---

---

Location: (running down the) Road North of Salarn, Day Three

Interacting With: His Rising Irritation

---

---

"Bloody bronzecocking wankstain!" growled Keystone. He had so many questions now, the answers to which he felt less and less compunction about beating from their employer. If he saw something and got spooked, that would mean a change in plan from hard and scary interaction to a mere scolding, but the timing was way to coincidental. Plus, the unconscionable bastard still had all of his stuff on that wagon. All of his supplies, provisions, and a huge hunk of his personal finances - representative of his time, blood, and fallen comrades.

Some of the items in his pack would also be considered very valuable in this part of the world. Most of his treasures were being held in reserve for plans he put into action years ago (and had yet to complete). The lady he started this grand foray into lunacy with, Kyra, was in pursuit faster than he was fully aware of the situation; others were following suit. And obviously, the terms of his contract were just rendered moot. For those reasons, and a couple of lesser motivations, Keystone chose to haul ass after Cremwise and his wagon.

Keystone was not a sprinter, at least not amazingly better than a man of his size ordinarily would be, but he was a stellar distance runner. His endurance bordered on the legendary, but he could not outsprint a horse. Or whatever it really was up there. He could not simply sit there and do nothing, so in the second or two in which this bunkum all started, the irate brawler grabbed his covered pan by the handle on one end and a work towel on the other, and hauled ass back down the road with all of the speed an grace his situation allowed him.

The moment he caught up, someone was going to have some quality face time with Sweet Missus Brick.

Realization hits.
Did anyone write it down?
That cart's number?

Well the leaves were nice. If you enjoyed the flavor of something medicinal. It wasn't quite as noxious as some of the first things Thomas had to nibble on by the direction of Master Wolfgang. The traditional methodology after all for old alchemists was to sample reagents in an attempt to discover the various properties a particular prospective ingredient had. Not entirely the safest way to discern these things, but it was done in the name of the alchemic science. Fortunately the ingredients only nearly killed Thomas, as an agonizing three days of being a lab rat through this lethal hazing practice taught him valuable life lessons. Like don't stick everything in your mouth because someone tells you to for one. But Satilla seemed friendly enough, and far less crafty and wily than Master Wolfgang. Not that Master Wolfgang wanted to see Thomas dead, but merely forgot he switched his labels around on most of his ingredients as a method to deter would-be miscreants from blowing up his lab or stealing precious raer reagents.

"A familiar? I've always wondered about those. Master Wolfgang said I wasn't ready or responsible enough for one..." A slight fall of his voice suggested his disappointment. Well he was a farmboy after all, how could the old wizard think he was bad with animals? Though, given the fair point that a familiar was more than just a pet. It was far more attached to the magus, than any pet and owner could be. Oh good, the cat went back inside the bag. Muttering a brief thanks and a nod to Satilla a few seconds after he saw that furry creature retreat. No he wasn't scared of cats, he just didn't like them. Snakes on the other hand...

And the Wagon bolted out of the blue. And with it a rabble of folks. Kyra was first as she bolted after the runaway cargo. Then a bird of prey, and then some elven guy Thomas randomly named Thranduil riding an moose or elk. And then that Ruffian Chef person who left the fire on the bird. It seemed they were all chasing after the run-away wagon, but why? Did something hijack their mode of transport? Was the area no longer safe? Maybe a Celestial Beam spell could discourage the wa- No, it was out of range by now at the speed the Horses were going. He had no spells that could reach that far, and was probably not going to be able to catch up in time unless someone threw him a distance of at least fifteen to twenty feet. And the ground, although it was mud, did not look very pleasant to land on. So there goes the thought of having the half-orc shielding them from picking him up and throwing him. That probably wouldn't have gone so well either way.

"Err, if we are getting attacked, I'm going to need one of you to be my eyes if I'm going to have to use my spells. One of them blinds me, the other makes me light-headed. I'd rather have Ntaj be the um, warrior and get up close and all, so um, Satilla, could I count on you to guide my spells if needed?" Rising and resting himself up against the tree Thomas leaned back and cupped his hands over his mouth to project as best he could while keep the chewed leaves tucked between his cheek and gums. "Hey Chef-Person-Sir! I think our Goose is Cooked!"

