DrowsyPangolin

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom continued following the group, bringing up the rear as usual. The air was chilly, but not bitterly cold, not yet at least. The soldier took the incline of the mountain in stride, periodically glancing around him, making sure nothing was lurking within the shadows of the mighty evergreens that surrounded the ragtag group of adventurers. The forest was actually quite tranquil. Occasionally one would hear the scurrying of a nearby animal, or the call of a distant bird, but otherwise the only sounds were made by the footsteps of the company slowly traversing their way up the mountain. Crom breathed in the fresh air deeply. This was what he loved about the road; the peace and quiet. Adrian was still leading the group. The boy slipped, and for a moment Crom quickened his pace to come to his aid, but the fiery young lad was already on his feet and back about his business in a few seconds. The mercenary admired the young man's dedication, he clearly had a strong spirit. He took another swig from his flask, frowning only slightly at the strong taste. The container was about one fourth empty. He was unsure of just how potent the drink he had purchased at the Mast was, but he was sure he'd have to use it before they reached their destination. He walked slightly faster, moving up towards the front of the group. "So lad, how'd you end up out here?" he asked Adrian, trying to start a conversation.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom raised a hand to wave as Griff returned, having finally found them in the forest. The rest of the group seemed content with Soah following them, so Crom kept his suspicions to himself. Adrian again overflowing with confidence, began leading them up the mountain. The mercenary followed, scanning the wooded area around them as carefully as he could. If there were bandits nearby, he had no intent to be ambushed. His hand slid behind him to the back of his belt, unlatching his flask. He uncorked the top and took a long drink. The liquid was impossibly bitter, and burned the mercenary's mouth as soon as it touched his tongue. He swallowed down a mouthful of what amounted to liquid fire and re-corked his flask, returning it to it's place on the back of his belt. Crom immediately felt the beverage taking effect, as a deep warmth emanated from the pit of his stomach. Still, the drunkard's balance didn't falter.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom eyed the newcomer with a slight suspicion. If it wasn't his blood then whose was it? The man introduced himself as Soah and asked about their destination. With marginal distrust in his voice, Crom replied. "Aye mate. You got any experience with them?" Crom motioned to the snow capped peaks in the distance. It was rather cold in the forest, and the mercenary could feel the chill against his face, though Soah seemed far worse for wear about it than himself. It would only get colder the higher up they went. The grizzled man wasn't terribly worried for himself. As rough and tattered as his cloak was, it was still quite warm. He was more concerned with what might be lying in wait farther down the road. He could handle himself, certainly, but he had no way of knowing what the other members of the party might do if they were attacked. His eyes drifted to Soah again. He supposed it was possible that the man had gotten bloody during the chaos in the port, but somehow doubted his current state was the result of an accident. He felt he'd need to keep an eye on him, just in case.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom had followed the group in relative silence, taking in their surroundings and keeping a watchful eye out for anything suspicious. Anything could happen on the open road. He briefly considered trying to clean the vomit from his cloak, but decided that was a task better suited for after they had set up some sort of camp. A bit of vomit was no worse than the blood of men and horses that had covered him while fighting Esterl's wars. Adrian seemed to fancy himself the group's leader. Crom found the boy's flamboyance entertaining, and saw no reason not to humor him, so long as they stayed heading in the right direction. The old mercenary wondered how far back Griff was, but had no doubt he would find them eventually. After a bit of walking, Adrian noticed another man farther up the road. After a bit of deliberation, Johnathon called out to the man, who then approached them. The disheveled figure in front of them seemed familiar. Crom vaguely recalled seeing him in the tavern. He seemed to be missing his tunic, and was wrapping himself tightly in his cloak. The mercenary noted that the man seemed to have specks of blood soaking through the garment. "Are you wounded, mate?" he asked, wondering whether the man had been caught in the chaos at the docks.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom had been trying to manage his way through the mass of peasants when he heard an unearthly roar from behind him. Seconds later, a monstrous creature came barreling down the street, clearing the palisade in a single bound. Crom instinctively threw his hand towards the hilt of his weapon, but the creature was already gone. He was thankful the beast had decided to clear the fence instead of coming straight through the group. For a brief moment, the crowd was silent. What followed next was a cacophony. Panicking townspeople began rushing towards the gate. Crom began struggling through the crowd, Adrian still over his shoulder, and trying to keep an eye on the other members of their party. The boy began to stir. The boy slurred his words, clearly heavily intoxicated. Seconds later, Crom felt the boy lurch and heard the vomit spew from his mouth and hit the cobblestone. ~Damn it.~ He had no doubt some had gotten on his cloak. Thankfully, the disgusted townspeople around him backed off slightly, giving Crom room to maneuver through them. "Hold on lad, we'll be out of here soon." The mercenary began shoving his way through the remaining townspeople, eventually making his way through the crowd and through the gate. The mountains stretched out before him, covered in thick blankets of rich evergreens. The snow-capped tops of the geological behemoths were visible in the distance. It seemed as if they went on forever. The mercenary walked for a bit, escaping the crowd that had rushed from the gates, and stopping at a nearby tree. He motioned for his two companions to regroup with him. He heaved Adrian down from his shoulder. "Do you think you'll be alright to walk now?"

