"Umbra, she cut your arrow out of the air and hit the captain without you or your juniors intervening," the paladin said, endeavouring to deflate the elf's ego before it started another fight over wounded pride of all things, "If you cause a duel from insulting that shares a common cause, we won't be stepping in to help you." [i]We aren't going to endanger everyone else for mouthing off. If you're that confident, then you should enjoy proving your skill against her.

I would.[/i]

Regardless of her thoughts on Umbra's attitude, it was the paladin's duty to explain--now that the fighting had come to a halt--exactly why they didn't need to fight any more. She straightened, then hooked her sword over the catch once added to the back of her armour.

"The bodies inside the fort have been there for several days, enough that the current clear weather has already caused noticeable decay. There are a lot of bodies. If this man or the messenger," here she indicated Alette's latest victim, "were part of the original garrison, I would expect them to be already dead. Not escaping so close to being killed off by a hired band.

"Though this only marks a cessation of hostilities until we complete our investigation," she finished, looking down at the Shark.