1 Saik Guard, Gunther, a Rottweiler, Severa, the Guard Shepherd, Micana, an efficient assistant, Golden, an Oakhaven bloodhound, Mist Dancer arrive, following Lucita.

Ezekiel the Crownlands Shepherd, 2 Sea Rover Bodyguards, Trident, a coal black destrier, Custard, the happy-go-lucky puppy arrive, following Artorius.

Gunther, a Rottweiler have been dismissed.

Golden, an Oakhaven bloodhound have been dismissed.

Severa, the Guard Shepherd have been dismissed.

Mist Dancer have been dismissed.

Although the city of Bastion fell about three years ago and they reclaimed the city about two years ago, House Grayson still manages to be troubled by the forces of their enemy, the Traitor, also known as the Horned God in some circles. Now that they've got their city back and they are still rebuilding the damage that was done and are recovering from all the lives that were lost, House Grayson tries to always stay in a state of readiness. They've recently launched a new military exercise and invited those who might have an interest to also be at the ready to also join them, for House Grayson knows that the enemy has not been standing idly by and has his hands in all of the fealties of Arvum at some turn or another.

Today's exercise is located within the Gray Forest, an hour or two outside of the city, near the main encampment Grayson uses for these endeavors. This particular group was chosen to join the Grayson troops on a patrolling exercise, to gain experience in what dangers to look for in the forest. Things have been going along quietly until a young woman comes bursting from the bushes, looking a bit beat up and more than a bit disheveled. "Help! Someone help! Please help!" she calls out to those she sees, particularly after seeing the Grayson banners on some of the horses.

2 Tessere trained guards arrives, following Cosimo.

Lucita walks as lightly as she can along the path with the others who are patrolling. She has her gear pack and her weapons and armor all checked and readied for this. Her amber gaze sweeps both sides of the path and the trees above and as much of the path before her that is not blocked from view by those walking ahead of her. When she hears the cries for help, she stops and drops one hand to the hilt of a weapon. "What is wrong?" She asks though she pays close attention to the surrounding woods in case the woman is a distraction for an oncoming ambush.

Caspian strides along with the others, tossing a single knife from hand to hand and whistling. The weather was finally turning warm, and the wind, though still cool, was adding a crispness to the air that made you truly feel alive. "One thing is for certain, i would take this group out hunting!" he grinned playfully at the soldiers. "im sure everything with legs has gone scampering away" he gives a grin to Aviana then, "That is both a blessing and a curse for traveling in a large group. but, never be complacent! you never know when.." as if on the que the woman came bursting out and Caspian found himself open mouthed and blinking. "Er.. well.. you never know when that.." he moved over to listen as Lucita asked her what occured

Bonnie dismounts from her mount, "Come to us!" She calls and then flicks a look to the others, "I smell trap, keep an eye open on our backside and exits." Lucita is given a nod as the other woman clearly is thinking the same thing. A knife is eased from somewhere on her person and held discretely by her side.

Aviana was walking along with Caspian her weapon strapped to her back as she is dressed in leathers, her eyes looking around as she listens to what Caspian is saying, she nods and about to ask something when the woman comes running out yelling. She blinks and looks over as Lucita moves to speak with her, she follows along with Caspian, "Does that happen a lot?" she asks him in a soft voice.

Artorius moves along with the rest of the group, having joined the patrol of course, his expression turns to concern, his gaze shoots back where the woman had come, hand moving to slide over the grip of his sword. He remains silent, as others are asking the questions he would have, and instead begins moving around to try and get a better view of the bushes.

Cosimo couldn't look more out of place if he tried. No mount and no weapons, nor clad in armor of any sort, he just strides in and takes a curious sniff of the air. "Who are the large men and women with swords and such? I need to know who to stand behind." Meanwhile, his attention falls upon the screaming woman that burst out of the bushes, a thin hand raised in greeting to the rest.

