You all make for the woods without waiting around to meet McTavish.
There, you meet Illyana and Britan. Bel is not present.
May 6th dawns overcast but very warm.
You leave for the Megadungeon as soon as it is light. The journey there is uneventful...and you hurry into the dungeon.
A quick foray is all that is needed to retreive the bodies of Bill and Hillary. They are as you left them, though some rats or something have been gnawing at them.
Leaving the dungeon, you return to Castle Yuri, leave the bodies at the gate, and meet your new charge. It is late evening.
A hill dwarf he is, muscular and with brown hair. He wears a battered old suit of plate mail and has a longsword strapped to his belt. He sits atop an old cart, drawn by two mules.
He seems to be glad to see you.
"McTavish here," he says. "I don't take no shit. Let's get out of here...if I have to drink another glass of milk I'm going to puke."
Raz looks over the dwarf..."I bet you don't", he says.
"Bet I don't what?"
"But I think we'll have to hold here for another few days while our friend Aldarian recovers. Also...there is this issue of Farad and Bel." Turning to Farad, Raz asks, "Farad, is there anyway you could repair your relations with Bel? For that matter I think it would be a good show of faith to all of us if you took an oath not to kill any defenseless creatures without direct orders from our leader. What do you think Farad?"
"Its not safe to wait here outdoors. Sandas is also out, for obvious reasons which I will not delve into. We should head straight for Strabath."
"As for Bel, I have no quarrel with the man. It is he who will not work with me. But as for orders, I can follow them as well as another. If you wish to make it the policy of this group not to kill vermin we have captured, I can live with that. But I will not be responsible for their keeping while captured."
"You'll find my definitions of vermin to be a little broader than you think. However, that is something to worry about for later." says Illyana.
"In any case, I do not know how to find Bel. I image he will find us. Lets leave word with the guard on the route we shall take. If he wishes to find us, he can catch up."
Illyana shakes her head, "He was too stubborn to come along. I do not believe he would follow us. Sometimes I wish you people knew when to swallow your pride."
"Come, lets get moving. Its a long way to Strabath."
"We too wish to be away from these parts."
Farad nods. "We shall travel straight away to Strabath, and stay there for a time to train and heal. I understand you are not in a hurry to get back to your homelands, and this will be acceptable?"
"Aye, that suits me. There's some good pubs in Strabath," he replies.
Humphrey states to the group.
"I would like to train, so that I will not be so easy to kill. I also believe after the next encounter after I train I will be ready to train again. So I ask the group to please allow me to train.
"Next is anyone interested in the Magical Chainmail. It would be useful to me."
Farad ask, "You are a simple fighter yes? If you specialize in the long sword I could probably train you."
"Otherwise we shall have to see if we can find a man in Strabath to do so. Or do the rest of you wish to risk Sandas again?"
"No point in risking Sandas, it is already bad enough we can't enter that city anymore due to the damned theives. I do not wish to cause more trouble." says Illyana.
Humphrey responds to Farad,
"No I specialize in Short Sword and use two of them. I was taught by my Fathers captain of the guard who specializes in the same and is in Sandas.
"I would ask that you allow me to train in Sandas now, while we wait for Aldarin to heal and then should we encounter anything on the way to Strabath, that I be allowed to train there as well.
"Farad, why do you say should we risk Sandas again. I was born there and I am serious, what problems you have encountered there?"
Farad laughs. "Only our heads marked by any member of the thieves guild there. You are probably safe enough, because they probably do not realize you are associated with us. J'Harast, the elf I mentioned, turned in a member of their guild. Since then all of us have been attacked by them. They will kill us to get to him."
"Rather obnoxious of them, I think. The details aren't really worth going in to." says Illyana.
Farad asks McTavish, "I believe I heard Yuri refer to you as a lord in your own right."
McTavish glares.
"That damned paladin attaches a title to everything! I said my name's McTavish, no more and no less. Understand?"
"You are a warrior then?"
"Aye."
"Do you have any other skills? It is best that we know each other's strengths."
"My sword is my skill," he replies, resting his hand on the sheathed sword at his side. "It's usually enough."
"I myself am skilled in magic and sword, and have been blessed by the gods with the ability to heal."
McTavish's eyes narrow slightly...then he smiles.
"Illyana is a warrior, Raz a magician, as is Kelar. Pillar is a cleric, Aldarin is our scout. Britan is a cavalier. The man with the grin on his face is also a warrior, Humphrey is his name. One other companion we have, named Bel, a druid. He holds a grudge against me however, and may choose not to accompany us on this trip."
"Well, every druid I've ever met is neurotic anyway. Blasted tree huggers!"
"That tree hugger could have been extremely helpful to us out in the wilderness." Illyana comments.
"In Strabath we may be joined by two others. Sasha the cleric and J'Harast the elf. We shall try and find them there in any case."
McTavish nods.
"Hopefully, but they will wonder what happened _this_ time. I would rather not mention it otherwise we will end up with this entire mess happening all over again."
Finally, Farad asks, "You hold rank on all of us here. Did you wish to assume leadership of this journey?"
"I'm the only one who knows where we're going and how to get there, aren't I?"
"True enough."
Raz speaks up once more, "At least wait long enough for me to try and find Bel...he said he was going to a dale or something." Raz waits to see if the party will wait for him here and then leaves to try to find Bel.
Farad nods. "Be quick about it. We'll wait until you return."
Raz goes off...and returns a short time later.
Humprey continues,
"McTavish, If you go with me to Sandas, which is only a day away, then I will make sure that you have drink which will be more acceptable to your liking."
McTavish shrugs and grins.
"The Inn of the Drunken Dwarf has good ales...I'm game," he says.
Illyana shakes her head. "Rather dangerous place for us."
Farad laughs. "Yet another place that is barred to us. Perhaps you two can enter Sandas, and the rest of us can meet you at Strabath. Do you know of a good inn there, McTavish?"
"Aye...the Holiday Inn..."
Kelar speaks up.
"I believe that if you do go to Sandas to train it will take somethiing like two weeks. I don't have a problem with you doing it just so you know. I need to train also. I believe that Strabath will be just fine for me. then Raz can train me after that if we have time. As for what we got I would like the gems as my share and if no one minds the chainmail (being I am an elf) and one of the spell books."
You set off from the gates of Castle Yuri. It will be a long time before you see them again.
Several hours later you stop. It is late evening. You camp under a starry sky, post watches and pass the night.
Illyana volunteers to do the cooking just in case anyone else doesn't want to bother.