 (Molly) **Using the map, he makes his way past the lake front. He can see the ferry just leaving the dock. The water is calm as he rides along, and his sense of time lets him know it is around quarter after six. * @Morgan scans the horizon briefly while making his way to the docks to look for Fuchs (Molly) ** there are a few fishing boats. The route he is on has many warehouses but almost no people. Soon it gets a little busier as he approaches the dock itself. Unlike the cheerful, relaxed atmosphere of the day last month they caught the ferry here to see Dreschler and the Eisenfurst, the people are now watchful, solemn, wary. Many stand in small groups talking quietly. ** You're now known as Fuchs * Fuchs is stood on the wooden jetty talking to a man who almost embodies the look of an older ships captain, complete with white beard and navy waxed overhauls * @Morgan rides towards them * Fuchs nods to Morgan, then nods farewell to the man, and mounts up * Fuchs rides up to Morgan's side (Fuchs) I got a guard on the ferry, he'll chase down that messenger and be back here tomorrow on the first ferry back (@Morgan) Better than nothing * Fuchs takes a moment to re-secure the mass of ginger hair that the wind off the lake has pulled loose. (Fuchs) Unfortunate that we couldn't intercept the messenger before he left, but my man is good at finding people, so I'm fairly confident (@Morgan) I hope you're right (Fuchs) Her sister is likely to side with her if we miss it? (@Morgan) Generally, no. She's very pragmatic, but Alarice is very good at manipulating people * Fuchs urges his horse towards the town (Fuchs) Hopefully it won't be a problem. Is she being sent for? (@Morgan) Not so far. Probably should, though, considering the possible outcome (Fuchs) Freiburg is about six or seven days from here, depending on the route and whether she comes by coach or rides * Fuchs watches his reaction * @Morgan nods slowly (Fuchs) Best case scenario it could be done in eight days, riding day and night. Hard to say if that is really doable bringing a Lady back though. (@Morgan) she's not your usual lady * Fuchs nods, smiling to himself (Fuchs) Alright (Fuchs) **They pass a tavern. Aside from all the lyrics being in Eisen, the noise spilling from it briefly reminds Morgan of The Red Lion, Maelwys' inn four hundred miles away * @Morgan smiles faintly * Fuchs becomes serious (Fuchs) I need to go and see the families next. It won't take long, and you can come if you want. Otherwise, there's an inn nearby where you can get some provisions for our ride to the clearing. (@Morgan) I'll get the provisions. It'd be wrong of me to intrude on their, and your, grief (Fuchs) **They pass the Bank Of Fischler. People are still stood around talking. * Fuchs bows his head a moment (Fuchs) Thank you. We'll need some lanterns, something to drink and maybe some food, if you're likely to be hungry (@Morgan) I'll take care of it * Fuchs directs his horse right, onto the road Morgan knows leads back to the Eisenfursts house after the settlement of Fischler. They pass many businesses, and then Fuchs points Morgan to The Sword Of Redemption Inn * @Morgan nods, bidding Fuchs goodbye * Fuchs heads off into the settlement. Both clock towers ring out for half after six. * @Morgan dismounts and tethers the horse before heading inside to get some provisions (Fuchs) **The Inn is busy but the mood is sombre. The woman behind the bar looks unhappy at best. * @Morgan approaches the bar (Fuchs) W: what can I get you? (@Morgan) Some lanterns, and enough food and water for two and horses, please.  (Fuchs) W: *She nods, going to sort it* (Fuchs) **there are quite a few people watching Morgan, wary of an unknown face given the sudden execution of four of their own. (Fuchs) **he spots Mina's father sat at a table eating alone. He looks no less glum than the Inn's regular patrons. * @Morgan approaches him (Fuchs) **he doesn't notice ** You're now known as Hapsburg (@Morgan) Freiarr Hapsburg * Hapsburg looks up (Hapsburg) Veisgraf Koertig * Hapsburg looks sad (@Morgan) Whats occurred? (Hapsburg) Would you like to join me? I'll get you a drink * @Morgan nods, sitting down * Hapsburg waves a maid over and instructions are given (Hapsburg) *he looks ro Morgan once they're alone again* my daughter is not