It is early in the morning and the sun has just started to rise. The best time to start patrols are often very early. Reese organized this patrol into the forest, but she is not actually here. She had something to tend with the Grayson army. The others are just arriving. They were told to meet at the outskirts and travel North into the Gray forest to look for Shavs who have not bent the knee, corrupted animals and so forth.

Shard arrived even earlier, and so she's already here, checking over her equipment--which is to say, her bow at present, as she's in the process of stringing it as she leans against the simple brown horse she's brought with her. Like the rest of her clothing, her cloak excepted, the horse is nothing to remark about. There's a narrowness about her expression, however, particularly her eyes. A little bit of tension.

A late addition to the party, Lord Corban Telmar appears on time, rattling in his metal armor and with his longsword on his hip, a contrast to the ranger with her bow. He also has a ruck with some provisions, water, and the like, as one would need on a patrol. He makes his introduction in low tones, waiting for the others to come join them.

Shae, along with Gaston, Eirlys and Fiachra all arrive at the appointed meeting place likely already in the area in face. Having come from the direction of the Lodge of Petrichor. The Keaton woman is dressed in rough wildness hunting clothing and leather armor. Her backpack attached to the saddle of her War Elk. Her golden hair is actually braided and wrapped tightly around her head to keep it out of the way. And there is not tiny baby pygmy goat with her this time, she got left at home with Auntie Reigna. But Mal is perched on her shoulder. Her bow and quiver already in easy reach and ready to be used.

Fiachra is astride his own war elk, as the common mount for those born to House Greenmarch, supplies attached to the saddle. He's well armed and wearing his armour, strung bow across his lap as he guides Cerno with his knees. He's a little pale, as though recently recovered from injury, but otherwise seems to be in perfect health, and his green eyes are alert, scanning here and there. Both Shard and Corban are given nods of greeting, the Prodigal woman even getting a half-smile since the woodsman recognizes her from the Iron Tournament's archery contest. "Let's avoid the spirit boars this time, shall we?" he murmurs to his companions in dry humour.

Gaston, for his part, is on foot and looks far too large for something the size of a war elk in any case. He has his spear in hand, and gives a nod to the others as they all arrive. Looking to Fiachra, "No promises," dryly.

Eirlys is dressed in her leather armor, her raven colored hair is braided similarly to Shae's. She has her own War Elk Kieran and she has her sword strapped to her side. Eirlys has also recently had to recover from injuries but she seems to be doing fine healthwise. She is alert, listening for normal forest sounds as well as things that one normally doesn't hear in a forest. Eirlys does look at her brother for a moment. "Wait.. Spirit boars? What spirit boars?"

"Spirit boars?" asks Corban with a raise of his eyebrow when they are noted. "I take it that is not a boar of unusual enthusiasm?" See? Spirited boar? You get it? No. Well, okay, then. But with Gaston and Corban both on foot, he moves to one side of the mounted processional, letting Gaston take the other.

Shard straightens as the others arrive. Her eyes study each in turn, but there's no real greetings from her, not even a return nod, just a faint tightening of her jaw. Once she's finished stringing her bow, she turns and fairly springs up into the saddle of her own horse, settling the bow over the pommel of the saddle itself.

Rohm the Blackguard arrives, following Caelis.

Caelis arrives, following Edain.

Rohm the Blackguard leaves, following Caelis.

Caelis leaves, following Edain.

There is a fanit chuckle at the mention of of the spirit boars. Though Corban and Shard are greeted with a very wide cheerful smile. "Good morning, Lord Corban, Shard." Glance towards Eirlys and then back towards Corban, but her gaze settles somewhere inbetween as she looks around the area. Her keen eyes and ears paying attention to the wildernes around them. "I was kiddnapped by spirit boars when we went hunting a couple weeks ago."

The forest stretches ahead of the party. Eirlys takes point and Shae is in the middle. The sun is still rising. The party continues through the forest and they have been walking or riding for some time when finally there is something to possibly notice.

Corban checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Fiachra checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 23 higher.

Shard checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

Gaston checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 38 higher.

