[IC] Death & Taxes (Session 2)

"This was much closer, swamp is difficult to navigate. Slow as well." Nera takes back the writ, stowing it. "And we are here on a private matter unfortunately. Right now we are trying to move our horses and bodies inside the village; do you have a raft we could borrow per chance? We'll take good care of it, promise."

Galbernost's eyes widen. "Well what is it, woman? Are you here on a private matter or official business?" He seems exasperated. "And what's this about bodies and horses? And you came through the swamp!" He turns toward the house and calls out, "Lysentrude! Come here, girl!" A young woman who seems to be in her late teens appears from inside the small house, her hands coated in white flour. "Lyssie, go find the mayor. He should be at out at the festival grounds. Tell him it's high alert at the northwest wall." The girl nods and starts off down a dirt footpath.

Bressel Gabernost turns to Nera. "There'll be no rafts for you or anyone else without the mayor's say-so. Now, you show me where your 'bodies' are." The man then gives Peppin a stern look. "You stay here, Peppin. You done right to come to me about this."

From the back of the cart Hildar flips open his notebook and begins making a few notes about the journey, particularly about the method of their transit and making sure to make note of a couple of ideas it has given him for his future research.

Nera's eyes narrow. "In that case I'm afraid it would be seen as a direct attempt to interfere with our mission. We have the full extent of the law and authority as was granted by the writ, the one you just fully examined, making any hostile action deliberate, which doesn't look good for you. Also a matter can be both private and official." She folds her arms in a "sassy" manner.

Peppin tugs on Nera's sleeve. "Oh, sorry, Cat Lady. My pa can't read. Maybe Lyssie can rea—"

Bressel Galbernost's face flushes bright red. "Boy! You hush your mouth! Go inside the house and don't come out till I tell you to." The boy looks down at his feet and slumps off into the small cottage. "Lyssie, go on to the festival grounds and get Mayor Wayland. Tell him to meet me at the northwest wall." The man then points a finger at Nera and opens his mouth as if about to say something. He puts the finger down, then back up, then down again—apparently flummoxed by the whole situation. Finally, he speaks. "OK, Missy, lets go speak to your 'bodies.' But the second I get the impression you're trying to put one over on me, I'll use my baron-given right to place you and your whole merry little band under arrest!"

The man shuffles off and grabs a sickle leaned up against the side of the house. He keeps it in hand and points with it toward the wheat fields. "All right, then. Lead the way, Your Majesty."

Under arrest? That might be a problem...for some of the others.

"Excellent." Nera leads the way.

Galbernost follows close behind Nera, remaining no more than three feet behind her as she retraces her path back past the straw man to the spiked fence. There, the whinnies and brays of the horses betray the presence of the rest of the group on the other side of the wall. Galbernost gives Nera a sidelong snort and gets closer to the pylons to peer out. "Well," he says, his voice gravelly and gruff, "I gotta admit you're a pretty pathetic band of poachers if you came through the Blackwing in that thing." From the other side, the rest of you see the point of his sickle poke through the slats briefly in the direction of the horse cart. The man heaves a huge sigh. "But I can also tell that you're pretty capable. You gotta be light in the head or good in a fight--or both--to make it through the swamp in one piece." He finishes the soliloquy by raising his voice. "So let's say I take this Catwoman at her word. You're agents of the baron. Say I let you in. How do I know you won't just run me through and go on to kill every man, woman, and child in Buzzards' Ford?"

Nekurr, seeing Nera return, runs to the palisade. "Oh! Where is little Peppin?" he exclaims, surprised that the boy is not following the cat lady 'til the end of his childhood days! "Fortuna's blessing be upon you good sir! I presume Nera here must have shown you the baronal writ correct? As I'm sure you could see there, we have been send as representatives to the Barony. Are you the mayor of this fine town?" The half-cat wiggles his ears as Bressel shakes his head. "Well, a fair mistake of mine. Rest assured that we are no poachers and definitely" he theatrically shivers in disgust "no murderers! But I must admit the maps we were given are a bit... outdated, and the swamp is a bit wilder than we were made believe."

"You would know the best practices of poachers more likely then us due to frequency of encounter I'd admit but I'd challenge you do such a thing as you state oh so trivially as to get a cart and horse team through the swamp. You as well as I know poaching is illegal and I've no time for such things myself so lets get into it you seem to be a man of some station and a bit of common sense. If you've seen the writ you aren't taking her at her word but acknowledging the responsibilities and authority given in the name of the Baron. Unless you're implying his word and authority aren't good enough. If you don't let us in since we're here on Buzzard's Fort in the name of the Baron for official business what do you think we and by reflection the Baron needs to think when we report back as to why you won't let us in. Is there a reason why decimation of your village is tossed around so lightly by you? If there's not signs of dissention, rebellion, demon summoning, or plague why the bloody hell honestly would you even bring it up. Tronus of Clan Granitebreaker by the way. Lady Nera has he been given you trouble by chance with the Baron's task? Or did he just not read the Baron's writ. I'll have none of that if he's just decided to act all cheeky now I'm too old for that." Tronus states staring daggers at the wall and grinding his teeth and starting to squint.

After a beat, the man snorts. "Nothing but bad things come from the swamp, old man." He gets a better look through the slats. "You'll understand why I didn't want my boy to come back over here." He starts walking along the palisade, sickle to his side. "Lizardfolk come down. Test the wall. Try to break in, steal our livestock and grain. Then there's the poachers. Even worse. They come in, demand hospitality, throw their weight around. Bottom line: We're farmers, not warriors. You'll understand if I don't want to go down in the sagas as the dolt who let the bandit army in to sack the whole damn village."

The man stops moving about fifteen yards away along the fence. "I'm about to open a secret gate here. But your weapons—put 'em on the horse cart. I'll let you and the horses in but we'll leave the weapons there for now. Or you can all stay out there and get eaten by a barghest or something. You can ask the mayor if you want to walk around the village armed. He's already on his way."

Tronus looks around for the army slowly and smirks, "Fine with me young man... I don't need a weapon." Tronus states pulling his sword belt off and tossing it into the cart, "Hold on though let me have a look around... You don't want someone seeing this outside this way right." He adds looking around the area to see if someone is scouting the situation and giving the others the chance to make up their own mind.

"You make a fair point. No need for these." Nekurr puts his weapons away "Faith is our greatest weapon. After all, Fortuna watches over us."

Hildar shrugs and pulls his dagger off of his belt before placing it in the cart.