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A smile grew over the child's haggard features, this was for the first time a smile of proper happiness and joy, rather than those of relief which had come before. Tom hobbled forward as fast as his heavily bruised leg would allow him to, the face registering the pain that came with movement but uncaring as he rushed forward to take the woman's proffered hand. Almost like he was afraid that if he slowed down the other person would have second thoughts about offering free aid. "Oh thank you, miss knight!"

Katja beamed, just picking Tom up again as he came up to her, "You can relax here. They call us Knight of the People for a reason; we won't let you go injured without doing everything we can to help, I promise you that." By now, she had nearly completely forgotten about Kerik. For now, anyways. The injured child was on the top of her list of things to handle. She smiled when she saw Tara approaching, "This is Lady Tara, she's with us for the time being. You can trust her, she's proven herself capable."

Marcello spoke shortly with one of the Knights there, before being presented with a wooden staff; something the young man could use as a walking stick, and for self defense. He wrinkled his nose a bit as he walked, turning his head towards the direction the eyes were in-- he could smell something different. For him, as a half-demon, and a blind one, he relied on his sense of smell to locate and identify others. Humans, orcs, fairies, elves-- everyone had a different smell. The Knights, who spent quite a bit of time together, smelled quite similar, but little notes of something else. Humans had earthy smells, while orcs often smelled muskier. Elves were similarly earthy, but more exotic than a humans, and fairies were often scented after citrus and fruits. Demons were more chemical; it was what set him off as Tom approached. Katja smelled like oak and what seemed to be lavender, while Drake smelled of oak and cloves. Tara's scent was what he could best identify as the smell after rain, and something else. This one, he couldn't identify, as he was too far away. So the young demon moved forward, stepping out of the protective circle to try and decipher the scent.

Tara was pleased to be introduced as a lady, even though this time it was to the suspicious child. She tried to keep her uncertainty to herself for the moment, smiling and offering a small dip of a bow. "Hello. I'm no lady, though such a title is flattering. What is your name, then?"

Although Marcello's sense of smell was keen it would be hard to place just what that scent was unless he tried quite a bit. (She hadn't drunk much, after all.)

_

Chieftain Grum awoke suddenly and to the sight of a man-- a particularly nervous one at that-- smiling at him from nearby in the room and fidgeting. "My chief... Chieftain? Are you awake?" The minotaur sat up and narrowed his beady eyes at the man, clenching a bundle of his blanket within his fist. "What. Did I tell you. About waking me up?" He growled.

The man-- a sycophant by the name of Edward-- bowed as if he were in the company of a king and pleaded, "I remember, sir, I'm sorry, but there's dire news, s-sir!"

So Grum snorted, a motion of the snout which made his nose ring twitch, and he decided he wouldn't asphyxiate the worm in human shape just yet. He pushed his way out of the bed and collected a loincloth from a chair near the bed he was using; it, as well as the rest of the house belonged to the richest man in the town before he hatched his plans. "Speak."

"A gaggle of outsiders infiltrated the village." Edward received a sharp look for revealing it but despite his cowardice managed to continue. "We found them while trying to apprehend a traveler, sir. Or at least that's what I heard; both the guards who saw it first are dead."

"Then how do you know, and why is this still a problem?"

"Well, uh... they escaped under cover of night. They destroyed one of the villagers' houses on the way out; we tried to apprehend them but--"

"Have you sent scouts? A search party?"

"...N-no, sir."

The minotaur showed surprising speed, taking only a couple of seconds to step across the room and drop Edward with a right hook. "If I hear that you've failed to do your job one more time, I'll flay you and leave you to die with the wretched villagers!" While the human tried to collect himself the minotaur stepped outside the room to don his armor; an especially large hauberk over furs, the best he could do without a tailor or tanner free to assist him. Perhaps he wold rectify that later but for the time being he left the house to find a scout.

When the Chieftain walked outside he immediately saw the difference, as the merchant's house was on a hill overlooking that area. He growled, ignoring the brigands that respectfully greeted him and heading for the Sail Spinner Tavern. There he would find those who weren't working; free hands to begin the search for the rabble that threatened them.

