"Hmmmm…." Arc looked to the other bandits and asked, "So, if I take your combined testimonies, in short summary, you all are afraid of dying, want warm food in your bellies, the a secure way of living?" He grins, "Then why not work with the villagers as guardians?" He gleamed as if he had a brilliant idea.

He held out his hand towards the bandits, "In truth, my party and I are in the area to help establish a railroad, so that village there is likely to bloom as a travel point. If you're willing to try and reconcile with the villagers there, I'm sure all of you can start new lives there. Hell, just from the fact that you've organized yourselves this much, I'd wager that you can even make something from yourselves there." He looked over to the ex-hostages, "This way, the village can get some form of 'protectors' to keep them from being attacked again in the future, some extra set of hands, and everyone gets to live happy! Sound like a good deal?"

Thia would enjoy the familiar sound of Corti's lute, feeling as though she was filled with new breath and breathing a little easier. She'd return Corti's smile, "Thank you Corti." The artificer will adjust her poster to try to sit up straight. "Better now." She'd wince a little bit before letting out a sigh. "He broke my rib. It didn't puncture anything. I'm just going to be a little tender for a bit." Thia appreciated the bard's company. It distracted her from her thoughts.

Eventually, she'd be able to hear Brandt's voice chiming in on the interrogation before Arc sums it up. Everyone was accounted for and it looked as though she may have been the one to suffer the worst of it. Well, at least I don't have to worry about anyone else... 

Thia would look back up to Corti, "And how are the hostages? I appreciate you checking on them." She'd nod.

Corti starts at Thia's explanation of her rib, she had a loose grasp on anatomy, but she recognized that ribs were important, and breaking one was bad. She glances back to the hostages at Thia's mention of them, "They're shaken up, but they'll be ok for now. Honestly, I'm more worried about the bandits right now." She jerks her head in Arc's direction and grins. "Sounds like he's scheming." 

Belkar looked dumbfounded at Arc's suggestion, feeling stupid that the thought hadn't crossed him when he had chosen his life as a mercenary and had returned as a bandit out of vengeful pride. The other bandits didn't seem particularly swayed one way or the other, but Durnn seemed very uncomfortable at the suggestion.

"Listen, it took me about three days or so to come upon these guys here. The column can't be much further behind. If they find me, I'm history. All I wanted from this here job was to get enough food and an animal or two to make it further south or north, and start a life anew."

As night starts to encroach, you all realise that it might be necessary to let the women in the hamlet know that the two hostages were safe.

"Hmmm, well, for now, think it over. One way or another, we are taking you back to that hamlet. If you want, you can get to know the people you were robbing, to see if you could stand to make something of yourselves there." He snaps his middle finger and the Eldritch Turret disappears. Arc then looks to the rest of the group, "Shall we get going?"

Seeing that further argument is futile, Durnn slouches, but something tells him that he's planning a way out. Brandt, something about his uniform still irks you, it's far more torn than you'd expect, as if there were more things stitched to it once, now torn off either out of necessity, or shame.

"I prefer his scheming over his silent moping." Thia will mutter, reaching her hand out to ask Corti for assistance to get up off the ground. The thought of scanning and noting this area for their work crossed her mind, but based on the way she felt physically and emotionally, her focus would not be there to get the job done right. She'll sigh, decompressing a little bit as she makes her way over to stand with the others. The artificer would scan through the crowd, then eventually her eyes will stop to stare at Durnn. She was trying to remember if it were the Gorronia's that were suggested to be suspects in poisoning the refugees.

Corti stands, taking Thia's hand when she reaches up and supporting her up into a standing position and walking back to the group with her. "Ready when you are, Arc," She glances back to the cart, "Do you think the cart's still in working order? I don't know if the hostages are up for a walk."

“Well, if they’re not well enough to walk, they’ll have to ride with the dead.” Tarian nodded at the cart. “I’ve already loaded him in.” She walked up to Durrn and eyed him carefully. “Of course, if I’m not enough strength to pull those who can’t walk, we can always tie the big one to the cart to help out.” She looked to the other bandits. “I don’t think any of your… new friends would mind you being tied to the cart, seeing as it seems to be your fault they’re in this mess to begin with.”

Thia, as far as suspects for the posioning go, you didn't land on any particular nation as the likely culprits, since any organisation with connections, some land, and determination could have produced the substances and got them into the water supply. Garronia would certainly make sense, since they had lost the war, but some of their marshals, and undoubtedly some of their soldiers wouldn't accept that defeat. But there were other losers too, and so you probably need more evidence to figure out who exactly is behind the poisonings.

The two villagers thank you wholeheartedly, but after being propped up by Corti and Arc decide to walk, instead of riding with the dead half-orc. You pile the weapons and the chest into the cart and start setting off, back towards the hamlet.

By now fully dark, the way back takes almost twice as long as approaching the mill stealthily, and Brandt is constantly vigilant of the captured bandits, tied to the back of the cart and trotting along. Though long, the journey back passes with little incident, apart from the occasional disturbed owl. two and a half hours later, you spot the hamlet in the distance, sconces lighting the way. No doubt, the villagers had stayed up, fretfully awaiting news from you and from their own. As you finally reach the village, the delight and relief among the women and children there is huge at seeing Jack and Pete brought back alive, and reasonably healthy. 