The relief on the woman's face is rather obvious when Lucita asks her what is wrong, though she doesn't miss the fact that some people tense up and start to grab at their weapons. She pauses a moment as though reconsidering her request for aid. However, some sort of turmoil playing out on her face shows that the turmoil won out over her concern. "Abandoned. Abandoned took my family!" she calls out to them. "Came bursting in as bold as could be, knowing we live away from the city and away from the village on our farm. They've taken my family and they almost had me." She gives them all a look that's so desperate that the least skilled of them all could even tell she's not faking her worry. "Will you please help?" she clasps her hands together forward, shaking them toward the group before clinging them to her chest, all but begging them for help, tears streaming down her face.

Lucita does not relax her vigilance as she looks the woman over quickly, awaiting her reply. "Anyone here know anything about healing? I've got some whiskey can give her and some medic supplies if anyone knows how to use them." She lifts her gaze from the woman toward the patrol leader and awaits their reply to the woman's question about if they can help. "Are they chasing you? And do you know abut how many there are?"

Bonnie scoffs "In spooky words conveniently off the trails? Allll the time. They want us to go investigate so they can surround us." She nods and beckons the woman, "Yeah, we'll help. C'mon, hop aboard my horse. What can you tell us? How many? By horse or on foot?" She shakes her head to Lucita, "Just to to hold pressure and not go yanking stuff out I'm afraid."

Caspian looks to Aviana and smiles asdly, "well.. first time for everything." he nudged Aviana slightly as Lucita calls for a healer. "I certainly dont. but others do!" he does look to bonnie who warned of a trap, then began looking around, head on a pivot. Cosimo's call out made him snort softly and offer the mana grin, "Stay close my friend! best way to learn is being doing." he looked to the woman then, "Where about is your farm?"

Cosimo steps towards Lucita with a pensive expression on his solemn countenance. "I have picked up a bit of practical medical knowledge here and there. Likely I could do something," he volunteers, brushing away a stray lock of hair and extending slender, ink-stained hands for the medical supplies. Dark eyes scrutinize the frightened woman afterwards with a sigh. "Savages, I see. Pity. Let's get you taken care of."

Aviana checks intellect and medicine at normal. Aviana marginally fails.

Cosimo checks intellect and medicine at normal. Cosimo is successful.

"I unfortunately do not." Replies Artorious, otherwise he keeps watch, his gaze turning over to the woman for a moment again as though trying to see if he recognizes anything about her. He makes his way closer, so he can hear better what she might say. "It might do to investigate." He mentions to Bonnie with a shrug.

Aviana is nudged and she smiles to him, when she hears that a healer is needed she picks her steps up and moves to head for the group with the woman, "Hi." she says softly. Her hair is pulled up in a pony tail but the top is done in many tiny braids. She gives a soft smile its one of reassurance, "Hello, here let me see your wounds." she moves to a pouch on her belt and starts to pull a jar out. "We will get these taken care of first, ok."

Lucita steps back to let Cosimo and Vaiana tend the wounds and help the woman. She sets out whiskey and the small medic kit stuffed in her pack.

Lucita gets a sack of explorer supplies from a subtly textured sturdy yet lightweight trail pack.

Bonnie remains on guard while Lucita and the fancy Cosimo tend to the victim. She nods to Artorious in agreement and asks "Anyone any good with tracking?" she

"There were at least five that I saw, but there could have been more," the woman replies to the questions. "I was in the barn when I saw them pulling my family out of the house. Two were coming toward the barn. There were too many for me to try and help my family, so I ran, as fast as I could." She points off to a direction eastward. "My farm is that way, maybe 30 minutes away? But with horses it'd be faster than my running," she replies. "They chased me through the woods a bit, but I hid under some brambles and they didn't manage to find me there. The brambles did a good job of cutting me all up though," she remarks, looking down at her skin with a doleful expression. There's definitely scratches and scrapes all up and down her arms. "Those two gave up, I think." But she doesn't seem so sure about that, glancing over her shoulders and toward where she'd just come from. Her voice trembles as she asks, "Do... do you think they'll kill my family?"

Cosimo listens to Caspian's advice with a grim expression, acknowledging it with a quick nod before greeting Aviana with the same. "Now. Let us get you straightened out, hm?" Carefully removing a waterskin for himself and a clean cloth to tend to the woman's wounds, he begins to gently tend to the scratches and scrapes on her arms. "Hopefully not. What is your name, if I may ask?" Pausing to get some of the wound paste and dabbing it on her right arm, leaving the left to Aviana so as not to cause a mess between them.