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom followed the other two members of the party, lugging the third over his shoulder. The town seemed to be slowly but surely being engulfed in chaos. Crom wondered just how serious the situation had gotten. The weight of the boy slowed the mercenary down, but only barely. They left the narrow alley into the opening near the gate. A motley group of townspeople seemed to be leaving without a great deal of difficulty. Crom had no doubt he could manage with any questions the guards might have. He could make an excuse for Adrian, at least. The mercenary looked to the other two. Johnathon seemed content to try to go straight through the gate. The guards didn't seem too meticulous in their searching, surely the group would be able to make it through without incident.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

As the other two members of the party rushed towards the ale room, Crom took notice of their younger companion. In his drunken state, he was in no real condition to walk, much less run. "Cmon lad, we've got to get out of here." Without hesitation, the bulk of a man tossed the boy over his shoulder and followed his compatriots through the ale room and into the alley. He sincerely hoped the boy would refrain from vomiting on his cloak.The mercenary's eyes raced up and down the alley. Johnathon's strategy of hiding in plain sight seemed decent enough, still, keeping a low profile would help them. "Maybe, but we should stay on the backstreets if we can." He motioned to the boy he had thrown over his shoulder. "This might look a bit suspicious." The sounds of a rather loud fight could be heard from the other side of the tavern. "Maybe whatever's going on over there will cause enough distraction for us." Crom eyed Griff quizzically. "Griff, do you know who they're looking for?"

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom glanced down at the weapon and smirked. "Well thank you." He was surprised to not hear the typical "So where'd you steal it from?" It seemed they would be leaving the establishment sooner rather than later. The bartender seemed to be motioning for them to leave. Crom looked around, hearing the conversation outside escalate into combat. Probably best that they were getting out of the tavern. Crom threw down a handful of coins on the bar. "Two bottles of the strongest drink you've got, mate." The bartender looked a bit skeptical, but after noticing the pile of coins ran to the back and returned, handing him two bottles of a sickly-looking green liquid. Crom hadn't the slightest idea what it was, but it looked like it'd do the trick. "Right then, let's go." The mercenary said, while sliding the small green bottles into the pockets of his cloak. He stood up, without the slightest wobble, surprising considering his alcohol consumption. He looked over at his new comrades. Griff seemed to be the most concerned with escaping, perhaps he had a good reason... The soldier decided it was none of his business. Adrian, on the other hand, looked quite drunk. Crom hoped the boy could walk.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom gripped the hand that was offered to him tightly and shook it. "Glad to meet you, Griff, Adrian." He nodded to each of his new acquaintances. They both seemed interested in joining them in their journey west. Griff had talked about the coming war and had mentioned the League. Crom had no stake in the coming conflict. He knew better than to believe every story he had heard about either side, having seen similar propaganda during Esterl's wars. Johnathon seemed content with the possibility of traveling with the two newcomers. "Aye. It's always better to have some company on the road." The grizzled man took a long drink from his flagon before placing it on the bar. The cup was empty. What was it now? Four, Five drinks? It didn't really matter, he was rarely able to keep track anymore. By this point, Crom smelled strongly of alcohol, but due to his almost constantly drinking barely felt drunk a all. He eyed the door again. He could still hear muffled voices just outside the door, but couldn't make out the words. The soldier's hand touched the pommel of his weapon briefly. He sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to having to draw his blade.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom nodded along as the two patrons explained what they had witnessed. If a ship really had went up in flames, something told Crom it had been anything but an accident. He tended to keep to himself, but even the old mercenary knew of the turmoil that was sweeping the empire. If things got too out of hand their situation could get dangerous. It was probably for the best that they would be leaving Aldrun relatively soon. He continued listening as the well-dressed man at the bar asked his name. The boy he had just purchased a drink for seemed interested in his identity as well. When he had first been exiled from Esterl, he had been wary of giving out his name, for fear someone with ties to the island might have a grudge against the incompetent captain who'd allowed his lord to die. He learned that few people concerned themselves with foreign politics, however, especially when their own situation wasn't entirely stable. "Crom Vastil. And you, my friend?" The question was in reply to Griff, but seemed directed to both of the strangers.

As they spoke, Crom noticed another young man go bustling by them and out the door. The mercenary's eyes followed the newcomer for a moment before returning to his new companions. Johnathon had just asked if any of the two strangers were heading west. Crom wasn't opposed to the idea of company on the road, and neither of the newcomers seemed to have any particularly insidious qualities about them. Hurried footsteps and voices echoed in from the streets. The fire seemed to be causing quite the commotion. The mercenary could vaguely hear a rather intense-sounding conversation outside, but he couldn't tell just how close. He kept a watch on the door out of the corner of his eye. If things were going to escalate, he didn't want to be caught off guard.