Weeks passed in a blur for Sordia Vignti as they took on quest after quest to fund the keep’s repairs. Monster attacks, goblin skirmishes, bandit raids, and even a few missing person cases became routine. Between battles and exploration, they strengthened bonds with the people of Alexandria. The locals, once wary of the group and their strange companion Rasp, now waved and smiled as they passed. The dwarven brothers, Evette, and Spick became almost like family, visiting the keep regularly to oversee repairs or share a drink. Even the guild began relying on the party for increasingly difficult assignments, their reputation growing steadily. One morning, the guild assigned them a new task: investigate a string of caravan attacks along the main trade route outside the city. The party loaded their cart and rode out, leaving Alexandria behind. When they reached the site, the scene was as grim as they expected. A shattered caravan lay on its side, its contents strewn across the dirt road. Deep claw marks gouged the ground and wagon, evidence of a violent attack. They hopped out of the cart to investigate, weapons drawn. “Stay alert,” [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] muttered, eyes scanning the area. As they approached the wreckage, a group of small figures leapt out from behind the broken caravan, brandishing crude weapons. “Don’t move, or we’ll take your stuff!” one of them shouted, his voice cracking. The would-be bandits were a ragged group of children, their faces dirty and their clothes patched together from scavenged scraps. [[Ellette|Ellette]]’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing. “Stand down.” She fey stepped behind the leader, a boy who couldn’t have been older than fourteen. Her dagger pressed lightly against his throat. The boy froze, a wet stain spreading down his trousers. “Don’t hurt me!” he squeaked. “What’s your name?” [[Ellette|Ellette]] asked, her voice stern. “P-Pirate,” the boy stammered. [[Ellette|Ellette]] sighed and lowered the dagger. “Pirate, what you’re doing is dangerous and wrong. Where are your parents? How many of you are there?” Pirate glanced nervously at the others, then muttered, “No parents. We’re all we’ve got. There’s more of us, up in the hills. In an old wyvern cave.” [[Ellette|Ellette]] turned to [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] and [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]]. “We’re going to the cave. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]], [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]], watch these four. And don’t scare them!” The three left, climbing the hills as [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] and [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] stayed behind with the cart. [[Ellette|Ellette]], [[Qwimby|Qwimby]], and [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] found the cave exactly as Pirate described. Inside, the air was damp and the smell of old rot lingered. Bedrolls, crude wooden carvings, and a worn teddy bear told a story of children surviving on their own for far too long. From the shadows, three smaller children emerged, their eyes wide with fear. [[Ellette|Ellette]] knelt down, softening her tone. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to help.” [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] added soothingly, “We have food, warm beds, and a safe place for you. You just need to trust us.” The children hesitated but eventually gathered their meagre belongings. Together, the group returned to the cart, where [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] and [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] were waiting. “What happened here?” [[Ellette|Ellette]] snapped, noticing the four original children crying. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] scratched the back of his head. “We might’ve... scared them a bit.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] sighed. “I tried to apologize.” [[Ellette|Ellette]] glared. “No more of that.” With all seven children accounted for, they headed back to the keep. [[Ellette|Ellette]] and [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] noticed odd tracks around the keep and surrounding woods, they didn't want to alarm the party, but asked the construction workers if they had seen anything odd, Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary. At the keep, the party worked to clean the children up and fill their bellies. They introduced themselves: - **Callie**, a shy half-elf girl with pale skin and blonde hair. - **Darvin**, a defiant Tiefling boy with red skin and black hair. - **Erinaceous**, a quiet Firbolg girl with pink skin and fiery ginger hair. - **Faugar**, a cheerful halfling boy with brown hair. - **Pirate**, the self-proclaimed leader, who was human with dark hair and the oldest of the group. - **Wen**, a stocky dwarf girl with dark brown hair and sallow skin. - **Nadar**, a reserved wood elf boy with dark green hair and brownish-green skin. Rasp was delighted with the new arrivals, clicking and floating playfully around them. Though initially terrified, the children soon warmed up to him, giggling as he bobbed and swirled. That evening, Sordia Vignti played games with the children, learning about their lives and struggles. Despite their rough exteriors, it was clear they were just scared kids who had been dealt a bad hand. Later, as the children settled into makeshift beds, the party gathered to discuss their next steps. “We can’t just leave them,” [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] said, arms crossed. “I agree,” [[Ellette|Ellette]] added. “They need stability, education... a family.” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] smirked. “Looks like we’re parents now.” [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] groaned. “I didn’t sign up for this, but... fine.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] added "Ooooooh Mini us!" The group decided to head into Alexandria the next day to purchase supplies for their new wards. For now, they all needed rest. As the keep quieted for the night, [[Ellette|Ellette]] sat by herself, gazing at the stars. The weight of Gugar’s loss still lingered, but looking at the children they’d saved, she felt a spark of hope. Tomorrow would be a new beginning for all of them. [[Chapter 36. Shadows Within]]