The Perilous Forest

Sir Gareth removes his helm and sits on the ground examining his wounds. He looks a little woozy but tries to remain conscious.

"Any of you good men have something to staunch the blood flow? I am in need of a few strips of cloth. Then we might feast on some boar!"

After two days, you're all feeling much more rested, your wounds restored, and full of more pork than you've had in a goodly while.

Father Dyddion explains after conversing with Pelox in halting Pictish, that Pelox feels that this was indeed a supernatural phenomenon. In fact, after the rampage, the tracks of the boars indicate that have returned to whereever they came from, care free and no longer consumed by rage.

The time comes then once more to travel back to the holdings of Earl Parwick, and confront him with the Countess Cynewise's assistance.

Your temporary loss of coins in Brawn and Presence is restored.

As they prepare to set out, this time the knights are fully armed and armored; ready for whatever might lie ahead. The witch meant to not have them return, and that was all the more reason to make directly for the Earl.

"Bless us, and our journey, Father Dyddion," Wolstan says from his saddle, from where he sits near the Countless and her maid. "We go with the grace of Christ, but the Devil himself has been called upon by this bitch Shezbaz, it seems. Pray for us daily, holy man, that her spells and wiles trouble us no more."

Gregor is glad to be mended and ready to make the journey with the Countess now in the knights' care. After talk of supernatural forces motivating the stampede, he hopes the plan is prudent and that they are not underestimating the powers granted to the witch Shezbaz by the Devil. But Sir Wolston's farewell reminds Gregor that Grace is on their side. This helps to put his mind a bit at ease. Seeing that his companions and the women are ready, he nods a 'thank you' to Father Dyddion, and spurs on his horse.

Pelox leads you on foot again, your train a little slower for having the Countess accompany you. She is young, however, and we'll rested, so she rides Fenwick's horse ably. She and Maid Maude ride side by side when they can, their friendship rekindled by the several days they've spent together at the Brown Cloister.

The dehorsed man-at-arms brings up the rearguard, knowing Maid Maude is well protected among the solid knights. And the Countess, of course.

In this way, you return back out of the hills, into the earldom, if not quite into his controlled lands proper. Pelox navigates his way through various ambush points, the Pictish warriors allowing you to pass unmolested.

The chieftain Veringvox meets you, gives you some mead and rest, and offers you four hands of men (20) if you require backup.

"Please, good sir knights, will you recite the plan so I understand what is expected of me?"

"Won't Veringvox men be seen as a motive by the Earl to do us harm?" asks Sir Wilfred to his companions, prior to answering the countess question.

"Perhaps not, Sir Wilfred. How could the Earl openly object to us seeking to destroy the one known as Shezbaz the witch? Surely it is not common knowledge that the witch is his mistress and that he is in bed with the Devil."

If we make it know that we seek out the hovel of the witch Shebaz, and we mean to burn it, along with all the heretical things she keeps there as Sir Wolston suggested, the Pictish men offered by Chief Veringvox will reinforce the appearance of our resolve. Perhaps the charm that keeps the witch in the appearance of youth will be broken. Further, if Shebaz knows that the Countess means to face her and end her exile, then the witch may be drawn out. And if the witch tries to reroute us by commanding supernatural forces similar to mad boars, then--as Pelox himself has proven--the pict soldiers will be formidable allies.

Another thing for us to consider is that beside telling us that Shebaz' hovel lies south west of the Earl's keep, the tax collector Cecil warned us that the bandits have a camp in that direction as well."

Recall: Maid Maude has confirmed that the Earl's mistress is the witch, Shezbaz. So she is likely in the Earl's keep. Indeed, Gareth has already, um, met her.

Wolstan nods. He was about to say they would keep the heathens in reserve and not reveal their numbers until the Earl and the witch played their hands, but Sir Gregor's plan has some merit.

"M'lady, you deserve to not live in exile. We will burn the witch's hovel, take the she-devil's head, and free the Earl from her black sorcery. Your presence will help your husband remember himself, and his duties."

He makes no mention of the ludicrous plan to risk the Maid Maude, posing her as her mistress and dangling her in harm's way.

"Very well. The plan is a little blunt, but has the advantage of simplicity. Let's do that." Turning to the countess, he adds: "What is expected of you is to show yourself, countess. You can trust us to do all we can to protect you."

"Have no fear, for Sir Wolstan is right. We are just in our cause and will dispatch the witch forthwith. The earl will then surely see the light with the malevolence of the witch gone from his world once he lays eyes on you, he will again fall in love once released from the evil spell."

He ponders what powers the witch might use having seen what he deemed to be some example of it with the mad boars and wonders if they are up to the task of defeating evil witchery.

"As Sir Gregor has suggested, the witch may be compelled to play her hand in the light of day before us all."

Sir Gareth looks to the others after hearing Fenwick's assessment.

"What is it to be fellow knights? I say we go by way of the mine and sharpen our swords with a few more bandits for sport!"

"The back way and quicker way to the hovel by the mines sounds good. And if we do get a chance to sharpen our swords on the bandits Sir Gareth, perhaps we could let one escape so the witch may be informed of our presence…that is if the unearthly hag doesn’t already know somehow."

Gregor looks around up at the trees as if searching for spying eyes.

Wolstan listens to his fellows as he looks at the women they escort on this perilous journey. Looks at them and measures their endurance, their will for pressing on. More fighting is not what they all need, but the chance to cut off the witch from her power, or at least diminish it, is enticing indeed.

"Through the forest, past the mine, to the swamp," he says with a nod. "But of word getting to Shezbaz, no. We must prevent that, and keep the initiative as long as we can, knights."

In the same fashion as Sir Wolstan, Sir Wilfred looks at the countess and the maid. "The prospect might sound dangerous, but be assured that my fellow knights and I will spare nothing, not even our lives, to protect you."

The forest, the mine and the swamp it is, the party has decided unanimously.

Several hours later...

You ride past the old mine, and follow a trail through the woods, mostly overgrown so you need to keep a watchful eye out for the horses footing. The trail through the hills climbs and falls repeatedly, the sparse trees giving way to gorse and heather.



You ride around a small lake, and at the far end, the stream that feeds it drains a swamp. Surely this is the witches swamp.

Sir Wilfred checks if there is a way to avoid the swamp, or to cross the lake. Failing that, he looks for the best path going through the swamp, and if he can find recent tracks of people or horses passing in the area.