Eirlys turns and peers at Gaston for just a second before snapping her gaze forward eyes alert again. She knows better than to look back at her brother but it sounds like her jaw is slightly clenched. "You didn't think it might be important to tell me about the spirit boar and kidnapping?"

Shae checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 50 higher.

Eirlys checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Shard isn't a terribly talkative companion, or at least, she isn't this morning. She keeps one hand on her horse's reigns, and one on her bow, but she doesn't seem to use the reigns as much as one might expect; if one watches closely, she appears to direct the horse more with her knees than anything else. Her eyes stray often from their path to their surroundings, and to the ground below. Just now, there's a further tightening in her jaw, but as she has all morning, she stays quiet.

"They were very spirited, actually." Fiachra says with a grin at Corban, his eyes glittering with a dark amusement. "As in, spirits not laid properly to rest." He drops back to the rearguard position, though his eyes remain scanning the area around them. "Maybe we should start circulating a newsletter." he notes, dryly, when his sister speaks up. "We resolved it." He leans sideways, suddenly, looking at something on the ground. "Gaston, Shae, are you seeing this?" He's frowning at the tracks that he sees as he speaks to the other two, as he knows their tracking abilities are on par or superior with his from experience. "Since when do large cats move like this?"

Corban, for what it's worth, is not seeing this. When the group pauses to Notice things, Corban rattles forward somewhat cluelessly until he glances back and realizes he has wound up a few steps ahead of the partly. Casually backtracking like this was his plan the entire time, he pauses to see what the others might have learned.

Eirlys looks at the tracks and frowns. "Fia I am seeing it too." Her words are softer this time and this new development saved Fia from getting a rude gesture from his sister. "What do we want to do?" She asks quietly, trying not to let her voice travel to far. Eirlys uses similar tactics for riding her war elk, she uses knee pressure so she has the ability to wield a sword while riding.

"Aye... Seeing it... What do you think? Fifteen adult people, and maybe... A handful, five perhaps, mountain cats? Not sure what to make of it... Don't know of any nearby Abandoned tribes with tamed mountain lion... Or any at all, really, nearby or no," Gaston answers. A look to Shae, then, to see her thoughts.

Shae checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 38 higher.

Fiachra checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 17 higher.

Shard checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Gaston checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Shae's amber eyes swivel and flit abot them as they move along the trail. Her own hands for the most part don't heavily rest on the reigns of her War Elk, whom still needs a name, damnit! Like Eirlys, Shard, and Fiachra she uses her knees and thighs more then her hands. Eyes narrowing as she spies the tracks, strudying them before she glances towards Fiachra, Eirlys, and Gaston. Holding up a hand as she leans over in her saddle, to look at them even more thoroughly. Nodding to the group as they talk about the tracks. "Yes. It's groupd of 15 adults, 6--," She hmms to herself a little there. "Lynx, larger then they should be. Perhaps like those wovles Aiden's group came across. They came through here about an hour ago. We can catch up to them if we would like or we can try and avoid them going the oppostie way, but we would need to be quiet about it."

"Fifteen's large for a hunting party," Shard says, finally breaking her silence. She lets the observation hang for a moment. "Could be a war party. Could be a band moving camp. Could be they're moving in larger numbers for protection." And then, after another beat, she says, especially dryly, "Or they could just be a large hunting party with really, really big cats."

"If they're like the wolves with Aiden's group, I doubt they're for protection... Perhaps we should take a closer look," Gaston comments.

Corban does not even try to analyze the tracks out in front of them, his eyes flicking one person to the next as those with more skill than he work through what they might mean. "Agreed," he says finally, when Gaston speaks up. "If our goal is to discover unusual things in the forest, then we would not be doing our job if we evaded a group of unusual lynxes."

"If we avoid them, someone else might pay the cost for us not doing so." Fiachra agrees. "The question then becomes, do a couple of us better at moving silently run ahead and come back, or do we risk moving as a group and giving them fair warning before we get a better look?"

"Agreed, we move forward then." Eirlys agrees as she pulls her sword from it's sheath so that she is ready.

"I'm up for trying to sneak up on them to scout it out myself, but... If we get noticed, Alis will never forgive us if something happens to you. Your decision, friend," Gaston replies towards Fiachra.

