[WFRP] The Bloody Crown XIV

[-Sentinel-]

“Wotcha chief,” she said, nodding her head to Elsa and Tattie in turn. “We packing it in in Putbad, then? I had been wondering.” Taking a seat, she pulled off her boots to rest her feet. “Things don’t half look grim down this way, though. You seen what them locusts have done? It’s like the end of days out there on the Downs.”

"The really bad times are back in Savonne," agreed Elsa, glad to hear Olga's street accent again. "Rumors say the fighting pits have reopened in the Warren."

She studied Olga's face to see if that got any reaction from her. Elsa knew remarkably little about her bodyguard's past, and how she had become who she was.

She steepled her gloved fingers. "Prince Sforza is sending me south. I've got a task over there that should keep me busy a few months. Now, if you've got any friends or relatives to look after in Savonne during these... troubled times, we can bring our contract to a close. If not, well, I'll be glad to have you with me. I'll have other guards too, but I like having someone around who's not taking money from the Prince."

---

Elsa hurried to catch up with Skorgrund. Him being a dwarf, it was not too hard.

"Oh, Revered Elder. I couldn't help but overhear." I'd need to be deaf not to. "I had no say in this decision. The Prince can be p—" She caught herself. "...bull-headed. Rest assured that no greenkins or restless dead will take that thing from me as long as I draw breath. In fact, I'll be working on ways to rid the Reaches of it permanently."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard - 30th Sigmarzeit

"Ludo, I know you're not that naive. We may be able to stall, but only for so long. In time, Sforza will either realize what we're up to or get impatient and not care that there isn't enough left to meet his demand." Sieghard said, his tone growing more dire.

"If we don't give him what he wants, sooner or later, he'll send his Iron Company south to take it and they'll butcher anyone in their path just to have fewer mouths to feed when it's over. That is the situation we're facing. Is that something we have any hope of winning against?"

31st Sigmarzeit

Once the messengers were gone, Sieghard wordlessly passed the letters to Ludo.

[LeSwordfish]

30th Sigmarzeit
"Well what do we do then," Ludo almost wailed. "He's going to bleed us dry to keep his army fighting. You killed the jackal and you're going to let the man who took the credit take our food?"

OOC

Spoiler

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Holding off on replying to the letters until this conversationhas resolved.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard - 30th Sigmarzeit

"That's not what I said," Sieghard replied sharply. "I asked if we had any hope of winning if it came to open rebellion. The Iron Company outnumbers us six for every one of ours even if the Brotherhood of Magritta or any of the local companies won't raise arms against us. More would die if he marched south than if he bled us over the coming months."

"We have a few things in our favor. The river makes a strong choke point and we have good walls we can fall back to. More importantly, we have [i]time[/[i]. If the only choice he'll give us is how to die, then it's time that we can use to make ourselves stronger and him weaker."

[LeSwordfish]

"I think we have some options if we want to.. keep back what we can," Ludo said. "The river is a choke point for goods as well as men. We can check carts and boats. We can make sure nothing comes out of the marshes that doesn't come through us. There are places we can hide extra stores... some of the charcoal burner's huts, perhaps..."

He gave a bark of hollow laughter. "I bet Sforza's not going to go and check the old Manse. We should start gathering supplies there."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard - 30th Sigmarzeit

"The manse?" he paused, considering it. "Nahorek and his pack of ghouls spent months there. I hate to imagine the state the place is in now."

"If our choice is defy Sforza or let the Thornwood die... Rudi has access to the kitchens," he said, letting the implication hang in the air. "We don't have to get him involved in anything we do, but there's surely a lot he could tell us that we could use."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo nodded quietly. "I think... right now, if anything happens to Sforza, someone needs to take over right away. More people will just die if there's chaos. So... before something happens, we need to find someone who could take over and get ready to put them in charge."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard drummed his fingers on the table, thinking. "It would have to be Carraciolo, wouldn't it? Anything less and he would fight us."

"Of course, if he tries to bleed us the way Sforza plans to, we're right back where we began." If nothing else, Carraciolo had never struck Sieghard as having the same sort of underhanded cunning that Sforza did.