Caspian looks to the woman and gives a attempt at a reassuring smile. "There would be no benefit in it. They likely would be brought back to the camp to be ransomed or used for labor, which means we have time to get them and free them before it happens." was he confident in that? nope! but he was hoping it would help all the same. he looked in the direction she pointed, "impressive running miss... but we will get back there quicker i am sure!"

Aviana quietly starts to work now nodding to Cosimo, as Cosimo cleans the scrapes with the clean water she opens a small tin jar and starts to put some paste on the crapes and cuts as they are cleaned. She listens to every one talking around her, she has a job to do and so she does it,

Caspian checks charm and performance at normal. Caspian is successful.

The woman flushes a bit at Cosimo's question. "My name is Arla Fairway," she tells him. She gives both Cosimo and Aviana a look of thanks as they start patching her up. Caspian catches her attention when he speaks to her running skills. "On account of running after the wee ones," she tells him. "You have no idea how fast littles can run when they've a mind to do so." Whether it is human littles or animal littles, she doesn't specify; that statement is true whether they are human OR animal. She bites on her lower lip when Capsian starts speaking of her family being ransomed off or sent to work somewhere, but seems somewhat relieved to know they 'probably' won't be killed. "You should be careful going there," she tells them. "They looked pretty dangerous."

Bonnie eeeeghs "Not right away. If they wanted them dead they'd just have slaughtered them where they stood. They want them for something. How long ago was this attack? Here, she can have my horse I can go on foot." She watches the young woman's meltdown awkwardly "We'll be careful miss, never you worry."

Lucita keeps a quiet watch while the wounds are being tended and the woman reassured. She readies to progress along to help track down the Abandoned who captured the woman's family. "Reluctant captives will slow the Abandoned group down but we should not waste too much time in heading along after them." She glances toward all the others in the group.

Cosimo silently broods while cleaning Arla's wounds, eyelids sliding halfway down. Searching Lucita's pack and not finding what he's looking for, Cosimo murmurs to Aviana with a reassuring and pained smile to the injured woman, "Miss Aviana, do you have any clean cloth to wrap about these abrasions?"

Caspian looks to lucita and Bonnie and nods his head. "We can cut through the forest with the horses fast enough! make good time, maybe catch them un aware." he looked around, "Aviana.. and.." he paused looking to Cosimo, "im sorry my friend, i didnt catch your name. but your medical skills are obvious and if you are willing, the family may need you"

Artorius looks to the girl, and then to the horses. "We'd be best off, getting together a group of riders to go after them, if we can get enough together that is, and the rest to follow along or take this woman to safety, though she doesn't look like her life is in danger to me."

Aviana looks to Cosimo nodding her head, "Yes." she says in a soft tone, she moves into a pack she had on her and pulls out strips of clean cloth and she holds them for Cosimo to stat wrapping the abrasions with. She looks to Caspian nodding her head, "I will do what I can." she tells him.

Cosimo and Aviana do a pretty good job of working together to patch Arla up. "She can stay at the camp, while you seek out her family's homestead," one of the Grayson soldiers speaks up. "She can ride with me. One of our men here can ride as a messenger with you, and we'll send more soldiers to follow along once we get back to camp to help clear out the threat if you don't already have it in hand." This means that the patrol party has the go ahead to go help the family, when they are ready to move to that task.

(OOC: When you are ready to move ahead, please @check perception or intellect + survival at normal to asesss for threats.)

Caspian checks perception and survival at normal. Caspian is successful.

Bonnie checks perception and survival at normal. Bonnie is successful.

Lucita checks perception and survival at normal. Lucita is successful.

Cosimo checks intellect and investigation at normal. Cosimo is successful.

Artorius checks intellect and survival at normal. Artorius fails.

Bonnie nods and swings back up into her saddle, nudging her steed along "Sounds like a plan, are we doing this stealthy of are we riding them down?" She settles into her saddle clearly hoping the latter despite her attempts to appear to have no preference.

Aviana checks perception and survival at normal. Aviana is successful.

