widow and her family, but the other was abandoned some years back. Perhaps a good place for highwaymen such as those we're talking about to hole up in. I say we check there first. Make sure we're not leaving some threat to Mohr and the widow unattended."

Looking over his shoulder, the dark-haired man asks, "what do you three think?"

Arden is right not to trust those two. They are stupid and trouble, a really bad combination. "I wouldn't dismiss bakers and cobblers, Ax says to the two morons. "A large group is more than capable of putting the hurt on us especially in an ambush situation. Arden is right. We should stick to the road for a whole lot of reasons."

Ax didn't think his words would matter. People like that are also very stubborn. "We should get rid of them as soon as possible. Let them go into the fields while we stay on the roads," he says in a very low voice to Arden although he doesn't care much if they hear him.

Rose feels a great deal of relief when Ax and Arden discuss ditching the troublesome duo they have been stuck with. At the same time she also feels a small bit of guilt. Here she was, only her second day as a soldier, and she was already turn against her own...

"I hate to say it, but we stand a much better shot of staying alive without those two. Neither of them seem interested in listening to reason." It suddenly dawns on Rose that after those two are gone, she will be the weakest link. She quickly adds, "I may be green, but I'm a quick learner and I follow directions well."

"You two," Arden calls to the two men. "This way!" The man points, adding, "We're going this way."

To Rose and Aaxi, he quietly says, "let's just see if they'll listen to reason."

Ax watches with great interest. He doesn't necessarily agree with Rose but he gets her point of view. Nodding at Arden he says, "Don't count on it."

Arden leads the group south, but he walks among them rather than in front.

"So what are your stories?" he asks Swaneke and Arnd. "Old friends who decided to join the cause? Are you locals?"

Rose is quite pleased with the way things are going. She feels that they have a competent leader and skilled group. They might just live to see the end of the week. Especially if every farm turns out to be as peaceful as the last one.

She cannot help but smirk when Arden asks the other two party members to share a bit about themselves. She immediately makes a bet with herself that Swaneke will tell some exaggerated tale that overvalues his most likely minimal skills and Arnd will reveal very little while being mopey and complaining about how he'd rather be anywhere but here.

Phineas walked with his head bowed, foolishly oblivious to his surroundings. A smarter man would have been watching for potential danger on the road ahead, but he wasn't accustomed to walking long distances. His exhaustion was evident in both his stooped posture and his gait even before some small noise from up ahead caused him to look up, revealing a handsome face wearing a beleaguered expression. His sharp chin and strong jaw were accentuated by a closely trimmed, blonde beard and mustache, above which his cheeks glowed red from exertion. Thick, unruly blonde hair framed his angular features and when his eyes fell on the group of travelers his beleaguered expression became one of alarm.

Phineas' body tensed and it looked for a moment as if he were about to run until he realized that the open farmland offered little by way of a place to hide. Instead, he straightened his posture and rested his right hand on the handle of his mace, which hung from a frog on his belt. He eyed the group for a moment trying to decide what they were about and finally announced, "If you are bandits I am afraid you have come upon me too late. I was relieved of my horse and everything of value that I carried two days' journey south of here. I managed to convince my assailants to let me keep my weapon and armor rather than leaving me easy prey for any wild beast that might come upon me in the night."

His expression became thoughtful and he paused for a moment before continuing. "You seem to be better equipped than they were, though. I expect that if you were to continue along the road south you'd run into them and could probably manage to claim my belongings as well as any they might have taken from other travelers without much trouble."

Phineas meets Swaneke's bravado with a calm gaze. "Are there militia all around?", he asks. "I have seen none, save perhaps you? The only other armed men I have encountered are those that I have already mentioned. If you choose not to believe me, that is certainly your prerogative. Although, I can't imagine what you think I stand to gain from such a falsehood."

"In any case, a lone traveler is no threat to such a large and well-armed group as yours. So, if you will be kind enough to lower your sword I will be happy to introduce myself."

Phineas removes his hand from the handle of his mace and clasps his hands together in front of him. Then without paying any attention to whether or not Swaneke complies with his request, he looks past the ill-mannered soldier, smiles at the rest of the group, and addresses them.

"My name is Phineas. I am a priest of Justitia charged by the Cheif Justice of Her Holy Court to mediate in Her name any and all disputes between the Lord of this land and any aggrieved parties who seek redress for potential damages caused by a perceived dereliction of said noble Lord's duty to those that he is sworn to protect and to serve." Then looking pointedly back at Swaneke he adds, "I am sure that Lord Commander Emil is among those with whom I am to meet."

Then he turns his attention back to the rest of the group. "Now tell me, to who do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

Ax found the man's story wanting. No thief would have left the man with his weapon and armor, and he would know. His distaste for priests also crept into his tone of voice when he greeted the man and gave him his name.

"I'm Aaxi. No self-respecting brigand would have let you leave with your weapon and armor. What's your real story, priest?"

Rose raises an eyebrow at the priest's story. The other eyebrow gets raised at Swaneke. She steps forward and forces him to lower his sword. "Easy there. Let's try using our words first. You don't want people thinking that Lord Emil hires impulsive bloody thirsty mad men." She places herself between Sawneke and the Phineas; keeping her back turned on Swaneke. She wants him to realize how little she thinks of him and his impulsive behavior, while attempting to appear so confident in her own abilities that she doesn't consider him attacking her blindside as a possibility.

"Well met, Phineas. I am Rose. We are out here securing the roads. That job would certainly include looking into this bandits, but I have to agree with Ax here. You're story is very bizarre. Aren't bandits normally of the type to seek weapon and armors more than anything but perhaps gold?"

"Sheath your steel, man, there's no need for that yet," Arden is just saying to Swaneke when Rose moves boldly forward to guide the dialog to firmer ground. Still, his hand rests comfortably on the pommel of his sword. The halfling and the farmgirl have said what needs saying, so he just raises his eyebrows at the lone traveler.

Phineas' exhaustion from two nights spent trying to sleep in his heavy armor and two days spent walking in it had taken a toll on him; otherwise, he would have hidden his frustration over the group's disbelief. As it was, he replied a little too curtly, perhaps, "I can't help whether you believe me or not. I realize that it is unusual behavior for bandits. To that all I can say is that these weren't the smartest of their ilk. I nearly had them convinced to leave me alone, altogether. They were starving, though, and in spite of my most persuasive arguments insisted on keeping almost all of my rations and my horse. I believe they intended to eat the poor creature. Under the circumstances, I considered that a win and continued on my way."

