* Fuchs takes out a map a minute, studying it
(Fuchs) If we had been on foot,  it would have been quicker cutting through the forest
* @Morgan shrugs
(@Morgan) I don't mind the extra distance
* Fuchs nods
(Fuchs) Having horses usually makes up in speed what is added in distance. Besides, we'll need them for getting out to the clearing where the guards were killed before it gets dark
* @Morgan nods
* Fuchs taps the map where the clearing is, then looks thoughtful
(Fuchs) Do you know the town of Fischler well?
* @Morgan shakes his head
(@Morgan) No, I trust trouble to find me
* Fuchs hands over the map
(Fuchs) You certainly have a reputation for it
* @Morgan nods, looking at the map
(@Morgan) makes it easier, I don't have to travel so far to find it
* Fuchs laughs
(Fuchs) **Fuchs becomes quietly thoughtful a moment** Do you have plans for how you want to proceed here?
* @Morgan shakes his head, still looking at the map
(@Morgan) I've given up planning with my cousin. Her mind is like a bag of cats
(Fuchs) You want a suggestion?
(Fuchs) Do you*
(@Morgan) Always
(Fuchs) Let her think she's winning. She knows she has set in motion your father coming here in four days. She just has to bide her time. But if she knows you've prevented that, she's more likely to escalate any schemes she has
* @Morgan nods
(Fuchs) So, either we pretend you aren't here and I'm putting her in the basement cell for her own protection, or we pretend that you're here basically trying to throw your weight around and I'm grudgingly complying but intend to take it up with the Eisenfurst
(@Morgan) Probably the former... I may well throw my weight around, but I tend to do it on my own terms, and I think she'd know that
(Fuchs) Unless you prefer to pretend you're going to help her but she needs to comply with the Eisenfurst's investigation and be patient
* Fuchs looks thoughtful
(@Morgan) No, she knows I'm not going to help her
(Fuchs) Even though she's your cousin?
* @Morgan nods
* Fuchs nods
(Fuchs) Alright. I'll get her moved. You'll want to stay around the front of the house away from the windows. **with a nod to the guards, they pass through the outer gate and then dismount. The boardwalk in front of them.is familiar as it passes between the house and the Sudlache from his visit early this morning.
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) I'll go make myself hard to see
* Fuchs goes and knocks at the door. He's let in.
* @Morgan heads away from the house and out of sight
(Fuchs) **his first encounter with a guard is sudden and unexpected. The guard quickly recognises him from the meeting, and inclines his head "any orders, my Lord?"
* @Morgan shakes his head
(@Morgan) Just do your duty
(Fuchs) **he inclines his head again and gets back to work. He sees a few guards clearly patrolling. Ten more minutes pass, and he spots a solitary guard walking the perimeter of the house. Something feels wrong*
* @Morgan watches the guard closely
(Fuchs) **He's dressed in the livery, and looks to be plenty familiar with the house. He looks very much like he belongs there. The feeling doesn't go*
* @Morgan looks around before looking at the guard again
(Fuchs) **Theres nothing around that catches his attention. The house is quieter than he expected, as she isnt yelling and screeching. it occurs to Morgan that the other guards all look slightly out of place, off-kilter due to the new routine and new outfits. This guard looks like he's trying too hard to look like he's supposed to be there*
* @Morgan tucks the map in his pocket before nudging the horse towards the guard
(Fuchs) **The guard catches sight of him. He is blonde, late twenties. He looks fairly nondescript. He heads towards Morgan** Did his Grace send you?
* @Morgan glances around before nodding to him
(Fuchs) **the guard who first spoke to him comes along as part of his patrol, and frowns, standing about twenty feet away. He looks between the two
(Fuchs) SuspiciousGuard: What are you here for?
* @Morgan looks at the suspicious guard
(@Morgan) he's here to speak with me... on your way
* @Morgan dismounts, to make it easier to speak quietly
(@Morgan) I'm hardly going to say I'm here for anything else, am I? Have some sense
(Fuchs) ProperGuard: *he looks really undecided, then looks to the Wrong Guard* You can handle this, Jann? **Morgan gets a sense of Deja vu*
(Fuchs) Jann(Wrong Guard): *he curtly nods, not taking his eyes from Morgan, though has a friendly smile on his face*
(Fuchs) **Morgan recalls Faulk asking for "The two guards from last night and Jann" to be sent to him right after Morgan raised the issue of Alarices 2nd cousin being a guard at the lakeside house
(Fuchs) ProperGuard: Good, I'm dying for coffee. *he looks at Morgan, hoping he's as smart as he seemed in the meeting* You want something bringing out to you,  sir?
* @Morgan shakes his head
(@Morgan) Not unless you've got some of that really good coffee
(Fuchs) PG: Surprisingly we have some excellent coffee down here, almost as good as his Grace has
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) I'll have some then. Cant stand bad coffee.
