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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NiTessine" data-source="post: 493624" data-attributes="member: 475">Again, I must apologize for the long wait. I had an exams week at school, and so on. Well, you've all heard that before. On the good side, this update is considerably longer than the previous one.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 6 – Shadows in the NightIt took two days of rest before any of them could even think of trying to find out where the von Hedons were headed. The cold water and injuries suffered in the battle had not been a healthy combination, even after the sharks had been killed.The elf Ranland melded into the group quite smoothly. He had lost his ship and all of his worldly possessions, and wanted to avenge the Chaos-worshipping nobles, and with Franz gone, nobody even questioned him joining the party. And they had all seen his skill with the bow.Once they judged themselves to be in sufficiently good condition to do so, they started thinking up a plan. The von Hedons must have had arrived in Marienburg, they reasoned. They were in three small boats, and the Marienburg harbour was the only place where they could some to land in the region. The shoreline was mostly jagged rocks and sheer cliffs for a dozen miles in each direction.The first step was to gain new equipment. They had had to leave most of their weapons and all of their armour in the burning ship. They'd only retained their gold and the magical sword they'd taken from Viseslav in Sarbas.Soon they had bought what they needed. All were decked out in brand new armour, and carried sharp steel at their belts. Frederich had paid a veritable fortune for a full set of half-plate, reasoning that after spending several years in Kislev, living in the ways of the land, he should do the same in Empire. Fisibbei commissioned a carpenter to make him a wooden breastplate, hoping that someday he might be able to transmute it into ironwood.Thus armed and armoured, they began asking questions. Frederich, after buying a few rounds for the dock guards, found out that the von Hedons had indeed come ashore that day. That verified, it was time for Ranland and Khaelas to step in. Posing as a wealthy merchant from Lothern, Ranland went through every high-quality inn and tavern of Marienburg, claiming the von Hedons to have cheated him in a trading venture. His played the part of the suave and debonair merchant noble convincingly, and, in the Red Lion Inn, after a moment's chat with the butler, he found they had signed in the same day the ship had burned, and left the following day, leaving no clue of their eventual destination.Not to be deterred, the high elf next headed to the caravan yards, where the merchant companies assembled their weekly, slow-moving caravans for their dangerous journeys to Nuln, Altdorf, and Parravon. There was strength in numbers, and those numbers were great indeed. Noble entourages and merchant wagons alike formed into massive, long, and well-guarded formations. With the mercenaries, hired guards, and the occasional adventuring band, they had enough manpower to stand against anything short of a full-scale orcish waaagh.After dropping a few discreet gold crowns in all the right places, Ranland gained access to the normally confidential records of those who travelled with the caravans. The names of merchants and their companies, along with references to other documents listing their employees, were listed on the yellowish papers. Bocher the butcher, Ulrich the baker, Marya the chandler, Fritz Shickelgrüber the scribe, Johann the Knife…A few minutes later, after dropping a few more crowns to the record keeper as thanks for his time and insurance for his silence, Ranland left with a smug smirk on his face."Really," he muttered as he walked towards their inn, the Three Spoons. "You'd think Chaos cultists in the Empire were a little more skilled at hiding their trails…"*  *  *The von Hedons' destination and means of travel now known, the four adventurers began planning how to catch up with them. The next caravan would not be leaving in another five days, and in any case, it would travel too slow for their liking. They would have to brave the Wasteland and the Reikwald Forest alone on their way to Nuln, the city named by the papers as the destination of all the von Hedon wagons.Their funds were starting to run low, when they had all bought (and in Ranland's case, stolen) steeds. Fisibbei had to ride on the same horse with Khaelas, as the small ponies ridden by halflings would have been too slow for their journey. They set out at dawn of the fourth day of their stay in Marienburg, trotting at a brisk pace along the dusty road.Their first day on the road went uneventfully, and they managed to cover a good distance, bringing them within sight of the Grey Mountains, the great natural barrier that separated the Empire from Bretonnia. The night went peacefully, with Khaelas and Ranland doing the watch. On the noon of the second day, the road had snaked to the foothills of the mountains, the horses suddenly grew restless, and Fisibbei had to dismount, lest he be painfully thrown off. The reason for the steeds' unease soon became apparent, as they spotted the silhouette of a mountain lion, outlined against the sky on a hilltop. This gave the druid an idea. Digging a few strips of beef jerky from his pack, he sneaked closer to the great cat. The lion noticed him, and, curious about this strange little creature that did not fear him, began to pad closer. Smiling reassuringly, Fisibbei offered it the strips of beef.In their saddles, the others tensed, certain that the animal would bite the halfling's arm off. Contrary to their expectations, however, this did not happen. The lion ate the offered food, licked the druid's hand a bit, and then examined the smiling halfling very closely. Then, it yawned and sat next to its new friend.</blockquote>

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