(2023-02-26) Blowing the Bone Horn (S9 E6 - White Squad Log)

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	White Squad saves Westguard Keep from like four certain dooms in one afternoon. It is probably a one-day certain-doom-salvation record of some kind.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: Season 9

Ben straightens from where he's been leaning against the statue. He smiles at Ismene.

Ismene just kinda wanders over and picks up Ben's arm, draping it over her and snuggling up against him.

[Ben]: Hey.

Ismene makes a face. "You need softer shoulder armor things."

Ben 's smile widens as he peers down at her.

[Ben]: I will take that into advisement.

Ismene closes her eyes. "Sleepy," she says.

[Ben]: Yeah? *He studies her profile.*

Ismene nods. "Up late. I was hoping we'd learn something more before you went out again."

Ben grimaces.

[Ben]: Captain Adams wants to see us straightaway about your report.

[Ben]: I take it you ain't find anything else?

Ismene shakes her head. "Only what he has. And a bit of a headache, but I think that was fumes from Wrongnozzle."

Ben looks wry.

[Ben]: Well. Too bad we can't use that to neutralize it, I guess.

Ismene looks around. "Is it me or are we missing a few people?"

[Ben]: We are missin'… about everyone, in fact.

[Ben]: We are not missin' me. Full marks for attendance to myself.

[Ismene]: I'll paint you a gold star for when you get back.

Ismene grins up at him.

Ben grins back at her and sketches a mock salute.

[Ben]: 'Preciate it, ma'am.

[Ben]: They got a few minutes, I guess. Ain't surprised some of 'em would be reluctant after… last week's all.

Ismene peels off her husband. "I'm going to go and nap. I mean, get busy drawing that star for you. If no one shows up, come upstairs?"

[Ben]: If no one shows up, I reckon I got my work cut out for me today. But you get a good nap.

Ben smiles and bends to kiss her.

Ismene kisses him back and then frowns. "Don't you dare go alone. Come get me, I'll go with you."

[Ben]: Yes'm, okay.

Ismene walks back to the inn to nap, and does not log out to go be a paladin on the other side of the world.

Ben squints at Rae. He straightens up from his lean on the statue again and ambles toward her at the mailbox.

[Ben]: Rae. Hey. How you doin'?

Ben eyes Ralaea up and down.

Ralaea jumps and wads up the letter she had been holding, hiding it quickly behind her back. "I… um. Ben. Hello."

Ben blinks at her. He takes a courteous step back. "Ain't readin' over your shoulder, sorry."

Lena waves at the two of them and steps over to join the group.

[Ralaea]: It was… just junk anyway. People selling stuff. Oh look there's Lena, hi Lena.

Ben glances back, surprised. "Oh, hey Miss Coit."

Ben is too distracted to question the arrival of junk mail in Howling Fjord. Modern marketing is increasingly competitive.

Ralaea breathes a quiet sigh of relief.

[Ben]: Ace, afternoon.

Ben nods to Aiseia.

Aiseia trots out of the inn with a wary look to the north. "Sir."

[Lena]: You all seen Paluuva around?

[Ben]: Lieutenant Paluuva's gonna be maybe held up. But we have got some serious damn business today, so we're gonna get to it.

[Lena]: Okay. What're we off to doing today?

[Ben]: We are gonna report to Captain Adams regardin' the results of Mizzy and Peppy Wrongnozzle's research. It is… I am gonna tell you this in confidence, because it's ugly as hell, and we don’t want to set the whole Keep off.

Ben lowers his voice.

[Ben]: When they got into the crate an' took out the vials, they found the apothecary notes at the bottom. Accordin' to that, the fellow was frustrated that they ain't perfected the thing yet, which is what the tests on the vrykul shown 'em.

[Ben]: The thing is intended to be… uh. Caustic. Enough to turn a person's organs inside into… sludge.

[Lena]: Whoa.

[Lena]: Why would a person want to do that?

[Ben]: I mean. Beats the f*ck out of me.

[Aiseia]: Quick way to kill everyone with minimal use of people on your own side.

[Ralaea]: I guess, yeah.

[Lena]: Well, okay, but there's ways of doing a thing that are worse than just not being able to do it.

[Ben]: I don't think the Forsaken are real big on a honorable way to do a thing, personally.

[Ben]: Mizzy an' Peppy ain't been able to find a remedy, because it's so different from any plague we've seen so far. So at the moment best option is to, you know, stop the Forsaken from 'perfecting' it.

Lena nods at Ben.

[Ben]: Anyhow, that's what Adams wants to see us about. So. Let's go see him.

Ralaea glances at the brazier some distance away and squeezes the paper behind her back. "I'll, uh. I'll catch up."