Satilla Valen

“Not a problem really, every magic user can get one at a point, I think.” Satilla stated with a smile to Thomas.” Skittles came to me as part of my training as a witch.” She said, wondering how Thomas would react to that.

“!!!” Satilla let out a loud surprised scream as the wagon that was barely moving through the mud earlier, suddenly moved with great speed, nearly running over Ntaj. Her heart was racing by the near death experience she just witnessed, unable to understand what exactly had transpired.’ Why did the wagon suddenly?’ She though, frantically looking around, expecting an attack, but couldn’t see anything.’ Did he just leave us here?’ She then thought.

She watched others chase after the wagon and couldn’t really completely understand what was going on right now.

“DON’T YOU DARE CAST SPELLS IN THAT CONDITION!” Satilla said with angry and concerned voice to the sick magic user.” Unless it’s really needed, not spells from you!.. otherwise I'm bringing out Skittles again!”

---

---

Season: Late Fall/Early Winter
Time Of Day: Midday
Weather: The weather is still muggy and the clouds still roll through the sky.
General Ambiance: A general WTF just happened feeling
Location: Road North of Salarn, Day Three; region of Gorlf south of the Orc Settlement of Yzewz

Back where the wagon had been everything seems calm, almost too calm. There is no sign that anything should have sent Cremwise into his sudden gallop away from everyone. Nothing is coming out of the woods, there is nothing in the air right there. It is perplexing and could leave many wondering just what had just happened if they were not already.

Down the path, Cremwise seems to be trying to get away from his worst nightmare. Yet, whatever his plans were are quickly derailed by the quick thinking of some is bringing the sudden sprint to a halt. Cyneburg's sudden shift and landing on the back of the wagon nearly crushed Ash but the wolf, who had been standing there on all paws waiting for an order from Kyra, suddenly leapt from the back of the wagon and into the front seat next to Cremwise as he tried to control the horse and keep things moving along. Teeth bared and growling towards the merchant.

Yet, the sudden weight caused the barrings to break, and the horse, now with so much less weight to pull, shot off and the reins came dislodged from his hands; though not before yanking the old man forward and onto the ground to the side and nearly being run over by his own cart as it came to a quick halt.

---

---

Kyra whistled from the trees as she moved from one to the next; Ash taking off now towards the horse that was still speeding down the road, driving it to a point until Ash could get the beast of burden to rear up on his hind legs and turning direction to run back towards the group, shooting passed the now stopped wagon and back towards the remaining folks that were still where everything that started. Ash still nipping at his heels and slowly pulling back as Kyra lept down from the trees and rushed over towards Cremwise.

"Don't you bloody move," she said through clenched teeth as she pulled back in the string of her bow; taunt and ready to let it fly through his skull at the slightest movement. Cremwise spat out the mud from his face and rolled over onto his back, heaving for breath as he saw the gleam of the arrowheads tip pointed right at him. His eyes widening as he held his hands up in defeat.

"Now what in hell was that about?" she demanded to know but Cremwise wasn't answering it seemed. He just looked around frantically, hoping someone would pull her back before she let loose the arrow; which from the look in her eyes it wasn't going to take much more for her to do just that.

Ntaj was ready for a fight, but nothing really happened. Everyone went chasing after the wagon and for a short while, Ntaj was considering chasing too. But then he saw a bear fall out from the skies, which allowed everyone else to easily catch up to the wagon now. Sufficient to say, Ntaj was confused. From the way everyone was chasing the wagon, they weren't trying to protect it but stop it. Are they betraying their employer? Had someone hijacked the wagon while they weren't looking? Was magic involved? Ntaj couldn't say for sure. The best he could do was run back to his belongings, which had fortunately been left untouched by the wagon. Even Honey was still there, though he was now alert and ready to fight as well. When Ntaj came to get him he nearly attacked his orcish friend, but Ntaj was able to grab hold of him without getting new scars. "Honey stop. We go." Ntaj grabbed the rest of his things and let Honey run alongside him.

The half-orc returned to Thomas and Satilla, catching the tail end of Thomas's words. Something about Ntaj being a warrior, Satilla and spells, and that the goose was cooked. As hungry as Ntaj and Honey were, now was not the time to be distracted by such things. Satilla was more concerned about Thomas using magic while in his weaken state, to which Ntaj agreed. "Thomas hurt, so no fight. Come, we go see wagon, why wagon go, why everyone chase." Ntaj didn't want to leave the two however, if it turns out that this is some sort of ambush and orcs come out of the forest and attacks them. So Ntaj still had his shield and axe out, ready to fight if it came to that.

