While Sir Eingar walked back to his manor, the squires continued to chat.  Realizing that his guests no longer followed him, Sir Eingar wheeled around.  When he saw that the squires had not moved, he quickened his step back to the squires.

As he approached, he said, "I invited you back to my home as a gesture of goodwill, I consider it rude that you tarry here."  However, he heard the discussion that was going on among the squires and immediately his face reddened with rage.  "What manner of men are you that would plot and gossip behind a knight's back?  You new squires have no honor and quibble like women or dandies.  Perhaps you have been in the company of men of the cloth for too long," (here he pointed to Father Jerome, Father Aigulf and Hermit Doolin), "I doubt that you would even fight to prove your cause.  I shall not give you the chance to fly, so arm yourself!"

With that, Sir Eingar drew his axe and attacked Walter, who stood in front.  Walter quickly drew his sword and defended himself, but Sir Eingar was too quick.  Sir Eingar's heavy blow cracked Walter's shield nearly in half, but Walter himself was unharmed.

Meanwhile, two of the men-at-arms began attacking Gontran and Bailain.  Gontran parried the clumsy spear thrust with his sword and struck back, wounding and knocking down the attacker.  Bailain swung with his club, but missed the spearman while the spear glanced off his shield.

---

Now the fight is on!

Sir Eingar rolled 16 for damage, which is exactly Walter's defense.  Sir Eingar rolled 2x 6's on his damage roll, which (because he is using an axe), reduces Walter's shield by 4 points (only 2 left!), mostly shattering it.

Gontran did 11-4=7 damage to the spearman, but 11 was equal to his size so it knocked him down as well, putting him at a disadvantage for next round.

Bailain lost to the spearman, but he did 9-11=0 damage.

There are still many bystanders, including the priests and many peasants, with other spearmen coming this way from the manor house.

Gontran quickly had found himself in the thick of things, but rather than engaging the knight as he intended, he was left to deal with this rabble.  Knocking the man off his feet, he pointed with his sword.  "You fought well, but now you must yield and stay down," he growled, "Or next time I will not hesitate to finish you."

Without waiting for a response he turned to move toward Walter and the knight, hoping that defeating their leader swiftly might force a surrender with minimal bloodshed.

 It seemed the Knight took exception to the impromptu conference the Squires had with one another. The bloody lack wit actually attacked them. Just for not following the Knight, he attacked them. Bailian responded to this matter in an odd way. He actually laughed. " THANK YOU!!" was all he said. Then let his spiked cudgel continue his dialogue.

 Bailain entered the melee with a grin upon his face as he layed about him with the oak club with iron spikes.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:51, Thu 09 Aug 2018.

"So you're a heartless monster, a coward, and an oathbreaker for attacking guests in your own home then hmm?  And here I thought my opinion of you couldn't sink any lower" Walter replied as he swung with his sword, forcing the knight to step back and cease his assault on Walter if only for a moment.  Pressing the offensive, he quickly added "Some knight you are!  No, you're little more than a rabid dog, and deserve to be put down as such!"  Walter's words were intentional, for one, he hoped that they might cause the man to lose his cool, and such a thing was often quite lethal in a fight.  However, more importantly, he saw Gontran looming in the distance, and his words and strikes were aimed to keep Eingar entirely focused on him, rather than the large squire rapidly approaching.  If he managed to do this correctly, the knight wouldn't even notice Gontran until it was too late, and would thus be unable to mount an effective defense.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:27, Thu 09 Aug 2018.

Gontran stood over the fallen peasant warrior, his sword pointed down at the man in the signal of a victor allowing the vanquished to submit.  The spearman spoke no word, but awkwardly shuffled back until he could stand and flee, leaving his spear and shield on the ground.  Looking up, Gontran could see several other would-be spearmen coming from the manor home, but upon seeing their fellow wounded and fleeing, dropped their arms and fled as well.  They were not professional warriors, they were not oath-bound knights, they were mere ruffians, kept by Sir Eingar to enforce his rule.

