Chapter 1: Friends in Need

As the Silver Coins Company moved on, R3N-L3 paused for a moment to poke through the remains of the pyre with his blade, confirming that the remains of Lauretta, Wolfram, and Pyram were not amongst them. After making sure, he would continue to shadow the Silver Coins Company.

"I'll certainly lead the charge."

Lauretta steps in front of the group and begins climbing the hill, but stops after about five yards. Turning to face the others, she rests her axe on her shoulder and glares at Pyram. Far from the inn, in the dead of night, and surrounded by three competent adventurers, there was no doubt in her mind that this was the best spot to put the pressure on him. Any further and they risked falling into whatever traps may await.

"Ruddy John. Philomena Stroup. A bard. A priest. Two other adventurers. These souls never returned to Traveler's Rest with you. Did you offer them your supposed gold too? Confess the truth, unabridged. Our friends aren't too far behind."

The priest watched with careful attention to the liar's countenance as she recounted his likely victims. Was there even a shred of guilt to be seen?

Like R3N-L3, Aazim examines the pyre. It seems clear what occurred: their allies had won a battle, then decided to burn the corpses of their foes. Aazim ponders the pragmatism of this. Building a fire draws attention, but if these corpses had been powered by evil design, it was probably best to reduce them to ash.

He's eager to hear the story of this fight...and to learn the Silver Coins Company's agenda. As long as they keep pace with the Company, they should have them in a pincer movement whenever they catch up to the others. And since the Company has seen half the party demonstrate their martial prowess, perhaps they'll quail if they have to deal with the full party.

Tzal eyed the hill slope and the entrance of the tomb, trying to understand the history of the construction. He then heard Lauretta's pertinent question and turned to watch Pyram's reaction.

Gabalan seeing what is happening hisses with - surprising to everyone - leadership in his voice:
"Now... stay calm. I'm sure Lauretta's stubbornness" - he winked to Aazim - "can handle their first wave... there will be nothing better than catching them completely off guard, while attacking at their back." - realizing what he just said, he adds: "They don't seem very honorable, so it won't be a stain on our honor to feed them the same medicine."

"Unabridged, I said! We already know you spoke with them all on the nights they never returned. You, a man who solitarily scurries around in tombs in the night while undead lurk the hills. You, a man who claims to have no way to defend himself, but seeks treasure in dangerous places with nary a scratch upon him. You, a man who offers gold to folk he just met with no way of verifying their reputation. You, a man who then walks off into the night with those folk who could easily leave him for dead and take his coin if he didn't actually have a way to protect himself. No more lies, half-truths, or omissions. We did not come here for your gold. We came here for you and the folks who've gone missing in your wake."

Lauretta steps closer to him with each addition to her interrogation. Her fingers thump along the haft of her axe as she takes notice of his eyes darting between the two. It drops down to rest in both of her hands as she stares into Pyram's eyes.

"You've nothing to fear from me if you've done nothing wrong. I'm a godly woman. I cannot say the same for my companions. Confess, make things right, and I promise you will not be treated unjustly."

There was nothing much Wolfram could have added to that, Lauretta having deftly delivered the fear of fire from hell itself with her speech. He nods and glares at Pyram, while occasionally cleaning his nails with his dagger. He is itching to have a go at him.

Tzal nodded to everything Lauretta said. "Mr. Pyram, she is a champion of her cause. Bringing justice from the High One is her specialty. If I were you, I would simply confess."

Tzal was waiting for Pyram to talk but the sudden commotion and declaration surprised him as he turned towards the spokeswoman. "Why do you seem so familiar? Why would we give our claim over when we have come here first? There are lives at stake here and you are worried about the treasure?"

While no words left the liar's lips, his body language had told her everything she needed to know. Or perhaps, it just told her what she wanted to hear. Either way, Lauretta set a firm hand on Pyram's shoulder, guiding him to step behind her. Whatever he had done, she was confident he would be made penitent. Unfortunately, that made these greedy strays all the more frustrating. Words whispered over her shoulder to the man.

"You will be safe as long as you stay with me. You are now in my charge."

Eyeing the brigands and listening to the exchange between them and Indigo, the priest wondered where her allies were. Did her spat with Aazim go so far as to have them abandon them? Were they ambushed by this Silver Coins Company sometime before now? Too slow? Lost in the night? Too many questions. Anything could've happened, but she couldn't trust that they were coming. At the same time, daring to ask these mercenaries might spoil their surprise if it were not ruined already.

"Nobody has to get hurt? I heard you lot were slayers of dragons, not brigands who resort to threatening innocents! As our mage said, our purpose here was to save people in danger! We aren't walking away from them!"

Although the Automata had rarely shown any signs of emotion, his companions might swear they heard a faintly irritated hiss of steam emanating from his helm at the Silver Coin's ultimatum at the other members of their company. Sheathing his blade, R3N-L3 took his time creeping sedately up upon Pyre, the mage of their company.

"You best put your hands where we can see them. We can both do it and have a friendly chat. What do you say?" Wolfram's dagger already in hand was hanging idly by his side in a non-threatening gesture, for now.

Aazim shakes his head at Mikka's words. Staking a claim? If that was their goal, they should've taken time off from "dragon-slaying" and gotten here first. They seemed like common thugs, and needed to be dealt with appropriately.

Still, he hangs back, waiting to see what happens. He agrees with Gabalan's plan: wait for battle to unfold, then pounce.

Or perhaps their compatriots would handle the matter peacefully, and the Company would scamper off like vermin and "abandon their claim." But knowing Lauretta (and Wolfram, to an extent), that wasn't the likeliest outcome...so he concentrates on the magic swirling within him, ready to do his part.

Gabalan aloso tenses and puts one of the well rounded stone in his sling - ready to act at the best moment... if needed.

Stupid. After seeing what she believed was remorse in Pyram, Lauretta held out a little bit of hope that people would be better than this. They had no reason to attack other than pure greed. Still, the idea of spilling unnecessary blood sickened her. The first to swing would not be her. Maybe she was still clinging on to hope too tightly, but her axe stayed still as she maintained a defensive stance in waiting.

Wolfram shakes his head, sheaths his dagger and unhitches his bow, drawing an arrow but not nocking it just yet, sensing Lauretta's desire to avoid bloodshed if at all possible.