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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 163426" data-attributes="member: 11">Session #28 (part III)“Wilson, there may be a horse sent over for me this morning,” Martin the Green told the innkeeper.  “Please keep it for me until I return, I may be delayed.”“Yes, sir,” the innkeeper replied.Martin turned to leave, thinking he’d spend the morning pressing the flesh and seeing what he could learn from the locals, but turned back suddenly.“Wilson?” he asked.“Yes, sir?”“What have you heard about what is happening with my companions?” the watch-mage asked.“Oh, well sir,” Wilson began, combing his graying mustache with his little finger.  “Only what the constable said the day before last, all about your one pig-fu---, I mean, the half-breed escaping and beating the guards senseless with his inhuman strength.”Martin had to keep himself from smirking.“Yes, they have posses looking for him now, but they haven’t been able to find any sign of him.  It is as if he flew away,” Wilson continued.  “I hope that pig-fu--, I mean, half-orcs can’t fly now because they cause enough evil as it is.”“But you have met Ratchis, do you think he is evil?” Martin asked.“Well, as the products of rape and slavery I can understand why they may do some of the things they do,” Wilson said, philosophically.  “Some of them must be okay, I mean, they are half-human.”“That’s very open-minded of you,” Martins said patronizingly.“Hey, thanks!”Martin made hi way to the door, making sure the royal emblem on the medallion was visible against his emerald robes.  He had his staff at his side, like a classic watch-mage at his station.    As he came to the door he stopped, for the barmaid was coming in from dumping out the pails.  And he stopped her and asked what she might know the recent events in town, and she apologized to him because she had been called to testify at the hearing the following day.“To say what?” Martin asked.“The truth,” she said, meekly.  “That I saw you and your companions slipping out the back door in the evening on the same day that the young miss had gone missing from her cell.”Martin thanked her.Smiling and feeling confident, Martin began to walk through the early morning streets of Ogre’s Bluff; if streets they could be called. They were more like narrow alleys of cleared snow between buildings built in clusters, leading to a series of wider openings in the middle that made up the town square.Martin greeted people on the street.  He talked to shop-keepers, old widows, a brick-layer and a baker.  He had to grudgingly swallow down some cakes that might have been dry even when he could still taste food, and sip a few cups of scalding hot tea, but he learned a few things.  Among them was that the constable’s wife and children had been killed by an orc raiding party while he was misdirected looking for it elsewhere.Martin also heard a tale that told of the constable catching bandits in the woods a few years back and them letting them go, and shooting them in the back as they ran.The alderman was deemed fair by most of the people the young watch-mage spoke to, but also very stern and wise.  Martin heard from more than one mouth how things had improved since the alderman had been assigned his post by the king.-------Martin hurried from the general store, where he had learned from Margun the Shop-keeper that the older of the two Oldhall brothers who worked as guards on the alderman’s estate was smitten with Rahasia, the alderman’s daughter’s handmaiden.   Ra’s Glory had reached its apex and was glistening in the dripping icicles that lined the eaves of all the houses.   He skidded to a stop in front of the Golden Plough and smoothed over his robes.He was approached by a young lad with a horse,  “From the alderman, sir,” the boy said.“No, please, return it with word to the alderman that I will be staying for the hearing,’ Martin said, with a smile, awkwardly patting the kid on the head.  “Can you remember that?”“Yes, sir,’ the boy said, annoyed.Martin slipped him two copper coins and stepped into the inn.  Richard was being shown to the table buy the mousy barmaid.  He made some whispered joke that Martin could not hear and the barmaid tittered, covering her mouth and turning red.  Richard smiled as he saw Martin enter.“Better make that a whole pitcher of the mead, sweetheart,” Richard said to the barmaid. “And, um, another hunk of the old roast beef for him as well.”“No, thank you.  I have already eaten,” Martin said.  He was forcing the corners of him mouth down as to not smile.Richard’s smile broadened.  “Please, sit,” he gestured to a chair, and Martin obliged him.  There were only two other tables in the place full.  One had two shepherds, but in the corner by the hearth was a table for four town guards in their armor, their spears leaning against their chairs, drinking and laughing while being addressed by a tall pale and lanky man, with black robes and long straight black hair.  He had a mole the size of dime on his left cheek right above his lip.Martin took note, and then looked Richard right in the eye as the older watch-mage sat.“Why should I trust you?” Martin asked.“Because in your heart you know that we are both watch-mage and want the same things, and were trained by the same good-hearted people not to do evil and in both our cases the lesson has stuck,” Richard said.“What about freeing the drow witches?” Martin asked.“I am not making a concerted effort to free the other two witches,” Richard said.“Are you making a concerted effort to free even one?” Martin snapped.“No,” Richard sighed.  “The whole plan is ruined because of you and your companions and now is time for damage control.  Even if I could free the other two, it would never work now, your presence seeded doubt in Karellena’s mind.  The only thing to do is to catch her.”“Of course,” Martin cocked any eybrow.“So, you have contemplated my offer?” Richard asked.  The barmaid poured them each some mead from the pitcher she brought over.  Richard pinched her and slipped some coins in her apron with a wink.“Yes, I have,” Martin said.  He did not touch the mug.“And?’“I am leaning towards accepting it,” Martin said, hurriedly.Richard smiled and leaned back in the chair, taking a long sip of the mead and then wiping his mouth and beard with the back of his hand.  “Good! I knew you’d come around,” he said.“You are going to help free my friend by testifying at the hearing tomorrow about how you freed Jana,” Martin said, his voice wavering only slightly.Richard laughed.  “If you want help freeing them just ask, that is what this partnership is all about, but don’t propose such absurd plans.  I have a better way to get them free.”“I don’t suppose there would be anyway to accomplish this without magic?” Martin said, defeat in his voice.“That would be much more difficult, and…”“I’m sure you have all manner of watch-mage business in the area and don’t have time to do things the hard way,” Martin said.“Yes, but I’m not sure which to do first, after helping you that is,” Richard replied.  ‘Got to find a way to work the system.”“Some might find this whole process unethical,” Martin said.“We are traversing gray and murky waters, my friend.”“Nice metaphor,” Martin said sardonically.Richard folded a chunk of bloody roast beef in a wedge of bread, and stood.  “Well, I have some planning to do.  I’ll be…”“Reaching Gothanian law?” Martin asked, expectantly.“Um, no,” Richard smirked.  “I’ll see you in the morning.  Keep your eyes open for an opportunity.”“Opportunity for what?” Martin pushed his chair back and looked up.“Anything, Martin.  Anything at all,” Richard took a big bite of his sandwich and walked out the door.</blockquote>

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