A Dishonorable Strategy

Some of the fianni met, and Jadiran found himself pushed into the service of Desmond, then consequently ordered off to accompany one grouch of a bartender (a bartender!) on a trip to gather all the other nobility in Redvyrne for a meeting. The young man spent the rest of the night getting quite drunk, then stumbled off with a hangover to meet with his father the next morning.

Now Jade\'s returning early in the afternoon to get this journey underway, heading up the path towards the Boar\'s Tail geared up and ready to go. His eyes are shot with red from the alcohol he enjoyed the night before, but at least the youth is walking straight.

[Desmond(#19982)] The young lad is not the only one to be entering the bar so early in the morn, as the doors of the establishment are soon pushed aside once again, revealing the figure of Fian Desmond. Accompanying him are several other men each looking weathered in their own way. The Fian himself today hosts a scraggly mess of hair which looks half frozen due to recently getting wet. A longsword is at the man\'s side this day rather than a whiskey glass but his mood looks no better than the day previous. Perhaps Jadiran is not the only one with a hangover?

Approaching the nearest table, he seats himself and looks around for those who has business with.

Jadiran is just moving towards the bar when he hears someone entering behind him. The young man turns back and graces Desmond with a cheerful smile. \"Good day, Fian!\" He says brightly. \"How goes the campaigning to retake the keep? Judging by the expression on your face, not so grand.\" He moves to set down his pack in a chair against the wall, propping up his unstrung bow.

[Desmond(#19982)] The Fian now leans forward in chair and puts up a hand to brace his head in his left hand. With his right, he draws a hunting knife and stabs it into the table. \"My men continue to gather. Its taking longer than I thought for them to get here. But sadly I have been presented with a larger issue than the amount of time it is taking for my troops to arrive. According to recent reports, these bloody Bears have taken hostages in Redvyrne....\" The man then goes incredibly silent before running the hand that previously held his head up across his face.

The men who accompanied him inside now all bear grim expressions upon their faces. \"I\'m sure you can see my dilema, son of Mainchin.\"

\"Hostages? Who? How?\" Jadiran asks, moving to sit down in a chair at Desmond\'s table. He doesn\'t sound nearly so grim as the others and his tone seems to lack the seriousness of the situation. \"And where\'s Sionn? I figured he would be hopping-mad waiting for me.\"

[Carac(#32384)] \"You\'ve more of a dillema than you think, Fian,\" comes the rough voice of Sionn as he steps out of the room behind the bar. \"Just spoke with Pedron with your men leaving the hold the Bear have raided one of your farms, Fian. Going to take more than a bartender and a Fian\'s son to rouse the other Fianni, now.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] Still looking down at the wooden table, the Fian now lets out a very long sigh. \"Simple folk of Wulf as far as know. But if I am to have a chance of making Ceann, I can\'t have myself be known as the man who sacrificed the lives of a herd of Wulfs just so he could secure a Keep.\" While he speaks, his right hand has been slowly sliding down to the hilt of his blade. Looking up now at Sionn with a look of exhaustion, he says \"I\'m open to suggestions, Sionn. You may be just a bartender but you appear to have a lot more wits about you than most under my command.\"

\"I must make the Fians understand that if we all sit in our own holds, we will be simple meat for the Bears. We must act as a pact to bring down these beasts. For that is what the Bear Clan is if they use simple folk as meat shields to protect them from the blades of their enemies.\"

Jadiran lounges back in the chair, one arm draped over the back. \"Sounds like a problem.\" He comments casually, looking between Desmond and Sionn. There are no immediate pearls of wisdom from this Dunhallow. \"Winter is coming.. could just starve em out.\" He offers after a moment of deeper thought, a bit of a smirk on his face.

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn frowns at Jadiran. \"Starve them out?\" he asks. \"Along with the people of our own clan being held inside?\" He shakes his head. \"Thank Kiern you are not your father\'s oldest son,\" he mutters. He then reaches up and pulls down two mugs which he fills with ale and places before the other two men as he comes from behind the bar.