Ben hesitates and looks back at Rae. "… Okay."

The rest of the squad heads for the Keep.

[Lena]: If we can literally destroy the plague I guess we don't need to cure it?

[Lena]: But it might come up again another time.

[Aiseia]: They are still working toward stopping this?

[Ben]: No, yeah, Mizz and Peppy ain't stopped workin' yet to find a cure, in case.

[Ben]: But no luck yet. Mizz was up all night last night.

Rae has caught up to them quietly.

[Ralaea]: I bet it's more than just the one plague. Knowing them.

[Ben]: Could be.

Ben salutes Captain Adams with respect.

Captain Adams says: Cobalt Company. A grim report indeed from Mrs. Hazan and Wrongnozzle. You’ve been briefed by your lieutenant here?

Lena nods smartly.

Captain Adams nods. “Good. So you see the problem: The Forsaken claim to be aligned with the Horde in the war on the Scourge, but this blasted plague of theirs is intended to work on the living.”

Captain Adams says: We can’t assume they mean it for the vrykul only, and we can’t leave a weapon like this in the hands of the Banshee and the Horde.

[Lena]: 'Course not.

[Ben]: No, sir. We cannot.

Ralaea stares at the wall behind him distractedly.

Captain Adams says: Good. The Royal Apothecary Society thinks they’ll be allowed to perfect a plague that could melt us where we stand?

Captain Adams says: Not on my watch!

Captain Adams says: … our watch.

Captain Adams says: Get out to the courtyard and speak with Greer Orehammer. He’s got gryphons and bombs waiting. I want you to bomb those plague tanks at New Agamand to smithereens!

Ben salutes Captain Adams with respect.

[Ben]: Yessir.

[Ralaea]: That's not going to start a new… different war?

[Ben]: Reckon we are already at odds with the Horde, yeah?

Captain Adams says: I also don't know that the Horde's aware what the Banshee's up to. Perhaps the Forsaken have no interest in their finding out. Perhaps we’ll let ‘em know.

Ben raises his eyebrows at Captain Adams. "Huh."

Ralaea shrugs.

[Lena]: So you're going to send a message to 'em too?

[Lena]: Like one in words, not just in bombs.

Ralaea tenses a little at the mention of messages. In words.

[Lena]: If they don't know, and they can make them stop for the future, then that'd be good, too.

Captain Adams looks evasive. "Aye, we'll see what we can do… diplomatically, as well as explosively."

[Ben]: Okay. Well, we are in charge of explosions, not diplomacy, so. We'll get to it.

They get to it. In the yard, they head for flight master Greer Orehammer.

[Ben]: Sir. We are flyin' over New Agamand? Adams said you had gryphons an' ordnance for us.

Ralaea definitely has her own bombs.

Lena stands up straight and tries to look like the kind of girl you trust with lots of bombs.

Greer Orehammer doesn't seem super interested in whether or not they look trustworthy with explosives. He nods and gestures to some waiting gryphons. "Off ye go."

Off they go. They fly south to New Agamand, and the gryphons circle high above the Forsaken settlement while White Squad lobs bombs more or less effectively.

By “more or less effectively” I mean they probably blow up quite a lot of things that aren’t plague tanks, as it’s hard for novices to target with precision from gryphon-back, but they definitely also blow up the plague tanks, so. We’ll call it good.

They wing back to Westguard.

[Ben]: Reckon that does it.

Ben nods respectfully to Greer Orehammer.

As they head back into the Keep…

[Ralaea]: They didn't try to shoot us down.

[Lena]: They didn't fight back at all.

[Lena]: Must not have been expecting us.

[Ben]: Got 'em by surprise, seems like, yeah.

Ben salutes Captain Adams with respect.

[Ben]: Sir. We handled it. They seemed caught off-guard, no resistance on the ground.

Captain Adams says: Nicely done, my friends, nicely done! That’ll show those good-for-nothing rotters what’s what.

Captain Adams says: And now, Cobalt, I’m going to ask you to handle the vrykul the Alliance way.

[Lena]: Which is not with an awful plague, right?

Captain Adams says: It is not.

Captain Adams says: They’ve got a fortress, Skorn, on our eastern border.

Captain Adams says: My scouts inform me those bloody giants are poised to strike at us, and with the paltry few men I’ve got here thanks to Keller, I don’t have the manpower to take the place by force.

Captain Adams says: Instead, I need a quick and cunning strike team. I need your lot. It’s a chancy mission, I won’t lie, but I trust you can see it through.

Ben straightens and nods firmly.

[Lena]: This a 'take out their leader' thing?

