Nature's Way...

Out my front window...

In the bedroom...

Eddard's Diary: Chapter 3

They came, We saw, I Charged

 

It was like that, As soon as the two wagons came into view, I spurred my horse forward.

 

I had one major concern, that the guards did not have time to react to the attack and kill the people being transported. 

 

I stood high in my saddle, and leaped the distance from my horse to the wagon top.  Even as the crossbow bolt stuck in my side, my swords impale the guardsman.  I was hurt pretty bad, but I used the body of guardsman as cover from the crossbowman on the wagon.

 

An arrow appeardd in him, and he fell, from Ulf I think.  Thoram took care of the guards flanking the wagon.  Garrus and Ulf went after the other.

 

As quick as I could I got the body of the guardsman free of my blades, and he fell with a dull thud to the packed ground below. I swung into the wagon.  The guard looked like he was going to fight until Thoram's appeared behind me.  He dropped his weapons.

 

And just like that, it was over.  I was bleeding from my side from the bolt, but one by one, sacks were untied and people appeared.

 

We created quite a commotion.  There were people everywhere.  Even the guard turned up before long.  There wasn't that many involved that the city guard couldn't put a stop to it in reasonably short order.

 

We were asked questions.  It was sort of undiscussed, but the party as a whole decided not to try and fight the watch.  The freed people spoke for us, as both witness and evidence.

 

In the end, we were asked to leave town, but the guard captain in charge seemed a little worried.  He asked us to stay in touch, and we'd use the Troll and Maiden as the message point.

 

We left the next morning, with out fanfare.  We rode while our charges walked.

 

Well for the most part.  Azzarak did catch up to us the following day.  He had little explanation for his absence.  He also had this idea that the freed people would be better on horseback while we, their protectors walked. 

 

A quick lesson in battlefield tactics will tell you that the armed people needed to be mounted, as we can respond to better to threats.  We can see further, and react faster to potential problems then someone on foot.  In fact the first lesson I learnt in fighting mounted opponents was "be the mounted opponent."

 

He got his back up and insisted he was right. 

 

I realised that Azzarrak was a moron.  I offered to demonstrate this principle.  I told him to start at 150 paces.  If he could reach me before I could put 3 arrows in the ground, he was right.  I knew that I could put 5.  He also refused to take me up on it.

 

I wanted him out of the party.  I can abide many things.  Except constant stupidity on behalf of the guy that should know better.

 

Logan soothed us.  Azzarrak walked.  I got over it.  For now at least.

 

It took us nearly a week to return to the Troll and Maiden.  As we drew close, we saw smoke on the horizon.  This wasn't going to be good.  I could tell.

Eddard's Diary Chapter 3

Inciting the Riot

 

As the afternoon wore on, I made my back to Garrus and Logan.  I told them of the riot I was setting up that night.  They agreed that it would be useful in keeping the city watch off our backs while we ade a play for the captives.  With little information in how they would actually be moved, we did work out the most likely route Denthos' men would use.  We would be ready.

 

At te appointed time, I made my way to the market square.  Using all of my oratory skill, I made the already angry crowd, angrier.  I used the evil lurinking in the neighbourhood line to great effect.  I played on their sympathetic emotions to the orphans by claiming," These unfortunates, who have already lost an incalcuable amount, who have already suffered at life's injustice should have those wrongs compounded by being betrayed by the very people that are supposed to protect them.

 

"These poor children are being sold into slavery, prostitution and worse by the headmaster.

 

"The law does nothing.  They do not care about the fate a few children.

 

"The only people that care are standing here.  The only people with the strength and will to do something stand before me, here, tonight.

 

"We will act when no else will.  We will provide justice to these children.  We will step forward and say 'No!  Not anymore."

 

The crowd starting chanting. "No more! No more!"

 

My own voice was rising in pith of righteous anger," Let's end this!  To the orphanage!"