"I don't have any proof to offer beyond my word, though. Unless you care to accompany me when I return home and would trust the word of Her Holy Court that I did, in fact, depart from there with a horse. I suppose it would still be left to you to decide whether I was robbed of the animal or ate it --"

He stopped abruptly, it having just occurred to him that they men he met on the road might have been refugees rather than bandits. "Lord Commander Emil, you said. His is not a name that I am familiar with. Doesn't the Royal Family rule these lands?"

Arden can't help but smirk at the scruffy blonde wanderer. "The winds have changed, man... there's been a revolt. Emil sits in the high keep. How have you not heard of this? Did your robbers not speak of it either?"

Phineas' furrowed his brow in consternation. "No, and I didn't think to ask," he replied hesitantly.

"In light of that, I wonder if perhaps they were refugees, and were only resorting to banditry out of necessity. Come to think of it, they did begin by asking me if I had any food to spare. I am afraid that I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion", he added.

Rose frowns. This certainly complicate things. If they were bandits, the group could simply march in there and reclaim the stolen goods with a clear conscience no matter how the confrontation went. If they are just desperate, hungry people... that's a bit more difficult.

She remembers the conversation they had with Otus. He wasn't opposed to recruiting individuals who at first appear to be enemies. "Arden. What do you say to paying these bandits a visit? We could forage along the way and show them that an honest living serving under Emil increases your odds of going to bed with a full belly." She looks to Phineas. "You're welcome to come along. If they haven't eaten your horse yet, you might even get it back."

Only after she has says these things does Rose realize that she is practically giving orders. She lowers her head to cover her blushing. "Unless you had another course of action in mind, of course. This was merely a suggestion--" She holds back from calling Arden 'sir,' at the last moment and it causes her to blush even deeper. Gods do I ever have a lot to learn about proper protocol.

It's just as Arden has feared -- out beyond the reaches of the city, chaos is already starting to reign. These men might have been bloodthirsty bandits who this priest Phineas was lucky to escape from with his life, or they might have been poor farmers forced to billet Emil's men as they marched on the royals, and who ate them out of house and home.

After all the conversation and more of Swaneke's tiresome posturing, the soldier nodded at Tamblyn. "Rose has it. We need to visit with these bandits -- find out if they are mere highwaymen, or if there is more to their story. If nothing else, we can learn more about what people know out here beyond Hoffnungsadel's walls."

To Swaneke and Arnd, Arden is clear:

"We can check in on that farmstead as we pass it, but there's no reason to dally or overnight there. We've a course now -- the men who robbed this poor arbiter here. Let's stay to it."

I'm of a mind to agree with Arden." Aaaxi said as he looked at Arnd with mild distaste. The man was already looking for a place to rest his head. Unbelievable. What a crew, he thought as they decided what to do next, and he still didn't trust the priest. It would be interesting to see if they could catch the bandits and verify his story. These were the people that had his back. He'd like to know as much as he could about them.

"Let's move on to the farm then," he said. He was getting antsy. All this talk and no action.

Phineas sighed. He was reluctant to present himself to Enil without a clear sign from the Lady of Justice, or instructions from Her Holy Court. Absent the former, he was left with a long walk ahead of him to obtain the latter. He quickly realized that there really wasn't a decision to be made.

News of the revolt meant that he would be traveling in the same direction that the group was. Not only would it be rude and more than a little awkward to decline their company only to trail behind them on the road, but if they could track down the men who had taken his horse, he could prove that he had been telling them the truth, as improbable as it seemed. He didn't know why their incredulity bothered him, but he was an honest man, or he tried to be, anyway. That meant being honest enough with himself to admit that it did bother him.

"t seems I am too late arriving to be able to do the job that I was sent here to do. So, at least for the time being, our paths are leading us in the same direction. I will be happy to share the road with you. Thank you. And if we find the men who took my horse, and if they didn't eat her for dinner, it may be as you say, that we can convince them to return her to me."

This affords me the opportunity to gather information about the revolt and the days leading up to it that The Court will be eager to hear, too, he thought, pleased to able to catch so many birds with a single stone.

"So, tell me," he asked as they made their way to the farmhouse. "Have any of you met the Lord Commander? What sort of man is he?"

"Not me," Arden lies easily, and then he's both peering towards the sound of woodcutting, and he's also making a comment to Phineas.

"And you're not too late, priest. There will be more need than ever for arbitration in these farmlands, I think. Times are uncertain, and tempers likely riled."

Phineas took note of Arnd's comments about the Lord Commander and his general lack of enthusiasm about the change in the local government but refrained from commenting about it. Arden directed the conversation away from Emil, though, instead preferring to focus on the needs of the people.

"I am happy to be of service should the need arise," the cleric replied. He didn't say anything else immediately but seemed to consider Arden's assertion as they continued on toward the farm. A minute or so later, Phineas finally found his words.

"You know the people who live around here far better than I do," he began. "I find it interesting, though, that you expect an increased need for arbitration among the farm folk in times like these. If we were among merchants, craftsmen, or the nobility, then yes, I would agree with you. Not here, though," he said gesturing at the quaint surroundings.

"The more people have, the more they stand to lose, and the more unsettled they become in times of change. Those are the people I would expect to find squabbling among themselves after a rebellion. The farmers, though... The people who work the land? Wouldn't you expect them to band together in difficult times?", Phineas asked.

When they arrived at the farm, Ax took no offense from the bitter farmer woman. She likely worked herself to the bone and the soldiers helped themselves. Could you blame her? "We appreciate the roof over our heads, thank you."

He thought about volunteering to accompany Arnd into town. It would have been better than doing nothing here at the farm. He wasn't totally unsympathetic to the plight of farmers. He might not have liked being forced into it as a youth on his parent's farm but he had a firm understanding of the hardships they faced. However, he decided against joining him. He just couldn't stomach the man.