Lucita mounts up and falls into line, following Champian Caspian and Count Artorius. She tries to keep an eye over Lord Cosimo and help Lady Bonnie and Tailor Aviana. "times like this make me glad Mist Dancer is trail trained though a good hinny is even better. They don't spook or blunder their way around." She goes quiet and once again watchful, trying to see if they have intercepted the Abandoned or found their trail.

Cosimo looks at the horses and decides to follow on foot after a moment of hesitating, putting away the medical supplies and handing the pack back to Lucita. "Thank you for the use of the pack, Baroness Saik and the cloth, Miss Aviana. Right. I do believe I shall walk my way there, if it's all the same. I am no horseman, likely I'd be pitched headlong into the scrub."

Artorius climbs atop his destrier and encourages it forward. His gaze is traveling about at first, but then he's paying more attention to what those around him are saying. "It would be best for us to take them alive, at least one, prefferably a leader sort." He offers as suggestion, looking back toward those on foot. "A thirty minute walk on foot, at least for her, we'll see if we can make better time shall we?"

Caspian hops up onto his horse. he looked.. a bit uncomfortable up there. clearly riding was NOT his strong suit, but he did well enough all the same. he looked to the others, "we could at least cover it partially on horseback. then we can dismount and close on foot to not spook them." he offers a hand down to aviana with a smile, "need a lift?" he looked then to bonnie and Artorious. "But.. as the commanders here, if there is a better plan i am all for it!"

Bonnie rides ahead though not on point, on the periphery keeping a sharp eye out looking for tracks and ducking under branches now and again as she trades carefully picking a path through speed "So we try to get them to talk and THEN we dispose of them?" She confirms looking over her shoulder. She siiighs "Well ideally there'd be time to send one or two scouts ahead, get a report, then form a plan but it don't sound like we got that kind of time if there are helpless civilians in the mix. Sooo..riding ahead and thinking on our feet is the best I've got."

Aviana nods her head to Cosimo, when they are done she looks around and then there is a Caspain on a horse! her lips part into a grin as she moves to grab his hand, "Yes." she swings her leg up and over the horse, her fingers curling into his leathers and help her stay steady for the moment.

The Gray Forest is an alive and active place where many threats can hide, so it's easy to get distracted by this sound or that noise or something cracking nearby OR just the squirrels throwing acorns at one another as they angrily scream at each other for stealing one another's food. The distractions are unreal. For those that are not distracted, they arrive at the farm not long after they encountered the woman. It's about a 20-30 minute trip, give or take some of those distractions. They see that the family has been gathered in a wagon, not far from the home, and is guarded by three men. Over by the barn, four men are loading up a cart. Near the house, another cart is being loaded up by three other men. This puts the count at ten that they can see. There doesn't appear to be anyone other than these ten men and the family that's clearly bound and being held in the cart. For now, they do not see the newcomers and are going about their business, squabbling between themselves. They're speaking a mix of Crownlands shav and Arvani, switching between the languages all too easily.

Caspian slipped off the horse, lashing it to a tree a while he dropped to a crouch. "Looks like the family is being held there." he motioned to the cart, "i suggest that they are the priority." he stroked his chin a moment, "i can make a distraction, try and draw some attention while the family is freed perhaps?"

Lucita offers to ride Cosimo double with her should he wish it. As the group sights the Abandoned, she dismounts and secures her horse to the side where it can quietly munch on some grass or bushes that are edible edible for horses. Lowering her voice she says in agreement with Caspian. "If we gang up on the three with the prisoners... maybe Lord Cosimo and the girl he and Aviana bandaged can free her family and get them to safety unless they want to help turn the tables on the Abandoned. Odds may be better for us if we don't have to worry about the captives.. and thin the number down. Any of you have a better idea? Speak up cause I am NOT a strategist."

Cosimo decides putting his fate into Lucita's hands sounds better than walking and climbs up behind the Baroness. Dismounting when they halt, he listens with a perfectly neutral expression. "Baroness, perhaps I can spy a good route to try to sneak up on them. Not that I am good at any sort of sneaky business, but if I could pick out a path to the family and those keeping them captive?" He looks over at Caspian, Bonnie, Aviana and Artorius with a slight shrug.

