[D8,MN] G& B CORBEN and Ellie

(OOC: Starting its own thread to keep chatter out of main Green and Black thread)

Ben whirls on the disturbing scene his sword drawn. He instantly recognizes what has happened. He yanks Ellie close as the quickly retreats from the Coldbrook camp.

Ellie begins to stammer. "
I'm... sorry ... he was... going to kill him. You all saw it! I didn't mean to hurt him. This is all ridiculous."


Most of the men are hardened soldiers not murders. Some lend support to her story. In all the odd encounter has began to sober some of the aggression held by the men. The majority walk off peacefully leaving the Coldbrook men to scrape up their bastard.

The two quickly make distance. Ben's anger negated by his fear for Ellie and Corrine. At the Marsten camp they learn she was seen headed towards the castle. Following a trail of I think so, could've been, and right over there's they arrive outside the Wheel Tower.

A large group swells the area. Fist swing and bodies fly. They work their way through the crowd, Ellie glued to Ben's backside. Most steer clear as Ben has his sword brandished.

Ellie spots her first, the downed body of Corrine. "
Nooooooo!"


Ben can feel her peel away from him. He hastily spins, his heart tightening at the scene before him. His tears do little to stem the red tint that covers his vision. He watches Ellie collapse onto Corrine's body.

The madness around him feeding that buried anger. He shoves brawling men to the ground creating a circle around Corrine.
He snatches up what appears to be a Tullison man-at-arms and Butcher rolling on the ground.

"
THIS ENDS NOW!"
His voice rises high over the clamor.


With numerous men tossed to the ground and someone shouting from the center of the downed men, the crowds attention has been distracted from its violence. Ben turns about addressing the whole crowd. "
The next man to raise his hand in violence will answer to me and my blade. Any man-at-arms here do your duty and keep your Lords peace or feel his wrath."


Men-at-arms of various livery begin to disperse the stunned people.

Ben knows the peace will only last briefly as he watches them go. He watches them go none the less. Mainly because he is scared to turn around. Steeling his reserve he moves to the muffled sobs.

Corrine had fainted at the sight of her own blood, but her unconsciousness is not so heavy that being shaken does not stir her.

She groans woozily, trying to focus on the face hovering over her. She vaguely recognises the crying over the commotion around her.

"
Ellie?"
she mumbles in a daze. "
Where's Ben? I've... I've gotten... hurt..."


Her breathing is shallow, her body feeling heavy as she tries to get up, but the pain in her side makes her wince and cry out.

A smile crosses Ellie's tear streaked face, in relief that Corrine was still alive. "
He's coming."
She says her voice trembling.

From a few steps away Ben watches Corrine stir. He quickly close the distance dropping to his knees. He bends low to kiss her head and then begins to examine the wound.

"
It will be alright, my love."

Corrine manages a weak smile as Ben comes to her side, the fog in her mind and vision slowly clearing.

"
Will you help me up, please?"
she asks feebly, pointedly avoiding looking at the wound. "
I think I need help. It hurts terribly."

Ellie watches Ben intensely, reading his face to see how bad it is. As Ben finishes examining Corrine's side, he looks back up to see her smile. His relief plain in his eyes.

"
Its not grievous, but perhaps you should let me carry you. Standing may cause further damage and be very painful."
He pauses awaiting her input.

Ellie kneels behind her nodding at Ben's words, her face still a swirl of fear and joy.

Corrine raises her arms, giving a little nod to indicate she wants Ben to carry her.

"
Good idea. Get me away from this, please."


She winces and hisses in pain as he scoops her up gently into his arms, one arm under her knees, the other round her back, her own arms around his neck, her body curled into his chest like a frightened kitten.

It is then, as Ben begins to move, Ellie scurrying along to match his stride, that she notices that Ellie's hands and clothes are bloody;


"
Are you hurt, Ellie?"
she asks warily.

Ben eyes Ellie with worry, as he tentatively takes a few steps with his precious load. She carries his scabbarded sword in those bloody hands.

Ellie eyes drop to the ground as she meekly replies. "
I am fine, my Lady. No need to worry."
Even in her distraught condition she manages to keep her courtesies. Though the blood and tears make them seem very out of place.

Ellie's sorry state concerns Corrine, but she decides not to pry, just concentrating on staying still. She is not a heavy weight to carry, but she nonetheless worries about unbalancing him.

"
Thank you,"
she whispers to Ben. "
Are many others hurt? It all broke out so suddenly."

With a bit of shame at his earlier actions Ben replies. "
There are many skirmishes going on across the area. There will be a great many injuries and ... some deaths. I need no thanks. I should have found you sooner and this may have been prevented."


