Year 486 Summer Campaign

[Valka]

"Greetings," Valka chimed in, nodding to the knights. "Our good people ran afoul of the Saxons while on a holy pilgrimage and were deceived, captured, and enslaved. We escaped and rescued many but unfortunately there are many more in Saxon hands. We wish to find shelter and allies, and our warriors seek vengeance upon our mutual enemy."

Her Nor'man accent is very thick but clear and well-spoken.

[Cedwyn]

Cedwyn nodded. It seemed the girl, Valka, considered herself on par with the boy, Arne. Interesting. He wondered how she would react if he addressed the boy directly in response.

"The Saxon are a foul and ignoble lot, preying on those who are defenseless. You are safe enough for now, though your band has many woman, children, and wounded," while he seemed to respond to Valka, Cedwyn was notably addressing Arne but there seemed to be a sense of anticipation from, "What are your intentions in these lands, Arne Torvaldson?"

[Arne]

Arne's eyebrows furrowed, and his posture stiffened somewhat as the knight refused to look at Valka while he spoke.  Did women hold no power in these lands, or was the knight being insulting to Valka?  Or both?  Shifting his gaze somewhere between Cedwin and the other knight, Rodrick, Arne answered with the faintest trace of brittleness.  Gesturing with his hand to include Valka, he said,  "As Valka said, we decided to come here and find safety and shelter for our people; perhaps even seek a new home for them in Logres if it's not safe for us to return to Ostland.  After that?  We will find out who let Saxon slavers into Thule, and take their blood.  And we wish to repay the Saxons for the 'hospitality' they showed us."

[Geoffrey]

Rodric watched the initial exchange with great interest.  Were these two truly the leaders of this group?  They appeared barely the same age as Hayden and Suger.  Perhaps this was the way of the Northerners.

"Arne Torvaldson, Valka Ingarsdotter though you will find safety from the Saxons here, that you wear their garb presents dangers of its own.  The hatred of Saxons runs very deep in many of our lands and they may find themselves willing to strike without considering who you truly are.

If you would be willing to remove anything that marks your group as Saxon it would go a long way to insuring your safety, and your acceptance within these lands.  You may of course carry it if you choose to, so that you may have it at the ready should you need it."

[OOC: Just a correction for everyone, Rodric has no 'k' at the end. ]

[Cedwyn]

[I'm waiting for Shelly to reply ]

[Arne]

Arne turned his attention to Rodric, and nodded his reluctant agreement.  "Most of the armor and weapons our people carry was won through battle against their Saxon oppressors, but I can understand your concern and wisdom in this.  Your counsel is good, Sir Rodric."  Turning to Valka, he smiled and said, "What say you, Valka?  Our warriors aren't being asked to give over their spoils of battle, after all."


OOC:  Ummm, regarding Arne and Valka's starting equipment.  In our back story, I had our "captured" possessions in a series of slavers' wooden chests as a way for us to keep our starting equipment.  Or is our starting equipment all going to be Saxon-made?

[Cedwyn]

Cedwyn spoke up, addressing all present.

"Rather than surrender any spoils of battle. It may be more effective for us to provide escort. No one can mistake lack of hostile intent if you're escorted by us with our pennants flying. It delays our return, but that could be acceptable. We were given no time to return."

[Valka]

[I'm waiting for Shelly to reply ]

So much for that

[Valka]

Valka was about to reply to Arne but was rudely interrupted and her eyes flicked from him and to the knight. It was quite obvious that this Cedwyn held a dim view of women compared to Rodric and she indeed felt slighted. But their people had been on the road for too long.. Valka couldn?t allow her pride to win over securing a future for those men, women, and children that were looking to her.

So she held her tongue instead, through a clenched jaw.

[Arne]

Arne stole a glance at Valka, and could see the twitch of a muscle along her jaw.  No, she was not pleased. Giving Cedwyn a beaming smile, he replied, "No, as Sir Rodric said, our people would not be surrendering any spoils.  Having our people remove their Saxon gear and carry it with them is, I think, a very good idea."  Here, he turned to give a bow to Sir Rodric.  Turning back to Sir Cedwyn, he added, "And yes, Sir Cedwyn, an escort with your pennants is also a very good idea.  We would not wish to have the good people of these lands thinking we were Saxons."

Turning to Valka, he smiled with a glint in his eye.  "What do you think, Valka?  I do not wish to speak for you, since we are both leaders of our people.  Anyone that can kill our jailer with his own dagger, free us and another six warriors so that we can kill nearly twenty armed and armored slavers, and then help come up with a plan to free all of our people from another slave camp guarded by forty more armed and armored slavers . . . yes, that is someone I would like to have lead beside me.  And you in the thick of all the fighting, with shield and spear.  Oh yes, and the two longboats taken, and all of the slavers from both camps now feeding the ravens?  Yes, a leader worthy of respect."

Arne waited expectantly for Valka's reply with a serene smile, trusting that the subtle message wasn't lost on the others.

[Cedwyn]

Cedwyn gave an approving nod at the boy's description of their escape. He also had a small, knowing smile on his face as he watched the Thulian girl's jaw clench at his words. Both Valka and Arne were warriors, not trained Knights as Rodric and he were, but warriors with spirit nonetheless.

[GM Craig]

At the knights' suggestion, the Northmen doff their captured gear and stow their weapons. The two knights and their squires then set off, escorting the refugees. At the pace they are travelling, you will not reach Sarum tonight, so you expect to be camping out under the stars. The knights have no equipment or supplies for such an event, but neither do the northmen.

As the afternoon wears on, you start to consider where they might camp. There are no manors nearby, as you are coming up through the Ebbie River valley - fairly rough country. You are still several hours away from the ancient ruins at Borad. With that in mind, the four of you ride on ahead to scout out for a likely place to camp.

While you are riding, you come around a bend in the river and are hailed. Looking, you see a crooked old peasant with long, thin grey hair and wearing a tattered goatskin. When you look at him, he waves you over.

You trot up to him and rein in, Arne and Valka a little behind.

The man has rotten teeth, and one rheumy eye. He has sustained some sort of injury in the past that left his right leg misshapen, and he walks with the aid of a crutch.

The man bows clumsily. "Good an' Noble sirs and lady, knights and visitors to this land by the look of you." He eyes Peredur. "And on such fine horses! Would you earn the blessing of an old, crippled goatherd and grant me a favour?"

[Geoffrey]

Rodric eyed the old man for a moment before glancing around at their surroundings.  The knight continued to defer first contact to Cedwyn, but that was no reason for him to sit idle.

[OOC: Rolled Awareness, result 15 vs skill 10, fail.  Was hoping to determine if this was a good spot for any potential ambush, but maybe that determination would be separate from actually spotting one.]

[GM Craig]

[OOC: Yeah, there's two questions there. 1) Is there an ambush? and 2) Is this a good spot for an ambush? - give me another Awareness roll.]

[Geoffrey]

[OOC: Hey, a success!  Roll result 3 vs skill 10. ]