[LeSwordfish]

"It would, but Sforza's not named an official heir. He might fall in line behind somebody else without enough support, if there was a consensus choice."

[rax]

27th Sigmarzeit

Ludo nodded. "I think Sforza will try to bleed Last Water dry... and I think Valdez could be persuaded to resist that. The same for the militia commander there... he's an old friend of mine."

"If that's so, then the people of Last Water should count themselves lucky to have such upstanding men ruling over them," Bardhyl acknowledged. "Of course, if such a suggestion were to be made to Herr Valdes, I'm sure it would be better received if it came from someone he knows and trusts, yes?" he continued with a meaningful glance at Ludo.

28th Sigmarzeit

Once Abbie returned from the market, Bardhyl gathered his crew about him to fill them in on his conversation with Ludo, Elsa and Jarla, and to deliver new orders.

"If I've got the measure of the Tilean, any plan which involves keeping the soldiery fed and watered when there's a famine on is bad news for ordinary folk, and rebellious barbarians most of all," he said grimly.

"Abbie, I want you and Max to take the supplies to our place in the Karst and then get back here as quick as you can. Afrim, I want you and Zana to go with them, but once the supplies are safely stowed, keep going to Morr's Seat. Go quickly, but don't kill your horses, eh," he said with a wink.

"Find out if Shepherd's Valley and the Hills were as badly hit by the locusts as the Downlands. Once you get to Morr's Seat, play nice with the Tileans and find Wadim. Tell him that the Prince is planning to ride out the famine by gathering stores from all across the Reaches to keep all of his soldiers fed and watered. Tell him I'll be back as soon as I can and encourage him to organize the clans to keep as much of our food as possible from the Tileans in the meantime. And one more thing - ask him how many of our people would be ready to fight to keep the Tileans from carting off our animals and other food. Meet me back here at the Fat Fish with his reply and any other news from the Hills. If we need to move out before then, I'll leave a message so you know where to find me," he finished.

Bezahltag, 32nd Sigmarzeit

Bardhyl

Damjan and Panteleon arrived back in Savonne late on Bezahltag. They met Bardhyl and the others back at the Fat Fish.

“Looked for the crew of the Gudgeon,” said Panteleon, “but most of them had run off other places by the time we got there. Only one of them stayed behind, and she was drinking her sorrows away.”

“She said it happened as they were going round the Knives,” said Damjan. “Didn’t like it when we asked if the captain could have sunk them on his own - said he was an expert, he knew the channels. She thought maybe they slung a chain under the water. As soon as they hit the rocks, the wreckers were on them.”

“About a dozen of them, by her count,” said Panteleon. “Covered their faces, but by their gear she took them for deserters from Alvarr’s army.”

“Or they just took their weapons from the dead,” said Grim, skeptically. Panteleon shrugged.

“Maybe,” he said. “Either way, they took what they could from the hold, then cut the wreck loose to break up in the stream. According to our witness, what they got would have been some casks of Azrillite spirits, some bolts of velvet traded from upriver, and an iron box they were supposed to deliver to the city.” He raised his eyebrows at the last item. “She didn’t know what was in it. Said it was the captain who brought it on board.”

“The wreckers turned the rest of them loose, but kept him back,” said Damjan. “Wherever their hideout is, she reckons they must’ve taken him there.”

“Sort of got the impression that was why she was still hanging around, in Selsan” said Panteleon, nodding. “Hoping he might still show up. But she’s been waiting a long while.”

"Hmm, that doesn't get us much closer to finding this 'Ghost', but that box sure sounds interesting. Could well have been full of Shade," Bardhyl mused.

"...Of course! I'm a dolt!" he suddenly exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "What if the Prince doesn't know that his Shade is going missing? Filomena could well be keeping the Tilean in the dark while she's trying to work out how to recover the goods. Or - though it seems less likely - she's working with the 'Ghost' and is using his attacks to siphon off Shade which they then sell for their own profit. Either way, she would be making damn sure that Sforza doesn't have a clue that some of his precious Shade isn't reaching the market as intended!"