Watching the conversation between Arnd and Phineas it was clear to Ax that Phineas sure talked a good game but was he the real deal? He supposed they'd find out eventually, whether it was by finding his horse or through his actions.

Before the farmers meet the group, Arden shrugs at Phineas, saying, "All I can tell you is that things seem unsettled."

When there's mention of another group of soldiers, that catches his ear. "What did these fellows look like," he asks, "were they in livery? What did they take?"

"Bastards!" Ax spat on the ground. Yet here he was on the same team. "I'll help you Arnd," his distaste for the man temporarily overshadowed by his anger at the soldiers. "Let's get the goods to town."

Rose looks around with a perplexed look. She wanted to separate the two sketchy members of the group from what she saw as the reliable members, but it didn't seem like fate was working in that direction. The group as a whole is starting to look like a dog with a short attention span.

"Making sure farmers are safe on their way to market is our official assignment. I will accompany you." Truth be told, all of the options seem like equally important tasks. Splitting up may not be a bad idea but there are so many unknowns... it could be risky. The bandits are the least sure thing. They could be anywhere. They might not be bandits. Who knows? The same goes for dangerous animals. In her mind, the only certainty is that a farmer who needs an entourage.

Phineas nodded to Arden. "I understand," he replied. Then he gave their hosts his attention. The behavior of those soldiers toward the farmers was terrible; barbaric, even. The cleric sympathized with them, but was sure how best to help, apart from treating them decently.

Arnd was quick to offer to help the couple get their wares to market, as the group had apparently been instructed to do. Aaxi agreed with him, and Rose fell in line, too. He had little doubt but that Arden would as well. Instead of following suit, though, Phineas asked the couple, "How may I best be of assistance to you? The work you are doing is vital to the well-being of the entire community and I would see it continue."

Arden seems distracted as the group talks, searching the countryside around them for something, but when he turns it is clear that he's been listening. "Hold up, the lot of you. You're like a flock of birds wheeling in the air every time the wind changes. We don't have express orders. We're supposed to keep things safe out here. I for one don't like the idea of leaving these robbers be. They've already used the road to hold someone up, and I'd wager they're like to do it again."

Looking at the farmer, and at Arnd, the bearded man continues. "Make ready to go into town. We'll escort you. Just not today or tomorrow. Give us time to track down some men we believe might be troublemakers, and maybe even find these other sorts who treated you badly, straighten them out. When we come back, we'll take you."

When Phineas seemed to be angling for a job on the farm, Arden nipped that in the bud. "We'll need you to identify these men, Phineas. You'll need to be with us."

The soldier pointedly ignores Swaneke when the man talks about worgs, judging it best to not even broach the subject. Because if it's true, they'll need more arms and armor, more numbers to counter the threat.

Arden was definitely the voice of reason in this group and now Ax was torn as to what to do. "Won't the goods spoil if we wait that long, Arden? I don't disagree with you about the robbers and troubemakers but perhaps we should be sure the food won't rot."

"What were you planning on taking to town?" Ax asks the farmer. "Can it wait a few days?"

When Rose sees the man with the cart, an idea comes to mind. "Perhaps we can speed up the process of finding the bandits and get to helping out the farmer a little sooner than expected." She pauses as she tries to find the words to properly detail her plan in a way that makes sense. "The bandits are bound to be holed up somewhere defensible. It will be dangerous going after them. What if we drew them out? Did your parents ever tell you the story of the Jardierian Horse? The one where a noble gifted his rival a large wooden horse statue as a trap? The horse was actually filled with soldiers who leapt out in the middle of the night and opened the gates to the castle, allowing a quickly and bloodless siege. We could try to pull off something similar.

"If these bandits are after food, then the farmer is going to be a target when he goes to market. What if one of us dresses up like a farmer and leads the cart toward town while the rest of us hid beneath cover inside the cart? The bandits are bound to strike if they see just one lone, unarmed man transporting goods. We can catch them by surprise, force them to surrender, and then discuss their options."

She bites her lip nervously. "Its just at thought. I don't know if it would actually work."

"That's not a bad idea," Phineas says. "But we couldn't ask these folks to loan us a cart when they have crops to bring in from the field."

Then, as if the thought had just occurred to him, he turns to the couple and continues. "Of course, the loan of a cart would be a small price to pay for the apprehension of any bandits operating hereabout. Particularly if someone had one to spare...?"

The Jardierian Horse. The lass wanted to build the Jardierian Horse -- or what amounted to one.

Now Arden liked the farm girl. He didn't know her circumstances, but certainly it wasn't her choice to be conscripted into a fool's army, and certainly he couldn't fault her for her inexperience. But he also couldn't bear the thought of hiding in a cart all day, or of walking to town as a farmer, hoping to draw out highwaymen.

"One problem," the man says, pointing. "The city and the market are that way..."

He turns and points in the other direction. "And the men that accosted the priest here, that. We'll need to move with speed to catch them as-is -- which is why I didn't want to stop for the day here, recall, and press on quickly."

Looking at their host, he adds, "The good farmer here has told us we have a few days. Let's use them. If we find nothing, or if we find that the roads are thick with rough brigands and sly swindlers, we'll we can build ourselves a Jardierian Horse."

Arden looks at the girl, not enjoying squashing her enthusiasm. "Fair?"

Ax wonders when a decision they all can agree on will actually be made. Listening to Arden's logic though, he makes sense. The girl's idea was interesting but a little over the top for his liking even though he could fashion such a thing.

"So we are back to pursuing bandits then? Are we all in agreement now?" he asked, in an effort to get something happening.

Rose puts on an extra wide smile and enthusiastically nods her head in agreement. It isn't hard to tell that she is a little embarrassed, but it could have gone worse. At least the group didn't outright laugh at her suggestion. She swallows her pride and prepares to head out when ready.

"Two days ago," Phineas replied. "It was the day before yesterday, just past noon. Someone accustomed to traveling on foot could certainly have covered the distance quicker, but I can't say by how much."

Phineas knew that he should admit, right now, that he had spent nearly as much sitting beside the road rubbing his sore feet as he had spent walking both yesterday and today. Everyone was bound to realize, in short order, just how ill-suited he was to traipsing around in a suit of chain armor, but he was determined not to show any sign of weakness; particularly not to Swaneke. He'd either keep up or die trying.

