To catch up our heroes: The Ivyshank and the Thistleblood have been assaulting Thistle Hill and Ambrose Keaton, the Lord in charge (and father of Rohran, Veronica, and Jaerith) has been holding up the heavy burden but clearly this is a matter that has been wearing thin on him. One peculiarity that has been pointed out is the fact that the two groups of shav'avari actually at times engage with one another rather than the fortification itself. If one group goes closer to the other, battle is engaged, then they disperse to grant a moment of reprieve before renewing the assault. Jaerith came up with the following solution to at least temporarily aid them: gather arrows that missed, and shoot them back. The plan worked, the two shav'avari forces coming to blow with one another to let the Thistle Hill Compact soldiers breathe once more. Of course, everyone knows that it is just a matter of time until the keep is attacked once more. How is this known? This is how it has been, time and time again. Still, the moment to breathe is appreciated.

Taking advantage of the lull (lull for the defenders of the keep, at least), Veronica looks out at the two shav forces clashing from the ramparts. After spending a few minutes observing the fight, she turns to Ambrose, who is no doubt catching his breath now. "Shadowood is behind this. It is the only explanation why two shav tribes who hate each other are attacking at the same time. He must be out there now, trying to break up their clashes each time it flares up." She theorizes to her father. "Somehow we need to find him, and stop him. It is the only way we can lift this siege."


Shae's clear gray eyes look to Veronica, the name, Shadowood, catching her attention. "What is that?" she asks, her normally calm, level tone hitching a bit. "What do you mean, 'he'?"

To this news from Veronica, Ambrose's brows darkly furrow and he looks so very grim. "Shadowood, you say?" he says, looking to the northwest with a hint of disgust. He shakes his head and offers forth to his daughter, "If we leave the Keep we allow the possibility of attack. So either myself or one of your party needs to stay to remain in command." And make no mistake, when he says 'one of your party' he happens to be looking toward a certain Duke. The only one, it seems, he would willingly leave the Keep for.

Amari had spent a good long while gathering shav arrows from the courtyard below and running up and down the stairs to deliver them to the archers. She looks properly winded now, leaning against the stonework and peering out over the approach. When she catches her breath, she'll probably say something. A finger is lifted as if she needs a second, and she'll make a point, but then her hand swings down and she waves it off.

"You want to leave the keep with me?" Cristoph asks, lifting his eyebrows at Ambrose. He casts his eyes around the general area that they find themselves in. "Alright, yes. I can do that." He tells the other man, nodding his head solemnly.

Veronica blinks a bit and looks between Ambrose and Cristoph. "Duke Cristoph, you could come with us, or you could lead the castle defenses...." She isn't sure why Ambrose seems to be suggesting he wishes to travel to Shadowood himself, so she leaves it to them to decide between themselves. Amari's breathlessness catches her attention, and she inclines her head at the cousin. "You have an idea, Amari?" As for Shae's question, Veronica offers a brief summary. "His name is Braeock, called Heir of Shadowood. This elusive bastard has had a vendetta against us Keatons for such a long time. He's made attempts on the lives of Reigna, and your mother, and is behind a lot of grief and troubles behind recent Shav troubles."

"I've led defenses before, I'm sure it'll be fine." Cristoph tells Veronica, peering over at the two warring clans down below. "It seems as if your father really wants to go with you?" Why else would he try to leave the KEEP to him? The duke lifts his shoulders and now glances about, unsure whether or not he's just stepped into some weird family thing or not.

If it's a weird family thing, Amari makes no comment. She does finally catch her breath, stand up properly and reach up to smoothe some of her fly aways down, since her ad hoc updo has loosened a bit with all the running around. Breathe. "I don't. No. We just got here and you're going to ride out and try to sneak around and find him, if he's here, which he may not be. Not to introduce too much doubt to your plan, Veronica. It's just a bit of a gamble."