 

And like water behind a broken dam, the crowd surged in the direction of the orphanage.  I could already see the town guard arriving in force.  Some tried to stop the crowd from moving on the building.  Others engaged the crowd directly with clubs.  Fights were breaking out.

 

I had to be somewhere else, and made my way quickly to where the party waited.  I worried that I could be identified for inciting the riot, and needed to make a fast getaway.

 

I was told that the captives were being transported in 2 wagons.  Each one had guards flanki g either side, a driver, a guard on the roof and one riding inside the wagon to watch captives themselves.

 

We set up an order of battle.  Only Wren and Azzarak were missing.  Wren was to enter the last wagon by stealth.  No one had heard from or seen Azzarrak in 2 days.  He couldn't be bothered to report in.  As we waited, I wondered if I wanted to continue to work with someone as stupid as Azzarrak seemed to be.  After all, anyone with a brain would check in once in a while.  He should be here, waiting for them with us.

 

And then we saw them, coming down the street.  We readied ourselves and then charged,

Eddard's Diary Chapter 3 (Con't)

Eddard's Really Bad Day Part 2

 

I hushed the girls as I crouched low, bow at the ready.  I could hear rummaging around and then I heard the ladder creak.  I waited.  Just a little longer, I thought, wait for it...

 

A head appeared at the the top of the ladder, I kicked at it, knocking him off the ladder. 

 

"There they are!  Get him!."

 

I lined up one with my bow, determined that I meant business.  I let the arrow go, and managed to wing one them in the leg.  By the tears of Mystra, first clouting a little girl, then shooting an unarmed individual.  Would this day never end?

 

"The next one what comes up here, dies!" I called down to them.  That paused the four men. "I will not permit these children to become slaves."

 

"What?"  That from the one I wounded.

 

"These girls were sold as slaves by the headmaster at the orphanage!"  I drew upon my oratory skills for all they worth.  I was at a cross roads here.  If they didn't believe me, they would be back with more people.  I couldn't hold off all of them, though I was confident I could against these four.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to get them all, and I didn't want to.  They were just trying to find a murderer, and a thief.   But maybe they could help us.  We had to prove slavery in a town where those in the trade are established citizens, and even wealthy merchants, important for the economy of the town.

 

"I have been investigating a case of slave taking for some months.  With the help of some my friends, we have already managed to rescue a handful from certain slavery in Amn and returned them to the their homes.  We tracked more slaves, taken from their homes, from their loved ones, by bandits and sent here."

 

The men listened, disbelief slowly being replaced by anger.

 

"Sergeant Rogan was killed in the act of procuring a 12 year old girl for the pleasure of his Amnite master."

 

The men were visibly angry now.

 

"She was obtained, for monetary consideration, from the headmaster of the local orphanage."

 

They became really angry with that last line.  Wren appeared behind the men and made her way forward.

 

One of the men remembered the money, but before he could say anything, I forestalled him.  "She works with me, and has been crucial in the gathering of this information.  The girls trust her, even as I do."

 

None of the men moved towards her.  She climbed the ladder.  When she got the top, she told me three things.  She learnt that the remaining slaves were going to be moved soon, most likely that night.  She also said that Denthos was behind the slavery operation.  She believed the people would be taken out of Scornubel by river.

 

"Good people, I have just been given some important information.  The Amnite Denthos is behind the local slave operation.  I have been told that the remaining slaves from the baronies will be moved to the river tonight."

 

"Kill the Amnite!  Free the slaves!" came the call from the floor of the warehouse.  It wasn't long before it turned into a chant. 

 

"My friends, please," I said, gesturing to lower the noise from the building.  As they calmed down I said," Do not throw away your lives attacking the Amnite.  His men would kill you without a second thought.  Leave freeing the slaves to us.  We have friends and are getting quite used to this kind of thing."

 

They looked disappointed, but still angry.

