[WFRP] The Bloody Crown VIII

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa's eyebrows went up. "That's your answer? 'I'm here because I came here'?"

She chose to let Sieghard do the rest of the talking. He was Ludo's commander, after all.

[LeSwordfish]

"Well, I can't talk about my real reasons in front of the civilians." Ludo said sourly, and walked off to talk to someone else.

[TheSummoner]

32nd Jahrdrung - evening

Sieghard and Elsa

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"Viggo did," Sieghard replied. "I fed him a story about being sent to burn some things without being any more specific than that."

"I asked about where he had been and what he had been doing. "Adelbert stuff" speaking with Brother Cezar in Ravenskird. I didn't press him too hard - Lad has enough on his mind
But I did catch him trying to cover for the others. He told me that's where Ludo was too... Except he also said him and Schreiber got back a few days ago and Gustaf says Ludo only got back today."

"I'm not sure we have time for festivities tomorrow. We're still on a mission, and thousands depend on us."

"You're probably right," Sieghard said gloomily. He had been excited for the hunt. "But if we go, Ludo has to go with us. We can question him after we've gotten him away from Adelbert." He paused and added "I'm also going to need some of whatever herbs it is you're using. Shouldn't be me having to clean up Viggo's mess,
but it is."

---

33rd Jahrdrung

"He didn't have orders telling him otherwise," Sieghard said with a significant glance towards Viggo. Turning to Adelbert, he continued "Frau Hildebrand is right, though." It felt weird using Elsa's pseudonym while talking to Adelbert, but there were too many others around. "We still have a job and we've already delayed longer than we probably ought to, dealing with Viggo. I'd be glad to visit some time after this is done with, but for now I don't think it's an option."

"Wouldn't want to ruin your hunt though, so any of the Thorns we left who want to stay until after Mitterfruhl are welcome to. Except Hanna of course."

"Ludo," he called, stopping him from walking away. "You should come with us as well. I've got a hunch the Captain will need you for what comes next."

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert's eyes had widened as Ludo had mentioned their theory of duxicide to Elsa and Sieghard's faces. It took a moment to regain the power of speech.

"I see, well that's unfortunate, but maybe they'll having celebrations in Mannan's Keep you can attend." Adelbert said in disappointment after Sieghard spoke. He glanced at Ludo, obviously wondering how the halfling would react to being ordered home.

[-Sentinel-]

32nd Jahrdrung - evening

Elsa and Sieghard

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"I'm also going to need some of whatever herbs it is you're using. Shouldn't be me having to clean up Viggo's mess, but it is."

"For Hanna, you mean?" said Elsa. "Sure. For Viggo's girl in Arrow Heap, it's probably too late."

---

33rd Jahrdrung

"Ludo, you should come with us as well. I've got a hunch the Captain will need you for what comes next."

After Adelbert, it was Elsa's turn to think her friend had perhaps let slip too much, but she decided not to worry about it. In fact, she was sorely tempted to drop once and for all the stupid web of pretenses they had spun lately. It was exhausting to keep track of who knew what and try to figure out how many levels of deception they had reached.

Still... for now Ludo's feigned ignorance was still useful if it forced him to let Sieghard order him around like a loyal Thorn.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo did at least seem somewhat mollified by the offer of work. "If you say so. Would be a shame to be on the road for the celebrations, though - are you sure you couldn't stay here one more day?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard glanced at Elsa. We're it entirely up to him, he would've been tempted to stay.

"Probably better we didn't," he said "It'd be two more days if we stayed for the feast as well. As long as we make good time on the road south, we'll make it back to Manaan's Keep before the celebrations there are over."

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert nodded unhappily. "Well, Verena go with you then. I'll keep an eye out for our soon to be a father friend."

OOC:

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I guess if we're done here we can move into the hunt itself?

[LCP]

Gathering up the Thorns who had returned with them from the north, Elsa and Sieghard made ready to leave. With Ludo and a rather unwilling Hanna added to their party, the nine of them set out south for Manann’s Keep.

Watching them go, Adelbert almost missed the start of the hunt. With the two dogs straining at their leashes fit to throttle themselves, Viktor nodded to their handler. Unleashed, they streaked into the woods like two brown, barking bolts of lightning. Sending up a cheer, the hunt followed after them.