Captain Adams says: I’ve sent a man ahead with all the details. When you get to Skorn, stop by the western gate and flash this command insignia, and he’ll reveal himself to relay the mission. He'll hang about to follow your orders, as well.

Captain Adams hands Ben a badge.

[Ben]: … yessir. Okay.

Ralaea mumbles, "Well, he's in good hands then."

Ben glances at Rae and knits his brow. He hesitates and then jerks his head at the group. "Let's go."

They ride out, heading northward across the bridge over the gully. Below them, only a short distance to the west, is the Whisper Gulch mine.

Ben doesn't glance toward the gulch.

Ralaea starts to fidget, seeing the direction they're headed.

They rein in outside a high-walled settlement.

[Ben]: Reckon this is the place.

[Lena]: Looks very vrykul.

[Ralaea]: …Is it. That's… um… cool?

[Aiseia]: Ooh, that mountain.

[Ben]: It's cool?

[Ralaea]: I–I mean. No?

[Lena]: Mountain looks pretty cold.

[Ben]: I guess the dragon heads an' all? Are cool?

Ben squints at the fortress, assessing it for coolness.

Ralaea looks nervous.

Lena glances back at Rae with a question in her eyes.

Ben takes the badge from his belt-pouch. He glances around at the nearby forest dubiously, then holds it up.

A dwarf clambers out of the underbrush.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: Cobalt Company? Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard. A pleasure to meet you in person, sir, ma’ams. I look forward to working with you.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: Speaking of which, we have a great deal to do.

Ben nods at the dwarf.

[Ben]: You got our orders?

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard nods. "First off, Captain Adams gave strict instructions to make sure we inflict major infrastructure damage on this site."

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: I’ll leave it at your discretion since you lot are taking lead on this, but my recommendation is that we burn the two longhouses and the barracks in the lower area of the fortress.

Lena nods. That sounds like Alliance tactics.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: We should also bring down those watchtowers. If you have a look at ‘em, you’ll notice they’re well-defended by casters. Getting too close would mean certain doom for us.

Ben casts a look over his shoulder at the watchtowers.

[Lena]: Then how will we handle it?

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: I’ve got a gryphon-rider awaiting our signals. If we can get close enough to lob flares onto the towers to mark ‘em, she’ll fly over to firebomb ‘em.

[Lena]: Ah, firebombs. *Lena nods.*

[Ralaea]: Burning things… will draw attention. *She glances around.*

[Ben]: Okay. So getting close enough to do it but not close enough for certain doom is the… thing?

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard nods cheerfully.

[Ben]: … Okay.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: Also, ah, a bit of unpleasantness: We’ve had reports — including from your lot’s work down at Valgarde — that these vrykul can rise from the dead.

[Ben]: Yeah. We have seen it.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: Aye. A strange kind of undeath, not quite like the Scourge, but no doubt still aligned with the Lich King. We can’t take any chances.

[Ben]: No.

[Lena]: So we burn the bodies, too?

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: Aye, precisely. As we move through the place, I recommend that you burn or behead any of the vrykul we take down, as a precaution. I’d do it myself, but I have a sensitive stomach.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard looks hopeful.

Ben gives the dwarf an Eyebrow. "Okay."

[Lena]: I do not want to fight them again as undead. If that one fellow was any indication, they're tougher undead.

[Ralaea]: Alright so… lots of burning. And attention. That's… fine.

Ralaea scans the trees behind them.

[Ben]: We ain't so many, and we'll keep movin'. Sow some confusion. If the towers are bein' bombed from above, they ain't gonna look for us on the ground, necessarily.

Ralaea mutters, "They're not who I'm…" She stops herself before finishing the thought.

[Ben]: Let's head in.

[Lena]: Are they fighting each other?

[Ralaea]: Training, looks like?

Ben eyes the pair of Winterskorn. "Looks like sparrin', yeah."

[Lena]: But with actual axes, looks like. Dangerous sparring.

Winterskorn Shield-Maiden says: Die, maggot!

Winterskorn Shield-Maiden says: Look what's come to play.

White Squad has not, in fact, come to play.

Ben looks to Lena. "You burnin' 'em, or you want me to …?"

[Lena]: I got it, sir.

Lena bursts into flame.

Ben blinks. "I… will not get used to that."

Lena stops when the bodies have been burnt.

[Lena]: I can sort of like rain fire, too? But radiating it seems more efficient.

Ralaea glances behind them again.

Winterskorn Warrior says: Die, maggot!

[Ben]: This one of the buildings we should fire?

Ben steps back to watch the longhouse go up in flames.

Ralaea stares up at the fire for a moment, then does another nervous glance around.

Winterskorn Warrior says: You come to die!

Ben beheads the vrykul’s corpse.

