Streets of Stonedale

The moon was high and Crom slept soundly. His dreams were of the misted realm of Ralaeth, it seemed as if his god called to him, but he could not find the way.

A loud and fast banging on his door awoke him with a start. He pulled himself out of bed and pulled a black robe over his head. He groggily answered the door to see young Bora, little sister of Zala out of breath and frantic.
=Bora=
Mokh Crom! You must come! We need you! Zala is hurt they said!

Crom said nothing, merely grabbing his hat, broad belt, medicine bag and totem-axe and following her out. They moved swiftly and arrived at the home in question in ten minutes. He burst in and eschewed the traditional greetings.
"Where is she? What happened?"

Zala's mother, Burga, a stout orc matron if ever there was one spoke up.
=Burga=
In her bed mokh. She won't say what happened, but she has been quite roughly handled.

Crom did not like the sound of that but he merely nodded and walked into the small room that Zala slept in. She had been roughly treated. Her cheek was cut and her eye swollen nearly shut, she was covered in filth and tearstains streaked her face. She sat up when he walked in and started to cry again. He leaned his axe against her wall and sat down beside her bed. He gently touched her arm in an attempt to comfort her and she withdrew as if struck. This did not bode well, and so he spoke instead.

"What happened Zala? Remember it is a great sin to lie to a Mokh. Whatever it is, the shame is not yours, but on whomever did this to you."

Zala tried to pull herself together and looked down at the floor. Her voice was weak and thin, full of pain and shame.

=Zala=
Mokh Crom....I was leaving work...a man offered to walk me home, because its dangerous at night....he....forced himself on me, I tried to fight, but he was strong and had a dagger...I've shamed my family...

She burst into fresh tears and threw herself into his arms. He held her a moment, trying to comfort her.
"No child, you have not shamed your family. This man has shamed his. Do you know who he was?"

She nodded, still clutching him close.

=Zala=
Marius Adelbert....He had always been so kind to me, always seemed like such a gentleman...

Crom's blood ran cold with fury. The Adelberts were a powerful and respected merchant family, and to hear that their son had presented himself so nicely only to harm a young girl filled him with a rage had known for years.

"I swear by Ralaeth he will be brought to justice. Now let me tend to your wounds."

Zala nodded and let him go, wiping her face gingerly. He gave her a warm smile and spent the next hour talking to her gently, telling her jokes, and tending to her wounds. He brewed her a potion to ensure she would not become pregnant, with specific instructions to drink one dose now, one dose at dawn, and another at noon. When this was done he gave her another another potion to ease her into sleep, before leaving her side and going out to see her family. Her father and three brothers had all armed themselves, old iron axes and swords, that had clearly not seen much use in sometime, spots of rust and nicks on the edges. Her father, Thok, was a good man, and he and his wife had been raised in the tribes. Their children, however, were all city born, and not a one had ever seen battle. Thok approached him, his anger and pain evident in his brown eyes.

=Thok=
Did she say what happened? Who did it? I will have blood!"

Crom spoke calmly, in a measured tone. Rash words lead to rash actions.
"Aye, she did. She was raped, by Marius Adelbert."

Thok howled with rage, his sons adding their own words of anger and bloody oaths of vengeance. Crom let them vent, but when they turned to leave he spoke calmly.
"Thok, you will stay here with your family."

Thok looked as if he had been struck. He was confused and angry and seemed unsure if he was hearing correctly.
=Thok=
My daughter has been raped and beaten, and you expect me to do nothing? Have you lost your mind?

"I have not. My friend, you were a great warrior in your day, but it has been twenty years since you fought a battle, and your sons have never. You rush off in a rage for vengeance, at least one of you will die, probably all of you, and even if you succeed in your vengeance, the humans will come to the quarter with fire and the sword, and there will be much blood and suffering before the end. We are not in a stronghold Thok, we must do things differently to survive in these lands."

While he spoke, Crom maneuvered himself to the door. His words were true, but Thok's instinct as a father warred with his sense.
=Thok=
Stand aside Crom, honor demands this. I will go through you if I must."

Crom calmly placed his axe against the wall and folded up his sleeves, dropping his bag to the floor and pushing it aside with his foot.
"If you feel you must."

Thok seemed unsure, but roared and swung his axe wildly. Crom calmly stepped forward and caught the haft on his left forearm, before lashing with a titanic blow to Thok's jaw. The older orc sprawled out on the floor, dropping the axe. Crom stepped forward and kicked the axe away, then smiled down at him and offered his hand.
"I know you want vengeance. I know your blood screams for it, mine does as well, but we are not on the tundra anymore, this is not our land, and we must play by their rules if we can."

Thok, still rubbing his jaw, accepted the hand and rose from the floor. Crom dusted him off, and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Be with your family, see to your daughter. I will go to the city fathers and justice will be done. I gave Zala my oath to Ralaeth on it. Trust me old friend. I will not let our people be misused."

Thok nodded, relenting and motioned to his boys to drop their weapons, and Burga stepped up to talk. She had a cooler head than her husband, though her pain was even more evident.
=Burga=
Thank you Mokh Crom, for everything you do for us all.

"You are welcome. At dawn, make sure Zala is awake and takes her potion."

=Burga=
I will Mokh. Ralaeth bless you.