Looking about, he looks unsure. "
Where should we go? We need a healer. The sept perhaps?"


Ellie continues on in silence. Her shaking hands clutching tightly to the longsword.

"
Find a maester. Or Daveth. He's a healer too,"
Corrine replies weakly. "
You could put me back in my tent and then go looking, if that would be faster. I don't want to slow you down if it's dangerous here."

Benedict Blackthorne wrote:With a bit of shame at his earlier actions Ben replies. "
There are many skirmishes going on across the area. There will be a great many injuries and ... some deaths. I need no thanks. I should have found you sooner and this may have been prevented."


Looking about, he looks unsure. "
Where should we go? We need a healer. The sept perhaps?"


Ellie continues on in silence. Her shaking hands clutching tightly to the longsword.

Out of the shadows two men appear, one a large man seeming to tower over the other smaller reedy man. "
Its looks like you gentle people are looking for a place to land"
Grins the man with a blood red smile. "
My name is Rudpolph, and this is my companion Gerrold."


"
Hi"
Says the simple man in a loud ringing baritone.

"
We have been sent by the Septon from the Sept to find people looking for shelter and bring them to the Sept."
, He glances back to the knot of men milling about from whence they came, the threat of violence clearly still boiling just under the surface. "
We can get you to the Sept quickly, Its is much closer then then trying to weed yourself through this riot we have on our hands to wherever you may be going. Plus, between Gerrold and that big bright sword o' yours we shalnt have any trouble 'tall. So what say ya'? Are ya comin?"

Corrine looks warily at the two men, then looks to Ben;


"
Septon Arlyn is a good man. He'll help us."

Ben feels leery of the two individuals, but an escort would be best in their current state. He gives Ellie a wary look and she nods. Then he nods to the two men. "
Lead on Rudolph."


"
It is going to be alright."
He says whether to the girls or himself he is not sure.

Benedict Blackthorne wrote:Ben feels leery of the two individuals, but an escort would be best in their current state. He gives Ellie a wary look and she nods. Then he nods to the two men. "
Lead on Rudolph."


"
It is going to be alright."
He says whether to the girls or himself he is not sure.

"
Well come along then… best not keep the Septon waiting."
With that Rudolph led them through an alley. "
This is the quickest way to the Sept ya hear."
Rudolph smiles to himself. "
reminds me of me youngest this way does, she was a pretty lass, not much younger then yourself when I last saw her."
Rudolph continues this way, making small talk and trying to put the noble group at ease with grand story telling, leading them through a seemingly dark maze of alleys and side streets, staying of the main paths where you hear shouts and curses of men fighting and looting. "
Then gerrod here, I found him nursing at the teat of a DIRE WOLF? Can you believe that? Now this she wolf..."
a women's scream cuts him off as a figure with long dark hair tries to make it across the street but Is persued by three men whom come out of the crofters alley behind her.

"
help me!"
She screams at the top of her lungs rushing to what seems to be the relative safety of the small group.

The three men stop a short distance away and stare down the small group. Looking at their odds and trying to determine if it is worth the risk to persure their prize. "
Well what do we have here"

Even in her pained and wounded state, Corrine's heart goes out to the fleeing girl.

"
Help the poor girl,"
Corrine beseeches them. "
Please."

Ben addresses the girls pursuers. "
If I have to put this lady down this will not end well for you lads. The girl is coming with us. Move on."


Ellie inches closer to Ben, holding the hilt of his longsword out to him in case it was needed.

Cunning (Memory) TN 6 to remember who the black haired girl is amongst the chaos.

The three men bear the simple axes of woodcutters, but they are well built from their craft and have the advantage of numbers.

The tallest of the three sports a bushy black beard and speaks first.

"
Look to your own Ser, no need to play the fucking hero."


The black haired girl uses the time your interruption has bought her to produce a small knife from her boot - she's spirited but clearly outmatched...

Ben
[url=Cunnung(memory)TN6][/url]: 3d6 8
[url=Initiative][/url]: 3d6 7
Ellie
[url=Cunning(memory)TN6][/url]: 4d6 14
[url=Initiative][/url]: 2d6 7

RP to follow when everything is clarified.

Ruffians
[url=Initiative][/url]: 3#2d6-1 4 5 2
Hp: 9/9
Equipment: Soft leather armour, woodsman's axe

[url=Cunning (Memory)][/url]: 2d6 12

Corrine recognises the girl as Alys Rivers, the one who had spoken a prophecy to her at the fair, and seeing her creeping up behind her assailants fills her with panic;


They'll kill her! No! I need to do something!

