-----Kazel shoots at the smaller ones who are about to molest the torches. "Runik! If you ain't busy, come bring out some silver caltrops. And douse the place with oil. We might be needing a fire they can't put out soon enough!"
-----Seth looks up from his handy work with the bolts and stares at the Oakwood guard and says quite levelly, "I don't think the Werewolves will miss their village when they are dead? Do you really think the people here could resist on their own against such odds, when we struggle? Did you not notice their surly countenance and lack of appreciation of the finer things in life? To hell with the village. In the morning any villagers left will not care if their village is gone, because they will be tied up and under transport for some healing in Oakwood!" He then begins to sing a Dwarfian war song he heard once, that is about doing the wrong thing at the right time and coming up trumps as he pours his concentration back into his bolts.
-----"What madness is this?" Xavia yells as she turns toward Seth. "You burn this building and you force all of us, even our horses, out where those hell-spawned beasts wait."
-----Runik then comes dashing back in with his arms laden with flasks. The dwarf is promptly stopped in his tracks by some of the soldiers and the one called Abram. Runik then launches into a cursing fit, spewing forth oaths and swear words in common and in dwarvian.
-----A loud angry grumble is heard from Krord as Brandel, fighting the pain of his wound, speaks up. "Well, I for one," the young man says, "am tried of this waiting! If my employers are dealing with those beasts, I say we leave now!"
-----Meanwhile, outside Kazel's bow twangs twice. One arrow buries itself deeply in the upper thigh of one of the wolves. The monster cries out and it begins to struggle to move away from the building.
-----Kazel's second arrow misses the other werewolf though it also begins to back away.
-----The larger wolven creature just beyond the torchlight watches the Dread Pirate menacingly. Curiously, it seems to sink back in the darkness until only its reddish eyes are revealed. It pauses as if waiting.
-----The Dread Pirate waves his cutlass menacingly at the largest werewolf, daring it to step forward and attack, saying, "Ye cowardly, lice-ridden, bag o' fleas. Yer too scared to quit yer hidey-hole in the darkness and step forward and fight the Dread Pirate? Then the Dread Pirate will come to you!" With a flourish of his cutlass, Gimplefwick takes several steps forward, obviously not quite insane enough to rush into werewolf-laden darkness surrounding the tavern.
-----When he hears the others yelling in the background, he shouts back at them, "Forget the oil, it be too late now anyway. The critters have retreated. Fer some reason they're showin remarkable restraint fer a bunch o' evil monsters that're supposed to be bloodthirsty and vicious. Aren't werewolves supposed to be wild and outta control? Do ye think they have some sort o' outside force controllin 'em somehow? A more intelligent werewolf or demon or wizard?"
-----The huge werewolf takes a step forward but only a step. Its dark fur glistens with the remaining torchlight dancing over its hair. It narrows its eyes at the Dread Pirate and opens its jaw. It growls deeply but the impression leaves one as if the monster laughs. Still silhouetted in the darkness, the beast continues to stare down the rogues as the two smaller ones recede into the dark.
-----Seth, not knowing if it will work or not, drops his artwork with the bolts and reaches for some sand in his pockets. He judges the distance, and tries to move as close as he dares and then attempts to cast sleep on the big werewolf.
-----The Dread Pirate takes one more step forward towards the towering werewolf, then stands and idly slaps the blade of his cutlass against his open palm, obviously waiting for the werewolf to move forward also. For all intents and purposes, it looks as though the Dread Pirate is challenging the werebeast to single combat. At least until Dread sharply whispers to Kazel, "If I can get it to attack, we'll both jump it and beat the hell out of it."
-----"Sounds easy enough," Kazel whispers back as she crouches next to Dread. In the meantime, she continues to shoot anything worth shooting before they close in, stopping between each shot to check for anything trying to encircle them.
-----The huge werecreature hangs its head low to the ground and for a moment it looks as if it means to spring up in the air. Drool oozes from between its sharp pointed teeth and drips heavily to the ground. Suddenly the monster steps back into the shadows where the last thing that can be seen of it is its hellish red eyes. The glow of those eyes begins to fade until the blackness of the night consumes it completely.
-----The Dread Pirate and Kazel appear to stand alone outside of the tavern building in the light of three torches. The night air feels heavy from the tension and the deathly quiet that still prevails.