55: Return to Altdorf

So the marauder servants of the fly lord had fled into the forest. We decided the best thing to do was head back to Altdorf as quickly as possible. Not least because we were bloody hungry. We planned to head west to where we hoped to find the north road, and then follow that all the way to Altdorf.

Kurtis was angry with Otto for spoiling the ambush and nearly getting him killed. Otto tried to explain that he was just worried about me. So then Kurtis complained that I had indoctrinated Otto into the Shallyan faith, which was ironic considering what he had said a few minutes earlier. I had predicted his resolution to change his ways would only last a few days, but it only lasted a few minutes. I’m always overestimating Kurtis.

Anyway, Otto managed to refute everything Kurtis was whining about by flattering his legs and telling him how fast he should be able to run with such beautiful calves which left him speechless, for a change. I made a mental note that next time Kurtis annoyed me I would just compliment his legs.

I didn’t want to hear anymore so stormed off in what I thought was a westerly direction, but then had to turn around again and follow Solvej. Say what you like about Solvej, but she now seemed quite at home in the wilds, looking after us in the forest, and navigating us through the perils of the wilderness. And sometimes even feeding us. Talking of which she seemed to be eating again, while the rest of us were getting quite hungry. We were so hungry, Otto started sucking on a stone, again, believing he was getting all the nourishment from stone soup without the need for cooking. I just couldn’t be bothered to explain it all again.

Fortunately, we found the north road and made good enough time to reach the Travellers’ Rest before it got too dark. Kurtis still had a tab at the place, so we could have food and board, again. I told him not to be so extravagant this time, as I was wondering, even with the Newstead farm up and running, how he would be able to pay it off. We broke the news to the landlord that the Bergman farm had been completely destroyed, and so he looked upon us quite sympathetically.

I think Kurtis was a bit upset by waking up at the Travellers’ Rest, a few days ago, in Otto’s arms, so he made sure there was a dead bolt on his room this time.

Solvej seemed to think it was a good idea that she marry Kurtis to ensure that if anything happened to him then their joint plans to run the farm could continue. I always thought that I would marry Solvej, as she’s the only woman I know (Ursula doesn’t count). And I suggested it, but Solvej told me I didn’t have shit to my name, which, to be fair to her, was true. Anyway, Kurtis didn’t want to get married, but they agreed they could draw up some sort of legal document to cement their business partnership.

Kurtis wondered whether Otto’s wife was real and Otto replied that she was real scary. I don’t think anyone would make up a wife like Otto’s anyway. From the story he told us over a quiet beer at the inn, he only married her because he got in debt at a tavern and the only way he could repay the debt was to take the landlord’s daughter off his hands.

I accidentally let slip to Otto about the dead bolt, and so he sneaked up to find Kurtis’ bed early. They both seemed to have a good night’s sleep so I’m not sure whether they shared a room or one of them went somewhere else. Or something. Not sure I care, though, to be honest. I don’t think we left a very good impression with the landlord of the Travellers’ Rest, but we probably wouldn’t see him again, and I was fairly sure Kurtis wouldn’t be paying his tab.

So, after breakfast, we set off for Altdorf, well fed and well rested. Solvej asked me what was going to happen, and I thought at first it might be one of those pleasantly vague conversations about the future, but this was Solvej. I tried to tell her that we would probably all go back to our normal lives, with her at the farm, and me at the temple, and Erhardt at his college, but that didn’t help. She seemed to think that we all had our niches in life and something to get on with, except her.

This was more like an existential dread of some sort of impending fate. She also seemed to think that it was Shallya who got us through the encounters with the marauders. I’m not going to argue with that, but it is worth pointing out that Solvej’s skill with a bow helped, too. I’m not sure I dealt with it very well, and just suggested a quick prayer. And then she told me she only wanted to marry Kurtis to feel safe, and that now she might have to kill him for turning her down.

Also, on the way, I think Erhardt gave Otto a rock to suck on, which Otto seemed to think was a wonderful present and that Erhardt was a now a true friend, so they were getting on well now, which Otto was pleased about. But I saw the way Erhardt looked at Schnitzel.

Kurtis did ask me about whether he should marry Solvej or not. I didn’t want to reveal that she had threatened to kill him so I just suggested that if he wasn’t going to marry her then he needed to stay well clear of her.

And after three days of walking, we finally saw the white walls of Altdorf before us. I was happy to get back to the temple but was considering my place there. While it is vital that the followers of Shallya apply themselves to their routine tasks in the service of the poor and infirm, I think I had glimpsed a much more important role for myself within the cult.

I was aware of another order within the cult of Shallya called the Order of the Chalice which was largely separate from the Order of the Bleeding Heart. I had been a little dubious of their role, wondering why they were not directly involved in tending to the needs of the starving and the sick. But now, I realised that the machinations of the fly lord were a direct threat to the Empire and required the direct opposition of Shallya. Recent events had made me think that I might be more useful to Shallya within that order.