\"The Bear clan is nearly twice our size Fian,\" he says then to Desmond. \"We have learned in the past that we can not fight them head on, not by ourselves. To march in and try and retake Redvyrne straight on would invite an attack from any other Bear force in the area. That would put us between two hostile forces and most likely grind us against the walls.\"

He motions off to the west. \"Which might be their intention, this raid on the farmstead shows there are other Bear out there waiting for us to head to Redvyrne so they can attack the undefended farms. I\'d say we concentrate on figuring out a way to get our people out of the Keep, and wait on attacking until we know a bit more.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] As the other two men talk the Fian can only help but nod once in a while. Accepting the ale with a bit of a smirk, he takes a few large gulps before setting it back down beside the imbedded knife. Flicking the top of it so that the hunting blade wobles back and forth on its tip, he looks back up at Jadiran and Sionn. \"It is true that the Bear is larger than us. This is an issue I plan to adress once I am Ceann. For now though your are correct. A head on engagement does not look to favour us. However.....\" The man then trails deep into thought, his gaze falling upon his ale.

\"Where are the surviving garrison members from the Keep who brought news of Bear\'s fell actions? I must speak to them at once.\" An energy has been restored to the Fian and for the moment his mood is elated for his headache has been forgotten.

Jadiran shrugs at the bartender\'s muttering. \"Not even close, so do not worry too much, Sionn.\" The young man says in a reassuring tone, then reaches to scoop up the ale that\'s set before him. He takes a long sip and sets it back down, \"Could just try talking to them, too.. maybe they can be bartered with? I don\'t know.. I don\'t know anything about these sorts of things.\" He admits, shrugging again with a faint grin upon his face.

As Desmond suddenly seems to gain enlightenment, Jade lifts a brow. \"Why?\"

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn gives a shrug. \"Aren\'t many of them left,\" he says to Desmond. \"Eliska headed off with the majority of the garrison to seek those who burnt down Kierkgard, was while she was gone that the Bear swooped in.\" He moves back behind the bar once again and retrieves a cloth and begins to wipe down the long wooden bar.

\"Two of them came here, but they was wounded to the point that weren\'t able to get much out of them. They tried to retake the keep themselves it seems, and were beaten quite soundly by the Bear. One of them is being held in the infirmary down by my Patir\'s cottage.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] Looking from Sionn back to Jadiran, the Fian speaks \"Because boy, I must know if there is more ways to get into Redvyrne Keep than in commonly known. It is the only way I can think of that we might get the hostages out, without fully engaging the Bear.\" The man now takes another swig of his ale before turning back to Sionn. \"Then I must speak to this man. If there are passages into the Keep that Bear is unaware of I must find out where they are and how to use them. It could mean the lives of a lot of our people. Both soldiers and simple folks.\"

Nodding to himself once more, he exames the knife implanted into the table.

Jadiran snorts, \"Yeah. That\'s a great plan. They\'ll never think to -guard- the people they\'re keeping hostage.\" He says in a ridiculing fashion, reaching to lift the mug to his lips again. Jade smirks, \"Maybe Sionn can bring them a gift of ale, and when they\'re all so drunk they can\'t take more than two steps without falling over you can just walk in and take the keep back.\"

The sun rises brightly off the snow covered tops of the Misty Mountains and Dunland Highlands.

[Carac(#32384)] \"Oh you don\'t need to talk to him to find that out,\" Sionn replies without looking up from his polishing of the bar. \"There\'s an old tunnel that leads into the cellar below the keep\'s kitchen,\" he continues. \"I can take you to it myself if you like.\" He frowns at a spot on the bar and then leans forward and blows on it before vigorously wiping at it once more.

