A dark sky pinwheels above. Amber's glorious night-time stars are visible. There is no fog above, and no natural clouds. Dark purple majesty for a firmament, with glowing gems - nobody could do justice to it in paintings, and poets would sigh to compare their words to it. The market is closed, although a few people are hanging about there, casual-like. The pleasant evening has made it possible for young couples to be courting and their parents to be watching with jealousy or approval.

Colonel Tanya is making notes by the fountain, testing her glyphs in turn.

Dirk walks over to Dani. "Hey cutestuff, what's up?"

Night time, and Amy is out for a short walk. The petite blonde has been recovering in the hospital, with visitors as others had time. She's mobile again now, and working on finishing up her recovery.

Danielle is for some reason poking around the fountain looking up the hill "I've decided to see where the water from the fountain comes from and try to investigate the source. It's a gorgeous night. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzperhaps a good omen" She smiling as if the night is infectious, energizing

Colonel Tanya glances up from her work. "Do you want a spare staff, or are you better without? I'd be interested in joining you and in staying here, and can't do both."

Dirk says "From under the mountain?"

Amy looks over towards the small grouping, and heads that way. She's limping, and using a cane, at the moment. Not at her healthiest ever. "Evening," she greets. "How are you all?" She looks curious at Danielle's commment about the fountain. "You mean further up from where those Unicorn Cultists were holed up in the warehouse?"

Danielle hms "I heard something about a spring where the source is so I'd imagine further up. My guess is the warehouse piping my also be drawing off of it and people are welcome of course"

Tanya turns an interested look on the fountain, a speculative look on Dirk, and a brief glance of curiosity on Amethyst, in the space of a few seconds.

Dirk leans over and stirs the water again. "I miss Perci."

"I'm dressed for battle," says Tanya, who is in court robes and fussy shoes. She has her staff leaning nearby, and steps over to get it. "At some point I need to talk to someone who can make the broomstick end of this for me."

"I'll come along, though I expect to be more hindrance than anything, but I do promise to head back if it gets to be too much," Amy says. "Broomstick? That seems like something Lucafrase might be able to help with, I suppose."

"Yes. Good call." Tanya nods. "I won't be much help magically unless I have to be - too damaged. But if you need me, call on me." She draws herself up to her full height - a little taller than Amethyst, but not much - and twirls the staff expertly, right-handed.

Dirk says "I am good for being cute and lethal."

"He's pretty from the back, too," Tanya says.

Amethyst chuckles at Dirk and Tanya, shaking her head. "Where is Sir Gavin when we need him?" she wonders curiously. "Busy helping someone in distress, I expect."

Danielle hms "Well you never know what might need killed or flirted with and I'm no particular hurry that we can't stop to rest but I don't know how far it'll be. We best get some gear in case camping is in order

"Follow it out of the city first?" Tanya says hopefully. "Because I really don't want to prep for walking through wilderness unless I have to." If she thinks that Kolvir is wilderness, it might be best never to point her to the forest of Arden.

Dirk nods and works on gathering gear.

Amy ponders for a moment, but she does get her first aid kit, to bring along. Just in case. "Okay, ready when you are," she says.

Nevertheless, it is easy to pick up a small amount of gear quickly - Tanya herself has a small tent set up in her room, so the room can stay open to the weather, and that overlooks the square. The market is closed, but there are many in the area who can sell such things; getting hold of gear is not difficult, and such things as food and waterbottles are found swiftly enough. Tanya volunteers Dirk to carry everything she does not want to. What she wants to carry is her staff, her sword, and a variety of holstered wands.

Danielle shrugs at Tanya "You never no. When I hear spring I think wilderness which might be an overly romantic notion" she begins to walk endeavouring to use magic sense to track

Dirk is a pack horse carrying equipment.

\

Just in time not to be the pack mule for this operation, Gavin managed to appear. He like aways has his shield, his sword, and armor. "Where do you four think your setting off too?" He calls out, "Especially with the one who should be recovering in HER hospital."

Tanya gives Gavin a look. "Hi-ho and on to merry adventure," she says, and manages not to drown in her own sarcasm.

Amy gives Gavin a bright look, amusement shining for a moment. "I am recovering. But a bit of light exercise is just what the doctor ordered." A pause. "You are coming with us, right?"

Danielle rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using occult,magic sense and spending will.
The result is a success.

