Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Five

[Adam]

Bennedict grimaces guiltily at Dorgio's admonishment. "I don't mean to say I am unconcerned about him, but we do not even know for certain he is alive again, and as you say, one way or another he will likely find us. Meanwhile we have NO idea how to return home."

He stands, resting a hand on Dorgio's shoulder. He lowers his voice, hopefully below what the Raunie can pick up. "We do not need to leave immediately. I only wish to know how we may go about it, before we resume the hunt. I fear for these people if we leave whatever monster he has become in their midst."

[ewancummins]

The raunie hands the deck to Benn,

‘‘Each of you must cut the cards and shuffle them. When you are finished, hand them back to me. ‘’

Once this is accomplished, the old woman draws five plaques from the deck and places them facedown in a cross pattern:

• -- 4
  -- 1
  2-- -3
  -- 5

''Now we'll see what my deck can show us of the road you must take to reach Pont-a-Museau- if ever you do return to that city. We begin by focusing on the question 'how will you get home?' This may give a clue or a warning about the nature of your journey.

She reaches for card #1 and flips it over to reveal the grisly image of a skeletal rider astride a skeletal horse, Death wielding a reaper's scythe. The image is upside down.

''The Horseman reversed! Not good for you, though it could be worse. Your trek will surely meet with a terrible disaster along the way, yet hope remains that you may somehow get home in the end.''

Her right hand slides over to touch card number # 3.

''The past always influences the future in some way, even when we do not notice it. This will show us something from the past that affects your journey homeward. ''

Overturning this card reveals a painting of a kneeling man, bound by eight manacles fastened to eight sword that are thrust into the stony ground A full moon fills the night sky in the background.

''The Dictator- this signifies an oppressor, a terror out of the past; his influence will come to bear on the journey. ''

Now she moves to the fourth card and flips it, saying, ‘‘Let us look at the current situation.''

The card's picture is upside down, and shows an prison tower looming against a starry sky.

''The Prison reversed...good, good! You have set this land free of its evil mistress, and I salute your victory, brave heroes. Their freedom is yours, for the Witch-Queen cannot prevent you leaving this country now.''



''The future holds...''

Over goes the card, revealing an alluring dark-haired woman in a revealing nightgown, surrounded by opulence and luxury.

''The Temptress. Before your party reaches its destination, one of you will face a situation in which his desires are at war with his principles. He may surrender to sin, but it is not certain.''

Last, she overturns the card at the bottom of the cross.

''This concerns the end of your journey. Ah....''

The card depicts a withered old gypsy-woman bent over a crystal orb, which glows with a cluster of four stars in its heart.

''Fours of Stars, the Abjurer…hmmm, I predict a good outcome if and only if you proceed with reason and check the facts carefully when confronted by the greatest obstacle on your path home.’’

[Le Noir Faineant]

One of the habits of noblemen is that they never walk fast,
but make people walk faster.

And the dark knight is no exception.

Late again, and moving through the gypsy camp like a tank,
Cirdan rushes into the tent of the old crone,
regardless what would get in his way.

At the entrance of the tent, however he suddenly stops,
his look meeting the old gypsy woman's.

The elf's eyes flicker red in the light of the candles.

[Adam]

Bennedict gulps and tries not to think about Madame Rennier when the temptress card comes up, but smiles in some relief at the ending.

"Good, checking the facts is my specialty."

He stands. "I thank you for your time, Raunie, and the card reading. Have a safe voyage home."

[ewancummins]

in the raunie's rather crowded vardo


The old woman look up at her door as Cirdan makes his appearance.

''Late, late! It matters not, your friends have asked, and the oracle has spoken. ''

Turning to Benn she says-

''I would wish you the same- a safe voyage - but it will not be so. Only the hard road will take you home. ''

The old woman then faces Dorgio and announces-


'' Dorgio Varga, take your companions and go. Our time here is ended now. ''

With that, the old woman retreats behind a partition, taking her painted cards with her. Miklos [the tinker's headman] and a couple of his men are soon standing outside the door, waiting for the party. The gypsy men carry the arms they'd confiscated from party members who had entered the camp.

Miklos says-



''Come, take your things. ''

[ewancummins]

Jon and Wat, inside the Moothouse-

Wat and Jon have found the party's 'lost' things; those items that were left behind when the heroes went into the forest to rescue them. The items were left with a friend of Wat, for safekeeping.