Lena steps closer to Rae and whispers, "Is this where?"

Ralaea nods.

Lena looks around nervously, too.

Aiseia glances, but doesn't ask.

Ben glances at the two women, distracted from the scrap of hide parchment he's taken from the headless vrykul’s body. "Somethin' I should know?"

[Ralaea]: Oh, just… you know. Girl… stuff?

[Lena]: Nothing dangerous to us.

Ralaea avoids Ben’s gaze.

Ben eyes Rae levelly. "Sure. Okay." He looks back at the parchment.

Aiseia keeps her eyebrow expression to herself.

Lena bites her lip.

[Ben]: There is somethin' here about a thane? And a ritual? Up to a bonfire. Look around for a bonfire, yeah?

[Ben]: We'll keep movin'.

[Lena]: Ritual we got to stop? Is it an undead thing?

[Ralaea]: We should keep it. For Paluuva.

[Lena]: But still stop the ritual, right?

[Ben]: Reckon we should at least check it out. Vrykul rituals don't seem to be much about meditation an' candles.

Winterskorn Warrior says: Sniveling pig!

Winterskorn Shield-Maiden says: I will feed you to the dogs!

Sorry, dogs.

[Ben]: Looks like the barracks.

[Ralaea]: Kind of… webby.

[Ben]: Don't seem big on housekeepin'.

[Lena]: No, sure don't.

The barracks burn, cobwebs and all.

Ben looks up. "Okay. There's one of them towers. Look out for gettin' too close."

[Lena]: But we got to get close enough.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard nods cheerfully. "Correct, ma'am."

[Ralaea]: There's… a lot of them.

[Lena]: That's a lot of mages, yeah.

Ben watches Rae lob a flare. He looks impressed.

[Ben]: Hell of an arm.

Rae’s flare lands on a deck of the tower and sends up a gout of red smoke. Barely a moment later, a gryphon soars overhead and the tower shudders and goes up like a torch.

Winterskorn Warrior says: For Ymiron!

Winterskorn Warrior says: My life for Ymiron!

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard eyes one of the burnt vrykul corpses. "I have to say you lot go about that business with, er. Some zeal."

[Lena]: I am very good at fire. Fel fire. That sort of thing.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard considers the group warily. He clears his throat. “Aye. Uh, a fine bit of… butchery, that is."

[Ben]: … thanks.

Winterskorn Shield-Maiden says: Ugglin oo bjorr!

Winterskorn Shield-Maiden says: Die, maggot!

Ben scans for the other watchtowers.

[Ben]: Upper, I guess.

Winterskorn Warrior says: Your entrails will make a fine necklace.

Winterskorn Rune-Seer says: You tiny creatures disgust me!

Winterskorn Warrior says: Your race is a disease upon the world!

Rae throws a couple more three-pointers, and now multiple watchtowers burn. The encampment has begun to swarm with chaos in White Squad’s wake.

[Ben]: That leaves one.

[Lena]: I can see why they're worried about this place.

[Lena]: This is a lot more than Wyrmskull and Nifflevar.

[Ralaea]: It's bigger than I thought.

[Ben]: Yeah. And a lot better fortified.

They hit the final watchtower, and now the towers of Skorn burn like candles on a cake, if you like your cakes sort of bloody and full of axes and beards.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: Well done, sir and ma’ams. That ought to set ‘em scrambling! And I’ll have to remember to buy a round for Corporal Firebraids back at the Keep.

[Ben]: Let's see if we can't find this bonfire ritual.

They head upward to the highest level of the outpost.

Ben stops and considers the bonfire in the open yard. He looks around warily.

[Lena]: Well, that's a bonfire for sure.

[Lena]: Don't see a ritual?

Halfdan the Ice-Hearted yells: You think I do not know what you are trying to do? You think I haven't been watching you?

Halfdan the Ice-Hearted yells: You will not stop my ascension, tiny humans. Time to die!

[Lena]: Or there it is…

[Ben]: … oh. Uh.

An enormous vrykul — like, enormouser than the rest of them, which is a lot enormous — comes charging at White Squad from the centermost of the longhouses arrayed up here. As he does, a pair of hovering val’kyr fade into being behind him.

Ben flinches back at the sight of the val'kyr.

[Lena]: Oh sh… there's val'kyr!

[Ralaea]: Them.

[Ben]: Yeah. Them.

Aiseia glares angrily at a Val'kyr Observer.

Halfdan the Ice-Hearted yells: No! You will not defeat me!

Incorrect.

Val'kyr Observer yells: How unfortunate, Halfdan.

Val'kyr Observer yells: We find you unworthy of ascension, Halfdan. Let your soul know oblivion!