Cyneburg

Location: The Road North of Salarn
Interacting with: Bears can't talk

Well, her plan worked a little too well than how she had it plotted out in her head. She almost crushed Kyra's wolf, Ash, something that she was feeling really bad about. Maybe she could apologize later by giving him something freshly hunted. The bear looked down from her elevated position to spot Cremwise laying in the dirt with Kyra pointing an arrow right at his face asking the million gold piece question.

With Ash and Kyra already surrounding him, Cyne wouldn't need to do any further intimidation (probably), so she would just watch everything go down. Well, she would do that once she figured out the best way to get down onto solid ground. Yeah, a wagon wasn't that tall, but bears weren't known for their jumping abilities. If she messed this up, she could easily end up on her back, covered in mud and looking like a complete fool. No thank you. Luckily, she managed to hop down from the top of the wagon at its lowest point rather easily. She'd probably been thinking too hard about it. The bear moved back around to focus her beady bear-eyes on Cremwise.

---

---

Location: Road North of Salarn, Midday of Day Three

Interacting With: His Former Contractor

---

---

Keystone had honestly thought that he was going to be running full-tilt for much longer than he actually did. In hindsight, he probably should have left his pan back fireside. The opposing point to that thought was that his pan originally belonged to his mother; it had fed him for the entirety of his life. A large, round, black, covered cast-iron roasting pan, seasoned with decades of care and use. It was his very favorite pan. Losing it to anything other than epic, world changing events would have been unthinkable, let alone the sudden skittish movement of a dishonest trader.

And so, with massive irritation, Keystone jogged the rest of the way up to the scene. Cremwise was on the ground. Kyra had an arrow pointed at him in a manner most uncomfortable were she to take tension off of her bowstring. Her dire wolf, Ash, was at the ready (and looked awfully peeved just then). Cyneburg was a bear. At least, he hoped it was Cyneburg. A few days ago, this would have seemed strange. Such was the spirit of the times.

Keystone's superior endurance despite carrying a potentially awkward burden showed; as he approached the scene his breathing slowed to a point that one wouldn't have known that he had just ran a breakneck pace after a horse. His mannerisms shifted as he continued past the destroyed wagon, becoming less like a cook or caravan guard, and more like the irate bouncer from which his career began. One skill he acquired long before his years-long journey training with various masters of the martially percussive arts involved coercion - coercion through fear. Keystone was particularly skilled at being a frightening man, as the occasion called for it.

By his present estimation, the occasion called for it.

The broad pugilist inhaled slowly, releasing his breath in a quiet, controlled growl. Every movement, every glance hinted at a false calm, the type of barely restrained rage that threatened to bury a city were it released from the eggshell barrier keeping it in check. Slow, heavy footfalls brought Keystone up to the man on the ground. Just inside his own reach but outside of the smaller man's, he squatted down on he balls of his feet to face his former employer. With force, he plunked his roasting pan down beside him, causing the lid to jostle and aromatic steam to escape for a brief second before gravity righted it.

Speaking in a low, tense voice, as a man searching for a reason not to bludgeon someone to death, Keystone opened the conversation. "Jolly news then, Cremwise. Lunch is ready. Anything you'd like to discuss, 'fore we dig in?"

Location:The Tree

Interacting with: Cremwise, and the Crew around him

Calanon and Brogach almost needed to skid to a halt after Cyneburg had literally dropped half a ton of Bear flesh atop the wagon. Brogach slid along the dirt, and Calanon leaped off the Elk and rolled before landing right beside Cremwise and a very angry Kyra, the dust from his landing billowing a bit into the man's field of vision. The Elf held his sword point at the ready to halt any sort of sudden movements from the would-be employer, but Kyra seemed a bit too eager to kill this man for the both of them.

He stepped up out of his readied crouch, sword blade at the ground and shield at his side. He decided he'd try to diffuse the situation, while still getting answers from the frantic man. Keystone seemed to have had the same idea, and Calanon followed his lead, albeit in a far more blunt fashion. "I don't think anyone here is eager to kill you." he said, deathly calm. "But we must do many things we don't wish to do, if we're pushed far enough. Why did you flee?"

