Chapter 1: Lady Luck's Curtsy

"You prefer your meat cooked?" Baraq asks in reply to Xavena, watching Aera's progress through the brush. She doesn't seem opposed to the idea, herself.

Aera stops moving and raises his bow silently, ready to fire if the man peeks outside of the hut.

"What's the plan?" Catriona whispers.

"See what our scout reports," Baraq says.

"Everyone get ready." Rolen states quietly as he pulls out a pouch. He grabs his throat with his other hand then bounces the pouch up and down, making the jingling sound of coins. Producing a rasped voice by tightening the grip on his throat, he calls back "Yea, yea, don't get your panties in a bunch, I got it. Crazy what that old bastard did to protect his family, my boys each took a dagger to the stomach and I got a glancing blow to the throat; had to run all the way back here."

Catriona speaks a word, and the ground beneath the brigand's feet suddenly sprouts vines and thistles that lash out and grab the man.

"Depends on the meat."

Aera squawks, "Don't move!" he says dangerously.

Rolen removes his hand from his throat and casually puts his coin pouch away "Now, let me be crystal so there are no mistakes; we hold the power here, your boys aren't coming..." He draws his crossbow as he pauses "Well, I guess technically you could say they are partially here, thanks to some of my company here. So unless you want to end up in their digestive tract as well, you will do as we say when we say...or you can become bird shit."

Baraq looks between Rolen and the man, and appears disappointed that there won't be a chase. She walks over to the edge of the writhing vines, looking for a way to hover or cross over, poking at the entangling plants with her javelin. Finding no easy access to the man, Baraq flaps her wings until she finds a perch in the trees, settling into the trademarked pose of a waiting vulture as she stares downward.

"I simply want to know why you felt the need to put a child in danger and have your goons shoot her father in front of her for a bit of measly coins. They weren't well off, they just had their home destroyed. You attacked them after they slept in a cave, meaning they were followed or tracked. Why did you feel the need to put so much effort in making their lives more hell than it already is?" Rolen raises his cross bow so it is about centered with the man's lower torso so he doesn't get any ideas.

Baraq shifts closer, moving to a new perch upon the roof of the shack, and resumes her patient stare at the man.

"How about our avian friend here tears your limbs off, see how well you hold on to them?"

"Are humans too weak to hunt for their own food, or just stupid?" I muse out loud.

"Stupid, I think," Aera responds, not recognizing the question as rhetorical.