The game starts here

[pixie chic]

"You are not alone in that desire," Thelma states with an equally firm tone. She looks around, "It is not only menfolk that could take on this task."

[Stik]

"A missing child it a terrible thing. I must ask: what did your lord say when you informed him of this crime?"
At the blank looks around him, Christopher realizes his error. "The castle is vacant. There is no secular lord to tell.
"Saul, I sense a hand guiding us here."

[Breila]

Volker speaks up again. "Erika is no child. We had hoped to be allowed to marry once we had the money to buy furnishings for a home. Like I said, she was abducted when we returned from the St. John's celebrations. That is now... well a little over three weeks. Long enough for my wounds to close, but I will stay a cripple."

He motions to everyone to come close, making sure Yolantha is still in the kitchen, and adds: "One of the young stable boys told me he has noticed activities up in the castle. He's not supposed to go there, so he won't tell anyone of authority. An old castle where no one goes would be a good and comfotable lair for wrongdoers, wouldn't it?"

Indeed, the cart road from the village to the castle is steep, with several hairpin bends. Just from passing by, everyone in the group could see that it would take about half an hour of walking to get there. The mountain rising behind it is heavily wooded now that the new growth is no longer pruned for defensive purposes, it would be easy to come and go unseen.

[Kafen]

"Count me in, I will help search the castle. Perhaps, we will find her." Dale tells the other man. "We can leave tonight, maybe."

[Jenara]

"Umm." Eloise purses her lips and looks at Volker. "Why has no one looked for her yet?" Placing her hand on the table it is obviously shaking hard, looking closer her whole body is shaking lightly.

"If I'm honest, I'm not sure if I want to go up to the creepy house, I mean really creepy... Why would you want to go there?" She gives them all a worried look.

[Breila]

"Creepy?" Volker asks. "Why is an uninhabited large house creepy to you?" He looks at her for a brief moment, then shrugs.
"But you asked why no one has gone looking for Erika" he continues. "You must know that Erika is not exactly pretty. She was born with a harelip, and a kitchen accident she had as a child left heavy burn marks on her left side. So she never was much liked."
Now he blushes slightly and needs to clear his throat to continue. "But there are men who think that a woman who is not pretty will welcome any approach, and don't accept a no. So Erika kept a kitchen knife with her at all times. Some men apparently got permanently marked when she defended herself. So it was possible to get the rumor started that my story is wrong and that in fact I had assaulted Erika and she cut my tendons in revenge before fleeing" his eyes dart to the kitchen door briefly. "That was a good excuse for everybody to say the could do nothing before the harvest was in."

During all the exchange, the old priest had sat on the bench and eaten his stew, apparently not paying any attention to what was said.

[Jenara]

"Its just... Not where I would go, if I had a Choice. But if my sister is going, I can't let her go alone." She explains, "Would people really do that?" She asks innocently, "That's awful."

[Ismaels-Legacy]

Saul, looks to the Priest and says simply, "I must admit, I'm feeling quite wrathful at the moment. May I come to confession this evening?"

Before he even receives an answer, he turns to John and says, "Hand of God or no, I will not abide kidnapping and slavery. Not after what we've seen. Especially not in the Holy Roman Empire."

[pixie chic]

"The appearance of this woman is not an issue for me," Thelma says firmly. She looks at the group and says, "Empires have risen and fallen in the hands of people much younger than my sister, here." Letting the words sink in, Thelma says with a bow of her head, "Besides, you might need women along when we rescue the young lady."

[Breila]

During this exchange, most of the patrons in the back room had proceeded to the counter, knocked on it to call Yolanda from the kitchen and pay their consumptions.

Saul's question jolts the old priest out of his reverie. He looks out of the window, where the colors of sunset glow. "Yes, yes, it is almost time for the Complet, too. If you would lend me your arm, we can proceed to the church, you can confess before the service.
And confession would be in order for you, too, my sons and daughters!" he calls after the people filing past him to leave the inn.
"After the harvest, Father Otto, after the harvest" one of the men calls back good-naturedly.

With Saul's help, Father Otto gets up and walks over to the church.

Yolanda comes over to the group. "Any more consumptions from you? The kitchen closes now" she says.

[pixie chic]

Thelma finishes and shakes her head no. Paying, she tells Yolanda, "It was good, thank you."

She scoots down towards the others in the group and asks, "Are any of you folks trained for fighting?"

[Jenara]

"That's my cue!" Eloise says jumping up with a swift graceful motion. "Meet me back here, I have to help tidy up." She shrugs and moves to the kitchen. "I'll help." She says to Yolanda with a cheery smile.

[Stik]

"I go to pray now, Landlady, but might you find me an apple when I return? Gratitude."

"Allow me, friend." Christopher will help the injured Volker to his feet and out of the door. "Best you attend Complet too. Sure you could use the Lord's help."

If Volker accepts his help, Christopher will walk him out, then stop with him, just outside the door. "You said something in there that was in my thoughts." He'll then push the man bodily against the wall and hold him there, one hand on his shirt-front. "If your story is true, you should not be alive, not with your lady taken. The 'bandits' should have killed you when you were helpless, or you should have died fighting to protect her.

"I do not think the lady hurt you then ran away. But if I learn that you killed her...I will send you to the grave unshriven."

[pixie chic]

Thelma clears her throat and tells the group, "I'll try to make it, but I should wait her with Eloise."

[Breila]

Outside the inn:

For a moment, Volker struggles and starts to shout in protest, then he swallows hard and pulls himself up as much as his injury and Christopher's grip allow. He looks the young chevalier straight in the eyes, not saying anything for about a minute. "Having fun threatening a cripple?" he then asks softly.
After another pause, he adds: "You are a nobleman's son, allowed to carry weapons and trained in combat. I am a freeman commoner, I have only a knife and my work was to break and train horses, not to wage war. The only thing I can reproach myself is that I listened to Erika and did not return with the other villagers, but alone with her, and not really paying attention to our surroundings. After passing a hedgerow, I was clubbed on the head from behind. I fell down and everything became hazy. Someone said something with 'only her' and 'leave him' and 'can't walk' and then there was this pain in my leg that had me pass out completely until I woke up in my own blood late during the night. So you will not have to send me to my grave."