If one would happen to pass near a window on their way down to the common room of the inn, they might notice the unusual flurry of activity going on outside at this time of night/morning. Quite a few lit torches can be seen in the distance marking the watchtowers spaced along the pallisade and several of Xolkin's band can be seen hurrying across the town square, with torches in hand and weapons drawn.

In the main common room, Xolkin and Kella stand around a small table on a patch of floor cleared of the wreckage wrought by a boulder that had punched through the ceiling and destroyed a number of the larger tables in the room during the prior attack. On the table is a very crudely sketched map of the town that Kella is in the process of making marks upon even as she continues her conversation with Xolkin. "...was built to be able to fight off most dangers native to the untamed hills. I can't see this being any worse that having to repel a raid by the elves of Ardeep forest."

"That would be a reassuring thought if I had already consolidated power here, gotten a proper garrison trained and moved into the keep itself but for now it stands alone and empty across a broken bridge and the men with me are hardly better than-" Looking up from the map, he sees the party as they begin to make their way downstairs. Grinning , he makes a broad gesture as he addresses them. "Up so early? Why, the sun hasn't even risen! But I'd be more than happy to put a few of my newest supporters to work if that's what you wish. I'd offer you a proper breakfast, but it seems those miserable goblins ransacked the kitchens. Trail rations will have to do I'm afraid."

"We thank you for your hospitality, my dear lord." Tortetarte grabs what might be a sturdy enough chair, brings it close to the table, and starts prepping one of his own rations. "How much time do we have to prepare for this untimely invasion force?"

"Without bread, peasants, soon or late / Will lose taste for their potentate."

The words of Geres Graythrone are delivered wryly by the young Tumari warrior as he fishes some rations from his pack.

" I'm less concerned about breakfast, Captain, than I am about this orcish incursion you mentioned. How do you like your chances against them?"

Anchor moved closer to the table along with his friends, choosing not to sit, and began to eat some of his own rations. He glanced between Marcon and the Captain, still trying to get a read on how much danger the town is in.

Theren takes out some of his rations and sits to listen to the report of the coming threat.

"Well, what wonderful enthusiasm from some of you- I'm impressed. So, here's how things stand. Less than an hour or so ago, we heard a bit of a commotion from the North, up towards Ardeep forest. We thought it might have been some trouble with the elves but it turns out it was a band of orcs heading South. I figure they probably saw the lights of the watchtowers and decided to try their luck." As he spoke, he started gesturing to the crude map on the table before him. "My men spotted a bunch of them trying to swim the moat near to the drawbridge. Between the palisade and the few arrows my men shot at them from the towers, they gave that up quickly enough. Since then, we've been hearing lots of shouts and such from the darkness and caught a few glimpses of several different bands of them, but none have yet tried the moat again. We think they are scouting the perimeter of the town- either to find a weak point or to eventually try climbing the palisade at more points than we can effectively defend."

"It was my suggestion that we retreat to the keep." Kella added in, gesturing vaguely near the bottom edge of the map where the keep was marked. "If they struggle to get past wooden palisades then they certainly won't be able to take a more sturdy structure. I figure they'll loot what they want from the village that the goblins didn't already ruin, burn the rest and move on."

"Suggestion noted.." Xolkin muttered with some reluctance, clearly not thinking very highly of this plan. "Yet by your own report the keep was hit hardest by the previous attack. Walls do us no good if we show up and find them already collapsed. Besides, I only just claimed my rightful rule of this town, I would much rather not see it all burned down the very next day. Either way, if any of you lot have any experience with this sort of fight, I would welcome your input."

"You two are quiet." Kella abruptly cut in, looking from the table over to Anchor and Theren, mistrust evident in her voice. "I'm assuming we can still count on the both of you, right? No wild and reckless heroics based on some nonsensical notions about how the Zhentarim are mean or whatever. If you plan on making any sort of scene later about how things are in this town I advise you to get them resolved now instead."

Taking a swig if water to wash down breakfast, Marcon responds candidly.

"Rotenvahn's "Tactical Meditations" advises against this kind of fight entirely. You possess more area than you can control and face an unknown but likely superior number of foes who can attack from any direction.

"With respect to Mistress Darkhope's plan, we penetrated the keep's defenses with almost no difficulty, and the orcish boldness will only hasten their entry."

At the lady's insinuations about his companions, the young warrior snorts.

"Mistress Darkhope, these gentlemen and I are already engaged in a quest to liberate those captured in the previous raid. They would no more betray you than they would stop to pick daisies. We intend to leave Nightstone as soon as convenient, and advise that you and Captain Alessander do the same. The orcs will likely allow safe passage in exchange for their pick of The town's plunder."

"We can't aid you beyond our abilities, and my journey is one of faith, healing, and assistance. But I have to agree with Marcon. We can't hold hold this town against an orc horde, no matter its size."

Tortetarte recalls the breach of the keep. Rubbing the bruising on his forehead, "And we've seen the keep, it won't hold for too long, and there's only so long rations will hold out." "My apologies, but my vote is with Marcon on this. We find the towns folk, you can assist us with that if you like, and prove yourself to them, that you deserve to lead them."

Anchor stopped mid chew, looked to Kella and then around the room to the others. Swallowing a mouthful of peanuts a bit too early, Anchor responded.

"My apologies if my silence came off as anything other than attention towards the situation at hand. I agree with my friends, though. Keeping hold of this town is assuredly too much for the forces at hand."

