Before he gets terribly wet, Ludovicus stops walking and attempts to cast Cloak of the Duck's Feathers spontaneously, first on himself (range personal, so Level 4), then on Giuseppe (Level 5).
Casting total: (5 +0 +2 +SD)/2 ((Should I roll this? I remember reading somewhere that the SG would make rolls.))
If he's unsuccessful, then he'll start walking and wait until he no longer feels fatigued. Then he'll try again, this time with strong voice and bold gestures. He'll also wait after a successful casting on himself before casting on Giuseppe.
When the mud starts sucking, Ludovicus attempts to cast a spell to keep it from sticking to him:
Base 2 (Keep dirt away from you, under your conscious control (that is, you must be aware of its presence), +2 Sun = Level 4
Same casting total and same deal with waiting until he is no longer fatigued. He'll also try this spell on Giuseppe.
Every time he stops, he first glances at Franz to see if he becomes irritated or reveals any impatience (or if he even notices that Ludovicus has stopped). If he does, he continues to stop periodically to mock-cast a spell once the wards are cast successfully.
Ludovicus' first spell goes off without trouble, so he's now protected from the rain.
(Walking in the mud, however, is not restfull at all. On the contrary. So unless he asks for a break he won't be able to recover the Fatigue lost from his spellcasting. So I'll assume he does ask Franz for a stop while he casts his various spells.)
It takes two attempts before Giuseppe is also protected from the rain.
(The protection against mud would only work for Ludovicus himself, as he cannot keep track of both his and Giuseppe's steps in the mud. Also, always concentrating on the mud to avoid it sticking to your own boots isn't really a practical way to travel for hours at a time. It would slow you down a lot and you won't be able to hold any conversation at all, nor pay attention to anything else. What you want is really a ward, using Base 4. So it would be level 10 for yourself and level 15 for Giuseppe. Out of reach for your current capabilities.)
Ludovicus tries to enjoy as much of the day as he can. With Franz unreceptive, he tells Giuseppe about rainstorms he remembers from his childhood on the Isle of Lewis, and the mysterious objects that he would find washed ashore after them: strange containers, malformed wooden structures, and the bones of men and monstrous animals.
While talking and sludging along, he keeps an eye out for food that he can forage - berries, nuts, roots. Anything he can find to tide them over and to save money. Whatever he finds, he divides into three portions and offers one to both Giuseppe and to Franz.
In the afternoon, he asks Franz, Where will we stay the night? It would be nice to get out of this rain.
There aren't many fruits yet in the woods in the first days of June, let alone nuts, but Franz waits (not always patiently) as Ludovicus gathers some roots, early mushrooms and fresh herbs.
"Probably in a hayloft again, or at a peasant's house," the redcap replies. "Salzwedel has a family that runs a kind of inn for travellers, but that's too much of a crowded place to accomodate a magus like you. That would cause trouble for sure."
Indeed, by the end of the day you reach a sizeable village and Franz arranges for you all to sleep in a shepherd's hut (which is for the sheep, not the owner) on the outskirts of the village. It smells strongly of sheep, but at least it's dry. They only have a very small for warmth, lit inside a small pan that Franz carries in his kit, for the hut doesn't have a proper fireplace. Still, Franz arranges for a bowl of hot soup from the shepherd. Nothing fancy for particularly tasty, but hot and hearthy.
The next day is a bit cold, but without the rain at least. After a few hours of travel they arrive at a smaller village. Franz finds them a secluded place to wait while he goes to meet the independent magus. He comes back about an hour later, shaking his head. "He doesn't want to meet you. Let's get you to Fengheld now, and then I can be on my way."
Four days later, you all arrive at Fengheld. You are greeted at the gate by German-speaking guards. Franz talks to them in the same language, before turning back to you. "I announced that you were a visiting magus and wanted to be greeted by someone in charge. You'll have to wait here until that person arrives." With that, he goes through the gate with his horse, leaving you outside to wait.
"Thank you Franz. I wish you pleasant future journies."
Ludovicus waits patiently, making chitchat with Giuseppe about observations they make of Fengheld.
"Truly an imposing covenant, wouldn't you say Giuseppe? What a sorry first impression we will make, penniless and travel-stained. I wonder how many magi live here?"
Ludovicus brushes ineffectively at the dirt on his clothes. "I really should expand my knowledge of Terram. Or I guess Rego would be good too."
You are eventually welcomed by an older maga named Dorana, a member of your House -- although from a Trianoma lineage, which you know relatively little about. She settles you in a set of guest rooms and provides you with a tour of the covenant.