Bonnie nods slowly "I was just going to suggest stealing the cart they're keeping the prisoners in so I'm with the Baroness. Let's mob the carts with the prisoners and take off. It'll be a bumpy ride but surely better than whatever their hosts got planned."

Aviana looks to Caspian and slides down off the horse, her hand going behind to rest on the hilt of her weapon. The woman is small, she is is only five two, her brown eyes nod to the champions words and then looks to the others to wait and see what the plan will be.

Artorius hitches his horse somewhere out of the way, proceeding with the others, he surveys the scene from behind some leaves and listens as others speak, nodding a little to Lucita, and the rest. "That sounds good, stealing the cart, and the rest of us can perhaps distract them or follow the cart with our horses, we can send the messenger back or have them follow along and update our reenforcements when we figure out the best place for a fight, we could even lead them toward our reenforcements if things go well.."

Bonnie checks dexterity and stealth at normal. Bonnie marginally fails.

Caspian checks charm and performance at normal. Caspian is successful.

Bonnie checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Bonnie is successful.

Bonnie checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Bonnie is successful.

Lucita checks dexterity and small wpn at easy. Lucita is successful.

Caspian moves off the side, creeping through the underbrush and moving to loop around to come toward the farm from the other side, giving the others as much room as he could. he paused, grabbing some dirt and scuffing himself up more than he already was. the he strode out into clear view, moving toward the abandoned with intent, but in a non-threatening way. He began to call out to them, speaking in the tongue of Island shav. they likely had NO idea what he was saying.. but he wasnt speaking arvani. he began to make motions behind, then toward them, speaking loud and calling out to attract as much attention on him as he could as he moved towards the farm as if he belonged.

Artorius is not the most sneaky of people and he'd preffer not to leave his horse so he's going to try and stay hidden until he's needed, at least at first. Once the fighting starts, he's going to draw his sword and move up to support his companions who are starting the fight.

Aviana checks dexterity and stealth at easy. Aviana marginally fails.

Artorius checks dexterity and huge wpn at easy. Artorius is successful.

Lucita waits till people are in position, holding back and moving to a spot where she can try to toss a siangham at one of the three men at the prisoner cart. She aims for an upper back thigh, trying to rip through the muscle and hamstring him. If he can't stand or run, his ability to fight is impaired and with luck, instinct would have him grabbing for the wounded area.

Artorius checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Botch! Artorius fails completely.

Lucita checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Botch! Lucita fails completely.

Aviana checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Aviana is successful.

Without weapons or sneakiness, Cosimo crouches low to the ground and watches as the plan starts to go a little sideways. Unsure of what he ought to do, there's perhaps only one option left to him. Carefully removing his silvery flute from its case, Cosimo attempts to play a weird and dissonant song to distract the shavs and pull their attention away from his advancing comrades.

Caspian manages to pull away at least one of the men from the cart holding prisoners and also two of the four men loading up the cart by the barn. Two men still remain with the prisoners while the other two at the barn still continue to load the cart. They all seem confident that Caspian isn't going to be too much of a problem to handle. This leaves fewer people close by to handle for everyone else. While Caspian lures those people away, the others at the cart are suddenly swarmed by everyone else swooping in for the attack, allowing Aviana to attempt to sneak up to help the prisoners. Unfortunately, one sees her and attempts to swing at her, missing. Meanwhile, Artorius and Lucita both manage to get damaged in their attempts to help the family.

Cosimo checks composure and performance at normal. Cosimo is successful.

Caspian continues to approach, spouting off in his strange language and motioning dramatically. All the while he wears a smile, inviting those nearby to come closer. he keeps a slight eye out on the cart, seeing a few peel away from it, and then grinning for real for a change. he finally stops walking as a few men approach him. he offers a bright smile, then switches back to Arvani, "So then.. we are all agreed then yes? bears would make the best pets" he beamed at the closest man, nodding his head sagely. Then he drove his fist directly toward the man's nose.

Bonnie hunkers low, a knife once again showing up in each as she tries to stay low while loping towards the cart. As she comes around to the drivers bench she's spotted and gives up the pretense of sneak and breaks into a wicked grin as she chirps "Hello!" twisting out of the way of the driver's hasty attempt at self defense and knife driving in in a quick series of rapid strikes and then hopping out of the way to let her victim topple out of the driver's seat. Murder with a smile-That's Bonnie!