"My original mission to Nightstone was to oversee talks between the people of the town and the Elves of Ardeep. Warfare is not my forte, but perhaps I could help negotiate with the orcs for safe passage from the town, if they are agreeable to that as Marcon suggested?"

"As to the matter of finding the town's previous inhabitants, I fear the orc band has made that situation more complicated. The guard in the keep said that the townsfolk may have retreated to the caves in the north. Hopefully the orcs have not found them before us.

Anchor thought for a moment after that.

"Oh, that would be embarrassing. If the escaping townsfolk found a band of orc mercenaries in their retreat, who then took the job of taking the town back from the attacking giants. Very unlikely, but almost as unlikely as a town being beset by giants, goblins, and orcs all within such a short period of time."

"My silence was also not a lack of interest, but an observance of the situation. And I am of the same mind as the rest of my group. There are too few defenders in a position with too many damaged defenses for us to be able to hope of successfully stopping an assault from that large of a group. Our best course of actions would be to either retreat or parley."

Having seemed on the verge of commenting again, Xolkin cut off at the suggestions he was getting from the group. "W-what?!" He sputtered, a mix of outrage and incredulity in his voice. "You want to negotiate? With ORCS?! You would open our gates, let them plunder and burn MY town on the offchance they might not murder us all when they get bored? No, I will not have it. We need to stand and fight for what is mine!"

"It is true that orcs aren't well known in these parts for being very willing to come to the negotiating table, especially if they see you as begging for mercy from a position of weakness." Unlike Xolkin, who has dismissed the idea out of hand, she seemed to be giving this plan of action a bit of thought. "At the very least, if someone were distracting them with negotiations, that might give the rest of us a chance. Perhaps get their leader to come talk and pack half a dozen or so of our men in a nearby guard tower with bow and crossbow? Then we could cut off the head of the snake in one fell swoop and scatter the newly leaderless savages? Or perhaps just evacuate into the moat while some poor fool tries to negotiate with them, then find somewhere safe to retreat to while they ransack the town."

Having gained some measure of composure back, Xolkin was listening to Kella's suggestions with rapt attention, nodding in approval. "Yes, yes, I like that. Of course you're right- as things stand we would have no chance in a fair fight. That's why we have to fight smart. Kill the leader, scatter the rest. Beautiful plan you had, err, I forget your name. Were we ever properly introduced?" The final bit he addressed to Marcon.

"The real question is who we want to go try and chat with these brutes." Kella added in casually, looking pointedly at the pair she seemed to have taken a disliking to.

Tortetarte following Kella's Gaze to Theron and Anchor, he suggest Might it be best to send an large enough group, to maybe get the message across, that we are capable of defending the position. So, I dont mean to volunteer all of us, but at least us 4, and maybe a few extra hands?
And if they are sending spall raiding groups, we may be able to grab one of these groups, and send our message of Parley back to their leader?

"A small group may be best, yes. I'd be willing to take the lead in negotiations if we find that they're agreeable to them. To be entirely clear, however, I do not want to offer peace with them only to have it be a trap. Station your soldiers wherever you'd like, but I would request that not an arrow be fired until I am dead at the table. I promise to do all that I can for your town, and it's people, Xolkin."

Anchor nodded, as if remembering something.

"A table! We should move one, and as many chairs as we might need, outside. Show them upfront that we would rather talk."

Theren considers for a moment before nodding.

"Very well. I will follow Anchor's lead on this. Peace is preferable to violence. And a sound plan of action is preferable to no plan should peace fail."

Briefly overwhelmed by the praise, Marcon recovers himself.

"Marcon Astoro, Captain. The negotiations Anchor suggests are the best first step, with plans should things go away. "The greatest victories are won with an undrawn sword," as the Swordsage points out."

Condfident that a military man will recognize the wisdom of "The Battle Mind", the young Tumari moves to grab some chairs.

"Fine fine, as you will. We'll try things their way, yes?" He said, still sounding less than pleased with this option. Locking eyes with Kella, after several seconds she gave a near-imperceptible nod- as though some unspoken understanding or conclusion had been made between the two of them.

"Look here." She said after the moment had passed. She touched each of seven squares on the map before her, before stopping on the seventh in the Southwest corner of the town, which has been crossed out. "We have a man in each of these towers save this last one, which was too badly damaged by boulders to use. Two men are also patrolling the perimeter- one of them swears he saw a light in the ruined keep."

"But that was before the attack began so it could hardly have been those orcs unless they are much more clever than any orc I have ever met before in my life. I told him that we had already gotten you lot to search the keep and since you all came back empty handed I can only assume he was imagining things. Nerves and all have some of the men a bit jumpy."

"Either way, we will have at least two men covering you at the gate and plenty more watching to make sure they don't try something while our attention is elsewhere. If that is all, then feel free to try your method.

Grabbing a couple chairs himself, Anchor pauses, realizing what was just said.

"My friend, I don't believe any of us ever mentioned the keep being empty? What remains of Lady Nandar's Guard are still within the Keep, tending to their final duties."

Marcon nods to the Captain's dismissal.

"Anchor, give me a hand with this table? We'll also need some chairs."

Anchor shifts the chairs he's holding to rest upon his arms, as if he were trying to carry all of his grocery bags in one trip, and then attempts to help Marcon move the table outside.

Tortetarte continues to eat is rations and says nothing.