Luthien could trust to his armor to deal with arrows...but that didn't work as well with spells. He hopped into action against the mage first, and drew his weapon. He knew he'd have to take down the mage quickly. And his allies would probably see to the archer before he had to.

Those marks.

"You are badly outnumbered, and there is little hope of survival or escape. You'd best surrender before my friends decide you don't deserve the opportunity."

  The Mage's eyes  were wild, her  teeth in a Grimace..You  travel with them, even after they  have Slapped Tou and the Humans in the face..At least  we... have  struck Back!

 he hands move again.

 The Archer  drew his Bow  again, aiming at Luthien

…

 Carn's  eyes  were wide..bulging, his   skin was reddening.. He feebly  reache dout  to  Kree  for  the Mushroom...

 Kree looked  down at him, a got  2 yards away...Think what your fellow arrows  felt, when they were being torn aprat  my the cannible people?... or how they felt  when they were laid on the  Alter  to be ground into bloody paste as an offering.... I do not know what gods you  follow Carn...you may or may not see your  dead comrades of The Arrow..but you will not see  us much longer..

 Elandra will let her hand x-bow hang from her belt as she grabs her staff with both hands. She will then move up behind the mage and go for a knock out blow to knock the mage out but not try to kill her.

Stardancer would make a solid hind hoof kick.  At her height it was easy enough to break a leg or back..or even a skull.  In any case no more arrows would come from her.

Luthien could only sigh, and then he swung hard at the mage, with his usual strength and precision. The irony is that if he struck a lethal blow, it's probably more merciful than what'll happen if the Captain gets hold of him.

Nonetheless, he wants to know why these two in particular have chosen to attack anyway.

"Struck back to what end? You ambushed the most heavily armored person in the group with all of his allies around. As strategies go, that one is...inadequate."

 Elandra saw Luthien swing towards the Mage, so this made it so much easier, Elandra would swing her staff and hit the Mage in the back of the head. The mage never knew what hit her as she dropped to the ground out cold Elandra hoped. She would then turn towards the archer and take a defensive position and see what the Archer will do now being all alone and outnumbered.

Large forceful hoof hit the bowman (Frek) in his shoulder.  effectively breaking his arm and if he lived would leave a massive and dark bruise.  Being a large creature, and with superior strength, as well as not truly noticed by the bowman she hit him in a sweet spot   The Bowman went flying  as well.  Over a table of baked goods and into the dirt.  The man slid doing a perfect scorpion before finally stopping.


(ooc: for lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl23TcdlDqM )

 the next moves that happened  where  Stardancer  Kicking the  archer who flew  a good   10 yards , landing  in a crumple d  pile  by  the stone   wall that held up the totem of the trace wood  arrows

  The Mageling  Fell even as  Luthien's Blade    sliced her   open..

   Teh grand Elder shouted.. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS

 the elder that greeted them said,you lied to an Elder!.. You said you lost people!

 Kree walked  past the gasping Carn,  he threw the mushroom as  far as he could, into the trees.

  I did not lie...As  a Captain, I  admitted , with some shame, that i have lose people, either through death... cowardice, or   moving on....I However.. found a few  folks along the way... some, my scale is balanced..  i found what i have lost, and  no untruth  passed my lips

 what of  Carn? what should  we  do with  him and His people...

 Carn is dead.. or will be..in about an hour..less if he was drinking too much wine..the fermantation speeds the poison along...and? there  is no real cure...

 then you did lie?

 , Nay  Vizzt  said , the  only  cure  for the poison  was one of thsoe mushrooms...to eat it casues you  to  passout  and die as your   throat closes  and  you   die to lack of breathing...he siad it is more human , then to burn from the inside...but CArn needs to pay..and understand he is paying, for the deaths  of Good  Arrows   who thought they were on a Mission for a goodly cause.

 CArn was   starting to wail now..  his skin was red..his eyes bugled even further.

 The arrows who put thier weapons  away... sue them to start a  new unit.. the two that chose  to attack.. Kill them now.. theya re of no use to th Arrows.

