Hamish steps over and grabs the wolfish man by the shoulder, pulling him back from the cart, adding his strength to Ruedi's push.
"That's enough. I don't know who you think you are but you ain't fishin' around in our cart. For all I know, yer just another bandit tryin' to pass himself off as a lord."
Hamish isn't prepared to accept a no a shrug off of his hand.
The man waves his hands in the air and backs off exactly two steps, smiling slily. Looking up at the big man's face, he says, «oh!? you did not know me? I am neither lord nor bandit, merely the witch hunter, but on one issue we all agree, lord Eadric, every bandit I ever saw, and the most reverend archbishop: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
«We have suffered too long under the shadow, so who are you with? The light or the shadow.»
Then the hounds howl again, little more than fifty paces away, and the sun glitters in the wolf tooth on Wulfric's cape.
Ruedi looks at the hounds. his steel gaze locks into theirs. Should they approach closer than fifty paces, he will growl at them to leave his presence, and never come near him unless they grovel for his permission.
"Oh, the Witch Hunter, are you. Fair enough. Fair enough."
The big man does not back down or away.
"Me? I suppose that question ain't so easy to answer. I'm big enough that I cash a pretty big shaow in the noon day sun but tall enough that my head is up in the light of the day."
The big fellow chuckles as he glances over at the hounds.
"Maybe your hounds got the scent again. Looks to me like you're barkin' up the wrong tree here, pet. This fellow here," he gestures at Ruedi, " that the Friar is giving succor to, he said there was somethin' fishy out in them woods. Seems best you go a sniffin' there before the scent's gone. If we post anything on the road ahead, we'll send word back this way."
Hamish smiles again.
"So we best be on our way. And you too at that. Day's not waitin' on no man."
«Yes, let us. Let is see just where the hounds will lead.» He looks over his shoulder to see the hounds speeding up. «Right, here, don't you think?»
The he is interrupted by Ruedi's howls, and the hounds stop and howl back, just near enough for you to count half a dozen.
The witchhunter raises an eyebrow at the hounds, and slowly turns toward Ruedi. «Looks like we have a second little demon here, commanding the animals like the Devil himself. Is that the kind of company you want to entertain, big man?» asks he of Hamish. «Surrender the sorcerers, and you will have free passage to wherever you were heading.»
"What is this talk of demon and sorcerers, ser?" asks Leofric, laying a calming hand on Wulfric arm. "A man howled like a dog, and the dogs answered. Nothing suprsising about that -- I used to do something like that with my father's hunting dogs while I was but a lad."
When Wulfric turns to him, he shales his head sadly, lowering his hand. "Forgive my companions' strange behaviour, they are but reacting to your own. We saw no witch, nor demon. Let us pray together, then be on our way."
Nauvi clasps his hands together in prayer and looks to the heavens. "Yes, please lead us in prayer."
Hamish remains stoic and unmoving, hand on his sword.
"Once we're done praying, Friar, let's be on the road. Sun ain't standin' still."
The man seems to be taken aback by Leofric's proposal, and the aware ones (Per+Awareness 9+) can see that he rolls his eyes as he lifts his stare to the heave.
Lord, hear our prayer. Please, guide us through these dangerous times. Bring justice to those who betray our land and our people. Help everyone see their faults and lead them back to the straight and narrow. Let us all bring any wrongs and any conflicts to the Lord whom you have appointed.
He pauses a little to give others a chance to add their prayers, before he concludes with «Amen».
The cage cart pulls up with three men-at-arms, watching the proceedings attentively. The rest stay behind with the now disobedient hounds.
The witch hunter lowers his hands and breaths out, and says, «now, show me wha-h ... who's under those blankets!»
"God o our Father, bring peace and forgiveness to those who seek it, and lend strength to those who do your will. Amen."
Leofric sighs, and when Wulfric turns towards the cart, he mutters, "Forgive me God." Then he hits Wulfric over the head with his staff, hard (using Reserves of Strength), with the intent to knock him out cold.
(Attack roll of 12, adding a Confidence point if it makes a difference)
EDIT: Adding a Fatigue Level to boost his Attack total by another 5 points.
