[center][h1][color=990000][b][u]    	BEST LAID PLANS    	[/u][/b][/color][/h1][color=e2e2e2][i]A collaboration of Sierra, Drunken Conquistador, and Whoami.[/i][/color][/center][hr][hr]
A rumble in the air snapped Adi from her somber stare. [i]Another horse.[/i] Even in her exhausted state, she reflexively turned to face what was almost certainly a second round of hostile forces. Mercifully it was just another of the party and not more soldiers. In her battered state, a second wave would be a tall order to survive without question. He seemed to have fared the battle far better than she did. She was alive though, and that had to count for something. There definitely would be a round two if they stayed here.
[color=yellow]"We have been compromised! Make ready to break camp and move soon!"[/color]
Here he was taking charge. This band of misfits would be a hard one to rally under a single plan, though he was right. Getting far away from here was the only sound course of action. [color=ff3f3f]"No shit ... how in the hell did they find us?!"[/color] she hollered as he and his horse strode past.

[color=yellow]"That's what we need to find out!"[/color] Gabriel shouted back, bringing his horse to a stop [color=yellow]"Where's the prisoner?"[/color]
[color=ff3f3f]"Over there with our practicing witch,"[/color] Adi gestured with her free hand towards where Gwynne had the terrified imperial soldier pinned to the dirt.
[color=yellow]"It's a start..."[/color] Gabriel half muttered as he dismounted. [color=yellow]"I don't suppose you have any actual experience in interrogation?"[/color] He asked the woman.
She looked over towards where the captive was still held. He would be a seasoned fighter like the rest, but none of the imperials were mentally prepared to face down sorcerers as powerful as any one of them. He looked barely older than she was and he was scared shitless. [color=ff3f3f]"I don't think that's even necessary,"[/color] she remarked, [color=ff3f3f]"He's pissed himself already. Look at him funny and he'll tell you everything he knows."[/color]
But what did he know? That was the question. Who among them had they tracked to find them here?
[color=yellow]"Good."[/color] Gabriel smiled, extending an arm for his eagle to land upon. [color=yellow]"It has been a while since I last had to break some legs personally".[/color] He then turned fully to look at Adi. [color=yellow]"You look threatening enough, follow me."[/color] And with that he moved towards the prisoner and his captor.

Her .... [i]threatening ...[/i] Her neck was black as the ribbon on her necklace, her hair was a nasty tangled mess, and her clothes were torn in more than one place from being caught by sharpened steel. [color=ff3f3f]"Honest question, what's it matter?"[/color] she yelled after him, [color=ff3f3f]"They found us this time, they'll find us again. At this rate they'll pick us all off one by one."[/color] her melancholy pessimism reared its head again.
Gabriel stopped, turning slowly towards the woman with a slight frown on his face. [color=yellow]"By all means, walk out and look for the nearest Imperial patrol if you have already given up."[/color]
[color=ff3f3f]"You know what I mean!"[/color] that was a little too pointed for her liking, [color=ff3f3f]"Running around camping in abandoned ruins and dark forests only slows down Vahkran's goons. It won't stop them."[/color]
[color=yellow]"If you would stop moaning and crying for a moment, girl."[/color] Gabriel spat, taking a moment to put down his growing irritation.
Her eyes snapped up towards him. She shrugged off most things without issue but that was over a line. She stomped after him, fist tightening against her weapon.[color=ff3f3f]"Say that again and you'll find out just how injured I am ..."[/color] she growled through grit teeth, [color=ff3f3f]"Now show me you have a plan that isn't suicide."[/color]
[color=990000][i]'Now is not the time to fi-'[/i][/color] [color=ff3f3f][i]'Shut. It. Kassandra.'[/i][/color] she cut off the voice in her head.
[color=yellow]"The entire world wants us dead."[/color] Gabriel replied, deliberately keeping his voice level. [color=yellow]"If we are to have any chance to succeed in our mission, we need to be careful and come up with a plan. The Imperial whelp might not know much of the machinations that brought him here, but he's sure to know if there are more patrols in the area, their numbers and general dispositions. We need to get out of these ruins and lose our pursuers, if there are more of them. Once we have achieved some measure of safety, then we can sit down and work out our next step."[/color]

Adi took a breath, not breaking her burning stare. [color=ff3f3f]"Alright fine,"[/color] she conceded, still peeved, [color=ff3f3f]"We find out what the whelp knows, and then we figure out where on the gods' earth we can go from here."[/color]
[color=yellow]"Then let's go."[/color] Gabriel replied simply as he resumed his walk to the captive. [color=yellow]"Keep the angry face."[/color] He chuckled, petting the eagle that had now moved onto his shoulder. Beneath the calm facade, Gabriel was already wondering how he would deal with this group if all future interactions were going to be like that. [color=gold][i]"Alas, these are not your mercenaries. Making them follow you will be much more challenging than simply commanding sellswords. Nor it's something we particularly want, my fellow Legionnaires are a prideful bunch, they won't take it kindly to you ordering them around"[/i][/color]

[hr]
[b]"Speak!"[/b] Gwynne commanded as she willed a shard of ice deeper into the footman's wound.
The man let out a cry of pain. He had a look of fear on his face, a fear that Gwynne was all too familiar with. People who had beared witness to her magical talent feared her like the footman did. He whimpered, [i]"Gods Above, protect me! Gods Above, deliver me from this evil!"[/i]
Gwynne clenched her teeth. She wasn't going to make much progress with a man attempting to find faith as his last resort. The force orb orbited around Gwynne, the light pulsating from it slowly. Topesh spoke for everyone to hear, [color=dodgerblue][i]"There are more effective ways to glean information from broken men, Apostate. "[/i][/color]