It wasn’t long before the hounds picked up a scent. Adding his tracking skills to their noses, Gustaf steered them in the direction of their quarry. In a clearing a mile or two east of the village, they found them – a herd of deer, grazing in amidst the tall undergrowth. Watching from a safe distance on Bella’s back, Adelbert saw the stag lift its head above the bracken, broken sunlight shining softly off an already-impressive rack of velvety antlers.

Unable to contain their excitement, the dogs broke free of the ring of hunters that were spreading out around the clearing, plunging into the tall ferns and scattering the deer in every direction. With one powerful bound, the stag was gone, leaping away into the shadows of the trees. From the thrashing in the undergrowth, however, the dogs had caught something.

Forging a path to the front of the hunt, Viktor made his way to the source of the disturbance. It was a fawn, its legs bitten and its belly torn by the dogs, but the animals had backed off rather than make the kill. The reason was immediately apparent – the left side of the animal’s head, which even now it was feebly trying to raise, was a solid mass of mouths. They opened and closed seemingly at random, a dozen bleating voices trying to cry for help.

“Gods’ blood,” said Viktor, pale-faced. Stepping up alongside him, Gustaf stopped dead when he saw the fawn. It only took him a moment to find his composure – once he had assessed the situation, he drew the knife from his belt, stooped down, and cut the crying animal’s throat.

“Sign of a bad harvest, when the beasts have changeling babes,” he said, wiping the blade on a leaf. “That’s what my dad used to say.”

“You’ve seen this before?” asked Viktor, horrified.

“Once or twice. Usually not so bad.” Gustaf straightened up, sheathing the knife again. “Caught a rabbit with three eyes, once. And a bird with too many toes.” He paused. “You see ‘em more around the south woods.”

Viktor just shook his head and muttered. “It’s true what they say about this place. Come on,” he added, turning away from the dead mutant. “We’re not eating that.”

~

It took an hour or two to pick up another trail – but when they tracked it to its creator, Adelbert was not disappointed. A great black boar, they cornered it in a muddy gully where one of the Thornwood’s many shallow streams ran down from the Karst.

Backed against the bole on of an old alder tree, the boar squealed and grunted at its persecutors, lunging at the two dogs with its tusks when they got too close. It was a huge beast, easily the size of those that Magog’s orcish cavalry had ridden at Manann’s Keep – Adelbert wondered if it might not itself have escaped from the aftermath of the battle.

The hunters’ bows didn’t seem to bother it – already it had three arrows protruding from its back, and showed no signs of flagging. A fourth thudded into its side, drawing a squeal of red-eyed rage – putting its head down, it charged straight at the humans in front of it. One of Viggo’s escorts from Arrow Heap was directly in its path, and froze like a startled rabbit in the path of the charge – for one heart-stopping moment, Adelbert thought he was about to watch their guest be fatally gored. In the next, the father of Viggo’s soon-to-be-bride tackled his friend out of the way, and one of Viktor’s men lunged in from behind with a boar-spear, bringing the beast down. It crumpled to the ground in a skidding spray of mud, carried some six or seven feet by its tremendous momentum before it stopped moving.

“Shallya’s teats, Ralf,” said the grandfather-to-be, picking himself up out of the mud. “You could have gotten yourself killed.” Viktor walked right past them, approaching the kill.

“Now this is more like it,” he said with a grin. He heaved the carcass over, inspecting it carefully. “No blasted mutations here. Well done, Markus. This’ll be a feast to remember!”

The spear-man beamed.

“Hey,” said Ralf, coming out of his daze. “Where’d the flash boy get to?”

Looking round, Adelbert saw the empty space where he was looking. Somewhere in the confusion, Viggo had vanished from view…

~

They searched the forest around where the boar had fallen for some time, but no sign of Viggo was found. In truth, not many of the villagers were too interested in helping the men from Arrow Heap – they had their prize from the day’s hunt to bring home, and Viggo was closer to being their friends than the out-of-towners had any claim to be. Darkly raging in the rear of their straggling column, Bianka’s father returned with them to the village to find an empty space where Magnus had been tied.

The people of Painford had little time for his anger. Streaming out to see the boar, they gathered admiringly around Markus with his bloody spear. Bertelis boggled at the dead animal with eyes wide as saucers.