---

---

Her feet silently swept over the small branches, sturdy twigs and obtrusive pebbles that littered the ground. Her eyes grazed the group left behind, lingering just beyond for the briefest of moments before moving on. One had suggested to meet up with the others. Not a terrible idea, and in glancing up the ways, while she couldn't quite measure the distance, it didn't seem they got quite far ahead of the clearing.

She would stay in the woods for now, there was no reason to join the others, lest she wanted them to perhaps think less of her, or perhaps even find her suspect for some vague reason or another. Ridiculous, yes. But as paranoid minds ran, hers had become quite clouded by the fearful monster. Constantly glancing over towards the small group of misfits, she had continued on her way towards the caravan, closing in on their location, her target a straight line ahead. She would stay her arrow, unless instigated to a degree worth bloodshed. But the first shot shouldn't ever be a kill shot, unless properly warranted. The tip of the arrow waiverd in direction. Would it be a leg shot? Or an arm shot? She still wasn't close enough to hear what was being said between parties. But her past experiences taught her to read something a bit more reliable - body language.

A caw crackled through the air as a dark shadow rippled through the painted sky. The crow usually had uncanny timing. Goose pimples rose from the skin on her arms, though covered in cloth, the small hairs peaked out from the cuffs of her sleeve. Her breath became shallow as she slinked through the canopy of wild life and shrubbery, and a laugh almost escaped. Almost. She pinned her mouth shut, though a smirk perked the corner of her full lips. This was what she was good at. This was what she knew.

Satilla Valen

Satilla was still quite surprised and unsure of exactly what to do right now. At one side of things following the rest would be best for they offered protection and with how everyone chased after the wagon, those of them left were sitting ducks for any enemy that might show up… actually the witch decided to not even consider the other option.” Alright, lets go before something actually shows up while we are away from the rest!” The witch finally said, hurrying to gather up the things she pulled away from her bag, before putting it on and helping the sorcerer stand up.

“This walk will probably worsen your nausea until the leaves start to work in a few minutes, so hang on until then and don’t stop chewing!” She said throwing one of his arms across her shoulder for better grip.” I will brew you some herbal tea later if we get the chance.” She said with a smile to Thomas when they started walking. She really hoped the group wasn’t too far ahead.

"Ntaj please keep an eye out for dangers while we walk..." She asked of the half orc with a smile. She suspected he was better at spotting dangers than her. Besides she had to listen for signs of change in Thomas's condition while they walked.

---

---

"Don't kill me!" Cremwise yelled as he held his hands up, Kyra rolling her eyes a bit but she kept the arrow aimed right at the mans head. Her eyes darting to the side a bit as she watched the bear for a moment, Ash coming along side the larger of the furry ones and sitting down, licking his jowls some before baring his teeth. Hearing Calanon she smirked a bit.

"Now I wouldn't say that exactly. I mean, running off like that, taking my wolf with you, causing us to be late to lunch... Well it is all things that could easily make one want to kill. Especially the food part," she said in a flat voice. Cremwise's eyes widened as he tried to scoot back away from them but Ash darted over from his place and got behind the man. He wasn't going anywhere.

"So... Once again, what was that all about?"

"Nothing! Horse got spooked!" he lied through his teeth and not very well. Shaking her head she glanced over towards Keystone and motioned towards the wagon.

"Think it is time we checked on its contents, what do you say," she said as her eyes went back to Cremwise.

"Hey, those are my goods, you have no right!" he protested as he started to get up, Kyra leaning forward and placing the tip of the arrow against his nose.

"Oh well, we do now."

Not sure what all that excitement was about. But fortunately the problem seemed to resolve it self just as quickly as it came. An addition of a bear-sized mass usually makes things right, sometimes. But at least now it was all over, and they could enjoy lunch. Burning up with a fever that would last till the day after, fortunately the leaves helped a bit. So too did Satilla as she helped him up. Her voice demanded of him not to do anything rash, almost like a mother scolding a child. Not that Thomas saw Satilla as a mother, no heavens no, she was far too young for that. Or at least he thought so. "Alright, thank you. You too Ntaj."

