Sounds good then. He’ll take Swift Wing with him, and we have so many horns, whistles, and critters around that he’s confident someone will be able to signal him if a sudden need arises.
Will you be ok without additional backup? It doesn’t have to be me, but I feel that one person going off by themselves is a bit reckless.
Hmm. I’m happy to have company if anyone is willing, but I’d been hoping to hide and run from anything honestly dangerous. 
Well, if hide and run is your plan, I am probably not your best backup choice. But maybe you should at least take a wolf (if Ghan is ok with that) just in case.
That’s be fine. I’m just trying to find Miron something useful to do, so I’m trying hard not to suck half of the party into a potentially fruitless distraction.
That’s OK, Deor hasn’t got much to do here either. I’m contemplating having him run in and announce the arrival of a bloodthirsty Captain of Gondorian Army, just to put some hypothetical “bad cop” into the situation. Heck, he’d impersonate one, except that the brigands might fall over laughing.
Miron goes off by himself, Ghân likes to keep the canines close and Anca is still training. Miron will be a while in a thorough search at night.
*Please ask questions, let’s keep this moving.
I’m relaying a question from a PM: *
Gil-Gandel asks Haro, “Okay. Do any of the letters found on the prisoners match any mails the dwarves know of?”
Haro, “Yes, some of those were meant for Aglarond.”
Gil-Gandel to the party, “I imagine interfering with the mails under King Elessar’s protection is pretty darn serious.”
It is indeed. The items found certainly strongly suggest their guilt of theft, assault and possibly murder.
Sir Thoroncir, deeply suspicious by now, will continue to question them, but one at a time, and separated from the others, if other members of our party will be so kind as to guard the others. He will ask each:
“What is your name?”
“Where, exactly, are you from?”
"Have you ever been convicted of any breach of the King’s peace?
“Why, in this land where brigands are known to be at large, would you be out camping at night?”
“Why would our scouts overhear some of your men say our party is ‘too large,’ and then find you hurriedly leaving?”
“Why did we catch one of your men actually spying on us from concealment?”
“Why do you have mail that does not belong to you?”
“What crimes, if any, have others in your party committed?” (This will take advantage of the “Prisoner’s Dilemma,” and give each an incentive to point fingers at each other to possibly later receive leniency).
Thoroncir will take notes with his writing kit, and describe each man specifically enough that he can later be identified, or at least distinguished from the others if we bring the entire group to Tharbad in custody. If Gondor brands felons, he will check for any such marks.
I suggest the crowd of prisoners be guarded so that our party is out of human earshot, and a keen-eared Elf listen in, just in case they begin to whisper to one another; they might say something incriminating.
This is where being a former prosecutor comes in handy in an RPG…
“Thoroncir, am I permitted to carry out the Kings Justice on your behalf if we find out these,” Gwaelur sniffs in disdain “people are lying to us? I have a new axe that I am so very anxious to try out.”
Inserting a little bad cop never hurt, in Gwaelur’s opinion.
“By all means, friend Gwaelur,” Thoroncir says. “And thank you for the offer. But let me find out a bit more about them first, at least, before you employ your axe as skillfully as I know you can. It may be that those who choose not to be truthful with me will be more amenable to Dwarven… persuasion.”
Good cop, bad cop works for me. 
Ghân is happy to offer Brownie to keep an eye on Miron (if he would like).
He suggests that we’re not that far out from Minas Tirith (our fellow travellers might well feel the delay for justice was worthwhile).
It’d be a real shame to lose two days over these fools, though. Maybe one of our hawks can take a message back and a few of Gondor’s finest can catch us up.
Anything for Deor’s friends or family?
Thoroncir’s questioning reveals conflicting stories and many excuses. Everything from they found it on the road to they were attacked by 4 angry dwarves and when they successfully overcame them they of course kept what they were carrying. One offered up that they came upon the scene of a horrific assault. A dragon must have killed some other travelers and they of course just took what was no longer needed after burying the dead.
