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Message: <blockquote data-quote="monboesen" data-source="post: 1133987" data-attributes="member: 4647">Well onwards to part 2.Gabriel studied the merchants and guards that had gathered in a small group a little further down the road. From the dark glances they shot each other he got the impression that they had been arguing but had stopped when they heard the horses. Now they just stood there, watching him and his companion suspiciously. Behind them the wagons were spread out but there was no sign of oxes or horses. Among the wagons various goods, boxes and barrels were scattered on the ground. No wonder they looked vary, they had been robbed.He smiled and shook his head slightly in the shadows of his hooded cloak. This was ironic, had this happened in Dhorne it would have been his duty to help them. If possible track down the criminals and deliver them to justice. But Dhorne was three days behind him and in these lands he was under no such obligation. After crossing the border into the Broken lands his sole duty was to protect his companion from danger. Even that was ironic, the lady he accompagnied was no stranger to battle. She had likely seen as much as himself. A witchhunters life was a dangerous one. But contrary to Dhorne where her status provided safety, the very same status could mean trouble here. That was why he accompigned her, Knights of the Sons Grace commanded respect even outside of Dhorne. Not that these men, Dhornesian merchants and sellswords, presented any real threat. They would likely show her the respect usually reserved for noblemen. But if whom, or what, she hunted hid among them there could be great danger indeed. With that uncomfortable thought in mind he urged his horse a few steps in front of hers as they closed the distance and spoke.“Hello good merchants, what has passed here”Ran gazed intently at the men, looking for her quarry. She had been on the hunt for nearly a month, her first hunt without the safety of Jannt by her side, teaching and protecting her. She had been proud when given the assignment, now she was mostly travel weary. Her companion, the young Knight that Jannt had arranged to travel with her, adressed the men. Whether it was by habit or to give her time to study the men she did not know. She took a deep breath, air rushing through her nostrils and mouth. Sampling, tasting, testing it. A fierce joy shot through her.There was the rotten stench of taint in the air. Magic had been wrought at this place, though some hours ago. She slowly rode around the men. Several of them shifted uneasily under her silent inspection, but none of them carried the stench of taint. But there, hidden behind a large merchant. A young man fitting the describtion the students and teachers in Falston had given. Large,fatty and redhaired. “What’s your name”.The young man stared up at her, stark naked terror on his face.“Hhrrmm. I, ehh”. Before he got any further the merchants large hand landed on his shoulder.“This is my second cousin Colill, why do you ask witch…..hunter”. . Ran ignored the insult. “Im looking for a man, and your cousin fits the describtion”. “What’s this man done to get the hunters after him” “He is suspected of being member of a cult, practicing black magic. One of his fellow cultmembers killed more thant twenty students at Falston university”. She looked for a reaction in either of the men, and was rewarded with a flinch from the young redheaded one. “Well that couldn’t have been my cousin, he’s never been to Falston in his life. Why this is his first time more than a few miles from Abbesborough. Right Colill”. The young man nodded vigourously. “But if youre looking for black magicians there was one among the men who robbed us” The big man continued. “I’ll even help you kill him. There were a lot of them, more than you and that fellow can handle I reckon”.Ran was confused, clearly these men were lying at least about Colill, if that was his name, but none of them smelled tainted and the other merchants confirmed the large mans story. They had been fooled by magic,  an evil charm robbing them of willpower, and robbed. In the end she accepted the large merchants offer,  thinking she could use a bit more time to sort things out. At least they could not get away while being right under her nose.************************Jonas and Ran watched the two men watching the village from the hilltop. The mens horses were tethered further down the hill, hidden from any chance glances of the sentries walking the inside of the village palisade wall.“Looks like soldiers to me, those two” Jonas rumbled.“Do you know whose”“Likely Duke Bookleys. He’s the current ruler here and got plenty of reason to worry if what those womens tale were true”“I guess so, lets head back”They crept away from their hiding place in the undergrowth. The merchant surprisingly silent for his bulk and the witch hunter a mere shadow besides him.Half a mile away at the small camp Manolis thoughts streamed though his mind as clouds caught in a angry storm. What should he do. The witch hunters had found him, she was going to kill him for sure. Or at least bring him back to justice in Falston. How could he get away. Had Jonas fooled her with his lies. The uneasy thoughts kept him on his feet, wandering restless around in the camp.He could make a run for it. Glancing at the armored knight he dismissed the thought. Gabriel was kind enough, in other circumstances Manolis would probably have liked the one eyed knight. He was easygoing and had carefully kept their brief conversation to neutral subjects. But he would not let Manolis go. He had sworn so to the witch hunter and Knights of the Sons Grace never broke their word. For now he would just have to play along, trusting Jonas to keep him safe, after all the merchant had been paid handsomely to do just that. The only comforting thought was that the witch hunter had no legal authority in these lands and seemed unwilling to act before she was sure of who he was.Gabriel let his eye follow  the roaming man, he was guilty of something all right. It was written all over his face. Gabriel didn't take him for a killer though and he was usually a good judge of character. Could be he was guilty, but of some other crime than Ran suspected. “Take it easy Colill. You are making me tired just watching you. Come sit down with me and have a bite to eat” Manolis shook his head.