 The   High Elder  raised his  arms,..so shall it be done...  Bring forth the celebration..!

 Village guards  took the three   and moved them off  towards the   path to  the graveyards...

 I would not bury them with  Honest Trace wood  folk...

 The  2nd Elder   moved off as she said,your  point is made.. we  will leave them outside the tree line for the beasts..

 when she went to see to that.. the  music started  again.. and  Kree waved all his poeple  forward to sit at the table with the elders  to eat and drink

 Elandra watched as they took them away, Elandra bowed in prayer and said," May you now find Peace." Elandra approached the table she nodded to Kree, and she said," Thank you for letting me join you at this table, and join the wagons Quickshadow. If I can be of any assistance to you or your group I would love to join the Arrows officially."

     as the sat at the table, Kree opened  the pouch that had the   dozens of  ruby  arrows.in some form or another.

  You may keep the one yhou have. or pick one, more to yor liking..according to the 'Laws  of  Companies'...you company was  be  visable, or it is assumed  you are not a true member...people end up in the arena like that.

 The High Elder   drank some wine.. the   song played a few more  time in the back round. before moving to more  energetic  dance music.what do you do now.

 we travel to Ironmound, we will see what offerings  Reedrick has  for us..., but  before that, I must present myself to the Emperor, as Tou has  lodged  a complaint about Merchant's  Landing...there could be a war over this... or  the Emperor will merely laugh...eiether  way.. I will present myself as  I promised, my Unit  may follow   or  stay at the   Walk-the-Plank.

 The  Elders nodded,as  in  years past.. we will join with  the Balck Timber , if there should be war...

 indeed, soemthign you will hear the answer to, one way or the toher... Trok should  betalked to as well... they will gain as much from Mercahnts landing as   anyone esle.. sicne   caravans  going through The Trace. will stop there   as well. no matter  what direction they are going.

"What did they hope to gain by attacking 2 on an entire unit?"

The lack of strategy bothers him...was something ELSE going on?

...Just in case, he opens his senses.

 For Luthien, other then , the Dying  Carn..no one is totally Black,  all around  him are  greys .

 With people, thinking no more about  the swift  'fight' then they  did about  cleaning  horse droppings  from the  street.

 As the rest of the Arrows  sat  down, Food  was brought over to them and the Elders , while music played and people danced.

 Mao sat next to  Ivy  and talked to him a bit,  after  a few bites of  foodf, Moa and  Ivy left  for the inns.

Stardancer went to check on the archer who had been dragged off, a few arrows scattered about and unbroken.  she picked up 3 and examined their fletchings.  Then used them to replace ones she had recently lost.  It was then Kree waved for them so she moved closer to the main table, but did not sit.  It was obvious it would be difficult for her.  She did give a bit of a kneel before the elders seated at the table "Wisdom and Joy, Honored Elders" she spoke gently and then rose.  She stood quietly but one hind foot seemed to have a will of it's own as it tapped the ground lightly in time to the tune that was being played.

 Elandra smiled and looked through the pile of the ruby arrows, she looked through them and she didn't see any she liked more then the hair clip she already had, she would say to Kree," Thank you I will keep this one I do like it." She turned and nodded to the Elders and said," Pleasure meeting you may Peace be with you ."

    Orlin walks up "That was a beautiful kick Stardancer, Remind me not to agrivate you.  I'd like to keep my feet firmly on the ground."

"I rather thought that if I drew a weapon, I'd be perceived as a threat.  Instead just as a potential customer.  Most forget that for a horse it is the hind legs that are ...more dangerous" she replied in accepting the flattery.  She smiled brightly "He did fly well didn't he?"

Krwyn nudges Egle: "Wise man" he said and flashes him his ruby arrow, before he joins Kree and his friends.

  CArns  people were  Approached  by   Wardens and Sages.. they were taken to the  'Temple row' where 5  small buildings and several shrines  were set up, for the  people to  be  tested, as far as thier loyalty to Trace Wood and  the Crimson Arrows.

