Chronicles of 'Team B' - Chapter 47 - A Massacre on the Khavzai

General Summary

The following morning, the Serpent Slayers and their charges rouse themselves, and over breakfast, develop a new itinerary. There is fear that the Kochmaki, having received word of the brawl and conflagration at the waystation, will send riders to hunt them down. Though some are spoiling for another fight, another confrontation may derail their mission. For the same reason, they want to avoid the city of Vyshemila on the opposite bank of the Khavzai - they are not sure where Princess Ksenia's allegiances lie. Actually, they would like to avoid cities altogether as they make their way to Laima, even if this takes them into the heart of the Kapkan' Marshes. Zorina, who knows the lay of the land beyond the Khavzai, charts a path that would avoid the cities of Ladan' and Luzhinsk, and lead directly toward the heart of Galind lands. To do this, they will have to skirt around the source of the Valui, but that shouldn't lose them much time. 
After having walked a few versts upstream, Malina sets the plan in motion by fashioning rope bracelets for the party's horses, and attempts to make them walk across the river to the opposite bank. However, Zorina, Merius, and Arsenii decisively fail to coax their horses to step onto the water. A longer trek upstream follows, with Malina whispering to the beasts, and trying to get them to calm down. Eventually, she coaxes them onto the river, and the riders guide them across the watery expanse, despite Lokan's warning that they will be highly noticeable and significant to any onlookers. Soon, several boats, displaying the raven crest of the Vyshemila Alferovichi is sighted in the south. The Serpent Slayers do their best to avoid them, and eventually, lose their likely pursuers. They make it to the opposite bank, but in full view of a bunch of fishers who take their approach as an obvious prophecy come to pass.    
The party avoids a prolonged delay and unnecessary explanations by quickly heading upland, and striking northeast. The rest of the day's travel is uneventful, though after sunset, it begins to drizzle and then rain, and the temperature progressively drops. Malina conjures up a wooden tower in which the companions and beasts both can find shelter. In the middle of the night, Zorina, who is in fox form, is alerted to the sounds of voices, who are apparently discussing getting themselves invited by the tower owners to share food and warmth. She rouses her companions before taking cover in the woods, pursued by an uncannily speedy Agapia, who wants to rub her tummy. Lokan emerges from the tower as the group's spokesman, and soon learns that the dozen riders are servitors of Princess Ksenia, who were summoned by a messenger, and alerted to the destruction of the waystation. They reveal that the princess is seeking room for maneuver from the Kochmak overlords, and is not at all in cahoots with them. They are curious about the towers, and ask when they were put up. Lokan makes the mistake of preemptively lying by saying that his companions are working with the princess and that the towers were put up a week ago to help their mistress deal with the Kochmak threat. But he is caught in the lie, as the fight at the waystation only took place the night before. In any case, his story doesn't explain how the towers were put up so quickly, and why they were raised in the hinterland, instead of to the south of Vyshemila, whence the presumed Kochmak attack would originate. Suspicious, the leader of the riders grabs Agapia and holds his sabre to her throat, threatening to kill her unless the travelers tell them the truth. Things quickly escalate, there are bowshots from both sides, and soon enough, another wall of fire courtesy of Malina consumes a good many riders and horses. The rest attempt to flee, though only one succeeds. The rest of the survivors are bound, and talk gravitates toward how best to dispose of them without generating undue attention. In the chaos, Agapia somehow loses all memory of how she got there.

Missions/Quests Completed

• Khavzai is crossed
• Some servitors of Princess Ksenia are slain

Character(s) interacted with

• Marveling fishers
• A dozen riders in the service of Ksenia Ilinichna

Report Date

26 Feb 2021