One of them claims, “I just joined this group a few days ago and our leader was planning an ambush if your party looked weak enough. I am deeply sorry and I have not done anything yet. I guess I would have helped, at least I think I would have helped. If I did not they would have hunted me down and killed me instead. I’m sorry.” He was not evil.
Of course all of them have clean records and never did anything wrong and help old ladies weed their gardens.
Another prisoner that seems smarter than normal but was evil, “We have been trying to keep ourselves fed and we have been preying on small parties for months now. I was once caught in Minas Tirith years ago trying to pick someone’s pocket. I learned my lesson but fell on very hard times. For us peasants without land, we often have no choice but banditry or foot soldier and foot soldier usually means death.”
This might have been convincing if you did not know that Gondor has the best medical care of any army and that for those not willing to serve, there is almost limitless job opportunities in construction projects and land to be had as homesteaders in Gondor, Arnor, near Tharbad and along the Anduin vale.
The Hobbits & Gil-Gandel over hear the leader instructing some of the men. “Don’t say anything about the dwarves or the families or we’re all for the block.”
The men look at Gwaelur very fearfully, the regretful one cries out, “But, I ain’t done nuthing, I were jist hugry and fell in wid bad men.”
Gilraen, “We are not far from the beacon of Erelas, we could bring the prisoners there to await King’s justices, though it might prove a burden on them instead. If enough turn separate evidence I believe we can have Gwaelur execute the leaders and worst offenders. This is going to be a long night. If we can spare someone, perhaps we can get a little help.”
Deor looks over the mail and realizes that 2 letters were addressed to his own Uncle the horse dealer.
That’s what I was kinda thinking. Even without some of the incriminating answers, the physical evidence would certainly be enough for probable cause to arrest them, even if we were applying 21st C. legal standards. We can’t just let them go.
Thoroncir will separately interrogate, again, the leader who warned the others about possible execution, and will follow up on what he said about the Dwarves and the families, with Gwaelur looking leerily at him.
Oh, Uncle Aldor won’t be happy about this, it’s bad for business. He’ll be 'specially pleased if we bring in lost business letters, and just as happy if it’s letters from his son Gram who’s fighting with the Rohirrim contingent down south.
As the questioning goes on through the night, Miron returns happy to report that he found no other tracks leading away.
Gilraen suggests, “We might want to march these men back closer to our camp so we can let some people get some sleep at least. Deor especially needs his spells back. I imagine the Dwarves would like to stand down from high alert and Lorliana would like to go back to sleep.”
The questioning is revealing many contradictions, but the leader himself is stonewalling.
“Let it be as you say, my lady,” Thoroncir says. He informs the prisoners that, by his authority as a knight of Gondor, they are all under arrest on suspicion of murder, assault, theft and interference with the Royal Post. He will help escort them back to our camp, bind them there, and stand watch at a distance from them. He asks Miron or Gil-Gandel to continue to listen in if the prisoners whisper among themselves.
In consultation with the Princess, Gil-Gandel and Ghan, he drafts the following note for delivery by bird:
*To the Steward of Gondor.
My lord:
I have the honor to inform you that we have captured 14 men under circumstances strongly suggesting that they are highwaymen and brigands, and have placed them under arrest. We have extensive notes of their interrogation, incriminating statements by some, and evidence including an unusual quantity of purses, bloodstained items, and intercepted letters of the Royal Post. Some of the prisoners may be prepared to cooperate, and I am not convinced that all are equally culpable. We will hold them on the main road between Minas Tirith and Tharbad miles north of the White City until we can transfer custody to soldiers you send, that they may be taken before a judge of the King’s Bench for trial. I ask that your men make haste, as we would prefer to press on to Tharbad, and Rivendell beyond.
Yours in haste,
THORONCIR.*
Gilraen, “Which bird will fly and who will this bird seek out? Can we spare Gil-Gandel or myself to ride to the beacon?”
If it’s still night-time and provided she can find the beacon, Brownie will go with the message.
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