Arriving in the elven village, Dakath sees a jetty protruding from the shore of the river which the group must cross to arrive there. On that jetty is a magnificent white ship bearing a unicorn emblem on the sail. A tall elven warrior stands upon the prow of the ship, his shield emblazoned with the same symbol.
Instantly Dakath recognizes the Captain of the Warguard of the Duke of Burgundy. What he would be doing here is anybody's guess, but the rumors have circulated that the Duke is a powerful opponent of the Church, having banished the Bishop of Burgundy and limited their power at every turn. A powerful ally, if he could be persuaded.
In addition, it is rumored that the wars with England have drained that Duke's coffers, as he is a valiant warrior and has a strong following, always participating even though the conflicts most often never protruded into his lands. He also has had to fight many incursions by the Germanic Urk tribes.
Realizing that he still has the gems from the silver casket (having never gotten around to distributing them), Dakath sees an interesting opportunity. Ripping off his armor and leaving his horse behind, Dakath only holds onto the valuables he has and dashes toward the water, seeing that the ship is not far off. He realizes that his swimming is poor, but he knows that the group will simply waste the gems in any case, as they are not terribly wise about such things, and purchasing the alliance of the Duke is more valuable than anything he can think of at the moment.
Besides, what better place to assume a new identity? And so he dives into the water, awkwardly dog-paddling toward the ship. Unfortunately, the current catches him and begins to pull him away downriver. He knows he cannot swim against it. Is this all for the valiant rogue?
Of course not. The ship launches from it's jetty within moments, and soon begins diving into the current itself. By chance, Dakath surfaces in time to grasp a loose rope and pull himself up. He sees that the ship has lifecrafts on the side, and he climbs into one, avoiding drawing the attention of the crew.
He brought all the attire of the gentleman with him, along with the considerable wealth at his disposal. Now what?
Grinning despite his near brush with Death, Dakath lays back in the lifecraft and catches his breath. For a moment he shuts his eyes and relaxes. 'Now What?' he thinks to himself.
'You've done some impulsive things in your life ***** With that Dakath removed the clothes etc. he had purchased from the Eastern merchant and began to get changed. He strapped his long sword and daggers to his belt, donned his wig and hat and sprayed himself liberally with perfume. Throwing his old clothes overboard he looked himself over "Well this is the most ridiculous get up I've ever seen."
"Rory Tannerworth, Nephew to the Duke of Yorke at your service." he said out loud trying on his new title. "Well I'm not spending the rest of the journey in this boat." he said to himself before quietly slipping down onto the deck of the ship. He then began to wander towards the Captains cabin. Not wanting to have to explain himself to every crew member on board he moved through the shadows silently.
And move silently he does. His skills, grown somewhat rusty in the companionship of so many large and loud fellows, have not deserted him. Indeed, the ship seems crewed by elves, whose sharp ears he should have alerted with each step, but not a one bats an eye as he passes. Moving toward the large cabin near the prow of the ship, Rory finds the door unguarded, and it does not appear to even have a lock upon it. The cabin itself, and the ship, are quite fine and well-crafted, with nary a sign of nail or carving.
The helmsman seems occupied with his task, along with the several sailors onboard. The cabin is quite large, and not far in front of it lies a chute with a small thin ladder leading down into it. Either a crew's quarter's, storage space, or both.
Rory grinned despite his precarious position, he circumvented the chute keeping an eye open for any crew members coming up from below, and moved silently over to the cabin door. Once there he listened out for signs of life inside the cabin before checking the door for traps, once satisfied the door is free from obstacles he opened the door slightly and slipped inside.
Inside the cabin there is no duke, though it could be prepared for such a royal fellow. Seating himself, Rory waits for him to return. After some moments, the cabin door opens and a tall elf in shining chain mail strides in. His tabard carries the emblem of a rearing unicorn. Casually, he states, "What business have you here? These quarters are off limits." He does not seem particularly aggressive or hostile, but looks well able to handle any threats.
Rory smiled easily and rose out of the chair slowly and unthreateningly. "I am here to offer my services to the Duke." he said to the Elf
This most certainly is not the Duke, though. The emblem seems familiar, but Rory has no recollection of this fellow. He moves forward slowly, "Well man? You are here for a reason. Let's have it!" He speaks perfect Italian without accent, unlike any elf that the rogue has encountered before.
Rory raised hands wide "Well it wasn't exactly difficult for me to gain access to your ship and the Duke's cabin was it ? As I already said I'm here to offer my services to the Duke and to perhaps aid a little in the replenishment of his coffers."
Rory smiled again "However that is something I will only discuss with the Duke, would you be kind enough to take me to him ?"
The tall and stern elf does not smile, "Were I worried about one such as you entering this area, you would never have done so. Were the Duke on board, you certainly never would have done so. He rests even now in Lyon, where we go to meet him." He stands above the seated fellow, "Now, tell me why I would prefer to not throw you overboard. The only way you will ever meet with His lordship is by coming clear with me right now.