A shadow-stained luminescence rises from the Thane’s corpse and is drawn toward the drifting val’kyr. One of them gestures, and the light is abruptly snuffed out.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard blanches. He hides behind Ben, casually.

The val’kyr — weirdly but fortunately? — seem disinterested in White Squad themselves, and fade back into the spirit world, leaving only empty air and a very large vrykul corpse.

Lena 's eyes are wide.

[Ralaea]: Did they just… destroy his soul?

[Aiseia]: I think so, yeah.

[Ben]: I — is that possible?

Lena shudders. "That's a terrifying thought."

[Ben]: Sh*t.

Ben turns to survey the burning fortress and the harried vrykul.

Ralaea glances around at the destruction too, then far off into the distance, probably using her goggles.

[Ben]: Reckon that makes a job of it?

[Lena]: We did a lot of destruction, for sure.

Lena is still looking where the val'kyr destroyed the guy's soul.

Ben glances down for the sergeant. He blinks and half-turns to find the sergeant still loitering behind his back.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard smiles up, a little embarrassed, and clears his throat.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard says: I’ve no doubt Captain Adams will be well pleased with our work here today. We’ve — well, you’ve done everything we were sent here to accomplish. I must say it’s been a pleasure working with you.

Sergeant Gram Bluntbeard stands at attention and salutes.

[Ben]: Right, then, okay. We head back?

[Lena]: I hope we did a bit to help keep Westguard safe.

Ben nods.

They ride uneventfully back to Westguard Keep, leaving Sergeant Bluntbeard to return to whatever he was doing in the bushes outside Skorn.

Ralaea looks a bit more at ease in the Keep.

Ben salutes Captain Adams and holds out the borrowed badge. The Captain reaches for it and surveys the group.

Captain Adams says: I take it since you’re back that Skorn is no more?

[Ben]: Yessir, that's right.

[Lena]: Or at least, no more a threat.

Captain Adams says: Brilliant! Unbelievably good news, and takes a lot of pressure off us. I knew you could pull it off.

Captain Adams's smile lasts approximately ten seconds before he clears his throat.

Captain Adams says: And now I’ve got a different problem to set you on. My scouts — the ones that have lived to return — inform me the vrykul are up to dire deeds at their main fortress to the north.

[Ralaea]: That wasn't their main fortress?

Captain Adams shakes his head grimly. "That was merely their base for attack on us, we believe."

[Lena]: So now we're going to an even more fortified place.

Captain Adams says: The place to the north is at the foot of the mountains. Called Gjalerbron. It’s spelled with a ‘Gj’ even though they pronounce it ‘Sh.’ Savages.

Captain Adams shakes his head grimly.

Ben shakes his head too. F*cken savages.

[Lena]: Huh. Shalerbron.

[Ralaea]: It's spelled with… That doesn't…

[Lena]: Maybe it's a vrykul language thing?

[Ben]: Like f-yord.

Captain Adams says: … But that’s not important. What’s important is that you lot get up there and thin their lot as best you can, while trying to figure out what they’re up to.

Ralaea mutters, "Just going to spell it Shalerbron. Otherwise I'll forget how to say it."

Lena smiles briefly and mutters, "Snifflevar."

Ralaea nods. Lena gets it.

Father Levariol clears his throat politely. “Cobalt, if I may?”

Ben looks back at the priest. He nods and goes around the table to him.

Father Levariol smiles at the group. There are lines of fatigue around his eyes, but he radiates tranquility.

Father Levariol says: The Captain’s a military man; he thinks in terms of forces and casualties. But you and I know there are darker methods at work in this war.

Father Levariol says: The vrykul are conducting heinous rites in some sort of ‘awakening’ ritual in Gjalerbron. They’re using living sacrifices to fuel these unholy rituals.

Ben straightens a little. "Yessir. Reckon we have seen… somethin' of it."

[Aiseia]: Oh. Oh no.

Lena refocuses on the priest. "We saw them having prisoners before, yes."

Father Levariol says: Friends, you must put a stop to this! It matters not who or what they’re holding hostage for their purposes, those poor souls must be freed and the rituals thwarted.

Lena looks a little wary at that. "It might matter, but yes, they do not need to get used as human sacrifices. I agree on that point."

Father Levariol says: Search the vrykul that you kill on the Captain’s orders for keys, and see whether you can get those cages open. The Light knows the last thing we need is for these brutes to ‘awaken’ anything or anyone else!

[Ben]: Yessir.

[Ralaea]: I saw a lot of cages, yeah. Every place of theirs we went. More cages.

[Ben]: Okay. Well. Let's head up to… Shhhhalerbron. Satterly mentioned this place to me, I recall. He did say… somethin' about necromancy goin' on.

