| Logs |
2000-12-10
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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The Assault on the Bandit Camp Commences...
After some discussion Feliz has explained that the horses are
guarded, usually by a half-dozen or so, plus a few slaves who actually do
the mucking out and such. The stable/paddock is at the bottom of the cliff
trail, visible from the one guard post (the southwest high point one) but
that's it. Due to the horse pens being somewhat further down the valley,
were the horses released they wouldn't immediately be seen from the
valley. Since there were no mages or magically 'touched' in Feliz' group,
he has no way of knowing if there's any magic anywhere in the valley. Were
the stream dammed, it would certainly draw the attention of the bandits,
who would doubtless send someone(s) up to investigate.
Alex nods slowly, "Excellent. Well, let's see... how's this as a plan, guys? First, figure out how to release the horses without it being obvious that anything but the horses managed it. Hopefully one guard will head for the valley to let the others know about this. Let the guards scatter out to find them, and pick them off one by one." She grins, "Keep the horses, and wait... until more guards come down from the valley. Pick them off too. Keep picking guards off until we're discovered, or they run out of guards. That exposes as few of our untrained folks to combat as possible. Would that make sense? Alternatively we could dam the stream, and let them send folks out to see what the problem was with that too. The goal here is to get the bandits scattered out, yes?"
Carroll nods and murrs, "That sounds reasonable to me. Much easier to deal with them one by one, with concealed archers, than it would be to merely rush the camp. Reducing the numbers increases our chances." He pauses and asks, "I do wonder why the slaves don't try and escape. With so many of them; it seems odd they're so docile. That worries me a bit. Perhaps it's just lost hope." He shrugs and adds, "We can discover that when we have the camp cleared out, I suppose."
Horatio taps his chin quietly as he looks at the rough map. "Should we rely on them not noticing the number of their guards slowly evaporating?"
Alex says, "Maybe they don't realize yet how few guards there are now? The slaves, I mean. Um... well, they will realize their numbers are dwindling, Horatio -- they'd have to be blind not to -- but if we're in luck it'll happen later than sooner?" Horatio nods quietly, fretting and thinking, then taking brief stock of his satchel... he looks through his satchel, then closes it with a bit of a grimace. Nothing. Blast and sulfur! I'll need to think of something else besides making fulminate of earth in the water... Alex frowns thoughtfully, "I think, though, that we might want to plan for the worst case scenario also... that they've found the rest of Feliz' group, and are waiting for us? We should be extremely wary, yes?"
Feliz and Sam have been discussing the plan via Rosita and struggling with the more technical concepts -- the young city girl doesn't know the Killimaran words for some of what is being discussed. At the end, though, they agree that it should work, especially since the bandits' officer-leader has been killed. Alex looks relieved... then adds, "Is there anyone sneaky enough to take out the one guard post that can see the stables at all? -or alternatively to take out all the guard posts?" She smiles ruefully, "Time is, after all, somewhat on our side in this endeavor."
Sam adds, "Shouldn't be too much discipline if we get there soon, either. I think that they've already lost most of their real soldiers, judging from how easily they broke when they attacked us here."
Alex nods. She'd wondered a bit about that. Carroll says, "I don't know for certain how sneaky our fighters can be, although I'd suspect that Jessie can be." He pauses before admitting, "I myself have some small skill at such things."
Alex blinks surprisedly at her oldest brother... then suddenly her eyes narrow suspiciously. A moment later she laughs, tossing her head back! She grins at Carroll, "I think, suddenly, that some childhood mysteries I'd never explained to my satisfaction... have now been resolved -- it was you, you sneak!" She giggles, then nods, "Okay. So we have what, four guard posts to take out? Could you and Jessie maybe take 2 guard posts apiece?"
The wolverine points at Feliz. "And him too. Jessie can sneak, but she's not got much skill at hand-to-hand throat-cutting."
Horatio winces slightly at the wolverine's choice of words. His heart is already pounding heavily, though he tries to hide his discomfiture. Alex smiles, "Even better then -- Feliz, Carroll, and Jessie as backup. Is there anyone else who's good at this?" She glances at Horatio a little concernedly... then her gaze meets Carroll's. She glances from Carroll to Horatio... then does it again, without moving her head. A moment later she shifts slightly so she's standing (hopefully supportively) next to her most kind-hearted brother. A moment later she frowns thoughtfully again, then says slowly, "Guys... I have a question. If we did this around dawn... could we maybe take out the guard posts that are in the valley as well?"
