Bonaventura! E4 "Fight and Flight"

Tobias Flint was leaning against walls of the gryphon nest, shifting uncomfortably from the large bruise that was forming along his fourth and fifth ribs. That Eldren woman was a haughty little she-devil. Just like a lush to shoot a stranger in the middle of a forest for doing nothing but bein' a proper gentleman. Just because they don't have the same skins. He pulled out a metal flask which looked like it had seen a few years on the road, and painfully pulled himself towards the edge of the nest so he could watch as the gryphons defended their home from the dandies fighting atop the ruins below. He threw back a swig of gin, the burn dulling his senses and erasing the taste of blood in his mouth. 

The gunshot had of course alerted the others who had scrambled towards the tower. It had also alerted the gryphons. Stupid woman. They didn't have common sense in places like this. On the other hand, Tobias Flint had to admit he was rather impressed by the priest who had, on two occasions, managed to down a gryphon. Tobias flint wondered if anyone had ever thought to bring along a holy man. As they beasts swooped and strafed their targets, they had managed to survive the razor claws and sharp beaks. The two gnomes had avoided a terrible fate and the tall human had bravely charged with sword in hand at the thing as it passed overhead. The other human, the bookish fellow, had somehow managed to fling a rope to a vine branch and shimmy his way up to a window lower down on the tower. He had also managed to avoid getting scraped off the side of the tower by the gryphon. The second bolt of lightning arced through the sky and finally brought the beast down, sending it plummeting down into the gaping ruins they had almost started down on. 

Tobias Flint leaned back as the priest said something in their strange tongue and the whole group started floating. Best not to be seen right now. He set himself gingerly down on the cobbles with a good line of sight on the entrance to the tower, placed his pistol under his coat and waited. A few minutes passed now and the whole of the tower became quiet again. His breathing was hard and painful, but the gin was helping make it tolerable. Then out of the gloom two figures emerged.

Tobias knew it before he saw the bundle of Big Alf being carried between Lemon and Doyle. They set his body down and crouched in the shadows. The group was silent. Nobody wanted to say anything yet. Tobias finally broke the silence by removing his cap and staring heavenward.

"He was a good man, Big Alf." Tobias said gravely. "How'd he take'it?"

"Right in the chest, boss. Quick as mud." Lemon said as he stared off into the emptiness. 

"Should have let it along," Doyle muttered under his breath.

Nobody was prepared for how quick Tobias moved. Doyle was laying on his back, his nose wringing with blood as Tobias stood over him glaring down. His pistol was in hand. "Last time I checked, Doylie, I'm the boss! I gives the orders, see. I makes the rules. If I say chase that woman down after she tries to kill me, you do it. If I says to run them dandies through with steel, you do it. If I says to cut our losses, we cut and run. Hims that don't like it, can draw blade and prove his worth. Is that what you want, boy?"

Doyle shook his head and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Lemon let out a steady breath and slid his gun back into his belt. "What's next boss?"

Tobias tucked his gun away and picked up his gear. "There was a priest down there. Big Alf deserves a proper send off. Father wouldn't deny him that." He glanced at his boys and knew that nobody disagreed, even if they wanted to do so. Big Alf was the best of them and should have the best. "Lets find ourselves a Father."