\"What you need to do,\" he begins, as he reexams the troublesome spot from a different angle, \"is find someone you can slip inside to spread word to the others of the plan.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] As Sionn, speaks again a smile suddenly spreads on Desmond\'s face. \"Yes. Yes indeed. They would have to be /very/ brave, young and someone who would go unoticed. I wonder...\" His gaze then falls about the room before solidly resting on the young lad Jadiran.

\"Sionn.....I think I might have found us a candidate.\"

Jadiran lets the silence settle for a long moment, then gives both of the men an entirely fake smile and responds in a sarcastic tone. \"No thanks. I\'d prefer to live through the week if it\'s all the same to you. Find some other chump to go on your suicide mission.\" He tips the mug again to finish off the drink. \"I\'m an archer. I shoot things. That\'s what I do.\" The empty tankard is set down and he pantomimes drawing a bow string back.

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn has moved on from one troublesome spot to another, this one so irksome that he actually spits upon the rag to get the smear off the polished wood. \"He\'s right Fian,\" he replies. \"Though not for the reasons he speaks,\" he conitnues as he moves further down the bar with his polishing.

\"The man you want for this job has to have some wits about him, and think with more than his crotch.\" He gives Jadiran a glance and then snorts and shakes his head. \"He\'d have to be a fighter, not someone who\'s all talk and no action.\" He begins moving back down the bar looking for any spots he may have missed.

\"And most importantly,\" he adds as he begins wiping anew. \"It\'s not the job you\'d want in the hands of a coward.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] Laughing in deep booming tones, the Fian takes quite a few moments before calming down. \"You are quite entertaining to listen to, Sionn, I must say. I guess Jadiran will not be winning himself any bravery awards anytime soon.\" Desmond now draws the large knife from out of the wooden table before slipping it back into the sheathe at his belt. \"Find me a candidate able to complete this bar tender and I will make it happen.\"

Standing up to his feat now, the Fian then says while looking down, \"I don\'t see many other options on the table.\"

\"Of course, I\'m a coward because I see the mission for what it is. That\'s very mature.\" Jadiran remarks, rolling his eyes. \"You think that the people in that keep aren\'t going to notice a stranger waltzing in through their kitchen cellar? I mean, I admit, they are Bear.. but, still. Besides. I\'m not the one who\'s looking to be a Ceann. There\'s nothing in it for me.\" He relaxes back into the chair again. \"It\'s not as if I couldn\'t do it, but I don\'t want to.\"

Carac(#32384)] \"There\'s respect, boy,\" Sionn says to Jadiran. \"If you had the ability to do this task you\'d have earned some respect of your own, instead of leeching off your father\'s good name.\" He tosses the rag over his shoulder and grabs his apron from where it hangs on a peg.

\"Don\'t you worry about it Fian,\" he says. \"I\'ll find someone who can handle the job. Mayhap one of my own lads, Kiern knows they\'re more than happy to serve as needed.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] \"Once again, the bartender is correct. Completing the task would have brought you such things. A pity. Very well. I take back my offer.\" Looking back over to Sionn, Desmond says, \"Indeed. One of them shall have it. And in return the young man shall take the position of Sergeant amongst my men.\" Scratching his arm suddenly, he continues to speak.

\"But what shall we do once we have gotten the hostages out? If we are to use the same passage to take the keep it must be shortly after we have gotten all the people of Wulf out, as the Bears will likely discover our little secret when they notice the hostages are gone.\"

Jadiran turns to glare at Sionn. \"I already told you I -could- do it. It\'s a matter of desire, not my ability.\" The archer turns to look back at Desmond, a challenging expression on his face. \"You\'re just as my father said, handing out titles and honors with nothing to back them. But.. fine. I\'ll do it.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn gives only a nod in reply to Jadiran\'s seeming change of heart.

\"Well seems you won\'t be needin\' one of my lads for the job after all,\" he says turning to begin wiping out the various mugs behind the bar.

