Meanwhile Kerolar and Wando are enjoying some warmth and ale in the local Geo's tavern. Vastyr, a local confidante of the Queen, is there, and starts to get into an argument with some Lunar Dog Eaters, who are taunting a refugee family. Kerolar jumps into the fight, and uncharacteristically kicks a Dog Eater straight in the genitals - he goes down. Wando reluctantly joins in, and takes out another Dog Eater, and Vastyr takes a few out before suddenly there is a call to stop - Queen Ivartha has arrived with her retinue! Ivartha is not happy with the spectacle before her - she asks Kerolar and and Wando if they want to be Bat food, because fighting Lunars is how you end up as Bat food. Shamefaced, Kerolar heals the badly hurt Luna
r.
She offers them a chance at redemption - she is bringing her retinue to Dangerford to see what she can do to help her tribespeople there. Apparently the Bat is there, and people are fleeing the place, and are in despair. Kerolar and Wando agree, despite harbouring a suspicion she wants to feed them to the bat. Kerolar is taken by the fierce, powerful Queen, and swiftly pledges his loyalty to her.
They find Kerolar a horse and set off immediately. Wando is taken with Janara, the beautiful trickster adviser to Queen Ivartha, and reciprocates her flirting. Kerlar leaves well enough alone - tricksters are trouble.
After a day or so they arrive at the East Gate of Dangerford. A desperate family is trying to leave, but a Lunar guard is preventing them. Wando attempts to slip the guard a jewel worth a few coins, but the guard refuses the bribe until Kerolar offers him his arm ring, worth a cow at least. He lets the grateful and terrified family past. They enter the town and climb the hill to the East Gate of the Fort. On a nearby hill they see the Bat - enormous, the size of a chiefs hall, surrounded by Lunar cultists. Even at this distance they can see that ticks the size of sheep crawl on the Bat's back. It is a horrifying sight. A pen containing prisoners to be fed to the bat is close by, guarded by armed cultists.
At the East Gate a guard refuses them entry, not giving the Queen the respect she deserves. Vastyr steps up and knocks him flat with one blow of his fist. The step over him into the clan hall, where the clan ring is drawing up a list of proscriptions with the assistance of the Lunars of people to be fed to the Bat. The Lunars are led by Illaro Brokenback, who has lost the use of his legs and has to be carried about in a chair.
Queen Ivartha joins the conference, and Canille, Queen Ivartha's spy, takes Kerolar and Wando aside and tells them to find Koralfin, who will help them make sense of things here. They leave the fort and go back to the town.
They find Koralfin by his description - he is attempting to hold back a number of his fellow clanspeople who are trying to pull a family into the stocks to be fed to the bat. Aside from the general objections, Koralfin loudly protests that this is tantamount to kinslaying, and will lay a further curse on the clan. Kerloar steps forward with his sword drawn and vows that anyone who steps forward to hurt the family will be hamstrung and fed to the Bat. The cultists (the clansmen have joined the cult of the bat as lay members to ensure they are last to be eaten) ignore him, and Kerolar and Wando swiftly cut down three before dragging them, pleading and begging, to the pens and throwing them in without mercy.
Koralfin thanks them - he could not harm them as they were kin. He tells them, and Canille that the local Orlanth Priest has been captured, and he has heard that the Lunars are seeking Ashart Duskeater, the Red Cow Orlanth Priest, is in terrible danger of being fed to the Bat as well.
They relay this news to Queen Ivartha, who asks them to travel as swift as they can to Torkin's Vale and warn Ashart. The duo agree to do so, and set off at once.
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