Carroll considers, then murrs, "Would that be worthwhile? Someone would have to sneak past the outer guards, and the barracks. It would be risky. Would it be worth the risk? I don't know."
Horatio looks over the map, frowning again. The ground is beaten-down grass mostly, in the valley. "I was thinking," he murmurs, "-of fire on the northern end of the valley; the slaves in the pens could get across the stream, and there we'd break through the southern wall of the pens to let them out. The bandits would be driven south over the stream, where we could... erm... anyway, the grass doesn't look like that'll work well..." He blinks to Alex. "You mean with the sun in their eyes?"
Alex says to Carroll, "Well... if you and Feliz took out the two outer guard posts, and Jessie shot down into the one on the cliffs... um..." She looks a little guilty, then straightens (trying to suppress the grin) and firmly adds, "Well. Ahem. You, Carroll, aren't the only one Bryn taught a thing or two!"
Carroll smiles slyly and replies, "I know," to his sister. "However," he continues, "I don't know if that would do anything but to alert them we've begun something. Shooting the upper guard particularly could be noticeable depending on where and how quietly he goes down."
Alex hmfs at Carroll, although her eyes are dancing. She'll pat one of Horatio's paws reassuringly, "Don't worry. Jessie will have backup, Horry."
Horatio smiles quietly to Alex, in thanks, and nods quietly. "Thanks, Alex."
Alex thinks a bit, then nods a bit reluctantly, "Okay then. I'm guessing our previous plan was the better one. To review: we approach with great caution, in case they're in ambush for us. If yes, we'll have to deal with a running battle... but if not, then I'd like a view of the valley to tell if there's any magic around. Then we try either the stream damming or the horse-releasing trick. Does anyone have a better suggestion?"
Horatio nods, sighing softly. "I'm afraid I don't, Alex. But if there's any magic, we should withdraw and evaluate whatever it is..."
MacKenzie nods. "Go with the horses, I'd say. The stream is a longer-term thing if we can't get them to come out. They've got a good defensive position, but the downside is that they have restricted mobility."
Carroll nods and adds, "The horses will probably draw their attention, too, as they're so critical to an isolated locale as this."
Alex adds, "One benefit of trying to pick them off one by one is if we can overwhelm each one with many of us... we can probably keep things silent for longer. I'm guessing the bandits don't have much loyalty to the group -- and faced with 3 crossbows and someone whispering to them to surrender... that they'll silently surrender. On the other hand, I've had limited experience with capturing bandits..." she glances up at Feliz, "-so if in your considered opinion it would be wiser to just knock them out or kill them, rather than offer them surrender..." she takes a long, slow breath, then straightens and adds, "Well... I cannot speak for my brothers... but I will follow your advice, sir." She looks like she's not happy about it -- but will bow to the exigencies of the moment. It's more important to her to keep the St. Genevieve folks hale, than to risk them unnecessarily in capturing slavers.
Feliz shrugs. "Eet weell depend on the bandito, senyorita. Some give up easily, some fight. Many weell give up, si."
Alex nods quietly... then glances at Carroll and their marmot host. "Then... do we have a plan?"
Carroll nods, "It sounds like a plan to me, yes."
The journey to the bandit camp goes smoothly at first. One of the scouts meets the group several miles out and leads them in, timing it to arrive in view of the bandit's valley just as twilight turns to darkness. Alex sees no sign of controlled magic on the way, though the pattern of a ley line sparkles in the distance, running along a south-southeast/north-northwest bearing across the top of the main valley.
Alex is quite relieved to report the lack of magic on the approach. Mackenzie and Feliz get their people under cover of the trees and make a cold camp for the night. Feliz approaches her after the camp is completed, "Senyorita Alex. Eef you weesh to view the camp, I weell take you around to thee upper valley, si?"
Alex nods, "Yes please, Feliz. I'd like to be absolutely sure."
The mountain cat nods. "Then, eef you weell... gather what you need and we start, si?" Alex nods and takes a moment to inform her brothers of what's going on. She takes a dark cloak, changes to dark clothing, tucks a few extra daggers into her belt, and makes sure all her white fur is covered... then she'll silently follow Feliz.
