Hex finds the paladin leaning against the building's front wall, his forehead pressed to the stone. His hair—still summer golden—drips with rain and falls over his face, almost completely obscuring it. The halberd lies discarded on the ground, and his fists, pressed firmly against the wall, are covered in a with a thin frosty layer despite the mild weather. He is breathing deeply and muttering something under his breath.

When he realizes he's not alone, he gazes in Hex's direction, his eyes meeting hers. They lack the vibrant warmth of his Summear appearance, the golden faded to a bluish hue. “No. I didn’t.” His voice is quiet but heavy with regret. "He was completely surrounded. Outnumbered. He never stood a chance. Iorg wasn’t innocent, but he shouldn't have ended this way. What’s the point of swearing an oath to protect if I can’t even fulfill it in a situation like this, where we had the means to succeed without bloodshed within our grasp?" Auriel pauses, his gaze shifting to the ground. Suddenly, he gives a laugh that sounds cold and careless, very different to his usual laughter. “It would be so easy to cast everything aside. To let go and act without the burden of oaths or morals.”

The eladrin falls silent after this. Then, as sudden as the burst of laughter, his breath catches as the weight of his own words hits him. He shakes his head, and mutters, “What did I just say? Tyr above, what did I just say?” He looks at his hands, at the frost still covering them, and begins to shake it away until it vanishes completely.

When the paladin meets Hex’s gaze again there is shame in his eyes, but his voice sounds softer, and he displays the colours of Autumn once again. "I'm sorry. I hate this version of me. I don't like showing it. It'll pass.”

"What of the other?" he asks, his voice sharpening with purpose. "The minotaur?"

"Yes, Walharrow is free," Bhevek says. "He nearly gored us in the hallway. He was moving downward, he didn't come through here?" Ukharim shakes his head. "Long gone. He ran through a couple of the jailers in the dungeons, but those that had sense got out of there," he says. He looks back to the party with further explanation, "Our dungeons connect to a large cave system. It's how we move some of our more troublesome prisoners in. Safer that way, less harm they can cause if they break loose and less chance of their associates interfering. It's the way we brought Walharrow in, and most likely the way he followed out. There's no getting that one back."

“What do you want in exchange for telling us everything you know about Krulek and the sorcerer dragonborn? Your freedom, I assume.” Turning to the Grimshackles, he states, “Then that is what I want.”

Ukharim nods to Bhevek as Auriel turns away. "Rathene's in your custody, then. More trouble than she's worth, obviously," he says with a glare at the half-orc, whose face remains a stoic neutral throughout the discussion. "You're free to leave with her," Bhevek tells Hildigrim and Carlthuzad. "And my brother's debt to you is paid."

A thousand questions flood Hildigrim's mind as Bhevek mentions dungeons and cave systems, but they’re abruptly silenced when the brothers release Rathene into their custody. The halfling’s lips part in momentary surprise, but he quickly closes them again, his expression shifting to one of measured control. He glances briefly at Carl before returning his gaze to the brothers.

"Very well," he says, addressing Rathene with a stern tone. "You're with us now. Cause no trouble, or you’ll find yourself back in your windowless cell faster than you can think. For the time being, your life is in our hands."

Turning toward the half-orc, Hildigrim extends one hand, his fingers curling in a no-nonsense “hand it over” gesture, his other hand resting on his rapier. "You won’t be needing that while we’re traveling." Once she relinquishes Hex's weapon, the Watcher pivots back to the Grimshackle brothers, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"And where are her things?" he demands, his voice firm. "She’s not leaving here looking like that."

Carl glowers at the Grimshackle brothers, trying to ignore their comment, but he can't.  "One of those "damned dwarves" just saved you're arse.  And my good brethren here, of course.  So shut yer yap, if ye don't mind."  He goes back to chewing his cheek and scratching his beard, commenting to himself, "No way ta avoid it.  There was no fancy talkin' yer way outta that situation.  Hate that it came to it, but here we are."  He nods and gives a grim smile to Hildigrim, saying, "Thas alright, I know that not all halflings are the same.  Those two over there should learn that it is the same with dwarves..."

He stands with his arms crossed, facing the Grimshackle brothers, nodding when Hildigrim asks for her things.  "After tha, we can be outta your hair.  Then It can be getting back to running this tight ship that you've got going here."  Carl grunts with a laugh to himself, waiting to hear what the brothers say.  He turns to look for Auriel, concerned, noting how he stormed out and feeling bad that it came to this.