"Let's not lose more time then," Arden says, turning to go. To the farmer, he nods. "We'll be back. Give us two full days, then we'll aid you in getting your goods to the city."

And with that -- he goes.

"That's what I've been saying Arden!" Ax grabs his belongings, puts his axe over his back and starts heading down the road at a brisk clip. "Well come on then," he shouts to the rest of the group. "Let's get moving."

As the sun sets, Rose is struggling to keep up with the group. She wants to look around to see if anyone else is as tired as she is but feels it would be too obvious and expose that she is a weak link. "Umm," she breaks the silence. "I don't have much experience tracking bandits. Is this the sort of thing that continues until we find them or is it proper to find a safe place to rest for the night so we can go after them with renewed vigor in the morning?" It is painfully obvious what she would like to do. Rose looks around. "Is there even a good place to camp?" She frowns at the realization that a campfire is probably out of the question.

Ax is torn. He can see that Rose is tired and self-conscious about it, but the guards are actually right. However, if they meet trouble, what good will she be if she is exhausted?

"How about we rest now for a little while, then continue and make camp later." That was the best Ax could offer. It seemed like a decent compromise and would save Rose from any further embarrassment. But she'd have to start literally pulling her own weight soon.

Arden nods at Aaxi. It's been a long day. He'd wanted to cover another league before they stopped, but it's not hard to tell that's not in the cards for the farmgirl. "Aye," he says. "How about we stop over there, yonder -- looks like a decent place to set camp for the night."

As they walk, he gestures to a copse of trees, and a ridge. "You lads, Swan and Arnd, check those trees and that bluff, if you have it in you. The rest of us will set up the camp and start a fire."

For the last hour and a half, Phineas hadn't said a word. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead of him and his jaw was clenched making his expression appear determined. He stopped in his tracks when Rose mentioned resting, but with the idea shot down as quickly as it was, he scowled and started moving again. A careful observer might have noticed him walking with a bit of a limp, the severity of which depended on which leg he was favoring the most with each step.

When Ax suggested a short break a moment later, Phineas was unable to stop himself from saying, "If I stop moving, I'm done. All a brief rest is going to do is break my stride. We need to either keep moving or make camp."

It seemed clear that Phineas would prefer to make camp.

Arden just looks at Swaneke when the man curses at him, saying nothing as the angry conscript heads off into the night. He turns then and helps set up the camp before he gathers wood and starts a small cookfire.

"He's going to be trouble," he says to Ax, Rose, and Phineas as he looks into the flames. "Do I have your support should the need arise?"

Phineas immediately shed his chain shirt before pitching in to set up camp. Once they had things in order, more or less, with the exception of the campfire which Arden was diligently working on, Phineas took a seat a short distance away and began removing his boots. Arden's question caught him by surprise, and he looked up with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What do you mean?", he asked. "Aren't you a military patrol? Who is the ranking member?"

Rose spends a few minutes stretching out her tired muscles before taking a seat. "I am afraid Emil isn't running the tightest ship. We were outfitted, given a vague idea of what we are to accomplish, and sent on our way. Technically we are all equals, but Arden is our chosen leader." She motions toward the direction that Swaneke went. "That guy is trouble. He thinks he is the hero in an epic story. Even I knew that folks like that don't really exist. In war, all soldiers are equally close to death," she says somberly while thinking of her lost brothers.

"I wanted to leave them behind so you know you have my support, Arden." Ax scratches his stubble while staring into the fire.
"Rose that guy will get us all killed if we let him." he says nodding in agreement. Trning to Phineas he says,"Sorry to disappoint you. Now tell us about that limp of yours. What happened?"

Phineas continued to massage his feet, idly, while Rose and Aax explained the Patrol's situation. When Aax asked him about his limp, his face blushed brightly and he immediately reached for his pack. He gave the impression that he was hoping no one had noticed what he'd been doing.

"What do you mean?", he asked with feigned indignation. "I don't have a--"

The cleric caught himself before he completed the lie and his offended look shifted to one of abashment. He breathed a heavy sigh, then backtracked to start over.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought I had done a better job of hiding it. I'm not accustomed to walking long distances, particularly not while wearing armor. After two full days travelling on foot... They're just a little tender. That's all."

"So are you a priest at all, then?" Arden says from the fire. "Or are you-"

The man stops and raises a hand when sounds come from the darkness. Rising, he draws his blade as silently as he can and gestures to the others with his free hand to do the same. Quietly, carefully, he approaches whatever is making the sound.

Ax unsheaths his sword slowly and quietly and stealthily approaches the sound as he creeps beside Arden.

Taking his cue from Arden, Phineas grabbed his mace and quickly got to his feet. Then he turned, putting his back to the fire as he strained to see what was moving out in the darkness.

It takes every ounce of restraint to not pull her sword free as quickly (and noisily) as possible. Rose takes the cue from Arden and slowly slides he blade free. Before she moves to follow Arden and Ax, she looks to the priest. He had already taken off his armor. She is thankfully that she had not done the same. She hates to leave him here by himself, but doesn't want to be seen as a coward either. As a compromise, she looks around to see if he has a shield. If he does not, Rose silently offers Phineas her own shield to protect himself with. If she sees that he has a shield, then she will keep hers and assume he knows how to protect himself well enough to manage without armor until they could return to assist him.

Once that is settled, she will slowly make her way forward with the others.

When Rose extended her shield out to Phineas, he shook his head, ‘no’, and eyed his own shield on the ground a few feet away. He decided that it was close enough to lunge out and grab it before the others had wandered too far. He hated to see them walking off into the darkness without a light.

Maybe Arden has a death wish, he mused to himself. Aax and Rose must think a lot of him to follow such a reckless move.

The thought triggered something in the young priest and he realized that he had to say something.

"Are you mad?!", he hissed after them in a loud whisper. "At least take some light! The Gods alone know who or what might be out there!"

"They'll see us coming if I carry a flaming brand, man," Arden says quietly over his shoulder towards the unarmored priest. But he knows the newcomer is right -- they've been at the fire and their eyes will be unaccustomed to the dark for several minutes yet. One of them, though, can step damned lightly, and might be able to get into a better position to see what's going on. The loyalist's voice lowers as he continues.