[Lena]: Oh yeah? You talked to him lately?

[Aiseia]: Necromancy? Why did it have to be necromancy?

Forget it, Jake, it’s Gjalerbron.

[Ben]: No, it was back down to Valgarde, that time he gave me a rundown.

[Lena]: They're around here somewhere. Him and Etone.

[Ben]: Oh yeah?

Ben blinks.

[Lena]: I imagine they got some Argent Crusade news for you or something like that.

[Ben]: Or maybe they got my letter about the gulch. Though I ain't expect it to move that fast.

Lena pauses at the roadsign.

[Lena]: Steel Gate. Reckon that's part of the fortress?

[Ben]: I dunno. Ain't see anything Gj-, anyhow.

[Lena]: Yeah, I was checking for Gj.

[Ralaea]: We must've put that sign there, but… wouldn't that just tell them where we're at?

Lena nods at Rae. "I guess Westguard's not exactly a secret outpost though.”

Speaking of non-secret outposts: As they approach the snowy hem of the mountains, Gjalerbron becomes… real f*cken hard to miss.

[Ben]: …oh, sh*t.

Ben gapes at the huge stony… city? It sure is city-sized.

[Lena]: Whoa. Um. Green stuff?

[Ben]: You reckon that green sh*t is plague? Only it looks maybe like a kind of light.

Ben squints at the shimmering green rays.

[Ralaea]: Necromancy stuff?

[Lena]: Yeah, it doesn't look like the plague fog to me. More floaty.

[Ralaea]: Just… don't touch it maybe.

[Ben]: Okay, well. Let's get in there an' see what's what.

A handful of vrykul politely give their lives to welcome White Squad to Gjalerbron.

[Ben]: Check 'em for keys!

[Lena]: I got one! Oh, what's that? *She points at a scroll of paper on the body.*

The Gjalerbron Rune-Caster is carrying a scroll stuffed hastily into his belt-pouch. Ben plucks it out and unrolls it carefully. His expression darkens.

[Ralaea]: Well? What is it?

[Lena]: What's it say?

Ben shakes his head. "Can't make it out. Some… runes, maybe? An' a drawin' of a… dragon? Skeleton? Dead dragon?"

Ben holds it out for the others to see. He squints warily up at the wintry sky.

[Lena]: Maybe they got an undead dragon?

[Aiseia]: Maybe someone at the keep can read it?

[Ben]: Yeah, we can take it back and show the Captain, or the Mage-Lieutenant. Reckon they can maybe puzzle out the runes part.

Ben tucks the parchment away.

Gjalerbron Sleep-Watcher says: I'll eat your heart!

[Ben]: Real big on the heart-eatin', these fellows.

[Ben]: Anyone got keys? I ain't found a key yet.

Lena peers at the dwarf and the tauren in the cages. She frees the dwarf.

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: The vrykul are evil and must be destroyed!

[Ben]: Damn, they really are keepin' all kinds. An' look how many.

[Aiseia]: What in the name of the stone is that?

Aiseia points at a Putrid Wight.

Lena freezes, seeing the monster.

Ralaea wrinkles her nose. "Gross. Is what that is."

[Lena]: Big. It's big.

[Ben]: … oh, sh*t. That is f*cken Scourge, is what. I never saw one… uh.

[Ben]: Quite like that.

[Ben]: Nobody said nothin' about actual Scourge bein' here. Just the vrykul an’ their rituals.

[Lena]: Well we knew they were with him. The Lich King.

[Ralaea]: We're here for Scourge either way. Going to kill them eventually.

[Ben]: Yeah.

[Ben]: Big cage. In the middle there.

[Lena]: Reckon that's what the other key fits? Lot of people in there.

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: Please, let us out of here!

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: The key… you have to find the key!

[Ben]: Anyone got that? A big key?

Lena holds up an oversized key.

[Lena]: You mean this key?

Ben smiles crookedly.

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: You have to put a stop to this madness before it's too late!

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: Thank you. I will not forget this!

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: My thanks to you, heros!

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: Thank goodness for you!

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: You saved our lives!

Ralaea jumps at a large shadow.

Ben ducks his head reflexively and looks up too. His eyes widen.

[Lena]: Undead dragon! *Lena says, looking up.*

[Lena]: Paper was right.

[Ben]: Well. Sh*t.

[Lena]: Hope it doesn't notice us down here.

[Ralaea]: I can't get it from here…

[Ben]: Let's clear this up and get back double-time to them at the Keep. Scourge and… that thing, reckon they ought to know as soon as.

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: Oh, thank you, thank you!

[Ralaea]: Some of those Tauren look weird. Different… faces.

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: You saved my life!

[Lena]: How so?