Hex listens to Auriel with a furrowed brow, the worry on her face obvious. As he voices his shame, her expression softens for a moment before her eyes steel with resolution. "No... I don't think it would be easy to let go of your oath and morals. Not for you at least. You'd feel way too guilty," she says with a lighthearted laugh. "You have a kind heart, Auriel, much more than most people in the world. Hell, more than most of the people in our group." She steps out into the rain and picks up his discarded halberd. She doesn't hand it back to him immediately but holds it in her hands and admires it for a moment.

"If it makes you feel better, you've been a positive influence on me, I think. I actually felt bad when Iorg died. The old me wouldn't've cared at all. Probably would've even been happy he was gone." She leans onto the wall next to the paladin and takes one of his hands into hers, gently rubbing his fingertips to try and warm them from the frost. Her hands are much warmer than most people, probably due to the devil's blood that flowed through her veins. She doesn't look into his eyes, just staring at their hands as she continues to speak. "That's why I think you shouldn't give up on your oath and morals. You're doing so much more good than you realise. There aren't that many good people in the world. I- We can't afford to lose you too."

She looks up to meet his gaze, her eyes filled with a great amount of faith and trust, as she places the halberd in his hand. "And, hey. It's okay to have some... "uncomfortable" thoughts every now and then. It's even better to let them out. I'm always here if you need someone to tell them to. Your thoughts don't mean anything anyway. It's your actions that count." Her demeanor suddenly changes from the sombre tone of the conversation to her usual carefree self as as she straightens up from the wall and laughs, reaching over to push the wet hair out of his face. "And besides, I'm pretty sure I have way worse thoughts than you do, haha."

Auriel watches Hex carefully as she speaks, his expression gradually shifting from shame to gratitude. He stays quiet, feeling the warmth shake the cold away. When she returns the halberd to him, he grabs it with a steady grip, and it is as though the weapon weighs lighter now that it has passed from her hands to his. The paladin blinks, feeling as if an invisible bubble had suddenly popped in front of him.

Giving her a soft smile, Auriel looks down for a moment before raising his reddish-brown eyes again. "I… didn’t know I was being such a good influence." He exhales, feeling the weight of her words settling on his shoulders—not oppressively, but rather... grounding, centering him. His tone lightens, and spark of Autumn optimism breaks through when he adds, "I’m glad I can be part of that, Hex."

As she brushes the wet hair from his face, the elf softly places a hand over the tiefling's, lingering just a moment too long. “Though I’m not sure if I should be relieved you think your thoughts are worse than mine. Should I be worried?” He chuckles softly. "Perhaps we both should take your advice and share these thoughts more often. Wouldn’t want them to pile up and get too dark to handle!"

Hex laughs and shrugs. "Ah, nothing you need to be worried about. But I'll be sure to keep it in mind." She gives him a cheeky smile before motioning to where the rest of the party are. "We should probably rejoin the others. Hopefully they've gotten everything sorted out now."

She waits for Auriel to go first before following behind him.

Auriel gives Hex a warm smile and a nod. "Yes, we probably should..." he replies, looking past the ranger toward the building. His reluctance to reenter is evident, and for a moment, it seems he will choose to remain outside in the rain rather than take shelter in the jail. But with a resigned breath, he ends up stepping inside.

Once they rejoin the group, Auriel looks at his companions and says, “Sorry for storming out.” He plants the halberd firmly on the ground, leaning against it as his gaze shifts to the Grimshackle brothers and finally to Rathene. “Are we ready to leave?” If Rathene and the party are prepared, then the paladin will gladly leave the prison behind. 

"Very well," he says, addressing Rathene with a stern tone. "You're with us now. Cause no trouble, or you’ll find yourself back in your windowless cell faster than you can think. For the time being, your life is in our hands."

Turning toward the half-orc, Hildigrim extends one hand, his fingers curling in a no-nonsense “hand it over” gesture, his other hand resting on his rapier. "You won’t be needing that while we’re traveling." Once she relinquishes Hex's weapon, the Watcher pivots back to the Grimshackle brothers, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"And where are her things?" he demands, his voice firm. "She’s not leaving here looking like that."

"It's fine," Rathene says, handing Hex's weapon back to Hildigrim and following Auriel and Hex out the door. "I'd rather not overstay my welcome," she adds behind her back.

Carl's remarks seem to quiet the Grimshackle brothers, though Bhevek's eyes twitch at the rebuke.

