''Traps? Hmmm...that is not a bad idea, giorgio. I am not a trapmsith. If you and your companions wish to set up some kind of traps around our camp or nearby, I will help. You must let me know where each trap is set, so that I can warn my people not to go into those places. ''
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
After having had his breakfast with Wat, Alain makes his way into the woods near the gypsy camp, looking for some sign of the murderer's passage. For several minutes, his search yields nothing. Then Alain spots a swarm of flies hovering over a shrubbery.
Moving in for a closer look, Alain discovers a half-eaten doe under the bush. The animal's neck is snapped, its head twisted to one side at an unnatural angle. Chunks of it's throat and belly have been gnawed away by the jaws of some wild beast. Aside from the annoying swarm of flies, there's little evidence of decay, and the stink isn't too strong.
There are a few tracks in the soft earth near the carcass, tracks certainly not made by a deer. These prints are those of an animal with claws on it feet, and to judge by the size of the prints [about as big as Alain's own footprints] this is a big animal.
Alain is no expert tracker, though, and he has trouble following the prints more than a few feet into the forest [away from the clearing and the camp] before he loses the trail amid the underbrush of the sun- dappled woodland.
While Alain is walking through the woods and searching for tracks, he becomes aware of something moving just at the edge of his field of vision. Whatever it is, it isn't showing itself clearly, but Alain is observant enough to spot its shadow once or twice, moving between the trees. Now and then, he can hear a soft rustle of leaves or grass- maybe caused by the breeze and maybe caused by something creeping towards him through the surrounding foliage.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
Alain thinking it's the better part of good sense he heads back to camp, but keeping his ears and eye's open for what ever is stalking him to get any closer to him . He will ready his pistol for immediate use just in case . Also on the way back to camp if thing stalking him get at all closer he will ready spells for casting (SG or CT) depending out what he may spot coming out of the forest after him . Oh and the first thing he will do if something really bad comes after him(as in something other than a predatory animal as such) is yell for help from his comrades . If he get's back to the camp without being attacked he will inform his comrades of what he has found in the woods .
"Evil only endures when good people remain silent ."
Tony inspired by Thomas Jefferson .
"The dog was probably in the way, had to be killed to keep it quiet."
Bennedict mulls the facts over quietly outside the Vardo. "I can not be sure if he will return or not. He walked into an armed encampment effortlessly to do what he did here, I can not be certain he wouldn't do the same again until he got what he wanted from us. In any case, it does not hurt to be prepared."
Just as Benn finishes his sentence, he hears steps behind him, in the direction of the woodline. No sooner than Benn and Miklos have turned to look, but Alain comes out of the forest, walking fast and now and then looking warily back over his shoulder.
Alain approaches Benn and reports his find: not far away into the woods there is a doe appartently killed by some large predator, and some mysterious tracks on the forest floor near the carcass.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
Miklos turns to Benn's comrades: Cirdan, Dorgio, and Norzak.
''Benn said that Van Diecks wants something from you. What does he mean by that? ''
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
Turning to Miklos, Norzak says "I's not sure what he wants from us. But I be thinkin it may be somethin that belongs to our benefactor, so ta speak. Please respect his privacy so I won't mention 'is name. This Van Dieks is tha scum o tha earth, if ye ask me. When we do fin'him, we'll bring im back to ye. I kin promise he'll be alive, but in what state thass anuther matter entirely."
Miklos excuses himself, thus giving your party some time to regroup and share information, as well as possibly eat or drink if desired.
After a short while, Miklos returns to make an announcement.
''I have decided to take my people away from this place. We will return in five days' time. If you have captured Van Diecks, bring him to us and your passage is assured. He must be alive to face our justice. Good luck to you, giorgios, I suspect you will need it. ''
With that, the gypsy leader heads off into the camp, directing his people to load their wagons and make ready for departure.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
The gypsies, moving quickly to pack as nomads will do, have now departed. They have left behind only tracks [of men, wagons, horses,etc] and the ashen circle of an dead firepit.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
From the deep shadows of the forest, Jonathan watches as the gypsies leave the camp. I have to quit running away so often. the boy thought to himself. The others will really think I'm a coward. He knew he did the right thing by running last night though. The gypsies were evil. They had stolen Erasmus when Jonathan's stepfather couldn't heal one of their kind. Then they killed his wife. What dark vengeance would the enact on the group for failing to "do right" by them? No, as his stepfather taught him: It was best to avoid them at all costs, best to avoid their eye.
Jonathan waits a good hour before he makes his way stealthily as possible back into his bunk at Wat's camp.
"Seven Seals...Seven Rings...Seven Brides for the Scarlet King..."
Another watches from the boughs of the forest. He watches in silence as the tinkers break camp and roll away, he spots Norzak's flitting shadow search frantically through the trees, looking for Jon [it never sees the silent watcher himself, though]. He sees the knight, the dwarf, the scholar, and the priest standing in the open field, talking with one another. When the boy, trying so very hard to escape notice, sneaks into the camp, the watcher sees this, too.
The watcher draws his dagger of fine Rongeoise steel and idly caresses the blade with a bit of cloth. After a minute of that, he replaces the dagger and pulls from his bag a hand mirror.
Looking into the mirror, the face he sees is not his own. Two deep blue eyes stare back at him from a fair and lovely face framed by long locks of golden hair. Perfectly formed red lips part in speech, though no sound issues from the mirror's surface.
The watcher nods his head in affirmation, and then breaks the silence with a whisper,
''Yes, my queen. I understand and it shall be done.''
END OF CHAPTER THREE
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