[Ben]: Look out!

[Ralaea]: Lich!

Lena hides around a corner.

[Ben]: They got a damn lich?

[Ralaea]: This is no minor stronghold, then. For the Scourge.

[Lena]: That's… not something we can just take on with no planning.

[Ben]: No. Can’t. I got no idea where they'd be keepin' phylacteries around here.

Lena shivers.

[Ben]: Okay, we'll cut our way out. Got to get word on all this back to the Keep.

White Squad battles their way back toward the road, nabbing keys and freeing prisoners as they go.

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: Thank goodness for you!

Gjalerbron Prisoner says: Thank you. I will not forget this!

[Lena]: We got that tauren on the way out.

[Lena]: So I don't feel so bad for leavin' him before.

Ben nods once.

[Ralaea]: Did you see it? His face was flatter. And… hairier?

[Ben]: Huh.

[Lena]: Different kind of tauren maybe?

[Lena]: Like there's different kinds of human, right?

[Ralaea]: Maybe so.

[Lena]: I'm not real clear on this awakening. Or maybe its two different things. Like, they were awakened recently? But also a ritual for awakening…

[Ben]: Yeah, I dunno.

[Ben]: Got to ask Lieutenant Paluuva, maybe.

[Aiseia]: I dread what they mean by that.

[Lena]: Maybe once she reads that scroll, she can explain.

[Ralaea]: Yeah, we've got a lot to report to her.

Back at the Keep, they head upstairs once more.

Ben salutes Captain Adams with respect.

[Ben]: Sir. We thinned the place out, but it's… f*cken huge. An' full of Scourge, besides.

Captain Adams says: Good work, Cobalt, and good riddance to them. But — Scourge, you say?

[Lena]: They had liches. And wights.

[Lena]: Or at least one of each.

Captain Adams swears and strokes his beard, glowering.

Captain Adams says: If the Scourge are already at Gjalerbron themselves, they must have necromancers with them working to help raise the vrykul into Arthas’ army. Find their leader. Do whatever it takes, but we need him eliminated!

Ben nods curtly.

[Ralaea]: You know, I think it's a bit too late on that allying with the Scourge part. But… we should kill the leader anyway.

Lena nods at Rae.

Ben moves to the priest. "We rescued the prisoners, Father."

Father Levariol says: Bless you! With your help, the Light shines stronger even in that darkest of places.

Father Levariol says: Like the Captain, though, I am troubled by the presence of the Scourge at Gjalerbron. The Light cannot abide their presence, nor shall we.

[Ben]: I mean. No. We shall not.

Father Levariol says: I hope it isn’t asking too much, but as you’re returning north in pursuit of their leader, I would have you crush their unholy numbers in that vile lair as well!

[Lena]: I am in favor of crushing unholy numbers, sir.

[Ben]: Yeah. Reckon we're on it, Father.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: My turn, Cobalt. A word?

Ben glances at Mage-Lieutenant Malister and nods.

[Ben]: Sir?

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: I’ve overheard your conversations with the good Father. May I suggest — we do have some inkling as to a second component of this ‘awakening’ ritual.

Lena perks up, listening carefully.

[Ben]: Oh?

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: There are vrykul lying dormant in catacombs beneath Gjalerbron. The Scourge has no doubt sent its necromancers to rouse these. The fewer of them there are to ‘awaken,’ the better.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: The necromancers performing these ‘awakenings’ surely hold a device that brings them out of dormancy when the appropriate sacrifices have been made.

[Lena]: Oh! *Lena breathes out, understanding dawning.*

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: I suggest you get hold of one of these devices and attempt to rouse the dormant vrykul. I suspect that waking them prematurely, without the necessary sacrifices, will prove fatal to them.

[Ben]: Huh. Okay. We'll give it a go.

Lena 's brows draw down as she considers the new questions this all raises.

Ben starts to turn away, and then remembers. "Oh. We found a paper — uh, this." He takes it out to show it to the three men at the table.

[Ben]: Couldn't make out these runes, though?

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: Let me see that!

Mage-Lieutenant Malister plucks the parchment from Ben's hand. He frowns at it. Gradually, as he translates, he pales.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: What? An attack — a frost wyrm?!

[Lena]: We did see a bony dragon.

[Ralaea]: That's… a way to put that, yeah.

[Ben]: An attack, sir?

Mage-Lieutenant Malister is ashen. “Cobalt. We can’t let this come to pass. If I’m reading these plans correctly, the beast may be on its way here.”

Ben takes a swift step back, hand on the hilt of his sword. "On its way?"

[Lena]: Here?!

