To Bryn, it seems like the aren't trying to deliberately con him in this matter. They seem to believe in what they said, that there is truly some kind of divine power at play here. If nothing else, it could mean that they too have been deceived themselves. Or, perhaps, that they attribute something just slightly extraordinary to divine intervention. But maybe, just maybe, could they also be telling the truth?

((Clever way to hide the somatic component of the spell. No need to roll, Bryn casts the spell undetected.))

Thanks to his high Insight roll, Bryn notices that the axe-bearing bandit just barely responds, visibly, to his spell. As most people are not accustomed to sudden voices in their minds, they're often startled when they first hear him. This person, however, seems hardly surprised. He might just be stoic, but it might also hint that he is already familiar with this spell.

Bryn:

"Yeah? What of it?" The scimitar-wielding bandit answers defiantly. "Nobody would just tag along, just because we asked nicely. Yet, this opportunity is not something we can just let pass because of others' ignorance. We saw an opportunity that night and we tried to take it. Now two of ours are dead." He says that not without resentment. "I'd say they paid for our mistake. With their lives. But they knew the risks, and they were - as are we - willing to take them for this greater cause. We ar-" 

The axe-wielding bandit places a hand on the other's shoulder, as he was starting to heat up. "We were all... hasty," he says, "and as my companion here said, we have turned to aggression and paid for it. Here." He slowly stows his axe into his belt, locking eyes with Arren - and only briefly with Bryn beforehand - to make sure nobody mistakes his movement for something else. After a few moments and exchanged looks, the other two bandits follow suit and stow away their weapons. Those who held shields keep them on though, and although the action is meant placate, it is clear they could draw their weapons at a moment's notice. 

"Let's try a new approach. A clean page, perhaps? I am Nohem, I am here do mediate this... accord, as your friend called it." The Wood Elf, with the axe in his belt, steps closer and extends his hand to Arren for a handshake. Whether or not Arren reciprocates, he continues: "I can't answer most of your questions, for simply I do not have an answer. But, if you come with us willingly, there is no reason to worry for your well-being. At least, we won't mistreat you while you're there. Even our... more vehement companions believe more in the importance of this task than their hatred for you. Besides, they'll be outside, watching for other travellers, as they have done so far." He then quickly adds, perhaps as a correction: "Only until we're done there, and no longer need everybody, at which point we'll let everyone go. If you think about it, by helping us you'll be hastening their release.

"As for evidence, I cannot show you unless you come with us, since it's not something I can carry with me. On the other hand, I can't just take you there. You see, I don't want the whole Meyen military on our doorstep. We'll need to keep the place secret at the moment, which means we'll need to cover your heads if you come with us. This is to ensure our well-being, you see."

'Tace' watches and listens as tensions fray, until the hand axe wielding bandit does as promised and tries to diffuse the situation.

"Sir, I was outnumbered and they could have taken advantage, but chose to be diplomatic instead", he says to the Sergeant. "And for what it's worth, I believe they are sincere in what they believe this holy task to be, and that it is more important than causing us harm", he adds clearly emphasising the word believe, to show he is still skeptical himself.

"If it helps, I am willing to volunteer to go with Nohem and find out more about the situation", he adds.

What is the saying? Curiosity killed the cat. Well I am certainly curious.

(OOC: Short post to give Arren something to think about and help Nohem as promised)

Arren keeps his eyes fixed on the scimitar-wielding bandit as he speaks, unconvinced by the Elf's attempt to justify what was, by all accounts, a kidnapping. He considers responding, but decides against it: he's already made his points clear enough, and pressing further now would only risk escalating the situation. So he holds the bandit's gaze, expression neutral, until the axe-wielding one intervenes and draws his attention instead.

The Sergeant remains still as the man slowly stows his weapon, and though he approves of the gesture inwardly, he lets none of that show. When the bandit extends a hand, Arren's eyes flick briefly from the man's face to his hand and back again. After a moment's hesitation — perhaps a second too long — he accepts it.

"Arren," he says simply. Then he falls silent, listening as the man replies to his earlier demands. The answers aren't as convincing as he'd like ... but they're a start. And Arren knows well that neither side will move forward unless someone takes a step toward trust.

He gives the Corporal a short, acknowledging nod at his remark about the bandits' sincerity, though his brow furrows when he volunteers to go with them. His first instinct is to refuse outright. He dislikes the idea himself, and would be very surprised if the Commandant's opinion on the matter had changed since the last time it came up mere hours ago. Still, that is a discussion that can happen among them once the bandits have gone.

When Nohem mentions covering their heads, the Sergeant isn't surprised. It's a reasonable precaution, one he'd likely take himself in their position. But he has one final condition.