The tracks continue to the the north and if the party moves quickly they will be able close the distance between themselves and the other party. Eventually they come across a camp in the distance. It is hard to see much at first and they are in danger of being noticed themselves.

Corban checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Corban checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Shard has rolled a critical success!
Shard checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 23 higher.

Gaston checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 48 higher.

Fiachra checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Fiachra checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Gaston checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 31 higher.

Eirlys checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Shae checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 23 higher.

Shard checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Eirlys checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Shae checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

The party is for the most part rather quiet and things are looking good when it comes to evading notice. That is until Shae mistakenly steps on a twig and causes a noise. It is easy to crunch twigs while in the woods and event though it is daylight, the overhang provides a kind of darkness that makes it hard to see everything. Shae might not have been noticed at all, if this camp didn't post lookouts, but they did. The Shav ranger hidden in the woods up ahead noticed her and is peering into the forest. "I heard something." He says to the man next to him and the two lift their bows. They are still at at a distance. If they can even reach the party with their weapons is in question. They haven't noticed the entire party, just Shae.

This party is quite alert. The notice a camp in the distance composed of round huts that can probably be packed up and moved if needed and fenced off pens for animals that contain dire lynxes. This appears to be a warrior camp, there are no children, only adults in leather and toting weapons. Food cooks over a fire.

Shard who is amazing alert is able to count their numbers six cats, ten warriors to be seen in the camp. Maybe some more are in the huts. There are four scattered lookout scouts and she can pin point them all, including the two with their bows drawn.

Shard, by the time they start coming in range of the camp, has pulled her hood up over the leather helmet she's wearing. She flashes finger signs to the others--two fingers, and a jab toward the two archers in the trees, two more, and a jab toward the other scouts. She opens and closes her hand twice, and points toward the camp, then makes a circle gesture and points toward the huts. Another open and closed hand, then an additional finger, and a point toward the penned cats. Her grip on her bow, with the hand not flashing numbers at her compatriots, tightens, and she sits up straighter, bringing her horse a little closer to the camp, maybe a little further down the line than she should.

Corban keeps his head up to see what the scouts can see from his position amongst the trees. He nods his head when Shard signals, keeping his sword out in front of him as he watches the group and then looks back out towards the camp, judging their position and their options.

"Good point. I'd rather not be confined to the manor for the rest of my life." Fiachra replies, to Gaston, before they move ahead as a group to investigate. There's a small wince when he hears the twig snap, but his eyes move immediately to the hand signals coming from Shard. His hood is already up, and he slips from Cerno's back. A few gestures are made, their meaning clear - he wants to try and take the scouts out befoe they can alarm the rest of the camp to their presence.

"Who goes there?" The scout calls out while keeping his bow trained on Shae who is the only he can see. She is not in range yet, but he takes a step forward.

Corban checked intellect + war at difficulty 15, rolling 23 higher.

Eirlys slides down off her elk and stands behind Kieran using him as cover. Otherwise she is staying quiet though she has her attention trained on the scouts and Shae.

Fiachra checked intellect + war at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Gaston checked intellect + war at difficulty 15, rolling 3 higher.

Gaston creeps up closer to the scouts... Perhaps he can Fiachra can take them out before they raise the alarm.

Shae checked charm + animal ken at difficulty 30, rolling 23 higher.

Shard slips her bow over one shoulder and abandons her horse. She drops lightly to the ground and goes immediately for a likely looking tree that overlooks the camp, with the intent of climbing up to a spot where she can brace herself for shooting. She looks, if anyone happens to get a look at her face under the hood, decidedly unhappy.

Shard slips her bow over one shoulder and abandons her horse. She drops lightly to the ground and goes immediately for a likely looking tree that overlooks the camp, but rather than start climbing, she sets it between herself and the scouts with the drawn bows. Then she cups gloved hands around her mouth and calls in Northlands Shav, "Who goes there?"

Corban considers his options for a moment, turning them over in his head. On the one side, he seems to reason, drawing lines in the air, they could attempt to distract and disorient. And then he looks at the group and shakes his head. No, he doesn't know them well enough, they haven't drilled together. Raising a hand, he makes a chopping gesture, indicating that they should move to the east as a group. A standard gesture for those who I have fought in bands before. The question is if others will follow the Telmar's lead.

