Ereworn Under The Shadow

Barn looks around at the clearing, feeling as if it has been weeks since he and the others were here last, just setting off after Ned.

"We should k-keep moving, with the barrel m-maybe.  Or p-put up a warning sign about the poison m-mushroom?  But otherwise, keep m-moving."

If others don't object and, the big man briefly inspects the barrel (presumably Gond's) that Ned had been using to roll Clotha along and if it looks safe and still sturdy enough to roll along the forest path, he tries to roll it along as the party goes so he can return it to town.

( The barrel seems mostly intact.)

The group begins to move back slowly toward Ereworn Village, Clotha begins dragging her feet more and more the closer she draws to home....

You are passing out of the deep of the forest. The ancient oak trees that soar above your heads into the grey pre-dawn sky begin to thin. Huge black crows caw at you mournfully from the boughs.

A thick ground mist steams about you, but when it clears you can see the faint outlines of the ruins that surround the village. Turning and looking across Gallows Wood, two miles to the south you can see a slender black tower rising up from the forest.

Ahead you can hear faint voices.....

Barn has been rolling the barrel alongside himself while holding his halberd in one hand, but he slows to a halt as he hears the voices.

"I think we n-need to decide exactly what we are g-going to say and who going to s-say it."  The big man looks insistent. "We can't let Clotha go back to just being sold like cattle by Gond to Eldron, or else we... we didn't h-help her at all by bringing her b-back here!"

He pauses.  "I think w-with the treasure we f-found, we m-might have enough to p-pay Eldron back h-his bride price if it c-comes to that..."

“It’s a fine plan Barn, I believe it’s what we lead off with. But…I worry that the loss won’t just be financial for him. He made an offer for a bride. He may still want that roll filled. Best case he’ll just take his coins elsewhere, otherwise all we’ve done is set up another girl for the fate.”

“But, let’s see how it all plays out.” 

Smiling Jack nods agreement, but says "Do we want to lead with; we want to buy her from you?  Or am I misunderstanding the plan?  Should we start with something else 1st?  but I don't know what."

..."Caelan was always the best talker, I know I am not one to speak."

Clotha looked concerned but nodded slowly seemingly resigned to whatever happened...

Caelan looked back at the others, " Are we heading in or hiding like an ambush of bandits in the woods?"

"Fine."  Barn looks angry.  Not at his companions, but at the entire situation.  As in the desperate fight in Ned's hollow, his stutter seems strangely gone.

"I'll talk.  Or Wynn, she's good with her words.  But after what we all just went through, Eldron is only getting Clotha over my dead body.  This bride price stuff has to just... just... stop.  Disgusting old men..." Had he once admired Eldron?  Barn wonders, pausing briefly before continuing, voice too loud.  "Disgusting old men do not get to buy young girls to... to... anyway, it stops now.  Same with blaming Ned for everything wrong in Ereworn."

The big man strides off towards town without a backward glance, halberd gripped in both white-knuckled hands.

Ardwynn pats Clotha on her shoulder and steps off to catch up to Barn.  Together they will try their best to talk some sense into these folks... and in doing so, save Clotha from an uncertan fate.

Smiling Jack is basically standing around looking at one person then another, wearing his grin, but anyone looking at it can quickly surmise his eyes are reflecting a blankness of someone trying to understand the meanings of the words and wanting to be supportive, yet not fully comprehending it all, let alone potential future actions/repercussions.

Jack squats and waits for the serious talking to end. Then he follows the group. In his mind, Clotha should be left alone, but things don't always work like that with civilized folk.

It is nearing noon as you wend your way through the ruins of the old town and into the village of Ereworn once more.  To the west you can see a river meandering from some distant, wood-covered hills. The margins of the forest come right up to the boundaries of the village, and beneath those trees you see the broken ruins of many more houses speaking to the past size of this settlement. It is once more obvious to you that all is not well with the land: fields that should be ripe with harvest stand untended and wild, emaciated cattle huddle forlornly on a windswept hill and many of the doors to the huts in the village swing open and shut to the vagaries of the wind. On the skyline, blackly silhouetted, three figures clank in chains on a gibbet, black crows feeding on their eyes.

You notice  few inhabitants who are outside as you make your way, those that are there nod in recognition of you but do not stay to greet you.

You approach  ‘The Horned Man’. and find it little changed in the past days the same trailing woodbine hangs over a broken trellis that once must have shaded summertime drinkers, stools lie broken and lichen-covered in a backyard where a fierce dog howls and leaps at you from the extremity of its chain.....at least until she smells Clotha and immediately lies down and calms.

The sounds of low voices and a hint of firelight beneath the door of the public house tells you at least someone may be within....

You enter the cold, dust-filled parlour, the fire pit is lit but little of its warm reaches you.

Seated at their customary table are Eldron, Smilch and Garfax Eldron looks grim and taciturn, the other two mostly bored..

Gond, his eyes red and face blotched, is refilling their cups and he looks up as you enter his face a rictus of conflicting hope and fear......

( Clotha is trailing behind the rest of you with Caelan and has not yet entered the drinking house, and thus remains unseen by those within so far, she has also tied an old scarf around her head and face to avoid the looks of other villagers....)