SessionSix

September 22, 2008. [Tapping foot while waiting for Gillian to update. Yes, that's growling you hear.]

When Osrik and Chaedi arose the next morning, after having spent the night in a couple of tents on the hard cold ground [If you're looking for sympathy, look no further. There's none here.] , the first thing Osrik heard was Silthond, loudly denouncing someone in the village as a thief. Osrik was appalled to discover that someone had sliced open the Ranger’s tent wall and stolen his heirloom bow.

His sympathy aroused by this loss, Osrik decided that it would only be proper to track down the miscreants and recover the stolen bow. He roused Chaedi from her morning nap and requested that she search the area of the tent for clues - footprints, a strand of hair, a fragment of fabric snagged, etc...

Chaedi couldn't tell exactly where they went, but she soon found they went off towards a certain house. Not exactly to her surprise [What the hell is that supposed to mean?!], on drawing near the area, Chaedi discovered that Alecsa, Cinoi, and a number of other folks were already standing nearby, discussing a whole series of thefts.

Chaedi hung back, listening carefully [Eavesdropping!], while Osrik eyed the guards with disgust. It quickly became apparent they were in on the theft. Once his companions went off to try trapping the thief in action, Osrik suggested to Chaedi that inspecting the residence where the theives may have spent the night seemed appropriate.

Chaedi agreed and at once began to inspect the house for possible unobserved entry. But, Osrik had a different idea. He turned to Elder Potrass, who seemed to be an upstanding citizen, and asked him if he would provide Osrik with an unimpeachable witness in an attempt to recover stolen merchandise. To his surprise and satisfaction, the fiesty old man decided to act as witness himself, along with a younger neighbor.

Osrik boldly strides straight for the front door, intending to knock and request entry. However, when he gets close, two guards appear. One is big and the other one is skinny, and Osrik remembers the skinny one at the gate yesterday. He made eyes at Gloriana at first. Then, the Lieutenant sent him off to do something. “Something,” sniffs Osrik to himself “-like informing a confederate of a likely mark!” [Yeah, loose lips!]

Osrik steps forward and acts as if he has no suspicion of the guards "Thank goodness you're here! Our ranger was robbed, and this tracker - the famed Chaedi - has followed the tracks of the thief to this house. We must investigate!" [Great. Give her even more delusions of granduer.]

“That's Lieutenant Sodrass' house, Mr Dwarf,” the big one says. And he's just standing with his arms crossed in front of you.

"Someone must be trying to frame him!" Osrik says very loudly. "We should try to clear his name at once by investigating. Maybe we can catch them in the act." Osrik steps forward without hesitation, pushing past the guard if necessary. And Chaedi prepares to cast sleep, if needed.

OK, about then two more guards show up, and all 4 of them back off to talk. The big guy says to Osrik 'stay right there! We'll handle it.' Then, he talks to the other 2 for a minute, and they wave their arms and then the big guy and the skinny guy head off in the direction of the Inn.

Chaedi nudges Elder Potrass. "We're never going to get inside at this rate." She starts trying to fade into the background and circles around the house. Osrik will step up to the guards and try to talk to them to make them overlook her.

As she fades back, Elder Potrass steps up and starts yelling at the guards. "You idiots, let me through!" and he starts smacking at them with his walking stick. [I love this old guy. Can we keep him? Chaedi will feed and water him!] Osrik falls silent and watches, ready to slug any guard who lays a hand on the old bird.

Within moments of the disturbance, other people close in on the commotion. There seem to be two groups of villagers. Several men with spears come up and look like they're going to try to make the guards back off. And a couple other people are behind the guards. One has a club and one has a spear.

Osrik figures he doesn't need to be involved in a riot in the village and begins to ease himself back out of things, looking around (carefully) for Chaedi. However, realizing that he can’t get clear, he elects to stay beside the old guy. And be silent. [I love the way he riles everyone up and then takes off like he wasn't involved.]

Chaedi can see a back door when she gets to the back of the house. There seems to be nobody around. She tries the door. Unfortunately, it is locked. She tries briefly to force the lock but her skills are too rudimentary. [Yeah? And who mocked the rogue?! I believe that was Chaedi!!] She switches her focus to a nearby window and has better luck. She’s able to jimmy the latch and soon has it open.