"Aaxi, can you go ahead, quietly? We'll bring a light forward, away from your position, to see what we can see... but it would be good to have you watching from the shadows."

Suddenly, Phineas turned around to look behind him. His eyes searched the darkness in the direction almost opposite that which Ax, Arden, and Rose had gone. He didn't see anything, but he was sure that he'd heard a sound coming from a nearby copse of trees. Cognizant of the fact that his new companions would be out of whispering distance soon if they weren't already, he glanced back over his shoulder and called out in as loud of a whisper as he could manage, "Psst! Hey! Guys? It's over there now!"

With no response immediately forthcoming, he assumed that they were too far away to hear him and was fearful that something might come rushing toward him while he wasn't looking away. So, he abandoned his effort to get their attention and moved to the other side of the fire, but stayed close to it. He looked back out into the night for a moment, listening, then he raised his shield and banged his mace against it twice.

"Who's there? Show yourself!", he called out in as confidently as he could manage.

With as tired and nervous as he was, though, his voice cracked after the first syllable and he ended up sounding anything but menacing. He swallowed hard but stood his ground as his eyes continued to search the night for the source of the noise. Every few seconds he snuck a furtive look back over his shoulder in the direction his companions had gone, but he couldn't see anything past the light from the fire. He told himself that it was probably just a small animal searching the underbrush for insects, and prayed to Justitia that he was right. He didn't lower his mace or his shield, though.

Aaxi picked his way carefully and quietly along the route he chose as he approached the sounds, his weapon ready, his senses in tune, expecting something from the shadows to emerge at any moment.

Rose spends around when she hears the priest's voice ring out into the night. What in the world is he doing!? She tries to get Arden's attention. He must have heard Phineas as well. She gets close enough so she can whisper. "Should I check on him?" The party seemed to be splitting into smaller and smaller parts by the second. She doesn't want any harm to befall the priest, but she doesn't know if further splitting the party is is a good idea.

Arden swears beneath his breath as the moment they set off on a course, once again the winds change and the leaves that are his companions swirl and scatter. Phineas looks panicked and Rose concerned, so the bearded man turns back after uttering lowly into the darkness, "Keep watch, Aaxi, we're returning to the fire to check on Phineas." To Tamblyn, he adds, "Come on, Rose. Eyes sharp, let's find out what what's troubling the priest."

Phineas almost collapsed with relief when Arnd stepped out of the darkness.

"No, we didn't see anything. We heard something, though. Over there," he said and pointed in the direction Arden, Rose, and Aax had gone. "The others went looking for whatever it was."

With Arnd back to keep a lookout, Phineas sat down and quickly pulled his boots back on, wincing as he did so. "Horse sign, you said? One pile, or several?"

Rose nods her head and does her best to quietly follow Arden back to the camp.

"Why did you two split up?" Arden asks as he emerges from the dark, a bit incredulous, but his voice still hushed. Without even waiting for an answer, he points, first to where they last heard the rustling, then to where the sounds of a fight have just ceased.

"I might be wrong, but I think there's an animal of some kind there, and Swaneke ran afoul of your horsemen yonder. We need to help him. No sense in hiding now." Taking a torch from his pack, the man lights it at the fire and set off for the recent sounds of battle.

"Rose, get yourself a torch and come on, double-time. Arnd, stay with our tenderfoot priest. Protect the camp."

And with that, that man was gone, heading for where he'd last heard the sounds, and also where he'd last seen Aaxi.

Phineas bristled at the insult from Arden, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't the first time he'd had to deal with that particular brand of arrogance. He had no intention of sitting this one out, though. It was one thing to leave your campfire behind to investigate strange noises in the darkness when you weren't sure what was making them. It was another matter entirely when it was clear that it was other people who were making the noise. So, he stoically finished pulling back on his boots, his padded shirt, and finally his chain mail.

"You can stay or come along as you like," he told Arnd. "But I'm going to see what that ruckus is all about."

So, he started off in the direction of the fighting. He was a couple of minutes behind everyone else, true, but at least now, apart from being tired, if need be he was ready to fight.

Rose should have been expecting it, but still cannot believe the utter unreliability of Arnd and Swaneke. You would think they would at least take things seriously when their lives are on the line.

She wastes no time questioning Arden's order. Rose drops to a knee and pulls a torch out of her backpack. She sheaves her sword and lights the torch in the campfire. For now, she will follow keep her shield in her left hand and the torch in her right. It isn't ideal, but she wants to put defense first at a time like this that is filled with so much uncertainty. If push comes to shove, she can always drop the torch and pull out her sword.

Satisfied that she is ready, Rose hurries to catch up with Arden.

Aaaxi stands still, listening, looking into the darkness, waiting for the others to join him.

Arden's jaw is as tight as his grip on his sword as the footsteps in the darkness ahead come closer. Phineas and Arnd have now joined he and Rose, the camp is unguarded behind them, and the halfling is still somewhere out in the dark. Hopefully Aaxi will know enough to flank around if the footfalls belong to brigands or other hostiles. The dark-haired man glances at Arnd and admonishes him when he makes to hide. "Get out here, boy, and ready your weapon. We'll drop you at the next farm we happen upon, you can hire on as a hand. Tonight, you're a soldier. Act like one."

Raising his torch high, Arden then calls into the darkness. "Who's there? Come forward into the light and speak your name!"

When Phineas and Arnd caught up with the group, Phineas fell in on Arden's left, putting his back to the torch as he had done with the campfire earlier. He clearly felt more confident wearing his chain mail and boots. He held his shield and mace up and at the ready, in spite of his weariness, as he watched and listened for whoever was out there to show themselves.

"Quiet Swaneke," Rose says with the practiced tone of an older sister used to looking after many troublesome little brothers. She clear her throat and gathers her courage before speaking up in a louder voice so the group that captured Swaneke can easily hear her. "Our purpose is not to secure these lands for Emil. We are only here to safeguard the road for merchants traveling to sell their wares. It does not sound like our goals are mutually exclusive. Your war may be just and we will not stop you from carrying it out. Again, that is not our purpose. Come parlay with us and we will deliver your declaration to Emil so that your war can be waged in a manner that is just and legal."

