Herr Meyer has no wish to have anyone in the party to prove their word. He has already asked the party to get off his land. He continues to hold two hammers by their necks, expectant that the party will follow his instructions.
The afternoon has worn on some. The sun stands past the zenith, and the temperature has risen to full summer. While it may be moderately cool under the trees, out here on the meadow one can feel the sun hot on one's shoulders, and sweat rising under one's clothes in the mild humidity.
Crickets buzz. The stream continues to bubble, the water wheel continues to roll and creak.
Anshelm lets out a sigh and looks at his companions to either side.
ReplyDelete"Well, friends, I believe we should do as the man asks."
I nod as I turn and pick up my weapons and wait for the rest of my companions to join me.
ReplyDelete"I think we should leave and head a little ways into the woods and then discuss what we're going to do next." I whisper.
Kazimir retrieves his weapons and nods in agreement.
ReplyDeleteTiberius nods in agreement, picks up his weapons, and follows the party into the woods.
ReplyDeleteI gather my weapons and go join the group
ReplyDeleteAnshelm brings up the rear.
ReplyDelete(OOC - and thus, the party slinks off... *that's not crying, that's hysterical laughter....*)
ReplyDeleteAssuming we make it to a convenient area of the cart track well away from Herr Meyer's house and that we can find a place that isn't visible to the main road, Delfig will look at his companions and ask "Now what?"
You make your way down the cart track to the upper ford where it crosses the stream below the Meyer homestead.
ReplyDeleteAnshelm, now out of danger, takes a greedy pinch of snuff.
ReplyDelete"Do we tell Mizer of what happened? How do we explain Ells? And should we do something with his body?"
No - we should leave the body where it lays.
ReplyDeleteLet's get off his property - over the rise, back to the road that got us here.
(Alexis, a question:
ReplyDeleteWill we have to pay a toll to get in Dachau via the gates, under normal circumstances? When Anshelm and I went out previous, we didn't, and the only tolls you've mentioned were over bridges on the way to the homestead.)
"Let's get to the forest that lies between the main road and the hills."
Alexis -
ReplyDeletewhat is the time of day?
how many 'toll-bridges' did we cross on the way here?
Tiberius does have a writ of passage. Can that be used to bypass toll bridges?
ReplyDelete[sorry - got the time off the post...]
ReplyDeleteDelfig,
ReplyDeleteI mentioned that Ells got you past the tolls on the road from Dachau by displaying the embroidered patch that was in his possession.
Tiberius,
The writ of passage will get Tiberius past the polls.
"Well," says Anshelm, "Mizer will find out about this somehow. I propose we tell him Ells was killed by Meyer, possibly one or two of us, as well. What think you?"
ReplyDeleteAlexis - more questions -
ReplyDeletewhere was the closest of these toll-points to our current location -
or more to the point - how long could we follow the road east before we came to the first of them?
"Let's split up. You and Tiberius could take the road back to Dachau, using the pass that Ells had. You can give the guards the same story about Ells being killed. The rest of us could hide out near Dachau, say near the blockhouse that was burnt, and wait to hear word from you two on Mizer's disposition."
ReplyDeleteJosef,
ReplyDeleteThe closest of these toll-points would be about 1 mile along the paved road from where the cart track meets it. You will remember the cart track climbed onto the Meyer hill from near where the 5-mile marker was on the side of the road.
"Agreed. We might even find shelter with the cotter and his family."
ReplyDeleteTiberius looks worried.
ReplyDelete"Then, you should probably give me the gold that Mizer gave each of you, in case he demands it back because of our failure."
"When will we meet again?"
"That would be difficult to explain. 'Oh we had to flee, but we had time to loot the bodies.'"
ReplyDelete"Let's say that if we do not see you within by tomorrow midday, we'll sneak someone into Dachau to find out what has become of you."
"Mizer's gold has been spent."
ReplyDelete"But I have one gold coin that I'll give towards whatever tolls you might enounter..."
"Let's meet tomorrow, just inside the north gate - in the evening or late afternoon."
Anshelm nods. "A good point. I only hope Mizer doesn't hold us while determining the veracity of our claims. Mid-day tomorrow, then?"
ReplyDeleteJosef, I would suggest we meet up OUTSIDE of Dachau... to avoid any issues. Near the blockhouse. We can be watching for Tiberius and Anshelm at noontime and a bell or two after.
ReplyDelete"yes yes..."
ReplyDeleteAlexis - you mentioned that the woods were thicker to the south - what was the terrain to the north like on our journey here?
Josef,
ReplyDeleteThe country generally to the north of your position is dominated by the mixed low hills surrounding the upper Danube Valley. Most of these hills, like Meyer's hill that you are descending, are no more than two or three hundred feet high, collected together in clumps and groups between the various river courses, for example north of the Asper which flows through Dachau and the aforementioned Danube to the north.
The thicker wooded areas are begin on the opposite side of the Asper, to the south, though they are broken by patches of tilled land.
As for the rest of you, may I presume that once you reach the stone road, Anshelm and Tiberius continue to the east towards Dachau, while the others cut crosscountry parallel to the north?
ReplyDeleteThat's the plan. Tiberius has his writ and Ells' patch.
ReplyDeleteThen I'll start writing the divided posts when I hear a confirmation from two others.
ReplyDelete(OOC: Confirmed)
ReplyDeleteConfirmed. Those of us cutting crosscountry will take efforts to avoid any contact with anyone else. Our intention is to get close to the blockhouse and then camp out for the night, obviously without fire.
ReplyDelete"I can simply tell Herr Mizer that I already had enough gold on hand to cover for our 'fallen' comrade's initial payment, even though I didn't have enough time to loot their bodies after the incident resulting in their deaths."
ReplyDeleteTiberius agrees to go back to Dachau with Anshelm and meet the rest of the party at the later date.
I'll keep my sling in hand, but stash my mace in my backpack (provided it fits)
ReplyDelete