Feliz confers with the scouts who stayed behind and then leads Alex up the main valley past the bandits' lair. The alpine night is chilly, even here near the equator -- and brilliant stars blaze along the southern horizon, stars she has never seen from her northern home. The Tortoise rises after a while, the three-quarters of its disk giving sufficient light to see by as Feliz turns toward the cliff. The mountain cat points up the cliff, and whispers in Alex's ear. "We go up here. Very quiet now, very near." The cliff at this point is steep but not sheer, and a game trail is evident heading toward the top. Alex nods without speaking, tucks her cloak neatly up and out of the way in her belt... and follows the mountain cat as silently as she knows how. She watches about her carefully, sticking close to her experienced guide.
The climb is not overly difficult, but it does make moving quietly more tricky. Alex has no trouble with it, though, and after another hour she is ensconced with Feliz in a little pocket overlooking the bandit's camp. Alex follows Feliz closely, enjoying the night in spite of herself. When they arrive in the spot Feliz has chosen she waits a moment to catch her breath... then she'll inch up next to him, lying flat so as to peer unnoticeably into the valley. She half-closes her eyes, scanning the valley slowly and systematically from end to end for the telltale glow of any magic.
There is a mage-glow after all, Alex notes, weak but still present -- a warding spell placed on the physically weak barrier of the slave pen fence. The rest of the camp is cold to her mage-sight. Alex nods slowly, frowning. Now how did that get there? she wonders. Let's hope we're lucky, and the magically alert individual is deceased already. She takes a moment to once more scan the barracks, slowly and carefully... will the mage betray their presence with their increased aural glow?
A few of the guards move about the camp even this late, not depending on the wards to keep the prisoners in line, but there is no obvious mage-aura among them or coming from the sleeping furrs in the barracks. Few of the bandits seem to be nocturnal species. Alex finally sighs softly, covering her short muzzle so there's no betraying puff of steam. She'll gently nudge Feliz, tilting her head to indicate they should withdraw... and follow him with care down the path. The withdrawal is made quietly, with no alarm raised by the guards. The Tortoise is high overhead when the two return to their camp in the valley forest a few hours before dawn. Feliz exchanges a hissed password with his own guard as they arrive.
Alex's eyes gleam brightly in the small frame of her mud-blackened mask, and she speaks quietly and quickly to the small group that gathers, "A small magical warding around the slave pens. Guards about watching the re-captured escapees, as if the guards didn't really trust the magic -- indicates to me either very little exposure to magic, or the mage is dead and they don't know when it will come down. Couldn't spot the glow on anyone at all on the valley. Very few nocturnals. I'd suggest starting immediately -- take out the horse guards, release the horses, and scatter out to our pre-determined ambush spots." She glances at the mountain cat, "Did I forget anything?"
Feliz adds, "We move soon tonight, or wait onteell tomorrow, si? Only leetle time before dawn, si?"
Alex nods, "Then let's do it now, is my recommendation." She glances at her oldest brother and the marmot for a decision.
Carroll considers, then says, "Presuming that Manuel says his people are ready, then I concur."
Manuel looks to Feliz, who nods. "Hora, senyor."
Alex grins at Carroll, her teeth bright white in her now-strange-looking black face, then glances at the others. "Good. Sooner the better, I think." She looks at Feliz, "So how many do we need to take out the guards? You and I are already er... dressed for the occasion?" She grins again.
The cat grins, his teeth also white in naturally and altered dark fur. "Ees not needing more than that. Ees only four awake, and not together. But... one each ees best, si?"
Alex nods, "Definitely!" She glances at Jessie, "Could you come with us please, Jessie?" then to Carroll, her grin getting a bit sympathetic, "Um... mud does wash out, Cara?" Horatio shivers a little, and takes in a breath. He stays as strong as he can; he nods quietly to Jessie, letting his worry fill his eyes for her alone to see.
Carroll asks, "If we remove the guards first, who will go to the camp to fetch more people?"
Alex says, "They'll see the horses wandering by in the dawn."
Carroll nods, "All right. I'll be right with you." He pads off, returning a few moments later dressed in dark clothing and brushing his fur. As his brush passes through the fur it leaves a dark brown trail, painting over his light highlights. His tail is already done.