You feel you have something we want, and want something in return. Tell me and I will decide whether that is the case or not. If not, then it shall be a long swim back for you to get back wherever it is you came from. If you thought you would obtain a free ride, you are sorely mistaken." He stands with arms crossed, awaiting Rory's answer.
Rory stands before the Elf "One should never be too complacent, a lesson I have learnt during my upbringing. I can tell your a shrewd one, telling me false information of the Duke's whereabouts, just in case you throw me overboard and live, is very clever."
"Anyway, perhaps I should address the more pressing matter of not getting myself thrown overboard ? I have come to join the Dukes forces against the Bishop, for some time now myself and the band of adventurers I have been traveling with have continued to be a thorn in the Bishops side, albeit a small one."
The elf looks puzzled, "Which Bishop would that be? Burgundy? I doubt that's the case, as he was executed for his failure. If you mean the Bishop of Florence, then what care I about that? He presents no threat to us."
He grins "Perhaps you've heard of me ? Jacobus Faern, Dakath the Spice Merchant and currently traveling as Rory Tannerworth the second son of a minor Noble." Rory stepped back so the Elf could get a good look at him. "Anyway, we have been constantly chased and hounded by the Bishops' men. Anonymity is my preferred method of travel and what better way to gain this than to be part of a large force eh ?"
The tall fellow shrugs, "Never heard of you, and I don't know why I would care that the Bishop is after you. He's after hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. That means nothing to me."
Rory nodded "A good point it seems the Bishop has many enemies, it is arrogant of me to assume I am more important than the rest." He began to look through his pouches "But there is our common foe, the injustice that is being carried out all in the name of Jerboha."
The elf nods, waiting for Rory to continue.
"To further my argument, we rescued a local village leader from a group of yellow-robed wizards and lightened them of their treasure once they had fled. Items of great worth weigh me down and I'm not interested in gold, I am willing to donate most of what I have to the Duke's coffers for a position in his force."
The elf finally smiles, "Finally something of interest. What wealth do you possess? And what position do you desire? Though you have not impressed me with your deeds, nor do I know of their veracity, I must admit that the Duke is in great need of resources at the moment. If indeed you have such resources, he will be interested in meeting you. I must see what you have first, though."
Rory waits patiently for the stern Elf's decision "I would ask you to respect my current identity since this is how I will be traveling for quite sometime if you agree to keep me on board. I am more than a foppish noble like the one you see before you."
The elf shrugs again, "I care not about your identity or who or what you may or may not be. I am only interested in what you have of interest to my master. Please be plain about what you want and what you wish to pay for it."
Rory grins "And so we get to the point, I am not insulted for I know nothing of your deeds either, although I am aware of the Duke's fight and how it drains his coffers." Rory removes his hand from a pouch at his side to produce the large red ruby he had found (estimated at about 5000GP), he holds it up to the Elf "That would buy a few horses I would wager or provide the men with some wages."
"I'm sure I could rustle up about another 2000GP, do you think the Duke would be interested? As for my position, well how many scouts and spies do you have? Perhaps I could help with the acquisition of wealth for the Duke? I'm sure we could come to some arrangement."
Dakath replaces the Ruby in his pouch.
The elf nods, clearly not agog over the stone, "A generous donation it would be. Such a price would gain you admission to see the duke and discuss your terms. Such again would lend his favorable opinion to such terms, I think. An opening within the Duke's intelligence network would be available for such a price, and indeed a title lending your alias validity would also be available, even land or a business to support you. All could be yours if the resources were generous enough."
Rory nods then grins "Many thanks, I'm sure I could find the necessary funds to sway opinion to my favor, for such a position in the Duke's network I would be most grateful."
The elf merely nods his head.
He paces along the cabin, "You have piqued my interest. I shall take you to the Duke in Lyon, and there you may make whatever plea you wish. However, I will be watching you. If this is some clever scheme to rob the Duke or take some advantage, I will destroy you, in all your names. Trust in that. In five hundred years never has someone who betrayed me lived to tell about it. I do not threaten you, only advise. You will find quarters amongst the crew, though I wager you'll have to pay them for someplace comfortable. I shall ensure that your valuables are not taken from you without your permission. You have earned that much.
We should arrive within a week. Make yourself useful in the meantime. If you have no maritime skills, as I suspect you do not, then assist the cook or find something to do. Just don't get under my feet and we shall do fine." He holds the door open, waiting for Rory to leave.
"Again thank you for granting me audience to see the Duke. Your advice is duly noted however you have no need to worry about me robbing him. Although It's true I like to make my wealth in ways contrary to common law, I'm not given to common thievery. Where's the skill in that?" Rory grins "I shall make myself useful, before I go and negotiate my passage with the crew there is one thing I'd like to know, what is your name?"
"Falthas, son of Tanalthas, Captain of the Burgundian Warguard and scourge of barbarism throughout the land!" He says with a grand sarcastic gesture. "You shall hear many stories about me during our travels, and upon our arrival. Trust that they are true, and understand who and what I am, and we shall have no troubles." He then closes the door to Rory, and further conversation.