[color=ff3f3f]"But none more expedient!"[/color] Adrianna bellowed from a distance, overhearing the talking ball trying to countermand its bearer.
While torture had abysmal success rates, it got at least something faster than any other method. [color=yellow]"Allow me to take a different approach."[/color] Gabriel called out as he approached, Adrianna right behind him, [color=yellow]"The way you're going might end up killing the captive before he talks."[/color]
Gwynne stopped what she was doing when she heard the other two approaching. The footman was left whimpering on the ground as the ice shards caused cases of frostbite around his injuries. Gwynne took a deep breath and gestured to the footman while looking at Gabriel. [b]"Very well. What do you suggest?"[/b]
[color=yellow]"A trade."[/color] Gabriel replied before turning to kneel before the whimpering footman. [color=yellow]"I'm not gonna lie, boy. Your situation isn't looking too good right now. So, here's what I propose: you tell me what you know about this whole operation and you don't die a terribly painful death. We even got a fellow back there who could take a look at your wounds. Or you could keep what you're doing and...well, you can imagine what's gonna happen."[/color]

Gabriel terrified him slightly less. Maybe it was the vague similarities between a mercenary captain and his commanding officer. [i]Former[/i] commanding officer at that, as he too was now among the mess of corpses. Maybe it was him not being the one driving icey nails into his flesh. His quivering breath had slowed just a shred, enough for the adrenaline high to begin to fade. With its departure came the throb of his injuries, his teeth gritting ever harder. He was so tense he could barely move his neck but he nodded feverishly to the proposal. Perhaps this one among them would at least show mercy and put him out of his misery.

[color=yellow]"That's good".[/color] Gabriel smiled. [color=yellow]"The first thing I want to know is how many more of you there are in the area, can you tell me that?"[/color]
He struggled to get words into his mouth. [color=bbffbb]"I- I- Uh- ... Um- whole regiment, sss... south- southeast I think,"[/color] he stammered out as fast as he could think, [color=bbffbb]"D- D- Day and a half march from here!"[/color]
[color=yellow]"And what about officers? Do you know who's in command of the operation?"[/color] Gabriel pressed on, ignoring his own growing discomfort at the news.
[color=bbffbb]"I- I don't know! It never mattered... ummm.... no one special I know of. There was... there was a um ..."[/color] he rambled on trying to appease his captors, [color=bbffbb]"Imperial Inquisitor! There was an imperial inquisitor ... the commander mentioned. Commander, commander hmm, Geisler. And the inquisitor ... what was his name? what was his name? c'mon ..."[/color]
[color=yellow]"Would some water help jog your memory, boy?"[/color] Gabriel asked, as his black warhorse calmly approached the group.
He didn't fully hear what was asked of him next. His whole body felt heavy, the exhaustion taking its toll, and the edges of his vision were going fuzzy. [color=bbffbb]"I ca- I can't feel... can't feel my hands ...."[/color] he sputtered, head writhing on the ground.
[color=ff3f3f]"Shit, he's fading,"[/color] the hoarseness in Adi's voice was growing worse, as speaking became more painful for her, [color=ff3f3f]"I'm gonna... go get that wrelmsman girl who can help."[/color]
She turned and jogged off, careful not to overexert herself.

Gwynne stepped forward, [b]"I can charge some aetheric energy into his body to keep him lucid for a bit longer. Though once it filters out, he won't be of much use to us afterward."[/b]
[color=yellow]"Thank you."[/color] Gabriel said to Gwynne before turning back to the captive. [color=yellow]"C'mon, boy. Just a name, you can do it!"[/color]
Gwynne waved her hand, commanding the orb to float just above the captive's weakening body. [b]"Give him a charge, Topesh. Nothing much."[/b]
The legionnaire scoffed, [color=dodgerblue][i]"I'm astounded that you're so willing to give away your aetheric energy just to prolong this boy's suffering for a few extra minutes."[/i][/color]
Gwynne rolled her eyes, [b]"Do it Topesh..."[/b]
The orb didn't speak again. It started pulsating with energy, which eventually funnelled down to connect to the footman. The boy gasped as magical energy flowed into his body. It worked like a sort of adrenaline, heightening his senses and quickening his heartbeat. The energy would take a toll on his body, but it would serve the chosens' purposes in the short term.

The jolt got him awake again, his chest pumping rapidly with his panicked panting. Every fiber of his being burned from the shock, not even counting the ice nails still sunk into his soft tissues. [color=bbffbb]"F-f-f-f-... v- v-... v- ... va- ... Valdi ... Valdi is-is- is-his name ..."[/color]
His head rolled sideways, barely able to maintain consciousness even with Topesh shocking him back from the brink.

[hr]
Adi's jog didn't last more than about ten paces. She couldn't keep up the exertion both from exhaustion and her half-closed throat. She could yell just fine a moment ago but now she had nothing left. She tried to recall the other girl's name. They were only introduced briefly the night prior. [color=ff3f3f]"Fay, Fayvre!"[/color] she managed to grunt aloud, [color=ff3f3f]"they're interrogating our one captive ... but they're losing him fast ..."[/color]
She had no doubt she looked like shit, but she would live for the next few minutes. The prisoner very well might not.