Chapter 2: The Crucible of Freya

Suddenly the gnome has an idea! She takes a bit of bread and hard cheese from her rations and begins calling out for rats in the language of burrowing mammals...

Kurin's first sleep in a while without being shackled was a great feeling, surrounded by warriors, he never felt so comfortable. He did his best during the night to keep himself from snoring.

When he and the others awoke, he grabbed some of his rations for the day and ate, so happy to be eating again, even if it was just rations.

"Oh yes, that's much better, now, we were talking about killing these orcs! You bet I'm in, just let me get ready and if you want, I can go right behind your scout, so if danger arises, I can best get in there and show them why they don't let dwarves live!" He said to them excitedly.

Finally a night of sleep without a sword hanging over his head. That few hours of rest felt like a peacefull moment compared to the last few days.

After taking a few bites from his ration, another delight in the circumstances, he proceed to help the warrior who freed him to make a barricade of sort to hide behind.

"Well I can't say I'm happy to stay longer in this defiled place. But I have a revenge to take on those bastards. Let's get rid of them!" He adds nocking an arrow to his bow.

Nebbleshuven watches Datura as she goes about the place, squeaking. What's she up to? I hope she hasn't gone mad.

The windows in the chapel are simple shuttered things, small closed portals that face the sides but not the front. Too small for a man, let alone an orc.

The two guards draw their bows and nod at the beginning of a plan. Corian spends some time in his tome, studying his magicks.

Meanwhile, Datura begins scurrying around the chapel squeaking up a storm! She is able to find eight rats that have tolerated the orcs and remained; many more had fled.

Datura introduces herself to her new friends and, after sharing the better part of a ration, asks them if they would scurry outside and report back as to whether or not any orcs were hiding there...

Kariantha rises early to spend some time with her grimoire, memorizing the Shield spell she'd cast to good effect the day before, then she settles into a high-up nook to observe the others as they rouse and rise. The young mage watches Datura's antics with interest, and she also can't help but notice that Corian is a spellcaster himself, and undoubtedly more accomplished at the arcane arts than she is.

When there's talk of orcs visiting in the night, the woman moves to all-business mode, packing up her things and arming herself once again with her darts...

Nebbleshuven watches Datura, amazed that she appears to actually be communicating with them. He waits for her to finish before inquiring further.

The rats scurry out under the door, disappearing from sight. Some minutes later, they return and tell the gnome that there are scary ones out there. It's hard to get a number from the rats, given that they are only as intelligent as, well, animals, but they do indicate that there are many. And that the big one is with them.

Corian suggests that he can try to even the odds with an enchanted slumber.

Ryenne gets to her feet, climbing from where she had been kneeling in prayer before the celestial.

"The others will surely flee if we can only bring down the priest. He rules by fear or might, if he follows the orcish ways. If we strike them fast and focused, we can fell him before he sends others forward!"

"So we have someone on either door pull them open and stand out of the way as our archers launch a volley at anyone in sight. Mages can do... whatever it is that mages do. Then we can rush out the door. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Whatever it is that mages do?!" Kariantha says with mock outrage, hitching up her skirts, hefting her spellbook, and blowing a curl of hair from her face. "Only magic Nebbleshuven!" Straightening the rim of her impressive hat and puffing up her nearly as impressive chest, the young mage goes on, gesticulating and gesturing. "Storms of ice shards! Balls of fire! Great, gigantic grasping hands! Ensorcellments that beguile and daze foes! Invisibility charms!"

Then, ceasing with the drama, she smiles sweetly at the fighter. "Now, I haven't learned any of those magics, but I have darts and a flask of oil that's begging to burn orcflesh." Motioning with her head at their leader, Silverwick continues, "Now Corian... he knows some powerful spells!"

In the following moments, if the group decides to act on this gambit, Kari casts Shield on herself, filling the air with magic words and glittering dust, then she stands ready in the rear with a lit flask of oil.

Datura thanks her squeaky friends with more food and asks them, as a final favor, if they know of a way out of this room that she might fit through other than the front door...

Nebbleshuven is thoroughly chastised by Kariantha's outburst. He sheepishly looks at the floor. "Apologies. Magic is... mysterious to me. I don't pretend to understand it."

The rats respond that Datura could fit in the small holes (rat holes) everywhere and the big holes (windows).

The windows could, in fact, be an option... if Datura is sly enough, as well as lucky enough.

Datura thanks and dismisses the rats and turns to her companions.

"Well, we're trapped like..."

She glances nervously at her tiny friends,

"Like birds in a cage. The rats mentioned that we could go out the windows, but there's a lot of orcs out there so it's risky."

Eldon ponders for a moment on these words. His chances to survive this ordeal seemed to be thinner thab hw had hoped upon his rescue.

"Well tuens out your wizard friend may have the best plan after all. Even if it seems foolish. Let's send the most of them to sleep and focus our effort on their shaman. Perhaps that will demoralize them?"