Birthright Chapter Six

[ewancummins]

WITH ROALD, NEAR THE RIVER

Roald watches the boat pass by from his hiding spot. "I wonder what's taking Torthur so long?"

One of the cattle-thieves scratches his rump, belches, and offers his expert opinion-
"Dwarfs got those short legs, guess walking takes 'em longer."

[ewancummins]

GUNNAR'S WARBAND

Gunnar’s war-band in southern Ghonallison
The little band has tramped through the backwoods looking for signs of the mysterious wagons and Men for the better part of the cool and breezy morning. Finding a corduroy road with old mossy logs crumbled under the weight of riders, wagons, and booted marchers, the war-band follows the trail to a little vale dotted with humped old charcoal pits. A camp sits in the middle of the little valley. Moving up a high, thickly wooded ridge, Gunnar and his companions may look down into the valley without being observed by the men in the camp below.

Gunnar counts a dozen canvas tents and a big makeshift corral for mules and horses. No banner flies over any of the tents, but some of the men moving about appear to wear badges of some kind on their gray or dun tabards. To identify the heraldry, Gunnar would have to get Ranald close to the camp, which would surely risk discovery. Indeed, even to get this close the warband has had to move with caution; enemy pickets haven’t climbed the high ridge, but now and then Gunnar or one of the others spies men moving about closer to the base of the ridge, and at other points along the wooded edges of the valley.

Safana inches closer to Gunnar and Ranald.

If we need to get closer, I can make some people invisible. One if they are going separately, but I can make everyone within ten feet invisible if they make sure to stay that close...

Gunnar whispers back to Safana"That would good but how long would this invisibility last if I may ask ? If it will not last that long then if you have the ability make one person invisible for a longer lasting time that would be much better I would say . If at the least making Sir Ranald here invisible for long enough for him to get close enough to read the badges on the men moving about in that camp ."

Ranald whispers,
“Good questions, Gunnar.” He looks expectantly at Safana.

The other men lay flat on the ridge to observe the camp or squat further back, watching the forest trails for the approach of any strangers.

[Adam]

Cormac nods. "Sounds like somethin' that'd be a good idea to look into, but down the road. I'm still worried abou' the goblins comin' back to take this place. If they come in force, we'd be in fer a hell of a fight. Best we can do is harry their caravans, try to free more o' their slaves, an' see what spoils we can take back fer 'em. Besides, I promised the young lumberjacks' foremen we'd look in on his campsite. Might be we could get a favor from him, get some labor an' some lumber in exchange fer it."

He looks down the road towards the cooking fires curling up from the abbey. "Plus, we need to get some o' these folks to Renault's keep. The sheep lord's better provisioned to see to feeding them than we are."

[steveflam]

TORTHUR

Torthur listens intently to what the red robed effeminate man says. I'll tell this ter Roald when I git back there. He tries remain hidden from them and waits for an opportune moment to leave and return to Roald and the men.

Torthur hides as best he can, but a teenage boy squatting on the opposite side of the road suddenly stands up and begins to shout "Hey, I see a goblin hiding under that hedge!"

The geese scatter as the farm wokers, some carrying hoes and spades, turn round and hasten to investigate....

Torthur stands up slowly, hands in the air to show he means no harm to anyone. And he laughs real hard as he says "I ain't a goblin, little one, har har har, I be a dwarf. Sorry to be startlin ye, I was takin a rest!"

[ewancummins]

TORTHUR

Torthur listens intently to what the red robed effeminate man says. I'll tell this ter Roald when I git back there. He tries remain hidden from them and waits for an opportune moment to leave and return to Roald and the men.

Torthur hides as best he can, but a teenage boy squatting on the opposite side of the road suddenly stands up and begins to shout "Hey, I see a goblin hiding under that hedge!"

The geese scatter as the farm wokers, some carrying hoes and spades, turn round and hasten to investigate....

Torthur stands up slowly, hands in the air to show he means no harm to anyone. And he laughs real hard as he says "I ain't a goblin, little one, har har har, I be a dwarf. Sorry to be startlin ye, I was takin a rest!"

The peasants and the priest stare at Torthur.

The priest speaks first.

''Ah, so what is your business, Master Dwarf?''