The men now look in Shard's direction. She has distracted them somewhat from Shae and the bird call might have distracted them as well. They speak Crownlands Shav, but they can understand a little of her words. "The wildcats. You are on our turf. Step out and show your self more fully." They say, pointing their bows at her. They are speaking on Crownlands Shav, but Shard can make out the general jist of their words.

Corban checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

Eirlys sticks close to Shae in the event that the men try to attack. She won't let the Keaton get hurt and risk something worse than those cats down there.

Gaston checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 17 higher.

Fiachra checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

There is a motion between Fiachra towards Corban - acknowledgement of the direction, but he's not about to leave Shae open to attack, and she's already been noticed. So he starts moving in the direction of the scout opposite the one that Gaston is attempting to close on. He seems to be reluctant to attack outright unless provoked, and as Shard calls out, he smirks to himself, admiring her cleverness. For the moment, he's willing to play wait and see.

Her her part Shae is making sure to stay out of bow reach, and once they seem distracted by Shard and maybe the quite excellent brid call, she is going to move a little and try to slip behind a tree or two.

Gaston moves up slowly to circle around and behind the archer, waiting at his back. Not moving however for now, unless he decides to try and take a shot at Shae, as the woman moves to cover.

Shard remains behind her tree, trying to listen as carefully as she can to the movements around her. She also looks up, perhaps planning her climb, if it comes to that. "Sorry!" she calls back, still in Northlands Shav, "But I don't want to take any chances out here. I'll come out if I can be sure you won't shoot me." She pauses just a moment. "I caught a look at your cats. They're beautiful, but they look a little sick to me. Are they alright?"

Shae is able to slips behind some trees and take partial cover. The two men continue to hold their bows and now most of their focus is on Shard. "We won't shoot you." One of the men says, but of course he could be fibbing. "Oh, they are fine beasts, fine beasts. You don't want to get near to them, they will tear you apart if given the chance. Come, come to camp and have food with us. They are in their pens, all is well. Bring your friends too." He says, maybe speaking of Shae and Eirlys. The archers haven't notice Gaston, Fiachra or Corban. Fiarchra and Gaston can get close to the archers and Corban can approach the east side of the camp. Now that he is closer, Corban can see those those lynxes are drooling green salvia and appear far from normal.

Corban's eyes go wide as he gazes upon the lynxes, looking from them to the other part of the group stationed near the look-out and then back to the lynxes. But from this distance, he would have to be shout to be heard, blowing his cover.

Once behind cover, she presses back against the tree for a moment, reaching down as her brows furrow and she winces a little grabing at her knee. Glancing in Shards direction she shakes her head at the invitation. As if she someone knows it is a trap, using a hand to indicate that it is a bad idea.

Gaston looks to Fiachra then, and holds up a hand with three fingers. Then, he slowly pumps his hand once, twice, three times... He certainly hopes Fiachra gets the idea, as once the count reaches zero, he brings the spear up and around, attempting cold-cock the first archer on the temple with the butt of the weapon.

"I don't know..." Shard says. She sounds just terribly uncertain, although from Shae's vantage point, the half of her face that's visible doesn't look uncertain at all. "I was told to watch out for animals that looked like that. I heard they got sick and violent. I heard they made people sick too. Maybe, um, maybe I should just go."

Eirlys checked perception + empathy at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Fiachra checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 6 lower.

Gaston checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

Shae checked charm + animal ken at difficulty 20, rolling 39 higher.

And around the butt of Gaston's spear comes, clubbing the speaker over the head, the large Blackram making it look easy. He moves forward to try and catch the man, so there's no sudden sound of a fall, as he glances towards Fiachra to see how his fellow is doing...

Fiachra does seem to catch Gaston's gestures. He grimaces, since disabling really is not the normal purview of an archer, but he's game to try. He reverses his grip on his bow so that he can attempt to give the man he's snuck up on a hearty thump on the head. Unfortunately, the bow's not really a very good weapon for making the attempt with.

