Around Sevine and Rhaedin, they found that not a single bandit was left standing. Those not associated with the bandits were the hostages, the group Rhaedin led, and two strange newcomers that had burst in during the fighting. The carnage in the bar's parlour room could not be described. Blood pooled upon the wooden board, it was smeared across tabletops, along the wall, Rhaedin could even spot blood on the window pane. She turned towards the hostages and approached them. They hadn't gone far, although someone had cut them free during the fight.
"People of Ugparth, I beg my pardon for..." Here she gestured towards the aftermath, "this...I hope it can be forgiven." She bowed her head, awaiting their response.
"W-who are the lot of ye?" Asked an elderly man that was thin in stature with a white beard.
"We are travelers, our destination is Cherod." Rhaedin brought her gaze up to meet the elderly man's, she spoke with formality, yet empty of arrogance or pompousness.
The man gave a low whistle, one of disbelief, "Well, I can't say that's a very good idea. Who sent ye here, to aid us?"
Here Rhaedin smiled, though it was faint, almost without a trace, "Ah, as I said sir, we are but travelers." Her eyes seemed to indicate some sort of hidden secret that was only meant for the old man to see for he suddenly started to laugh loudly.
"Aha! I knew it! Olgrif wouldn't tolerate these bandits here for long. I know it, he sent ye didn't he?" His eyes sparkled with surprise and relief.
"I assume, Olgrif would be the forest guardian of Ugparth, the tree ent that lives in your woods over yonder, am I right?" Rhaedin asked with a pleased tone. She knew that the ent had singled them out for a reason. He was the guardian of this village's forest. Almost every forest in Angard and the within the Dark Forest, including Oradea, had tree ents that guarded the village's.
"Ah yes, so he's the one that sent you. Well I'll be damned....come round me now, I want to thank you all. And you two as well." He pointed to the two men that had come in through the door, and motioned them to join him and the elfess.
Rhaedin turned around to look at her group, and repeated the gesture, except when she looked at them, she couldn't help but to smile brightly at them. They did it! They all survived and not a single casualty. Sevine quickly darted to Rhaedin's side, ecstatic that none had perished. Now they could continue on.
Then the old man turned about and pointed to the woman had freed the group, finishing what the Rakasha had started. "Come here lass, you must be thanked as well." He addressed her with gentleness, like that of a grandfather. He turned his attention back to Rhaedin and said loud for all to hear, "I am Matthias Ugparth, I am the founder of this village, and you all have saved us from the terrible clutches of the Blue Wolves! Those bandits had enslaved us all, they took our women, slaughtered our men, and now we are but a broken people. Yet, I wish to thank all of you for your kind actions...with a reward. First, before I reward you, I ask one last favour." Matthias looked at Rhaedin, who nodded at him to proceed with his request.
"Help us remove these bodies before you venture on. And while you remove these bodies, I will fetch your reward." The old man smiled joyfully at the group slowly assembling, before retreating into the depths of the tavern, unexplored by the group, to retrieve their reward. Rhaedin then turned to look at the three that Matthias had said would also receive a reward for their efforts. A man clad in iron armor wielding an axe, and a man who hid his face behind an elaborate cowl, that carried a unique blade, one she had not seen in awhile. There was also a fragile woman who had strange violet-coloured eyes that Matthias had thanked as well.
Stormyx,
Sick Ducker,
ML,
SkyeOfStars,
Dervish,
CaliforniaState