[ewancummins]

CORMAC

Cormac nods. "Sounds like somethin' that'd be a good idea to look into, but down the road. I'm still worried abou' the goblins comin' back to take this place. If they come in force, we'd be in fer a hell of a fight. Best we can do is harry their caravans, try to free more o' their slaves, an' see what spoils we can take back fer 'em. Besides, I promised the young lumberjacks' foremen we'd look in on his campsite. Might be we could get a favor from him, get some labor an' some lumber in exchange fer it."

He looks down the road towards the cooking fires curling up from the abbey. "Plus, we need to get some o' these folks to Renault's keep. The sheep lord's better provisioned to see to feeding them than we are."

"All that makes sense, Boss. I wouldn't mind keeping some of the women around, if they are willing...But maybe the monks wouldn't like that much."

[ewancummins]

FOERDE, THE ABBOT'S OFFICE



The two surviving monks enter the office where Foerde is busy writing in the salvaged, partially repaired logbook.

Brother Alefred stands with his back to the sunlit window square.
He speaks,
"We have decided to elect you temporary abbot, if you will take the job. You are already doing it, in truth. Later, when we have rebuilt you can stay on with us or move on as you choose, and if you wish to be the abbot you'll need to stand for formal election. What do you say, Brother Foerde?"

[steveflam]

The priest speaks first.

''Ah, so what is your business, Master Dwarf?''

Torthur smiles at the man. "Why I be out for a stroll, sir. Wanted ter see a bit o tha land. Were jest restin me bones. Hearin ye actually waked me. I were dozed off."

[ewancummins]

TORTHUR

The priest speaks first.

''Ah, so what is your business, Master Dwarf?''

Torthur smiles at the man. "Why I be out for a stroll, sir. Wanted ter see a bit o tha land. Were jest restin me bones. Hearin ye actually waked me. I were dozed off."

The priest smiles.

"Sorry to have disturbed your rest, Master Dwarf. Although...''

He waggles the scroll at the dwarf.

"Did you hear all of what I had read? If you dwell, travel, or do business in this country then the Archprelate's proclamation ought to be of interest to you."

[steveflam]

"Uh yeah I done heared it. I promise ter pass on the word, sir."

[ewancummins]

TORTHUR

"Uh yeah I done heared it. I promise ter pass on the word, sir."

"Excellent. Tell the others of your kind, if you get a chance."

The priest mounts up and rides off toward the north.


The peasants spare a few curious looks at Torthur before trudging back to the work in the fields.

The goose girl dashes about trying to gather all her wandering geese.

[steveflam]

Torthur remembers what he saw and and heads back.

[kintire]

Ranald whispers,
“Good questions, Gunnar.” He looks expectantly at Safana.

The other men lay flat on the ridge to observe the camp or squat further back, watching the forest trails for the approach of any strangers.

"It will last as long as the other, that is until someone is aggressive, or otherwise takes a dramatic action that the spell cannot compel people to ignore. Up to you!"

[ewancummins]

GUNNAR'S WARBAND

Ranald whispers,
“Good questions, Gunnar.” He looks expectantly at Safana.

The other men lay flat on the ridge to observe the camp or squat further back, watching the forest trails for the approach of any strangers.

"It will last as long as the other, that is until someone is aggressive, or otherwise takes a dramatic action that the spell cannot compel people to ignore. Up to you!"

Ranald suggests,
“If they turn out to be enemies and they somehow catch me, I could surrender on the spot. I can pose as a gentleman from some further town, fleeing the Goblins. That's plausible. Enemies might wish to hold me for ransom. A risky stratagem; but it’s better than trying to cut my way out, for sure. You others could rescue me later. "

He pulls back from the ledge, certainly out of sight of any watchers below, and shrugs into his fur coat from a sitting position.

"I'll confess that I'd feel safer with some backup, though. Just in case those men are foes and don't turn out to be the reasonable sort."

[ewancummins]

TORTHUR

Torthur remembers what he saw and and heads back.

Moving back over fields and fences, down country roads and along hedgerows, Torthur reaches the spot near the river where he left his companions. He works up a light sweat in the humid , sunny spring weather.

Reese waves at him from behind the bole of a willow.
In a quiet voice, the boy inquires,
"See anything much, Torthur?"

Several yards behind Reese, a pair of the dismounted raiders stand amid the tall reeds and brush their horses' manes, whispering to the beasts to keep them calm.
Roald waits not far away, partly concealed by vegetation.



Clyde isn't in view.