"I think maybe a little visit to Madame Filomena is in order. I just need to work out a way to get in and out without becoming a target for her wrath," he grinned.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Does Carraciolo seem like the sort of man to fall in line behind someone other than the prince?" Sieghard asked skeptically. "One thing at a time. We can worry about that when we come to it."

[LeSwordfish]

"True," Ludo said, "but that applies to some extent or other to all of them. Susssman's only loyalty is to the winning side. Al'Makir and Valdez... neither of them seems likely to think they should be in charge themselves, but I bet they'd go for one of the old guard over an outsider."

[LCP]

Bardhyl, 28th Sigmarzeit

Zana looked pleased to be given the duty. Afrim just grumbled.

"No rest for the wicked, eh?" he said. Seeing Bardhyl looking at him, he nodded. "Aye, chief, we'll see it done."

Abbie raised her eyebrows at Bardhyl's mention of Filomena.

"Everyone I've spoken to says that one's a viper," she said. "You want to tangle with her, boss, I think it's going to take some very careful handling."

---

Elsa, 32nd Sigmarzeit

"The pits?" said Olga, with what might have been genuine surprise. She drew in her breath between her teeth. "That's a mug's game, that is. 'Specially if any of the old crowd are still running it. Still, I suppose there's no shortage of desperate folk about."

"I've got nothing tying me down," she said, when Elsa asked her if she was happy to come to Caerfort. "Long as I'm getting paid, I'm your woman."

~

"As long as you draw breath?" snapped Skorgrund, in barbed tones. "What's that, umgi? Forty years, if the grobi or the uzkular don't get to you first? Do you want me to mark it in my diary?"

He wagged a crabbed finger at her. "I thought you knew better than to humour your princeling's vanity, goraki. You know as well as I do what he ought to be doing." He glanced back towards Barbaro's door, and for once, actually lowered his voice. "You asked us not to speak of it, and we keep our word. But the real enemy is out there across the Teeth, not down... wherever you're going." He sniffed, and furrowed his craggy brow. "Where is that, exactly?"

[LeSwordfish]

31st Sigmarzeit

Once the messengers were gone, Sieghard wordlessly passed the letters to Ludo.

Ludo read the messages over thoughtfully. "That's nearly a week of stores every month! We could barely manage that before. I wonder if Valdez and Sussman are paying the same amount? But Valdez's crops were untouched."

"Maybe I can make that argument to Al'makir, try to talk him down? As for Sussman, I say we send him his soldiers. Hanna's got a good enough head on her soldiers not to shoot at rioters throwing stones, send her and twenty men. That's a whole lot of mouths that it'll be his problem to feed."

[-Sentinel-]

"The pits? That's a mug's game, that is. 'Specially if any of the old crowd are still running it. Still, I suppose there's no shortage of desperate folk about."

Elsa perked up. "The 'old crowd'? I take it you have inside knowledge of this milieu? I could arrange for some of the ringleaders to go missing. They're small fry, compared to who my friends and I have dealt with this past couple of years."

"I've got nothing tying me down. Long as I'm getting paid, I'm your woman."

"Very good to hear," grinned Elsa. "I'm afraid the place we're going is a bit out of the way, so it should be a boring few months... if we're lucky."

---

"Where is that, exactly?"

"Some dead village called Caerfort," answered Elsa, lowering her voice to match Skorgrund's conspiratorial tone. "And I know full well who the enemy is... but as far as I'm aware, he no longer has a physical form we can kill. Even if he did, my warnings to the Prince are falling on deaf ears. He won't be sending an expedition into the Pale Waste any time soon, especially given current circumstances." She made no effort to conceal her bitterness.

"Now... the Book? That's something solid. Something that can't be dismissed or ignored. It's been plaguing the Reaches for millennia, even while Nahorek slept. Can it be destroyed? I don't know... but I'm not aware anyone's made a serious attempt yet. That's what I'll be working on."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"If Abdul was the one making the decision, it might even work," Sieghard replied. "We can send men south though. Probably a drop in the Mere so far as food's concerned, but every bit helps."