\"You seem to be overlooking something, Fian,\" he says as puts one mug down and lifts another for consideration before polishing. \"If we can send the lad in, then we can also send a bit more with him. Some say poison is a woman\'s weapon, but in this case if it works . . .\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] It is at this point that the tavern door opens and in breezes a young man, richly dressed despite the mud that cakes his boots. Behind him, unheeded, follow another pair, these garbed unremarkably in wool and leather. The new arrival marches straight to the bar, and demands, scowling at the room in general, \"Ale. It\'s been a long journey. And-\"

He stops, frowning at the figures sitting talking, then queries abruptly, \"Jade? It\'s been a while.\" The finelly chiselled mouth lifts somewhat in what might almost be a smile, though on features unaccustomed.

[Desmond(#19982)] \"If it works, it means that we shall have the Keep back and with no casualties. Normally I would never choose this option as it lacks honour. But the Bears have already chosen to break this code when they started taking helpless villagers as hostages to save their own skins.\" Continues the Fian, before he runs his hand over his face and then through his black hair.

\"Well the other Fians will definately critize me for this. But it is the way I see us losing the fewest men and having the highest chance of success. I will still never hear the end of this...especially from Mainchin....\"

A glance a the man\'s son then follows before he looks upon the newcommer. \"Who are you?\" Desmond\'s voice is a mix of irration and curiousity.

\"Oh, wonderful. Not just a suicide mission, but one without honor. Remind me to thank my father for volunteering my time.\" Jadiran grumbles as the men start talking of poison. The new arrival to the Boar\'s Tail draws the archer\'s attention away from his sarcasm and a wide smile breaks on his face. \"Bledrann! I missed you last week!\" He says cheerfully, standing from the table to go join the man. \"Are you here to meet with the other Fianni? There\'s all sorts of excitement going on.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn dutifuly dips three mugs into the keg of ale and then deposits one in front of each of the new patrons. \"No offense, my lord,\" he says then to Bledrann, \"but if you\'re friends with this one, I\'m going to have to ask for payment up front.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] The reply to Desmond comes crisply and swift. \"Bledrann Faol of Dingadarn.\" The proud chin lifts a little further. \"And my men.\" They, it seems, do not merit individual introduction. \"Good morn to you, Fian.\" He seems to know that much about the other man, though he does not put a name to the face.

At Jadiran\'s greeting the hauteur falls away and he moves forward to clap the other man on the back. \"Eilidh said something about you passing through - hoped I could persuade you to join us.\" At Sion\'s words he lets out a bark of laughter. \"I see you\'ve been making friends with your usual tact. What are you drinking, man? Let me ...\" From his belt pouch he pulls out a handful of coins, tossing them on the bar as he lifts his own ale, a nod of the head given to the men behind him to do likewise.

[Desmond(#19982)] Frowning at Jadiran quickly, he turns to face the new arrival once more. Staring at the younger man, Desmond suddenly appears to remember something. \"Ah yes! Your Blaithin\'s son! I remember you when you were a wee little lad and I had not quite reached the age of ten. Gosh that seems like a lifetime ago.\" Sighing now, he nods to Sionn at the arrival of a fresh ale mug.

\"Yes. We shall need to find an apothecary and obtain quite a large amount of it. Poisin that is.\" Scratching once again at his arm, he decides to take a few steps around the table while he sips from his mug.

Jadiran flashes Bledrann a grin, \"Aye. This tender is a surly one, but the ale is good.\" He says, laughing. Mainchin\'s youngest son seems in far better spirits now. \"Word is that the Bear have taken hostages at the keep, to keep Desmond from kicking down the door and taking the keep back.\" Jade explains in a lowered voice as he leans against the bar next to his old friend. \"Now they\'re coming up with this crazy plan to send someone in with poison, and they want me to do it. Do you think it would impress your sister if I survived?\" He asks the last with a small chuckle.

