The three settled into comfortable silence until priest once again began speaking with Garnedell. Joe’s mind began to wander once again as the other two settled into conversation. He lifted his head a couple times and realized that the girls dance was still going on so had to keep his head down and away. It was during one of his times glancing up only to have to look away again that he remembered Garnedell’s simpleton curse. He blinked a few times, then considered and turned to Garnedell.
“Hey, Garnedell. Your status, please.”
Garnedell looked up at him, a bit of confusion on his face but did as Joe asked. When his status came up, Joe turned Garnedell towards the priest and showed his status to the priest. He pointed to the boy’s simpleton curse then shrugged his shoulder, asking the priest if there was any way to cure the curse.
“Priest. Cure?”
Joe looked at the priest a bit expectantly and missed Garnedell’s look of shock. Joe kept looking at the priest with hope and saw that the priest seemed to take on a pensive look. Garnedell quickly recovered and tried to reject the offer, speaking very poor English with Joe because he was so flustered. Joe smiled and waved away his concern before looking at the priest once more. Joe prodded Garnedell until he translated, but the priest seemed to have already understood, his look shrewd and measuring, eyes piercing and unwaveringly on Joe. Joe likewise refused to turn his gaze, simply staring at the priest, expecting and demanding an answer. Joe dropped a hand to his coin pouch and pulled it out, opening it up and showing the gems to the priest. The priest glanced down for a moment then his eyes widened in shock, and Joe smiled slightly catching the priest’s look. The priest looked up again and his face flattened even more, the look of calculation increasing even further. After several moments of this, the priest finally nodded and held up ten fingers then pointed at the gems in his coin pouch.
Joe’s smile bloomed and he reached in an pulled out ten gems quickly, reaching to place them in the priest’s hand, but the priest rejected and quickly spoke with Garnedell before standing and leaving the two sitting around the edge of the dancing. Joe looked to Garnedell with some confusion and the boy looked up at him, facing shining with excitement and a bit of joy. It took a bit for him to calm down before he was finally realized Joe was waiting for a translation. Realization came and he quickly pulled himself together to explain and translate.
“Tomorrow! Go him house!”
“Tomorrow? Ok… sounds good,” Joe smiled and clapped him on the shoulder before returning to the party.
The party grew wilder as the evening descended and harder alcohol soon began making the rounds, many enjoying the drinks. By the time dark had set for several hours, the party was really going but Joe found himself tired and in need of sleep. Despite resting for the day, his pattern of sleep had been truly well set and it was time for him to sleep. He stood and told Garnedell he was going to bed, but wished to leave the party on a high note, quite grateful for how well the village had accepted him. He took Garnedell to the smith Kargallen and waited politely to interrupt the smith’s conversation, but when Kargallen realized Joe was waiting for him, he quickly excused himself from the group he was with and came to see what Joe wanted. Joe took out his coin pouch full of slime gems and turned to Garnedell.
“Everybody two gems,” Joe spoke simply.
Garnedell seemed confused by Joe’s statement, but Joe mimed and repeated himself until Garnedell understood, but the boy’s shock was much greater than he expected. Are gifts not normal here? Why… Joe couldn’t understand the shock but decided to continue with the offer. There’re only a hundred or so people in the village! I’ve got close to ten thousand of the things. I need to get rid of them somehow! Garnedell tried to make sure Joe was certain of his choice but Joe smiled and firmly nodded.
“Yes. Please tell… speak Kargallen,” Joe nodded towards the smith.
Garnedell turned to the blacksmith and explained carefully and Joe noticed the smith showed almost the same shock that Garnedell had shown but Joe thought little of it, simply smiling and nodding his head when Kargallen stared at him. Might as well bribe a bit more kindness from the village! There was a quick back and forth as the two discussed and they seemed to move quickly from shock to excited agitation. They continued to speak for a while and finally Joe butted in, too tired to wait much longer.
He tapped Garnedell on the shoulder and handed the pouch to Garnedell, “Me go. Sleep! You stay. Play. OK?”
Garnedell glanced from Joe to the core pouch several times, seeming a bit unwilling to take on such wealth or is he worried about doing the job? But Joe simply smiled, trying to offer reassurance before he turned to head to bed.
“You’ll do fine, kid. Don’t worry about it!”
Joe waved over his shoulder as he left, sleep clawing at his mind.
* * *
Life seer Loongurndal found herself standing before his lordship Grugtrim, Baron of Soonesia. She’d come only because of the great reward offered, and she could only hope to receive payment. While Grugtrim was not known for being a good man, he also was not known for failing to pay. She had been nervous to accept the job, but the offered pay proved too much for her to resist. She’d taken measures to keep herself mediocre, not wishing to garner the attention of any nobility. When she was ushered before his Lordship, she offered her appropriate obeisance and awaited his god time. Despite the apparent urgency of the request, she found herself waiting for the Lord for a good ten minutes before he deigned to begin interacting with her.
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“You are a life seer?”
“Yes, Baron Grugtrim. At your service.”
“You are able to seek life? And death?”
Loongurndal offered a nod at each request.
“And cause of death?”
Loongurndal became a bit more guarded, cautious of what to promise. Nobility were notorious for hearing what they wished, and dismissing what was carefully and bluntly explained to them, “I cannot find cause of death. I can find who killed, but not why!”
The Baron grunted then nodded, “Show me who killed my servant, Knight Toogarn.”
“Yes, Lord Grugtrim. I will need some personal affect or someone who knew the knight.”
