The Baker's girl - A tale of Gradzlata

[DramaNerdette]

She smiled a little smile up at him. "I appreciate the words. I do. And in here..." She tapped her temple, "... I know you're right. I'm not the one who kidnapped him, or threatened Astrid or the kids. I'm not the one who gave us a shittily researched job, I'm just the girl who figured out how to make it work. In here though...?" She tapped her chest, raising an eyebrow to the man standing over here. "... the heart is dumb sometimes. It wants to wallow a bit. I'll be alright. I promise. Unless he gets killed. Then I'll be a mess. But that's the future, and the future can handle it's own business."

She took another long pull of the flask, and her breath caught against the fire in her throat. Then she handed it back and stood. "Everyone always thinks they can take Gradzlata, you know? Like a grape between their teeth. It's always kinda funny. Every time anyone tries it, they find out we're not a grape at all. We're an old blackened bone, and the we'll make the poor bastard that tries us choke before we go down easy. The nobleman who took Jens-Dieter is going to find out that this metaphor works on a LOT of levels in the city. I doubt he'll appreciate the lesson, but that's not my problem." She turned into the wind, looking down the mountainside and across the rocky terrain, hair whipping across her face, pale skin glowing in a sliver of moonlight. When she speaks again, there's less steel. More softness. "I should get out here more often. It's beautiful, in a rugged kinda way." She turned, and took Yvgniy's hand and gave it a quick squeeze, before heading back into the guard house. The room was much warmer than outside, but the slender girl still shivered from the cold. She found a patch of bare floor need the hearth, and curled up, like a cat before the fireplace, trying to shake the chill from her body and her thoughts, waiting for sleep to come.

 

[siobhancan99]

Shortly after she lay down, Ulricha and the big Cleric Flanked her. Yvginy was off by himself, only a light cloak covering him but he seemed perfectly comfortable. Astrid and the children huddled together under a bearskin, as did the two other Volks who arrived late to the party.

Ibrahim wedged himself between Ziva and the fire, so close that it might be too hot for thers, but coming from the sun-drenched lands of the south, he was most comfortable there. Ulricha curled up behind her, shifting to get under Ziva's cloak, but adding her own and another blanket for them to huddle under "you can freeze in weather like this, if the fire goes out" she whispered, her Gradzlatan suspiciously much better than normal. "Don't be stoic. We all need to watch out for each other. This will be a dangerous time." Within a few moments of speaking though, she was asleep, or at least not moving or responding.

The next morning, over a cold breakfast of leftover goat, they talk. Astrid taking the lead.

"For those of you who do not know, the duchy is divided into four counties. The counts themselves oversee 10 to 20 barons. Each baron is responsible for providing ten mailed knights and a hundred men at arms. They generally oversee a few valleys of farms and small towns. Our target is baron Jovan. He has a small castle amounting to just a tower with a wall. This is not his residence in peacetime. There's a large manor house overseeing farmland. That is where he has my husband. For now, Yvginy assures me that he is alive and well treated. We have two options. We move and strike the house swiftly, hoping that most of the guards are not present, or we fight a small war of attrition, killing the men off . Both have their risks. If we are wrong and 100 men are at the house, its suicide. If, however, they are not at the house now they might gather if we take too many. I am open to alternate plans."

 

[DramaNerdette]

She felt Ulricha and Ibrahim move in close. For a moment, Ziva felt a stab of anxiety, but the touch was a comfort. She swallowed down her hesitation, and took Ulricha's hand, squeezed it, and pulled the blond woman's arm around her, even as she rested her forehead against the top of the cleric's back. She felt better for holding Ulricha's hand, and for the closeness and strength of Ibrahim, and especially for the warmth of them both with her snuggled between.

The next morning, Ziva was gnawing on a greasy strip of goat flank. She was sitting on a bench, still next to the comforting and above all warm presence of Ulricha, listening as Astrid laid out their options. She frowned looking down at piece of meat as she thought about a manor house. Ziva had made deliveries to manor houses all throughout the city, but never out into the countryside like this. Not that there was likely much difference, other than probably a larger stable. And a bigger front yard. And probably only one really long front walkway for wagons and deliveries. Deliveries were important for manor houses, if you want to steal from them, and that's pretty much what they were here to do. Kinda. Delivery people were trusted and ignored, because someone had to bring your food and your correspondence and your entertainment, right? If you went to get any of that yourself, that would be little better than being part of the peasantry. Probably even moreso if you were out in the country with no one around. That was their way in.