"We will keep our weapons with us," he says evenly. "If your intentions are as you claim, neither side should have reason to use them. And I trust we will remain in control of the carriage and its contents."

He waits for Nohem's reply on this. If the Wood Elf accepts, Arren turns slightly to face the Lieutenant and the Commandant, wordlessly inviting them to speak if they have anything to add. They've known him long enough to read his posture: while he's far from satisfied with the situation, he believes this is as much ground as they're going to gain. 

(OOC: Not adding anything else for now, since I'm assuming we'll have time to discuss the situation among the crew. They're going to leave and return at dawn, right?)

 "I... ah... I'll see whether that is possible," Nohem seems a little uncertain regarding Arren's request. "I suppose that would only be fair, but... I'll have to discuss the matter with the rest before I can make such promises. I believe it wouldn't be a problem, though."

If this answer satisfies Arren and he signals to his superiors:

The answer is satisfactory enough for Arren to signal to his superiors. He waits while Lieutenant Tireur makes his final demand, and when Nohem agrees, the Half-Elf nods once and takes a single step back , as an indication that they may leave. After a brief pause, he follows Corporal Peite into the hostelry.

"I did nothing," he answers Walnuts. "They were already talking about that 'holy task' when I stepped out." He glances toward Corporal Peite, inviting the corporal to add anything further.

When the Commandant poses her questions, Arren rubs his temples and exhales slowly, as though gathering his thoughts. "None of the options are ideal," he says at last. "Traveling with them is the riskier choice. But… I think we've reached a point where it's more important to consider what we stand to gain, rather than what we might lose if things go wrong.

Going with them is our only chance to learn more about whatever it is they've found — something they clearly deem worth risking their lives for. What if they've uncovered something that could become a real threat if they chose to turn it against others? And we know who they'd turn it against, don't we? If this so-called holy task brings harm, we should know. And if it turns out to be something good, shouldn't we try to learn that as well?"

He pauses again. "Above all, we can't simply abandon the civilians they've taken. If we walk away now, this might be our last chance to reach them. I admit that I don't like this plan, Ma'am… but it might be our best bet."

'Tace' re-enters the hostelry, feeling the safety of the walls after being outside and exposed.

"It seems you did put off the original bandits, sir", he says to the Lieutenant. "And they sent for more experienced reinforcements. I was becoming more and more certain they didn't simply want to kill us, and Nohem opened a line of communication that I thought worth exploring".

When it is his turn to respond to the Commandant,  he considers his words carefully.

"I believe Nohem spoke the truth as he sees it, but whether he is even aware of the absolute truth is up for debate, Ma'am. They likely have the advantage on us in terms of numbers, but I sincerely doubt they have many as experienced as Nohem himself. Or as well equipped. The majority of the bandits have likely been told to harass travellers and wear them down, and capture them if the opportunity arises, but are not capable of dealing with the likes of us without casualties on both sides. Something it seems they want to avoid, as do we", he explains.

"But even Nohem is taking orders from someone, and it is that person we need to speak to, to get proper answers. And I agree with the Sergeant that we should be looking for answers here. Either there is something truly divine happening or a pretty elaborate hoax, and on a personal note I would like to find out which it is. The next question is who they will send to deal with us, and whether they have more answers or are merely coming to escort us to the someone who does".

He moves across to the window and looks out in the direction the bandits retreated, or as close as he can see to that direction.

"I am willing to go with them and learn the truth of what is going on here, if you decide it is too risky for us all to go", he says as he turns back to look at his superiors, making the offer to go as he did before. "They might accept that as a compromise for now".

"Once any of us have seen their camp and what they are up to they will not want them leaving before they are done. They might believe we know too much already. The risk of our returning in greater numbers will be too much for them to accept, even if stopping us comes with bloodshed and loss on their part. I don't know how much ammunition the Lieutenant or Sergeant have, but I only have 9 crossbow bolts left. After that, I will not be able to protect us if they choose to shoot from a distance. And they can always target our horses if they truly want to stop us", he goes on to say, not rambling but thinking aloud before realising he is the least experienced of them out here.

"But of course you three know better than I what they might or might not do, and how we will fare if we try to simply ride away".

Commandant Nattensbarn looks to the Lieutenant for any input. "The Corporal's right," the Lieutenant replies. "While I have enough ammunition for now, it's not unlimited. And even if it were, one well-aimed arrow at Choco or Mocha, and we'll be stuck here in the mountains for much longer. In light of all we heard, I imagine the only reason they haven't done so yet is because they need the horses too, for whatever it is they want us to do. Or to carry in the carriage, if nothing more."

"Very well," the Commandant accepts everyone's thoughts after some thought. "Then I'll negotiate on the terms, but ultimately, we're going to follow them." She doesn't sound pleased with the result, but it seems she doesn't have a good justification to act otherwise.

