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Captain Woode waves to Gnosha and says to the guards, just some delicate supplies that were needed for a tavern, some excotic mushrooms and fruits, close the gate and return to the posts.
The group continued towards the Castle, but the road through Erast was not a straight one. First, they would go South down the Five Markets, and there take the upper bridge and then head to the castle. The fog in town is almost as bad as it has been the last week. They meet some drunk people that are trying to navigate home from a tavern and one of them recognizes Gnosha and says: – “Gnosha, are you driving a wagon in the middle of the night?” but Gnosha ignores the conversation and carries on.
When they finally arrive at the Five Markets, suddenly Gnosha sees a patrol ahead of him, three Auxiliary Militia men, and two Town Guards. The Militia men are frontmost, and one of them makes a halt gesture with his hand and shouts Halt!
Gnosha stops the wagon and says: – “Good evening Sir, is there a lot of trouble in the streets tonight?”
The militia sergeant looks at Gnosha and replies: – “And what do you have in that wagon Mr Curos.. Gnosha?”
Gnosha replies: – “Cargo that is for Sir Paragon Knight Heskan’s eyes only, on the strictest order from the highest authority.”
The guard replies: – “I haven’t heard about any exceptions for private investigators, do you have any papers proving that?”
Gnosha replies, still calm: – “Why don’t we both ride to Sir Heskan, and you can ask him in person?”
The guard replies: – “Nono, you can go and the wagon stays here.”
Gnosha, beginning to be a bit irritated: – “So, you are not afraid of what Sir Heskan will do to you?”
The guard replies: – “Sir Heskan is the least of my problems, but you probably should stop thinking that Sir Heskan and Captain Woode can save you every time you get yourself into trouble.”
Gnosha starts to think about a distraction, he doesn’t have time for this, and the guard could not see his prisoners. He picks up a thunderstone from his pocket and tries to throw it secretly away from the wagon, but he isn’t as stealthy and secret as he thinks. The stone explodes with a loud bang.
The guard shouts: – “What are you doing? Get down from the wagon, get down now!”*
Gnosha steps down from the wagon, and whistles a little, hoping Aered and Thefvae understand the situation.
Gnosha finally finds what he was looking for, and picks up the paper he got from Heskan that gives him access to the prisoner Relac Jouns, and shows it to the guard, and says: – “Here is the paper, I finally found it. Are you satisfied? Here it states I have full authority from Sir Paragon Night Heskan, signed and with a seal.”’
The guard looks at Gnosha and says: – “Why did you throw that thing, that stone?”
Gnosha replies: – “I’m so sorry, I was nervous, it just came out of the pocket when I tried to find the paper.”
The guard looks at Gnosha: – “Empty your pockets, all pockets. Do you have more exploding stones?”
Gnosha picks up a Peshpine Grenade, an Alchemist fire and a flask of bookthief brew. The guard looks at the bottle, what is this? Poison? Gnosha replies: –”No, that’s an elixir to make a copy of a paper without having to write everything again, very handy. You can purchase this down at The Mad Chimera, not very expensive either.”
The guard is getting a bit pissed off and says: – “That is a fine of ten pieces of gold for disturbing the peace.” Gnosha pays his fines, but the guard changes his mind, fifteen, it’s fifteen pieces of gold.
Gnosha replies: – “I will just put this on my bill to Sir Heskan”, and the guard shouts, just go away now, go away.
Gnosha wipes the sweat off his forehead, that was close, too close. When they crossed the bridge and were on the road up to the castle, Gnosha felt a bit of relief, close now. Gnosha kept thinking that it feels like he is getting too well known in Erast, which isn’t good when he wants to handle things discreetly. Maybe the time is coming when it’s time to leave Erast behind, and continue his work elsewhere, but today isn’t that time, and tomorrow doesn’t look good either, but he has to start to think about a plan if this continues. Finally they arrive at the castle gate, and as it is night, the gate is closed.
Gnosha knocks on the door, and the little slit opens and an unfamiliar guard face appears, a guard Gnosha does not recognize. The guard looks at Gnosha and says: – “What do you want in the middle of the night?”
Gnosha replies: – “I have an urgent delivery for Sir Heskan, and I mean urgent.”
Guard: – “Drop it off here and we will bring it to Sir Heskan in the morning.”
Gnosha: – “Sir Heskan will get one of his outbursts of rage unless you call for him on the double, and I’m sure you know how those outbursts of rage are.”
Guard: – “So you are forcing me? What do you have there then?”
Gnosha: – “Sorry, for Sir Heskan’s eyes only.”
Guard: – “Wait here then, I go and fetch Sir Heskan.”
The longest ten minutes ever slowly passes, and then a snorting Sir Heskan with smoke rising from his nostrils, dressed in his underwear, appears.