Ziva piped up, "Well... a hundred soldiers means a hundred stomachs, right? The castle probably has those kinds of stores, but a manorhouse is built for family and staff, not family staff, and an army. If the troops are there, they're getting food delivered to them every morning, they'd have to be, right? Let me get up close to the house and see if they're taking a bunch of deliveries. If they are? Then we know the soldiers are there too, and we'll need a distraction to draw them off. If they aren't we can do a quick raid to get him free before they can come back. I... I don't like the attrition idea. Too much room for things to go bad, and if we do start winning, they might try to... remove our target." She looked awkwardly at Astrid, but the soldier would not be the type to shrink from the realities of the situation. "The longer we let this go, the worse our chances, I think. Today, or tomorrow. No longer than that."

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulricha pipes up in rapid fire volkish, having a brief exchange with Astrid, who clarifies for the others. "Feudal power is agricultural power. A baronial manor is not just a big house. It's a massive farm. It is fields of grain, orchards, flocks of sheep and cattle. Food is the least of their problems. The food is siloed or stored on site. However, the girl has a good point. They are not keeping 100 men at the manor. For on, their obligation is 100. That's in time of war. Many of that 100 will be locals conscripted into service as spearmen. Also the knights will have their own houses. Ulricha feels like there will be 10 or 15 men at the house at most. I disagree, but she seems to think Ziva's logic, while flawed in some ways is sound. I propose we send her and Yvginy, as they will be the least likely to arouse suspicion, to scout it out. Volks in the area will be supsicious, as will a Kriegminister." She gestured at Ibrahim who nodded but frowned "I will go too, but I will keep to the woods in case they need healing."

Astrid looked them over and Yvginy shrugged, as if weary and resigned "sure, sure, send the ethnic minority into danger. I mean I'm only one of the greatest magical talents of the age. Sure lets squander me on scouting" he huffed, but he went and gathered up his cloak and pack, looking over at Ziva "you need anything? Is maybe a day away."

 

[DramaNerdette]

She shook her head, gathering up a pouch of the dried lamb and a few spare waterskins. "If we make a steady pace today, and can follow the paths at night...this time of year, the sky will be clear, and if we keep moving we will keep warm, or at least warm enough. We should make the manor house by sun up. I think. We'll decide what to do then." She ditched her heavy pack along with most of the food, leaving it with the others. The bedroll, and her flints, were the only pieces of non-infiltration gear she decided were necessary. Walking SHOULD keep them warm enough to make it through the night, since it wasn't yet deep winter, but if she was wrong, she'd rather just be embarrassed than actually dead. She waited till Yvginy and Ibrahim were ready, and the three set off at a brisk, if manageable walk, with Yvginy's bird flying high above.

"If the bird tells you of men on horseback, we'll need to duck into a stand of trees on the roadside till they pass." she said, determined to keep as close to their schedule as she could. Harvest time was done for the year, though, so hopefully they wouldn't run into too many farmers on the road. It was a quiet trek, with Ibrahim occasionally breaking the silence and the tension with questions about Ziva's life in the city. Yvginy was his usual taciturn self, largely ignoring the chill, even once the sun sank below the horizon and the wind truly began to bite. They stopped for a minute to have a late meal of more cold goat, when Ziva spoke up. "Ok, we need to decide now, I think. Will the weather support a night march, or do we need to get under the trees and huddle up till morning?"

 

[siobhancan99]

"Sleep. We can't see in the dark even with the moon." The dark skinned cleric started to drop his packs when Yvginy took out a scroll. He uttered a phrase and the scroll disappeared into the ether. In its place a shimmering opaque dome covered the clearing. He spoke another word and it dimmed inside. Ziva could feel the temperature immediately increase to the point it was comfortable. "Since you two are not used to the cold. Southerners and city folk" He shrugged, then tossed his own packs down and set about making himself comfortable.

The southerner was soon wrapped up in his own cloak, snoring away. As Ziva started to drift she heard Yvginy whisper "bet you can't be quiet enough not to wake him up" She felt the tall lanky wizard slip in beside her, his hand sliding under her cloak, seeking to get under her shirt, though not aggressively. His serious face loomed over hers in the near dark conditions of the dome, "Bet you a silver you can't get off without getting him up."