One of the archers is soundly knocked out by Gaston's blow to his head. The other one was attacked by Fiachra and still is standing. He looks frightened and makes a good deal of noise, hoping to alert the camp. He calls out in Crownlands Shav. "Under attack, under attack!" He is an archer and doesn't really have great melee skills and so instead of trying to attack when he finds himself close to both Gaston and Fiachra he tries to run.

Corban who is concealed near the east of the camp can see the warriors there rousing themselves and reaching for their weapons. One of them goes to open the cat pen.

It is sometime around then that the call of a bluejay is hard, form off in the forests. Apparently Shae was rather talented at mimicking animal sounds with perfection.

Shard swears under her breath. She turns and reaches up, attempting to climb the tree she was hiding behind as quickly as possible, hopefully without alerting every remaining scout in the area.

Well, there goes the element of surprise. Instead of elaborate hand-gestures, Corban stands up from his position and just shouts. "On me!" he calls, the six-foot Telmar more obvious from his position to the east. "Forget the scout! Get me arrows on the one running for the pens! To your right, approximately ..." He calls out the yardage. And then he stands, sword at the ready, in case the arrow doesn't land, waiting for his backup.

Fiachra checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 31 higher.

"Shit." Fiachra flips his bow in his grip again, and as Corban calls, he's swinging in an arc until he's pointed in the correct direction, using the Telmar's voice to help guide his sighting. An arrow is quickly drawn, nocked, and loosed on the next breath. It thunks solidly into the man running for the pen, enough to keep what cats are inside the thing secure for at least the moment, though his target is still alive. As soon as it's released, he's heading in Corban's direction so that they don't remain scattered. He no doubt heard the bluejay call, but continues to move.

Gaston, for his own part, is already running towards the camp even as Fiachra lines up his shot. For a big man, he certainly can move with swiftness, and silence.

The warriors in the camp have their weapons drawn and they were able hear Corban's scream. They also are able to see that a arrow went flying at the their comrade. There about ten of them gathered here outside the huts, but likely more inside. A few have bows and they are loading them up, likely with the intention of aiming toward Fiachra. The rest are turning to Corban is the only melee target.

Shae peels out of cover and starts to run in the same direction as Gaston. "Go towards Fia, I am not going leave Gaston." She waves her hand as she is pulling an arrow free from her quiver already, so she can take a shot once she is close enough.

Shard pulls her bow free and braces herself against branch and trunk. Less than a second later she has an arrow fitted to the string. "Drop your weapons, Wildcats!" She shouts into the camp--barks, more like--with as much authority as she can muster in Northlands shav. "Run for your freedom! Anyone who attacks, dies where they stand!"

Eirlys nods to Shae whom she has obviously been whispering to. She gets to her elk and remounts quickly before using her knees to ride down to the camp. Her sword is already out and she is ready to attack when she reaches the area.

As he continues in Corban's direction, Fiachra draws another arrow and nocks it. He seems to be in agreement with Shard, and will not take aim on anyone not moving to attack. Anyone closing with the group, however, he won't hesitate to shoot, as he's already raising his bow once more.

Corban checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 20 higher.

Shard wields a largely unremarkable rubicund longbow.

Shae wields Wyndsong.

Fiachra wields Andraste, a holly and redsteel shortbow.

Fiachra checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 7 higher.

Corban is brave. But he isn't stupid. When he draws the ire of the melee warriors in the camp, he pulls back from his position near the east entrance, moving backwards towards the rushing mounted and heavy infantry, his sword out in front of him. But plainly, a fighting retreating is not the same as Abandoned rushing towards him. And so when the clash comes, the Telmarch soldier slashes across the chest, sending his first interlocutor spinning away, bleeding.

Shae checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 7 higher.

Shard checked command + intimidation at difficulty 30, rolling 2 higher.

The Shavs seem intimidated by Shard, but are not going to break and run yet, not while there are still so many of them up. Shard is scary, but she is at a distance and the Shavs have them out numbered. Still her words are not without an effect. A group of three Shavs who are in the hut, stay huddled in there trying to hide rather than joining the fight. And one of the guys on the field tries to sneakily break off from the others with the intention of retreating. Two of the Shavs have been hit by Fiachra and one has been by Corban. This leaves two archers shooting at Fiachra and five melee fighters. Four target Corban, while one is trying to sneak away from the camp, so he doesn't have to encounter Shard.

