Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold

Lonetree sips more of his wine before saying, "Oh aye, there's plenty that needs doing, don't you fret about it. We'll need food and shelter for the elves you just brought in, medical supplies, and money. We've had to issue a special tax to try to help pay for it all but it won't be enough. Lord Stockmer is trying to negotiate for money and supplies from Fallcrest and Hammerfast as we speak, and not making nearly enough progress I'm afraid. Now he'll wrangle something out of them I'm sure, but will it be in time to help? I don't know."

"Could we help with that at all?" asks Zoe, looking to Jojo and Kathryn.

Jojo also looks at Kathryn, saying, "We'll put our heads together and see what portion our guild can cover."

Hunter starts to brainstorm right there. "We can forage and hunt for food. Jojo, you should try to handshake a deal with the Naiads. We should make sure they know what's been happening, and we might be able to trade for more than just fish. I don't know how much our loot is worth, but if you need gold, you got it. We also managed to scavenge all the equipment in the fort before we gave it up..."

"And we can ask the cooks around the village for help. I thought it would be really nice if we could have the Keep coordinate with the village and throw a breakfast meal for the refugees for dinner tonight. Or, tomorrow? What do you think?" he asks the steward.

Carlos pipes up - "Hammer ain't just fer smashin' things, oi. Ya need sumthin' done outta rock or metal, i'm yer guy."

"Wouldn't hurt to at least talk to them," says Jojo, already thinking about what he'll say to the ladies but he adds, "As for money, it's like I already said, we'll run the numbers and see what we can spare. We still have obligations we need to balance, you know?"

Lonetree looks uncomfortably at Symnia, but clears his throat and says anyway, "Anything you can spare will be a big help but the biggest help of all will be getting any and all healthy elves ready and able to see to their own needs. I'm sorry to put you on the spot like this Lady Symania, but it's the truth. We'll do everything we can to help our allies but our resources are not endless."

Symania holds her wine cup in both hands and says, "Don't trouble yourself about it good Lonetree, it's exactly what I was thinking. I'll talk to Alani about it as soon as I can. It will be easier to hear coming from our own."

"Exactly what I was thinking," says Lonetree.

Symania says to Carlos, "We'll have need of those skills if we are to start putting together tools and tents and the like for the Iron Arrows. Thank you Carlos."

In the ensuing silence Lonetree is all too happy to change the subject back to Hunter's question by saying, "It's a good idea for morale I think, but we are running low on many different food supplies as it is. If it weren't for Alma, Meradith, and the Newcastle brothers stretching our supplies as they are, we'd be in more trouble than we already are. So I'm afraid that's a no."

"Perhaps a priestess of Avandra might have some luck," says Zoe with a grin, "It certainly won't hurt to try." She looks over at Hunter hopefully.

While the others are talking, Kathryn attempts to contact Eni through her necklace. Luckily for her, the Archfrey is still awake.

Eninahes:

Not stirred by Zoe's behavior, Hunter raises an eyebrow at her and shrugs. "No, it certainly won't."

Eninahes:

"Lady Eninahes of the White Well might be able to help," Kat pipes up, "but she needs to check something first. I'll let you know how it goes."

Lonetree says, "Any help that can be had will be most welcome. Good luck to everyone in their endeavors then."

A light knock sounds at the door, followed by it opening to reveal Lord Stockmer, Lady Emily, and Holly. They all look exhausted, with rings under their eyes, but none more so than Emily. Lord Stockmer waves down anyone that makes to rise and leads Emily over to the comfy couch against the wall where Emily practically collapses as Stockmer and Holly ease her down. While Stockmer joins his wife on the couch, Holly walks over to the wine and pours them both a glass.

"Thank you dear," says Emily to Holly as both lord and lady take the offered wine. Emily eagerly takes a long swallow, visibly looking more relaxed as the alcohol does its work.

Stockmer says, "Hello everyone. It looks like we could all use a long bath and a week of sleep."

"Aye, that'd be nice an' no mistakin' it." - Carlos grins empathetically.

Kathryn looks at Lady Emily with her eyebrows knit together in worry. She absolutely would have stood up to help her if Lord Stockmer hadn't waved them down. "Unfortunately, I think our work isn't done yet. Please take your time however. We'll wait until you're ready before we tell you what happened the last few days."

The Old Man returns Carlos' grin but then rubs his blurry eyes and says, "That's thoughtful of you, Ser Kathryn, but best get on with it. I'm afraid Lonetree and I have a meeting right after this to go over the numbers again." Lonetree raises his cup of wine in acknowledgement.

The Old Man's entrance takes Hunter's thoughts away from personal issues, and he looks at the baron with quiet worry.