 

[DramaNerdette]

The wonder of the heated dome faded against their exhaustion from the trek, and she was happy to be bedding down for some rest, when Yvigny pressed against her, whispering in her ear. Ziva blinked awake, and as she realized what what happening, her eyes bulged and she had to bite down on her thumb to stop herself from laughing. She twisted to look over her shoulder at the handsome, slender man whose hands slipped under the hem of her shirt. "You're a crazy person. You know that, right?" She asked, her heart starting to thrum in her chest. Damnit, she wanted it, even if it was crazy. She shook her head, and rolled her eyes. "And your timing is truly awful." She didn't let him reply, reaching up to slip her fingers into his hair, and pull him into a hungry kiss.

She slipped a hand back to his hip, pressed back against him, their lower bodies entwining as he slipped a leg over hers. His hand, still cool from the night air, slipped over her stomach, up between her breasts, and she hissed at the shock of cold before he muffled the sound with his tongue. "Mnhhh" was all the moan she could utter, and her fingers trailed from his hip, down between them, her ass and his bulge. Slender, clever fingers trailing along the covered length of him, nails grazing lightly. She had to hold her breath to keep from crying out when he finally flicked his thumb over one of her nipples, and her eyes shot to Ibrahim, worried he might have heard regardless.

 

[siobhancan99]

"Nonsense. Timing is perfect. There were too many people in the place before." He grinned and pinched her nipple, grinding his cock against her hand and ass through his trousers. He bit and kissed along her neck, tugging with his lips after, rough, hard enough to mark at the hollow of her throat. He bit her earlobe, whispering "be quiet now, unless you want an audience. Or a second dick." One hand tangled in her hair, pulling it to make her arch, the other cupped a breast, pinching, then lightly plucking, toying with the pebble of her nipple. He rolled it in his deft fingers, then released to slip his hand to the other. He teased her "Though maybe you should make noise eh? Maybe I make noise for you." He moaned in her ear, but low enough she knew it wouldn't really be heard.

All the while his hips moved, rubbing his hard cock against her hand. He released her to push his trousers down a bit, letting the veiny shaft drag unfettered along her fingers and palm. He kept his grip on her hair firm, though not so much it hurt, more keeping her from really turning around. He shifted, rubbing himself against her "you have cold hands. makes me think of home. His tongue traced the ridges of her ear, then he blew a soft breath across it.

Ibrahim, mercifully, gave no signs of being awake. It was hard to tell though, in the gloom of the magical dome. His breath seemed even and his eyes, at least for now were closed.

 

[DramaNerdette]

Her breathing was soft and ragged, as she carefully slid her hand along his length, enjoying it's thickness, "wait..." she said, trying to keep quiet, "What... what do you mean second dick?" she asked, confused and distracted. She pressed his cock against her, between the roundness of her ass. "I'm sure my hands will warm up soon. 'Sides, I'm not the only one chillllLY!" she gasped, far louder than she indended as he licked across the edge of her ear. She watched Ibrahim. He was a stranger, but warm. Kind. She blushed as she realized she wasn't sure if she wanted him to wake up or not.

"Gonna try to fuck me every time we work together, Yvginy?" she asked, "A girl might think you were trying to take advantage of her generous nature." She rolled her hips, nothing but the thin cloth of her underpants between them, stroking him with her ass. She could feel a slickness on her fingertips. His excitement, oozing from the tip of him. Sliding her hand out from between them, Ziva brings her fingers, shining, to her mouth, and carefully licks them clean, making sure he can see.

 

[siobhancan99]

Yvginy tugged her underwear down, just under her ass. He let his cock slide between her cheeks, resting there, feeling the soft flesh of them along either side. "I might be taking advantage of the fact you like it so much" He laughed softly and flicked his tongue along her ear again, then slid his hand from her breast down between her legs. He took his two fingers, slipping them along her clit, then started to circle it. He teased her, letting the pads of his fingers graze around and around, not quite touching at first, then slipping along it and slipping away. His hard cock rested against her, hot against her skin, thick from his arousal "But I promise... only when it would be super inappropriate. Not just all the time." He tugged on her earlobe "what a dirty little kitten you are nyet?"

He pulled back a little, then sank his long thick cock into her, sliding in, then just holding it inside her. He wasn't completely buried in her and he whispered "Fuck me. Rock your hips and fuck yourself on my cock" He kissed along her neck, his tone firm if his voice was quiet "Go on, show me what a dirty kitten you can be" His fingers continued to tease and stroke, slipping over and away, keeping his touch light. His other hand remained wrapped in her hair, tugging a little more firmly "fuck you're nice and tight."

