The Quest for Galen Thorn
Session Twenty-Five of The Crucible of Youth Campaign [continued]

Sharday, 47 First Snow 204

Illyan is the first one to see him. He is making his way back from the Millers' place with fresh bread for his mother when he sees a figure marching from the Wyrwood and into town. The figure is a man, it is armoured and it is carrying a drawn sword. As it gets closer Illyan can see two things: the first is that the figure is heading directly for the tavern; the second is that it is Captain Malkor.

Realising he danger, Illyan runs to the inn. He bursts in to find Krais sweeping the floor. He has barely enough time to blurt out a warning, before the door swings open behind him and hits him firmly in the back of the head. Captain Malkor, the right hand of Baron Tannith Swift, stands in the doorway with his sword drawn. He advances upon Krais. "Where is he?" he demands.

"Where's who?" asks Krais, genuinely puzzled. "The boy!" yells Malkor. "What boy?" - "Your brother!" - "I have two brothers." - "I said the boy, not the ape!" - "Oh Grint. Grint's not here any more." - "Don't lie to me, boy! Where is he?" Malkor brandishes his sword provocatively.

"What's all that noise?" yells Tarn, coming out of the kitchen, polishing a glass with a dirty rag. "The captain wants to see Grint, Dad," calls Krais. "Well, he can't see him," says Tarn. "Tell him to bugger off." Malkor roars and demands that Grint be delivered to him. Krais tries to calm things down, but Tarn has been riled.

"You come in poufy moustache and your stupid trousers… you come in my bar and try and tell me what to do? I suppose you expect us to bend over like a couple of cheap whores and your say so? Well you don't have an army behind you this time you jumped up little pus-pizzle, so sling your hook before you get on my bad side!"

"Dad," says Krais, "he's got a sword." Tarn snorts, "Yeah, well I've got his meat hook and if he keeps dancing around my bar like a fairy I'm going to use it. Come on Krais. You get your sword and we'll teach him a thing or two. We'll gut him like a fish."

"Now, calm down, calm down," says Illyan. Fortunately he backs up his words with a spell intended to calm the emotions of those in the room. The spell works spectacularly well on Krais and Tarn, but has no effect at all on Captain Malkor who is now extremely angry and lunges with his sword at Krais.

The force of the blow knocks Krais from his feet. Tarn snaps out of his reverie and leaps forward, trying to bury his meat hook in Malkor's neck. He misses and gets the hook stuck in the heavy leather of the captain's armour. Malkor turns and takes a swipe at Tarn. It is nasty wound. Krais tries to distract the captain but gets sword in the ribs for his trouble.

Illyan isn't having any of this. Using one of the new tricks Oma taught him, he uses his magic to summon a wolf made entirely of ice. The wolf leaps to defend Tarn and takes a chunk out of Malkor in the process. Krais uses the distraction to run upstairs and fetch his sword. He bundles into Mab and his mother on the landing but doesn't have time to explain what is going on.

By the time Krais has rushed back in the taproom, Illyan's ice beast has been destroyed. Malkor looks at Krais, "Do you think your grandfather's sword is going to be any use against me?" But Krais isn't listening and slaps the captain most effectively with the flat of the blade. Tarn pulls out a meat cleaver and the battle is joined.

Illyan summons another ice beast. From her position on the stairs, Mab hurls a knife that sticks in the captain's shoulder-blades. Krais goes down, but Illyan has him back up again in a jiffy (although the captain wounds him in the process). Suddenly an arrow whizzes across the tap room and imbeds itself in the captain's side. Salia Brewer reloads as she walks calmly across the room. Then Krais hits Malkor around the head and the captain slumps into unconscious.

Krais calls for Mab to tie the captain up, which she does with a worrying degree of speed and proficiency. Illyan uses his magic to tend to everyone's wounds and even Tarn allows the half-elf to touch him. They are just taking stock of the situation when the front door bursts open again.

It is Vitor Grushko, sword in hand. "Oh, I see he's arrived then," he says breathlessly.

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