The Perilous Forest

The steward rubs his hands together nervously. His response to Sir Wilfred is, "I am Iwan, sir, chamberlain to the Earl of Parwick."

When Wolstan tells of the rescue, he says, "What happy news, I trust the story of how they came to be so far from the castle is an interesting one." The suspicion oozes.

"Please, come sir knights, I will see to your needs first, then attend to Maid Maude and master Fenwick."

He leads you inside, toward the great hall, and there, begs you to sit at a table. "Boy! Bring wine and goblets for these fine gentleman!" A serving boy runs off with the boundless energy of the young.

Maude waits by the door, uncertain what she will explain. There was a plan, she was sure of it.

When Gregor gets an opportunity to speak separately to the other knights, he mentions that they should try to keep Maid Maude and Fenwick close at hand in this meeting. They should request the two's presence (and not leave them to be punished somehow out of the knights' sight. The angle could be that the two were the ones attacked by the ruffians and should be present in the meeting. Also, it could said that the ruffian's were responsible for routing the two so far away far away from the castle.

Handing his reins off to a stable boy along with his helmet and shield, Sir Gareth follows the others. His first impression of the steward is not a good one. Sir Wolstan's question is clever and the answer he gets from Iwan is not entirely unexpected. He doesn't trust the man or his plans for the maid.

"Where will Maid Maude and Master Fenwick be reposing?"

"Interesting," Sir Wolstan says to the chamberlain, approaching him, "if one finds desperately fleeing through a wood thought to be under the protection of a nearby castle and Earl to be that. Why are those brigands operating in the open, in the daylight, so close to your walls?"

Then the man smiles and relents -- this is a discussion he will save for the lord of the keep. "But we will discuss this matter with the Earl, his knights, and his master-of-arms. Lead on, good Iwan."

As you're seated at the table, Iwan makes as if he doesn't hear, but then answers Gareth. "Their quarters, they live here after all. It is on no consequence, sirs, the Earl will insist that they're treated properly."

He almost makes it out before Wolstan asks about the bandits, "They've become more bold. Desperate, they must be. With this report, I'll send men to root them out. It may be our chance to drive them off or see them hang."

The untrustworthy man flees.

A small boy runs back in, balancing a heavy pitcher of watered wine and four goblets in a tray. Her hands one to the first man then pours a measure full, then repeated with the others. He concentrates as if this is a scared duty.

Sir Wilfred looks at the dubious wine and smells it, trying to decide if it is worth drinking or even dangerous. When conversing with Sir Gregor, he agrees with the plan.

After a while he asks to his companions: "What or who are we waiting for exactly?"

Wolstan's nose twitches as he raises the goblet and makes to drink from it... but he hesitates and looks at the expectant serving boy. "Run along, boy, we have business to discuss that is not for young ears."

If the lad goes, the knight will lean forward, place his wine back on the table and say, "We await the Earl. But now then. Which of you has some strategy for us to discover whether this wine has been sweetened with an herb that will put us in our sick beds... or our graves?"

The boy desperately wants to stay and soak in your eminent ambience, but upon the words, 'run along, boy' he's off like a speeding antelope.

"Why I do, Sir Wolsten. Don't drink it! Had you not sent the boy away, he could have tasted it for us. Perhaps it is not too late to call him back if he is not yet too far away?"

Sir Gareth trusted nothing about this place and would not be the first to try it.

Not very fond of the idea of the boy falling into a trap set for the knights, but also not very convinced the Earl would murder four knights (in his own keep) that were sent by King Arthur himself, Gregor takes a sip and says, "I doubt the Earl would risk poisoning the four of us within in his own walls. Our presense here is known after all."

Sir Wilfred is not very thirsty but he is curious. "Is it good?" he asks Sir Gregor.

"Sir Gregor, you make a good point. Still, I hope you won't mind if I observe you for a few moments and I too will echo Sir Wilfred's question. How is it?"

As to Maid Maude, of course, he knew she resided here in the castle but he was curious exactly where that was as he felt she was not safe. The thought had occurred to him to check on her.

Before too long, the Earl comes into the room. He's a big man, barrel-chested and nearing fifty years of age, but still robust.

"My apologies young sir knights, I was in the midst of rather detailed letter and did not wish to interrupt my thoughts. Come, tell me how I can make this slight up to you. Anything in my power to grant."

He sits and the young serving boy runs in with another tray and goblet, and pours the Earl a wine. He holds it up and says, "A toast! To new friends and a fine afternoon."

"That boy's an innocent," Wolstan says plainly, still pondering whether to try the wine when Gregor does it first. His voice grows quieter. "If something nefarious is afoot here, there's nothing to gain by poisoning some young page. He might know something, though. Perhaps that's his value to us."

Before the Earl enters, he raises an eyebrow as all three men look at Sir Gregor, awaiting a reaction if one is to come.

---

"Earl Parwick," the knight says, standing and bowing his head deferentially as the nobleman comes in. "Thank you for receiving us. Think nothing of your delay. And forgive us, but Sir Gareth took some game yesterday that we feasted on, and have sour bellies as a result. No appetite, I'm afraid, for wine or boar or pheasant just yet."

"We have news from the south," the steel-clad warrior says before delivering some faintly interesting tidbits the Earl may well already know. The death of an ancient lord, a marriage binding two houses. "And we wish to carry word and your concerns back to Camelot. What has befallen your lands, Earl? We have seen most troubling sights in yon wood."

Sir Wilfred rejoices internally at his companion's subtlety and finesse in how he addressed the earl. He still keeps the mug of wine in his hand, and will drink a sip or two if he sees Sir Gregor is not affected from drinking it, and the earl does drink it as well.

Sir Gareth also bows his head deferentially listening with great interest to the excuse the earl gives for the delay. Letter indeed.

When Sir Wolstan cleverly makes up the reason for their visit he nods in agreement and decides that he should try and look the part if he is able.

"Yes indeed, very troubling and so close to your castle," he adds to the steel-clad knight's account, never taking his eyes off the earl's face.

(Possibly) still feeling okay, Gregor adds, "Agreed, it is troubling that servants of yours were routed away from the safety of this castle by brigands abound. Why…where are Maid Maude and Master Fenwick now? They must be present here during this meeting, being it that they were the ones abducted in these lands until our timely intercession drove the perpetrators away. We knights were not able to get a good look at the wrongdoers or question them. The two we rescued surely got a better look."

Sir Gregor suffers no ill affects from the wine. Indeed, perhaps it boostens his morale and charm, rather than dulls his wits and energy. The Earl gayfully drinks his own wine poured from the same pitcher. Perhaps he hasn't resorted to poison just yet. Let's see where the conversation leads you.

He's troubled by this talk of boar and pheasant. Had he ordered a feast? "Ah, my steward has overreached his station again. The man deserves a sound thrashing. Still, you will be well cared for while you're hear, although the larders are not presently stocked for such a feast as you likely deserve."

Talk moves toward the unpleasantness. "Yes, a terrible business. The peasants seem to complain a lot about bandits, yet they leave my men and tax-collectors alone. I've not taken the matter seriously, truthfully, because of that. However, if they have become so emboldened as to attack armed knights, men of honour and valour, why, what would be next? I'll have them all hunted and hung by week's end, I so swear it!"

Let's drop some coins. How about each of you toss Courtesie with Presence to see how well you interrogate the higher ranking nobleman.