 

[DramaNerdette]

She was parting her legs for his hand when he admitted his inappropriate timing, and it just... struck her, and she had to clap her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing at the absurdity. Then, he filled her, and the laughter was replaced with a gasp. She realized she wasn't being super quiet, and her face burned with embarassment, but it didn't stop her from following his commands, eyes closed, pressing back to fill herself with him. "Yesss... yessir..." She rocked back against him, biting her lip, them pulling off, letting most of him slide back out, long, gentle motions, filling herself, pleasuring them both. "W-wait... wait stop..."

Ziva pulled herself off, but only for a moment, moving to her hands and knees, ass facing her lover. "Ok... ok I'm ready." Yvginy smirks, and got onto his knees, rubbing himself against her lips before sinking back inside, so deep his hips made a small clap againse her ass. She grunted softly, but started moving, back and forth, riding his cock and trying to remain quiet. She had thought she was doing well, when Ibrahim's sleepy eyes blinked open.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ibrahim looked surprised for a moment, then laughed "You owe me a silver." Yvginy grinned, not being quiet at all now. He gripped her hips and started fucking her nice and hard, setting a steady rhythm. He took one hand and smacked her ass, then gripped her hips again, his cock sliding in and out with precision, his body shifting to angle it to drag along her upper wall, the fat head of it rubbing against her with each thrust. He kept a firm grip, hands digging into her hips as he drilled her. The cleric at first moved to look away, then when things got more animated simply sat up and watched. He held Ziva's gaze, his eyes on her face in the darkness. Yvginy leaned over "you know what I meant by a second cock." His voice, mildly sarcastic as ever cut through the night, adding to the sound of their fucking, the slap of flesh on flesh as her ass met his hips. He let go of her hips to lean over her, hands on the ground next to hers, his lips brushing her ear "that's it, look right at him" his tongue flicked along her ear and he didn't stop moving, getting what he needed out of her toned, lithe, athletic body.

 

[DramaNerdette]

She gasped a little laugh, "Oh you assholes..." and then bit her lip, cheeks burning with embarrassment as she met Ibrahim's eyes... embarrassment, but also arousal. She lowered her eyes for a moment, feeling the heat of Yvigny, driving into her, taking his pleasure and giving her joy as well. She gasped, mouth open for a moment, as his stroke slid in, an instant of perfection in cloud of wonderful. Her worries, cares, fears of the past week, thrust from her mind by the cock filling her. The looked again, and this time Ibrahim was stroking himself through his pants. Ziva could see the thickness there, and trembled with need, even at the slap slap slap of Yvigny's cock entering her over and over brought her closer to a boil. Her fingers curled into little fists on the blanket, and the priest raised an eyebrow, a faint grin on his face. "Sorry. My friend is impatient, and an idiot, but he felt you would... enjoy maybe being watched. You do seem to be enjoying it. Quite a bit." Ziva moaned, and hung her head. She had never been fucked like this. Never realized how much she wanted to be fucked like this.

"Y-you don't.. you don't have to... just watch..." she gasped, her tender flushed gaze hopeful.

 

[siobhancan99]

Yvginy spoke a word and the dome lit up inside. Ibrahim kneeled in front of her, stroking his thick cock "and where would I put it eh? not up that tight little butt." He grins and teases, brushing his cock along her lips "maybe should just wait and take a turn. What you think wizard?" Yvginy hmmms, kissing her neck "I think you take a turn or fuck her mouth or fuck her mouth then take a turn"

Ibrahim laughed "you're a great help." He reached down, running his fingers through her hair as if to reassure her, to build a little connection with her first. He kept his brown eyes staring down into her green ones, then cupped her chees, brushing this thumbs along the cheekbones. He grinned and then slipped back so his cock brushed her lips again, tapping it playfully against them as Yvginy moved inside her, his cock sliding in and out, still with that uncanny precision. The dark skinned cleric tilted her chin up with a hand, so he could better look down at her "and what's your vote, pretty thing?"

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Oh? I get a vote now?" She breathes, trying to keep her voice steady, in spite of the cock working in and out of her. "I thought I was just here to get accosted when I was trying to sleep."

Yvigny rolled his eyes, smirk never leaving his face. "The Baker girl will complain of one cock when she is getting two? Greedy girl."

She smiled, shy, excited, "Mmm hmm. Maybe. A little. Can I taste you?"