Aviana chuckles as Caspian, "I don't know about a bear, I mean they are soft but them claws and teeth." she replies back to the man, then when the fist went to connect to the mans nose, she moves off to get to the cart as everyone moves in. When the man spots her and tries to swing at her she moves out of the way and her hand moves to pull her spear from her back. "Alright big boy, we can dance."

Lucita nods in satisfaction as she manages to down one of the men but then lets out a loud YELP as one of the Abandoned group she did not see manages to bash her side, driving her breath out. Thankfully someone, she can not tell if Artorius or Bonnie, manages to take care of them... permanently. "Thanks. We better go after those remaining before they gang up and overwhelm Caspian." She retrieves her siangham, not too gentle about it and wipes the weapon off on the tunic of the Abandoned before glancing over the situation.

Artorius rushes forward with broadsword drawn, he manages to get a swing in and is bashed with a club for his thanks, just before the man with the club is beheaded, fortunately, the club's spikes had hit bits of his armor and the wound is not too serious! He is somewhat busy with all this though would be all too happy to deprive Lucita of her tormentor as well.

Cosimo stares as two shavs come charging his way, which is a logical conclusion of drawing their attention. Woefully unprepared for this however, Cosimo begins to dance in his lithe and nimble way while singing in Lycene shav, quite loudly and in a solemn tone. If they understand it, it is a lament over sailors lost at sea. If they don't, it's just some very sad gibberish to go with his graceful footwork, hoping that his performance will at least confuse them into stopping.

Cosimo checks composure and performance at normal. Cosimo is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Caspian is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Caspian is successful.

Bonnie checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Bonnie is successful.

Bonnie checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Critical Success! Bonnie is spectacularly successful.

Cosimo checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Cosimo is successful.

Aviana checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Aviana is successful.

Lucita checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Lucita is successful.

Lucita checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Lucita marginally fails.

Artorius checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Artorius is successful.

Artorius checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Botch! Artorius fails completely.

While Caspian and Cosimo continue to play up being distractions, Aviana sees an opportunity to free the prisoners if she wishes as the two men by the carts are killed by those who whooshed in to attack. The three who were following after Caspian attempt to swoop in and attack him. They all miss their attempts at stabbing and slashing at him. Meanwhile, Bonnie confronts one of the men coming in from the house or the barn and sees she will be able to block any damage to Lucita or Artorius, as one of the shav'arvani henchmen move in to slice at Lucita's hamstring and the another moves in to stab at a weak spot in Artorius's armor just. Both Lucita and Artorius are each able to hit one of the shav'arvani henchmen, to either wound or kill as they see it. Bonnie will have to choose which one she saves, as she doesn't have time for both. The two men that peel off after Cosimo make an attempt to attack him, but find that he is just as wily as Caspian is being, keeping just out of reach as he sings or plays his flute.

Aviana is holding her spear in one hand as she looks to see what's going on, spotting the opening the small woman makes her way to the cart and starts to get those inside out and to try and lead then down a bit out of harms way of the fighting, "It will be okay, please follow me." she says to them softly not trying to bring attention to herself and those she is getting to safety.

There is more combat at hand, Artorious is deadly with his strikes, unfortunately his defense is rather lacking, He manages to disarm an enemy, but take another strike in the process, emitting an 'oof' of breath and a grumble, stepping back and measuring his moves a bit more carefully, mindful of the rest of the 'bad men' who are probably drawn by the commotion, at least they are lessening their number.

Bonnie is about to climb into the driver's seat but sees the predicament Lucita is in and pivots swiftly whoops loudly "HEY!" The Fang of Shepherd barks "THAT is NOT how you treat a Lady!" she plunges a knife in right below his ear and behind his jaw and grumbles "Wanted to have fun but you all making me kill you too quick." there's a grunt as she wrests her knife free of the man's spasming body with a soft grunt and casts a look about to see how things are going.

Cosimo dances and sings, and he continues to dance and sing with precise and dramatic movements. A thin and morose figure in black, he spins and leaps and laments towards Bonnie, hoping to draw his two attackers towards someone who can actually drop them. The occasional haunting melody on his flute should be a sufficient incoming warning. Hopefully.