In the time left before dawn, the Commandant will set up her small wooden table again, but unlike usual, she only takes out one piece of paper with her, along with the quill and inkwell. "I want to organise my thoughts here, so I don't forget anything while discussing the details with... the bandits. I imagine putting the accord into writing isn't really relevant when dealing with bandits, but it can't hurt either. I've heard the conditions you discussed with Nohem earlier, and have added a few of my own. Is there anything else you'd like me to bring up?"

Having slept about as much as always, despite going to sleep early, the Commandant won't go back to sleep at this point, but rather prepare for the day as best she can. Since neither that nor writing the details of the accord will take too long, and since she doesn't wish to wake up the horses yet, she'll spend the rest of the time left until dawn sitting by her table, with the candle (same one extinguished prematurely last night) burning through its last hour in vain, while she does nothing in particular.

Lieutenant Tireur, meanwhile, just in case, sits outside with his back against the wall, next to the hostelry's door, to keep watch. Just in case the bandits change their mind and decide violence is preferable after all.

With the decision made to go and see what the holy task is, 'Tace' thinks on the Commandant's question as to whether he wants anything else stipulated in the negotiations. Drawing a blank, he replies with a simple, "Not that I can think of, Ma'am".

He also has nothing in particular he wants to do with the time remaining until dawn, and so follows the Lieutenant's lead and sits outside keeping watch, but from a different vantage point.

He can't help but wonder at Nohem's background, and who he might be taking orders from. He doesn't seem like a run of the mill bandit. He is far too familiar with magic, and knowledgable about Levicka.

Once the decision is made, the first thing Arren does is collect the caltrops and store them back in the carriage. Then he spends a few minutes checking his belongings, deciding to keep a few essentials on him rather than leaving them inside. Just in case the bandits decide not to honor the agreement that they retain control of the carriage and its contents. Losing some of the practical items they have would be inconvenient, but others would simply be irreplaceable. As such, he gathers a small bundle with a few things he isn't willing to leave behind: his personal papers, Emma's recipe book and the medical kit.

When he finishes there, he passes Lieutenant Tireur, offering him a faint, sympathetic look. "Not what you imagined would happen on your way back to retirement, right?" he says quietly, glancing toward the dark horizon where the bandits had vanished. "Let's hope this detour is as short as possible," he adds, then after a pause: "If you don't mind, sir, I was thinking of resting a little before they return." The Half-Elf knows he needs more sleep, but at the same time, he can't help being curious as well. Will the strange presence from his dream reach him again before dawn, or has that chance already passed?

If Walnuts has the watch handled, Arren thanks him quietly and steps back inside. The Commandant sits at her table again, pen in hand. For a moment, he considers approaching her, then quickly discards the idea ... only to discard that decision as well. The brief tug-of-war lasts only a moment: one step toward her table, then another toward his bedroll. Finally, he approaches her. "Ma'am, I wanted to apologize for waking you earlier," he begins carefully. "I should have let you rest longer. The situation wasn't urgent enough to require your presence, and we could have informed you afterward." He pauses, searching for the right words. "I hope I'm not overstepping, but I'm genuinely concerned for your rest. Especially now, as we're about to walk into the unknown. If the situation calls for a fight or a hasty escape, we'll all need to be at our best. I just ... thought it worth mentioning, for your consideration."

Since he feels he's already said more than he should, and doesn't really expect an answer, Arren gives her a nod and a quiet "Ma'am", before turning away.

Once on his bedroll, he'll spend a few minutes simply sitting, breathing in and out, trying to let go the thoughts of what has transpired with the bandits, and to ignore the doubts of what it is to come in the short time that remains before dawn comes. When he feels a little more settled, he lays back, eyes closed, and muses to himself, "So what was it? A grass-covered hill? A warm summer evening, a clear sky ... but a chilly wind blows occasionaly? Why would anyone want a chilly wind blowing in that situation? A soft breeze, perhaps. But chilly?"  Despite that, Arren closes his eyes, and tries to picture it. What comes to his mind is a night scene. The dark sky stretches above him, revealing hundreds of stars, and constellations he wouldn't even know how to name. In the dream, he lies back, resting on his elbows, watching them in quiet wonder. The occasional breeze brushes his hair, and he can feel the soft grass beneath his fingers. When he inhales, he can detect a faint, sweet scent. There must be flowers nearby...

"Who knows, maybe I'll turn around and become a believer," Walnuts answers. "I'm not sure if I'm going to miss it or not, but there sure will be fewer magic over there, and fewer zealots as a result. Not that we don't have 'em over there too, but... there's far less to justify being one, there. Though who knows? Maybe things have changed in the few decades I've spent here."