Braden Yil is still waiting outside the prison when you depart through its front entrance. His jaw a bit agape and eyes wide, he asks, "Is that the captive? You didn't...I heard bells and shouts, did you..."

He stops himself and holds his hands up to ground his stammering. Adjusting his collar, he says more calmly, "I don't want House Cadorna involved in a jailbreak. The gold I gave you was to help solve this diplomatically."

Auriel raises his hands in a calming gesture toward Braden. "It's not a jailbreak, Braden. The Grimshackles released Rathene into our custody. The bells and shouts you heard were because a jailor bribed by Krulek freed another prisoner and set the building on fire. This isn’t the outcome we expected, but it’s far from what you're suggesting," he explains, his hand pressing to his chest as he adds, "I take full responsibility. After all, it was my request that Rathene be freed in exchange for helping Ukharim Grimshackle."

Hoping this is enough to calm the merchant, the paladin exhales and turns to look at Rathene. "Which brings me to the next question. What are you going to do now? I don’t expect you to accompany us to King's Pyre, much less return to your former boss and report on us. But I am curious—what do you plan to do with the freedom you've earned? 

Also, I believe you owe us everything you know that might aid our mission. You may not care about it, but the people of Phlan need the Iron Route freed. And that is what we intend to achieve. Will you help?" Though Auriel asks politely, his tone and demeanor makes it clear that he expects nothing less than Rathene's full cooperation.

(ooc: is it possible to get an insight on Rathene's answers?)

Hildigrim scowls, his gaze lingering on Rathene as she steps out of the prison in her tattered rags. The sight gnaws at him, but he swallows his frustration and takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly to release any lingering stubbornness. Without another word, he adjusts his glasses, the rain streaking across the lenses as he falls into step behind the others.

As they emerge into the open, he catches Auriel speaking to Braden, explaining Rathene's release. Hildigrim listens in silence, offering a brief nod to show his agreement with the explanation. His sharp eyes dart toward Rathene occasionally, the glint of his wet spectacles hiding any suspicion in his watchful gaze.

"It's not a jailbreak, Braden. The Grimshackles released Rathene into our custody. The bells and shouts you heard were because a jailor bribed by Krulek freed another prisoner and set the building on fire. This isn’t the outcome we expected, but it’s far from what you're suggesting," he explains, his hand pressing to his chest as he adds, "I take full responsibility. After all, it was my request that Rathene be freed in exchange for helping Ukharim Grimshackle."

"Oh. Well...very well," Braden says, looking to the sky and sighing. "I was rather worried for a moment there."

Hoping this is enough to calm the merchant, the paladin exhales and turns to look at Rathene. "Which brings me to the next question. What are you going to do now? I don’t expect you to accompany us to King's Pyre, much less return to your former boss and report on us. But I am curious—what do you plan to do with the freedom you've earned? 

"I...don't know. I won't be returning to the labor camp the Gray Patriots freed me from, I at least know that," Rathene says. "Sahnd Krulek had ample time to cough up my ransom. I thought they had deserted me, but apparently they were paying for a jailbreak. But...why not pay my ransom? Why let me fester in that jail for so long?"

Also, I believe you owe us everything you know that might aid our mission. You may not care about it, but the people of Phlan need the Iron Route freed. And that is what we intend to achieve. Will you help?" Though Auriel asks politely, his tone and demeanor makes it clear that he expects nothing less than Rathene's full cooperation.

"Of course. You chose the long way of doing it, but you gave me my freedom. I'll tell you everything you want to know," she says.

For Auriel:

OOC: Each character has earned 50 XP for escaping from Grimshackle Jail safely with Rathene.

"Before we go much farther," Hildigrim says, stepping forward and adjusting his glasses against the rain, "I feel obligated to point out that the minotaur who attacked us earlier has escaped through a series of caves beneath the prison. Between us, we may be able to track him down and capture him. But I’m not certain that’s the best use of our talents at this time. If, however, you feel we should prevent him from remaining at large, I’ll lend my skills to the chase."

Turning to fully face Rathene, Hildigrim’s expression hardens slightly. "As for this one, I would feel more secure if we had a pair of shackles to ensure she doesn’t attempt to slip away. Since we do not, we’ll have to rely on her honor to repay our service with honesty and cooperation." He takes a deep breath and forces a polite smile as his tone softens. "I am curious, though. You said the Gray Patriots liberated you from a labor camp. Why were you in that camp to begin with?"