Walking wasn't so bad. Not as much nausea as an annoyance. Each step forward massaging his temples with his thumb and index finger. The burden of course was not as much in walking as it was the heat. Like walking upon hot sand, it was not the effort to walk, but to set your foot down for longer than need be. Still it was not his fight nor his place to say. Some tea would be nice though, something, anything to keep his head cool. Burning up as his pores cried beneath his robes, sweltering heat that made Thomas want to drop his face into a pool of springwater. How nice would that have been, but instead now it seemed there was a game afoot.

"So tell me, um, what's this groups story?" Time for a backstory, every group had one. And a menagerie of a bird-bear-druid, several half-orcs, and a bunch of badass fantasy women sounds like the beginnings of a bawdy tavern punchline.

"Oui." Ntaj nodded his head and kept his shield up and his senses sharp for danger. He followed the two towards the wagon while keeping an eye out around the forests. They had to move slowly since Thomas was ill, so Ntaj stayed their pace. He hoped that they didn't run into trouble though. While Ntaj would never back down from a fight, it was going to be hard for him to protect someone who's sickly and he wasn't sure what good Satilla was in a fight. As they walked, Thomas wanted to know about the group's story, though Ntaj didn't think now was a good time for that. Maybe after this mess was sorted and they were eating bird. "Dunno. They guard wagon. Others just here. But now not time. Keep walking."

Fortunately they made it to the wagon without getting riddled with arrows, though it did look like Kyra was about to put an arrow through the old man. Against better judgement, Ntaj called her out on this. "Oi! What is wrong? Why we fight now?" Ntaj said with a slight glare. If this was some sort of disagreement between Kyra and the old man than Ntaj knew he had no business getting involved. But if Kyra, who is suppose to be protecting the old man, has decided to turn against him, than Ntaj couldn't stand idly by. Mostly because if she has turned against the old man for greed, than that means the old man could use some new bodyguards, and Ntaj was willing to pick up a job. "Old man can't fight. Can't run far. No need shoot him. Unless mage... Then you need more arrows." Ntaj said with a chuckle.

Cyneburg

Location: The Road North of Salarn
Interacting with: Bears can't talk

Most of the rest of the camp caught up, some slowly, some quick, more than a few with threats, but most of them with questions for Cremwise. Or rather the same two questions phrased in slightly different ways. While both questions were valid and worth getting an answer for, asking such an obvious question when you're a latecomer to such a scene was probably redundant. In any case, Cremwise did very little to answer them, instead preferring to lie badly, probably hoping nobody would notice the obvious.

Cyne thought about shifting back into humanoid form to maybe help open up the cargo to see what was in there, but decided against it for a few reasons. If there was a fight later today, she didn't want to be stuck with only having reptile form available; it would be better to try sticking around as a bear for as long as possible. She was curious as to what was in the wagon that was so important, but other people here (namely Keystone and Kyra) who were more entitled to knowing this kind of information. And finally there was the fact that she wasn't really all that strong or good at opening things in her normal form, and provided the most help in having an axe that would be good for chopping things open. And if anything like that was needed, being a bear probably provided better utility in that particular field.

---

---

Location: Road North of Salarn, Midday of Day Three

Interacting With: His Former Contractor, His Wagon, & Company

---

---

Now usually, when someone decides that it's best to go giving Keystone orders, he balks at the task. Not that he'd do a poor job, whatever said task may be, but his initial reaction generally has a "You asking or are you telling?" theme represented throughout. Sometimes though, just sometimes, his greater sense of duty propels him to going with authority.

If memory served, Cremwise specifically instructed Keystone to follow Kyra's lead. He had no idea why; maybe it was because she was hired first. Who knows what motivates the whims of shifty merchants? At first, the concept irritated him. When they disagreed on travel and camping issues, first quietly and then loudly, Keystone gave serious consideration to extending a rude gesture and taking a jog back to Salarn. But the past three days had mellowed the massive brawler. Made him realize that he was part of a group again, and as such he wasn't going to always have final say.

Keeping this new mindset firmly in the fore of his thoughts, he gave a grin as Kyra suggested strongly that he give the wagon a once-over. "Well there, Miss Kyra," he began, his voice still growling a bit but quickly filling with sarcastic confidence, "You're the Guard Captain, an' I'm just the bounder what cooks meals. I ought get on that."

