I should have listened to my instincts.
Acrid smoke filled the air and billowed around the caravan, panicked shouts echoing into the night as its defenders attempted to discern the threat. The attackers moved in silence using the shadows as cover, attempting to disarm and incapacitate their targets. Gharen moved as quickly as he was able, his eyes squinting to peer through the smoke; his goal had been to simply stop the caravan with as little bloodshed as possible on both sides, and search for the manifests and ultimately the contents. He specifically stated to his accomplices, his newest pupil Evangeline Primrose and his longtime friend U'roh, that they were to avoid casualties at all costs. They had all agreed that innocents should not be harmed.
Even the best laid plans never truly survive contact with the enemy.
He was following the trail that had been given to him previously by Brynnalia Callae. He’d scouted it, learned the trail, and looked for signs that it was actually in use. He’d spotted this caravan bells before, and it was smaller than he had anticipated, a single cart. Perhaps it was the presence of the Immortal Flames guarding the caravan, but something didn’t sit right with him. But it was a feeling he would regretfully choose to ignore, suspecting that it all could have still been a ruse on Lazarov's part.
I gambled that it was the right one... and lost.
Gharen moved for the wagon driver, ignoring opposition almost entirely, hoping to end this as quickly as possible. He was even willing to risk harm to himself as long as he could just get them to surrender. He had come dressed in all black armor and had set his mind to lie and play the part of the villain. He bee lined for the drivers perch, his eyes set on the Lalafell driver. The man could never have known that Gharen truly meant him no harm, and it was obvious in his wide eyes filled with fear. He frantically scrambled out of the Gharen's reach, and to the Highlander's dismay, the Lalafell drew a knife.
That was when everything spiraled out of control.
A small explosive planted upon the rear axle by Evangeline--meant to only cripple the wagon--went off with greater force than he had anticipated, rocking the cart violently. It threw everyone on the wagon off balance, Gharen himself included. He had to grab onto the seat to prevent himself from falling off the side. It was almost in slow motion that he watched the driver fumble for balance with his knife in hand, and as he fell forward, the blade disappeared beneath him. But Gharen had no time to react to the injured Lalafell. One of the Immortal Flame guards was upon him by then, another Highlander, his longsword drawn. Gharen managed to raise his his shield, leaving his own sword by his hip, instead demanding that weapons be dropped. He still had hope to tend to the injured driver.
But his kinsmen proved notoriously stubborn and hard headed.Â
Gharen blocked a sword blow, noting peripherally that U'roh and Evangeline were taking care of the other guards. He launched an attack of his own, but to his kinsman's credit, the Flame was skilled enough to turn and absorbed the shield bash with his off arm. He landed a glancing cut near Gharen's shoulder, but at the cost of his own broken arm.
It was then that the other Immortal Flame thankfully shouted their surrender. The rest of the guards had been defeated.
Gharen ran to the driver hoping to tend to his wound, while ordering Eva and U’Roh to get the guards down on the side of the road and search the cargo and manifests. It had all been for naught, the cargo was legitimate, the manifests indicated it did not belong to Redgrave, and the driver laid dead. To make matters worse, Evangeline accidentally called out his name in frustration.
Ordering his friends to leave, Gharen was set to turn himself over to the Flames then and there, but loyalty much like love, made people stubborn, stupid, and blind to the larger picture at hand. U'roh and Evangeline would not let him surrender. They refused to leave his side. So instead, Gharen spoke the officer in charge, a Midlander who had declared their surrender earlier. He removed his helm and explained himself, who he was and why he attacked the caravan. Gharen was not looking for forgiveness nor absolution, he knew he would find none here. He simply wished them to know why, and after doing so, gave his word that he would turn himself over to Sergeant Osric Melkire.
We had already done enough.
Gharen leaned back against the stone wall of the Thanalan cavern, his attention returning to the present as he looked over his camp. He had already spoken with Miss Crofte and left word with Miss Jakkya, and now waited to hear from Sergeant Melkire who had been strangely silent. He replayed the events of that night in his head again, as he had been for the last few bells. He would turn himself in, that much given, but until then he would plan his next move.