Atoli perched atop a stool in the Sail Spinner Tavern. Her fingers tapped on the counter impatiently as she waited for the cook to bring out her food. All around her was an outrageous amount of noise from the bandits who clustered at the tables. As soon as she could get her food she would be out of the tavern to enjoy her meal outside, but staff that were still around looked overworked and exhausted. The harpy pulled at her small leather tunic, uncomfortable with the closed space and the body heat, but remained straight backed and as tall as she could. Rumor spread that there was an infiltration that happened last night, but she largely ignored them. She was off duty at night, therefore it was not her problem. She was supposed to be doing sky patrols during the day, but at some point one had to eat.

A man jostled into her as he drunkenly passed by, nearly knocking the small harpy off her seat. She hissed wordlessly and glared daggers at him as he stumbled away. For the most part the brigands left her alone, having seen how dangerous her claws could be after being taunted. They treated her more like a feral creature than a person, but if that meant they let her be she would accept that gladly.

The chef placed a plate of roasted meat and veggies in front of her and quickly moved on, not expecting to be paid. Atoli stood and quickly stalked out the doors with her food then, and the crisp air greeted her, stinging her face as she breathed in slowly, relieved. If she stayed and worked with this group of cut throats till the end of winter she would probably be able to travel and live off what she earned for months. She leaned against the building and began eating, not bothering to check to see who might see her.

Tom seemed to hang on every word that Katja spoke, listening with intense excitement to the comforting words. The little eye was round with wonder and continued to pour forth the same sense of joy as before. All in all he seemed to be taking immense comfort from being in the knight's arms once again. "Knights of the people ... does that mean to ride around righting wrongs and fighting bad guys?" The question was asked seemingly to clarify the position that the little child had already assigned to them in his mind.

Upon the introduction to Tara he turned to face her as best as he could within Tara's arms. He quickly returned her introduction with a huge grin on his face, emitting a feeling of happiness at meeting more of the people who had helped him. "Hello, miss lady Tara! I'm Tom and Miss Knight says I can trust you!"

Tara nodded and replied, "Aye, Tom. We're both newcomers here." She couldn't help but wonder just what it was Marcello had detected; the boy looked to be entirely normal, except perhaps for his eye.

_

Grum was just down one of the dirt roads to the tavern when Atoli walked out and began eating. Smelling the meat and seeing the harpies helpings attracted the minotaur's attention; he had just woken up after all, and hadn't even eaten breakfast yet. He closed the gap with her outside the front door, looming and reaching to take some of the meat from her plate without her permission. "Perfect." he rumbled. "I was hoping to run into you, harpy."

"You heard the news?"

Atoli flinched at the sudden shadow that swept over her and looked up in time to see the minotaur grab some of her food. She remained where she was stiffly, but the feathers on her shoulders and neck raised considerably in anger. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she held back her temper; Grom was not to be snapped at unless she wanted to be broken into pieces. “Of what happened last night? I have.” She replied curtly.

The Chieftain easily towered over her, and with her back against a wall the small harpy could not step further away. Atoli would have to bend her head back uncomfortably to try to look at his face, so she simply stared at his chest, avoiding eye contact out of respect and fear. “I was going to patrol the borders after breakfast...” Atoli continued, “Did you have any other orders for me today, Chieftain?”

Katja smiled, "I was just bringing Tom here to our medic....but I see you got your sword back. Has Drake been handling the bandit?" She didn't want to go into detail with Tom right there in her arms.

Drake hadn't been handling Kerik at all though. In fact, Drake was just staring at the man, probably making him very uncomfortable. He looked pretty angry too, but it was starting to seem like he always looked angry.

Tom looked between the two, his single eye darting back and forth as the conversation progressed until he gave up and opted instead to go with the plan of snuggling into Katja. Putting his small arms around her in as much of a hug as he could manage. Proudly announcing when he heard his name mentioned "Miss Knight says she is going to get the doctor to heal me!"

As Marcello headed out into the wood he'd probably find a myriad of familiar scents hanging all around him. But perhaps a minute or so out there was a faint rustling in the trees, too large to be the customary woodland squirrels. It was possible that there were bandits in these woods but if the cambion had gotten close enough to recognize them he'd find the owner of this strange being did not resemble the brigands. And there was that familiar earthiness.

The figure in the trees crept closer, curiously watching the man from above.