speaking to me at present * @Morgan nods (Hapsburg) She has gone up to the Eisenfurst's house * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) Molly wanted to offer her someone to talk to * Hapsburg nods slowly (Hapsburg) That is good. Anything is better than the crying *he sighs sadly* * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) I take it she was... angry? * Hapsburg shrugs a little (Hapsburg) Hard to tell. I haven't seen her cry like that since her mother died years ago (Hapsburg) **The maid brings Morgan's drink * @Morgan thanks her * Hapsburg sips the red wine in his glass (Hapsburg) She's certainly angry with me. I am not sure how she feels about your brother. * @Morgan shrugs (@Morgan) underneath what she's feeling right now, she still loves him I'm sure (Hapsburg) Maybe. Probably. (Hapsburg) She was angry when you told her? (@Morgan) stunned, overwhelmed... * Hapsburg nods slowly (@Morgan) I think the anger she had was mostly directed at you and I (Hapsburg) Why was she angry with you? * Hapsburg looks perplexed (@Morgan) because I made her sit there and listen * Hapsburg frowns a moment (Hapsburg) How did you make her? (@Morgan) I told her to sit down and listen when she wanted to leave * Hapsburg looks a little disapproving (@Morgan) Of course, the other option was to let Edward tell her... like I suggested, but I recall you being against that plan of action * Hapsburg frowns deeply, thoughtful (Hapsburg) I didn't want her swayed unfairly by him. (@Morgan) I don't think he would have (@Morgan) and I suspect it would've been much easier for all involved * Hapsburg drinks his wine (Hapsburg) Maybe it would have * Hapsburg looks at Morgan (Hapsburg) What do you think will happen now? * @Morgan shrugs (@Morgan) I've no idea * Hapsburg nods, watching the woman put the things Morgan wanted on the bar (Hapsburg) Time will tell, I suppose (Hapsburg) W: *She looks around for Morgan* * @Morgan raises a hand to catch her attention (@Morgan) We'll have to wait and see * Hapsburg looks between Morgan and the woman (Hapsburg) I'll send word if Mina decides to tell me anything * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) take care Freiarr (Hapsburg) And you, Veisgraf * @Morgan stands up and heads to the woman at the bar (Hapsburg) W: That will be 2 guilders please *she has the same forced smile as anyone working in customer service when they'd rather be elsewhere* * @Morgan puts three on the bar (@Morgan) We'll find out what happened to them, I'm sure (Hapsburg) W: *She looks like she's going to cry* Thank you * @Morgan gathers the items and heads back to the horse (Hapsburg) **half an hour passes. People come and go. ((Anything he'd do in that time?)) (@Morgan) ((people watch)) (Hapsburg) **No one strikes him as being out of place, but it's a very subdued populace for a Saturday night. He hears the approach of Fuchs horse before he sees him. ** You're now known as Fuchs * Fuchs rides slowly to the Inn, clearly tense * @Morgan watches him passively * Fuchs watches Morgan, waiting for him to mount up, unspeaking * @Morgan hauls himself into the saddle * Fuchs leads on * @Morgan follows him (Fuchs) We'll go via the jail, then out to the clearing. * Fuchs sounds serious (@Morgan) as you wish * Fuchs doesn't talk along the way to the jail. When he gets there, he casts a glance to the window above the brothel where the Montaigne girl was living, expression solemn. Then he looks to Morgan. (Fuchs) You can come in or wait here (@Morgan) I'll come * Fuchs goes in after tying up his horse. The same three guards are there who were on duty the previous day when he came to see the Comte. Instead of playing cards, they are clearly brooding. They greet them both politely, offering coffee * Fuchs accepts, reading through some paperwork * Fuchs speaks to one guard in particular whilst the others sort the coffee * @Morgan watches them quietly (Fuchs) Any sign of her at the lodging? "No, sir" Anything left there? "No sir, it's all been cleared" What about the owner? "Found him in Westfeld, sir. He didn't rent the room to her. In fact, he thought there was a silver merchant from Tannen living there, wasn't due to give up his tenancy for at least six months" * Fuchs looks at Morgan (Fuchs) What do you make of that, Veisgraf? (@Morgan) Tough