“This was an excellent idea, brother Schreiber,” said Viktor, drinking in the approval. “We should do this every year.”

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Thank you, Adelbert. Take care of yourself. You too, Viggo. Think on what I told you."

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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Sieghard didn't speak much as they marched. Occasionally, he would mutter something to Elsa, but there was too much on his mind for him to be particularly talkative. Hanna, he decided, he would deal with after they had arrived in Manaan's Keep and given their report to Sforza. He laid the blame more on Viggo than on her, but it wouldn't hurt to let her dwell on things for a few days. Once the sun began to set and they made camp for the evening, he assigned watches, putting himself, Elsa, and Ludo on the final watch.

"So Ludo," he began. He had waited about an hour into their watch to make sure the others were sleeping. "When were you planning on telling us what you and the others have been up to since we saw you last?"

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Sieghard will tell Elsa not to mention anything until this point (if Ludo attempts to run off, he has less time. Hopefully that will make him less likely to) and to not let Ludo know what we already know or suspect so we can potentially catch him in a lie (if he claims they were in Painford the entire time despite Viggo saying otherwise).

He'll say this in Tilean so even if Ludo attempts to eavesdrop, he won't understand any of it.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Sieghard, Elsa

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Ludo looked distinctly cagey. "Nothing important. We found a new recruit in Isolici."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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"A recruit?" Sieghard asked, a bit disappointed. "Is the village that small?" There was a pause.

"Ah, but that would've been right after we parted ways. Surely you've kept yourself busy since then."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Sieghard, Elsa

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"They have an agreement with Sforza. He doesn't ask for men and in return they -" he cut himself off sharply, and paused.

"Well, fine. Clearly that was your bloody bird, then. While we were in Isolici we realised that that was where the crimson shade was coming from, so we looked into that. Adelbert has a friend in Savonne, she says the drug trade was making the city more dangerous. We thought we could help."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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Sieghard glanced at Elsa, clearly troubled. "Thought you could help, how?" he asked, an edge in his voice. "You will tell us everything."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Sieghard, Adelbert

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Ludo was taken aback by Sieghard's sharpness. "We didn't have a clear plan. I think Adelbert was... a bit caught up on it. I think he's sweet on this woman in Savonne. I was hoping we'd find a stockpile. We could soak it with water and ruin it."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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Sieghard glared. "You hoped you'd find a stockpile? Did you or didn't you?" He had to consciously think about it to keep his voice down.

"And for what? To impress that Lena woman? Just because Schreiber thinks he's too good to hire a whore?"

[RossN]

Adelbert enjoyed the hunt for the most part, though he'd have enjoyed it more with the others around. He wasn't entirely surprised to see Viggo had vanished, even if he knew this meant trouble later.

The mutated fawn had been an unpleasant reminder that the Thornwood had a bit of a reputation, though the discovery and successful slaying of the boar mercifully seemed to have driven that from everyone's mind. Despite everything it was hard not to feel in good spirits as the victorious hunters returned to Painford. After tying up and unsaddling Bella Adelbert had returned to the open ground where the boar was laid out for all to see.

"Perhaps we should Viktor my friend, though I'm not sure Taal will provide us quite such a prize next year." Adelbert replied, smiling. The priest looked at the boar again and shook his head in happy disbelief. "What a monster! I wouldn't be surprised if your Markus will ever have to pay for a drink in this village ever again."

His smile faded as he looked over at Bianka’s father and his cohorts. "I have a feeling I'll have to handle that business. I don't think they'll make trouble during the festival, but I'll keep an eye on them just in case."

Stepping away from Viktor he stood next to the boar to address the crowd: "Taal has shown His favour and with his blessing - and Herr Markus's spearwork - we will eat like the Emperor himself on the morrow. However we have not meet alone; our village now has a fine trophy. Damen und Herren, what shall we do with the skin and head of this magnificent beast?"

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Ludo and Sieghard

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Whatever Sieghard whispered to Elsa, she nodded in agreement.

She was surprised when Ludo mentioned the crimson shade in Isolici; not surprised by how much he knew (she had had him watched, after all), but by his being so upfront about his discovery and his plans regarding it.

"You will leave Isolici alone," she said, her tone as cold as ice. "There are people who might have you killed for knowing what you know."

[LCP]

Painford

There was a bubble of confused suggestions in response to Adelbert's question - the people of Painford were clearly not too used to this audience participation thing.

