The Outpost – There Will Be A Reckoning

By: Patience Kapfer

Talon (Jessica Green) and Zed (Reece Ritchie) are finally able to head off into the forest to try to find the remainder of the key to help free the rest of the Blackbloods. The only problem is that to get to the last known location of the gem that belongs on the key they have to trek through territory that is crawling with the Prime Order. We see early on that the Prime Order isn’t the only thing that Talon and Zed need to worry about as a large beast emerges carrying a human baby. As the beast takes off running, Zed fires arrows at it managing to knock it down and release the baby and then finally kill the beast. A human woman runs out to scoop up her baby thanking Zed for saving it. But her husband doesn’t hold the same gratitude as his wife once he notices Zed’s pointy ears. This clearly reaffirms Zed’s belief that no matter the circumstances, humans will always hate the Blackbloods, but Talon says they don’t hate him, but instead are afraid.

After experiencing the bond that Blackbloods share, Talon and Zed are cuddled up asleep when we see members of the Prime Order sneaking up to surround their camp. The father of the baby brought them there after seeing Zed’s ears, referring to them as “devil’s ears.” It might seem as though our favorite Blackbloods do not stand a chance, but Zed and Talon quickly awaken when they hear a stick snap. Zed is quick to tell Talon it’s ten against two as they both jump up grabbing their weapons. Talon remarks that she “always liked a good challenge.” Ten Prime Order soldiers might seem like too many to the average human, but it’s nothing for the combined forces of Talon and Zed. Once the fight is over, Zed remarks that it was fun fighting side by side with another Blackblood to which Talon agrees.

Talon and Zed finally reach the place where Talon buried the bodies of the humans who took her in and took care of her. Talon is still upset about the events of the past. All her adopted family ever did was show her kindness yet a Blackblood murdered them in cold blood. This better explains to Zed why Talon is so weary of other Blackbloods, but still seems to care for humans so much. Zed explains that he doesn’t hate humans, he just hates them for imprisoning them in the Plane of Ashes. He further explains that doesn’t mean he wants to kill them. Since the Blackbloods hate humans for something their ancestors did and humans hate Blackbloods because they fear them, Zed tells Talon she is the one who can finally bring them together. She points him toward Varlek’s grave and Zed quickly begins digging to find the gem. Once he finds it, he puts it back together with the key and it begins to emit a blue light, almost as if it’s alive.

After the failed wedding Milus (Jarren Dalmeda) is exceptionally angry that Gwynn (Imogen Waterhouse) is refusing to honor the deal and give him the lands she promised. Gwynn is willing to try to negotiate something that would be satisfactory to both parties and says perhaps once Tobin (Aaron Fontaine) is healed the wedding could still happen. That would mean Milus would still receive all the land that was originally promised to him. Milus isn’t willing to wait and says he wants a written deed to Tobin’s lands by the end of the night, but it is at that moment that Tobin decides to make his own entrance. Milus leaves while telling Tobin that he will “take his army and go and take what’s mine. There will be a reckoning.” Tobin tells Gwynn that they don’t need Milus and his men because he is still willing to give her his men. Tobin believes she is the rightful queen and the best and only way to take back the Realm.

The Mistress (Robyn Malcolm), Gertie (Glynis Barber), Tobin and Gwynn meet to discuss Milus’ plans as well as whether Tobin should stay. The Mistress thinks there is no reason Tobin should have to leave the Outpost when his trusted adviser could go home and look after his affairs instead. Gertie reluctantly agrees to go back to guard Tobin’s territory while Tobin remains at the Outpost. The Mistress gives Munt (Adam Johnson) some expanded responsibility by forcing him to go along with Gertie back to Tobin’s lands to keep an eye on her. While Gertie leaves the Outpost with Tobin’s army, Milus and his army has been waiting just over the hill for this very moment. He plans to take the Outpost and it’s “so-called Queen,” which will be much easier without Tobin’s army.

Milus sends his messenger back to the Outpost with two demands. The first of these demands is that they turn over Gwynn and all others will be spared; the second is that they all pledge fealty to Milus. To this Gwynn tells the messenger to inform Milus that if he comes anywhere near her walls she will put an arrow through each one of “his short-sighted eyes.” She also says that if he doesn’t turn around and leave that she will “nail his body to her gates alive.” After that little altercation Gwynn plans to let Milus cool off for a few minutes and then go and parlay. Tobin will not allow Gwynn to go out to parlay with Milus, so he saddles up his horse to go alone. The Mistress still doesn’t necessarily trust Tobin so Gwynn instructs the Mistress to go out to the parlay with him. Once at the parlay, Milus says he will talk to only Tobin or he will talk to no one, so now the Mistress and Gwynn both have to trust Tobin won’t betray them. Since Milus doesn’t have enough men to capture the Outpost, and Gwynn doesn’t have enough men to drive him away, Milus is left with starving them out. Milus proposes that Tobin return to Aegisford, sit in his father’s seat, be a Lord, but under Milus’ governance. The only thing Milus wants in return is the Queen so he can deliver her to the Prime Order. Tobin returns to the Outpost, leaving the audience unsure if Tobin betrayed Gwynn and made a deal. He tells Gwynn that Milus plans on starving them out, so they release their birds with a message for Tobin’s army to return. However, Milus’ army shoots down each of the birds before they can get away with the message.

Following the Queen’s orders Janzo (Anand Desai-Barochia) continues to study Garret (Jake Stormoen) for any possible idea as to what is wrong with him. All the while Garret insists that there is nothing wrong with him except that he knows the truth and Janzo doesn’t. While Janzo is asleep Garret’s new guard friend pays him a visit and attacks Janzo. Garret yells for the guard to stop while Janzo fights for his life by throwing hot water in the guard’s face. Munt hears all the ruckus and rushes downstairs to help Janzo. Janzo is justifiably furious after Garret’s friend attacks and tries to kill him, threatening to make Garret into a plagueling. Munt takes the guard to the Mistress for questioning and after being threatened to be turned into a plagueling the guard tells her that there are no more traitors like him lurking at the Outpost. Despite giving her the information she requested, the Mistress still has the guard turned into a plagueling.

When Gwynn pays Garret a visit he attempts the same trick he used on Talon only Gwynn believes Garret’s apologies. Gwynn moves closer to Garret as she tells him she loves him and will find a way to fix him, but Garret has ulterior motives. He grabs her by the neck and doesn’t let go until a guard hits him, knocking him down. Later, Janzo is continuing his study of Garret and notices that Garret keeps looking at his belt that contains vials of his medicine. Garret begs and pleads for Janzo to give him his medicine, claiming that he needs it and he can’t live without it. Janzo tastes it and determines that it is Nyassa root, which is known for making patients compliant and susceptible to suggestion when ingesting large quantities. After reading the effects of Nyassa root Janzo throws the vial into the fire, despite Garret’s worry and fear that he will get sick again without it. Janzo explains to Garret that his so-called medicine is what made him turn against his friends and gives him a mixture to drink that will help alleviate the symptoms from the Nyassa root. At first Garret refuses the mixture, but eventually drinks it, perhaps this is a good sign that Garret doesn’t want to stay like this forever.

Despite his willingness to drink Janzo’s mixture, once Janzo leaves Garret uses this as his chance to harass the guard on duty. He insults the guard, telling him he is unfit to wear that uniform and calls him lazy. This thoroughly angers the guard, causing him to come dangerously close to Garret’s cage. Instead of succeeding in hitting Garret, Garret manages to grab him and slam the guard’s head into the bars of the cage. Garret then steals the guard’s keys and unlocks the cage, escaping to finish the job he started.