EDIT 2: So the final attack stats would be Atk 17 (12 - 3 for scuffle with a weapon + 5 for Fatigue + 3 for Confidence), with Dam 5 + Atk advantage (considering no Damage Bonus from the weapon and Reserves of Strength). Leofric will need to make 2 Fatigue rolls afterward, but both rolls were 9, so no additional Fatigue lost.
Wulfric turns his head just as Leofric strikes. He hits hard, but not perfectly¹. Wulfric stumbles and grabs the side of the cart to lean on. «I knew they could not be trusted...» he groans, bleeding a little from the temple where Leofric hit.
The lass jumps up, startled, and shivering with fear. The blanket falls off, down on Ruedi's feet. «I knew it...» groans the witch hunter again as he looks towards the approaching men-at-arms.
«Arms ready ... protect the master» shouts one of the men, and all of them do as commanded. The lass screams.
When you act, please make all the die rolls for a round, including initiative and one defense (just in case).
¹ Atk advantage was 8, two fatigue levels and a light wound.
Leofric shakes his head in sadness, then strikes Wulfric again, again putting much effort into the blow.
(Atk Total of 10 - 3 for using a weapon + 5 for a Fatigue Level + die roll 1 followed by a 9 = 30)
(Damage if Atk advantage + 2)
Assuming that Wulfric goes down this time, Leofric asks the others, "Try not to kill anyone please."
Without a weapon in hand, and seeing Wulfric taking a big hit, Ruedi looks back towards the hounds. The least he can do is keep them out of the fight. He lets out a strong howl, sending a clear message to them "Hear me now! from now henceforth, I am your pack leader!.Come and heel before me!"
(total of 20 on the Animal Handling roll )
Hamish a little outside the main interaction, will presumably draw his sword to help, but just as he does, he has a vision¹, as if an angel hovers in the air above the group. Their voice is loud and clear, at least inside Hamish' head.
Wulfric cannot fall to your hands. Remember the prophecy. He has not yet played out his role.
The vision lasts but a moment, and Hamish can join the commotion, as he sees fit.
¹ That's the visions flaw if anybody wonders.
I'll give Nauvi a chance to post before I resolve other actions.
Hamish has a momentary pause, his sword just coming free of the scabbard. He almost gasps, a sharp hiss of indrawn breath before he steps forward to block the staff stroke with his shield.
"Hold!"
As everything goes off, Nauvi reacts a fraction slower than his companions, and yells something in Latin at the man-at-arms at the back of Wulfric's group. Please let them fall asleep he thinks.
[OOC: 4 on initiative. 27 on call to slumber, so 19 penetration - aura penalty, I'm using vocals loud enough to make sure they're within voice range. 5 for defense, but I have cast The Wizard's Sidestep earlier.
Leofric's comes down to knock Wulfrid unconscious, just as Hamish readies his sword and stops to shout his halt. Wulfric is bleeding from his mouth and ear too.
The three men-at-arms, seeing Leofric's attack on Wulfric, come charging at him. One of them drops to Nauvi's spell, but the other two, with axe and shield, get to strike at Leofric. (Atk 18 as a group. Defense roll please.)
The hounds are loose and run to surround the group. Ruedi, who pays attention to this, can see that they are torn between looking at himself and at Wulfric.
The last two men-at-arms come running after the hounds. Hearing the Latin incantations and seeing their comrade drop, they raise their axes and shout «take the warlock!». They charge against Nauvi, and will arrive about last next round.
(Defense total of 16 for Leofric with his staff. He has a Soak of 0.)
«Down,» shout the soldiers, and bash Leofric to the ground with their shields¹. Leofric feels the air being knocked out of his chest, as he is pushed to the ground by heavy shields and loses consciousness.
New round. Nauvi, Hamish and Ruedi are now facing four men-at-arms and half a dozen howling hounds. A couple of the hounds bow to Ruedi, but two of them sniff around Wulfric. The lass screams again.
¹ Damage 9, which is 2x2 fatigue levels scuffling damage.
Leofric goes down, pummeled unconscious most convincingly. (He was already down 2 Fatigue levels, so that makes 6.)
Roxie, lacking Leofric's calming influence and finally spooked by the baying of hounds, the shrieking and the yelling, starts braying loudly as well as kicking and jerking in her traces. Anyone in the cart can feel it move under them. She appears about to bolt, and her hooves target anyone standing closely.