"Very well then." Kathryn begins the account of everything that happened ever since Alani and the Iron Arrows refugees appeared in Harken a few days ago. She talks about the battles they fought, the attack on Velfrack's camp, the rescue of the refugees held in captivity and the negotiations they held with General Ral of the Daggerburg tribe. "And now we're here," she concludes. "We have a truce with the Daggerburg—for now—but I don't expect it to last the full ten years. If we don't unite the Vale under the banner of the Alliance, I think... I think we'll lose everything when the war finally happens."

Stockmer sighs three times throughout the long report seeming to visibly age before your eyes, but he finally manages to say, "Well done, my friends. I'm glad you were able to save so many." He sips his wine. "You met this General Ral and his adviser. What are your impressions of them?"

"General Ral can be reasoned with, but he'll always act exclusively in the interests of his people. He might become more, uh, agreeable in the future, but I wouldn't hold my breath. For now, the truce serves his purposes. I just hope that one day, he sees how Shadowmire is using the Daggerburg as pawns in his scheme to ascend to godhood. As for Shorkan, she seems like a decent gal. Honorable even. I'm just not quite sure what to make of the presence inside of her... She did give me the recipe to her apple cake, so there's that."

Hunter swirls his mug pensively.

"Shorkan seems like a good lady. We're helping her find a jerk she wants dead. It's the reason she's in these parts to begin with. It looks like she wants us to get along, and she doesn't strike me as needlessly cruel. In fact if she were bold enough to come to Harken first, she might have seen eye-to-eye with you in time."

"Ral wants to take over for his dad and make peace, without giving back land." The tiefling's tail twitches a little. "He's headstrong and a blowhard, but cunning. If we want to make headway with him, we'll need proof that Nesme is what we claim before he gives up any territory."

The tiefling looks like he'd love to rant, but he keeps quiet and his tail relaxes eventually.

"His word seems ta be his bond, too. Ral got way upset when we brought up Nesme not bein' Nesme, as if that by itself jes' takes away all he's done here." - Carlos adds - "That might jes' be the way we can get them off our lands without any more screamin' an' bleedin'."

Leo speaks up for the first time this meeting, saying, "That's my impression of those two as well, but I'll add that the hatred for the elves runs deep in the General. He sees them as the sole cause of his people's past situation. Whatever else he is, we'll need to keep that in mind when dealing with him or his people. That kind of hate has a way of festering to cruelty and beyond, like that Velfrack bastard Carlos did in. Ral has his work cut out for him if he truly wants to purge them from the tribe."

Stockmer and Emily share a look and the lord says, "We'll keep that in mind then in any future dealings. Perhaps this Shorkan might be an ally of sorts. I think you should make it a priority to complete this favor for her. It will no doubt help in any future dealings we may have with her."

Symania says, "I'm sorry to interrupt but shouldn't Alani be here for this meeting?"

Stockmer nods and says, "She was invited but she insisted on completing her inspection of the camps. We have a meeting after supper so she said she could hear about it then."

"Ah, okay then," says Symania mollified, "In that case what news from the Vale?"

"Gods, here we go," says Emily, taking a sip from her glass.

Stockmer looks at his wife and chuckles before saying, "First off, High Master Tejedor and Lord Warden Markelhay both sends their regards and fondest wishes for a quick end to this crisis. The High Master is keeping the Council apprised of the current crisis but she and her closest advisers don't believe events warrant an emergency meeting of the Council just yet. Therefore they are waiting for the Council to reconvene after the Feast of Saint Foehammer in two weeks time.

The Lord Warden on the other hand, is doing his best to pull together a relief force as we speak but he's meeting considerable push back from his own town council while bandits threaten the Trade Road in both directions. He sincerely apologizes for the delay and will do his best to expedite matters in the meantime."

"About that..." Kat interjects. "Lady Emily and me talked about it a few days ago. She asked me if we could escort Sorsha and Febe to Fallcrest and we got talking about the bandits preying on the King's Road. Long story short, I also agreed to taking care of them once we leave for Fallcrest, but between the feast and the Iron Arrow refugees, I haven't had the time to tell the rest of you about it. We even have a plan to bait the bandits into attacking us."

"Oh, we gonna rumble? What's the plan?"

"We make sure to let people know we're trading and that we're planning to reopen the trade route between Harken and Fallcrest—that should get the bandits' attention. We capture at least one of them, find out where exactly in the forest their camp is, and then attack them. Any prisoners we take can be judged in Fallcrest for their crimes."

"Works fer me. Meantime, i'll drop me cousin another line, see if he can get his uncle ta send some help down here. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky."

Hunter swivels his head to stare at Carlos. "Really? What does your uncle do, Carlos?"