Ambrose is looking back and forth toward the two before he clears his throat and remarks, "Duke Laurent is well known in this area - near a legend." He inclines his head deeply toward the other man. Thereafter he addresses his daughter: "Veronica, you said that there is a man who has personally ensured the suffering of my people down there. You intend to bring him to justice. If he is outside of these gates, I can go, or I can man the defenses. I do expect you to bring us relief however." When Amari points out that the man very well may not be present, his brow is arching.


Shae looks unsettled either way, taking Veronica's explanation with a nod and a wary expression. She's counting her arrows, perched nearby, keeping an eye on Amari and glancing over the wall now and then. She's patient, waiting for the others to give orders, unable to offer much beyond watchful eyes.

Veronica shakes her head at Amari. "I am sure he is out there, but I don't know whether we will find him if we ride out, no." She points to the field. "Either we risk it, or we wait for the shavs to renew their attacks and resume their siege, in which case there is nothing we can do except continue to fight them off." Turning back to Ambrose and Cristoph, Veronica nods. "Unless, Duke Cristoph, you have strategic advice to lift this siege. Otherwise, our best bet is to ride on to Reaver's Bog and follow up on the clue we discovered."

"Is is possible to convince these people that they've been deceived?" Cristoph wonders, once again looking over them as they fight each other. "I mean, this is a terrible idea. Even if they were take this Keep, Keaton and Laurent would just send full armies down to wipe this area clean." He turns back to Veronica, he lifts his shoulders. "If you would rather I ride with you, I'm amenable to that, Lady Veronica. These are the lands of your family, not mine."

Ambrose is regarding Shae for a moment, given that wary expression and he is peering over toward the wall thereafter. However, when Veronica mentions Reaver's Bog his eyes widen a bit and there is a clearing of his throat. Cristoph's words have Ambrose nodding swiftly. "I do not intend to leave -- no matter how capable the hands -- for such a length of time to ride out to Reaver's Bog." Reaver's Bog is on the far west side from Oakhaven itself, with all sorts of ill rumors surrounding it. He's looking a bit grim then before he peers down. "I do not know how long we can hold, but unless ordered, we will not surrender or vacate Thistle Hill."

Amari looks from Veronica, to Cristoph, to Ambrose, to Shae and finally back to Veronica. Cristoph, she decides is talking some sense. An idea occurs. "What if we just yell out there and ask if Braeock is with them?" She asks, craning her neck again to look out into the surrounding forest. "You've really got us now, come out and we'll discuss terms. Oh no. We're just terribly tuckered out from all your attacks." She tries to sound appropriately defeated and slightly scared. "Or like the Duke said. I think I can really set them off on each other. They'll go mad, like two feral cats in a sack."

"Then ride in and apprehend him, if he's there." Amari adds. That's her plan.

"Braeock has some sort of strange hold over the shavs. If his past actions are typical, he would have planted fanatic followers within the shav tribes to spur them on. I think it unlikely we can convince them to believe us.... especially without Aunt Margerie here to do the talking." Veronica points out to Cristoph's suggestion, then looks over to Ambrose. She reaches out to touch her father on the arm, assuring him that "We are not surrendering our home, father." And then it's back to Amari, with a thoughtful look. "How do you plan to set them against each other more than they are now?"

"Yell at them." Amari answers.


"Can't we just put an arrow through this Braeock's eye socket?" Shae asks, her face almost serene in its calmness.

When it is pointed out that they do not have Margerie amongst them, Ambrose starts to gesture to Shae to indicate her -- after all, she's her daughter. However, his words die before they even begin, given the young woman's serene calm answer. So he'll just nod in agreement to her instead. To his own daughter he murmurs a resolute, "We are not." Yet he looks to those gathered and Amari -- the latter a bit peculiarity.

Cristoph wanders to the side of the ramparts and looks at the two groups that are now fighting each other. He clears his throat and then raises his voice loud enough for the people below to hear him. "IVYSHANK AND THISTLEBLOOD!" He hollers down to them. "Listen to me now! You have been /deceived/! You engage in a hopeless fight! You war against each other and against us! For what? What can you hope to gain from this? More bloodshed? Death of your people? Mark my words, there is nothing to win here. Just more death, more fighting. If you persist, House Keaton will rain its wrath down on you. And if that doesn't frighten you? House Laurent stands behind them. I /am/ Duke Cristoph Laurent. And I offer you a chance now, those of you with some wit left in your minds, lay down your arms!" And if this doesn't work out? He's really good at ducking arrows.

