Volcano Valley.
Taking a final survey of the volcano valley, Shadya, Fiamma, and the gnome climbed back down to their fellow adventurers. Shadya explained their choices as she saw them: either turn around and go back to the road ignoring this valley, send a small scouting party in to determine whether or not the sniper archery can be stopped, or go in as an assault team with the intent of taking on whatever the keep in the valley had to offer. Major problem: many of the horses were not of the quality to make such a steep climb without damage - perhaps fatal - to themselves, and we have not the facilities to winch them up. In Shadya's opinion, the only horses of sufficient quality were Noor and the House-of-Hooves mounts: Orlando's Obsidian, Fiamma's mount, and Nasir's little donkey. Fiamma opted for the strategy of scouting with the nimblest mounts. Shadya, in turn, declined to risk Nasir.
The three doses of poison antidote were reapportioned, one per scout. All unnecessary gear was stripped from riders and mounts. Shadya fastened her abba over Noor's back to break up the expanse of whiteness the horse made, and tossed her caftan over Orlando for the same purpose. Once she was down to tunic, breeches and armor, Orlando quipped, "Won't you get cold?" "My thoughts will keep me warm." "Yes, battle does that." With that, Fiamma, Orlando and Shadya went over the top. Nasir watched them go, wide-eyed with unhappiness.
The three kept to the forested area edging the valley. Once Fiamma spotted a larger-than-man-sized lizard, sleeping. The three gave it wide passage. Shortly thereafter however, another of the lizards jumped Fiamma. It was sliced and diced. The group resumed their trek more cautiously. The lizards were skilled at concealment.
The closest point of approach to the tower ... after a half-an-hour or so ... was that the back of the keep. It is several towers joined unevenly in a large columnar shape. The walls are pockmarked with irregular windows and arrow slits angled for maximal coverage of the tower base. Orlando noted a possible guard on top of the tower. A couple flights of arrows resulted in a death gurgled from that vantage. The coast seeming clear, the three horses were loosed in the shelter of the trees while the three adventurers hurried to the dubious shelter of that selfsame base. They worked their way around to front without raising an alarm. The front had a double door - like a cellar door - locked, and a flight of stairs up to a smaller door to the left. Deciding that counting the number of mounts that were, presumably, kept in the cellar would be strategically advantageous, Shadya determined that the cellar door could not be forced quietly. So, testing for traps, Fiamma led the group up the stairs. Listening, she heard snoring on the other side of the upper door which was not locked. Quietly peering in, Fiamma determined that there was a sleeping creature as guard in a room with passages to either side, and a door in the far wall.
The choice was made to try and sneak past the guardian creature and try to head right. But - for one of the few times in her life - the elf managed to be clumsy; she woke the guardian. Immediately she and Shadya attacked, quickly overpowering the creature and preventing an alert. Shadya search the body and found a set of keys so the three retreated back down to the cellar doors. Fiamma tried all the keys and eventually the doors opened. A stable indeed - housing 3 horses (one somewhat blown and damaged) and one winged creature - separated from the horses and obviously carnivorous. Troubled, Shadya tried to talk herself into destroying the strange mount, figuring not to have the training to control it, unwilling to free it to prey on who-knows-what innocent, and unwilling to have it remain available to the assassins that seem to be based here. But neither she nor Orlando could bring themselves to slaughter the beast in cold blood.
While the three debated whether to take the horses and run or to further explore the tower, a commotion started above. Thus the group was not surprised when the cellar doors were flung open by another of the guardian creatures, standing upright and looking less human than before. Shadya moved into attack and it did [10 points of] damage to her before she downed it. Knowing that surprise was no longer on their side, the three prepared to take the horses. Suddenly Orlando noticed that the downed guardian was starting to move again. Troll! He hacked into stillness and Fiamma said, "We have to torch this place." Taking out her tinderbox, the elf made good her word. Tossing his horse's reins down, Orlando headed back into the flaming stable. Declaring, "I know!" Shadya followed him. The prince grabbed an odd bridle and led the winged mount out of the flames while Shadya guarded against attacks from the troll-thing now quivering and moaning again.
Determined to handle the creature, Orlando attempted to mount while Shadya adjusted the bridle. Suddenly the winged mount took off, the prince still astride. In dismay, the warrior and the elf marked his passage and then raced back to the woods. Each took an arrow enroute. [Shadya for 3 points, Fiamma for 5.] Back undercover, Shadya debated with herself briefly about her torn responsibilities, then, seeing only one way to accomplish everything, announced that Fiamma would return to the Party and continue the mission along the southern road: basically to get the red ribbon to the incoming caravan before any ambush. Shadya herself would take two of the liberated horses plus Noor and Obsidian and ride after Orlando. Fiamma gave the warrior what little supplies - mostly water - that were yet available, and the two parted company. Shadya rode southeast.
Back with the Party, Fiamma solemnly recounted what had happened to a shocked troop. Nasir, in particular, worried about the wounds Shadya had taken before leaving, but Fiamma reminded the others of the warrior's capacities and of the fact that at least her route wouldn't be through sheer desert. Suddenly the elf remembered the feather given her by the talking bird. Holding it, she set it afire. Suddenly she was holding a small brightly coloured bird. Quickly she told her story and the bird expressed worry about the prince trying to ride without a saddle, over his inability to get things to "work out right" and his inability to actually directly affect the situation. He did thank the elf for informing him and pointed out that Orlando probably need him right now ... and that he would try to have the prince on safe ground when Shady actually caught up to them. Then he was gone.
Nonplused, Akbar asked to use the scrying ball. He discovered that Orlando was still aboard his winged mount and announced, "It's a hippogriff, you silly bard!"
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