Lucita's focus is on attacking one of the men endangering Cosimo. She lunges toward one of the men coming from the house, her siangham (short spear) extending her reach and allowing her to jab the tip of it into a soft vulnerable spot under the chin. In doing so she opens herself up for the one trying to cut her leg out from under her, till Bonnie comes to her rescue, taking him down before he can lay a weapon upon her.

Caspian bends like a willow, dodging and ducking past the attacks sent at him as the one man stumbles away. "Ah so then i take it our lovely new friendship is off the table?" his daggers came flashing out, the chains whistling as the blades began to spin. With swift, vicious strikes he sliced at his attackers, always dancing back from their blows. "Come now! you have to do better than that!"

Cosimo checks composure and performance at normal. Cosimo marginally fails.

Bonnie checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Bonnie is successful.

Bonnie checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Bonnie is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Caspian is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Caspian is successful.

Lucita checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Botch! Lucita fails badly.

Lucita checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Lucita fails.

Cosimo checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Cosimo is successful.

Aviana checks intellect and medicine at normal. Aviana is successful.

Aviana checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Aviana is successful.

Bonnie turns and chases another who was trying to get back into the cart to drive it off, but sadly this leaves the good Baroness exposed while Bonnie slakes her bloodthirst.

As the man into whom Lucita plunged the short spear falls, his head drops and traps the siangham, binding it and twisting it till it is yanked out of her grasp, leaving her weaponless as another of the Abandoned closes in on her, hilt of his weapon foremost and bringing it down to smash against her arm, leaving it numb for a moment and the hand uncooperative on grasping another weapon.

Aviana got everyone away from the fighting, while she does she starts to look over the prisoners, "Shhh, its okay I will help." she tells them in a soft voice, "Here let me see." the woman starts with the worst of the injuries, cleaning and wrapping them as she goes. She starts to hum softly to them, in all the dodging and movements her prayer beads slipped out and are dangling at her wrist.

Caspian dances between his attackers, an actual laugh bubbling froth as he did. "you all picked the WRONG house to invade! you should have taken up basket making or something." He slashed his blades across the attacks, a spray of crimson painting the ground. looking around, he spies the one going after lucita and breaks into a sprint. a few moments later.. he hurls his chain blade at the man, the knife digging into his back. with a squelch, he rips the knife free and drags the man back away.

Cosimo watches with a grim cast as the remaining abandoned are cut down by the weapon wielding members of the group, checking on the prisoners and their health in the meantime. Afterwards, he doesn't bother to try to walk home, asking Lucita quietly, "Do you mind if I ride back with you again Baroness? I danced a bit much. I have a lot of writing to do when I get back home. A lot."

The distraction did not go as well planned this time as the last, making things a little bit harder. However, at the end of the day the group os able to dispatch all of the Abandoned responsible for attempting to kidnap Arla Fairway's family. They manage to do so right before the Grayson military shows up with Arla and their reinforcements. Arla is exceptionally grateful to those who helped save her family, offering to feed them or send them home with a homemade bottle of rum, whichever they prefer; it is very excellent rum. When it is all over, they return back to the Grayson camp to prepare for the return home. They'll arrive in Arx with the story of how they all worked together to save a family in the forest from a small group of raiding shav'arvani and any connections they formed while out in the forest together.

Bonnie is overheard praising Caspian.

Bonnie is overheard praising Aviana.

Bonnie is overheard praising Lucita.

Bonnie is overheard praising Cosimo.

Lucita casts Caspian a grateful glance as she rubs her bruised arm, feeling slowly coming back into it. She flexes her hand and as the fingers finally begin to cooperate, retrieves the short spear, cleans off the blood of its last attack and glances around to make sure all is going well at the moment. To Cosimo she nods. "yes, of course." There is a short pause and she then asks. "We have to sort out if the fostering clause still holds true. Another year and Kyllan will be old enough to foster.

Ezekiel the Crownlands Shepherd have been dismissed.

2 Sea Rover Bodyguards have been dismissed.

Trident, a coal black destrier have been dismissed.

Custard, the happy-go-lucky puppy have been dismissed.