Bringing up to speed

JP with Winteroak and Bandorchu

Once the stragglers had been dealt with and any wounded attackers summarily dispatched Sir Zane wiped the blood from his blade and walked around the settlement.

This was not going to impress the Duke. Nor the Warchieftan. Both had underestimated the safety of the place and their own people.

Of the group of soldiers that had come here with Tarmen only 3 survived, plus than man from Kru'll that was fighting for his life under the ministrations of the Apotechary Nicolaus.

He had been surprised and a bit glad to have seen Greyriver here and would catch up with her once the dust settled. Everyone needed to catch their breath.

If not for their timely arrival the story would be very different, he could tell, judging by the number of dead when the brigands first attacked.

He walked into the mines checking on the survivors, finally reaching the place Tarmen was being treated. War was only glamorous in the odes and poetry books. Tales of bravery and honour aplenty but no one ever wrote about the stench of blood, bile and shit in its aftermath.

"How is he doing?" He said standing over Alexis. He noticed Wim Reis nearby too looking on, and Markus, the master blacksmith who had clearly been lucky to survive too.

Alexis had been watching the softly murmuring, but still unconscious form of Tarmen when the old knight arrived.

“Walking on the edge of the precipice.”

She quietly said with a short glance to Zane. She could only hope Tarmen would find his way back to them.

"Aren't we all?" Speaking more to himself that as to those assembled.
"What are you doing up here in Aquilo?" He asked casually to try and break the tension. "Thought you were going to become a farmer..."

Alexis huffed in bitter humour.

“If only.”

She finally looked up at Zane.

“I accompanied Cagliostro and Blackwolf together with a few friends. Expedition to explore the old ruins in the Fang.”

He looked around. "Should have stayed in Ostiarium. At least the crazies there are our crazies..." He pulled a wine skin from his belt, took a swig and passed it on to Alexis. "And why do I have the feeling that's only a small part of the story?" He asked wanting to get a briefing as soon as possible.

Hopefully he could still send a message to Ostiarium today.

Humouring the knight‘s attempt at being friendly she accepted the offer of wine, if only enough to moisturise her throat before passing it back. Alcohol wasn’t going to make any of this go away.

“Because it sure as freaking ifrinn is.”

The mercenary sighed. She wasn’t getting out of this, was she?
Might as well get it over with.

She gave Zane a short account of the series of events leading up to the battle, starting with the investigation of the underground ruins that had the Odonine lay their work down.

Sir Zane took it all in. Alexis was a mercenary, had spent time in the military and was used to keep it on point and summarising what was important and relevant.

Quite a story. An underground race living under the Odonine, mind altering mould and runes, a strange hermit seeking a relic, horned mountain apes, young Wim and scholar Boyce duel and two others still somewhere in the mountains.

"Never a dull moment around you is it Greyriver?" He said taking another gulp of the wine. He turned to Markus and threw the man the wine. He looked like he could use.
"I'll talk to you later." He told the wounded blacksmith." Let's hope they didn't kill all your pigeons." And he turned walking into the night.

~What a mess...~ he thought.