Rory finds it easy enough to bargain with the captain of the ship, a swarthy Frenchman. He is clearly subordinate to Falthas, and demands only that you do your share of work and you may bunk with the crew. He does not seem to take notice of Rory's fine garb, as the bunks are filthy and unkempt. The food is terrible, and the crew is crude and lascivious.
Interestingly enough, when on board, both captain and crew are quite civil and polite. Rory finds they only bow their heads to Talthas and the half-dozen other Warguard on board. They seem a private bunch, and a bit racist, as they treat the crew rather badly, which the crew seems to resent. However, they must be paid well, as there is no sign of discontent except in private.
The Warguard and Talthas avoid Rory completely, ignoring his attempts at conversation, speaking only to each other. They seem a vain and foolish bunch, but their hard eyes and ready weapons say other things about them. The crew makes repeated mention of how many humans and other races the Warguard have killed. Talthas himself is rumored to have slain an entire armed company of Englishmen during the Hundred Years War. They say that he has an intense dislike of any non-elf, though Rory notes that the Duke, his sponsor, is half-human at least.
Rory listens to the conversation eagerly, amused by the Warguard's arrogance, but he chooses not say anything about it. Rory chooses not to say anything until the rumor of Talthas is brought up "While there is no denying their experience they are after all only flesh and blood, they bled just like the rest of us. You shouldn't believe everything your told, sometimes the most powerful ally is the rumors that precede you."
"Although his dislike of humans is certainly true." he chuckles.
The swarthy crewman who related the story nods, "Aye, that's true!" He chuckles, "But the pay is good!" He continues to smile.
The voyage is long and arduous, taking a week. For the last two days of that time the ship has been traveling up the Rhone river. A day after departure, Rory was a bit panicked to see them stop in Florence, and did not depart the ship, ever watchful of the Bishop's red-cloaked guards, who did patrol the dock, but never came close to the ship. None of the Warguard departed either, though several of the crew did so, bringing back some supplies.
Now the wider and more peaceful Rhone river bade them welcome. Several elven ships passed by, and were warmly welcomed by the Warguard. Finally, the ship settled into the beautiful city of Lyon, fastened to a magnificent private mooring dock by the crew. Talthas finally deigns to speak to Rory. "Wait here. Someone shall fetch you when the Duke is prepared to see you." He then steps smartly over the side and onto the dock, followed by the six other elves.
Rory leans over the rail of the ship "It's been a pleasure." Once Falthas has left ear-shot Rory swears. "I have never met such an arrogant elf, perhaps this wasn't such a good idea." he says to no one in particular. Rory finds a comfortable place to sit and wait, he also scans the immediate area and watches the residents of Lyon go about their business.
Rory notes that the residents are all French, and mostly elves. He has never seen such a city populated so heavily with their fey kind. In his trips through France, most of the elves have lived in the woods, not in the city. Many of the humans also have the slight pointy ears or almond eyes indicating partial elven backgrounds as well. Interesting.
Rory ponders this fact carefully "Interesting, I bet a merchant with the right connections could make a tidy profit caravanning goods out of here to the rest of the country." he rubs his chin thoughtfully and grins.
After some hours, most of the crew has departed the ship as well. Only the helmsman and the captain remain, and they appear to be just waiting for you to depart. They speak in French to each other, a language that Rory has little knowledge of, and though he is attentive, he cannot make out their conversation, other than seeming to indicate that Rory might be in some kind of trouble.
At that point, an elven boy comes racing up to the ship. "Monsieur Tannerworth?" The boy asks with a thick French accent. When acknowledged, he bows, "Come with me, monsieur." He heads into town, waiting for Rory to cross over and come after him.
Rory turns to the Captain "Well Captain thank you for your hospitality."
The captain nods his head as he and the helmsman follow Rory over the bulwark. They join the other sailors in a rough dockside inn.
Heading into town, the boy darts through the crowd of people. Rory would have trouble following if he did not have quite fine agility himself. Nonetheless, the boy disappears time after time, only to reappear long enough for Rory to sight him and give chase. After some time, and Rory having grown quite tired of the ordeal, he sees a magnificent baroque building ahead, with flying buttresses and a colossal staircase, which the elf goes dashing up, motioning for Rory to follow.
At the top of the stairs, Rory sees a half-score of the Warguard, not the ones he traveled with, but with equal composure and equal attitude. One looks at him, "Leave all your weapons here." Once Rory turns over his weapons, the elf begins to search him thoroughly, emptying his pockets. Rory realizes that he has nowhere to conceal the silver casket, the only thing he bears now. The fellow has removed Rory's coin purse and puts it on the table along with his weapons. If the casket is left there, what guarantee it's return?
Rory waits for the elf to finish his searching "Excuse me sir but I need both my money purse and that silver casket to present to the Duke. It is the only reason I have been summoned." He goes to pick them both up from the table.
"As you can see both are not weapons and I have assurances from Falthas, son of Tanalthas, Captain of the Burgundian Warguard that I shall gain audience with the Duke, to buy my way into his force, I can't do that empty-handed."