Auriel listens to Rathene's answers, unsure whether to trust her yet. He doubts the wisdom of his decision to ask the Grimshackles for her release, but all he can do now is hope that she will cooperate honorably, and perhaps even change the ways that led her to Krulek in the first place for the better.  He glances at Hildigrim, and then back at Rathene questioningly, clearly interested in the reason she ended up in labor camp as well.

After a moment of contemplation, he says, "Well, if you’d be open to suggestion, city temples often help people get back on their feet. They can provide shelter, work, and guidance to anyone looking to make a fresh start. I could recommend my own temple of Tyr, but there are others. You won't be expected to share the temple's beliefs—that’s only for those who choose to officially join their ranks. All they’d ask is that you make an effort to walk a better path. And they’ll help you find it, if you’re willing." He pauses, his tone growing more serious. "I can’t promise it will be easy, but it’s a chance." The paladin crosses his arms, making it clear that the opportunity is there, but it’s Rathene who must choose to take it—or face the consequences if she ends up on the wrong path again.

When Hildigrim tells them about Whalharrow, the eladrin looks back at the prison, then at the party, including Rathene and Braden. The conflict is plain on his face as he says, “If we track Whalharrow, we likely won’t make it to King’s Pyre in time. As much as I hate the idea of leaving that one free, I think we have to focus on the bigger issue right now: the blockade at the Iron Route and the possibility of two outlaw bands joining forces.” Even as he speaks, a shiver runs down his spine at the memory of the pirate’s brutal attack. Auriel grips Tyr’s symbol, offering a silent prayer that no innocent crosses Whalharrow’s path—and that justice will find him soon. Perhaps he could alert his temple to the threat. He doubts the Black Fists will act, but maybe Tyr’s followers could take the matter into their hands.

Shaking these thoughts from his mind for the moment, Auriel turns to look at Rathene once again. "We need you to tell us everything you know about Krulek and the dragonborn who leads the other band. How many are they? What weapons or magic do they favour? Are they well equipped? What tactics do they usually use? Any information you have about them or their followers will be helpful. And about King’s Pyre—do you know the place? Is there any way to enter without being noticed?" He glances at the others, inviting them to ask any questions that might come to mind.

"I am curious, though. You said the Gray Patriots liberated you from a labor camp. Why were you in that camp to begin with?"

Rathene frowns. "I stole something from a noble and he didn't like that. Nobles usually don't like anything but their own reflection," she muses.

"Well, if you’d be open to suggestion, city temples often help people get back on their feet. They can provide shelter, work, and guidance to anyone looking to make a fresh start. I could recommend my own temple of Tyr, but there are others. You won't be expected to share the temple's beliefs—that’s only for those who choose to officially join their ranks. All they’d ask is that you make an effort to walk a better path. And they’ll help you find it, if you’re willing." He pauses, his tone growing more serious. "I can’t promise it will be easy, but it’s a chance."

The half-orc's eyes begin to roll, but then she slumps her shoulders and shakes her head. "Maybe," she says. "I don't know. I'm still not sure this isn't all a hallucination. But if it's not...maybe."

“If we track Whalharrow, we likely won’t make it to King’s Pyre in time. As much as I hate the idea of leaving that one free, I think we have to focus on the bigger issue right now: the blockade at the Iron Route and the possibility of two outlaw bands joining forces.”

"Joining forces!?" Braden gasps, further horrified when Rathene nods to confirm. "They're meeting at King's Pyre to discuss the terms," she says.

"We need you to tell us everything you know about Krulek and the dragonborn who leads the other band. How many are they? What weapons or magic do they favour? Are they well equipped? What tactics do they usually use? Any information you have about them or their followers will be helpful. And about King’s Pyre—do you know the place? Is there any way to enter without being noticed?"

"Right. Well, Krulek was a Knight of the Black Fist. He was gonna be hanged, but it was bogus. Some nobleman he arrested had enough influence to frame him. The other Knights that knew about it, the ones that cared enough at least, broke him out of Valjevo Castle. What you see as banditry they see as striking back against the merchants," Rathene begins.

"The gang has fourteen - Two lieutenants, a Talashan berserker called Ruse and a giant Calishite called Little Erik. Let's see...Ruse is blind in her left eye, and Erik thinks he's cursed because some hag once told him that the hoot of a screech owl would foreshadow his death. Then there's also Kai Tyran Uviel, a moon elf archer with a magic bow. Everyone wears gray hooded cloaks, because...well, Gray Patriots."