Alex takes a moment to give Horatio a tight hug, and whispered reassurance, "We'll be fine, Horry, don't worry. We'll all watch out for each other, promise!"
Horatio nods quietly, not really able to bring himself to smile in return at this point, not when it's so close to the hour of the mission. "Take care... all of you..."
Alex grins, realizing she's smudged Horatio's fur when she steps back... she takes a still-clean corner of her cloak and wipe it off with a sheepish apology. Then she checks Carroll visually to be sure he's gotten all his white fur... then nods to Feliz, "Let's go, senyor!" She gives Horatio a gentle peck on the cheek, then smiles and waves as she leaves with the others. She is, to her surprise, actually enjoying herself. Something about seeing all those slaves in the pen has made it much easier for her. If one of the slavers surrenders she'll accept it, yes... but these are cruel people. She won't weep if any of them die in the upcoming skirmish.
The band moves off as the Tortoise moves down into the west and the Hare rises to meet her. Alex gently rubs mud down a dagger, to prevent any betraying gleam in the moonlight, as she follows the others to her assigned spot. She makes sure her cloak is free also. If worst comes to worst she'll try muffling any suddenly-alert guards with it. Most of the attack group spread out to surround the paddock, while the four chosen to take out the opposition move in quietly in the predawn chill.
The bandit's horses are kept in a paddock with a makeshift stable attached. The four guards are posted at the corners, while the horses and the small number of slaves detailed to care for them sleep in the enclosure. The guards are tired and bored.
Carroll gestures to the two military leaders in the group, and nods silently towards one of the guards, his expression reading 'that one?' Alex nods silently to him, then gestures Jessie on to one of the guards next to the one Carroll's attacking. She'll take Carroll's other 'side,' with Feliz taking the last guard.
The bandit guards turn out not to be quite as sleepy as they appeared, but the four sneak close with no initial mishaps. They are getting close when a twig *snaps* suddenly under Alex's foot. Her guard moves, turning toward the sound. Alex flattens under her dark cloak, going still. Damnation! Go back to sleep! she thinks, barely breathing.
The alerted bandit walks more or less in Alex's direction, answering an alarmed-sounding question from one of his companions. He is looking a little higher than Alex's supine position, but gets closer with each step... but after a tense moment, the guard turns back to his post, grumbling under his breath.
Carroll crouches to the ground silently when his sister's guard moves, and reaches down, letting his fingers rest lightly on one of the many rocks on the ground. When the guard gives up he relaxes, not having had to fling the rock off near Alex to make a distracting noise in the wrong direction. He remains crouched for a few moments, before moving in to his own position. Alex waits silently for a few more seconds... then continues her stealthy crawl towards the guard. She gets into position, then waits for their agreed-upon signal, so all four guards go down at once.
The four guards go down quietly for the most part. Jessie's first arrow elicits the beginning of a yell which is cut short as the second arrow strikes home in the furr's neck. After the long set-up, the actual fight takes only seconds as the Hare passes the Tortoise in the predawn sky. Alex whews softly... then slides silently along the fence, looking for a weak link in the tied-together fence. She'll lean on the fence and fray the cord gently with her dagger so it doesn't look fresh, until it finally snaps. Then she waves once, so the horses can be herded slowly and calmly out.
The guard's beginning yell rouses only one of the slaves, who looks dumbfounded as the guards fall to the dark apparitions. As Alex cuts through the fence, he rouses one of his fellows and asks a question in Boveyan, a different accent than the one that they've grown used to. Alex holds up a finger in a shushing motion to the slave, then grins, her teeth flashing whitely against her dark face in the moonlight. Even her golden earring (usually kept bright and shining) doesn't gleam right now, carefully smudged with dirt as well. Carroll moves to the rousing slaves, and softly says, "Shh, hush," and makes what he hopes are calming gestures, hands palm down and gesturing downwards. He gestures Feliz over and says, "We need quiet and their cooperation."
Feliz talks with the slaves briefly. "Si, they are from Costa Yermo. Their families are in the upper camp, they say."
Carroll mutters, "Bastards." He then says, "Tell them we're trying to free them all, to stay put and be quiet for now."