Sir Heskan shouts in his thundering loud voice: – “What is it now, Gnosha?"
Gnosha looks up at Sir Heskan and replies: – “Three people, belonging to a certain organization, have been running an extortion and protection operation, which is what we have suspected all the time. I have the name of their commanding officer, but these men need to be put in custody before they can warn their superior officer that I’m on to him.”
Sir Heskan snorts and a lot of smoke erupts from the corners of his mouth : – “Get in, get that wagon in fast! Gnosha, you really stir up trouble in the middle of the night, as usual.”
The gate closes beyond them and they are finally at their destination, what a night Gnosha thinks to himself. The wagon is led towards the prison and to a small side door where secret prisoners, often political, are brought to the dungeons, out of sight. When they reach the door, Gnosha says: – “Their commanding officer is Baelor Stavin, and they tricked Mrs Cavehand to pay for protection she did not need, against bandits that do not exist. She paid them a lot of gold, and they doubled the fee every week.I guess this is how Herman Gild Huml both makes his money and support from the people around Erast.”
Sir Heskan – “Don’t you say that you have a handful of traitors on that wagon, this will give me tons of trouble and headaches.”
Gnosha replies: – “Aered and Thefvae are on that wagon too, as guards. The three captured militia men can testify to what they have done, and on whose order they acted, Baerlor Stavin’s.”
Sir Heskan, looking really anxious: - ”Riots may arise it this comes out, I’ve heard the name, Baelor Stavin, but I don’t know him, what should I do?”
Gnosha replies, in a calm voice: – “Just keep them hidden in the dungeon until Baelor Stavin is arrested, so they don’t get a chance to warn him. This is the only way. Herman Gild Huml has gained his trust and reputation this way, protecting people from threats that do not exist, making them pay a lot of money for it too.”
Sir Heskan replies: – “Agreed, I can hold them a week, not a day longer.”
Gnosha: – “We’re going after Mr Stavin, and when we have arrested him, you can release these prisoners, after they have given their statements.”
Sir Heskan: – “Gnosha, just a reminder, handle this nice and clean.”
Gnosha: – “Sure Sir, I really think this can really give you what you need to take down Herman Gild Huml a correct and lawful way.”
Sir Heskan: – “If you try to arrest him, it can cause riots in the streets. The militia men would fight to death to protect one of theirs.”
Sir Heskan opens the side door and calls for the Dungeon Warden: – “Throw these three in the dungeon, and no one can visit them without my permission, three new lunatics.” Aered helps assure noone decides to try to avoid the dungeon.
Sir Heskan wishes Gnosha a good night and the group heads back to the tower for some sleep. In the late morning, after some needed sleep and breakfast, they first rode down to the North Gate to return the wagon and the horses to Mr Brownlock. Then Gnosha contacts the underground network he has established here in Erast, mostly the young runner boys, and some bar maids and tavern keepers. He asks about the whereabouts and information about Baelor Stavin. He also tells Mrs Cavehand as she’s working on the tower, that her problem now is solved, nothing more.
Gnosha learns quite a few interesting things. First, Baelor Stavin holds the rank of Elder-Watch, which is a group of Auxiliary Militia men that are two ranks down from the leader, Herman Gild Huml The Auxiliary Militia have some buildings at the South Docks, north of the river, and Baelor Stavin has a house on the south side of the river, in the posh district, north of Fairview Garden, a small house, but a stand alone house, in a very expensive and posh part of Erast..
Elder-Watch Stavin is a liaison officer between the town of Erast and the Auxiliary Militia. His work includes writing agreements between the town and other private entities, so he is an administrative Captain, not a military man. The ranks above him are High Warden, and then the Warden-Commander, Herman Gild Huml himself.
In the afternoon, when he had gathered and sorted all the information, things suddenly started to clear. The murdered scribe Elias from the Scroll Keep Tower, was he working for Baelor Stavin, writing documents that made him a liability and that’s why he was murdered?
It had turned to afternoon, almost dinner time according to Aered, and Gnosha gathered Aered and Thefvae to inform them about their next move. He asked Mr Beniers to tell the maids to prepare two picnic baskets, one large for Aered and Thefvae and one smaller for Gnosha. Meanwhile, they would head off to the Scroll Keep Tower to ask some questions.
They walked south down to the bridge, and over to Five Markets, where it was very busy at this time of day, and then to the Scroll Keep Tower. Well there, Gnosha went to the counter marked reception and stepped forward and asked the Halfling woman behind the counter and said: –”Afternoon ma’m”. She looked up and said: – “Welcome Sir, how can I assist you?”
Gnosha looked at her and said: – “My name is Gnosha Curosinie, and I have a question regarding your registration of those who make use of your services. Can anyone use your services, and do you keep records of such transactions for your bookkeeping, records of who, when and what for example?”
