«Of course we listen. The woods is our guide.»
On foot? Letting Obstetrix go loose? OK.
Does he talk to the assistants at the back, or the master currently engaged with the men-at-arms in the front?
(I will wait for @Plot_Device before I advance, but clarifications will be useful.)
He leaves Obstetrix at the entrance to the shop, and will address the master wheelwright.
As noted in the last line, Obstetrix will poke her head in to listen and see what's going on.
Benedict nods. "I thought to keep you all safe by allowing you to slip away while I dealt with the situation here. Guards are looking for those of a supernatural persuasion, and they are suspicious of the owners of these wagons. I'm not sure if my silver tongue alone would be enough to protect your property, but it's a risk to any of you to be here. I can always slip away if I have to." He gives a sly grin.
"If you think you can handle it, I will be gone, just tell them I checked in on the progress. But I will leave the 'horse' to you, just in case you need help getting away."
Benedict nods, speaking quietly in Ruedi's native language. "Either I can handle it, or I'll get arrested, which I can probably also handle. But the horse can let you know if anything goes wrong. I could secure any books, I have a magic satchel that will keep them safe and hidden and allow me to bring them along later, in whatever form I take. But everything was in a locked strongbox."
Ruedi steals a glance at the guards "I will trust you on this, and the horse will keep an eye out for you, and for the wagon."
When Ruedie turns and departs, he can see the workers mounting the first wheel on the wagon at the back. He can pass through the backyard without attracting attention if he so desires.
The men-at-arms wrap up their conversation with the wheelwright. «So, let's see if we can find this gentleman,» they say as they turn towards passage where Ruedi has just left Benedict behind. «Please introduce us.» They add and gesture for the wheelwright to go first. They do not seem to have noticed Benedict himself just yet. Does he act first?
Benedict steps into their path with a friendly smile. "Looking for me, good sirs? Can I help you in some way?"
The men-at-arms look at the wheelwright, who answers. «Yes, I am sorry. The guards need to talk to all new visitors. I suppose you have heard that a criminal has escaped arrest.» He nods to the men-at-arms, but does not introduce them. They bear a crest which probably belongs to the lord of the town¹.
«That's right,» says the older guard. He is stocky, with a scar above his right eye. «Who are you? And who is your lady?» Assuming they get reasoable answers, they continue to inquire about their origin and destination.
¹ Mercia Lore+Int 12+ to recognise it. Stonehenge Lore 15+. Local area lore 6+.
Benedict smiles. "I'm Benedict. Junior partner to Catelynn." He leans in to the men, and speaks quietly, conspiratorially. "She had troubles of a feminine nature, and didn't want anyone to see her weakness, so she slipped away to take to her bed. But we'd get done dirty on price if anyone found out, so she's officially just 'wandering the market'. I'd never lie to you good guardians, but please don't let it get any further."
Benedict stands up straight again, and explains, "So she's not here, don't know when she'll be back. Her husband was my master, but he passed away last winter, so we're travelling together to make our clients feel better about the transition, and honestly, because she can't quite let go yet. She liked to travel with him, you see, so she's at a bit of a loss as to what to do with herself when I take over." He winks lasciviously. "I have my hopes, but it's a bit too soon, yet. We're headed north, I think all the way to Scotland, though I don't know the exact route. I'm more familiar with the old master's routes in Europe, so she's going with me on this part of the trip. He only came up through here once a year, to get a load of special wool, he always left me in Flanders before, so I need to learn this. I just know we're headed to the north."
Benedict goes on, moving into small talk about life in Flanders and the trade routes to Denmark and Saxony that he managed, giving the impression that he could go on forever, drowning the guards in small-talk until they stop him.
No lore, so didn't roll that. 12 on Guile.
The guards nod understandingly to Benedict's account, but interrupt him when he digresses into continental trade routes. «Very well,» says the older guard, «what goods do you carry?» He gestures his move towards the wagon to inspect it.
Benedict shakes his head. "Nothing, right now. We're going to buy wool in the north. Catelynn was going to look around your market, and see if there was anything worth buying to sell up there, but then she became indisposed, and I needed to stay with the wagons and make sure nothing untoward happened. I've heard there are witches about!" Benedict crosses himself. "You can't be too careful, so I didn't want to leave them unattended."
«Hmm. That's a waste of wagon space, isn't it?» The guards walk around the wagon, scrutinising it with a suspicious look at their faces. All of a sudden, the younger one, a gentle face with blond hair turns and asks, «who else are in your entourage?»
Benedict shrugs. "We may have strange methods, but they work for us. We ship across, buy cheap wagons, and at the first market town we get them fixed up and buy goods. Nothing we'd bring up here to sell would be at a price that makes it worthwhile for the ship-owners' cargo fees for fully loaded wagons. Our entourage is just those fellas over there." He points at the grogs. "And a couple more guards that are with mistress Catelyn. If you want to look in the wagon, go ahead, it's just our strongbox in there." Benedict gives the impression of a friendly merchant, but not actually all that good at it, and not especially smart.
The older guards looks at the two specialists who watch you from polite distance. Then he nods to his partner who peaks inside the wagon, while he keeps interrogating. «And the lady companion who was here earlier? She was not one of the guards, was she!?» he asks, failing to conceal his giggle. «Speaking of witches. Have you seen anything or anyone suspicious while you have been here?»
"You mean the short, pretty lady with the blue eyes like the sky on a perfect summer day? That's Catelynn." Benedict grins like a fool, starry eyed. "Gorgeous, isn't she? As far as anything suspicious, all I saw was that weird hedge thing that appeared out of nowhere." He points toward the square.
«Right, so that's Catelynn. She was acting strangely when she was shopping,» says the guard, looking intensely and suspiciously at Benedict. «And the other one, the tall and ... euh ... slender lady in the simple dress.»
[I am assuming that Betula is the only one in simple dress, and that the other two magae display a little more wealth.]
Benedict frowns. "Acting strangely? I didn't think she planned to shop at all. What was she doing? As far as the other one, I don't know who you're talking about. Is there a reason you're questioning simple merchants? Have we done something wrong?"
«That's what we try to ascertain,» answers the older guard bruskly. «We question everyone, and when we hear about suspicions, we need to check it carefully.»
The younger guard speaks a little more softly. «It was the sinister look she gave the soap vendor, I think. The look of a swindler. But he was vigilant and would not let himself be cheated. No harm done.»
Then the older guard continues, «the other lady. The skinny one who lingered with your group as you arrived. Was she not with you? She had a simple dress and a hood.»
Benedict acts as if he gets it now. "Ooooh, that long woman, dressed kinda scraggly? We met her on the road, she just asked to come along with us to the next town since we had a couple of guards. No idea who she is, I thought maybe a widow-woman or some such. She seemed no better than she should be, but travelling alone in these times is dangerous, so we let her follow. She scarpered off into the market, haven't seen her since."