Ibrahim's eyes, kind and passionate, met Ziva's. "Yes. You can." He slipped his hand to the back of her head, and gently slid his cock into her mouth, met with a moan of pleasure as the young girl's tongue slid against the underside of him. There, in the little bubble shielded from the world, Ziva rocked between her two lovers, bound by their hands. Each using her for their pleasure and hers, her moans of joy muffled by the priest's thickness. Her fingers wrapped around the base of him, stroking, and his hands reached beneath her, palm on her swaying breasts. Yvginy, his own release approaching, began to speed up. Ziva's moans became more urgent, intense, desperate, her free hand on the back of Ibrahim's thigh, pulling him deeper into her mouth. He grunted, fingers tightening in her hair gentle lovemaking giving way to needful fucking as the two men worked to bring their pleasure to Ziva's body.

Ziva was the first to cum, whimpering as her thighs began to shake. Her pussy clenched around Yvginy's cock, tight, hungry, and he did not last much longer. His firm grip on her hips, his drumlike, steady pace faltered as he began to fill her as he buried himself over and over. Ziva looked up, met Ibrahim's eyes once more. The priest cried out, and began to climax with his lover, each burst of cum onto her tongue swallowed and replaced with another. It might have been seconds. It might have been minutes. But soon the threesome collapsed onto their bedrolls.

Ziva was still trying to catch her breath, when she wiped her chin, and started giggling with the joy of it. Scooting up to Ibrahim, she threw a leg over his hip, and held him close, her head tucked under his chin. Then she reached behind her for Yvginy, and pulled him up behind her, letting her be his little spoon. She sighed happily, truly relaxed for the first time in days. "Thank you. Both of you." she said quietly, before drifting off to sleep.

 

[siobhancan99]

After dawn broke, the trio made their way into the valley where the baron's manor sat. In the lower altitudes, the frost had not yet touched the fall foliage. Along the foothills and up the slopes, brilliant hues of gold and orange bedecked the oaks and maples that thickly forested the area. The floor of the valley though was largely shorn of vegetation. The signs of recent harvest abounded, with carefully denuded fields. Here and there, green still dotted the landscape with pastures, and cattle and sheep could be seen and heard making their breakfast.

The trio made their way along a wide stream that served as a tributary to the river flowing through the city. It seemed the primary route for movement through the area, being deep enough for some skiffs and with well worn paths beside. A few travelers made their way along the path here or there, but none seemed to take note of them. As they moved along, they saw the men at arms of the barony standing watch, as one might expect, at crossroads, grain depots and the like. It seemed, at least at first blush, that the baron hadn't put the area on high alert. No challenges were made to them as strangers, and the normal activity of rural guards was on full display.

When they got closer to the manor itself, Yvginy broke off the trail to move through the woods. The going was rougher, but it gave them an opportunity to approach without being seen. Still, none of the three of them had any woodscraft and they made plenty of noise among the leaves and sticks littering the forest floor. When they got closer, they saw the manor was a proud stone house, far bigger than the houses even in the heights.

Yvginy sent the raven ahead, then muttered a spell. Suddenly, Ziva could see what he saw through the eyes of the raven. Maybe a dozen leather clad men at arms at the entrance to the house. Tents with small retinues of squires and other men at arms as well, two tents with different heraldry. he'd called in only 2 of his ten knights so far. he might have called in others though, who could be on the way or making excuses as to their lateness.

The house itself had a grand entrance, and also what looked like a servants entrance. Around it were grain silos, and a few clear storage bunkers for meat and vegetables, buried in the ground.

 

[DramaNerdette]

"Ok. My first impression is that the grain silos could make a great distraction. Grain is really really flammable. Explosive, if you get enough of it in one place at a time. The harvest should have come in so if they haven't shipped that stuff out yet they'll be full to bursting. Second, not a ton of them here. I think the smash and grab idea might work, if the fire pulls some of the guard off. I mean it won't be SAFE, but I'm worried if we wait, more of those knights will show up. What do you guys think?"

Ziva chewed her fingernails, an old nervous habit, as she watched the building. That was a lot of men. This wasn't happening without blood on the floor, which meant pursuit. "Is the plan to head back to that guard house? One of the key rules of a robbery is knowing your exit strategy, and everything I can think of ends in either a massacre, or us being hunted by a whole army."