“I’m not hungry”“Do you think that it’s true what the women in Takon told us. That this Javid fellow just sauntered in and sweet talked all the men to follow him”Absentmindedly Manolis answered.“He probably used the same kind of spell as on the merchants, a mind dulling one. They saw him as a friend or leader… err…. I mean…. ” With his head as read as his hair he shut his mouth and shot the knight a horrified look.“That seems likely, but why” half smiled Gabriel.Manolis kept his silence and sat down sullenly with his back to the young knight. Soon after the other two came back.He kept his silence as they discussed what to do. The two scouts were a sure sign that lord Bookley was aware of the robbers and the potentially dangerous situation. Gabriel was in favor of speaking with the lord, apparently sure that the noble would help the merchants. Jonas who knew the lands and the lords better, had little faith in that plan. He was of the opinion that the lord was likely to confiscate any valuables the robbers may have for his trouble, if he would help at all. Ran cared little for the lord or the merchants vares, her plans all gravitated towards gaining entry to the village and somehow kill the sorcerous leader. She had been able to sniff out vague traces of taint even from their hiding place in the bushes.In the end Ran and Jonas somewhat surprised found themselves agreeing that they needed someone to spy inside the fortified village. They convinced Gabriel of the soundness of their plan and then had to decide who the spies should be. In the end their was only one option. It could not be Jonas as the robbers would surely recognize him, nor could it be Gabriel as the knight would not lie even to save his own life. That left only Ran and Colill. Manolis who had been daydreaming about the good times with Louisa and professor McDougall before the incident found the others three watching him critically.Jonas voiced his opinion. “What should we pass him as. He’s to soft to be a farmer or soldier” “A scribe maybe or a minstrel. Can you sing ?” Asked Ran.Manolis shook his head “But I can write and do sums very well”“I hardly think they will be looking for scribes or taxmen. Maybe you could pass as a magician” Jonas threw him a wicked smile.“Colill do you go to church often”  asked Gabriel “You could pass for a priest. They’re welcome most places”********Ran looked at the sleeping men, she was in doubt. The masters had not prepared her to handle situations like this. At school everything had seemed much more simple. Surely Colill and Jonas lied about their relationship, but was the young man the one she hunted. He did not display any evidence of taint. No smell, mutations or other such signs.Anyway she was not one to take chances. There could be fighting tomorrow and she had to assure herself. From her pack she took out a wooden box. In the flickering light from the fire she chose a flask from the box and poured a small amount of thick liquid onto a small piece of cloth. She then went to Colills sleeping form and smeared it on his arm. The concortion was harmless and would but numb the flesh a bit. While waiting for it to work she took out a silver needle and another flask. She opened it with utmost care and dipped the needle into the dark liquid. Without hesitation she again moved to Colill and pierced his arm with the needle. If he was tainted the poison would kill him, if not it should have little effect. For good measure she repeated the process on the sleeping merchant. Then she waited in the dark.********Manolis scratched his arm as they drew near the gates. Some bug had bitten him during the night and the swollen patch of skin itched terribly.Two sturdy farmers in ill fitting leathers brandishing swords in a way they thought menacing but Ran inept stood guard at the wooden gate.“Stop and tell us what you’re doing here” The men eyed Ran with a mix of interest and nervousness. She looked both pretty and dangerous in her dark tight leather with the narrow sword at her side and crossbow slung over the back. “Why I’ve heard someone’s hiring and I have the skills required”“And what about your companion”“Well that’s my priest.”“Your priest ?” The guard obviously had trouble understanding what need a mercenary could have of a priest.“You never know when you need someone to do a blessing. Or read someone their last rites” She stared at him.The flustered guard took the sure way out. “Wait here while I fetch sergeant Viltom”Manolis tried to look calm as Ran intimidated the guards. Soon after she dealt with the sly looking sergeant and after haggling a bit about the pay and assuring that her priest needed no separate coin they were let into the walled village. On a pure impish impulse he spoke a blessing over the two guards as he passed them. Gabriel had taught him several different ones and Manolis ever the student remembered them all perfectly.Then the gates closed behind them and they were inside the village along with hundreds of armed men and a sorcerer.</blockquote>

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