(Fuchs) PG: Want some, Jann? *Jann shakes his head "No, I'm off home early, did extra time yesterday" *PG tries to look nonchalant "back in a few". He leaves, whistling*
** You're now known as Jann
* Jann looks at Morgan
(Jann) So?
* @Morgan glances around
(@Morgan) what the hell are you doing down here?
(Jann) Giving her information
(@Morgan) what information? I don't want to go and repeat it and look stupid
(Jann) Primarily that her messenger got off ok
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) right, that saves that bit of information then.
* Jann looks at him a moment
(@Morgan) Hang on... you mean this mornings, not last nights, right?
(Jann) No, I meant the one on the four o'clock to her sister
* @Morgan looks at him suspiciously
(Jann) What?
(@Morgan) What about the one to the madmans old valet?
(Jann) Dunno anything about that. She had her solicitor take a couple last night apparently
(@Morgan) I see. They had a thing, by all accounts. What I don't get is why they've got us carrying messages to her, why doesn't that solicitor just march himself up and tell her himself
(Jann) I haven't had any contact with him myself. Frankly I'm tired of running around noseying into the security doings of the Eisenfurst's house and the jail, but I can't really stop yet
(@Morgan) Why? Just tell them you're out
* Jann sighs
(Jann) It's a matter of family honour
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) tricky, tricky
(Jann) **Fuchs sticks his head out of the door quietly, watching Morgan. Jann has his back to him
* Jann looks Morgan over, taking in his merchant-style outfit
(Jann) You nobility?
(@Morgan) Not really, but this lot gets doors opened, know what I mean?
* Jann nods
(@Morgan) Right then. Has she had the update about the way the guards are working now, or do I need to tell her?
(Jann) *he looks a bit wary* that we're wearing  proper livery now?
(@Morgan) No, that that mental case has changed the routines as well. Its making life a bit more difficult than I'd like
(Jann) You mean the Veisgraf?
* @Morgan nods
* Jann frowns a little
(Jann) He and I are actually distantly related... Anyway. No, I haven't told her about the routine change, I missed the bloody briefing as I was sorting out paying that messenger to go all the way to bloody Freiburg from my own pocket
(@Morgan) Oh, so its not, like, a family debt or something... I get it now. 
(Jann) *Fuchs watches from the door way looking for any sign that implies Morgan wants him to proceed or go away*
(Jann) I wish it was as easy as a bloody debt. She has the family Panzerhand, and it should rightfully be mine and my children's.
* Jann looks pretty cross at the injustice of this
(@Morgan) How;s she got it?
(Jann) Our mother's and the Eisenfursts wife were sisters. There was no boys. I am the oldest male heir
(Jann) My mother and hers fell out, and she took it with her to Innesbruck. When she died, Alarice decided she was going to inherit it.
(@Morgan) so, if you had it, you wouldn't be helping her?
(Jann) Not even slightly.
* Jann suddenly realises this was a very stupid thing to say
(@Morgan) alright... another then... what if you could get it, but it meant working with that veisgraf?
* Jann looks at him
(Jann) Why are _you_ helping her
(@Morgan) oh I'm not. I'm helping myself. Money talks, you know?
(Jann) And if he was paying you instead, would you still be feeding her information?
* @Morgan shrugs
(@Morgan) depends how long I could keep the two parties from realising it... theoretically speaking of course
(@Morgan) easier than dealing with family honour, I think.
(Jann) Playing both sides?
(@Morgan) Most things would be easier than dealing with family honour, come to think of it
* Jann nods
(@Morgan) You didn't answer though. Would you work with him if it meant getting your hands, as it were, on that panzer hand?
(Jann) Yes. I can't let my sons grow up knowing their father didn't do everything he could to get our Panzerhand back
* @Morgan nods, looking thoughtful
(Jann) Are you going to tell her that I can't be trusted?
* Jann watches him with the look of a man who is potentially going to do something rash
(@Morgan) Oh absolutely not. 
(@Morgan) What I'm going to do is help you restore your, and your family honour
* Jann watches him
(Jann) How?
(@Morgan) as much as I may be a head case of a man, reportedly, I do believe in honour, and that panzer hand is meant to be yours. 
* Jann looks at him closely
(Jann) _You're_ the Veisgraf?!
(@Morgan) I'll have to work out what a distant cousin to a cousin makes you... 
* Jann looks to think a moment, then waves it away
(Jann) Another time. How can you get my Panzerhand?
(@Morgan) in a moment. How important is your honour to you?
* @Morgan makes a 'come here' gesture to Fuchs
(Jann) Very.
(Jann) *Fuchs saunters up with two cups of coffee, casually offering Morgan one*
* @Morgan takes it
* Jann looks somewhat alarmed at seeing him
(@Morgan) I'll give you two choices then
(Jann) What choices?