Rose believes fully in the words she speaks, even if they were paraphrased from a novel of political intrigue she purchased from a travelling merchant a few months before being recruited.

Aaaxi had been hiding all this time almost out of earshot and decided to wait and see how the "discussion" turned out, axe at the ready in case he needed to act quickly.

Arden looks down at Swaneke, and then at Rose Tamblyn as she calls out into the darkness. He can't help but raise an eyebrow, but he does not disagree with the girl's words.

"Aye," he says when he's done, his voice raised as well. "A parley. A confabulation. What say you?"

Phineas hung his mace on a frog attached to his belt and reached to his collar. He lifted a leather cord that was tied around his neck from beneath his chain shirt and let it fall back down on his chest. As he lowered his hands to straighten his tabard, the holy symbol of Justitia, a small charm carved from wood resembling a set of scales could be seen hanging from the cord. It was a crude representation, but unmistakable, and Phineas seemed to stand a little taller with the symbol of his faith displayed. He remained silent for the time being, though. Notwithstanding the fact that Arden and company didn't believe that he was a priest, he thought it would be better if the two groups chose to parley without his intervention.

"I say come forward, man, into the light like a civilized sort. We've been pressed into Emil's service, each of us, and are trying to sort just what it is that's going on out here. It seems there are a few versions of the truth being told." A few beats, then Arden continues, "And we can no more get Emil a message than you can."

Aaxi decides to quietly circle around behind the unfriendly voices. He really doesn't like the idea of attacking those that are unsympathetic to Emil as he is no fan either. He hopes for a peaceful resolution.

With only the axe, Aaxi couldn't really do much but listen and help with some sort of surprise should they need him. If they were taken prisoner, he would know where and attempt to release them....or not.

He had thought he heard some rustling in the distance earlier but it could just as easily have been animals and he couldn't see. As it happens, it was more men with no loyalty to Emil.

"Swaneke is an idiot. Don't lump us in with him," Rose says with much annoyance. Any bit of tact is gone from her voice. She is too tired to continue dealing with this. "None of us want to be here. I've already lost two brothers to the hostilities that plague us as of late and I am only here because I volunteered in order to spare my younger brothers from being marched to an early grave. Our goal is to establish some sense of normalcy by helping safeguard farmers as they transport their goods. We have no reason to harm you and you have no reason to harm us." She takes a look back at the newcomers who have surrounded them. "So there is no reason for us to disarm. We have confirmed that you are no threat to farmers. We can return to our camp and we'll set out in the morning. Fair?"

Arden turns and looks over his shoulder at the militiamen behind them as they make their presence known, and as Tamblyn says her piece. The girl is strong-willed, but perhaps a bit too quick with her tongue and free with her truths.

"She has it," he adds simply, his torch held aloft and his sword gripped tight. "We've no warrant for you or interest in your affairs if you're not harassing the local farmfolk."

To Swaneke, he adds, "Quiet man, let us sort this."

Phineas listened to the exchange between the conscripts and the militia. It didn't take long to confirm that he had made the correct decision. These weren't soldiers, and they had no particular propensity for violence. They were just decent men and women whose lives had been disrupted by Emil's rebellion. Men and women who, given the opportunity, would rather talk things out than fight it out. He was forced to wonder whether Emil would do the same. He couldn't, in good conscience, judge a man that he had never met, but judging by the reactions of those who had met him, Phineas doubted it.

Rose bites her lip. She feels like each time she opens her mouth it is a mistake and yet it is hard to not immediately decline the offer. It is a scenario which would only lead to trouble for everyone involved. Swaneke is dangerous and dumb. She'd hat to see what he is capable of when backed into a corner.

She looks to Arden and subtly shakes her head to show that she is not on board. She would prefer time to discuss this in depth with her companions, but doubts that the leader of the other group will allow it.

Phineas sighed softly to himself. He had seen similar exchanges time and time again. Just as two parties were beginning to see the common ground beneath their feet, prejudice, forcefully, asserted itself clearly marking a sharp divide between 'us' and 'them'. It was perhaps the greatest enemy of the Holy Court.

The young priest stepped forward until he was between, but off to the side of the two groups. He lowered his head as a gesture of respect with his arms open at his sides to acknowledge both parties. "Please, friends," he began, "the hour is late. May I suggest that we all make camp together tonight? In the morning, rested minds can come together to discuss how best to move forward?"

Arden sees Rose's look, but before he can offer a solution to the mire fate has put beneath their feet, the priest sinks them deeper into it. Phineas might truthfully be a Justicar, but if he is he's not one used to dealing with armed and willing warriors. It's bad enough to be outnumbered and outflanked, but as they approach the camp the former royalist shakes his head slightly when he sees even more militia members milling about. With these numbers, they will indeed be at their mercy.

When they are shown to their place, Arden evaluates the camp and the fighters. Are these hard men and women who will not easily give up the fight, or are these farmers and trappers and craftsmen themselves nervous and uncertain of their course.

He takes Phineas aside briefly. "Strike no more bargains without conferring with the rest of us, priest. You might have faith in your goddess to guide you right, but I lack that faith. These are lawless and troubled times, man. We need to be smarter than this. Now make sure no one drags the girl into their tent -- war makes men brutes, makes them forget their civility. Keep you eyer out. We will post watch tonight, they just won't know we're watching."

Having said that, Arden walks after the leader of the loyalist group. Militia members move to bar his path, and he opens his empty hands to them. "I only wish to talk with your captain. Please, fetch him back so that we may speak."

Aaxi thinks hard about what to do. He doesn't feel strong loyalty to any side and there is no love lost between him and Swaneke. He's of a mind to forget about him. His original plan to create a diversion was shot when even more rebels showed up and now they were in camp with more rebels still, if that's what one would call them.

As antsy as he was, it still made no sense for him to make himself known because what would he accomplish? He was far more valuable observing and taking an opportunity if one presented itself. If his group was in danger, he would create a diversion, otherwise he would wait. He was hungry though which might necessitate a stealthy foraging trip into camp, but he was good at sneaking around so that would be easy and perhaps he could let the rest of his party know he was there watching and waiting.

Phineas tensed, visibly, at Arden's admonition and his voice held a slight edge when he replied. "Of course we will post a watch. You would do well, though, to remember that these are your countrymen."

