«Bless you, brother. You are right, of course. What this land needs, more than anything, is Law and Order, to give the peasants peace to work the land. That's the sheriff's responsibility, while the two of us should offer consolation and penance to those who need it. We cannot allow Sin to take hold, because Sin leads to chaos, and chaos destroys what we build up, and that again, leads to starvation. We have to make sure that the warlocks are not allowed to stir another war, but let's hope nobody falsely make scapegoats. Do you know something that I don't?»
"How could I, father? I am but a traveller passing through your town. But the sights that greeted me have instilled doubt in me. The cage... the burnings... it is most troubling..."
«It is, and we can hope that she is innocent, but we cannot allow the guilty ones to maintain the menace. God has given Wulfric a calling, and let's support him in his mission, and let's pray for the souls of the lost ones. There is only so much we can do.»
Leofric nods, thougn his face is still troubled. After a moment, he asks, "Have you met Wulfric? I have heard only a little bit about him, in my monastery. Is he a church official or a lay person?"
«Yes. He lodges with me when he is in the area, but he went into the forest to hunt fugitive witches, and I do not expect him back for a couple of days.
«I suppose it is right to call him a lay person. His mission has been endorsed by the archbishop, but his calling is directly from God. He does not hold any office with the church.»
"How is he, as a man?" The curiosity on Leofric's face shows. Even monks are not immune to the temptation of gossip.
«Hmm. He is very dedicated, to God and to the cause. He has little time for gossip, so I cannot say that I know a lot about him, but he fears God and is loyal to his church. He always puts the mission before himself.»
"I see," replies Leofric quietly. "Well, I thank you for your time, father. I think I will pray some more before rejoining my companions. God be with you."
Leofric will spend a few more minutes praying for guidance, then leave the church and rejoin the others.
I reckon you all gather around sunset at a convenient campsite beyond the farmlands. Do you prefer to camp close to the road towards Lincoln, or do you withdraw to the edge of the forest, some hundred paces from the road?
What do you do next?
Leofric shares some of his findings, "Apparently, the girl was accused of seducing some of the men, taking them into the forest for carnal pleasures. For that, they are accusing her of witchcraft." The monk sighs, "Sounds more like carnal sin than actual witchcraft."
"As for Wulfric himself, he is currently not here, but has gone into the forest to hunt down fugitive witches. He probably won't be back for a couple of days."
"Excellent. That gives us time to plan a rescue for the girl and to make our escape before Wulfric can interfere. The problem will be finding a route to Lincoln and then returning to Ungulus without running into Wulfric or his men.
Hopefully I can put the guard to sleep, if there is only the one guard. If we can't find a key, I may be able to enchant the lock, but we may need to smash it open without alerting everyone. We will also need to untie the rope, or cut it in a hurry."
“That is a relief magus. I can make a distraction with a performance that will draw People’s attention if that helps? What will we do with the woman once we free her, take her to Lincoln and then back to Ungulus?” Asks Finn
"I am hoping we can do the whole thing under cover of darkness, while as many people are asleep as possible. I believe that would be safer than trying to distract everyone and risking instant discovery if something goes wrong.
When we free the woman - it depends on her. If she has relatives in a nearby village who can hide her, that may be safe, in Lincoln she may be able to blend in with the crowd, or she can come with us to Ungulus if she is willing to work for the covenant. I have no idea what will happen with Ungulus' new staff if this settling of a new covenant site proceeds quickly."
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"Very well magus I will follow your lead, you are in charge" replies Finn
Leofric seems doubtful, "So, you free her. What do we do after that? Remain camped here, as if we did not know what happened? Be gone, making us suspects of helping a girl accused of witchcraft? In any case, this will confirm her status as a witch, and certainly provoke Wulfric into coming after us. What then?"
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Hamish listens and nods to Leofric.
"I ain't so sure 'bout this. Is that girl magical at all? Or just unlucky? We could make a show of leavin' town, then circle back and try to snatch her away but that's a risky thing. Wulfric's got strength and the fear of the people behind him."
The big soldier looks back in the direction of the village.
"If she's got magic in her, then I could see why we might risk it. But if she's a peasant, she's just as likely to turn us in to save her skin."
"Does it matter? Is her life less valuable to you if she isn't 'magical', as you say?" asks Leofric softly.
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“This Wulfric is going to burn her at that stake no matter who or what she is. That is just wrong and must not stand. We must act or we will carry the shame of not doing so for the rest of our lives. What an epic tale that will make, I think not” replies Finn
"Just be prepared to silence her," says Hamish simply. "This might make a great tale, but we all know that all the real details don't get told when the hero song is sung."
“If we don’t act it will be a cowards tale not one of hero’s my giant friend”