 

"But we, as outsiders, can't do anything about the headmaster.  That's what I need you to do.  Go to your favourite hangouts.  Tell your friends and anyone else what has been happening there, gather them," I said a seed of a plan forming in my mind,"and meet me at the merchant square ear the orphanage, one hour after sunset."

 

"Do this and we can put a stop to the evil that has taken root in your neighbourhood.  Do this and we can bring justice to people who have operated without it for far too long.

 

"One hour after sunset.  I will update you all then."

 

The men left.  Talking among themselves. 

 

I think they were looking forward to the coming night.

 

I was happy, too.  I was going to use the riot that I would incite to draw the guard away from the people transporting the slaves, taking the city guard out of the equation. 

 

Inciting a riot.  Should a paladin be doing that?

 

I couldn't let that thought stop me, there was still a lot to do. 



Eddard's Diary: Chapter 3 (Con't)

Eddard's Really Bad Day part 1

Punching an Innocent

 

In the morning, after an uncomfortable night spent sleeping in the loft area of the warehouse, Wren asked me to go keep an eye on the orphanage while she and her charge lay low in the warehouse.  After what I saw last night, I knew that sending Wren  out today would be extremely dangerous as it seemed half the city was looking for her.  I knew that, by now, there would be a bounty out on her.

 

I changed my appearance slightly from the body guard persona.  I wore one short sword, instead of the pair, and carried the short bow.  I muddied my cloak and wore it with the hood up to conceal my identity.  Not being an expert in disguise, I didn't know what else to do, so I left it at that.

 

I made my way to the orphanage, by a round about route.  I didn't dare take a direct route for fear that I was already being followed.  I found a wall to lean against a little ways up from the street entrance of the orphanage.  It wasn't long before I saw a mercenary type- someone I thought I recognised from Minx's the night before- walk into the place.  I waited outside, and when he came out, I followed him.  He went out to one of the caravan holding yards outside the city proper.  The area he went into was obviously rich, likely Amnite, and extremely well guarded.  I noted where this camp was.  It wasn't long, though, before the mercenary I'd been following came out of the camp and made his way back to the orphanage. 

 

This time, when he came out of the orphanage, he wasn't alone.  With him, was a very young girl that bore more than a passing resemblance to the girl in Wren's care.  I didn't believe the girl was a relative of his.  I believed the headmaster had sold another one, because the first had yet to be found.  This belief forced me to do something about it.  I can't stand by and allow a young girl, whose only crime was having no parents, be collected for slavery or prostitution.  I had to act.

 

The problem was, how?  I was alone.  No back up.  No way of getting back up.  If I merely followed, and he made it back to the Amnite Merchant's camp, I'd lose any opportunity.

 

I saw where they were going, into a market square.  I moved down a street, confident of their travel path and ran to get in front of them.  I came to the entrance of an alley that led back onto the main road.  I waited, catching my breath, preparing mentally.  And then they appeared, walking together up the street.  I walked out of the alley mouth, headed for the mercenary.  As I came within half a metre of him, I shoulder charged him, knocking him off his feet.  I scooped up the girl and ran.

 

Behind me, he was calling for help, saying I had taken his daughter.  The girl's shock at being taken was quickly wearing off and she started to fight me.  I dodged with her down side streets, I tried to tell her she was safe.  She wasn't buying it.  When I could see one else around, I clocked her one, hard enough to knock her out, if I didn't do something, the mercenary or city watch would catch me for sure, and the girl would be at the mercy of whatever fate awaited her at the hand of these slavers.  I had no choice.  I also wasn't happy about it.

 

I ducked into a small one room hut, grabbed an old blanket, wrapped her up in it, and took her, again by circuitous means, back to the warehouse.

 

I wasn't followed.  I entered the place and took her up to the loft.  I gently placed her in the blanket on the straw.  Wren was no where to be seen, but the first girl was still there.  I started to explain the situation to her, telling her what happened, when there was sound of a search party in the building. 

 

All I heard was," I bet the bitch we're looking for is in here."

 

Terrific.  I got my bow ready.