Jon has had the privilege of watching Wat haggle over honeycombs and lumps of salt. The old man gets a lump of rock-salt as big as an apple and a small clay jar packed with honeycomb, for the entire bulging sack of smoked pig [throwing in the hide- sack as part of the deal]. Judging from Wat's happiness over the swap, it would seem that salt and honey are rather valuable, and that the deal was a good one for Wat.

Trading isn't the only thing going on at the Moot. The festive mood expresses itself in dancing, drinking, and wrestling matches. Jon is asked to dance by an array of girls. Strange spiky fiddles provide the music.

[Adam]

Bennedict gives the Raunie another respective bow before turning and exiting the cart. He takes his weaponry back from the Vistani with a nod, and turns to go rejoin the moot.

"Not terribly helpful," he says once they're out of earshot. "But I suppose we have a course of action. Though I'm not terribly thrilled with "turn a direction and keep walking.""

[steveflam]

Norzak turns to Benn. "Mebbe so, but it's better 'n sittin on our butts an doin nuthin, no? An mebbe if'n we git lucky we'lll run into Van Dieks and kill im fer good this time."

[Lord Skybolt]

"Yes, If Van Diecks is still among the moving but not living we can put him to rest for good ."Alain mutters to himself as he leaves with the help of the party to a place to sit out the moot .

[JMaytr]

Jonathan dances with the girls like a seasoned performer. Very agile and dexterous, the boy proves to be an excellent dancer, though he uses no ballroom moves-his steps are the kind you would find in pub halls.

[ewancummins]

The Moot

No sooner than Dorgio and company have left the circle of wagons, but the gypsies begin packing their things, hitching draught-horses, and generally preparing to depart.

By the time the party reaches the Moot-Hall, the gypsies have broken camp and left the Moot-ground. A backward glance may reveal the last vardo in the caravan as it rolls down a forest road and vanishes into the night's gathering fog [ the first heavy fog any of you have seen since coming to this strange country].

Inside the hall, and also on the campgrounds about it, the festival continues. Songs are sung to the accompaniment of fiddles, and men and women dance round and round. Children chase fireflies across the grassy field.


As the revelers carry on with the celebration, the night-mists swell, rising from the soil of the surrounding forest like a man's breath on a winter morning. Despite the unseasonable fogginess, the air remains warm and balmy, and pleasant breezes blow the scent of night-blossoms across the clearing.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio thanks the Raunie, then exits the vardo with the others. He takes his weapons from Myklos. "Be keeping the knives. They are yours by right. Grigori and Esmerelda, they will not go unavenged."


As they return towards the Moot, Dorgio tells Norzak, Benn, and Cirdan, "There is a woman, Norzak, you have seen her. If the killer comes for anybody tonight, it will be her."

[steveflam]

Norzak's eyes narrow at Dorgio's words. "Well I fer one ain' lettin' er out o me site. I say we watch 'er an I's gonner git me shadow ta patrol the perimeter. If that bastard shows up, 'e's a dead bastard." He spits on the ground. "Me blade runnin through is face is nothin compared ta what 'e deserves. Now I was wonderin if he did get near, mebbe the lad could sense him? I'll ask him, it shorely kinna 'urt."

[steveflam]

Once he gets replies to his statement, Norzak goes off in search of Jon. Once he finds the lad, he grins to himself. Jon sure is popular with the ladies and quite the dancer! He waits until there's a break and makes eye contact with Jon. He waves him over to where he is leaning against the wall.

"Ay laddie, tis good ter see ya havin a bit o fun!" He leans over to Jon, and says in a hushed voice "Does any o them lassies catch yer fancy? Actshully tha reason I asked ye over is cause we be thinkin that mebbe Van Dieks might target a young lass here an I's gonna go watch over 'er with me shadow. I had the thought that ye could mebbe sense when that bastard was near. Is I right?"

[Adam]

Bennedict looks in concern at the foggy night. "Strange weather," he mutters, "It'll make spotting him somewhat difficult, if he does come."

He shakes his head irritably. "We're going to end up jumping at shadows if we keep making each other paranoid like this. I'm going to go record the Raunie's reading into my notes and then go back to review them. Perhaps something of use has escaped my notice."

He turns, heading to retrieve his abandoned possessions.