Out front, the Elder is standing firm, but he doesn't seem to want anyone hurt, either. Osrik has a sudden flash of inspiration, and whispers "fall down, act sick!" to the old man.

Elder Potrass seems confused by the instruction but, willing to play along, gets down on one knee and holds his side and starts saying "Ohhhh, aaarrgghhh!" Everyone starts paying attention to him. Osrik kneels down beside him and begins to shout "get a cleric! Elder Potrass is sick! You're making him sick!" he yells up at the guard.

Around back, Chaedi opens the window and quickly climbs in (first looking to make sure nobody is in the room!). She's in a common room. There is a stairs going up, the front door, and another door into another room. Hearing the commotion outside, she realizes her time is limited. She dashes up the stairs.

The guards out front are startled, but make a decision fairly rapidly, "OK, quick, lets get him inside!"

Osrik will try to act as if he wants to help get the Elder inside, but will make things take as long as possible. If he can he signals the Elder to delay as much as possible, too. And he makes noise, being as loud and vocal as possible, to give Chaedi any warning he can.

Inside, Chaedi goes up the stairs and sees there are 3 small rooms up there. She makes a hasty search of each room, looking for Silthond's bow. And any other evidence of thefts, such as a pouch of hidden jewelry, etc. [I love the way everyone's else's property was just an add-on.]

She opens drawers, looks under pillows and mattresses, in cupboards, but doesn't take the time to look for really hidden compartments, or whatever.

Each room contains a bed, and under one of the beds, she sees a bow! A quick look assures her that it is Silthond’s prized, and unique, family heirloom.

She leaves it alone. She debates hiding in one of the bedrooms but realizes that won’t be very safe; instead she climbs out a window, drops to the ground, and then walks around to the front of the house and in the door.

Downstairs, Osrik and Elder Potrass come in the front door. The elder still acts "sick," and Osrik insists that they "lay him on a bed" and "call for a cleric". He hopes there's evidence to find. He wants witnesses all over this house as quickly as possible. He sees a common room with a table and some chairs and a now open door into the kitchen. And stairs going up. All the while Osrik is calling for "cold water" and "blankets" and "a bed for a poor sick old man".

Elder Potrass seems to get the idea. He says, "Oh, can I just lie down for a few minutes? I'll be OK." Several more villagers have crowded into the house. Osrik turns to one of the guards. "Help us carry him to a bed!" And appeals to the other villagers (the friendly ones) for help!

They seem to swallow Elder Potrass’ story entirely. They'll start to help him upstairs.
Chaedi rejoins the group about now, acting as if she had been present the entire time. She points upstairs when Osrik looks in her direction, miming firing a bow to let him know what she’s found. The other 4 villagers are sort of looking around a bit, but not digging into anything. One says "I'll get some water" and goes into the kitchen.

Osrik loudly calls "a blanket, or a bed," and tromp on upstairs. He looks for an open door or other sign from Chaedi. She points him at the right bedchamber, where the bow is hidden.

Two of the villagers come up behind them, the one with water and another one. Chaedi waits to see if any of the m notice the bow as they pass by. Since none of the villagers even glance into the empty bedroom, Osrik does, demanding that another villager help him fetch another blanket.

And in the process of stripping a blanket off the bed, he pushesthe bow out into plain sight. Chaedi, standing in the doorway, gives cry and exclaims "Silthond's Bow!"

That makes a splash! Everyone comes running to look. One of the guards and 2 villagers. Chaedi demands that the guard "take the evidence into custody".

At this critical instant, we suddenly hear a big hubbub outside. Everyone hurries to look out the windows.
The Elder comes into the room, and says, "I'll take that!" Then, he turns, and says, "Thar's trouble brewin' down t' Inn. And then he heads down the stairs."

Osrik and Chaedi follow at a discreet distance. Elder Potrass, and it looks like any number of villagers, and even Sir Garnhelm all seem to be converging on the Inn. Elder Potrass hands Silthond’s bow off to a villager, and steps up to the front of the gathered crowd.

vim.png:

SessionEight