The Shavs seem intimidated by Shard, but are not going to break and run yet, not while there are still so many of them up. Shard is scary, but she is at a distance and the Shavs have them out numbered. Still her words are not without an effect. A group of three Shavs who are in the hut, stay huddled in there trying to hide rather than joining the fight. And one of the guys on the field tries to sneakily break off from the others with the intention of retreating. Two of the Shavs have been hit by Fiachra, one by Shae and one has been by Corban. This leaves two archers shooting at Fiachra and four melee fighters. Three target Corban, while one is trying to sneak away from the camp, so he doesn't have to encounter Shard.

Reese GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + archery(3) at difficulty 40, rolling 3 lower.

Reese GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + archery(3) at difficulty 40, rolling 29 higher.

Reese GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium(3) at difficulty 30, rolling 10 higher.

Reese GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium(3) at difficulty 30, rolling 9 higher.

Reese GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium(3) at difficulty 30, rolling 4 lower.

Fiachra checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 0 higher.

Corban checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

Corban checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 17 lower.

Corban checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 11 higher.

Corban is attacked by several Shavs. A lesser warrior would have fallen, but only one is able to make contact with him. He gets a rather painful sword strike to his left side that leaves him bleeding. The blade found a weakness in his armor. This might leave a scar and he will need to be tended by healers later. The man is still able to fight though and such is a good thing. Fiachra was almost hit by an archer, but it just missed him. Now the rest of the party can reach the camp. The find themselves in the presence of two archers, the penned up six cats and three melee fighters. A few fighters are hiding in huts and one is fleeing. The cats start to growl and hiss and howl. They want out.

Corban takes moderate damage.

Corban checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 11 higher.

Shard checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 8 higher.

Eirlys checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 8 higher.

Fiachra checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 14 higher.

Gaston has rolled a critical success!
Gaston checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 36 higher.

Shae checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

"Any time now!" shouts Corban above the melee surrounding him, his quip cut off by the sharp sting of a blade sinking in to his side. He is able to spin away from the worst of it, however, the adrenalin of being in real battle once more going to his head. He manages to lunge back in against the horde around him, cutting one at the thigh and drawing blood that sends him sprawling to the ground. He then turns back, awaiting the onslaught. Or perhaps the calvary.

Spears aren't supposed to be able to bisect people, are they? Probably not. Great, large axes probably. Halberds. Greatswords. These all seem like they can chop a man right half. Probably not a glaive however, even a rubicund one, right? Gaston, it seems, disagrees. And so does his spear. The torso goes to the left, the legs to the right. And then he turns his feral gaze to glare murderously at the other shavs, perhaps to see if they'll break and run now.

Shard steadies herself in the tree. She seems quite done with talking now, because she offers no more warnings. No more shouts. She aims at one of the archers drawing down on Fiachra, pulls her own bow back to full draw, and fires. Her arrow takes the archer through the back of the neck, and while death is not immediate, or pretty, it's certainly quick.

Taking another arrow from his quiver as one goes by him close enough that he's certain it splits a few of his hairs, Fiachra curses under his breath in the tongue of his birth rather than the common tongue. He takes aim again, letting his arrow out on the exhale which, once again, finds its target in flesh.

Eirlys yells to Corban. "We are getting there as fast as we can!" She gets to the area she goes for the abandoned closest to her. Her sword sinks into the person's body then she twists the sword before pulling it back out of the person.

Having stayed with Gaston, Shae whirls around, even with her limp she doesn't let it slow her down, at least not if she has any say in it. Pulling another arrow from her quiver, it is nocked. The bow string pulled back as her keen eyes sweep over the chaos of the melee. Picking out one of the man that is moving to attack Corban, and quickly lets the arrow loose. Sinking deep into flesh as it finds it's intended one.

The six cats are howling in the pen and scratching at the wood. They want out. The Shavs in the huts try to hide!