"
Ben, put me down,"
she whispers urgently. "
I know who that is. She was the one I told you about. The two hearts. Don't let her die!"


[url=Initiative][/url]: 4d6k3 14

She wriggles from his grasp, wincing as she puts weight on her injured leg, but leans against a nearby wall to stabilise herself.

"
Is there not someone important to each of you that you should be protecting right now? Rather than terrorising others?"
she asks the men.

[url=Persuasion - Convince][/url]: 5d6k5 16

[OOC: Those who pass their cunning rolls, this is Alys Rivers, a bastard serving girl at Riverrun and alleged prophet. Evidently didn't see this coming...]

The men look a bit sheepish after being scolded by Corrine. "
Aye but it's just a bit o fun, no harm in it ta see."
Answers the task one in the center."


"
Them bastard's gurls like it rough"
says another.

"
Just leave us to our games and no harm comes to ya"

"
No,"
Corrine replies firmly, standing a little straighter in defiance, though still leaning on the wall. "
Leave her alone. Bastards are still human beings, not your playthings. Be decent men and go protect those you care about, before they get hurt by more dangerous men than yourselves."


[url=Convince them to leave][/url]: 5d6k5 15

[OOC: Just for clarification-
Initiative:
Corrine 14
Ellie 7
Ben 7 Ben will hold till Ellie moves
Ruffians 5,4,2
Rudolph ?
Gerrold ?
Alys ?

Round 1
Corrine Lesser action: Climbs out of Ben's arms
Free action: Convince them to leave - fail?]

Round 1(assuming the above)
Ellie
Initiative 7

Seeing Corrine scramble from Ben's arms, she knows what will likely be coming. Ellie stretches her arms far to draw the heavy sword form it's scabbard. Then laying it across her arm as she had seen squires do she handed it to Ben.

Lesser action: Interact draw Ben's sword
Lesser action: Interact hand sword to Ben

CD 8
AR 0
Health: 6/6
I/W/F: 0/0/0

Ben
Initiative 7

Ben senses the men's hesitation, but knows Corrine's words were not enough of a motivation. Closing his fingers around the hilt of his sword, he kicks out at "
bastard's gurls like it rough"
fellow . The blow catching the man in the knee and spiraling him to the ground.

Bringing the blade over the falling man and down hard into the collarbone of the tall bushy bearded man. The blade parts the soft leather like the skin of a grape. Deep red quickly staining the leather from chest to groin.

Lesser Action: [url=Knockdown Goon TN8][/url]: 4d6 18
Lesser Action:[url=Standard Attack Tall Goon(Leader)][/url]: 7d6k5 18
Results:"
bastard's gurls like it rough"
is knockdown
Bushy Beard depends on CD;
9-10CD =2DoS x 5 = 10-2AR =8 Health, 4-8CD = 3DoS x 5 = 15 -2AR =13

CD 10(12 cohort)
AR 0
I/W/F: 0/0/0

Round 1

Corrine's words cause the third woodsman to pause, and he does not join his fellows in engaging Benjen. He hesitates, but still grips his axe tightly, and the bloodshed may drive him in to a frenzy, or back to his senses...

Ser Benjen dispatches the bearded Ruffian, who crumples to the ground, and he screams piteously, his valour departing with his lifeblood.

His companion, rudely shunted to the dirt swings upwardly at Ser Ben, but years of training allow the knight to deftly sidestep the desperate blow, with his foe now on his knees.

[Ruffians are CD 6 (including armour penalty - Ath 3, Awareness 2, Agility 2)]
[url=Attack Ben (aims)][/url]: 5d6k3 8 - misses
[Other Ruffian hesitates due to Corrine's roll - we never find out what he intended as....]

[Round 2]
[url=Initiative][/url]: 5d6k4-1 18
[size=150:p4svui54]"
FIRE AND BLOOD,"
screams a muffled voice through a full helm.

A figure in ornate Targaryen red and black plate barrels around the corner, feinting low against the hesitating ruffian before ramming his blade through his foe's throat, followed by a backhand cut to the stomach for good measure. The woodsman grips his axe - to retaliate or in white knuckled panic, and splutters a "
yield..."
as he chokes on his lifeblood, before the mystery knight's second cut dispatches him.

Alys Rivers looks on resolutely, unwilling to turn away. The fear is long since gone from her eyes, replaced by the fires of justice and vengeance.

[url=Fighting][/url]: 6d6k5 16 = 3 DoS = 15 Damage

One ruffian remains on his knees before Ser Benedict...

[OOC: Corrine's initiative next]