"I am." Gavin says looking at Amy dubiously but stopping to give Tanya a wave. Tanya's sacrasm prompley ignored. Then he looks at Amy, "Light exercise? Seems to have a divfferent definition when I'm recovering."

Danielle can, faintly, feel the changes in the world that indicate the flowing water below. Colonel Tanya is doing her own sort of concentration, which for her requires quite a lot of standing still and looking with her eyes shut, and a bit of scribbling on the ground or in a notebook, with red pencil.

Danielle nods resulutely as she gets a sense of it. Her eyes belie her excitement at sensing something but her steps are slow and deliberate

Amy grins at Gavin. "Not really. You can make sure I don't over-exert myself," she offers. She's just walking at this point, and content to let the others lead.

There is a warehouse where some of the group once made the fountain run dry for Filinia's repairs, and there is a fainter trail up beyond that. And, inevitably, there are people who decide to try to stop them, because that warehouse with the water is ground that has been argued over before - as Danielle searches for more evidence of where the water goes, without the benefit of divining rods or hygrology equipment, a window opens in the top floor of the warehouse...

Filinia flips a coin. The result is: Tails

Amethyst rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a failure.

Dirk nods and works on gathering gear.

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a failure.

Gavin rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a success.

Dirk rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using combat, combat trained.
The result is a failure.

Fun fact; the crossbow was invented in the bronze age. Extra fun fact; Amber's technology level allows for more than wooden stocks with bronze working parts. Not so fun fact; more than one window opened. And only Gavin notices. He, of course, hears multiple openings and has a moment to see that there are several crossbows up there.

Filinia flips a coin. The result is: Tails

\

Gavin taps Amy on the shoulder and poitns up at the cross bows, His voice barely above a whisper, "Crossbows, take cover. Pass it on." He says drawing his shield for some protection and moving to cover.

Colonel Tanya is eyes closed, concentrating.

As if the drawing of the shield is a signal, someone shouts, "Surrender!"

Amy reaches for the person ahead of her, murmuring, "crossbows in the windows, pass it on." Is that Tanya? Sorry to interrupt if so. She looks for any cover there might be, but also tilts her head, curious to see who and what is threatening them.

Danielle does not hesitatr to hit the ground as gavin says to take cover but does respond "We're not trying to claim anything we're just looking to pass

Tanya has a good line in bolting for somewhere safe - she goes straight for the warehouse wall, from peaceful contemplation to full sprint in about no time. It might be that she chose a random direction. It might be that she's heavily trained in aggressive tactics. Either way, it means that suddenly, there is action after a demand for surrender. With Danielle taking a dive and Dirk being himself, the whole place is full of targets. And *thunk* sounds. They damned well fired.

"We have no intrest in you as the lady says. We're just passing through." Gavin calls out. At this moment whisked he'd too more of an intrest in the bow or other range attacks. Where was his pocket trebucket?

Amy ducks instinctively, wincing a bit at the sudden motion. Ow. She'll pay for that later. "We are just passing through, please let us pass," she adds. Cause if they don't like the terms these crossbow folks are offering, there may be trouble.

Tanya gets a bolt through her right shoulder, a chip comes off the road and hits Danielle in the shin, cutting her, and Amy's hair is parted by a bolt. Then someone from inside shouts, "Cease fire you ...." and even Dirk should not know that word. Nobody here is old enough to hear the invective. But they were fired on, no matter what the leader of the group inside meant to happen.

Dirk does his best to kill the one firing ai him.

Of course, they are thirty feet up - the question is how.

Give her credit, Tanya drops her staff when shot but still manages to get to the wall, and cover. With her right arm mostly out of action, and her left crippled, she does not look like she will take part in things further, however.

Danielle does her brand of cussing as pain goes through her leg and crawls after tanya to try to find shelter

Amethyst rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 10, using occult, dragonform and spending will.
The result is a failure.

The colonel grimaces through pain at Danielle. "Hey, fancy you being here..."

Amy's hair gets parted, that was a close call. It's enough to have a growl slip through the petite healer, and a small patch of purple scale shows on one arm. It's bigger than last time. "Cut that out," she calls, her voice nearly a roar. It's a warning - though whether anyone will listen or not, that's a good question. She moves to pick up Tanya's staff, not leaving that behind, and glares at the building, now just about daring them to fire at her.

Dirk heads for the warehouse and growls "KILL IT!"