one. Is it a cover, or are we also missing a silver merchant (Fuchs) G "No word of him in town for a few weeks now. We sent someone to Tannen this afternoon but it'll be the morning before he's back" (Fuchs) G2: *he brings the coffee, looking to the first guard* have you not seen the poster in the file? * Fuchs flicks through, pulling out a piece of paper. He reads it, then hands it to Morgan. It says "Cheap room for rent, discrete, no questions asked. Send application to Room 17, Charlemagne House" (Fuchs) G2: there was one stuck on our door weeks ago, I just thought it was some landlord taking the piss, and chucked it in the pile for kindling. Lucky it's been too warm for a fire, and I remembered it yesterday once we knew where the blow dart came from * @Morgan nods * Fuchs looks at Morgan (Fuchs) I'd say either the landlord is lying, or there's something very fishy going on * @Morgan nods * Fuchs closes the file (Fuchs) Keep it watched. We're going back out to the clearing. *he finishes his coffee, then briefly closes his eyes before he sighs* Funeral will be Monday at 10. The families want them to go together, just like it was in the War. (Fuchs) *The three of them nod. Fuchs puts the cup down, then looks to Morgan* Anything else? (@Morgan) Not for now, no * Fuchs nods (Fuchs) If we haven't reported back by 10, get armed up and come to the clearing. Full armour. Especially for your throats. *They chorus "yes sir". * Fuchs leads the way outside, saddling up. He looks to Morgan * @Morgan hauls himself into the saddle * Fuchs leads the way out of the town, through the settlement and into the forest. Morgan hears a clock strike seven, and knows they have around an hour and a half of daylight left. The forest starts sparce, but rapidly becomes denser as they follow old hunting tracks further in * Fuchs speaks distractedly (Fuchs) As it turns out, they'd already made their funeral plans before I got there (@Morgan) Thats a surprise (Fuchs) Three of them were already married before the end of the war. You know how organised military wives can be *he stares off into the middle distance * * @Morgan shrugs slightly, looking off into the trees * Fuchs watches Morgan a moment (Fuchs) Odd how this forest stretches all the way from Fischler, round the West end of the Sudlache and then all the way to Seeufer. I dare say you could climb tree to tree and not touch the ground if you were of a mind to * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) particularly if you're a sailor (Fuchs) No finer climbers in the world than we *he smiles briefly* * Fuchs leads him about a mile into the forest. The hunting tracks have started to become more overgrown, disappearing and reappearing frequently. Fuchs veers off from the track at a place where the trees have grown into a full arch, and then the horses have to pick their way through rough ground. It is on this stretch that Fuchs starts to point out tracks (Fuchs) A small set of boots, consistent with the build of the girl, four tracks almost identical of the boots we give as uniform. (Fuchs) **Morgan feels like something isn't quite right** * @Morgan frowns (Fuchs) **the tracks Fuchs describes are obvious, but there's another set he hasn't spotted (Fuchs) **The tracks are hard to distinguish, and appear to often be concealed within the footprints of the guards (@Morgan) Remind me of your theory (Fuchs) Possible accomplises, in the clearing there are a lot of footprints that make no sense (@Morgan) how many tracks out here? * Fuchs takes a close look, quiet for a minute (Fuchs) Now that's interesting. There looks to be another set here, but well concealed * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) indeed (@Morgan) Who found the clearing? (Fuchs) There was a message brought to the jail around nine this morning to say there were four dead guards in the clearing. The message came from the landlord of a tavern on the east road, and he was told it by a goat herd taking his goats through town and on the ferry to Seeufer * @Morgan takes an apple from a pouch, holding it up to Fuchs * Fuchs shakes his head (Fuchs) I'm fine, thank you * @Morgan throws it into the bushes * Fuchs watches him confused (@Morgan) Lets say you told a guard there's an apple somewhere around here... how long