Spoiler

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Ok, per Ludo's suggestion, 20 men led by Hanna to Manaan's keep with instructions to keep Sieghard updated on the situation there. He'll have Rike come with to Ravenskird instead of Hanna and leave it under her supervision when he comes back to Painford with Elsa's party.

[rax]

Bardhyl, 28th and 32nd Sigmarzeit

Zana looked pleased to be given the duty. Afrim just grumbled.

"No rest for the wicked, eh?" he said. Seeing Bardhyl looking at him, he nodded. "Aye, chief, we'll see it done."

Abbie raised her eyebrows at Bardhyl's mention of Filomena.

"Everyone I've spoken to says that one's a viper," she said. "You want to tangle with her, boss, I think it's going to take some very careful handling."

"Good man," Bardhyl answered Afrim with a nod.

"Aye, there's no doubt about that," he agreed with Abbie. "Don't worry, I won't go barging in there just yet, and when I do I'll make sure to bring plenty of backup," he chuckled.

Spoiler: OOC

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Just a reminder that Bardhyl's ruminations on Filomena would be taking place when his men get back from Selsan, i.e. the 32nd. So, technically, Abbie should already be en route to the hideout in the Karst.

[LCP]

Elsa, 32nd Sigmarzeit

Elsa perked up. "The 'old crowd'? I take it you have inside knowledge of this milieu? I could arrange for some of the ringleaders to go missing. They're small fry, compared to who my friends and I have dealt with this past couple of years."

Olga gave Elsa a funny look. "I thought we were going south?" she said. "Why would you want to get mixed up in that?"

~

"Now... the Book? That's something solid. Something that can't be dismissed or ignored. It's been plaguing the Reaches for millennia, even while Nahorek slept. Can it be destroyed? I don't know... but I'm not aware anyone's made a serious attempt yet. That's what I'll be working on."

“And you think unmaking Varag Kol’s book will be easier than changing your master’s mind,” said Skorgrund. “That you’ll succeed where no-one before you has, since before even the tongue you’re speaking in was born.” He shook his head and muttered something in Khazalid. With a deep intake of breath, he mustered enough diplomacy to continue.

“The Rinn won't like it. I don't like it. But if Caerfort's where you're taking it, then the clan ought to keep some eyes on it. I take it you won't object to a few more guards?”

---

Konigstag, 33rd Sigmarzeit - Elsa & Jarla

The next morning, everything was in place. Al-Makir had brought out one of the reinforced wagons used to transport the Iron Company paychests, and a guard detail of twenty Tileans was formed up around it. Overseen by their sergeant, four of them were working with shovels to dig up the patch of the stable-yard where the book had been buried.

There was a thunk as the first spade struck the lid of the chest. As it was brought into the light, some of the watchers drew back. The ancient mountain oak timbers of the Dwimmulsons’ chest - the same chest that had been too tough for the Jackal himself to force open - now looked bleached and cracked with age, their metal fittings covered with a patina of corrosion. Looking on from the edge of the dig, Father Barbaro bit his lip.

“The dwarfs aren’t going to be pleased,” he said. “Maybe we should have wrapped it up in something before we put it in the ground…”

Abdul murmured something in Arabyan that might have been a prayer. “I don’t think it’s the earth that did that, my friend,” he said. “We should be thankful it is only a box that has suffered.”

Elsa Only

Spoiler

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Even from a distance, even locked in the chest, Elsa could feel the book’s presence. It felt like a cold breeze on the back of her neck, a dust-dry whisper at the edge of hearing. Like standing on a cliff-edge in darkness, and feeling the abyss yawn in front of her without ever being able to see it.

<Come on lads, get it loaded!> the sergeant barked at his men. <Are you afraid of a ****ing box?>

The soldiers heaved the chest up onto the back of the wagon, where they set about securing it firmly in place. Their preparations were interrupted by the arrival of the Sforzas on the scene, at which the sergeant snapped to attention.

<At ease,> said the Prince. Running a careful eye over the scene, he seemed to find it to his satisfaction. “So, Holt,” he said. “All ready to go?”