Alex nods, appearing silently at Carroll's elbow, and murmurs softly, "Horses are out. Good, they'll be willing to be quiet then if we tell them we're trying to free the slaves. Feliz, can you ask them when the change of guard is due? Also if one of them would ordinarily be sent to tell the slavers that the guards down here want help finding the horses?" She'll gesture to the other members of their party to pull the bodies into the building, out of sight. The light's rising... she doesn't want some alert slaver to notice blood or bodies where there should be none. Then she adds quietly, "What's next, captain? Out to our positions to pick off guards?"
Feliz passes this on and the stable hands nod, their eyes large but with the fearfulness fading. "Si, si!" Alex's inquiry meets with head shakes, though. "They say that they are not allowed to move around on their own, and that the guards change once a day at noon -- the ones that come down bring their food for the day."
Alex nods, "All right then. Ask them what they'd do if they heard the guards arguing about the change of leadership... and then deciding best to slip away quietly, rather than get harmed by the new leader? Would they also just flee? Or would they return to the valley?"
The stable hands shake their heads. Feliz translates again. "Not while their families are in the upper camp."
Alex nods, looking pleased, "Then they'd return to the valley, where their families are, yes?" She grins up at Carroll, "There's our 'call for help to catch the horses,' captain. We take 4 of the horses and hide them, let the others wander... and send the slaves back to the valley. They can quietly alert all the other slaves to not raise an alarm if they see us!" She goes still for a moment... then says slowly, "Feliz... ask the Costa Yermans if the guards will recognize all of them?"
Carroll says, "They said they can't go by themselves; they'd have no escort. Perhaps we should just wait till noon and remove another set of guards, then send a horse or two down the trail to rouse the camp."
Alex says, "Cara... they can't go by themselves under normal circumstances. But if the guards ran away... what then? Would they just sit here until the change of the guard?"
Feliz questions the slaves a bit about the routine. "They not leave weethout their families, senyorita, and they stay here at least unteel next guards come. They are not going back up the trail unless ordered to."
Alex nods again, "That's fine. Okay... this will work out nicely then. Let's hide four of the horses and let the rest wander. The slavers will either notice and come looking, or arrive at noon. Either way we should be ready and waiting... and if the Costa Yermans will agree to tell the slavers only that the guards each stole a horse and fled, then we're doing great, yes? Does that sound like a good plan?"
Carroll says approvingly, "That's a good idea. Ask the slaves if they'll lie for us like that... also perhaps leave two or three so they can say the guards set the horses free but they caught a couple of them and didn't know the right thing to do in the meantime."
Alex nods and grins up at Carroll, "That works!" She glances alertly at Feliz, "Ask them if they'll do that for us, please, senyor?" The slaves nod when Feliz passes this idea to them, a little nervously perhaps, but not unwillingly. Alex beams encouragingly at them, adding a little haltingly, "Gar- er, gracias!" She grins again at the others, "Okay then! Time to slip away to our hiding spots, yes?"
The plan works more or less well. The slaves tell their prearranged story, their nervousness passed off by the guards as natural for the circumstances... and the Killimarans unaware that Feliz had added a few threats to the persuasion in the act of translation. Three of the guards start looking for tracks while one heads back up the hill.
Alex watches alertly, relieved that a guard was sent back up the hill. Now... scatter out to look, you three... before more slavers make it back down that darned cliff! The three remaining guards move off into the trees more or less together, the lead fox finding the trail of the four horses led off together and muttering threateningly under his breath. He only stops when Feliz steps out in front of him and the rest of the group closes in... his brief move toward his sword stopping very quickly when he notices the rest of them. Alex keeps her crossbow aimed steadily at the slaver nearest her, waiting for either the word to fire, or for the slavers to surrender. Or for one of the slavers to draw a deep breath to yell... she won't risk her people for these ruffians.
The slavers are not really interested in dying quickly, and surrender when they realize they are outnumbered ten to one. Feliz details a few of the miners to keep watch on them for the time being. Alex takes a moment to check -- does anyone here know anything about tracking? They should erase their own tracks (but not the horses') before the next batch of guards, if so. Then she watches the mountainside carefully. She knows Carroll will be sure the slavers are well restrained, so she's watching to make sure more slavers don't somehow sneak up on them. Carroll makes sure the three bandits are well trussed and begins to prepare people, saying, "Get ready everyone, now things will get busy..."