Crom nodded and walked out, he would not rest this night. He would convene the city fathers and have justice done

*The elf and orc pair arrived from the southern terrain of Alaria to the stone-paved streets of the city. A gaggle of human children ran past the Silbaran's legs, playing their simple games with the joy of the unburdened. A heavy-set woman leaned out of a second-story window as she fanned the dust out of an old carpet, and a number of men slapped one another's backs, obviously headed to a local watering hole after a hard day's work.

It was an ugly city, to be sure, but there was a strange sort of appeal that even Isis could see at times. There was something honest about a place like this that did not hide its dirt. Still, it was no Lyramor, and she found herself wrinkling her fine nose as a vendor attempted to offer something unrecognizable on a stick her way, claiming the thing to be edible.*

"Should we get a room at the Inn, first? A branch of my order can be found at the Hall, but there is no real hurry."

*If she had not been so distracted by the putrid thing on a stick, Isis might have questioned her own sanity at assuming she and the Orc would be staying together another night.*

*Rulkim looks around the city to get his bearings, it had been some time since he had been in the city. After a few moments of examination however, he identified the route to the orc slum.*

You may take a room at the inn, I will be staying in the orc quarter. We are not entirely comfortable in the accommodations of the other races.

"Oh."

*It sounded as though that would be the end of it, and she'd be rid of him at last. She waved her hand at him.*

"Well, let's get this over with, then. Take me to your people."

*The orc turns and sets off along a smaller road that was overshadowed by one of the cities large walls. After moving through progressively poorer sections of the town, they finally arrive in a ramshackle section which boasted a large population of orcs. As they travel, Rulkim gestures to passing members of his race, often receiving gestures in response.*

Members of my clan have a presence here, we can get supplies and possibly a horse for you. I can run along side. Will there be any problem with being surrounded my orcs?

*Isis tossed her hair, tucking her chin in that way of hers.*

"What do you take me for? They won't bother me if I don't bother them. You really needn't go to so much trouble for me, though. There's no need for you to stick around once we're done, here."

*She eyed several of the Orcs as they passed by, and they eyed her in return. The Silbaran stuck out like a sore thumb in this place, but she held herself with as much self-assurance as she would walking the halls of her own home, belying the discomfort she truly felt.*

*Rulkim shrugs, leading further into the slum and towards a dilapidated structure.*

This is where my clan gathers. They likely already know I have arrived. I will stay with you for your journey as I wish to assist you against Quetzaya, and I have no better plans. Now come, we should go in.

*Pushing aside a flap of dirty leather that hung over the doorway as a sort of barrier, Rulkim leads Isis into a dimly lit hall. Roughly twenty orcs were initially visible, either socializing, lounging, or working on small tasks. Identifying an older orc, Rulkim makes his way towards him. After a brief greeting, Rulkim quickly explains the events of his past two days, and the mission of the elf. Explaining that she wished to gather information against Quetzaya, and that Rulkim wished to help, he persuaded the elder to make certain supplies available. Thanking the elder, Rulkim steps back to speak with Isis.*

You will be given some traveling rations and a horse, I will travel with you. He has also extended an offer of hospitality for you in the orc quarter if you are in my company. Not as comfortable as your inn.

*The gutteral mutterings fell silent as Isis slid past the cloth that served as a door. Orc heads turned, and tusked mouths moved as they murmured quietly from pointed ear to pointed ear. Rather than look away, Isis met each pair of eyes solidly. Though none were terribly intimidated by the small little elf, neither did they seem to challenge her presence.

The Silbaran was under no illusion that Rulkim didn't have something to do with that. There was a sigh of relief when the Orc she knew returned to her side. Again, Rulkim was insisting on staying with her to Lyramor. Though a smile played at her lips with the thought of walking the Orc through the glistening white city, it was still a confusing prospect.*

"Stay? Here? With...them?"

*A few heads were raised by her words, the condescension not entirely absent from her tone. She winced. The Silbaran elves considered it extremely rude behavior to deny an offer of hospitality, particularly while within the walls of someone's home...such as they could be considered walls. The Paladin returned her attention to Rulkim with a shrug.*

"Why not. Please convey my gratitude and acceptance, and my own offer of my home in Lyramor to his people should the favor ever be needed."

*Resigned to her fate, Isis moved on to the more pressing business at hand.*

"We should speak to my own Order about the news of Stonedale. Did your elder have anything unusual to report?"

*Rulkim passes the thanks from Isis back to the elder before turning back to his companion again*

The elder told me tensions run high in the north. Conflict between orc settlements and those loyal to Quetsaya is becoming more common. Tensions are high here as well, some crime has my people uneasy. We should speak to your order and move on.

*Her expression sobered.*

"Crime, is it?"

*She had expected the report from the North to be as such. It was the same in every land she had traveled to. But a rise in crime within the inner cities, as well? Until this moment, Isis had suspected that Quetzaya's influence was beginning on the outer fringes of the lower populated areas, slowly working its way inward to the center of Alaria. But this was the center of Alaria, and Isis wasn't so arrogantly foolish as to dismiss a rise in crime to be mere coincidence in these darkening times. Perhaps she had to adjust her previous theories.*

"...We should investigate that further. Let's go."

*Isis lead the way out of the orc slums towards the Hall of City Fathers.*