-----Just beyond, Raven, Garrison and Rinda stand over their prisoners. Four of them are already tied together while Raven works to tie up a fifth man. The four prisoners who are already bound include three guards armored in chain mail while the fourth is the dark-haired man wearing the black cloak.
-----The fifth one is a man lying prone on the ground armored in plate. Sarah notices this man's color is not good and he looks to be in critical condition. Raven's wolf sniffs at this man and backs off in a way that reveals the animal's disgust at the smell. The man winces weakly as Raven finishes tying his hands and pulls him up into a sitting position.
-----Just then a pounding of hooves is heard. With that, Sol and Lovan ride in, looking hardy and energized.
-----Sol approaches the group, grimly taking note of the prisoners. He looks at them a second time, frowning as he doesn't find what he's after. Only then does he finally spot the body of the priest of Helator, and Sol's frown turns into a scowl.
-----This passes after a short moment, and soon the Gorian is asking, "How does everyone fare?"
-----"We'll see." Sarah says. She checks up on everyone and bandages their wounds, including the prisoners.
-----Raven speaks up, "I tell you how we are doing. We're hurt and need to rest up for a few days before we go on." Raven looks at Sol, "You are one lucky man. I thought you were good as dead when you were under the priest's knife." Raven shakes his head, "I wouldn't say that we executed our plan very well."
-----Raven motions to the prisoners and says to Sarah and Sol, "What about these poor bastards? Do we double back and give them over to the main force?"
-----Sol looks mildly upset by Raven's comments, and replies in his defense, "It was executed as we said it would happen. The priest managed to catch me with his spell, but we adapted and succeeded. These things happen in battle and the point here is that we won."
-----He glances over the various wounds as he agrees to the latter half of the hunter's words, "Yes, we will need time to regain strength, though I'd be inclined t'find a place close by an' wait fer either our strength t'be sufficient, or fer Lord Howrun's forces t'come close. I don't think we should be heading backwards."
-----Raven says, "I'm not trying to blame anyone, Sol. Just that we should learn from this battle. That's all."
-----"I agree." Sarah says. "It seems that whenever we make a plan certain members of our group are overeager to indulge themselves in slaying the enemy for their own glory." She does her best to not specifically look at anyone. "When we make a plan we should stick to it, or at least wait until we agree as a group to abandon it. Perhaps we should name one of our party as the leader? That way we will know who's commands to follow in the heat of battle."
-----Sarah glances at Sol and Raven. "What do you warriors say? Would you like that job?"
-----Sol turns on Sarah, his face going ashen as he struggles to form a sentence, "Glory? Ye think this is about glory? Since when have I . . . " The Gorian swallows and turns back to Raven, obviously trying to make the sense of all this, "Where did we not stick t'th' plan?"
-----"Obviously there has been a misunderstanding." Sarah says. "I am trying to propose something that this will not happen again. Too often we are separated, one arm of our party does not know what the other is doing. If we go up against a competent foe they will cut us to pieces if we behave like such."
-----"Yes, I am still misunderstanding. Behave like such . . . What exactly do you mean there? I still haven't heard where we went wrong." Sol gestures as he speaks, before slowly dismounting. "Do ye refer t'when th' spell stole my movement? That can happen t'any o' us . . . and if not that, what else?"
-----"We need to be much more careful," Garrison suddenly says. "This time we're in a place where we may not find friendly people at all. Even villagers may think ill of us."
-----Looking about the field where they just saw battle, the woodsman adds, "This is the second army we've seen in three days. Three armies if you count the orcs in the keep. We may see more before the day is through moving north. That's something we need to ask our guests about."
-----"Careful? Bah!" Lovan spitefully says. "Let them send all their armies against us! The Rager is mightier than their god!"
-----Garrison rolls his eyes and says, "I am not arguing with you about your god, but most of us are wounded. Even some of the horses have been battered. If we meet every army like we did this last one, we'll be lucky to make a difference to the people of Ravenhold. We'll be lucky to make it to . . . where ever we're going."
-----"So, you're saying let the armies pass on by us," Lovan retorts.
-----"Maybe," the woodsman replies, "and maybe not. If we can attack, we attack, but not so directly. We have bows among us and those with spells. Draw off those we can, deal with them and then see if we can rout the foot soldiers. We have small numbers. We need to fight small numbers."
-----Sol interrupts here, as he looks over Thunder with some concern, "But Garrison, that was th' plan here, an' likely would've happened had I not been stopped by th' priest." He looks around at the woodsman as he continues, "I don't disagree wi' what you say; on th' contrary, I completely agree. I know we are not here t'destroy every enemy we come across. What we did here, we did because we were able."