"Why," said Viktor, raising his voice in the same declamatory fashion as Adelbert, "it seems only fair to me it should go to the man whose idea this all was, eh? It'd make a fine rug for that chapel of yours." He gestured towards Adelbert. "Brother Schreiber, the founder of the feast!"

That got a cheer.

"Now who wants to do the skinning?"

That got less of a cheer.

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert smiled. "Thank you Herr Viktor. I am honoured to graciously accept such an offering for the shrine. As for the skinning I am ahem... sure some would be only too willing to honour Taal by doing such work. I am sure the god would look favourably on the skinner."

[LeSwordfish]

Elsa, Ludo, Sieghard

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"We found what seemed to be a laboratory, but nothing else." Ludo paused, thinking. "So. Savonne is in trouble from the crimson shade, and you two will come down on anyone who disrupts it?"

He thought for another moment. "This is Sforza's doing, right?" He looked saddened. "I should have realised."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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Sieghard breathed a sigh of relief. "It's in Isolici," he said, still a bit on edge, but less than before, "Of course Sforza's involved."

"I've told her, I've told Viggo, and now I'll tell you, I don't care about the damn shade problem in Savonne. If they want to forget about Alvarr and his savages robbing and raping them, I can hardly blame them for it. Sforza isn't forcing anyone to take it. He is obviously using it to fill his war chest, though. Touch that and he'd hang you by your entrails and your family next to you. Did you think of that at all? Or what it might mean for the war?"

"Isolici and Painford, is that it? Did you go anywhere or do anything else?"

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Sieghard, Elsa

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Ludo's face fell. "We didn't... Now I know that..."

"I'll send a letter to Adelbert, tell him to drop it."

"We only went to Painford," he finished. "Adelbert lives there and Viggo... well, now we know why he wanted to go there."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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"You won't," Sieghard said sternly, "And you'll stop lying and tell us everything. There's plenty we already know, more that Viggo said last night, and more yet that we suspect."

"This isn't a ****ing game, Ludo. Peoples lives are on the line. Mine, hers, theirs, and countless more. You can either tell us everything and tell us now or we can go to Sforza and tell him everything."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Elsa, Sieghard

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"I don't know what you want from me!" Ludo said. "I know there are lives on the line - we all saw Savonne, we all saw Manaan's Keep! I'm not playing a game I just... I just want to help my friends! I just want people not to get hurt!"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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"I want you to stop hiding things and tell us what you and the others have been up to," Sieghard replied, "I'm giving you a chance, Ludo. Tell us everything. If we think youre lying or keeping secrets - and we already know enough to tell - then we'll go to Sforza, and you know what he'd do. To Adelbert, to Viggo and his pretty new wife, and to you. None of us want that, but there's too much at stake in all of this. Either you work with us or you give us no other choice."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Elsa, Sieghard

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"Fine. We went to Savonne. Adelbert spoke to Lena and me and Viggo tried to find a smuggler. We got jumped by thugs and I talked my way out. They were more pleasant company than you right now. Viggo and Adelbert went back to Painford, I spent a week under a bush on the riverbank looking for a boat headed for a smuggler's entrance. I didn't see it."

[-Sentinel-]

Not Adelbert

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Elsa listened to Ludo's explanations with skepticism, far from convinced that this was all about Adelbert wanting to impress Lena. That Lena's wishes seemed to align with what Adelbert's nemesis would hate was quite convenient. Ludo's alleged ignorance that Sforza was behind the crimson shade trade was also suspect, unless the halfling was very, very dim.

"We're not going to hear any news from Isolici, are we?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa

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"Alvarr knows," Sieghard said bluntly, "If Schreiber didn't go to him himself, Lena will. Sforza will have to be warned."

He thought for a moment. "Of course, he'll want to know how we know," he said. "We'll have to think of something to tell him that doesn't involve Adelbert."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Sieghard, Elsa

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"Will she, though?" Ludo said cautiously. "Adelbert didn't seem to think she would - remember she was... she was attacked by the duke's men after the city fell. She's not a fan of the duke at all. And even if she does, she's a known eccentric obsessed with the crimson shade."

"There'll be no news from Isolici." Ludo said. "We didn't do anything there, and nobody knew what we were there for."