"Let us get under way. Rest assured, I have no problems moving wooden carts, and will take mine with me. I will be most likely needing a cart when we make a settlement, so it makes sense to take my old one with me rather than obtain a new one." Lignarius says.
His teamster shrugs and says "I got paid to take a wagon to Cumbria, then come back with the ox. The sooner we get to where we're going, the sooner I can finish this job."
[tab][/tab] Alan nods and follows the rest of the magi to the storage area where he deposes his meager possessions, including the lab texts, vis and precious books he is bringing. ''Don't bring any breakables!'' he says with a smile. Besides his clothes, backpack filled with eating provisions and clothes, and his walking staff, the Bretton is bringing nothing else. Nor does he have any attendant in toe.
Caernos does not deposit anything as he only has what he uses to sleep rough. His vis and books are all well wrapped for travel. He does not have a grog.
«How many carts do we bring?» Magnus asks. «It is not that I have so much stuff which I cannot leave behind. but I am a slow walker.» He smiles ruefully. «If I unload the tools and bring mine, there is space for a few more, luggage at least.» He looks around. How many of the sodales have brought carts or pack animals?
At the end of it, Magnus wants to bring a small pack, easily handled, as well as a shovel and a pickaxe. The grog has a similar bag, in addition to all the hardware is carrying.
Tomas chooses to travel light. His chest with his lab equipment and books is left in the shed.
Tomas addresses Caernos. You have more experience with the ..uhm...reavers than we. I can alter the appearance of some if it will help. Would it be better if we appear strong or weak to avoid trouble?
"Strong is good, Reivers is coward, mostly me thinking" comes the reply from Caernos.
Tomas to the group.
I can make some illusions to make some of us appear stronger or at least as fighting men. The one I appeared in is the guard captain at Crun Clach. i know him well so I could imitate him. We can't have several of him walking around but if my sodales will allow, I can make your clothes look like armor and put weapons on your belts.
Caernos looks confused. He looks his warhammer and says "weepon" and taps his chainmail and say "amor". He looks back at Tomas and asks "more better?"
[tab][/tab]Alan is dubious about this.''No thank you. Much appreciate the thought though'' he quips politely.
The dwarf, bent over his packs, does not even hear the question, The grog is off-loading the cart, while Magnus is deciding what to bring and what to off-load.
You look strong Caernos. I look weak <>. But... <> now I appear stronger. Lies and truths. It is what I am good at.
for spell: 1D10 = [2] = 2 + Mu5 + Im 10 + Stam 1 = 18
Spell: MuIm 3 Base 1 Sun +2
Lignarius' cart has enough room for Magnus to ride in the back, if he so chooses. Some time later, when everyone is ready to go, Martin's face lights up when he sees that the time for departure has come. But then the light dims abruptly.
"Where has Magus Tomas gotten himself to?"
((To make sure I have the group right, it consists of: Caernos, Magnus + Egbert, Alan, Tomas + Olof, and Lignarius + teamster?))
Magnus casts a glance over Lignarius' packs, and Egbert and the teamsters go through what the equipment they have brought. Egbert and Magnus will make sure that they have the mundane tools to repair a cart and remove obstacles on shoddy roads (hammer, shovel, pickaxe, nails), although he will leave most of the smithing tools behind. Anything he finds missing in Lignarius' pack, he will add from his own.
I am here Master Redcap.
"I am ready to leave" declares Lignarius, and his teamster sighs impatiently as Lignarius climbs into the back of the cart.
“Oh.”
"Apologies, Magus."
Embarrassed, Martin heads out at a fast pace to the north, keeping to the drier edge of the rough road. Meanwhile the cart struggles along the muddy ruts at a slow pace. After some time, Martin realizes this and adjust his speed. The road continues to lead through the rolling green farmland spotted with dark hedges and copses that you saw on your way to the farmer’s house. As you approach Carlisle, it becomes apparent that even the area close to the town isn’t as densely populated as it often was near a town in the south of England. Land seems to be divvied up among farmsteads, which are sometimes clustered together and sometimes dispersed among the irregularly-sized fields. The few people that you see are busy working the land at a good distance from the road, and pay you no mind.
((We’ll have some conversations in parallel to move things along a little quicker.))
Martin sidles up next to Magnus, “Tough life that,” nodding toward a group of them tending a field. “But you’re a working man yourself, no? In your forge? Not that I’m equating your art with that labor.”
After his conversation with Magnus, he approaches Caernos cautiously, and asks in English, “Everything alright Magus Caernos? You seemed a little on edge last night, to put it mildly.”
Later, while walking next to Lignarius in the cart, “Magus, I’m curious, what is it that interests you so about Ancient Rome? And also, have you heard anything about Inglewood yet?”
At the stop for lunch, Martin asks Tomas, “So how did you get to be so good at disguises? Did the fae teach you? And do the fae you know talk to the fae in this area?”
Because of the ease of interaction with Alan, Martin makes small talk about journeys with him before he comes to the question he really wants to ask, “Magus, you mentioned that you can sculpt stone. I remember one older Magus at a covenant that I visited - might have been Ungulus, though I’m not sure - anyway, he could talk to stone, so I was wondering can you do that too? There’s a lot of very old stone at the site where we’re going."
[tab][/tab] Mud is a thing found in roads all over Europe, but in these Isles it is a constant. Alan has long since resigned to the truth of this, and pays the slippery wet sludge little mind. Besides walking on the firmer side of the road helps a lot avoiding treacherous puddles. The Bretton enjoys the journey through the pastoral land, watching the crofters toil the land. It is indeed more sparsely populated, farms with small, green infields and large, stone bordered outfields kept apart from each other by wild stretches of green land or peat bogs. One things different from the south, these people produce more barley and oats, sometimes rye, but very little wheat. It must be the colder, wetter climate, though Alan has heard that in the last century the weather was balmier allowing more crops to flourish. Thoughts about the country life reminded him of his own childhood in a village, a long long time ago.
[tab][/tab] Alan watches and listens to the conversations his fellow travelers are having, mildly interested in what they will reveal. Ruefully he expects his turn to be 'grilled' by the Red-cap. He follows the example of Martin and talks small talk first about journeys and the countryside. Then he thinks a bit about his question on stones. Alan: '' I will have to disappoint you at that. It is true, I heard there is such a spell, in fact there are... techniques that also do similarly. I alas do not know any of those. Though I have knowledge of stone and rock, I lack the ability to truly and deeply discern things. If you deem it important, perhaps I should make an effort to learn such a thing. If we make a home there, the boulders aren't going to go anywhere are they?'' he says with a smile, waiting his next question.
Tomas stares at Martin for a bit, his brow wrinkling. Hmmmmm. A tricky question. Hmmmm. By disguise I am guessing you mean this truth. He gestures to his chainmail. Hmmmm. I was a...hmmm changeling. I was raised by the fae in their Court. I understood their truths by the time Tactius won me. He taught me how to make my own truths and lies. He pulls off a bit of bread and chews it thoughtfully. As for any fae we meet, I think it would depend on the fae in this area. I might have known them but they might be telling different truths in which case I would not.
Caernos will ask the Redcap where they are going and then set off ahead of the main group.
On the journey he will range out from the main group as a scout checking for any ambush or hazards in their direction of travel.
Magnus takes his seat opposite Lignarius in the cart, making himself comfortable using some clothes from his pack as a cushion. As the cart gets moving, he looks around at the scenery. «It is my first time in these parts,» he says, «How about you, Lignarius? Were you born in the North?»
...
«I certainly hope not, Martin,» he says to Martin's remark, «toil and work are not the same, even if the words are not always used accurately.»