_

Tara smiled at Katja in return and shuffled out of the path the knight might take to the aforementioned doctor. "I didn't linger long, so I don't know how it goes. But he is there still." Then she paid attention to Tom again, externally friendly and internally trying to pick apart just what this kid's deal was. There were many questions the suspicious warrior wanted to ask and none of them were acceptable to present to a wounded child, so she had to wait and see.

"I'm glad! The doctor in this camp is very good at his work. I'm sure you'll feel better in no time."

Kerik continued to sit there for a while yet, opening one eye lazily to stare at his orcish captor. After a moment he leaned back again, dropping his legs from their fetal position and staring at Drake dryly. He started to hum around his gag, forming the first few notes of local tavern song he particularly liked.
_

Grum watched the harpy as she became more angry and uncomfortable, seeming to enjoy it. He chewed on the meat, contentedly closing his eyes and then swallowing all of it. When his throat was clear the minotaur's tail swung behind him, as if batting away flies, and he confirmed. "Yes. That was your breakfast, hm? It was delicious." Whether it was to make things difficult or easier was hard to tell with the chieftain but he stepped to the side and pushed open the doors of the tavern.

"BARKEEP! HAM!" It was an odd thing to yell without context but the poor man had been serving the bandits for a while and so understood exactly what Grum demanded. He let go of the doors and walked back out, his energy building as he woke further. "Finish your breakfast; if you find those cowards I will reward you with a bountiful lunch and free pickings from their camp once we've sacked it. How does that sound?"

Atoli blinked slowly, mentally trying to distance herself as the Chieftain ate her food, and sighed through her nose once he moved to the side. She looked down at her plate; all that remained were the untouched vegetable slices. Her mouth formed a hard line at the sight.

Atoli looked back to him when he spoke to her, “When I find them, sir... And that sounds fine to me.” She watched him until his attention was off of her, and she picked at what remained of her food. This was going to be a long day…

"Hello?" The young man called out, quirking an eyebrow at the scent. "Is someone there..?"


Katja smiled, and then spotted Marcello outside the circle, "Tara, could you get him for me? We can't risk someone coming along and finding him, he doesn't seem like the kind to fight back..." She went ahead and carried Tom to the medics tent, setting him down on a bed. The medic looked at the child and sighed, kneeling down beside his bed wordlessly and placing a hand against his chest. Katja smiled to Tom, "Give him a few moments to work, you'll be good as new."
"These injuries are luckily simple to repair," the elf said to Tom, "You will be on your feet quickly."


Drake made a strange noise, hand going for the knife on his belt for a moment-- he had been sleeping with his eyes open, and the humming had woken him suddenly. He looked at Kerik, groggy and somehow more irritated than before, "Jeez, can't you just shut up?"

Tom watched the camp around him with deep interest as he was taken to the doctor's tent, watching his surroundings intensely. Taking in the different sights and smells of the camp, his eye never resting on the same spot once. Around halfway to the doctors, he would shift in Katja's arms to get a better look at his destination, for the remainder of the journey he spent his time attempting to guess where in particular they were going before they got there.

As the child was gently laid on the medic's bed his hands began gently fiddling with the bandages that surrounded his covered eye, attempting to readjust them to a better position. His other eye looked up towards Katja, "Thank you miss knight!"

During his attempt to readjust the bandages over his eye, just for a second, an inner layer was revealed, one a sickly crimson in colour.

Grum seemed pleased to hear it. He said, "Heh. Sure. You're not the only person I'm sending though." With that the chieftain walked into the tavern, intending on giving others the same order while he waited for his breakfast.

-

The stranger in the trees didn't reply to Marcello's question, glancing into the camp and shifting again in the trees. They seemed to climb further away from him and the circle.

"Aye." Tara nodded at Katja before hesitantly walking away, toward the cambion. She was halfway there when she saw something climbing away; a blur of something brown tucked between branches. She doubled her pace to catch up with the man, not wanting whatever that was to get any ideas. Once there the warrior stared into those trees, trying to see if she could spot any sign of the stranger but finding little luck.

Kerik realized that Drake was dozing only when he awoke and snapped at him again. Despite the danger the brigand's eyes lit up with amusement. He paused in his song to make a small, 'mhm' but then proceeded to hum that song again. Either this bandit was impressively stupid or he had a death wish.