"The dragonborn is called Jeralla. She thinks she's the Chosen of Tiamat, and she calls her gang the Claws of Tiamat. They're...weird. And not your usual weird, they're like...warped. There are at least thirty kobolds in her gang, and they sacrifice captives from their raids to their dark goddess. Sharrak is the one we think is her second-in-command. He has two heads, so he's easy enough to spot. And, uh...what else...Krulek was spooked by something but he wouldn't say what, but we think Jeralla runs with some terrible monster. We also know that she keeps some kind of magic book in her wagon that writes messages down for her."

Rathene thinks for a moment longer, pursing her lips in thought. "Yeah, I think that's all I got," she concludes. "Oh, and I don't know much about King's Pyre other than where it's at. Krulek was going by longship but you can get there overland as well."

The paladin's expression shifts to one of amusement at Rathene’s remark about nobles. "Oh, absolutely." he says with a half smile, "Pompous prigs, right? They probably schedule appointments just to admire themselves. I hear it’s practically a sport in noble circles."

Auriel glances apologetically at Braden; he could have revealed the information about the potential truce a little less abruptly. He then nods slowly at each piece of information Rathene shares. His reddish-brown eyes widen when she mentions that Krulek was falsely accused, and he looks at the party to gauge their reactions. Could they be dealing with someone who actually actually innocent? He hadn't expected that. Either way, this vendetta against merchants was harming too many people to be allowed to continue.

When the ex-prisoner provides the rest of the details, starting with the numbers, Auriel frowns in concern. But his worry deepens when the terrible monster is mentioned. "Well, that sounds bad, to put it mildly," he says. "Not sure how we’re going to handle this, but perhaps we should deal with Jeralla’s crew before addressing the more ... let's say ... 'straightforward' people of Krulek. That book sounds like something we should take away from her."

Auriel runs a hand through his hair thoughtfully as he processes the information, waiting for the others' opinions.

Hex crosses her arms and listens intently as Rathene answers Auriel's questions, pleasantly surprised by how much more information the half-orc was willing to give. "Hmm, well it suddenly makes even more sense why the Lord Regent didn't want to send more of his people to deal with the Grey Patriots if what you're saying is true. I wonder if any other Black Fists know the truth..." she muses to herself.

Hex turns her attention to Auriel as he proposes a potential idea to deal with the two factions and shrugs. "I don't think we'll be able to come up with a more solid plan until we see how things are at King's Pyre but that's definitely an option, Auriel." She approaches Rathene to place a hand on her shoulder with a friendly smile. "Either way, thanks for the information." She then leans in slightly and whispers so the others don't hear what she's saying.

 Hex gives Rathene a firm squeeze on the shoulder, watching for her reaction, before returning back to where she was standing before.

Rathene looks a bit surprised when Hex leans in, then thoughtful as she considers her words. She gives Hex a curt nod.

"And do we know where this King's Pyre is?" Braden asks. "I know the roads quite well but I can't say that's ever been a destination of mine."

"I marked their map. It's on the coast about 40 miles west of Phlan," Rathene says. Upon seeing the map, Braden studies it and says, "Overland, then, you'll have to brave the Iron Route. House Cadorna can fund your horses, or if you'd prefer to approach from the sea I can inquire about hiring a small sailboat."

Auriel eyes Hex with curiosity, wondering what she could be saying to the half-orc that she cannot voice aloud in front of them. He sets the thought aside for now, shifting his focus back to the journey ahead.

"A journey by sailboat would be quicker and less tiring, but the storms Braden mentioned earlier are troubling. Perhaps it would be better to brave the Iron Route instead? With the two bands heading toward King's Pyre, this may be the safest the route has been in weeks." The paladin turns to Rathene. "Do you know if there are other dangers along the route besides the Grey Patriots and Jeralla's crew?"

Carl stands there listening the entire time.  He speaks up after Rathene's info dump, crossing his arms and saying "Does Krulek have a clue who he's gettin' involved with?  This Jeralla seems to be on a whole other level of bad.  Seems like he would know better than to strike a bargain with that crew.  And I'd be keen to lay eyes on that book, Auriel.  Who knows what other ways it could be helping 'em."  Then quietly, he gets close to Hex, Auriel, or Hildigrim, whoever he's closest to and says much quieter, "Or, as Hex said, this opens up a whole host of other ways to deal with this.  What if that valuable book just happened to end up in the hands of one of Krulek's crew?  Sew some seeds of discord, perhaps?  Blow this fledgling deal apart from the get-go?  Heh.  And I've got the means to do it."