#odyssey

He bows; relatively speaking, he's unskathed. "Your Graces. Thane Teegan; how is he? May I see him?"

"You may, he is over there" A gesture "Still slightly wounded, but much better than he was. How did he conduct himself, if I may ask, Baron? There are some who fear he is too independently minded for Thane duty"

"He is a hero, Your Grace." and August goes to kneel next to Teegan "How are you?"

"I am ready to work," Says the troll laying down with bandages wrapped over him.

"They will free your friend now, baron. I am sure of it. Please tell the Lady Librarian I did what I could?"

"I will, Thane, and your name will be known and honored in our halls." he promises.

"I should visit sometime" Teegan smiles "Thank you, Baron. You got it done"

"Not without your sacrifice, Thane. I am in your debt." He stands and returns to the Duke, bowing "At your service, Your Grace."

"You have been at my entire's Duchy's service, Baron. Well over twenty five Chrysalids owe you, from various kingdoms that would , if they misunderstood that I was NOT involved, had come here with war in their eyes. "

(Int plus Alertness for August)

/roll 5

While 25 is a HUGE number, there were more than that... there's roughly 10 missing from the Duke's count.

"Twenty-five, Your Grace? Are you sure?" puzzled.

"That is the number when we came in" The Duke looks to another Knight "Is it not?"

The the knight says "We double checked, your Grace. If any are missing they left before we came"

"I admit, I'm grateful you came when you did; were there casualties?"

"Thanks to the golem production being stopped, only one Chimerical death. Many injuries though, we have every healer on it"

August looks grave "Who passed?"

"A thane by the name of Lathana. She will revive, a bit colder I fear, but she will return. And she will be rewarded and taken care of" The Dougal says it with certainty

"I am glad to hear it." he says sincerely "And the prisoners?"

"Of those you liberated, all seem unharmed, their dance done and stolen, of course, but we're doing what we can. As for Darespark and this Rathbone, Darespark at least faces a dire sentence.. " he says.

"I told her I would advocate for her if she yielded, Your Grace. She did not but... I am still moved to speak for her."

"You are a ...surprising man, Baron" The Dougal says "Are all Truthbranch members of such forgiving minds?"

"Members of my family, or of the bannerhouse, Your Grace?" politely asking to clarify.

"A fair point. I meant the Bannerhouse" he admits "Perhaps there is a place for them in my Duchy"

"bannerhouse Truthbranch bears many fruits, and not all the same. I council patience and forgiveness, but neither do I second-guess members of the bannerhouse when they act in the moment. If I cannot trust members of the bannerhouse to do their best on the scene and at the time, I should not have a bannerhouse."

A nod "Wise, wise, but you are owed a boon and not a small one. " He says "So I think, as part of it, making sure Truthbranch the Bannerhouse is welcome here is a small part of it"

He bows "We would be honored."

"Then we will make it so." A nod "Now, as to your ...friend who has been proven innocent."

"A valued member of the Court of EarthRunes, yes, and a dear friend of mine."

"She will be released promptly" he turns to a knight "See to the release of Miss Zara , Librarian of Earth Runes"

The knight mutters something to his grace.

(Perception plus Alertness for August)

/roll 4

"my liege? She's no longer in her cell. She escaped..somehow, before this battle began"

He hears it.

The Duke, of COURSE, hears it, and his surprise is magnificent!

August's lips move, and he looks away to master his expression.

A shame, it would likely be an even more magnificent expression!

"Impossible, she could not cast. She could not wiggle, the design.." The Duke is flummoxed!