Cristoph checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 35, rolling 2 lower.

Veronica stares at Amari. "Yell at...?" She repeats the suggestion, sounding incredulous at first. "In fact... why not? At least we can see whether Braeock is here." She starts to say, but Cristoph is already doing exactly that. Oh, well then. She does, at least, turns back and adds to Shae's simple suggestion. "The trouble with Braeock Shadowood is that he is a slippery snake. He has never showed his face to us, otherwise we would've slew him long ago."


Shae returns Ambrose's look when Margerie is mentioned, then turns to watch impassively as Cristoph gives forth his rousing speech. She tilts her head at him, like a dog that's confused, before looking to Veronica as the woman explains. "If you can get him out of the shadows, I can shoot him. If he doesn't show his face, I can get him in the throat, or the chest? Maybe the knee. An arrow in the knee, that's can be pretty horrific," she adds, nodding sagely. Her tone remains even, her face? still that calm serenity.

"Well, you know best Veronica." Amari says, not being sarcastic or anything. It's Veronica, Sword of Oakhaven, vs Amari, who once read about war type things, in the library. She just assumed that she was going to get a big no way on the yelling at shavs idea. Then Cristoph springs to action and starts bawling them out. Her eyes widen, and she watches, rapt, though she does look to Shae about midway through an arch a brow, like, are you hearing this? She ducks behind a sturdy bit of stonework and stays there, wincing lightly to herself and expecting arrows in response. "I'm not sure he's going to come out for that. I fully endorse Shae shooting him with an arrow though, if he does."

It isn't an instantaneous thing. The shouts are heard and at first it is assumed to be the standard 'Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries' sort of tirade, but eventually the fighting stops and faces are peering up at the ramparts and at the Duke standing there in all his leadershippy glory shouting to them. The people actually stop fighting and start listening, though it seems some of the important bits were missed. "Did'ee just say that Keatons are gonna pour bath water on us?" "Naw, naw, he said somefink about prizes. That there's something we might win? Derrek, you hear what we might win?" "Gods above and below, Clancy, yer an IDIOT." Well. The good news is: Cristoph has their attention, but they are peering up at him more in confusion than anything else.

Now Shae gets Veronica's STARING. The Sword of Oakhaven opens her mouth, but reconsiders and closes it; it's as if she was going to ask whether Shae just had a Drax moment? Alas, she doesn't get the chance, as Cristoph's Duke-ly shouting gets the shavs all confused. Well, he IS the Duke, Veronica isn't going to disrespect the man, but she CAN facepalm behind his back.


Shae returns Veronica's stare, waiting for the order. Shae is ready. Braeock can hide his face, she'll find something to shoot an arrow through of his, she's sure of it. "It doesn't need to be his face," she reassures Veronica.

Uh, alright. That wasn't the reaction that Cristoph was hoping for. He looks confused and frowns at them, decides to try and seize this moment anyway and give it another go. He uses less words this time, "If you stop fighting each other and us, I can negotiate for you to not all end up very dead! That's the prize! Surrender and NOT die! NOT DIE!" How about that?

Cristoph checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 35, rolling 67 higher.

From the ground, towards the back of either army come two solitary figures, each passing through their respective forces easily. Their people pull back, creating a pathway for them, a woman of mid-years, Verys Ivyshank, her armor forged from good solid steel and patchworked in with leather for maximum protective and flexibility. In her hands is a long spear, held as if it were part of her. From within the Thistleblood horde comes a large middle-aged man, Revec. His hair is copper red and his beard is black as sin. His armor is all steel, ebon enamel making perfect for hindering visiblity. His weapon of choice appears to be a flail. Both of them stare daggers at one another, clearly there are strong feelings there and none too pleasant. Both look up at Cristoph and stare at him. "I hear you, Duke from the Honeylands. Normally I'd make some comment about your soft tumtum and priviledge, but word spreads you're not as lazy as most of your kind. The Ivyshank will parlay." Verys looks at Revec and spits. "Even if I have to look at his ugly face."