By the time Arren comes to talk with the Commandant, she's already done writing the short list of things she plans on discussing with Nohem. As such, she had placed her quill down on the table by the inkwell, and currently just rests her head on one hand while rereading what she wrote over and over. More out of boredom, it seems, than actually reviewing her notes. Or perhaps she's just trying to keep herself awake. Whatever it is, she seems to be dozing off, but she raises her head, fully awake again, when Arren speaks. "What? Ah, yes," she seems slightly confused for just a second. Perhaps she was closer to sleep than Arren thought. "No, don't let it worry you. I had slept just as much as any other night, I think. And if you hadn't woken me up, I'd only have slept about one hour more, until the first light. That's not nearly enough to cover all the hours I'm missing." The last sentence is said at a much lower voice compared to all those preceding it, and Arren isn't entirely sure whether it was directed to him at all. "I'm used to it, so really, don't let it bother you." 

Bryn and the Walnuts watch for the time that remains, and it seems like the bandits do intend on honouring their word, at least for the moment, as there are no signs of them even as, eventually, the light from the sun that had yet to rise starts painting the clear sky in gentle oranges in the east, and lighter shades of greyish-blue farther west. Most of the clouds that covered the sky the other day are gone by now, and the few clouds that now hang don't seem like they'd rain anything at all.

Shortly after the first lights start to show, the Commandant moves her small wooden desk outside, about forty feet from Lory's Hostelry. "We'll negotiate with the bandits here," she tells the Lieutenant, and Bryn can hear her too. "But I don't have another stool with me. Can you find something that could serve as one? And wake up Sergeant al-Nasrid on the way. I imagine he'd like to be awake when the bandits get here."

When the Lieutenant wakes Arren up, Arren isn't entirely sure how much he had slept. He feels like he was sleeping, but he hadn't fallen entirely unconscious either. Like the feeling one might experience when they choose to stay in bed for a little longer after already waking up, perhaps trying to imagine a continuation of an abruptly ended dream, which is clearly their own creation and feels... different. Whether or not the sleep and the dream were genuine, Arren didn't meet the presence again. Nevertheless, he feels like he rested a little bit more and (OOC: because I lost count and am too lazy to backtrack and check) he feels like, despite everything, he managed to get enough sleep. He's still more tired than he would be after a proper night's sleep, but he could manage (OOC: No need to roll a save to avoid exhaustion). The Lieutenant will then pick up a small wooden nightstand, which is used along with the rest of the room's furniture to block the door that leads outside, and take it out with him. Outside, he'll place it as a replacement for a stool by the Commandant's wooden table, on the side across from her.

When Nohem arrives, at dawn as agreed, he arrives with a small force of seven other bandits, some armed with just a scimitar, while others are as well-armed as Nohem was when the last person in the crew saw him. Now, however, he is completely unarmed, at least as much as one can tell. When the bandits get close, the same bandit who was wielding a straight sword, who accompanied Nohem last time, signals to the rest of the bandits to stop about three metres away from the table, and all but Nohem stop. Nohem alone walks over to the table to sit on the improvised stool across from the Commandant.

Nohem and the Commandant talk for a while. For the most part, they follow the terms already outlined in the talk between Nohem and Bryn. The Commandant has a few extra demands, including that she'd be allowed to resume her work undisturbed. Nohem, after looking at her for but a brief moment, agrees. "That's okay, you don't look like you'd be of much use to us anyway. It's physical labour we need your underlings to do, you see, and forgive me, m'lady, but you don't seem the type." Looking at the Lieutenant briefly, he adds, "The Drow might not be of great use either, with his arm in that shape. But, though I hope it doesn't come to that, if work takes too long and your crew runs out of rations - that is, once you need to rely on us in that matter - I will want you to help with preparing the food. There are enough experienced hands there to manage the matter, but they can always use some help."

Eventually, the two finish discussing the terms of the accord. Though Nohem still refuses to give all the details, it is clear he wants Arren and Bryn to conduct some physically demanding work, though he'll only share the full details once they reach the place. He promises there won't be a problem with keeping your weapons on you, though he also mentions that it's possible you'd find it uncomfortable and tiring, though that's up to you. As for the carriage, he insists on looking through it, at least briefly, but after he does, he agrees to leave it in your care. As far as supplies go, however, he says that if the crew chooses not to share theirs with everyone else, they'd also have to rely on their supply alone, except for water, which he says will not be a problem.

((You will have heard everything said and know what the terms of the accord are. I tried summing up anything I thought would be relevant, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.))

Once everyone is ready, Nohem asks the Commandant's crew to leave anything they'd want in the carriage - which one of his men will drive - while they sit on it, their faces covered so they can't see the path taken. The bandits behind him take out bags to cover the crew's faces.

((I'll stop here to allow you to comment on any of the above before we resume.))