 

[siobhancan99]

Yvginy shrugs "Is not our place to decide nyet? This is Astrid's show. We look, we report." he cut the connection to them, so they were all looking out of their own eyes. The swift change in vision was momentarily disorienting. The cleric staggered a moment, then straightened. "well, as I see it.. and as a war-priest I do have some strategic training... we have two options. We go in hard, risking... as the girl says... looking over our shoulders the whole while after... but I think that might be a risk of going in quiet as well no? I mean, whatever it is they think you know... they're not going to stop thinking that you know it just because we get the man out of there."

"So I think it's, go in hard and risk immediate retribution, while inflicting enough pain that they rethink that retribution or..." he looks her over "you go in... alone. Those two Volks seemed silent in the woods and from what I saw Astrid is as well, but I'm guessing that skill doesn't translate to moving around inside a darkened house, or picking locks. Ulricha and I have no stealth ability at all. We would lumber around in there like elephants."

When the two give him a strange look he sighs "think a horse that's maybe 5 times the size."

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva swallowed nervously, but nodded. "A house is a house. If I get to the door, the rest I know how to handle." She squinted for a moment, thinking. "...or window. I can climb up, sneak in a window, and figure out from there exactly where he's being held. If it's upstairs, I can try to free him and we can exit a window. Zvigny can float us down. If he's in a basement..." She paused. "...more difficult to sneak in, but a LOT more difficult to force our way in without them having a chance to hurt Jens-Dieter in retaliation."

She closed her eyes, recalling everything she could about the layout they say through the view of the bird's eyes. When she opened them again, her tone was grim, "Best part is, if I'm captured, we still have a second shot at it. Not that I'm planning on getting captured of course it's just... contingencies." She looked up at Yvigny, "Can you signal Astrid from here, or are we hiking back, or what?"

 

[siobhancan99]

"No" Yvginy replied, apparently to both. The trio made their way down to the small river, and made their way back to a town. There he paid for them to be taken by cart to the edge of the baron's territory. Travelling in the cart was much easier, and much swifter along the well kept roads. the trio lounged a bit, huddled in for warmth in the chill Autumn air. Towards nightfall, they were nearly back to camp. Ibrahim summoned a great globe of light that shone as bright as day, out about 100 feet. "not exactly stealthy but.." he shrugged, and the group was able to wend its way through the mountains to the camp without incident.

When they arrived, there was stew on the fire, and some attempts had been made to patch the drafts in the walls and cover the windows. As a result, the atmosphere was a little more cheerful. Yvginy gave a brief report on the situation and Astrid hmmmed. "Ziva... If we attack the main house, can you get in through the servant's entrance and rescue Jens-Dieter?"

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva frowned, crossing her arms. "I can. But he's not going to appreciate all this hard work to get him out of the house if you get pinned down and killed while we're skipping off into the sunset. How are you guys going to slip free of the net once I get him out? I mean, I'm assuming we'll be meeting back here after the job, but if we can do it without half an army on our tails, that'd be helpful too." She gnawed on a lip, scanning the ground, as if searching for a way out of the trap. "If... I hate to suggest something like this, but I know a lot of us have to be thinking it, if we kill the little lordling who's got his underclothes in a twist, does this go away?"

She rubbed her hands, still cold from the cart ride, even under the pile of furs and huddled with her two companions. Her stomach growled, and she moved to the fire, scooping some of the stewed meat left over from dinner into a bowl. She stared at it. "Important guys with secrets don't like spreading that stuff around. I... I'm thinking he'd wanna be close by. For the interrogation. If I can get to Jens-Dieter and spring him, I can probably get to the client as well and... change some circumstances there as well." She closed her eyes, and slowly let out a breath, before asking the room, quietly, "Is that as bad an idea as I'm thinking it might be?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Astrid shrugs "I'm not saying there are names among us worth a thousand mailed knights apiece or anything, but... We're each more than adequate to a local spearman levy. It's really only the mounted knights that will give us any trouble."

Ibrahim nodded "the spearmen will mass by the door and if they stand in our way I can bring down a flamestrike that will decimate their ranks." He agreed "the knights and their retinues are the real problem. Two knights, probably two squires that can also fight. There might also be two or three others in their retinue that will cause a real issue."

Astrid looked over at Ziva "you are NOT to engage the client unless you have to to get Jens-Dieter out." She shifted "Remember, as a feudal lord he basically manages an estate or trains to kill all day. The baron will be a real problem, and if he has older sons they will be a real problem. The client could be anyone inside the house, but the Baron and if he has an older son are not exactly going to let you just carve up whoever it is behind this. Now, if things go south I wouldn't hesitate to take a hostage if need be."