Kathy approaches, and once seeing that she had the group's attention, said: "Thank ye all, ye saved this 'ere 'amlet. We scrounged together some things, to properly reward you with. If ye want to, ye can stay here over night, before headin' off. An' me boy axed, if ye had need of a scout again- he knows these parts, an' I think he sees you as some big heroes- he ain't ready to see ya leave so soon, so if ye could humour him, that would be grand!" The pouch she hands Tarian contains several family heirlooms and the most expensive jewelry that the villagers could scramble together. You'd have to inspect the pieces in detail, but a rough estimate puts the worth of the pouch at about fifty denars, if you found a buyer for the goods.

With a nod to the prisoners, Kathy continues: "It warms the heart ta see that ye ain't just gone an' killed all them people, but we have no place to keep 'em, an' we ain't got no judge or anythin' like that. Wha' d'ye want us ta do with 'em?"

"Actually, Miss Kathy, that’s the question I had for you." Tarian put her hand on her sword pommel, her elbow out to keep the cloak out of the way and her full scabbard visible. "These... 'men' have done your village wrong. I can cut them down, cut them free, or hand them over to you."

Tarian nodded toward Arc. "The idea that these scoundrels do honest work here has been proposed, but I don’t know how much you’d trust wolves to guard the sheep. They’ve already proven they’re willing to bare their fangs." Tarian locked eyes with Jack and Pete.

Jack speaks up, despite his cracked lip and swollen jaw: "Look, mos' of'em're veterans. Now, we can either live in fear o'that, or provide them wi' the community they ain't never had since the war. Yeah, they tried ta kill one of us, but 'e's doin' fine. Sure, they tried ta ransom us back, but really, the only crime here was goin' hungry for too long. I say, we have'em live here, work the land, an' guard the village in hard times."

Pete, much angrier responds: "Aye, I've got no qualms with the members of tha gang joinin' us, but the druid an' the brute, they must be punished for plannin' this. Sure, we're still alive, bu' not for lack of tryin' on their parts. Now, blood begets blood. Unless ye have a need o' them, I say we cut 'em down."

Kathy and the villagers are in shock at his harsh words, but they feel that the decision should rest on those two, and ultimately on Tarian and the rest of the group.

"If that's what you wanna do, do it. I'm not gonna stop you."

Tarian nodded and spoke louder. "And the rest of you, do you feel the same?" She squatted next to the bound goblin, Lhupo. "And what of you? If they mean to make some of you citizens of this village," she nods to Copper, "then you have a voice, too."

Tarian stood again, and addressed Durnn and Brelak. "If I am mistaken in my assessment of your characters, then convice them you are undeserving of death." She gestured broadly toward the village folk. 

Brelak swallowed hard, before beginning to speak, with a cracked voice: "All I ever wan'ed was ta serve... The Duskers didn't like me for me age an solitary ways, an' I never forgave'em since. But ye're not ta blame fer tha horrers of a merc's life, an' none o' ye had anyting ta do wit tha decision of tha Dusker sarge. I ain't evil, just damn angry. Bu mebbe it's time ta put that aside an' start sumthin' good fer a change. I unnerstand yer anger, an' I'm ready ta endure wha'ever punishment you deem fittin', but I'm happy ta serve ye from the mornin' after that."

Durnn instead turns towards Tarian and Brandt: "Look, you must know what war is like. I don't belong here, and once Arcineaux' columns reach here, I'm done for! Please, there's got  to be something else you can use me for, that won't mean I'm stuck here awaiting my inevitable doom. I'm strong and a good worker. Please, I beg you, I'm worthless to you dead."

OOC: It's been a while, but our group is supposed to be intercepting Arcineaux?

"Judging from your fighting skills, I wouldn't exactly say that you're useful to us alive."

Arc quietly listens to the words of the appealing bandits, then looks to Pete, "If I may, as strong as you look, they still kicked your ass. Now you can be angry and cut them down, maybe feel good about yourself for a day. Or, you can do what's good for you, and everyone here, forgive them, and maybe let them teach you a thing or two, so that way next time something like this happens, not only can you stop it, you don't have to get angry about it happening."

OOC: Yes, Arcenaux's the Marshal you were tasked with intercepting.

Pete grimaces, but he knows he's beat. WIth that, the discussion is settled, and Jack and Kathy turn to the former bandits. "Alright y'all. We'll give yer pal 'ere a decent burial, an' we'll have place set up fer y'all tomorrow, but fer tonight ye can either get back to the mill, or spend the night in the barn." Turning to your group, she adds "Same goes fer you. Yer welcome to stay an' eat wi' us, but yer probably more comfortable sleepin' in yer own tents." WIth a pleading look, she further indicates that despite their forgiving nature, they'd like some security particularly with regards to Durnn,

 Tarian picked up the obvious hints that Kathy gave regarding Durnn. “You can take Brelak and the rest of his crew, but I think we might still have a few questions for this one.” She grabbed Durnn roughly by the arm. “Besides, leaving him with the rest of that lot might poison the whole gang’s minds again.” She leaned in a bit closer to Durnn, and spoke low. “You don’t have to be in a pine box in the bottom of a hole this week. I have an idea that could keep you alive, and am willing to exchange for some information, but it’d only work if you can prove that your pride is worth less to you than your life. Admission of guilt and showing gratitude for these village folk’s decision to not have you executed would be a start.”

Thia remained at the back observing the conversation unfold. Her hand would flinch when Pete would suggest 'cutting them down' causing the medic to shift uncomfortably glancing over to the fried body in the back of the cart. She felt she had enough aggression for tonight and personally did not want to be responsible for any other lives lost today. Avoiding gaze with the bandits, when there was a lull in the conversation Thia would look to the wife. "Corti here completed wonderful medical care on your men. Do you have anyone here who can monitor them from here?"