Signe sends Eric to the village of Karlsdal, just outside of Kirk, with instructions to find a courier to deliver the ransom letters to the Odynsee offices in Vendel, and await a response. Ulfgar sends several of his men with him. She instructs Eric to keep out of sight, and if Odynsee responds with anything other than complete compliance with the instructions, to abandon the plan and retreat immediately.
Ulfgar gives Enzo directions on how to find the Raiders’ cove, and tells him he can borrow one of the longboats to make the return journey.
Pattern Recognition, Part 2
Signe spends some time shopping for groceries before setting out into the woods to the south of Klorhulg to see Aunt Ragna. At Ulfgar’s suggestion, she includes a bottle of good mead.
Ragna is standing outside her shack in the woods, as if waiting for her. Signe greets her respectfully, and Ragna recognizes her, though they have not seen each other since Signe was a child. Signe presents the groceries, and Ragna invites her in for tea. She serves fancy biscuits from Vendel which have had runes painted on. They each eat one, and are both subject to the effects: each is forced to stand still and not move, and each is compelled to tell the truth. They trade questions for a while, and while Ragna learns of Odynsee’s scheme and Signe’s response, Signe learns that the Vesten Raiders are led by a man called Asger Jacobsen, and Ragna says she will meet him soon enough.
Ragna says she is willing to teach Signe what she wants to learn, but will expect her to adhere to a very strict set of rules, and it will take several days at least.
Trust No One, Part 1
Abul is out collecting lichen samples on the shore near the docks. Christof has come with him to make sure trouble doesn’t find him. At some point, Christof directs Abul’s attention to two men on the boardwalk speaking to Blind William, who seem very out of place (one of them is very obviously Castillian). They are soon met by a shifty-looking gentlemen who leads them up into town. Christof notes that they came off a ship called the Flamingo. Abul decides to follow the three men, and spies them entering a local inn called the Bull and Bow, where the shifty-looking man speaks with the clerk at the front desk, and the other two are very quickly ushered upstairs. Abul and Christof head back to Ulfgar’s house and report their findings. Ulfgar identifies the man as Jonathan Hoyer, and says he works for Simon Poulsen.
That evening, Abul heads back to the Bull and Bow, and finds Jonathan Hoyer eating dinner on his own. He approaches Jonathan and asks about the two foreign gentlemen, but Jonathan claims he doesn’t know what Abul is talking about. Abul thanks Jonathan for his time and leaves. He heads back to the Magpie and gets to work curating his lichen samples. His suspicions regarding the local plant life are correct, and he brews up an elixir that will enhance one’s tolerance for pain.
He is in the process of bottling the first dose of the elixir when Hector informs him that someone has come to speak with him. He heads up on deck to see Hjalmar blocking Jonathan’s way onto the ship. Abul waves him up, and they retreat to Abul’s quarters. Once the door is shut, Jonathan rather circumspectly tells Abul about the two gentlemen, explaining that his employer doesn’t much care for the Inquisition (or the Vaticine Church in general), so when two inquisitors came looking for escaped heretics several weeks ago, Mr. Poulsen took it upon himself to locate them and had been moving them about in an effort to stymie the inquisitors’ investigation. After all, what better place to hide something (or someone) than a place that has already been searched? Furthermore, he says that Mr. Poulsen has vouched for Abul, as he is an associate of Ulfgar’s niece, and is willing to allow him to speak to the two men, who he describes as explorers and scientists. Abul says he will call upon them the next day.
Enzo speaks to Rasmus in the morning, as they head down to the docks to meet their new crew and make the Handmaid ready to sail to the Raiders’ cove. Enzo warns Rasmus that given the nature of what they’re doing, the people they’re going to encounter are likely not as honorable as he is. Rasmus says he is prepared to accept that.
Enzo and Rasmus arrive to see that Poulsen’s men are waiting. One of them introduces himself as Viktor, and his friends as Karl, Otto, Olaf, Nikolaj, and Mogens. No family names are given. Additionally, three men have been sent by Peter Sommerson: Emil Andersen, Hjalte Eriksen, and Johannes Vester. Enzo welcomes them all aboard, and informs them that this will be a short trip, but there is the possibility of more sailing in the near future. Rasmus needs only a few minutes to size up the men, and immediately promotes Emil to boatswain. Viktor is left in charge of wrangling his buddies, which suits him fine. Everyone gets aboard and they set sail.
It’s only about an hour from Klorhulg to the cove. Enzo follows the directions given by Ulfgar, and notes that anyone who didn’t already know the cove was there would end up sailing right past it. Viktor assists in navigating the treacherous rocks in the narrow channel. They pull in to find a surprisingly busy wharf inside a massive cave. As soon as they drop anchor, Viktor and his men disembark and greet to locals as old friends. The remaining men lower the longboat back into the water and await further instructions.
Enzo greets the dock foreman, who is expecting them. Enzo says they will need to repaint the ship, and suggests a new name: The Jackdaw. The dock foreman says it will be taken care of, but it will be some time. Enzo is fine with this. Rasmus makes a request to keep the Odynsee plaque from the side of the ship, so it is quickly removed and stowed in the longboat. Enzo says farewell to VIktor and his men, who are happy to remain at the cove and help with refitting the ship. Enzo, Rasmus, and Sommerson’s men board the longboat, and row their way back to Klorhulg.
# NotPirates