-----"I'm not of a military mind," Garrison replies, "but the way his outposts are scattered, . . . it's almost like wolves stalking . . ."
-----"Prey?" Rinda interjects when the woodsman seems unable to find the words.
-----"Yes," he says as he continues to stare at the map. Garrison adds, "He also has the swamps at his back. You'd think he could be trapped by it, but it could be the bigger creatures are coming from there."
-----Looking at Raven, he finishes saying, "I guess it does look like he's planning to attack and move westward as he does."
-----Just a few moments later, an ear-shattering boom is heard from outside the front entrance. Everyone jumps and even Sarah is distracted from her books. The mage frantically looks around the room and, not seeing everyone present, quickly gains her feet. "Sol?" she whispers with a look of alarm.
-----Raven simply says, "Rager's justice."
-----"Oh," Sarah says lightly, "well if you think everything's okay." She then settles back on the pallet bed and returns to her reading.
-----A while later, Romney and Shema approach the room and stand near the door. Both guards remain quiet as if their thoughts are turned inward.
-----As Garrison steps out into the hall, he says, "It must be late afternoon. How soon should we set off?" The woodsman then sees Sol searching the dead body of the priest at the top of the stairs. Just as the woodsman is about to say more, another intensely loud boom carries into the defeated temple from the outside.
-----"Damn that man!" Romney curses as he holds his ears.
-----Raven looks up from the map and says, "Okay, I'll check on what's happening. Never know with Lovan..." Raven's last comment trails off as he heads down to check on Lovan.
-----Sol glances bleakly at Romney as he says, "The woman who originally cut my arm is not amongst th' fallen. There's something we're missing. But...one thing at a time." Sol gets up and follows Raven to go see what mischief Lovan is up to now.
-----Rinda follows while Garrison remains looking at the map. With Sarah also in the room reading over her new books, the two guards from Oakwood remain posted by the door.
-----As the three walk across the lower chamber, Rinda curls up her nose at the dead bodies of the followers. "We should leave soon. The smell of the dead will soon fill this place," she grimly speaks.
-----Just before they exit the chamber, Sol spies something under a table close to the spot where he was attacked. Reaching down, he picks up a short sword.
-----Going on outside, Raven and Sol first see the fire pit, . . . or what remains of it. The huge fire that burned here is extinguished and the stones that made up the pit are disheveled, split and blackened. The clouds overhead roll darkly but quickly seem to settle. A few feet from the opening they exit through stands Lovan with a wild smile on his face.
-----Turning to greet them, the priest says, "The enemy has been stopped by the Rager's might. I thank you that you have helped me bring forth the fury. Will you not return to the temple of the Rager?"
-----As the overcast sky settles once more, there seems to be only two to three hours more of daylight.
-----"What say ye, Raven? We should probably take that chest of coinage and leave it at Strator's temple. We could even stay fer th' night. Whether we ride fer a couple more hours, or stay at th' temple, either way our quarry is under a day's travel away." Sol suggests as he looks over the charred pit.
-----The Gorian absentmindedly gives the short sword a few expert swings, then stops and looks up at Raven and Rinda. With stern words he notes, "Hey Raven, Rinda...this is the sword that the woman cut me with. I wonder where she got to after Lovan hit her with that...spell of fear?"
-----Raven nods, "Aye we could stay at the temple tonight. Sounds good me. As for the woman, your guess is as good as mine."
-----Raven looks at the short sword Sol swinging, "Do you mind if take a look at that sword, Sol? Just curious to see how it handles."
-----The huntress's eyes narrow. "A woman," she says and her expression shows her concentration. Nodding toward Lovan, Rinda says, "It would be how much the fear held her."
-----Looking at the ground, Rinda continues to speak though she seems to talk with her inner mind. "The prey when frightened would seek to hide. But, . . . this one is not a child of the Great Hunter. No, this one has the thinking to be prey or predator. She could be hiding or . . ."
-----Very quickly her words are cut off as she suddenly looks wide-eyed at Sol and then at Raven. Rinda then steps out away from the courtyard looking out through the ruins toward the southeast.