before he found it? (Fuchs) Depends on the guard, but probably a fairly long time, if at all (@Morgan) and thats with an idea of where it is... Given the amount of land out here, what are the chances of someone encountering the scene by chance (@Morgan) a scene they're not looking for (Fuchs) You've seen the trail, it's not commonly used for hunting. Months probably. * @Morgan nods slowly (@Morgan) just so happened to find it... does that strike you as convenient? (Fuchs) Very. * Fuchs is still brooding on this when they get to the thirty foot clearing. The foliage about is dense, the trees thick limbed and the ground muddy. There's large dips in the mud that have sizeable amounts of blood in them. * @Morgan looks closely at the tracks in the mud (Fuchs) **after several minutes of studying, he can establish a time line of events. The female footsteps come first, running pace. She climbed a tree, up to a sturdy, well-concealed limb about 10 feet up, based on the muddy tracks up the tree. Then the four guards came to the clearing looking around. One by one, they were felled. The faint footprints from before become more clear. None of these tracks are under where the bodies would have been, implying the person came afterwards. The woman came down from the tree and approached a body. Somehow, she also hit the floor, and her body print is spread out as if she struggled. The unknown footprints are next to this place. The unknown footprints also meander all over the clearing, and out and back in over and over and over. One track is slightly deeper, as if the person making them was carrying something heavy. All the unknown prints appear to be the same boots, different to the guards boots, either a medium size man or tall woman. (@Morgan) Interesting * Fuchs goes to where the woman would have been on the floor (Fuchs) The two knives not in the throats of my friends were found here * @Morgan starts wandering in search of the smaller boots leaving the clearing (Fuchs) **They don't. There is only to the tree and then to the bit Fuchs is stood by (@Morgan) Looks like she was carried out of here * Fuchs looks thoughtful (Fuchs) Walk me through it (@Morgan) her tracks in and up the tree... her body imprint there... no prints leaving the clearing, but these ones *he points to the unknown set* back and forth, and then carrying something by the looks of it (Fuchs) Carrying her? They're deep enough to have added the weight of a small woman. * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) tall woman or small to medium man (Fuchs) Alright. What are you thinking? * Fuchs briefly checks his pocket watch (@Morgan) Someones clearly taken her down. Could be her handler, could be a rival...  * Fuchs nods (Fuchs) Could be an accomplice to throw us off the track (@Morgan) could be... though the struggle suggests otherwise * Fuchs looks around, shaking his head with frustration (Fuchs) Fuck. Depends on how devious they are, I suppose. * Fuchs looks to the sky a moment (Fuchs) We have around half an hour before sunset. Do we follow the heavy track? (@Morgan) I think we need to * Fuchs nods, going to mount back up again. He briefly surveys the bloodied ground before focusing his attention on the track once more (Fuchs) We know she is good. How much better is the person who probably captured her? (@Morgan) That makes me wonder if she was known to him (Fuchs) Rather than bad luck on her part? * @Morgan nods * Fuchs looks thoughtful (Fuchs) Could well be. Shall we get following this? If it gets too dark I'll come back at first light. * @Morgan climbs into the saddle (@Morgan) lets see where these go * Fuchs works with Morgan on following the tracks. There are still a couple of false tracks laid here, but easily resolved by their combined skill. The tracks head south east from the clearing. * Fuchs gradually watches Morgan more and more as they go along. * @Morgan glances around often before looking at Fuchs (Fuchs) **The tracks appear to be leading towards the road. (@Morgan) I grew up in a house that backs more or less straight into the Schwarzenwald. Its made me a little... wary (Fuchs) Ahh yes, I'd forgotten Sudlachenburg is so close to it. I haven't been there in at least ten years (Fuchs) **They start to be able to see the road in the distance. There's more