Questions
& Answers
23/15/10,121 - Bilsinx
Almost ready to leave there is a knock at the door to their quarters, opening the door the hotelier is accompanied by a officer of the watch, he requests politely but firmly that on behalf of the Council of Twenty-one, they attend the council to discuss various matters relating to the their presence in Bilsinx. Glancing over the balcony the Kilite can see at least six armed city militia watching them intently. Assuming the drugged buyer or the grinning hotelier has fingered them, Illyra shrugs her shoulders & seeing no alternative nods to the others & leads the way.
Outside the walls Molin is bored, impatient to be away he has readied Gunter for departure & to the amusement of the guards is pestered by refugees desperate for food. Seeing the gates opening for the day he strains to see if his companions are amongst the first to emerge. Disappointed he kicks his heels annoyed that they were not as eager to leave as him. Forewarned by the disappearing refugees his hand slips to the shaft of his axe, looking up there are four guards & an officer coming towards him.
The captain of the guard requests his presence in order to assist with the certain matters of concern to the council elders, he is also advised that his friends are already cooperating. The captain goes onto say that two of the watch will remain with his mount & wagon to ensure its safety. Grinning, Molin asks who will look after the officer's men if Gunter gets hungry, despite his chirpiness, he is reluctant to accompany the guards but sees little alternative, telling Gunter to be good & not eat the nice men he is escorted through the gates.
As Molin is lead through the city he attempts & fails to illicit information from the guards captain. Soon he finds himself stood outside a drab nondescript building & as he fruitlessly continues questions the officer a group emerge from within the building, unsurprisingly it is his comrades under armed escort.
Reunited they are lead through the busy city streets & into a high walled garden within which is a modest but well built house, the watch take up position around the walls whilst the captain respectfully knocks on the door & enters. A few seconds later he emerges & bids the party enter.
Inside the building is more austere than outside, comprising a large single room with heavy drapes covering barred windows. Central is a long table at which a woman sits hands clasped in front of her. She rises when they enter & introduces herself as Miriam Megaine, Magistrate & District Councilor & Third of The Twenty-one.
Objecting to the manner of their detainment, Megaine waves her hands & states,
"You misunderstand, this is no arrest, you are free to leave when ever you wish, I simply require you to answer a few questions, after all if you were to be imprisoned why would the officer not have removed your swords"
Immediately she begins questioning the party not about the drugged official but concerning the events at Samadum, impressed by her forthrightness they provide as much information as they can regarding the orcish intrusion.
Having listened to all the friends have to say she thanks them for their assistance & bids them safe travel. As they turn to go she adds,
"One last thing, you are strangers in my home, however let me make clear, should you ever return do not feel you can abuse our hospitality, protocols or citizens, were you to such a thing it would be viewed most grievously"
The party are then escorted back to the hostelry & to the surprise of the proprietor allowed to collect their possessions before being escorted out of the city.
Deciding to resume their original journey to Illyra's hometown, Brev, whilst in Bilsinx a rumour was circulating that Brev has succumbed to both the political & millenarian actions of Synalon's forces, confident however that they will not be recognised they decide to take the risk.
Four cold days later the travellers are camped only a few miles from Brev's walls, as darkness settles over the landscape the glow of fires can be seen on the horizon, unsure if these means war they ponder its origin. More alarmingly however are the slowly moving lights in the sky to the east of Brev, the sky city approaches. By dawn the sky city can clearly be seen as well as troops swarming on the ground below. Smaller stone rafts can be seen ferrying goods & passengers between the drifting city & Brev. Doing their best to be unobtrusive the five make their way over the last few miles to Brev, more than once a patrol pass low over head however their passage is not interrupted. In the light of day the source of the fires can be seen, spread to the west of the citys walls there is an encampment of milling dog soldiers, maybe twelve hundred or more. Pennants fluttering in the breeze proclaim them to be mercenary units of the Highgrass Broad lead by the infamous Count Ulthur V'Duuyek.
Hearts in mouth they move cautiously through the throng, occasionally questioned as to who, why & where they are from, Illyra's childhood knowledge of Brev & instinctive lies gain them untroubled passage into the city.
Opening the gate to a courtyard she has not visited for five years there is a tearful reunion between Illyra & her sisters as well as her younger sisters, husband & family.
The group spend several days recuperating from their travels whilst Illyra reunites with her extended family & brother-in-law, a tedious man, who tells at great length of the city's capitulation as well of the rumours of impending war.
Putting off the decision to head for Athalau the five decide to spend the winter in obscurity & slowly settle in to a domestic routine.