Shae mutters something to Veronica and Ambrose and Cristoph.

"Is that Derrek?" Amari grumbles, but doesn't yell it at the top of her breath. The Duke is trying to do diplomacy and the rest of what she says would surely undermine it, if she was much louder about it. "I can't believe Derrek is here. The Derrek I knew wouldn't chum around with those dirty, horse-thieving Ivyshanks. Do Thistlebloods have no pride anymore?" She's still complaining about Derrek under her breath when the leaders of the two tribes come forward to parlay. She peeks out from behind her cover to look at them, but makes sure not to yell in their general direction about how much they smell of elderberries. A glance goes to Cristoph and though she did doubt him, she has to nod appreciatively.

Veronica just stares as the Shav leaders march up to the keep. "How...." She starts to ask the Duke, but today seems to be a day of unfinished sentences for the Sword of Oakhaven. It is Shae's murmur that gets Veronica all excited, hands up in a 'hold' gesture. "No! No shooting. They are not Braeock." When she's fairly sure Shae isn't going to shoot anyone, Vee adds in a quieter voice. "Also, if you hear me call Braeock 'Heir of Horseshit'... remember, I am just trying to insult him with a bad name. He is not really an heir of horseshit."


Shae blinks at Veronica. "Alright. -Not- an heir of horseshit." She opens her mouth, wanting to ask more questions but ... closes her lips. And just nods. Right.

Cristoph looks relieved when a pair of people come down that are willing to talk sense. "I would request that you have your people move back away from the Keep, so that we can parlay with you in a sense of relative safety and as a token of good faith. Lady Veronica Keaton has some questions for you, if you can answer them to out satisfaction, I would be willing to see you retreat. Without pursuit from our people."

There is a squint from Verys as she looks up at Cristoph, then back at her army, over to Revec and his forces and back up at Cristoph. Though she treats Revec with loathing, that does break long enough for her to lean in towards him and say, "Maybe I spoke too soon. He *does* know how sieges work, right?" She looks back at her people who are all catching their breath and most of them are nursing minor to moderate wounds. It's the blood she sees that has her growing serious, her lips thinning to a hard line. "I am tired of seeing my people's blood on the outside of them. Least ways when I ain't the one who put it there." There is a tired sigh from the woman. "Ask your questions, Ratcatcher."

Veronica mutters under her breath as she walks up to the ramparts, next to Cristoph, giving the Duke a nod before looking down at the shav leaders. "We all know how sieges work." She calls down. "We can weather a siege in this keep, long enough for a Laurent and Keaton army to march here and lift it. This is not a battle you can win, you both know it. Why are you attacking when we have lived in relative peace for so long? Are you being tricked or compelled by Braeock Shadowood? It is your people's blood he is spilling!"

Amari's legs get tired so she presses her back to the stone behind her and slides right down to sit. Her own bow she rests across her knees, just incase diplomacy fails in a hurry. She has nothing else to say about Derrek, which is just as well. "Shae," She whispers, "What do you think the Heir of Horseshit looks like? Suppose he's actually a very short man of average looks?"

Cristoph closes his eyes when they sling shade at him from the ground. He leans his arm against the stone and gestures for Veronica to begin with her questions, which she does. He's here for emotional back up now. Which is all well and good, as long as he doesn't get anyone into any trouble.


Shae slips closer to Amari, trying to keep an eye on things and appear as nonthreatening as possible. "Maybe. Seems to be it's the people that have something to prove fight the hardest to prove whatever they can."

Amari checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 35, rolling 12 higher.

Kael checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 35, rolling 11 higher.

Reigna checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 35, rolling 3 lower.

Shae checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 15, rolling 9 lower.