He motioned to the sergeant. “Gaspare here and his squad will be your guards as far as Caerfort, where they will hand over to Esteban’s men. Once you are settled there, I will be expecting regular reports on your progress.”

Irene waited until her husband had turned away to talk to Al-Makir before saying her own goodbye.

“I do hope there won’t be too many distractions for you out there,” she said to Elsa, her words full of false compassion. “I mean, so many gruff, unwashed soldiers… they are rather your type, aren’t they?” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I hear some of them even have all their original teeth.”

---

Angestag, 1st Sommerzeit - Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

Sieghard and Ludo had arrived in Ravenskird late the previous night, and now awoke to the sun rising over a village looking even more crowded than it had when Ludo had last left it. More herders had arrived off the Downs, and the edges of the marsh were thick with scrawny-looking cattle. The beasts were wading through the shallows, munching on reeds and anything else the locusts had left. Some of the local fishermen weren’t happy - as they passed by the water’s edge, Ludo could hear a loud argument going on about ‘nets full of cow ****’.

It was clear that rationing in Ravenskird was going to be more challenging than in Painford. This was a community less used to Sieghard’s soldiers, and more used to managing its own affairs - and more than that, good, dry spaces to store provisions were in short supply. The only space that seemed to be going spare was the run-down shell of Costin’s alehouse, which was currently being shared between the fishermen as a space to store their nets and lines. It would be easy enough to find somewhere dry further back from the water, but there any shed or storehouse would have to be built new.

Up at the shrine to Morr, Brother Cezar’s replacement, Brother Petre, greeted them with a certain amount of nervous deference. To Sieghard, the young man looked more like a child than a priest - but then, with the casualties they'd sustained among the clergy, the average age was bound to fall.

“I’ve had word from the city,” he said, “that we’re, um, that they’re trying to root out the last of the old jackal customs. Is that… that is to say, am I supposed to be doing the same here? Only, some people are quite attached to them.”

~

It was late in the evening when the sound of rattling wheels and marching boots heralded the arrival of Elsa and her troop. Ludo had known since he’d left Savonne that they and their cargo were coming, but still the sight of the wagon gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, as if it was carrying barrels of blackpowder. Blackpowder would probably have been safer.

[-Sentinel-]

Olga gave Elsa a funny look. "I thought we were going south?" she said. "Why would you want to get mixed up in that?"

Elsa nodded. "We are, but I got friends who are sticking around these parts."

Spoiler: rax

Show

Is this the kind of thing Bardhyl could look into? That is, if he has spare time between his plots against Sforza.

“The Rinn won't like it. I don't like it. But if Caerfort's where you're taking it, then the clan ought to keep some eyes on it. I take it you won't object to a few more guards?”

"I was just about to suggest it, in fact," said Elsa, truthfully. "Any good warriors you can spare are more than welcome."

---

Konigstag, 33rd Sigmarzeit - Elsa & Jarla

Elsa was troubled by the damages the Book had managed to cause to the chest, even through the lead it was encased in. She had better find a way to destroy or banish it without needing to take it out in the open, or it would easily turn her to dust. In her coat pocket, she could feel Khalida's agitation at the Book's evil.

“Gaspare here and his squad will be your guards as far as Caerfort, where they will hand over to Esteban’s men. Once you are settled there, I will be expecting regular reports on your progress.”

"It'll be done, sire," said Elsa, though any progress report she could write would be in terms utterly incomprehensible to the Prince.

“I do hope there won’t be too many distractions for you out there,” she said to Elsa, her words full of false compassion. “I mean, so many gruff, unwashed soldiers… they are rather your type, aren’t they?” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I hear some of them even have all their original teeth.”

Elsa smiled pleasantly. Irene still thought herself a queen bee, when she was a wasp. Her insults of late sounded desperate and spiteful. Elsa suspected that part of Irene bitterly envied her for not being stuck with a brooding, short-tempered husband in her bed and a bun in her oven.

