Planning Ahead

[Akirapryde]

Elironda watched as the wagon vanished as she shook her head. "Gar, you turned your back on your own friends and left them in my hand," she said coldly. She wasn't happy with this current development but realized it was coming. She went out of her way to save slavers life while the rest of the party had risked their own to save hers. Then when Dimple tired to kill the very man that was able to order her death, she once more showed her colors, and saved the Hobgoblin's life. "Could it be that Gar no longer considers them friends," she asked. But then thought of the look on Gar's face as she took the wagon and left. It then dawned on her that she left with the assumption that she simply could just take the wagon without asking.

"I guess where she is from, the steeling from your friends is okay," she mumbled under her breath. Not that Eli really cared about the wagon. But in that simple action, she realized that she and Gar were more alike than they first imagined.

"While I hope she is successful, we have larger concerns," she said turning to Arwen. She raised her voice so that all the party members could hear her. Farrali, Dimple, Kaleb" she yelled getting their attention. She waited till she had everyone around to speak.

She turned to Arwen's mother, "we don't have much time. You and your people need to select a leader. Also we need every horse and wagon from the foundry. Only the wounded and weak. All other able bodies walk. Plus, we need to know of anyone that has some kind of weapon training." She realized it was a long shot but they needed to know where they stood.

She turned to the party, "Gar has chosen to abandon you because we choose," she paused and let out a deep sigh of sadness. "I choose, to free these slaves. She has turned her back on them and all of you. Instead of remaining with us, she has took off with her two Hobgoblin friends and is currently seeking her original plan. We don't have much time," she said with a hint of urgency. "Kaleb, you have the map of the realms. We need the fastest route to a large river. Here is my plan. We will send for Arwen's ship via my familiar. We will explain what is going on and ask them to notify neighboring Kingdoms for help. At the same time, we march for the coast. Its a six day march from here. I know that this plan would be hard on our new charges but if we force march this, we can get there and to safety. Once our charges are safe, then we worry about the crown."

She drew in a deep breath, "I had hoped that Gar would see this as an opportunity to help muster this band in to a raiding force that could free more slaves as we lured the King from the Capital. Unfortunately for us, Gar has taken to heading to the Capital. Her foolishness has now placed all of them in even greater danger. The King has the Crown. With it, he will know all that she knows. Which means that he will know our first plan."

She looked down in sadness, "look I know its not great, but its the best I got. Does anyone have any comments, ideas, or concerns?"

[Aria Blackthorn]

Arwen hoped her dear friend knew what she was doing. 'she went on her own so she should have more of a chance to survive right?' she thought. Then added, 'knowing it wouldn't had been wised for the entire group to go anyways.' Her Kaleb and Eli would been force to stay back and out of site since hobgoblins hated Elves. They would had enslaved or killed them on sight.

Arwen felt no guilt for their actions. She was glad they had acted and freed the slaves including her mother. She listened silently as Eli started talking to the group. "You know on our march back we could stopped by that mine, It's only a day away from here." she suggested. "In the mean time i will do my best to train our new friends how to fight and defend themselves. We also need to get food for them as well on our journey back to the ship."

[The Ramirez]

"The fastest huh?" Kaleb asked while pulling the map out . "Let's see, we are..... here" Kaleb pointed at the map with more confidence than he let on. Truth be told, he was never very good with reading maps. While he knew maps had legends that showed what directions lay in which direction, the actual directions always eluded him. But while he knew better than to mislead the party, he'd be damned if he admitted to being unable to match the image others had of him. With that thought, a flash of inspiration. "How about we ask the slaves? I'm sure one of them knows the area better." As Kaleb looked into the crowd, he was looking for a slave with a particular body language. Someone different from the broken and scared masses. Someone the people would follow. He had no doubt the former slaves would obey he and his friends. The greatest stories weren't about people who obeyed a liberator. The greatest stories were about people who followed a leader that had suffered with them. He looked now for someone with a particular expression of determination. "You there..." Kaleb said aloud and simply picked the most hopeful looking face he saw look up. "How long have you and your people been as slaves?"

[Bay]

A wily looking Kobold stepped up from the mass of slaves and approached the party, "Me good sir? I've been under the whip since I hatched from me egg. The grey skins beat us something awful, but the redskins bleed us with their whips day and night. Humble Chokentongue is at your beck and call masters. How can I serve you?"

[The Ramirez]

"Masters? No no no, my friend. From this day forth you call no one master." Kaleb cried as he motioned the kobold to step forward. "As a matter of fact, none of you will ever call another master again." Kaleb looked out on the crowd. Some were shocked, some were dismayed. Kaleb knew, however, how littered history was with the stories of unlikely heroes. Maybe this one would would be told as such. "You know the area well, I assume?"

[Akirapryde]

Eli pulled Kaleb back away from the Kobold, "Kaleb, it might be best that we don't share everything with them. Only enough to get the information we need. Consider that some my hold loyalties to the Hobgoblins."

She glanced around, "I am not keen at detecting lies, but I will try my best for you." she glanced back at the Kobold and smiled friendly at him. "A healthy dose of caution should be employed."

[Bay]

Chockentongue bowed deep, scrapping his nose on the floor. He rose with a bit of smudge between his eyes, "Chokentongue shall help in anyway I can non-masters. I've been shoved and pulled every which way. I know all the best hiding spots."

[The Ramirez]

"I must say I agree with, but none of us is going to inspire 100 slaves as outsiders the way someone they've seen suffer as they have. Besides..." Kaleb lowered his voice so only Elironda would hear " we don't need to share any secrets with them. They just need a figure to rally behind, even if the source of that figures power initially comes from an outside consultant." Turning back to the kobold, Kaleb asked loudly "So since we need to gather supplies before any kind of journey can be made, Arwen mentioned something about a mine not far from here. This is a place known to you, I imagine?"

[Bay]

"Oh yes non-master. you speak of Drugziz. Nasty place, humble Chokentongue had to mine dark shiny shiny for red-skins for many months. I says it'd take two days walking down this road to get there wise non-master." he said pointing to the road leading to the East.

[The Ramirez]

"Drugziz is it? Do you think you can lead us there undetected?" Kaleb asked the kobold. It was clear that Chokentongue was rather timid. It would take a lot longer to teach him courage than it would take to simply lead conversations with him, but having been a lifelong slave meant this kobold would be a fountain of useful knowledge.