(@Morgan) You can either.. cut ties with her and stop helping her... or, you can feed her information we give you, making her think she still has the upper hand
(Jann) *Fuchs drinks his coffee, doing a good job at hiding his utter fascination at what's going on*
* Jann , as is customary for an Eisen man, looks pleased at the idea of vengeance
(Jann) The latter
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) Good.
(Jann) **The nearby church rings for six oclock
* Jann looks surprised, looking to Morgan
(Jann) A word of advice?
(@Morgan) I'm listening
(Jann) If you want to spoke her wheel, you'll want someone on the next ferry to chase down the messenger I sent over at 4. If you don't, there won't be another til morning and he'll have a bigger headstart
* @Morgan looks to Fuchs
(@Morgan) can you see to that?
(Jann) *Fuchs looks unsure
(Jann) It'll be tight. *he holds out his hands for the reins to Morgan's horse*
* @Morgan hands them over
(Jann) *Fuchs looks at Jann.* name and description of the messenger? *Jann gives it. Fuchs swings into the saddle, then looks to Morgan* meet me at the docks when you're ready?
* @Morgan nods
(Jann) **Fuchs kicks the horse into a full gallop and disappears off down the path*
* Jann looks at Morgan
(Jann) Now what?
(@Morgan) I need to make a couple of things clear. I'm taking a huge risk trusting you, you understand that? Your helping me will help keep my wife and Varick safe, and thats all I'm interested in.
* Jann nods
(Jann) I understand. I'm taking a risk in trusting you too
* @Morgan nods
* Jann extends his hand
(@Morgan) I'm not holding your panzer hand hostage. I'll see you get it whether you help me or not.
(Jann) I appreciate that, my Lord.
* @Morgan grasps his hand
(@Morgan) It'll take me a while to retrieve it, but you have my word you will have it
* Jann nods, letting go
(Jann) Anything you need from me tonight?
(@Morgan) stay clear of her unless she calls. Don't give her any reason to suspect anything is wrong. Bring me any messages she tries to send.
(@Morgan) Don't mention it to the EIsenfurst, I'll take care of that
(Jann) I'm supposed to come back to see her in the morning. Shall I meet you before that?
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) I'll be around
* @Morgan sighs
(@Morgan) need to find another horse
(Jann) I'll be here after 7, my Lord. Might need to let the other guards know I am supposed to be here, given that I wasn't on the new rota
* @Morgan nods
(@Morgan) I'll see to it
* Jann inclines his head
(Jann) Thank you, my Lord
* @Morgan nods before finishing his coffee and tucking the cup in a pocket
* Jann thinks a moment
(Jann) Dunno if it helps, but she was very interested in knowing about a montaigne man in the jail
(@Morgan) what did you tell her?
(Jann) That he'd been there yesterday,  but last night he was released
* @Morgan nods
(Jann) She was mighty angry about it
(@Morgan) No doubt she was expecting him to save her
(@Morgan) or avenge her misfortune
* Jann shakes his head
(Jann) Something about hoping he died a miserable, impoverished death and the Emporer seizing his estate.
* @Morgan chuckles
* Jann does likewise
* Jann inclines his head
(Jann) Til tomorrow, my Lord
* @Morgan nods to Jann and heads towards the gate
(Jann) **At the gate, two guards are feeding carrots to the horse
(@Morgan) gentlemen, I see you've made a friend
(Jann) G1: Nice horse
(Jann) G2: All done for now, my Lord?
(@Morgan) for now, aye
(Jann) **Morgan can hear hoofbeats headed in their direction from the main road
(Jann) G1: any extra orders?
(@Morgan) Not for the moment, no
* @Morgan takes the reins
(Jann) **The rider can be seen in the distance, wearing household livery*
* @Morgan hauls himself into the saddle, watching the rider
(@Morgan) Jann will be on shift tomorrow, let him pass
(Jann) G1&G2 bow, going back to their duties
* @Morgan nudges the horse forward
(Jann) **further along the path, the approaching rider stops in front of him, and hands him what feels like a solid roll of paper 4 inches long, tied with string
* @Morgan nods to the man, looking it over
(@Morgan) who sent it?
(Jann) R: *he's very out of breath* Veisgrafin Koertig
* @Morgan opens it 
(Jann) **it is coded. The solidness is because she's wrapped it around a pencil for him
* @Morgan works it out
(Jann) "545pm. Unsent cryptic warning to D re: Comte, AE & KE. Appt with "B" at an Inn on July 16. No need to come back. ♡MK"
* @Morgan rolls it up and puts it in a pouch
(@Morgan) thank you. Take an easy ride back
(Jann) R: *he nods, walking the horse slowly*
* @Morgan moves his horse in the direction of the docks
** Morgan has quit (Quit: This computer has gone to sleep)
** You are now disconnected