"I've spent a lot of time with soldiers lately, principessa... Rest assured that I know how to handle them." How Irene interpreted that statement was none of her concern. It was better to be held in contempt by Irene than to be viewed as a genuine threat to her. "I've become rather gruff and unwashed, myself, as you've no doubt noticed. So I am in good company."

She chuckled, then grew more serious. Her gaze went meaningfully from Irene's belly to the dwarven chest. "I'd strongly advise you keep your distances from that thing, my lady. There's a good reason why we're taking it someplace far away from babies."

---

Angestag, 1st Sommerzeit - Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa


Elsa had been hoping the plague of locusts had not hit the Thornwood as hard as the Downlands, but riding under leafless trees crushed that hope. Was there any coming back from this, or would the landscape be just as brown next year?

We knew the Jackal was planning something, what with all of Mala's corpse-collecting. We knew, and we decided to just wait and see.

Like we did when Klammenberg was preparing his ritual to break Nahorek free.

At the sight of Sieghard, Elsa gave him a terse, formal nod. "Well met, Commander Sieghard," she said, all too aware of the many eyes and ears around them. "How fares Painford?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I'd like it discouraged," Sieghard told Brother Petre. "But I don't expect things to change overnight. Perhaps a light touch would be best in getting people to change their habits."

---

"It fares... About the same there as it is here, really," Sieghard said. "What brings you south?" he asked, eyeing the wagon. "If I had known you were coming, I could've had the place a bit more in order."

[LeSwordfish]

"I don't think we could have," Ludo said, carefully avoiding a cowpat that would have consumed him to his knees, "but it's good to see you anyway."

He lowered his voice. "Supplies are holding out for now but it's going to be an extremely lean winter. Sforza's taking about a quarter of what the village consumes."

[LCP]

Elsa, 32nd Sigmarzeit

Elsa nodded. "We are, but I got friends who are sticking around these parts."

“You think your friends are going to end up in the pits?” said Olga. She paused for a beat or two. “Have you considered lending them some money? ‘S a lot easier than killing people.”

"I was just about to suggest it, in fact," said Elsa, truthfully. "Any good warriors you can spare are more than welcome."

“Hrm,” said Skorgrund. He seemed to approve of that, at least. “I’ll speak with the Rinn. Grungni willing, they’ll find you.”

Turning, he stumped away down the hall, still muttering occasionally under his breath.

---

Elsa & Jarla, 33rd Sigmarzeit

"I'd strongly advise you keep your distances from that thing, my lady. There's a good reason why we're taking it someplace far away from babies."

That seemed to get Irene’s attention. She looked at the chest with a new regard, but didn’t draw back.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Holt,” she said, but not too loudly. “This is my castle. I’ll stand where I please.”

[-Sentinel-]

“You think your friends are going to end up in the pits?” said Olga. She paused for a beat or two. “Have you considered lending them some money? ‘S a lot easier than killing people.”

"Sorry - I meant, I've got friends who can take care of the ringleaders when we're gone."

Elsa did not think Sforza could be relied upon to crack down on any crime that did not directly threaten his rule.

---

That seemed to get Irene’s attention. She looked at the chest with a new regard, but didn’t draw back.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Holt,” she said, but not too loudly. “This is my castle. I’ll stand where I please.”

Elsa raised her eyebrows, then gave a nod of understanding. "I get it. There are safer ways to get rid of it, but... I guess you're not spoiled for choice."

Though she despised Irene with every fiber of her being, she found no pleasure in her nemesis being forced to carry a child she did not want. It just did not feel like justice.

---

"It fares... About the same there as it is here, really," Sieghard said. "What brings you south?" he asked, eyeing the wagon. "If I had known you were coming, I could've had the place a bit more in order."

"Just... court wizard responsibilities, you know," said Elsa evasively. Ludo had no doubt told him everything already, so this was just theater. "I'll be staying down south for the next few months. As for yourself... Business in Savonne?"

He lowered his voice. "Supplies are holding out for now but it's going to be an extremely lean winter. Sforza's taking about a quarter of what the village consumes."

Elsa winced. "I see."

As far as she was aware, the Thornwood did not produce much food in the first place, even in the best of times.

