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Message: <blockquote data-quote="monboesen" data-source="post: 941817" data-attributes="member: 4647">Jonas and Ran watched the two men lying on the hill. From their vantage point the men had a free view of the village nestling between two hills. Their horses were tethered further down the hill, hidden from the 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 women told is right”“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 by 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 out of danger, 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’t take him for a killer though and he was usually a good judge of character. Could be he was guilty, but of another crime than Ran suspected. “Take it easy Colill, I don’t think she will hurt you unless you do something stupid. Come sit down with me and have a bite to eat” Manolis just shook his head.“I’m not hungry”“Do you think that it’s true what the women in Takon told us. That this Javid 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…. err” 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.He kept his silence as the other three 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 of 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 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 Manolis/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”  said 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 never told her of such situations. 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 concoction 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 some ones 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.</blockquote>

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