"We need to either secure those Lynx or put them down," says Corban as he takes stock of the situation around them, spitting out orders without much of a second thought of it. "I defer to the animal lovers among us, but we cannot simply leave them. And let us take the remaining Abandoned here prisoner so they can be questioned where these things came from and take the knee if they so wish." It is all very efficiently said, the Commander beginning his march towards the huts.

Shard joins the others not long after the last fighter has fallen, still in the process of looping her bow over her head and one shoulder. Her eyes narrow at Corban, and then her gaze flicks toward the huts. "We can question them here, can't we? I doubt they're going to want to join the people that just killed half their band." She moves to keep pace with him; there's clear tension throughout her shoulders.

"Shae or Fiachra might know better, but there's no saving the cats, I don't think. Better for them and us both if they're put down now, I think, more's the pity," Gaston remarks with a frown. He does, however, go to check and see if any of them can in fact be spared.

"As much as I hate to say this, they look tainted. Which means we can't just leave them." She looks at her brother then Shae, a frown on her face as she talks. "Unless Fia or Shae can see something that we can't? Possibly a way to make sure they are not tainted but I don't think that is the case."

Shae heads for the Lynxes. Eyes a little hard to read as she looks them over. And at least attempting to calm the beasts if at all possible as she stands there. Showing a firm authority in her actions to them, as they are likely trained and would hopefully respond if that is the case.

"Shard has a point. Perhaps simply question them and let them go. You can't force someone to bend the knee, that never ends well." The Prodigal prince points out, dryly. He moves to join Shae, however, to get a closer look at the cats and see if they're tainted beyond possible saving by comparing what he sees to his experience with tainted animals in the Oathlands.

A line presses across Corban's lips as he looks around his companions. At some point, he appears to do the math on the ratios here, and simply nods his assent to the prince and the mercenary. "Very well," he says finally. "I will let you make the decision after our interrogation has concluded." On this, the Telmarch commander defers, leading the march to the huts, but allowing those that know the Abandoned dialects to take the lead on the actual questions.

The cats are killed by the archers. They go down howling in agony and screeching as they keep trying to get out. They do make it out. They die and it is not a pretty death.

The Shavs are questioned, frightened and sent on the way with none of their gear.

When the adrenalin of the battle passes, Corban steps into the background, allowing those more accustomed to the Abandoned dialects to conduct the questioning and those with more empathy towards animals to conduct the euthanasia of the lynxes. He looms as the heavy behind those making the threats, kicking gear as appropriate to show that They Mean Business and the Abandoned Should Not Be Seen Here Anymore. But once that is done, the Telmarch warrior lets out a heavy sigh. "Let's go home. I need bandages."

Fiachra makes his part of contributing to the death of the cats as fast as he can, but there is only so much one can do when needing to avoid any possibility of bites or scratches from the tainted beasts. He'll listen to the interrogation - or as much of it as he can catch the gist of - without tipping his hand as being able to understand any language other than the common one, considering he's wearing the colours of a member of House Valardin. Finally, though, he will offer a warning that they should have taken their second chance after Brand was destroyed, and make it clear - along with the others - that there will not be any further ones given. And when everything is done, he just looks as ready to head home as some of the others.

Once the cats are taken care of, the abandoned left alive are run off is when Eirlys sheaths her sword before she tells the group that she wants to take care of the dead. She will drag all those that were killed to one spot by herself if she has to. She will set it up for a funeral pyre. Well more of a makeshift one before she recites the prayer for the dead that she knows from her own people. Once that is done then she will make sure the fire is lit and the bodies are taken care of in the way that she knows of her people. It's the best she can do. Once done she looks at the group with a very neutral face. "I hope that was enough."

Shard, for all that she might have shown certain sympathies prior to talking to the shav'arvani in the hut, shows none when actually talking to them. She doesn't shout, or lift her voice; she's utterly cold, almost quiet, and she gets no warmer the more answers she gets. Her final advocacy for what to do with them doesn't offer any particularly mercy either, apart from the fact she's not suggesting they be put down like the lynxes, at least, just quite literally run off...in the middle of winter, without any supplies, not even their shelters. And once it's all done, she doesn't seem to show any real regret for the whole matter either. She helps with packing things up, and taking care of the dead, but she mostly goes back to her previous travel silence.