She gave Ziva a pack "Here's an extra hauberk for my husband, and there's a holy symbol inside so he can cast once you get to him, along with a dagger."

Ibrahim gave Ziva a clay jug stopped with wax, about the size of a child's cup "drink this just before you go in. It will enhance your natural agility."

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva nodded, and then looked a little confused, and glanced into the bag. "Huh. This is one of those bigger-on-the-inside situations, isn't it... I wonder if I could fit Jens-Dieter in here..." she mused for a moment, before seeing the other staring at her. "Just as a last resort! I don't know what putting a living person inside of one of these things would even do, so it's not my first choice." she hefted the backpack onto her back, and slipped the clay jug into a pouch on her hip. "Ok, well... if you hear a gunshot, that's probably a signal from me that things are... going rapidly sideways. Anyways, let's get this done. I'm not sure we gain anything else by waiting."

She bounces on the balls of her feet, nervous and eager to get this over with, afraid that this job will keep her from ever going back and being that quiet girl in the bakery ever again. A darker part of her mind, she would have to admit, felt some relief at that. No more pretending to her father that this was what she really wanted for her life. He was starting to realize it on his own, but watching his dreams for his daughter wither in his eyes was... obscurely painful.

Ziva walked out the door, and leaned against the outside wall of the building, checking the load on her pistols, and the draw on her knives. Tugging the armor straps just a little tighter as if she were about to join the fight right now, instead of in another day's time. She stared into the distance of the valley below them as her hands ran their checks, almost on automatic, trying to imagine what it'd be like. Where they'd find them... what she'll have to do to the guards they run into if they spot her. She shivered, but it was not from the cold.

 

[siobhancan99]

The pack was large enough for a chain hauberk, and, disappointingly, was slightly smaller on the inside than the outside. Also the chain shirt was heavy, so that was nice.

The trek overland in the predawn hours was both cold and nearly silent. The two Volks scouted ahead of the trio of women, Yvginy and Ibrahim. As dawn became mid-day, they approached the small town nearby, and took a barge down the navigable water towards the baronial manor. At the pier, Ziva disappeared into the treeline, and the group made its way towards the manor itself just before dusk. The sky itself was orange tinged with a deep red. Ziva's breath frosted in the near winter chill of the evening, and she waited for the attack to commence. As she watched the group approach, she saw two men in full plate ride up on horses, lances at the ready. Those would be the knights. On one shield was sable a griffin rampant argent in full, over a bend vert, and on the other azure a rose-en-soleil argent, per bend sinister purpure. She was sure Jens-Dieter would know something of the heraldry, but she did not. What she could see is men with money. Big strong men on strong armored horses, with a set of plate that was two years wages. There was a brief exchange, and then the men started riding down the hill at a fast gallop, lances at the ready. The party scattered, and all attention of the men in front of the house was on the melee. As Ziva made her way towards the house, she saw two young men, old to be squires, almost knights. They charged from the tents, fresh lances in their hands and swords on their hips. They were clad in full chain. She could also see a pair of men loading muskets. They, however, did not see her and she had a free line to make it to the servant's door of the house, and in if she was lucky enough to find it unlocked... which at this time of day one would assume.

 

[DramaNerdette]

Ziva peeled off the wax seal and drank the foul concoction, bitter alchemy with a tart aftertaste of limes that utterly failed to hide any of the flavors. And was that... Rancid bacon grease? She nearly gagged, but she got it down and tried the door handle. Yep, unlocked. She slipped inside and went to the first door she could see, determined not to be caught hanging out next to the exit. Listening at the door, she heard no sounds from within, so she slipped cracked the door, ready to duck in if anyone came along. Then... She closed here eyes, and inhaled.

Deep in her soul, Ziva was a baker's kid. She knew the smell of bread in the oven or a stew on the flames like she knew the sound of her father's footsteps, or the feel of dough on her palms. Three breaths, and she knew the kitchens were down the left hand hallway. She started towards them with a purpose. She didn't have any illusions that walking as if she meant to be here would give her free reign, but it might buy her an extra five seconds, which could be an eternity if you were on the wrong side of them in a fight. When she got to the kitchen, she heard the nervous gossip from within of servants worrying about the battle outside. So she drew her pistol and stepped in. "Hello everyone, I just need a moment of your time."