Gavin from cover and behind his shield calls out, "Then stand down or I will make no attempt to stop the mad man with us from slaughtering you." Then he calls out to those around him. "Who is in what shape?"

A shout comes from inside. "Arrrgh." Someone just got their fingers broken in their own crossbow. "Yeah, move on!"

"Wounded, walking," Tanya yells back. It sounds like a reflex to call when asked about status.

Dirk says "One handed mede

Dirk says "One handed murdering machine... unharmed."

Danielle tries her own shouting from where she has taken cover with tanya " We'd like to negoti "seeing dirk take of "Oh shit...or not... I was hit in the lg" she answers to gavin

\

"Well then, we'll find you something to kill soon, Murder Machine. Let's stand vigil while our injured are tended too." Gavin says moving towards Amethyst. Knowing that the doctor would want to tend ot both Dani and Tanya soon enough.

Amy stares at her forearm for a moment, rubbing the purple splotch that feels rather strange. Scaly. She shakes her head, takes a deep breath and moves to see to the injured. "We'll be out of here as soon as we deal with the mistakes that have been made," she calls back to that voice, evenly.

The voice that must be in charge calls down, "There won't be more trouble. Deal and move on."

Dirk looks to Gavin. "talk to tbeem."

Tanya has her teeth gritted, and is watching Amethyst carefully, keeping her eyes on her staff.

Amy is a very well practiced healer, and it shows. She is quick with antiseptics, bandages, and there is even a warm feeling about the wounds as she makes sure that things are good. As soon as she's done with Tanya's wound, she passes the staff over to her, having no intention of any other thing.

Tanya takes the staff in her left hand, with a nod. The bolt came out well enough, and she is capable of walking on, but she looks like she is in a very bad mood now.

No more shots come. A couple of people are visible at the windows, but they now have their crossbows held loosely, not ready for move immediate violence - and definitely not reloaded yet.

*more immediate...

\

"Lord Dirk is not sated by your offer and requires compensation for the damage done to his companion. He requires a bottle of booze, a crossbow and half a quivers worth of bolts!" Gavin calls out when instructed to talk to them. He not sure what Dirk wants him to say but it seems like a reasonable request for damages.

Amy quietly notes (hopefully not heard by the villains in the building) "a bottle of good booze, I hope."

There is no immediate answer, and then the reply is, "Lord Dirk can have a bottle of gin and we won't shoot you next time either." There's some laughter from inside followed by the sound of someone being hit around the head, and an ow.

Danielle sighs "We thank you for your consideration"

Tanya gives Danielle a smile. "So anyhow, this is a lot better than last time I was under fire."

Amy rolls her eyes, giving Dani a smile. "You'll both be fine." The new wounds at least are healing well. She glances over at the building, and calls out, "Excellent. Glad we could come to terms."

That bit of purple scale is still on her arm, fading slowly.

Gavin looks to Dirk to see if this is acceptable for the briefest of moments. Then Amy answers for him. Gavin looks at Dirk, "YOu want to go grab the bottle of booze?"

Dirk walks out and says "Bottle of rum and I won't kiss your brother?"

There's another pause, and then for a brief moment someone looks out. "You're not his type. Rum it is." There's a short pause before it is lowered on a rope, but a bottle of quality rotgut comes down.

The rum is sent down in a folded bit of cloth. It's an earthenware bottle, and it's pure molasses-based fire-water.

Gavin shrugs, "I was hoping for a crossbow." Gavin says to Amethyst as Dirk goes to reterieve the bottle of booze.

Amy flashes a grin at Gavin. "Talk to Lucafrase," she advises lightly. "I am sure she can do such things."

Dirk gets his bottle of rum and is very happy. "We can obtain goods . "

"So ... let's get the fletch out of here?" suggests Tanya. "Meet up later, a bit away? But right now I just went from useless to worse than." She has her staff held casually under her left arm, like a shotgun. "I'm dangerous when I'm in pain." Some boast, given she's oozing into a field dressing, and her left hand is a wreck.

"Seems like a good thought," Amy agrees. "Check in at the hospital and get that dressing checked in a day or so, please." She looks tired now, and maybe in a bit of discomfort from her previous injuries.

Tanya makes sure to offer Danielle a way out - someone to walk with along the wall and into the shelter of back streets.

\

Gavin helps those injured back to the hospital. "Remember Dirk to share your booze with those who helped you earn it." Namely Tanya and Dani.

Dirk says " "Yes Sir."