Mage-Lieutenant Malister: There is a chance — if you make haste back to Gjalerbron, the frost wyrm’s summoner may still be there, on a platform to the north.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: If you can slay him and get hold of the horn he uses to call the wyrm, you… may be able to summon it back to you there. When the creature lands, destroy it! I need not tell you this is now of the utmost priority. Please! Hurry!

[Ben]: We're already gone.

Ben strides toward the stairs.

[Ralaea]: We're sure it's going to land? Do we need a giant net or something?

[Lena]: If we use the summoner horn thing…

[Ben]: We'll find out. *Ben is grim.*

[Ralaea]: If I'd known there would be a dragon I'd have found a way to net the thing… but I guess we don't have time.

White Squad rides hard for Gjalerbron. It is a silent journey.

Ben doesn’t rein in as they approach.

[Ben]: Gonna cut our way in an' make straight for the platform!

Gjalerbron Sleep-Watcher says: Ugglin oo bjorr!

Sorry, sir, we’re in a hurry. You’ll have to ugglin your own bjorr for now.

[Ben]: Up there!

Gjalerbron Warrior says: I will take pleasure in gutting you!

Hate to deprive you, but we’re on the clock.

[Ben]: Gargoyles! Watch it.

At the top of a winding, gargoyle-defended ramp, they find a strangely-garbed vrykul channeling frost magic into brilliant blue runes on the ground.

Ben points at Wyrmcaller Vile.

[Ben]: Careful of them runes.

[Lena]: That's… a unique summoning diagram.

[Ralaea]: He looks dead himself.

Wyrmcaller Vile says: Did you really think that by facing me, you have any hope of saving your friends?

That is the working theory, yeah.

[Ben]: … oh, he is dead as hell, now.

[Lena]: Very much so.

Ben lifts a curved bone horn from the corpse.

[Ben]: Holy sh*t that is cold.

[Lena]: Can you blow it?

In the scheme of things, I guess having to blow an undead necromancer’s bone horn is a small price to pay to save an entire Alliance outpost.

They better be f*cken grateful, though.

[Ralaea]: Here it comes…

[Ben]: Thank the Light.

[Ben]: I mean. At least it ain't at Westguard.

[Lena]: Not to Westguard. Yeah.

[Ralaea]: Wings first, if it lands. We don't want it taking off.

White Squad fans out for the attack.

[Lena]: That's got it!

Ben’s shoulders sag with relief as the massive skeleton crumbles.

[Lena]: Should we hearth back, let them know right away?

[Aiseia]: Aye. Fastest.

[Ben]: Yeah. Yeah, everyone got their hearth there now, yeah?

[Lena]: Yeah.

[Ralaea]: Yep.

[Ben]: Okay. See y'all there.

They arrive moments later in the common room of Westguard’s inn, awkwardly interrupting the surprised Jason and Celeste Goodhutch mid-flirt.

Upstairs in the Keep’s command, Captain Adams and his two advisors are pacing, silent and tense.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister whirls around at the squad's return.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: Is the attack averted?

Captain Adams freezes, and Father Levariol leans on the table, wide-eyed.

[Ben]: Sirs.

Ben holds out the summoning horn. The Mage-Lieutenant reaches hesitantly for it.

[Lena]: And the dragon's dead. *Lena smiles.*

[Ralaea]: Re-dead.

[Lena]: True dead.

Captain Adams exhales gustily and mops his brow.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: Blast, that horn is cold!

Mage-Lieutenant Malister sets the icy horn carefully on the table.

Hey, buddy, you’re not the one who had to blow it.

Mage-Lieutenant Malister says: Once again, Cobalt Company, you’ve saved Westguard Keep from certain doom. An admirable habit, I must say. If only we had a dozen more of you, I daresay we could have seized the whole of the Fjord in a fortnight.

Lena stands proudly.

Ben tries not to smile. He is not successful.

[Ben]: Sirs.

Ben stands at attention and salutes.

Aiseia can't help it. She beams.

Captain Adams says: Hell of a job today, Cobalt. You've made enough of a dent in 'em that I think you've earned a rest. They'll be scrambling to regroup.

[Lena]: Thank you, sir.

Ben nods respectfully.

[Ben]: We won't leave them Scourge up to it, though, sir. We'll get straight back on 'em.

[Ralaea]: We made a dent… in those ones. But… there will be more. There always is.

[Lena]: But we'll be here for it.

Captain Adams nods firmly. "I know you will. Every faith in you lot."

[Ben]: Okay. Let's call it a day’s work, then, and y'all can go unwind. We'll head back up to Shhhhhhalerbron as soon as, so get your rest.

[Lena]: Thanks, Ben.

[Ben]: Real well done. As per always.

[Ben]: Dismissed.

[Lena]: See you all soon.