Keystone looked to Cremwise and cocked his head slightly to the side. "Bird's good to go, Boss. Save a leg for Sana though, eh?" He left the pan where it lay, still barely venting the smells of braised goose flesh, tea, and light spirits, and moved to what remained of the wagon. He removed his own pack and gave it a quick glance to ensure that it hadn't been overtly damaged by the crash, then set it out of the wagon. Before he peeled back layers of canvas and opening containers, he felt it was pertinent to speak a few words to his associates (even the bear) around him.

"Right then. Ladies, Gen'lemen, umm... Big-arsed Furry Buggers, no matter what we're findin' in here, remember we're still rompin' about in a bloody 'ostile patch o' dirt, yeah? We stick close, we leave whole. I got enough provisions can last us a few more days, need be. Alright? 'Ere we go."

The tarps flew back under the sudden rough manipulation of the veteran Pugilist, as did any readily openable lids. Keystone peered inside to what had been uncovered, again putting on his impression of one of the Guards from back home - the kind that made his youthful years more interesting. Well, what's all this, then?"

Location:The Road
Interacting with: Cremwise, and the Crew around him

Calanon looked at his companions curiously. He had felt like Gretchin was a bit confusing before, but the people around him now were an even bigger curiosity. Cyneburg turning into the bear was needed at first, but she stayed in that form. That wasn't the oddest thing though. Keystone was...acting? He wasn't entirely sure. Did he not understand that Cremwise had been trying to fool them? Why else would he be so casual as to talk about the food at this moment?

Well, it wasn't exactly a bad thing. Just something to ponder, and truth be told he wasn't entirely concerned anymore since Kyra seemed to have it all under control. Still, he was nothing if not vigilant, and kept his sword and shield at the ready, standing guard over Cremwise as he was being interrogated. Brogach now stood beside Cyneburg the bear, sniffing the creature curiously, but otherwise keeping to himself.

---

---

Scaling the shrubbery that lined the road, she came upon the others, surrounding the would be thief and his runaway wagon. Her arrow was still drawn, and aimed at Cremwise. She didn't trust the situation. Heck, she didn't trust anything right now, for all she knew, half of the group could be in on this. Something just didn’t seem right. But the air was thick with suspicion and secrets, so much so that it had everyone on edge, there was no telling what was really going on.

Stick close and leave whole .... Lerraina didn't quite believe in fairy tales, and had half a mind to stick to the trees and find her own way about. But as much as she'd like to think she could make it on her own, she just wasn’t cut out for an extended leave in the wilderness. She was more of a farm mouse, stuck in a large unknown, with bugs and wild animals, and my oh my, that’s right, the orcs that inhabited the land. Lerraina was nothing but a con artist, stepping on the backs of others to get where she needed to go. It wasn't exactly something she was particularly proud of, but right now, it was the backs of those present who she would have to lean on, to get her to their next destination. At least this was the reflection cast back from a mirror she often gazed at. Regardless, it was then that she had decided she would rather be stuck this sticky situation over the other.

For now, she thought it best to remain hidden. Her muscles were cramping up, and she knew if she didn’t move, she just might fall over. She stretched a leg out, shifting her weight from one onto another as she slowly crept through the tree line. Suddenly, there was something to catch her eye, and her body froze once more. The cheeky bastard of a crow swooped in from above the path and perched itself on Calanon’s shoulder. A heavy breath set loose from her lips, she was hoping that he would stay out of this one, it would have given her less to explain. Its soft, ebony feathers grazed upon Calanon’s cheek before belting a loud, intimidating sound at Cremwise. It was certainly a sight to see, and one that made Lerraina chuckle a bit on the inside. A dire wolf, a bear and a crow, along with weapons aimed and words poking at him like sharp pins. The poor man didn’t have a chance, and somehow still decided that lying was the better option.

Her own weapon drawn seemed quite redundant and obsolete next to the other threats that circled the wagon, but there were too many variables, and she wasn’t quite convinced that it was safe enough to emerge. Besides, it was always better to be an ace in the hole even if she was just twiddling her thumbs with nothing to contribute at this time.