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn returns to the never ending chore of polishing and wiping, choosing once more to wipe down the bar. \"Oh I don\'t think we are going to be needin\' to do all that now,\" he replies to Desmond. \"Might be the missus will know of something that\'ll work. She\'s a healer herself, knows quite abit about the wee herbs and flowers.\" He scowls a pesky stain and increases the ferocity of his wiping. \"Mist likely she\'ll be able to mix us up something right nasty for the Bear.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann frowns at Desmond\'s response. \"That,\" he states pointedly, \"was a long time ago.\" At least in the eyes of one new-come to manhood. Then the frown deepens. \"Poison? What is this? There is no glory in such things! Give me a bright blade and room to swing it and I and my men shall show you how one deals with these Wulf,\" he boasts, smiling at the older Fian.

Jadiran\'s question brings a shake of the head. \"That one? If you brought her the keys to Redvyrne Keep and a whole herd of horses, she\'d still be unimpressed.\" He sips at his ale, a little doubfully at first, then concedes to Sion, \"A fair brew.\" Returning his gaze to Jadiran, he remarks lightly,. \"Well, man, that should be no hard task for you, given the number of locked doors you\'ve bypassed to .. ah, practise with your sword.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann\'s men stare dubiously at their own mugs, seemingly reluctant to drink. Something the bartender has said?

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn dips his head to Bledrann. \"Thank you, my lord,\" he replies. Then a glance is given to the Fian\'s companions.

\"What? I didn\'t spit in it.\"

[Desmond(#19982)] Looking at the young Fian flaty, Desmond just shakes his head not even bothering to respond to Bledrann. Turning to face Sionn again, he takes a long drink from his mug. \"Very well, Advisor Sionn. Speak to the Misses and have her procure the substance. But I wonder. Shall we just have the lad here try and slip it into all the drinks of the soldiers present at the Keep or should we have him posin the well? I would much rather have him do the first despite its level of difficulty as I wish to capture the Keep not render it useless in a siege.\"

The man now continues to drink. The hair of the dog it seems as his hangover is currently forgotten.

\"Somehow I have my doubts that there will be any pretty young daughters willing to open a window for me to get into the keep.\" Jade says, grinning, then he twists to regard Sionn. \"What if it was something that kept them filling their trousers and glued to their chamber pots?\" He asks, mischief on his face. \"Then again.. the smell. Nevermind. That\'s a bad idea.\"

Jadiran leans close to his friend again, murmuring with only minimal effort to keep his voice low. \"Desmond fancies himself to be Ceann if he can take the keep back.\" Then he speaks up, \"If you poison the well, the hostages will die too and that\'s rather hypocritical given how -concerned- you were for their welfare earlier.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] The two Faol men lock uneasy glances at Sion\'s challenge, and one murmurs something to the other, a phrase that seems to contain the word \'poison\'. The second fellow, bolder, queries the bartender, \"You\'re not drinking it?\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann scowls at Desmond\'s lack of response to him. Jadiran\'s murmur brings a swift nod, though no answering murmur of his own. Instead he says aloud, \"Are you sure? The Bear must have maids and suchlike - someone needs to cook their food, after all. Plus a few pretty faces never go amiss with the men ...\" He glances over towards his own retainers with the careless gaze of one who considers himself above the rest.

Looking over to Desmond once more, he challenges, \"If we can get a man inside the Keep, why not simply have him open the gates? That way there will be enough glory for all to share! All claims to greatness can be proven with the blade.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn stalks over towards the pair and snatches up one of the mugs, lifts it to his mouth and proceeds to drain the contents. \"Better?\" he asks and heads back behind the bar with mug still in hand. As he refills the mug he looks towards the three noblemen.