The lady replies: – “Hi, my name is Robinia Longriver, and yes, anyone can use our services, as long as the fee is paid in advance. The information is public, and we keep a ledger of all orders, unless the client has made an agreement directly with one of our scribes. Can you please give me any details and I can check it up.”
Gnosha continues: – “Thank you so much, this is very good news to me, I was thinking about assignments for Elias Fornwood the past month.”
Robinia Longriver: – “Yes, I can check that, wait, he is no longer with us here at the Scroll Keep Tower, but I see here that he did an assignment for the Auxiliary Militia, to write payment agreements.”
Gnosha smiles and replies: – “Thank you ever so much dear, that was exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you once again.”
Gnosha thinks, ok, what if Elias Forwood was murdered because his knowledge of what he had written would make him a liability, and someone, perhaps Baelor Stavin, arranged his death to tie up loose ends.
The group returns to the tower to pick up the picnic baskets. Gnosha changed his clothes to look more like a merchant, and Aered and Thefvae now looked like a couple of upperclass teenagers on a romantic picnic thanks to a lot of help from Luc Bernier and the girls. They looked at each other and smiled, and then they all headed down to the south side, following the river all the way through Erast without the need to cross it. Gnosha walked a bit ahead of Aered and Thefvae, so they did not look so obviously as one group.
The Stavin Manor is located on the south side of the river, just north of the lovely Fairview Garden. This is where merchants, nobles and other members of the societé of Erast live.
They spread out among the small picnic tables still left since the Marda-Zam festival. Gnosha sits at the fountain side, and the other tables were all occupied, and the courting couple at the only free table. There were several groups of people here in the garden, eating, talking. This is a very different side of Erast, far from the haggling on the markets or the drunkards staggering home after too many tankards of ale at the local tavern or beggars sitting in the corners asking for a spare copper piece. Gnosha could see how both Aered and Thefvae looked calm here.
Aered was really happy that his picnic basket had two large smoked sausages, bread and even a roasted chicken. He guessed the tower staff had learned the hard way that he is a man of eating, eating often and eating a lot. But he also trains a lot, every day, hours of hard training to keep his body in shape.
Thefvae was most impressed by the clothes she was wearing, they made her feel like a real lady, and she ate a little, as her half eleven blood made her need for food much less than humans.
Just before the sun set, around the seventh evening hour, a short, older man, dressed in merchant clothes comes walking in the direction of the house they had identified as the Baelor Stavin manor. He was accompanied by two other, much taller men, dressed in the classic Auxiliary Militia leather armor. They walked slowly in the direction of the Baelor Stavin manor, and they all entered. Gnosha waited and waited, how long would the guards stay? After about a third of an hour, the two guards finally left.
Most of the people who had been in the garden had now left, and Gnosha felt that if they stayed much longer, it could be seen as suspicious. He made a hand signal to Aered and Thefvae to inform them it was time to leave. They packed their picnic baskets with whatever was left, and Aered’s was much lighter now.
Gnosha decided that they should now return to the tower and plan tomorrow’s activities. They need to create cover to inspect the house of Baelor Stavin, a chimney inspection as winter is coming, and the town council does not want any fires which can destroy half the town.
Just when the group were about to finish packing the baskets and head off back to the tower, a large group of loud people exited from one of the buildings across the park from the Mansion of Stavin. Some carried glasses in their hands, they all laughed, giggled and the gentlemen wore strict upper-class suits and the women wore huge wide dresses. Gnosha realized that they were probably taking the traditional break between the courses of a posh seven course dinner. He tried as best as he could to avoid being Gnosha the master investigator, but a merchant in the park. It works well and he is not recognized by the ladies closest to them, but Aered is not as successful. Suddenly one of the ladies looks and points at Aered and says rather loudly: – “Hey, aren’t you that handsome investigator that works with Gnosha the Gnome? Yes you are! Come on, join the party, you are so welcome. We have enough food and drink for all of you too. We would love to hear all your heroic tales.”
Gnosha gives Aered the evil eye, and quickly walks up to the slightly overly refreshed middle-aged lady before she has a chance to shout for one of the other lady friends, and whispers a stagewhisper to her: – “Excuse me my lady, but this just happens to not be the best time, you see, Aered is on a date.” Gnosha said that in such a convincing way, that the lady quickly replied: – “Oh, my apologies, excuse me, I’m so sorry, I did not know, we’re just having the best party.” Gnosha quickly replied : – “Apology accepted my lady, and I thank you for your invitation, another time maybe? I would absolutely enjoy that, and so would Aered, I’m sure.”
They quickly disappear away from the party crowd, leaving their baskets as they really need to get away before someone else spots them. When they rounded the nearest building and were out of sight, Gnosha wiped a few pearls of sweat from his forehead, that was way too close.