Sabetha looks down at the drawn longsword held down at her side (which had not been threatening Dalia), then at Blackberry.

Then she nods and sheathes it and trots with the others to Mead Hall.

"If Eva and Teb have not returned, we have to be prepared for the worst, and to defend ourselves.  Greth'g'karee spoke to me about it being for the best if the Frostmaiden were successful in wiping towns like Good Mead off the map to restore the balance of nature.  I do not know what he did during the carnage at Mead Hall last night.  Oddly, I do trust him to be truthful, as goliaths are.  That he brought the two children back is certainly a good sign."

Shander looks at Greth'g'karee and the two prisoners with wounded pride and obvious fear. "Of course," he says, "you are welcome to do as you like with the prisoners and we will be grateful for whatever you can provide." That said, he motions to two of his men to watch Greth'g'karee and his prisoners as he unloads his burden.

At Mallifeva's outburst, the assembled crowd inches away. They see the behaviors of both Eva and the young prisoner in the movements of the girl and, when they speak together, it is downright unnerving. The two men assigned to watch the group are clearly shaken as well, but they do their best to demonstrate their loyalty to Shander. Two of the women present swallow their fear and approach Mallifeva, attempting to help her prepare her sister for burial. They do not know what to do with the few ashen remains of Eva.

Greth'g'karee has the following:

Two maces, 3 scimitars, 4 mace heads, 3 warped scimitar blades, one set of leather armor (human-sized, with holes in it), one golden necklace with a pearl locket, one greataxe blade.

When he opens the chest, he sees the following:

800 sp, 200 gp, 10 precious gems, a pouch with letters, a stamp, and sealing wax, a lavender potion, and a spell scroll

It is again Eva who speaks (she has grown loquacious in her afterdeath): "I see the fear in your eyes, citizens of Good Mead. Do not fear! I have learned more in the past two days than I had learned in my entire previous life, which is now—for this girl's mind if more limited than the mind I had known—foggy. Here is what I have learned: Our body is merely a house for our soul. When the house is destroyed, the soul lives on—and, what is more, it is given another house. In this way, the soul never dies. The girl Mallifyr—who, together with these bandits, assaulted your town—grieves now. She regrets what she has done, though she is loath to admit it, and she has paid a heavy price," Mallifeva gently lowers Gwebona's corpse to the ground," for this is her sister who lies before you, and it was Mallifyr herself who demanded that her sister accompany her. Gwebona, for that was her name, did not want to join this raid; she only wanted to protect Mallifyr. Good citizens of Good Mead, I ask you to forgive this girl. What's more, I ask you to bury her—and the remains of what was previously my house—in your sacred ground. In exchange, I promise to you that Mallifyr and I shall make every effort to find who was ultimately behind this tragedy and make them pay the price of blood."

Naraeld - Short rest, 2 hit die - 8 hp (1's on both die - ouch). Using Second Wind - 8hp (back to max)

Naraeld's rest is disturbed. Whilst he watches the others attempt to sleep, he sits at the side of Elk Running's bed and as he did before in this room, he contemplates. The small break afforded to them comes at a cost, and his urgency to get back to Bryn Shander increases with each passing moment. Try as he might to relax, his worries niggle at his mind, curtailing his recuperation. When Dalia tells them of Greth's return, it takes Naraeld a concerted effort to rise up and re-invigorate himself - one well practised during his training for the guard, over the long nights of watch duty where each man was fighting off fatigue.

The lack of Eva being mentioned seems to strike different chords with each of them. For his own part, whilst the odd woman was intriguing, his emotions are currently all tied up into Elk's health. He leaves Elk in Tond's care as they make their way to the Mead Hall.

Along the walk he enquires with Dalia whether there is a sled available in town that she would know of, hoping to find somethign to speed up the return journey.

The two women helping Mallifeva with her sister give each other a brief look, then quietly continue to help her prepare the body. They are the only people willing to approach her for now.

Dalia doesn't know if anyone would have a spare dogsled, although, gruesome as it seems, the recent deaths might make a family or a relative willing to sell a deceased person's possessions.

