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"There are ways to finish your terms without doing either." Angel comments back, the mans words were almost utter madness, yet there was something to them.

"I believe they would react best to the three of us." She comments to Liri and the strange Ranger.

Liri smiles, but shakes her head. "Oh no, I'm no diplomat, just a simple messenger as yet. I hope to get to that stage some day." She accepts the coins, however.

"But before we go talk to the guards, we should decide on our cover story, so that everyone tells the same if we're asked questions in an inn or tavern. Any suggestions?"

Much of the trip, Bastian has been in silent prayer and contemplation. As they approach the town and there is talk of the best means of entering, he simply asks the most obvious question, "When do the gates open in the day? They certainly can't keep them barred at all hours?"

When his words startle people into realizing that he is still there, he continues. "The night is nearly over. Should we encounter more trouble, we will at least have a wall at our back, which is more than we had previous. We simply need to alert the wall guards that we are seeking respite in the morning and that we are setting a temporary camp in the clearing near the wall. (Assuming that they still clear cut the surrounding area for line of sight.)"

"That is an acceptable idea, although despite myself a warm bed would be a welcome change right now." She shakes her Blonde hair and waits for the party to move to the gate.

That brings a small chuckle to Bastian's lips. "At this point, I would appreciate those blasted uncomfortable mission cots!"

"Indeed." The Half Elf responds with a strange look on her face, her eyes glancing at Liri a moment.

"Yes, any kind of bed would be most welcome. Let's present ourselves to the guards, and see if they let us in or let us camp. Still, we need to agree on our story." Liri's voice sounds sad, there might be tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

[OOC] Just waiting on a plan and an action from someone. [/OOC]

"So, Bastian and Liri are our best talkers, I suggest they go to the gate, and put our point across, I will accompany them." Angel suggests, glancing around the group, "Is that acceptable?"

"Agreed. I'll be right back." Bastian rides his mule until he is within bow-shot of the wall, where he dismounts and approaches the gate. He stays well away from the wooden walls, and simply calls to the guards. "Oi! We were set upon by bandits in the night and suffered losses. We had to break camp and continue moving. I presume that your gates do not open until dawn, so would you be opposed to us sleeping at the walls until day break?"

Liri stands next to Angel, watching Bastian. She murmurs something to herself, but all that Angel can get is "complicated" somewhere in the middle.

Angel stands nearby, her hand resting near her blade, eying the wall with interest. "Complicated does not quite sum things up. She mutters to herself, standing very close to the elf her words are audible.

The town is built in the style of an imperial fort, and its rectangular layout, so familiar to anyone with legion experience, looks as if it has been dropped into place as a unit without consideration for the local topography. Instead, the land has been cut and filled to suit. A ditch surrounds the town, and the walls are built atop an earthen rampart. There are four gates, one at each point of the compass, and the surrounding land has been cleared for a distance of about one hundred yards. The wall is stone, to a height of about fifteen feet, with square towers at the corners and flanking each gate.
The visible structures appear to be in good repair, although perhaps not as perfect as they would be in an active imperial fort.

A greybearded man in a dark colored tunic appears in a tower window in reponse to Bastian's call. "Present yourselves at the gate," he calls out, "all of you." Moments later, a day-bright light appears over the gate, blinding you momentarily. While you are blinking from the bright light a small squad of men appears outside the gate, which must have been opened briefly. The men are all in their forties or older and wearing imperial kit, although some wear beards and longer hair than would be permitted for active legionaires. The men and their gear bear the scars of rough use. The men look over your group, hands on their weapons but weapons sheathed, and the ranking man, a heavyset man with a limping gait, finally approaches Bastian. "Priests, mercenaries, an old ma...an old...um," his train of thought momentarily stalls, then he plunges on, "and a young lady and a teamster without a wagon...must be adventurers. Oh - hey Maughus."

Maughus says nothing, but dips his head in greeting.

"Are these people on the up-and-up?"

"I was traveling with them. We were attacked and they were robbed."

"Bandits, or were they targeting this group?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, it makes the difference between whether this must be dealt with tonight, or in the morning."

Maughus says "Bastian?"

Liri shakes her head and smiles at Angel. "I was talking to myself, about how I tend to think in a complicated way instead of doing things simply, like Bastian just has done."

She listens to the exchange between the guard leader, Maughus and Bastian, intent on learning.

Bastian glances at the old necromancer, wondering what made the guard so confused by his appearance. In the brief time he spent to consider this, he forgot what it was he was considering about Fraso in the first place. No matter....

"I would venture to say that they targeted us. More specifically an article we once carried."