"Trust me, I remember," Arden says over his shoulder as he goes, then he is soon face to face again with the man leading the motley troop of loyalists.

"Are you and your militia planning to storm Hoffnungsadel, then? Have you experience breaching the walls of a place like that, a veritable fortress?" Arden knows the answer, and lowers and softens his tone. "It's a mess, man. I was a soldier in the aristocrats' army. Defeated, captured, imprisoned. And now branded with a gods-damned rose and forced to wear the colors that I do. If you spend your time killing Emil's patrols out here, know that three quarters of them are innocent people who want nothing to do with the war at all."

Pointing, he continues. "That girl's from a farm and never lifted a finger against the aristocrats. That man's of the cloth, an adjudicator. The other two -- one's a simpleton who only wants to live a quiet life, and the other, the one you encountered... an ingrate in any livery you put him in."

Hoping he's making an impression and some sense, the dark-bearded man finishes his plea. "We're out here trying to survive. Trying to understand what's going on outside the city. We were told to protect the farms and farmers and kicked straight in the arse to liven our step. Let me confer with the others to test their convictions. I think you'll find that most will doff these damnable colors the first moment they realize it's safe to do so."

Aaxi waits for the camp to settle down to sleep and makes his way carefully onto the grounds, his stomach grumbling its protest at not being fed. He will take whatever he deems necessary that he can reasonably carry whether it be weapons or food, and let one of the others know he is alive and well.

For the second time that night, Phineas doffed his chain mail and boots. With nothing better at hand, he turned the padding from his armor as a makeshift pillow. As he laid down to try to get some rest he told Rose, "In case I fall asleep, I'm glad to take a turn on watch. Just wake me when it's time. Not that I think we are in any danger here, but it's probably a good idea to keep tabs on what those folks are doing as best we can"

Arden nods at the man, then returns to the group, where he meets the gazes of his fellows.

"We've some decisions to make," he says simply. "I'll take watch until midnight, then rouse one of you. Think hard tonight on where we stand with Emil and his armies. Think hard on the brands we received at their hands."

Aaxi notices a reflection in the firelight. Has someone left an untended weapon? An upgrade from his dagger would be welcomed. His grumbling stomach reminds him that a bit of food wouldn't go amiss either. As he makes a quiet beeline towards the glint, he notices some food nearby. It's far enough away from the firelight that he can probably slink over to it without being seen.

"Glad to see you're safe," Adren says to Aaxi from beside the fire. He gestures to the militia members some distance away. "These are loyalists. Things are more a mess out here than I first suspected. We've got a mire to navigate now. In the morning, they keep telling me."

Aaxi's arrival woke Phineas, who was surprised that he had dozed off so quickly. "Hi, Aax," he greeted the halfling, groggily, before turning his attention to Arden. "And how do you intend to do that?", he asked as he got up to sit with his new companions.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Arden says, stirring the fire. "What do you think, priest? What does your goddess whisper to you?"

"The way forward seems clear to me. I do not believe that the situation requires divine guidance, does it?", Phineas asked.

"It seems to me that it should be enough to consider how these soldiers have treated us-- with one notable and, perhaps, understandable exception." Phineas' eyes drift over in Swaneke's direction.

"Then compare that with the so-called "Lord Commander" Emil's treatment of you," he continued. "Is the behavior of one more reasonable than the other? Is one more in line with the way you would like those in your government to conduct themselves?"

"Hunger and curiosity drove me to it if I'm going, to be honest," he says to Arden. Maybe he is beginning to feel a little camaraderie with some of their group too, but it's not something he plans to admit to, at least not yet. "A mire ndeed. It does seem so."

"Hello Phineas." As Aaxi listens to Phineas, it becomes more and more apparent that they should throw in with the militia absent any more intel on Emil himself. But did they really know enough about Emil to make that call? Much of it was pretty far from the source. He didn't bother to listen to Swaneke's babble either.

Arden nods at Phineas as he cuts a bit of dried cheese with his belt knife and chews it, unable to disagree. "How do I intend to navigate the mire? By telling them we'll throw in with them, or at least doff and burn these blasted colors. I've been trying to see which way the wind blows out here, and I see the smoke going in only one direction."

Pausing, he looks the priest in the eyes -- and then does the same with Aaxi, and Tamblyn. "But we all need to be of a mind on that." Gesturing to Swaneke, he quietly adds, "And then we have this fool to fret over."

There's a pregnant pause, then the soldier finishes. "What say you all?"

"That is what we're talking about," Arden says to Arnd, ignoring Swaneke's mewling.

"Arden is right," Phineas said to the others quietly. "Pragmatism should tell you that much, whether you agree politically or not."

"We can leave you here, and we just might, simply because you whine like a baby," Aaxi snaps at Swaneke. "Stop your whinging and let us think."

Aaxi realizes that they could throw in with this lot for now and change their minds later.

The crackle and snap of the fire rises to the fore for a moment after the halfling chimes in, then Arden raises and eyebrow towards the farm lass, Tamblyn. He is trying to gauge her reaction as he removes his colors, the cheaply-made tabard they were all forced to don. Into the fire it goes as he addresses the girl with his gravel tones.

"And where's your head in this, Rose? Are you with us?"

"I don't know about you all," Aaxi says quietly, an indignant expression clouding his face. "But I'm not letting anyone blindfold me!"

Arden rose early with the intention of talking to the camp leaders, now that the group was of a mind to abandon Emil's misguided cause. His rebel livery is gone, and he nods at the halfling.

"It'd best not come to that," he says, looking at the others. "Come on. Let's go make our peace with this lot."

When Phineas became aware of the sounds of morning that were spreading through the camp he roused himself, reluctantly. With as tired as he had been in the wee hours when he finally laid back down to sleep, even the cold hard ground had seemed like a luxury. He knew that he couldn't afford to lay in, though. It wouldn't help his situation if people decided that he was a layabout. Laziness was not considered a virtue by most people, himself included.

He greeted everyone with a smile, then excused himself to perform his morning devotion. He didn't bother looking for a spot where he might have a little privacy. He had no such expectation. Instead, he headed for a large rock near the center of camp that rose about four feet from the ground and was roughly rectangular. He climbed on top of it, knelt down with his face to the rising sun, and began to pray.