When the folks who stayed at Tond's house arrive at the Mead Hall, they first see the hanging, mutilated body of the bandit that Naraeld had left unconscious in the Hall. When they enter, they see a group of about 20 to 30 people gathered around Greth'g'karee and two of the bandits. The watchers are giving the group a wide berth. Greth'g'karee seems to be examining a group of items on the ground and the contents of an open chest. One of the bandits seems to be cleaning a body with two of the villagers. The other stands still and nervously watches the crowd.

Shander is not actually in the group watching the goliath and the bandits. But his voice can be heard deeper in the Mead Hall, barking orders.

Aubin gazes at the mangled body. Well that is village justice I suppose. He then notices the crowd and Greth. He walks to the goliath while ignoring the stares. "Your back, now where is Eva? and what did you find in this chest?"

Greth'g'karee looks up at Aubin in reply, "I am gladdened to see you safe. Are the others as well? The body of Eva is there.." He points to a heap of charred ash and bones. "However, this land is ruled by spirits and Eva's did not wish to depart. She has possessed that one..." He points to Mallify. "Now her spirit dominates it, and she appears to know all that Eva knew." 

He gestures to the chest and a pile next to it on the floor, within it are the pouch with letters, a stamp, and sealing wax, and any contents of the locket he found. The locket itself, as well as everything else are in another pile. "This pile is ours. This pile is not." His voice is firm, but not unkindly so. 

"Zora and Jotann are dead, as are most of their band. The survivors scattered, except the possessed body of Mallifyr and this cowardly man here who wishes to be skinned alive for not taking the oath I have demanded of him. His last moments are being spent poorly in a state of careless hesitation. If he gives oath to us, he may possess information we need. Of course, we could always extract that as I skin him. His choice." The tone and direction of those final comments are obviously meant to be loud enough to startle the captive into responding...

Aubin looks shocked with his mouth open as he stares at Mallifyr. He recovers after a moment "Eve truly has a strong will even in death. Well I am glad she is not gone. The others are fine and we were able to kill Sephek, but his body just crumbled into nothingness. Torgga left already as she said she knew nothing in regards to Sephek's murders. I am inclined to believe her. Though we know she has ties to the Zhentarim"

He then bends down and reads the letters and takes the stamp and sealing wax.

Greth examines the chest itself to see how sturdy and useful it is as he asks, "What are Zhentarim?"

"They are a powerful group made of assassins, enforcers, spies, and mages. Their goal is power at any cost" says Aubin

Greth'g'karee looks around the room, then back at Aubin. Genuine confusion on his face. "Then, are all the Ten Towns of this, Zhentarim? From what you describe, I can think of no difference between them and any other outsiders who come to these lands. Miners, hunters... even these folk here, all cause terrible harm to the balance of life and the land. They all do so to gain wealth, is that not so? Perhaps I do not understand..."

"There is a difference as the Zhentarim is highly organized and with vast resources not available to those who created the Ten Towns." says Aubin

"Then... why are they here? If they are the larger clan, why have they not come in larger force? Or do they only intend to keep the smaller clans small? I know of this way... it is the way of many of the larger Goliath clans..." Greth looks as if in deep thought a moment, then stands, pulling out his skinning knife as he does. "I am done with this part.. now to the next."

@DM - Gonna need that NPC to choose real quick if he wants to take that oath!

The prisoner takes the oath. (Not home yet; please wait to kill)

@DM (LOL - no need to kill him if he plays ball!)

"I Know not all their machinations so I cannot really say" says Aubin.

Following the others back to the Mead Hall, Blackberry gazes at the hanging corpse.  He is mildly surprised that it evokes no emotion in him, neither of pity nor satisfaction nor horror.  Perhaps all of his empathy has been used up, and needs time, just like his healing ability, to recharge.

As he sees the Goliath wave at a pile of charred bones and indicate them to be the remains of Eva, however, his ears slowly droop downwards to hang limply on either side of his face. He walks over to the ash heap and sinks to his knees, head bowed, fists clenched.  Tiny damp spots appear in the soot where teardrops land.

As soon as Greth'g'karee gestures to Eva's remains, Sabetha rushes over and takes a knee, head bowed, over the body.  She barely registers the goliath's clarification regarding Eva's spirit and Mallifyr's body.  Yet, unlike for Blackberry kneeling beside her, no tears fall from her eyes

My sorrow and guilt are frozen deep in my heart.  I should have gone with you, Eva.  And Teb.