Acrid smoke filled the air and billowed around the caravan, panicked shouts echoing into the night as its defenders attempted to discern the threat. The attackers moved in silence using the shadows as cover, attempting to disarm and incapacitate their targets. Gharen moved as quickly as he was able, his eyes squinting to peer through the smoke; his goal had been to simply stop the caravan with as little bloodshed as possible on both sides, and search for the manifests and ultimately the contents. He specifically stated to his accomplices, his newest pupil Evangeline Primrose and his longtime friend U'roh, that they were to avoid casualties at all costs. They had all agreed that innocents should not be harmed.
Even the best laid plans never truly survive contact with the enemy.
He was following the trail that had been given to him previously by Brynnalia Callae. He’d scouted it, learned the trail, and looked for signs that it was actually in use. He’d spotted this caravan bells before, and it was smaller than he had anticipated, a single cart. Perhaps it was the presence of the Immortal Flames guarding the caravan, but something didn’t sit right with him. But it was a feeling he would regretfully choose to ignore, suspecting that it all could have still been a ruse on Lazarov's part.
I gambled that it was the right one... and lost.
Gharen moved for the wagon driver, ignoring opposition almost entirely, hoping to end this as quickly as possible. He was even willing to risk harm to himself as long as he could just get them to surrender. He had come dressed in all black armor and had set his mind to lie and play the part of the villain. He bee lined for the drivers perch, his eyes set on the Lalafell driver. The man could never have known that Gharen truly meant him no harm, and it was obvious in his wide eyes filled with fear. He frantically scrambled out of the Gharen's reach, and to the Highlander's dismay, the Lalafell drew a knife.
That was when everything spiraled out of control.
A small explosive planted upon the rear axle by Evangeline--meant to only cripple the wagon--went off with greater force than he had anticipated, rocking the cart violently. It threw everyone on the wagon off balance, Gharen himself included. He had to grab onto the seat to prevent himself from falling off the side. It was almost in slow motion that he watched the driver fumble for balance with his knife in hand, and as he fell forward, the blade disappeared beneath him. But Gharen had no time to react to the injured Lalafell. One of the Immortal Flame guards was upon him by then, another Highlander, his longsword drawn. Gharen managed to raise his his shield, leaving his own sword by his hip, instead demanding that weapons be dropped. He still had hope to tend to the injured driver.
But his kinsmen proved notoriously stubborn and hard headed.Â
Gharen blocked a sword blow, noting peripherally that U'roh and Evangeline were taking care of the other guards. He launched an attack of his own, but to his kinsman's credit, the Flame was skilled enough to turn and absorbed the shield bash with his off arm. He landed a glancing cut near Gharen's shoulder, but at the cost of his own broken arm.
It was then that the other Immortal Flame thankfully shouted their surrender. The rest of the guards had been defeated.
Gharen ran to the driver hoping to tend to his wound, while ordering Eva and U’Roh to get the guards down on the side of the road and search the cargo and manifests. It had all been for naught, the cargo was legitimate, the manifests indicated it did not belong to Redgrave, and the driver laid dead. To make matters worse, Evangeline accidentally called out his name in frustration.
Ordering his friends to leave, Gharen was set to turn himself over to the Flames then and there, but loyalty much like love, made people stubborn, stupid, and blind to the larger picture at hand. U'roh and Evangeline would not let him surrender. They refused to leave his side. So instead, Gharen spoke the officer in charge, a Midlander who had declared their surrender earlier. He removed his helm and explained himself, who he was and why he attacked the caravan. Gharen was not looking for forgiveness nor absolution, he knew he would find none here. He simply wished them to know why, and after doing so, gave his word that he would turn himself over to Sergeant Osric Melkire.
We had already done enough.
Gharen leaned back against the stone wall of the Thanalan cavern, his attention returning to the present as he looked over his camp. He had already spoken with Miss Crofte and left word with Miss Jakkya, and now waited to hear from Sergeant Melkire who had been strangely silent. He replayed the events of that night in his head again, as he had been for the last few bells. He would turn himself in, that much given, but until then he would plan his next move.