Morning devotion wasn't an elaborate ritual. It was a simple reaffirmation that members of the Holy Court recited at the start of each day. It was a promise, really, to respect the gift of life, to honor its inherent obligations, and to protect the freedom of those who do the same. When he finished his prayers, he slid down from the rock and rejoined his new companions. It wasn't long before the marching call was sounded.

Phineas could understand Aaxi and Arden's reluctance to be blindfolded, but he couldn't blame the militia for taking steps to mitigate the risk that they were taking.

"Would it be so terrible to show these men some respect?", Phineas asked when they voiced their objections. "If they want us to wear blindfolds it is because they have something that they believe is worth protecting. They have no reason to trust any of us. We have an opportunity to show them that we understand their concern; that we are worthy of their trust. Or, we can give them further cause to question our motives.

Think of it as a gift, because, the truth is that a blindfold is going to protect us a lot more than it protects them. Me? I'll wear the blindfold."

"Give them some more power over us and there's no telling where they might stop. No, priest. I won't be blindfolded and be totally at their mercy."

When the priest finishes his devotions, returns and then voices his opinions, Aaxi digs in and Arden straightens his sword belt. "A gift?" he says skeptically. Clapping his shoulder, where he's been branded, he adds, "I have one of those from Emil, and I'd rather not have another."

Still, he's a reasonable man and values the cleric's perspective, even if he doesn't exactly share it. "We'll respect them well enough. Have we not thus far? They have us outmanned and not a one of us believes in the rebel cause save him." There's a gesture towards Swaneke, then the bearded man shrugs his shoulders. "I mean to ask them to free us from this half-hearted imprisonment. There will be no need for blindfolds if they don't show us anything worth seeing. Can I have your support when I talk with them?"

But before the holy man can answer, the militia makes their move, beginning the process of blindfolding their prisoners.

"Wait," Arden says, holding up a hand as they come for him. When his fuss (and Aaxi's) brings forth someone that the soldier hopes can be reasoned with, he tries to keep his tone measured and calm.

"We only wish a discussion. There was talk of rested minds coming back together, and of our release should we leave our troublemaker with you. We've tossed the colors we were forced to wear, despite the risk it presents to us should we encounter one of Emil's patrols. We only ask that we be allowed to simply carry on our way, troubling you no further."

Arden squints a little at the woman, then he points at Swaneke. "Last night the offer was made to let us go on our way if we agreed to turn over this man to you. Why has that been retracted?" In truth, the man isn't sure he's ready to do that just yet, mainly because of Rose's reaction to the idea the night before.When the blindfold is brought before the warrior he allows it to be tied on, though he's hoping the priest will speak up and voice his own concern. When he doesn't, he asks one final question. "Where are you taking us? To a main camp of some sort?"

"We gave you Swaneke! You won't be putting some dirty piece of cloth over my eyes."

Aaxi's glare reiterates his intention to resist. It's not that he's a man of principle. Far from it. Being branded took something from him, and this further insult to his personal freedom would not be tolerated without a fight.

Aaxi realized he should never have come into the camp. He would have been better off starving. But once he got over being angry, and a cooler head prevailed, he knew that there was strength in numbers, so he succumbed to the blindfold, but vowed revenge for being put in such a demeaning position.

Arden blinks as his blindfold is finally taken off, looking around to get some idea of where they've been taken.

Phineas allowed himself to be guided, grateful that those who were leading them did so patiently. Apart from being caught in the rain, it wasn't an unpleasant march. Although wet or not, it would have been nice to be able to take in the scenery.

"Thank you," Phineas said to the person who removed his blindfold. "Who is it that will be coming to speak with us, please?", he asked. "Their rank will suffice if you aren't comfortable telling us their name. I'd just like to know how they should be addressed."

"Men, and lady. At this point, since they are doing us no real harm and have even left us our weapons, as humiliating as it is, we might learn more about these people and then get a better sense of what some of us might want to do. I've cooled down a bit to let common sense prevail. For now. That may change. But we are among them and might learn more if we can gain their trust. That's a big if though."

"As far as Swaneke is concerned, I could give a rat's ass about that one."

"And as far as Emil goes, we don't know much about him either and these lot won't give us an impartial opinion. So that's still an unknown."

Arden walks to the roughly-constructed wooden wall as Aaxi muses aloud, trying to see outside. Putting his hand on his sword's pommel, he tries to get the lay of the land, the camp, and the number of gathered loyalists.

"That is true, Aaxi, and my mind is still open enough to listen to his side of the story. I also am glad that you are more calm, now," Phineas comments. "I will only say this about Enid. I haven't seen anything that I could point to and use, by itself as undeniable proof that his revolution wasn't justified. On the other hand, I have only seen one thing that even hints that it might be justified. That one thing is Swaneke, and unfortunately, I can't bring myself to trust his judgment."

"I freely admit that I haven't been here long enough to form an opinion on the politics yet, but so far I haven't seen any evidence that suggests that anyone I have encountered, other than Swaneke, might recently have been a victim of a corrupt, neglectful, or harmful regime. None of those who brought us here have that look about them. Neither did anyone at the farm we visited. None of the four of you have expressed any complaints, either."

The scope of the settlement to which the group had been taken, once revealed, was beyond anything Phineas had imagined. He tried to estimate how many people lived in this... place, but he would need to find a place that offered a view of its entirety. He didn't know whether to call it a camp or a city. That it had sprung up quickly was evident from the lack of permanent structures and the way it blended into the terrain, rather than just covering it. It had a quality about it that gave him the impression that he was looking at a city that was trying to take root.

The trio who approached to speak with them was not what he was expecting, either. He had expected to find whatever was left of the former regime here, but if there were any nobles among the people he could see, they were well disguised. He smiled at the three as they introduced themselves and hoped that he had kept his surprise from showing. He stepped forward and introduced himself before joining them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. "My name is Phineas. I am a Cleric of Justitia, sent by Her Holy Court to mediate a disagreement between the Duke and some aggrieved faction that recently appeared and was sweeping through the region like a brush fire.

I arrived yesterday and was met on the road by these good people," he gestured at his companions. "They tell me that I am too late to prevent a rebellion, but perhaps I can help to restore peace."