---

---

Kyra glanced over towards Ntaj and rolled her eyes a bit. "When he takes off with some of our packs without warning and my dire wolf along with him; well that's theft and I have no qualms laying the man out to meet his maker for fucking with my wolf," she said. Answering Njat but barking her answer towards Cremwise. She was non to happy over the entire thing and just half wanted to put an arrow through his skull and call it day.

"Sorry about that really! It was just an accident!" Cremwise tried to lie but seriously this mans ability to lie made her wonder how in the hell he ever became a merchant in the first place. It was just down right pathetic in the attempt. She had seen five year olds with their hands in cookie jars swearing they weren't after a cookie be more convincing than what was going on right then.

Stepping back she kept her arrow aimed as Keystone went to examine what was in the crates. As the tarps were tossed back and each crate was opened it looked to be rations, armor, and weapons. Not for human use that was for sure. It was Orc made, for Orcs. Had they just been hired to resupply the Orcs in this little war? Kyra still didn't know what was within the crates, keeping her eyes on Cremwise in case he decided to say or do anything else. She wasn't about to let him get away for anything now. Sure they had been hired to do a job but something contracts came to an end and honestly Kyra hadn't put her signature on a damn thing.

"Kyra, might want to lower that weapon," Sana's voice popped in from out of no where as she stepped out from behind a line of trees down the road and from around the bend some. Kyra's eyes shot towards Sana and her weapon was instantly lowered as she saw the knife to Sana's throat; held by what she could only describe as the ugliest thing on two legs she had ever seen.

"Sana...."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said as she pushed the dagger away and the thing behind her sheathed his weapon. Several more came out of the woods, all Orcs. None of them with their weapons drawn but ready to if they needed. "This is Brezcar and we need to talk."

Satilla Valen

“We are almost there, Thomas. Just stand it for a little bit more.” Satilla said softly to him, still aiding him in the walking about as the sorcerer clearly wasn’t feeling well at all. The leaves were going to him rest, but that was when he stood in place, a thing he wasn’t doing right now.

“I also have no idea about how this group started.” The witch stated with a smile, while breathing in somewhat more heavy than usual now.” I joined them a few days ago after I was lost in the wilderness for a good while. They offered a chance to get back on the road and safety in numbers. Plus it always is good to help those in need. My skills in healing already came in handy once.” She added as they were finally nearing the wagon.

“Ntaj… lower your weapon, please I do believe there are enough raised already.” Satilla said to the half orc as she reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, which was quite the feat for herself, considering she was still holding Thomas also.” There’s reason for it… he tried to leave us without warmin…g…” She started saying to Ntaj, when she heard another voice. It was Sana and then she saw what or in this case who was behind her with a knife at her throat.

The witch froze in place, pulling her arm away from Ntaj to have a better hold of Thomas.’ This is bad…!’ She thought, realizing they were pretty well armed and appeared quite capable. On a second thought, they didn’t appear to want a fight outright though… they hadn’t drawn their weapons. She threw a look at Keystone and Kyra, wondering what they were going to do as clearly they were the one who led this group more or less.

Ntaj glanced over at Satilla, then back at Kyra. He lowered his weapons, if only because the old man was a bad liar and trying to hide something. And Ntaj didn't like deception. While he was also still cautious about Kyra, Ntaj could understand her anger if Cremwise did indeed deceive her, as well as tried to run off with her things. Indeed, if Ntaj had left his bag and Honey on his wagon, Ntaj wouldn't even bother with speaking and just split the old man's head as soon as possible. But that's why he wasn't hired to guard the wagon. Ntaj narrowed his eyes at Cremwise. He was sure that he didn't need to point his weapon at him (unless he really was a mage) and spoke simply. "Tell the truth. You live longer."

Unfortunately, Cremwise's treachery wasn't the worse thing to happen this morning. A voice called out from the forest and Ntaj turned to see Sana, the woman that was speaking to Kyra earlier. And with her a band of orcs. They weren't aiming their weapons at them, aside from the knife at Sana's neck, and even then she was able to get out unharmed to approach them. But Ntaj didn't think they were friendly, or at the very least, willing to negotiate. He wasn't sure what they were doing here but whatever it was Ntaj didn't think it was going to end peacefully. And while he didn't attack or raise his weapon, he didn't put his axe away either and he stood in front of Thomas and Satilla so if things did turn out violent, he could cover their escape.

"Kuv tsis xav tias koj thaj yeeb?"