She swallows, then looks up sharply when she hears Greth'g'karee's continued explanation and discussion with Aubin about the Zhentarim.  Ignoring the latter, she immediately approaches the goliath and asks, respectfully but intensely:

"Zara and Jotann are dead?  You saw this with your own eyes?  Who slew them and their entire band of raiders - you and Eva alone?  I believe you to be honorable and truthful, giant-kin, but you must see that your claim at its surface seems to stretch belief, which is why I ask for the circumstance."

She considers further.  "If so, we should go burn their bodies and bring back their heads before Shander claims credit for that as well.  I would have done the same for Sephek Kaltro who attempted to murder Naraeld at Tond's home and abduct the comatose Elk Running, but his body disintegrated after we slew him.  Just before that, he freely admitted to being the Frostmaiden's thrall, so perhaps he was animated only through her dark magic."

Finally, when Gwebona's burial is complete, and she grasps the significance of where Eva's spirit is alleged to have found a new home, Sabetha approaches Mallifyr.  Voice once again soft, but intense:  "Is it true then, Mallifyr?  You, who bear the body of an accomplice to Jotann and Zara's willful murders and abduction of innocents and children are now home to Eva's spirit?  Tell me then, Eva, who else was present when I first met you?"

With the oath given by the prisoner, Greth'g'karee secures his skinning knife just as Sabetha begins to question him. He nods, a childish grin on his face. "There is a story worthy of your time to tell, but not amongst these others. Let them wonder... and fear what secrets we hold. Let the secrets of our band's mighty powers give others pause." He would indicate either outside (his preference) or an isolated corner to speak.

(( Assuming they make time and Sabetha agrees, Greth relays what happened ))

"We captured Mallifyr here, just outside the Mead Hall on our way to track the enemy. She spoke of how the majority were freshly enticed to join, and were betrayed. Her dead sister was in her arms as she told of this, and so we knew her heart was not false. We left her, and tracked the enemy to their meeting place some distance from here. As she was bitter and quarrelsome, so too were the many others like her. I stirred them forward, claiming any who struck down the bandits would be forgiven, and no blood feud would come of this day for their loved ones. A fight broke out, and I used it as cover to fire upon the enemy. Their mage used fire and killed a great many, but also of their loyal kith. With both sides decimated, and Zara dead by Jotann's fire, it was a simple matter of killing him to entice those who remained to flee. I took no scars from the fight, sadly, but Eva's old body was lost. The children were unharmed, and the vessel of Mallifyr and this cowardly one surrendered. I did not know to make a trophy of the heads - is this a custom of my new band? Is it only for the leaders, or do we take the heads of all we fight?"

He lets Sabetha absorb all of this before adding, "We should see if Shander tries to take claim. The town already knows the truth, as the children were witness. It would shame him as new Chieftain."

Moved by the harengon's tears, Eva puts a hand on the bunny's shoulder. "Grieve not, Blackberry," she says. "These bones, this scorched meat and ashen dust, were a mere house for my soul, a temporary shelter. Like all things on the Material Plane, it was not built to last. Just as much of the Mead Hall was destroyed by fire, so too was my body burned to the ground. Just as the good people of Good Mead persevere, so too does my spirit endure, a guest now in the house of Mallifyr. I, Eva, remain with you. Our little band remains unbroken."

Upon hearing Sabetha's voice, Mallifyr whirls to face her: "You!" Rage in her eyes, the ranger's internal struggle reawakens. Sabetha watches as Mallifyr's attitude softens. "You didn't have to...it wasn't...wasn't supposed to end in violence..." she blubbers, her eyes dry but her voice choking on despair. Sabetha recognizes the voice that answers her, "Quiet yourself, girl. Stop blaming others, and face what you have done. No, not you, Sabetha. You responded with justified anger and indignation in the Mead Hall. There is nothing for you to atone for."

Eva gazes into Sabetha's eyes: "Forget the world. Look inside me. Recognize me, my dear friend. We met at the Northlook. We both inquired with Myrtle about where to find Dannika. I remain forever indebted to you for inviting me into this party—this band. You said there was safety in numbers against the cold winds and hearts of Icewind Dale. Clearly, events have shown that your words remain as true as ever."

Eva embraces Sabetha, for several long seconds holding her tight.