Secret Game

[Bjorn]

Bjorn looks askance at Dracos.  "Yes, knew.  The Dreadmarch -- or somebody working for them -- has been running around, assassinating or otherwise removing as many major players as they can.  Now, if they could get close enough to steal your torc, they could almost certainly have killed you, which would have removed you entirely.  Why not?  The only plausible explanation is that by doing it this way, they could control who ended up with the leadership of the storm-riders.  And the only reason that would be worth any effort is so they could put the leadership in the hands of someone on the side of the Dreadmarch."

He shrugs.  "There's two goals they could be aiming for.  Either the storm-riders would betray Stormwall at a critical moment, or they simply wouldn't show up.  I would have bet on the latter, simply because it's easier to manage without inciting riot in the ranks of the storm-riders, and from what we just heard, I'd probably win that bet."

[Rezantis]

"Mm, but what Parthipan said sounded like Markham, or whoever, wanted to move his army of Storm-Riders past the dreadmarch without the storm-riders seeing the dreadmarch . . ."

Rez shrugs.

"Now THAT doesn't fit with what you were saying. It implies that Markham does want to get here, unle-" Rez's eyes widen, "unless he plans on getting the storm-riders ambushed on the way here, maybe?"

[Bjorn]

Bjorn shrugs, again.  "Ambushed or cut-off.  If the Dreadmarch gets between the storm-riders and the Keep, then the storm-riders are out of it."

[Brian]

"That sounds strange," Radagast interjects, frowning.  "I don't know Lord Markham, but I know he wanted to be a king to his people.  Getting them killed wouldn't hurt the dreadmarch as much as them arriving and then abandoning us.

"But Storm-riders are very loyal and vengeful folk, as a whole.  I can't imagine them letting something like this pass if they came to know of the betrayal.  It may actually be someone else, and Lord Markham could be oblivious.

"Regardless, however, it sounds to me like they're going to be here ... on time.  And we'll depend on them when we probably shouldn't.  A better question is how we convey this to Lord Kevin.  I don't know that he would believe it if we claimed Lord Markham were in league with the enemy."

[Rezantis]

"No, neither do I.  Parthipan will need to go to Lord Kevin and give him a rough estimate of how many soldiers the dreadmarch has," Rez whips his head around to Ginrai before the lorekeeper can say anything, "not a word," he turns back to the group in general,"  What we tell Lord Kevin about that conversation is . . . I don't know.  But I have the sneaking suspicion that someone's going to need to go out there and see exactly what the situation with the Dreadmarch and the Storm-Riders is - are they walking towards an ambush?"

[Bjorn]

Bjorn flicks his eyes towards Nathan and Dracos, but does not say anything, beyond giving Nathan a slightly disapproving frown.

[Rezantis]

Rez raises an eyebrow at Bjorn.

"We are not starting that argument again." He shakes his head, and looks around the group, "So, what do the rest of you think we should be doing?"

[Dracos]

"I think it is time that we took a trip and did some...more direct recon.  Parthipan, could you get the general area they were in?"

Dracos

[Rezantis]

Rez shakes his head and pulls out the map again, placing it down on a table.

"He said no, earlier.  But. We know they're due tomorrow, so they won't be much more than a day, a day and a half's march to the Northwest.  We know they are probably in the same general vincinity as the Dreadmarch, although they'll be able to move a lot faster, I imagine . . ."

Rez taps the map.

"We know roughly where they should be . . . and they aren't going to hide the passage of an entire army from us, so odds on if we head in the right direction, we're going to find them.  We should ask Lord Kevin what route they would have taken."

[Dracos]

"An interesting gambit."  Dracos brushed his chin.  "though not without dangers.  But none worth the time to contemplate.  Shall we make haste?"

Dracos

[Bjorn]

"I'm almost certain that Lord Kevin knows when and where to expect the storm-riders," Bjorn confirms.  "Why don't I take you to see him now?  I think Master Parthipan still had some more questions for Master Radegast, so we can leave them to their business."

Bjorn tries to make eye contact with both Dracos and Nathan, and, as he delivers the speech, jerks his head slightly to the door.  Outside.

[Rezantis]

Rez nods and follows Bjorn outside.

[Dracos]

"That sounds like a sensible plan."  Dracos nods to Radagast, glances at Rez and Bjorn, and heads out the door with them.

Dracos

[Brian]

Nathan, Bjorn, and Dracos now move to Stay.

[Brian]

"Well," Radagast murmurs, turning around and pacing.  "This is an unexpected turn."