In the further distance, high up in the secure fortress, the lord of the lands was pacing restless along the grand hall and throne room.

"Well... what news from villages or the militia for the matter?" demanded Lord Tron Pentre looking up at his confidante. His face, sober and serious, showed clear concern at the lack of news.

"I have informed your lordship, you should never send a woman to do a man's job" informed Merthyr clearly still sore at having been overlooked.

"And you should never pay a rogue militia when you have armies of your own at your command to defend your lands" scolded in a bitter tone

"... your lordship..." added the man hastily very mindful of protocol and etiquette when addressing the high born noble.

"For all we know she could be using your generous funds and weapons to amass allies for her own cause and purpose. Then you can forget protecting the villages and people, they will be coming after your fortress to seize your power and command. You have placed too much power and trust in the woman's hands" warned Merthyr "with no assurances of her loyalty of course" added as an afterthought.

"These are not times to question the militia's loyalties, my liege, if you were to have doubts of the lack of news, perhaps they are running low on funds, on weapons or men and what they require is further assistance, not less" scolded Lwyncelyne shaking her head at Merthyr, thinking him only a skill murderer at the lord's service.

She came over to the lord, bowing lowly and gracefully, serving the distressed noble a soothing tea of camomille and lavender

"Be assured my liege, they will do all they can to send news and do their task but your lordship ought to give them time and resources" advised Lwyncelyne

"Yes, of course, of course, my dear.." accepted Tron Pentre feeling somewhat reassured at her words

"Merthyr Tydfil, my loyal assassin, take this stack of gold and weapons and venture out to find the militia. If you find them to be disloyal, use your dagger to put an end to their leader, if you find them to be faithful you are to put yourself at their command and bring me news when you can" accepted Tron Pentre sending his cousin to the task

Merthyr Tydfil remained silent bowing formally at the lord and took the given weapons and gold, leaving the fortress fast paced and displeased.

"Sure, right, go live in the coarse and hostile wilderness, forced to mingle with the commoners and be commanded by a woman! What a fine task for a royal and lord knight of the armies.... not! Long gone are the days when I used to sneak out of the castles and palaces and sought adventure and bloodshed. Could my luck get any worse? I think the dungeons sound far more pleasant, safe and certainly less... humiliating...." muttered the man mostly talking to himself and clearly unhappy at the given quest.

He walked far and wide, avoiding the village altogether well aware the militia would more likely be on the road and deep in the forests than comfortably stationed at a village, leading a routine life, with reasonable comforts as most peasants ought to do.

Merthyr marched on foot for hours on end, growing tired and weary.

"Women... always interfering... speaking of magic... it's nothing but myths and legends anyways..." muttered Merthyr a non believer at heart.

He was the crown prince who had been sent to this far removed castle in Aftbirde by the king himself for his own safety until the turmoil died down or his time to rule came at hand. He had been living with his cousin lord Tron Pentre of Aftbirde and grew weary of danger after enough brushes with death itself.

Prince Merthyr was a seasoned warrior, the finest of the realm, as was expected for the future king indeed, but at times ht was too bold and outspoken for his own good. He may look young outside but was weary of war inside. He had seen enough battlefield in his younger years and was no longer keen in the quests for honour and glory or recognition for the matter. Instead he sought wealth and comforts by his cousin's side whilst awaiting his turn to rule with magnificence and opulence or the odd skirmish when boredom set in.

Admittedly he loved the stealth that came with the assassin's work, sneaking in the dark unseen and coldly executing those traitors who would otherwise bring him or his family danger but even that thrill had died down over time.

The most important matter at hand now was to look like a commoner and act like a commoner so no one was none the wiser of his true birth rights. It was on this account that he placed himself at his cousin service and ventured out to find the so called militia he greatly distrusted

"Hey, wait!!" He yelled, taking his staff with him and following after the stranger, "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk, please!"

"We will replace those bandages," The doctor said sternly, moving Tom's hands away from them and beginning to unwind them from over his eye. Katja had left the tent, standing in the opening and watching Marcello run off into the woods.

Drake glared at him, standing up. He easily towered over Kerik, staring down at the smaller man, "Just remember, I could quite literally eat you. It's not something I'm above either, just ask Katja." He gave a sickening grin, "I like to pull your kind apart while they're still alive too."