Badger
Bating
24/14/10,121 - Badger set, Thailot foothills
Moving back along the ridge way Illyra, Kilite & Tharla carefully close on the Badger stronghold, Molin & Gunter too head for the set but along the track adjacent the raging Marchant. Following the ridge, the bank climbs & joins the cliff rising above the set, Illyra, sending forth a hawk from her bag of summoning spies out the cliff face through the birds eyes, smoke can be seen rising from atop the cliff & careful searching reveals a natural vent shaft some three hundred yards from the cliff face leading into the caves below. Watched by Molin from his concealment he can see Tharla & Kilite peering over the cliff edge. Below the edge Tharla & Kilite can see a ledge thirty feet below on which are the remains of an extinguished fire, to the rear of the fire pit is an entrance to the caves, Kilite is sure this is where the shaman stood watching the him during the feast the previous evening.
Whilst Kilite lowers Tharla down to the ledge, Illyra searches the beyond the vent & finds other concealed crevices that appear to lead down into the rear of the caves, lowering herself down she takes a risk & lights a hooded lantern revealing a widening cave which splits into several chambers. Moving forward voices can be heard from behind a crudely fashioned door on her left, moving on the cave branches to her left, the passage beyond is damp & a rushing of water can be heard, she, correctly, surmises that the passage leads to the rear of the waterfall seen from the village as he Marchant tumbles from the cliff above. Backtracking a voice calls out from the previously passed door, ignoring the pleas for aid she returns back to the surface in search of Kilite & THarla.
Back on top of the cliff edge Kilite watches as Tharla disappears into the cave, startled by a noise behind, he spins around reaching for a knife, thankfully however it is only the return of Illyra. Deciding not to follow Tharla's route down the cliff they head back to the backdoor discovered by Illyra.
G, realising she is alone, edges forward & almost misses the top of a steep flight of steps descending below her, to her right the cave is recessed & bats can be heard chattering as her presence disturbs their sleep. Following the steps down her dark vision allows her to see into a second chamber, the chamber is furnished with a cold cooking fire & a flea-ridden pile of furs. Continuing down a pale glow from below illuminates the stairs before her feet whilst her keen hearing picks up the echo of a repeated chant.
At the backdoor meantime Kilite follows Illyra into the rear of the caves, this time taking the left hand fork, passing yet another barred door to their right & a further passage to their left the main cave is split by huge boulder on the other side of which a pale light emanates, repeated words, possibly a summoning can be heard & throwing caution to the wind they silently burst into whatever is beyond.
The chamber opens considerably & is lit by a from a blazing fire pit, to the left is crudely built alter of sorts at which the shaman is knelt in prayer, to the right of the shaman one of the captured sky city troops is trussed & bound against the wall, a second blooded body lies sprawled in the dirt. Oblivious to their presence the shaman continuous in his abasement's, however as Kilite & Illyra slink forward they fail to notice the warding placed against unwarranted intrusion & a high wail fills the chamber. As the shaman turns to face his antagonists Tharla darts unseen from the entrance at the far side of the cave, burying her blade mortally into the shamans back.
Hastily the shaman's quarters are searched & their missing goods including, Erimmes are located, in addition a broach from the shamans blooded cloak is snatched for later study & the three turn to leave via the backdoor. Glancing over her shoulder Tharla is astonished to see the corpse of the shaman unfold & rise to its feet, before they can react further the cooling flesh splits & a grotesque creature begins to struggle free of the shredded carcass, not waiting for introductions they do the sensible thing & run pausing only to unbar the door to what can only be the remaining sky city riders cell. As the three remaining riders stubble out, two Badger clan emerge from the unexplored third tunnel, before any can react the demonic creature from the shamans corpse falls upon the one of the clan warriors & all run as his pitiful screams echo through the caves.
Increasingly impatient at not knowing what has occurred Molin is startled as a blaze of light bursts & screams issue forth from the caves above. Guessing that at last his friends had acted but unsure exactly what they had done Molin decides to add to the general confusion by firing lighted arrows into the huts within the set & any badger clan he can see. Suddenly his eye is caught as a armless figure bursts out of a cave entrance high above & still running as if on solid ground smashes to the dirt below. Figuring that it must be time to leave Molin & Gunter melt back into the undergrowth & head for the wagon.
Arriving back shortly before the others, assuming they were still alive, Molin makes ready for a hasty departure, some twenty minutes later the others emerge panting from their excursions & without hesitation to leave immediately.
Some three hours later, pre dawn, the four finally clear the valley to the welcome sight of the plains below, however none can forget the torturous screams that were heard as they fled the badgers set.