So, I wrote a summary of some of the recent events, and sent that, along with a covering letter, to the headquarters of the Order of the Chalice, in Altdorf. I also did some research at the temple library and found some interesting tracts on the theories of mutations and disease. One of which I enclose here. I feel that this passage is particularly controversial, and I resolved not to discuss this sort of thing with Ursula. It would seem to a Sigmarite to be sympathetic to and even supportive of mutants, and that could be blasphemous in the eyes of a witch hunter.

I think Otto went to the rat catchers’ guild and showed them his rats, and so finally got admitted to the guild. Then he went round to the College of Shadowmancy or whatever they call it. I’m not sure how he found it, as I’m pretty sure no one can find the place unless they want to be found, and I can’t believe Erhardt wanted to be found by Otto. Anyway, he gave him a present of an Altdorf souvenir bookmark, in return for Erhardt’s stone. I think he thought it said friendship, and not Altdorf, because he can’t read.

I got a message from Kurtis asking me to go up to his house and read something for him. When I got there everyone was there, so he could have just asked Erhardt to do it. Maybe he just wanted to show off again. The letter was from an investigator called Konrad who was complaining that he had done lots of research about the Rottmar-Pfeifers for Kurtis, but hadn’t been paid, yet, and so he wouldn’t be doing any more. So much for showing off.

Otto told us he had seen the Grey College and it was decrepit and falling down and he was concerned that Erhardt was poorer than he made out having to live in such a squalid place. I don’t think Erhardt could be bothered to explain it to him.

He also told us the good news about him finally getting into the rat catchers’ guild. We had a brief celebration for him, but Kurtis did tell me he hoped Otto would soon move out to the guild house, or somewhere, as he had been staying in the drawing room, and it was beginning to smell.

Otto had a present for Solvej, too, but she was in her room. He just about plucked up the courage to go in to give it to her. We had had a conversation earlier about having more strings to our bows, or something, and so Otto decided it would be nice to give Solvej some string so she could have another string to her bow.

Kurtis told us that Solvej had been acting a bit strangely since we got back from the forest. She had been stalking aunt Clara Kurtis’ servant with her bow drawn, and then staying in her room all day and only venturing out at night. I had mentioned how much at home Solvej looked in the wilds, but now I was struck my how little at home she looked at home (or at least Kurtis’ home). She was clearly on edge in Altdorf, and in the house, flinching at small movements and eyeing up each of us as if with a hunter’s eye. I didn’t want to stand in front of her bow, however many strings it had.

They say soldiers coming back from the wars often exhibit strange behaviour like that. I think Solvej had never been very good under pressure and had now come back from her war. I decided I would do my best to get everyone to agree to leave her behind next time we had something dangerous to do.

Then Erhardt explained that the wizard who had gone missing, looking into the fly lord activity, was still missing. It was his job to try to find her. He had an idea of three taverns on the Street that she frequented and had already planned which ones of us were going to investigate each one. So, we had Kurtis ordering us about to look after his farms and now Erhardt was ordering us to look for his wizard friend. I hoped when I had an important job to do for the Order of the Chalice that they would do the same for me, but I doubted it.

Erhardt told Otto and Solvej to go to the Black Bat and ask about the Wizard, Sieglinde Fenne, there. The place was a real dive for drunks and no-hopers, so Erhardt chose his agents well for this one. And from what I understand of their confused accounts, they did manage to get some useful information.

Otto went in pretending to be drunk, ingratiating himself with the locals. Then he nonchalantly mentioned the odd snippet about the plague in the forest and grey wizards to see if anyone had anything to say. Unfortunately, the locals he spoke to were all a bit drunk and entered into a competition about which of them was the greyest.

Meanwhile Solvej spoke to Bauman Feltg, the barman. He denied knowing any grey wizards but Solvej went into scary mode and told him she wouldn’t be taking any shit and that she knew Sieglinde Fenne frequented his establishment. She noticed a flicker of recognition in his face and drew her dagger and went around the bar, but Bauman quickly pulled out a spiked club and told her to stay on the other side of the bar.

Once they had bonded over the threat of mindless violence the pair of them seemed to get on much better. The barman admitted he considered Sieglinde a friend, and that she paid him to keep his eyes and ears open around the place and report back to her anything that might be interesting.

Bauman said that she disappeared about four weeks ago. One of his clientele, Old Yosef, had noticed the same three hooded figures coming and going from the Grey College, regularly, every Festag. This was the sort of thing that Sieglinde had been interested in.

Apparently, she had heard something that meant she had to leave the city, and Bauman said he hoped Solvej would find her as he missed her money. At that, Solvej gave him five pennies. Meanwhile Otto was listening to the three old drunks wondering which of them was the grey wizard.