 All except  for Moa  who was  being 'questioned ' by  Ivy in the  Inn.

 well? Quickshadow, how long  will your people being staying? I know  the  Village would love to hear some stories of the desert..and the  Fall of  'the Beast of the River';

 we will leave tomorrow  night..that gives my people  tonight and  all day tomorrow to mingle with our Trace Wood , brothers and Sisters ..As  for stories...

 The  Head Elder  raises His  hand  as he stands,who wishes to  hear the Stories of the great sands... and the Fall of  'The Beast of  the River"

 People cheered and started to band   the thick wooden tables in the village square with  wooden and  pewter  mugs.

   Kree  shook his head  and   walked over to the   bards, and  ask them to play  'backround music..... I am not a Singer?.. we have seen, My singing killed  Carn!

 people laughed..

 ..My skill, as it were, is to tell Tales... they will be truth..and not  spiced for your pleasure, though.. the outcomes may leave you  smiling....

 A Elfmaid ran over  with a tall, cold pewter stein will wine in for  Kree, she stood  there and stared...

 people laughed  and then she kissed him and ran away, causing the people to laugh  and hoot.

 More kisses like that? I will not need  wine to get drunk!

 the elf maid hid her  face as people settled down to  hear the Story, Kree walked back and  forth, describing   thier entry into Mok..and continued on..

...........

 As the story went on, Some of the locals   gathered  aroudn the Arrows  to  ask them what part they had   in the story, and  how they came to be in Kree's Unit.

     Story telling was part of the Mage job description, and  Orlin wove a tale for those who asked supporting Kree's story, yet providing different details from the lone eagle rider that helped with the encampment then flew off into the night to the shape shifter who scouted ahead and the Catwoman who flowed through the shadows to strike as a mass of blades and claws.

    He spoke of the white Knight and his ability to hold his ground with the blinding power of his conviction,the lithe assassin who's wisdom and speed supported the group quietly, the great centaur who joined with her powerful bow just when she was needed the most.

    Orlin went into detail on those who had moved on and spoke of the fluid nature of the group that always seemed to have just the right warriors in it.  "Even as we speak, the sisters Kree prays to have brought us Elandra, and the benevolence of her goddess to help.  She sits and learns as you do of the people who will be her friends and comrades.

    He released the old one to tell parts that he missed and the ancient being, amused with the attention the ancient cat told of gliding on the wind and pouncing on unsuspecting prey.  He revealed that while chaos was not always good, it was always present when change was needed, and whispered how the conflict of the gods was necessary to create a fluid balance, changing enough to correct it's self, static enough to not to fall into ruin.

Luthien scours the world around him for darkness, finds none.

"Perhaps I will never know why. What a waste of life."

But hey, party. So, Luthien turns his attention to all the party people.

  The people  listen to the tales,  Tales they would not know of, save  for travelers  and Hints..Like the bright  bunring   the  saw   inside, and outside Mok... and   merchants  who traveled  to  river   speaking of  what they saw.

 But hearing the   stories of  those who fought there was exciting.

  Kree moved   aroung the town  after the stories   were   told,  BArds  sang of   heroes of the past..and of the war with Hargen

Stardancer heard Luthien talk as if to himself "What is it you wonder good Knight?" she asked him, hoping she did not cause him an embarrassment for asking.  He seemed a bit more aloof than the others.  Truth, she rarely had time to talk with him at all.

"They attacked the most heavily armored person on the team, while he's surrounded by allies, and they were badly outnumbered. The odds of them actually taking me down before they died were nil. And then, why me specifically? It was a suicide mission. What could've driven then that was so worth dying for?"

"They were swayed by falsehoods perhaps" she responded.  "Perhaps being so armored they thought you would be the hardest to take down,  so they would concentrate on you .  Either way you have a providence of having companions they will be at your side as you would be theirs" she gave a soft smile "Ones with big feet atleast"

Krwyn enjoys the merry atmosphere that envelops the whole village. The confrontation with Carn and his companions had been a smooth affair: he had expected there would have been more trouble.
He joins Luthien en Stardancer to feast the whole eveneing.