Jadestar Kaladoran, one of a handful of dragonborn in the area, is the closest thing Berador has to a sheriff or other law enforcement type. She wanders the area, sometimes on foot, sometimes mounted on her griffin and sometimes on a massive dire boar, but always alert. The villagers respect and appreciate her efforts and see to it that she and her mounts have proper food, shelter and care as needed.
The Watch
Jade pulls on the reins, not unkindly, and calls out, "Down, Chalgra." The massive beast leans to the right and begins a long circular descent, wings beating with a great whoosh every few seconds as it glides downward. Jade's excellent night vision may prove useful again. She spotted some movement and the tell tale glint of metal in the pale moonlight far below, and she must investigate. She doesn't normally patrol the area at night, but sometimes she likes a change of pace. And it's an absolute thrill to give in to Chalgra and let the griffin rush through the night air on the hunt. Even the sudden jolt of impact when the great bird strikes a deer or wild cat gives Jade a rush. Jade was born for this.
As she nears the ground Jade spots three man shapes leading a handful of cattle through the trees. She doesn't even try to sneak up on them. Chalgra is not the most stealthy of beasts and Jade would never reach them on foot unheard in her plate armor battle dress. Besides, subtle never was her style.
Tying the reins off on the saddle horn, Jade hefts her shield up into position and draws the massive bastard sword she wields one handed. She guides Chalgra in with her knees and softly called commands, approaching the poachers from behind. She waits for them to clear the copse of trees and get into the open ground. A few feet from the ground and some thirty yards behind them she calls a guttural battle prayer to Kord and Chalgra adds his screaming voice to the charge.
The Hunt
The seven cows break in seven different directions bellowing at the death come among them as the would-be-thieves scream in terror and drop to the ground. Several hundred pounds of griffin and dragonborn hurl just over their heads and dig furrows in the earth scant feet beyond. The griffin's claws rip at the ground as the beast turns back on the prey. Jade calls a command to the great bird, and it halts its charge its beak mere inches from the head of the nearest miscreant.
"Do not move and you may live to see the dawn," Jade speaks quietly and with the quiet command of one who is used to having her orders obeyed.
The men tremble in the dirt and alternately mumble prayers and beg for mercy. Jade dismounts and jerks open the face guard on her steel helm. Her eyes shine brightly in the moonlight, but the rest of her face is hidden in shadow. Chalgra steps back from the prey and surveys the three, all within easy reach of his deadly sharp and deadly quick beak and claws.
"Now, stand slowly and show me your hands," Jade instructs her charges. "Don't make any sudden moves. You'll spook Chalgra, and I won't be held responsible for what he does to you if you spook him." There's a hint of laughter in her voice as she gets a clearer view of who she has captured.
"Aw, Jade, do we really have to go through all this," the closest man whines as he gets to his knees. His hair is a greasy brown mop above a broken nose and two pig eyes. "Just take us in."
The Interrogation
"Shut up, Raynor. I'm of a mind to send you running with Chalgra on your tail. What the hell are you doing out here?"
The three men are all on their feet and gathering in front of Jade. They all wear ragged tunics and breeches and worn out leather boots. They have the look of common laborers and ragged ne'er-do-wells rolled into one. Obviously close kin; they all have squat, rounded faces and tiny, squinting eyes. Pug noses rest above narrow mouths with thin wormy lips. Well, except for Raynor's which has been broken half a dozen times.
The fellow on the left, a bit taller than the other two, answers Jade, "Well, it's been awhile since we had some beef steak. So, well, you know, we thought maybe we'd help ourselves to a bit o' this here."
"Dallin, you're as stupid as you are ugly. What were you going to do with seven cows? You couldn't butcher them all and store the meat. And you got nowhere to keep them. What were you thinking?"
"Well, we thought maybe we could sell them as we didn't eat right away," he replies.
Jade laughs quietly. "Yeah, I can just see you walking them in to town and offering them up to the highest bidder. You don't think anyone would notice Greyski's brand on them, do you?"
Glances pass between the three brothers, and looks of consternation come over their faces.
A hot, red spray washes over Jadestar's face as the wicked point of a broad head arrow explodes from Raynor's throat.
The Battle
"Get down!" she shouts as she leaps backwards, turning to her mount. The griffin is already on the move and as Jade's foot touches the stirrup she swings instantly into the saddle and Chalgra takes to the air. The two remaining thieves drop face first in the dirt again as massive wings beat the air a few feet above them.
"Find them, Chalgra; kill them all," Jade commands her mount, and the griffin answers with a shrill cry. Head panning left and right, eyes darting ahead both Jade and Chalgra search the tree line beyond. Jade spots a glint of moonlight on metal, but not before the griffin has already turned and begun a headlong charge towards the nearest goblin.
The massive talons shred into the shoulder and neck of the creature, nearly ripping its head from its body. Chalgra drags the poor creature from the ground and drops it from a height of some twenty feet. He turns in a tight circle, chasing after the others.
They are in a tight group of about a dozen. They clutch spears, clubs and swords. One struggles to reload a great crossbow. Chalgra bears down on them again, crying out his fury. The shock of the blow sends a thrill up Jadestar's spine as the griffin strikes down another goblin. A couple of thrown spears clatter harmlessly off of Jade's armor, and she dives into the panicked goblins shield forward. The goblin's face and skull shatter under the force of the shield and Jade collapses in a heap on top of her now dead foe.
She lumbers to her feet as three of the braver, or stupider, goblins make their way towards her. The battle is over before it even begins. With surprising grace for one encased in metal from head to toe, Jadestar thrusts and sweeps with her great bastard sword and in a matter of seconds three goblins are dead at her feet; one without its head.
The other goblins flee and Chalgra pursues, ripping them down one by one.
The Rescue
Jade makes her way back towards the brothers Salmon. Raynor is surely dead, but Dallin and Densin will still need tending to. She arrives to find them still in the dirt, but having inched over to their dead brother. They are arguing between themselves about what to do as Jade approaches. Dallin wants to run, while Densin thinks they should stay put.
"I told you you're stupider than you look, Dallin. Listen to your brother," Jade says to him as she steps up to them.
"I was just, well, ah," Dallin stammers.
"Shut up and come with me. We'll need to put a litter together for your brother and you two are going to drag him back to town."
She oversees the two of them as they pull together limbs for a litter and load their brother on it. Chalgra returns and Jade mounts up. She motions for them to move out and positions herself behind them. It's going to be a long night. Her patrol would have had her home by midnight. Now it'll be after dawn before these boys can drag their burden back to town. Well, there's nothing to it. She has to deal with them. It's her duty. Berador is her territory and she will watch over it always.