Secrets revealed...

The sibling herders shared a brief glance and smiled. They had both grown very fond of the old ashik and his tale, and both of them wished to hear it through to its conclusion. The old man wasn’t any trouble. He didn’t eat much. He didn’t drink much. He never complained and he kept pace with them, surprisingly. And now that they were less than a days travel from their home they were thinking about him leaving them, and they found that they didn’t want that to happen. For now, however, they just listened.

After a long day of haggling, Kollus heads back to the mekillot wagon so that he can rest. As well as the trading, holding his face in an imitation of the Merchant House Ianto trader is extremely tiring. The rest of the group join him to keep a low profile from the representatives of Merchant House Resherek. The following morning Arthur, Kank and Miloch load all of the goods that Kollus purchased into one of the cargo compartments whilst Balboa and Scar keep an eye on the bazaar from the upper deck.

Once everything is loaded, Kollus informs everyone that the bazaar will start selling slaves at around midday but he will head down later as he does not want to run the risk of his mask slipping. Arthur then once again raises the issue of the assassination of Bradon Vlock, Balboa suggests that they could provoke him into a fight so that they could kill him, but Kank wants nothing to do with it as he says the risk is too great. Scar also points out that Vlock is on very good terms with Merchant House Resherek, and that complicates matters further.

Just before midday, Arthur heads down to the bazaar to keep an eye on the auction and on Vlock. The slave auction is slow and long winded and after a short while Arthur gets bored and starts to circulate around the crowd, chatting to guards and asking them specifically about the areas that they are from. He makes notes on his map about key locations and places to get water, in return for them sharing information he lets them know that the oasis at Silver Springs is no longer poisoned. Arthur also discovers that it was the Templars that arrived at the mausoleum oasis first and that they were relaxed about the activities of the Black Sand Raiders. It wasn’t until the soldiers of Urik arrived that things were enforced. One of the trade guards believes that the Templars and soldiers of Urik are not seeing eye.

A couple of hours after midday Kollus is escorted to the auction by the rest of the group, he immediately starts to bid on the slaves. By the end of the auction he has purchased eleven slaves in total, including a heavily muscled and troublesome Mul gladiator by the name of Marvek. Acting as slave guards the group escort the slaves to their mekillot wagon four at a time. They then secure them in the remaining cargo spaces and make sure that they are well fed and watered, and set a double guard. The group makes sure that to any observer they are carrying on exactly as a slave wagon should.

Later that evening, knowing that it will be the last opportunity, Arthur convinces Balboa, Kank, and Scar to head back down to the bazaar to find an opportunity to kill Vlock. The target is there drinking with members of Merchant House Resherek and a couple of Black Sand Raider guards. The bazaar is very relaxed and even Burduk Meer the Templar is moving around with a smile on his face and chatting happily to several of the merchants. The group watch Vlock closely hoping for a chance to get him alone, but it never materialises and Braden Vlock leaves the bazaar and heads back to the Black Sand Raiders main tent with the two guards in tow.

The group drift back to the mekillot wagon where Balboa and Kank relieve Miloch and Kollus on guard duty. The slaves remain quiet through the night and in the morning Kollus hitches the wagon to the mekillot and they drive away from the bazaar at the mausoleum oasis heading in the direction of Tyr. A day and a half passes as the wagon slowly creaks along the Tyr road, just after noon Miloch is on patrol around the upper deck and believes that he spots some people following the mekillot wagon. He quickly informs the others and they make sure that they do not change their routine but do keep an extra sharp eye to the rear of the wagon.

Over the next couple of hours they ascertain that there are about a dozen humanoids following the mekillot wagon on foot and trying their hardest to remain unseen. Thinking that they may be attacked that night Balboa decides that it is time to tell the slaves the truth. He heads down to the hold and informs them that the group are not slavers but are actually freed slaves and that they wish for the slaves to join them. Understandably, the slaves are not easily convinced but once Balboa shows them all his slave brand they are more open to the story. Balboa tells them about the possible attack and the former slaves agree to help out if their bonds are removed. They also agree to stay within the hold and to pretend to be slaves if soldiers turn up.

That evening they set up camp out in the open, fully expecting an attack to come that night. Balboa, Kank, and Miloch take the first watch and Balboa spots that the mekillot wagon is being watched from a distance. As the twin moons rise Balboa spots five tall and slender shapes moving towards the wagon from the north. Elves! He quickly informs the others and they quietly wake everyone and prepare for the attack. Arthur, with a glint in his eye at the prospect of fighting some elves, wakes the slaves and tells them to get prepared quietly. They are split into two groups and told to wait at the bottom of the stairs out of the hold until they are called for.

Just before midnight Arthur, Kollus, and Scar make a pretense of changing of the guard and the others retreat to hide within the wagon. As she patrols, Scar sees five more elves approaching from the east. She nocks an arrow and takes aim, breathing out slowly she releases but the distance is great and she misses. But the attack has the desired effect as she sees the five elves leap up and sprint towards the wagon. Kollus then spots that the five from the north are also now running towards the wagon, and Arthur shouts that he has five elves rushing from the west. Balboa heads to the rear of the wagon to join Scar and Miloch heads to the driving deck to join Arthur. Kank heads to the south side of the wagon and as he arrives he spots another five elves rushing the wagon from that direction.

Balboa and Scar man the rear crossbows and fire at the elves from the east. Balboa hits his target in the arm and the long shaft lodges against the bone and the elf drops to the floor. Scar also hits, and her bolt lodges in the elfs chest and he flies backwards to land in a crumpled heap. All of the other wagon crossbows are fired, but none of the bolts find their mark. Kollus switches to his bow and loses a couple of shots killing one of the elves rushing from the north. The elves start to return fire and arrows pepper the wagon from all directions. One of the elves arrows hits Kank in the arm but he is lucky to get away with just a flesh wound. Both Scar and Kollus take arrows to the arm but are able to continue to fight.

Arthur calls for the freed slaves to reinforce the upper deck and they rush up the stairs and take their positions in support, Marvek heads to the driver's deck to join Arthur and Miloch. As the remaining elves start to climb the sides of the mekillot wagon Arthur shouts;

REPEL ALL BOARDERS!

Balboa strikes one of the climbing elves in the arm with his stone mace and the elf loses his grip and tumbles back off of the side of the wagon to land in an unmoving heap on the floor. Scar strikes one in the leg and the elf only just manages to slide over the balustrade and lands in a heap at her feet. Kank uses the power of the earth ring and then lays about the south side of the wagon with his maul Bone Crusher. He smashes two of them off of the side of the wagon and they both land unmoving on the ground. On the driver’s deck Arthur, Miloch and Marvek all lands hits and three more elves fall to the ground dead. But the fight is not over yet.