“Certainly,” Grugtrim nodded curtly while also beckoning a poorly dressed noble women. Or a very rich commoner! The woman came to the life seer’s side and waited, offering a curtsy and a soft whisper of introduction.
“I am the good knight’s sister. I know Knight Toogarn well, life seer.”
Loongurndal nodded with satisfaction. A sister would know him well, depending on the length of the… “How long have you lived together, my lady?”
“Ever since we were children, life seer.”
“Excellent! That is perfect. Please stand. Do not move. Do not be afraid. There is no pain or harm of any kind. I only ask that you seek out your greatest memory of the knight. Remember well and remember clearly. Think of everything possible: appearance, scars, scent, sound, voice, all things that make your good knight who he is. Can you do this?”
The lady nodded, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks and Loongurndal grimaced as she realized she was asking a sister to remember her dead sibling, but there was little she could do. It was the best way, and she had no desire to obstruct a noble, nor anger one. The sister did well, pressing on through the loss as she gave the life seer the imprint she needed. She was soon able to grasp a strong imprint, and felt her mind shifting quickly over the landscape, seeking out the last resting place.
“I have a strong imprint, Lordship. I should find his … ah. I have found the final resting place. A small road… leading through a forest… died alone, on the road. A road that leads eastward out of… Lakeside? I believe it is the town of lakeside. There is a large lake and a small village to the south of it only thirty minutes away. The death was… a surprise? Surprised by death. It was unexpected, but … it was terrify… Uh…” Loongurndal cut off quickly, surprised and uncertain.
“What is it, life seer! What have you seen,” Baron Grugtrim cut in sharply when Loongrundal trailed off.
“Uh… Lord… um… it’s…”
“Tell me, magician! I have no need for your theatrics.”
Loongurndal grimaced and sighed, she glanced around the room and saw the presence of a priest of some kind, and felt even more remorse. She had no chance to lie now, and could only speak. She could only hope the man was at least a bit reasonable, although she’d heard nobility and reasonableness were not known compatriots.
“Uh… Baron Grugtrim. Your knight died… um… of… a slime killed your knight, Lord.”
The baron blinked in surprise, as did everyone in the room. While it wasn’t unheard of for such a thing to happen, for a knight to die to such a thing was incredibly unlikely. Slimes could never keep up with any horse, and if it did chance upon the knight, his shield would have allowed him all the protection he needed to finally destroy the slime. The baron’s anger began to come forth and his fist slammed down on the arm of his chair.
“A slime! A SLIME! How…,” the baron throttled his anger and took a deep breath before continuing, “Who was the person who fed my servant to a slime! You can find intent, yes? The desire for death?”
“Yes, baron. Allow me a moment.”
Loongurndal was a bit frustrated as this was not a part of what was asked, but the baron’s anger was not something she wished to incite, especially as the baron was already angry. Loongurndal shifted her spell sight to seek intent, but found no death intent.
“Ah… I’m sorry, Lord, but there was no one seeking death. No intent. Ah… there seemed to be a duel about thirty or so minutes prior. A friendly fight of some kind. One that the good knight seems to have lost. Knight Toogarn felt no anger or fear prior to the fight, and felt only intense anger and frustration for a moment during the fight. There was a spike of fear near the end which quickly eased to anger, possible a close strike? An attack that overwhelmed then downed. It seemed the other won, defeating your knight.
Loongurndal continued, “The other felt nothing against your knight, maybe a slight burning anger at the beginning then disgust… disdain? The man may have been a great warrior and found Knight Toogarn wanting? I am uncertain. I only know the other wished no harm against your knight.”
The room fell silent after Loongurndal’s description, a good long silence that left only the sound of rustling cloth and the creaking of trees brushed by wind. The baron seemed infuriated and Loongurndal held her place with some trepidation, saying nothing and looking firmly towards the Baron. He sat tensed for some moment before turning to look towards his priest, a questioning look. The Baron’s tension collapsed as did his body when the priest shook his head no. Huh… must have asked the priest if I was lying!
“It seems my servant died from a slime, foolishly.”
The baron’s body lay slumped against his great chair before anger began to brim within him once again.
“Great fool! What have you done, Toogarn? You could not even complete a simple task? Abbot! Offer the life seer her pay: A spell of death and a spell of intent! And a bonus. And give Toogarn’s sister her severance. You are to leave and may the god’s bless your life. Go well. You are free.”
The baron waved off the woman with some disgust and a complete lack of concern. He probably doesn’t even know she’s going to her death? Or a whore house, if she’s lucky! I hope she’s saved well, or is paid well! Loongurndal left the sister to her fate, caring little for what may happen, following beside the weeping woman as both trailed after the abbot looking for their payment.
* * *
After the life seer had left, Baron Grugtrim quickly recovered, the need for farce unnecessary with the leaving of the life seer. He quickly called in his men and steward, now certain of his way forward but cursing his lost time. Despite his frustration at the lost time, he knew that this was truly the better result for he had no hidden enemy seeking his demise. Still, he cursed the loss of time to press his claim on Kurnar and chose to resolve the loss of time with greater speed; he had no fear that his greater speed might lead him to a trap for there was no trap.
“Send the messenger. He is prepared and he is ready. There is no new advice. Only command him to go at all possible speed. Offer our best horse and three more besides, the speediest, that he may change mounts as needed. Have him press through the night as long as he may. I want him at Kurnan within the week!
“Also, send the first guard to Lakeside to seek out Toogarn’s body. Retrieve the FarCall medallion, her body and armor. Also, seek out any information regarding my knight’s death! Find the one who fought her!”