The priest goes inside, and it is quiet, as if he went back to sleep. The lass leaves the cage on unsteady feet, and you all gather on the road to the East. The only interruption on your walk is the lass stumbling, and complaining about sore feet and back aches. Her shoes are not made for long walks, and the stay in the cage has strained her general health.
If need be, Hamish will offer to carry the young woman from time to time if needed.
"You got a name, Lassie?"
«L-laureen,» she says. «Thank you.»
Hamish nods. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Hamish. So... what did that witch-hunter think you did that was so bad he needed to put you in a cage?"
«Euh» She swallows. «He, he, he thinks I am ... with ... euh ... the D'v'l.» She swallows the vowels and hurries to add, «but I am not! Never was!»
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In the night, he made his escape. He was tired, and alone, and didn't know how long he's been there, but even now that he's managed to escape, he could still see her face, seducing him to come back to her, to give up his life, and his passion to be with her, and he shuddered.
It had been hours since he's escaped her, when he heard hounds. Those he could understand, and indeed, they sounded angry, and bloodthirsty, and so, he kept on running. A lone man in ragged clothes.
Nauvi's party, heading East from the church, hear the hounds howling in the distance. It takes a while before they hear the man struggling throught the bushes, and eventually see the ragged figure stumbling out on the road. He appears not very far from the village where the party was camping.
For those who met Rüdi before the visit to Castellum Veridian, it is an Awareness+Perception 9+ to recognise him in the dark. He looks different something.
Nauvi stares at the man, he seems familiar but he can't quite recognise him. "Hamish, Finn, be on the lookout for those hounds."
«R-rüdi, is that you?» asks Finn.
The man blinks hard. He hasn't heard that name in a while, and it took him by surprise to jear it, that it took some 10 seconds for him to process it and formulate a response " Aye, wh.. wh.. who mi.. who might you be?" As he approaches, it is clear that he's in a bad situation. He looks like he hasn't showered for days, and probably hasn't eaten properly for a few weeks. And his eyes seem to have a golden gleam to them.
Hamish steps up beside Finn, hand on his sword, assessing this rough looking fellow with the golden gleam in his eyes.
"We seem to be gathering strays... You know this fellow, Finn?"
«It's Finn,» says Finn. «We travelled together for almost half a year, didn't we, until you ... euh ... joined ... this nymph of the forest.»
Finn nods to Hamish. It may look as if he had more to say, but then the hounds howl again, and he shuts up and looks to the forest.
The hounds are not nearby, maybe half a mile away.
Ruedi visibly shudders at the sounds of the hounds, and turns towards their general direction, letting loose something that sounds like a growl.
He then turns back to these humans. One of them seems to knoww him, and his name, he shakes his head in confusion. "I... am still... foggy about things...".
Hamish nods to the man.
“Are we taking him with us? If we are, we gotta those those dogs of the scent.”
He looks at the fellow and then turns to the packs and fishes around for a spare set of clothes from his own pack, far too large for Ruedi but in far better shape.
“Get this clothes off and out these on.”
If Ruedi complies, Hamish will take a stick and drag the rags around on the ground in a chaotic pattern before placing different pieces up in trees at his reach. Not too high but high enough to cause a dog to scent it but not jump and get it.
But only if Ruedi and the group agree.
Finn does not object and looks to Nauvi for the decision.
Nauvi looks concerned and announces "We try not to leave people behind. Help Ruedi get away from whoever this is."
He then waves his arms and says something in Latin as he tries to make Ruedi not smell like a human, but a rose bush instead, figuring dogs won't chase flowers.
[Nauvi makes 19 - aura penalty trying to spont a MuIm spell - he only wants level 4 base 1 change scent +1 touch +2 sun duration]
Meanwhile, back in camp, Leofric adds another branch into the small fire. He looks around when he hears the wolves in the distance.
There is no aura, and Ruedi smells like the rose bush. The clothes in the trees still smell of mush and the encounter between Ruedi and the nymph, though, so I reckon you try to separate the two smells by some distance, and rejoin Leofric in the camp.
The hounds keep howling as they close the distance to the smelly clothes. As you approach the camp, you can hear the howls becoming more distant, still in the direction along the road toward the church.
You are together again with about two hours before the day breaks.
Hamish takes a moment to sit and rest as they gather.
"We need some rest, but best to put some more distance between us and this witch-hunter today. Let's push on until the afternoon and make a camp off the road."
"Who's that?" inquires Leofric when he sees the strange man in overlarge clothes.