\"If you\'re wise lad, you\'ll find someone else to do the poisoning for you once you\'re inside the keep. Don\'t take any risks, just try and blend in, stay hidden as mush as you can.\"

He then turns to Bledrann and gives a nod. \"I was not wanting the lad to kill them with poision, only put them to sleep so the innocents could be removed from harm. After they are safe, you can do what you will with the Bear.\"

A new mug is now set before the Faol man. \"I might have spit in this one,\" he says with a bit of a smile.

[Desmond(#19982)] Paying no attention to Bledrann\'s scowl, Desmond shrugs. \"Very well. They shall be put to sleep, the hostages rescued, the gate openned and then shall Wulf start out on its path of revenge.\" The older Fian now sets his mug down having finished it. \"I think thats enough for me this morning. Despite how could it is, I must have a clear head about me.

Turning now to the younger Fian, Desmond inquires in a curious tone. \"Are you saying that you plan to accompany my men and I when we march on Redvyrne?\"

\"I can\'t imagine there\'s much more glory in killing men in their sleep.\" Jadiran remarks, rolling his eyes. \"Or are you planning to take out the hostages, then wait until the Bear wake up and then start the massacre?\" He shakes his head. \"I say if you\'re going to use poison, just taint the ale and be done with it. They wouldn\'t share the ale with hostages anyway.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] The Faol man before whom Sion has set the mug looks outraged. \"That\'s an insult! That\'s-\" He halts at his companion\'s warning shake of the head, and subsides into uncomfortable silence, shooting uneasy glances toward his Fian. Clearly, disturbance is tolerated.

Bledrann himself looks to Desmond, his hazel eyes widening in what seems like genuine surprise. \"What Wulf would /not/ fight to take back what is ours? Kiern favours the bold. My men are ready, I sent the summons out weeks back. It\'s the time of year for Gap raids, after all. Only this year,\" thin lips curve briefly, \"they\'ll have a target a little more worthy than mongrel farmers. Send me word when the attack is to take place, Fian.\"

To Jadiran he shakes his head. \"Oh come on, Jade. Do you really want to waste your time on a woman\'s trick? I sincerely doubt you\'d manage to poison a whole Keep before you were discovered, even Bear have /some/ brains. So why not just open those gates?\" His smile is hard and bright and brash.

His speech done, he drains the rest of his mug, then jerks his head at his retainers. \"Come.\"

[Carac(#32384)] Sionn frowns angrily at a smudge upon the higly polished wood of his bar and begins dutifully wiping away at it. \"I will leave it in your hands, my lords, to do what must be done,\" he says as he continues to scrub. \"I am only a bartender after all.\"

[<#19982>] Looking at all the men in turn, Desmond can\'t help but sigh once more. \"... you ... ... ..., ..., ... would make ... my ... ... command ... ... ... ... intelligence ... ... ... astound .... ... ... ... ... ... ... I will ... ... ... ... if you ... accept the .... ... ... ... to ... ... bar ... ... ... would ... to ... ... ... ... need you by my ... quite often.\"

Taking now a long glance at Bledrann as he leaves he shakes his head. \"... ... ... want ... ... involved in ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... his ... ... I ... ... ... ... ... ... ascew ... ... present ... ... attack. ..., ... ... ... ... make ... ... ... ... ... ... we must ... terry ... before .... ... on my ....\" Turning about he then makes for the bar exit himself.

Jadiran watches Desmond share those private words with Sionn, but loses interest after a moment. Looking back to Bledrann. \"Seems nothing is being decided this moment. I\'m going back home for the evening. You should come. I\'m sure my father would enjoy saying hello, if he\'s there.\" The young man grins, \"And maybe a bit of sword practice, since I\'m sure you haven\'t had a -real- challenge in a while.\"

[Bledrann(#30997)] Bledrann stares at Jadiran, then lets out a bark of laughter. \"Just what sort of practise are you referring to?\" Perhaps he\'s thinking back to his earlier words. \"I\'ll come - after this business at Redvyrne is sorted out. For now, I have important things to worry about.\" With that, he stands and marches out.