«The Hill? Nobody. Why would anyone live there?» He looks puzzled, but when Hamish shakes him a bit more, he adds, «oh! you mean the village? I don't know. A dozen maybe. Or two dozen. They are Fergus' men; nobody I know.»
Now Janus has heard the name Fergus as the leader her makes a 7 on Area Lore: Scottish Lowlands to recognise it (6 required in a previous post by George)
"Is Fergus one of the Masters, or is he working for them?" Nauvi asks.
Nauvi keeps trying to get information about what opposition they may face, and who is in the area.
Janus recognises Fergus as the lord of the manor where Elissa's betrothed one appears to be.
The ex-raven looks at Nauvi with disbelief. «One of the masters? No, he has been at war for ages. You know Fergus, the cattle lord at Mansfield.»
"Now it's my turn for a question," says Hamish to Mac Douglas the prisoner. "What's the word for that bird cloak of yours? The one that makes it work? And don't even think about holding it back from us cause yer either gonna get a little Highlands justice to get it out of you or the wizards will just squeeze it out of you fool head. Make it easy for yerself and tell us."
«Word? I call it a raven cloak. Don't you?»
"The word or thing that makes it work," says Hamish menacingly. "That turns you into a sardin' spy."
«Work? It's a cloak. You put it on.» The ex-raven looks as if the question makes no sense, cowering under Hamish's menacing fist. «Gees. You are as brutal and ... and ... as brutal as the masters said you would be.»
"I don't much like spies," says Hamish with no less menace. "And I'm tired of war."
The big soldier looks back at the magi for the next steps.
Ealhstan looks on from the edge of the group but says nothing. Does nothing.
Cath'rinne will spont an effect similar to Posing the Silent Question. She basically wants to pull from the men's memories what his masters looked like. Would consider that a single answer / question, if he knew several masters/Diedne? Rolled a 26, giving a casting total of 13 assuming no magical aura factors in. This would cost 1 fatigue for casting, 2 others for pulling off a level 20 effect.
Cath'rinne gets an impression of red-haired and blue-eyed warlock with braided beard and a face drawn in an angry roar. Behind him, there are a handful of others, but the spell is momentary and does not give Cath'rinne time to take more in in a single casting.
"Anything else we want to hear from him?"
If the magi don't want to ask more questions, Cath'rinne will suggest they talk in private. "What do we do with him?"
Making sure they are out of earshot of the spy Janus states “We could use him as a hostage to exchange him for the missing grog or just kill him”
Hamish nods at Janus.
"Prisoners come with a cost. You have to watch 'em, feed 'em, move 'em. If you let him go, he's a known thing and without his cloak, not as much use to them. And if you do it right, you could fill him full of half truths and misdirection. Especially if one of us cozies up to him, plays like a sympathizer, and then cuts him loose in the night. That clod there would likely run right back to his masters full to the gills with the shite we give him. Bet you Order types could probably get yer arcane hooks into him so you could track him all over hell and gone."
Hamish shrugs.
"Just a thought."
"Good ideas," opines Thadeus as he joins the others. "Should be easy to get an arcane connection on him and track where he goes after his 'escape'. Who plays the 'good guy'? We need someone that will be convincing. Any of your grogs fit the bill?"
"You're suggesting we mess up his mind before we release him, if I understand you correctly? And then use him as a spy?"
Hamish nods seriously to Thadeus as he listens to Cath'rinne.
"Naw, I don't think you mess with his mind. Won't that leave the stink of the Order on him? And fog hi up too much, probably. I'm sayin' that we have someone cozy up. Feed him and chat a bit with him. Tell him we're going somewhere we're not or doing something we won't do. Then let him go. He's not like to hurt us but he'll run back to his Masters, I'm bettin. Specially if he's full of our false plans."
He looks at Thadeus.
"Probably ought to be somebody like Ealhstan, I'm guessin'. He's a stand up fellow. Feels all godly and such. If he puts him on a false scent... I bet that knucklhead would think it true and run with it."
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"Even if they don't buy it," adds Thadeus, "it will plant doubt in their mind. They may expend resource to follow that false information, if nothing else. Doesn't cost us anything." Raising his voice a bit, so that the man might hear part of it, but not too much so as not to be too obvious, "Or would you rather we kill him now?"
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Luckily Ealhstan has not heard this plan and is making sure the prisoner has some water and a bite to eat.