[LCP]

Elsa, 32nd Sigmarzeit

"Sorry - I meant, I've got friends who can take care of the ringleaders when we're gone."

Olga just looked more confused. "But... why..." she started out, before changing tack. "Sorry, boss. Not my place to ask questions, I know. I'll stick to the job."

---

Elsa & Jarla, 33rd Sigmarzeit
Elsa raised her eyebrows, then gave a nod of understanding. "I get it. There are safer ways to get rid of it, but... I guess you're not spoiled for choice."[/quote]

"Don't talk about something you know nothing about," snapped Irene, very sharply. She heaved a performative sigh. "Though of course, you've never let that stop you before. Why would I think you'd start now?"

Casting a last glance over to the wagon, she turned to join her husband. "Buon viaggio,, Holt. Enjoy Caerfort." A smile crossed her face. "Who knows? Perhaps you'll like it so much, you'll never want to come back."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"No, just trying to prepare for the coming months," Sieghard said bluntly. "Setting aside what we can and trying to make it last."

"We'll find space for you and the soldiers. Will you be staying for a while or continuing on in the morning?"

[rax]

32nd Sigmarzeit

Bardhyl sat silently for some time, mulling over the implications of the report from Selsan. Suddenly, he stood up and drained the last of his beer.

"My mind's made up, lads! I need a change of scenery, so we're heading south for a few days. Get your gear and horses ready, I want to make Painford by tomorrow," he declared.

Spoiler: OOC

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As stated earlier, Bardhyl will leave word with the inkeep that he's headed for Painford but that he expects to be back in a few days. I figure these sort of situations have been par for the course over the years of the gang operating together, so in the unlikely event that his people get back while he's away, they can decide if they want to ride out after him or wait and see if he turns up in a day or two.

From the looks of the map it should take two days on average to make Painford. Of course, Bardhyl doesn't know that he might run into Ludo and Sieghard in Ravenskird, so obviously he'll stop there if he spots them.

Leaving on the 32nd should also make sure he arrives before the book.

[-Sentinel-]

"Who knows? Perhaps you'll like it so much, you'll never want to come back."

"...I... find that doubtful," said Elsa, unsure how to take that remark. "But I do believe the south looks better than the north these days."

She mounted her horse to join Tatiana at the front of the convoy.

---

"We'll find space for you and the soldiers. Will you be staying for a while or continuing on in the morning?"

"We're on a schedule," said Elsa. "But we can catch up over drinks at... hmm... whatever's the drinking hole in this place."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

The OOC thread doesn't list any inn for Ravenskird.

[RossN]

Konigstag, 33rd Sigmarzeit - Elsa & Jarla

Jarla had gathered with the rest of the court to observe the the departure of the book. Ada had worked miracles with the hairbrush and Jarla's copper curls had been mercilessly styled into a fetching Bretonnian look while she wore a cream and crimson gown. Not one of her favourites but Jarla needed something she could wear with matching gloves. As she watched and waited she had to force herself to stop flexing her tattooed hand. The daemon might be gone but the mark lingered.


She was close enough to overhear the war of words between Irene and Elsa and ground her teeth. This was not the sort of thing they needed, not.

"Your highness perhaps we could go for a ride?" she suggested to Irene, adding in her mind and if you see in that an opportunity to 'accidently' fall off your horse I'll kill you myself then and there since your husband would definitely cut my head off.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"That'd be it over there," Sieghard replied, pointing to the ruins of Costin's old place. "No one ever rebuilt after Rorik had it burned."

"There'll be time for catching up tomorrow in Painford," he said. "Drinks might be a bit harder to come by. Most of what can be brewed is being eaten instead." But more importantly, there'd be thick stone walls to keep anyone from overhearing what would be said.

[LeSwordfish]

"Jager burned it, I think," Ludo corrected him. "Can't imagine Rorik's lot denying themselves a place to drink."

He looked around at the chaos. "We need another barracks here, I think - or just a longhouse for the goods. With the trees stripped this bare we can afford to cut more down, odds are that they won't make it to spring anyway."