bushes mixed in with the trees here (@Morgan) If we reach the road, chances are we'll lose the tracks * Fuchs nods (Fuchs) The East Road is busy, especially at this time of year. (Fuchs) **near a large dense bush, the footprints become shallower. The Bush looks a little disturbed * @Morgan dismounts to take a closer look at the bush (Fuchs) **it's very conceivable that a body size object could have been put in there, but it's getting too dark to easily see inside it * @Morgan picks up one of the lanterns and gets out his tinderbox (Fuchs) **It lights fine, unlike the last time he used it in the forest and discovered his fire magic * Fuchs wanders towards the road * @Morgan takes the lantern to the bush to get a proper look (Fuchs) **The Bush is broken up inside. There is a thin piece of ripped blanket stuck on a sharp piece of bramble, and right at the bottom, a stiletto blade that looks very familiar (Fuchs) **it's starting to get darker, and he estimates it's approach quarter before nine. (Fuchs) Approaching * * @Morgan digs out the blade and the blanket  (Fuchs) **he manages it without getting scratched. The blanket fabric looks clean, new. The blade looks shiny, well cared for, clean, and an identical match to the one Morgan removed from his own back in Innesbruck (@Morgan) Someone was definitely under there (Fuchs) Why? * @Morgan shows him the blanket and knife * Fuchs nods slowly (Fuchs) Could the knife be hers? You said she had a thin blade she used on you before? (@Morgan) its identical to the one she used when I last met her * Fuchs nods, touching the blanket (Fuchs) Wrapped her up... (@Morgan) looks like it (Fuchs) How did the knife get out... * @Morgan shrugs * Fuchs briefly glances back to the road (Fuchs) Could she have cut through the blanket? Is it sharp? * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) possible (Fuchs) So maybe she was conscious... * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) quite possibly * Fuchs starts to move towards the road, the sky rapidly turning red and purple (Fuchs) And that could imply she's being kept alive (@Morgan) indeed * Fuchs nods. He walks up the road towards Fischler about 100 feet, then down towards Tannen. He stops, bending down * Fuchs shouts over to Morgan * @Morgan makes his way to Fuchs (Fuchs) Do you know much about animal dung? (@Morgan) this and that * Fuchs points to some dung with a fragment of a boot print in it that matches the track * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) generally speaking it doesn't come out of the animal with boot prints * Fuchs laughs (@Morgan) something like... a sheep or a goat * Fuchs nods slowly (@Morgan) what did you say the person who reported it said they're herding? * Fuchs smiles slightly (Fuchs) Goats * @Morgan nods slowly * Fuchs watches the sky above a moment as the first star appears, putting things in order (Fuchs) So he for some reason follows her, captures her, wraps her up, possibly alive and alert enough to leave a knife behind, then arranges for word to come to us about their bodies. * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) sounds unlikely (Fuchs) It does. Especially if he is her handler. Why alert us rather than leave them out there? *he frowns* * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) unless the knife and blanket were a mistake and they didn't expect them to be found (Fuchs) Could well be. I just can't understand why he would tip us off. (@Morgan) stop us looking elsewhere maybe? * Fuchs nods (Fuchs) Or to have us chasing a random goatherd rather than concentrating on protecting your family (@Morgan) maybe, maybe.  * Fuchs sighs (Fuchs) Unfortunately, finding that goatherd is our only hope for figuring out who our unknown man is. * @Morgan nods (Fuchs) And without finding him, we can't find the girl. And I don't want to let the families down like that. * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) agreed * Fuchs goes back, getting on his horse. (Fuchs) But every guard we throw at finding him, or searching off the road for tracks, the less guards we have here for protecting your family, and keeping watch over Alarice. * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) She'll have to wait for a while I think (Fuchs) Alarice? ** You are now disconnected  