Bailain, of the three squires, was happiest to plunge headlong into battle.  The spearman attempted to use the length of his weapon to the advantage and keep Bailain at a distance, while Bailain tried to close the gap and make a close strike with his club.  Neither were successful, and they ended up entangled closer than the spear point, but not close enough to land a cudgel strike.  Each man struggled, but Bailain was larger and quicker and stronger, landing a solid club strike.  The spearman's poor armor did not abate the blow, which broke several ribs.  The spearman crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Meanwhile, Walter continued his struggle with Sir Eingar.  After cracking Walter's shield, Sir Eingar had to wrench the axe free, while Walter berated him, then responded, "Ha!  Am I to be lectured by a squire, who barely can hold a sword and has no arms¹ himself?  Begone from my realm with your sniveling churchmen!"  With that, Sir Eingar raised the axe to strike again, but Walter was too quick - the squire had moved inside the arc of the axe, but was unable to strike with his sword.  Each combatant repositioned, but having seen Sir Eingar's swings, Walter judged precisely the timing and was able to strike a blow against the knight.  Sir Eingar's shield deflected some of the force, but it still caused him to be knocked down.



¹ Here "arms" meaning "coat of arms", which only knights (or ladies) were allowed to display.

---

Gontran inadvertently drove away the reinforcements, which was a good move.
Bailain, both you and the spearman failed your rolls.  That was fun to narrate.
Walter, both you and Sir Eingar failed your rolls too!  This was an all-around bad round... should just redo it.

In the interest of time, I continued for a second round since nothing was decided.

Next round, Bailain does 14-4=10 damage, for a knockdown and major wound.
Next round, Walter does 17-14=3 damage, but 17 is good enough for a knockdown!

"I may be a squire, and without my arms, yet I am more of a knight than you will ever be oathbreaker!  And yet, which one of us is on the ground bleeding I ask you?  And so I will give you this one and only chance, yield now, or we will kill you where you stand.  After all, I'm sure my good friend Squire Gontran there would for nothing more than the chance to rend your limbs asunder for your crimes."  Walter said with a jerk of his head towards his fellow squire.  While Walter's words would have hardly been scary in and of themselves, as the young man was anything but imposing, Gontran also loomed over the man, finished as he was with his own fight.  And Gontran, now Gontran was imposing as all hell, what with being built like a bloody bear.

For what it's worth, if nothing happens in a round, I'm quite alright with you doing just that.  2-3 rounds at once really speeds things up.

Gontran, I hope you don't mind my post.  You said you were coming this way to help, so I took very minor liberties.  Say the word though and I'll change it!

Gontran barely cast a glance to ensure that the spearman didn't take an opportunity to stab him in the back.  Seeing the fallen weapon on the ground without an owner, he stalked towards Eingar and Walter, seething, and with sword at the ready.

"This one will not yield, Walter," he growled.  "He is not as smart as his men, who now flee the field."  Gontran looked to Eignar while pointing after the men-at-arms with his sword.  "A man merely paid acts only in his best interests... a cruel man effects no loyalty."  Gontran said.  "I may be no knight -- and at this rate I may never be -- but even I know that."

Gontran cast his eyes to Walter and then back to Eignar.  "Now, my companion has offered surrender," he continued, "And I will not betray his generosity.  I do hope, however..." and here Gontran's sword-hand seemed to twitch anxiously, "...that you prove me right and dare to stand up again."

No need to change anything, Walter.  You followed precisely what I said I was doing.

I second Walter's statement about running several rounds -- as many as it takes to see some meaningful change in the battle -- to keep things moving.

EDIT: Changed it slightly so it didn't sound like I was lecturing Walter, but rather Eignar.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:39, Mon 13 Aug 2018.

Agreed

  Bailain brandished his club and looked for more enemies to fell.

This message was deleted by the player at 23:45, Thu 16 Aug 2018.

Sir Eingar, on the ground and at the point of Walter's sword, laughed at the squire's offer of surrender.  "What manner of craven coward would I be to surrender to one such as you?  A single blow from a sword, even delivered by a lowly squire to peasant, can by fate fell any knight but I will not be accounted a timid man."

Here his speech was cut off, as the peasants from the village had stormed past the squires and fell upon Sir Eingar with hatchet and spade and all manner of tools.  The squires could not hold back the communal release of rage as the villagers pounced upon the knight like a pack of wolves rabidly devouring their prey.  Father Aigulf shouted fruitlessly for the peasants to stop, and slowly one-by-one they stepped away.  As each turned, their tools and hands showed evidence of the spattered blood droplets, and, like a wave receding away from the beach, the whole group of peasants slowly flowed away from their former lord.  When the last of them had abandoned the body, and the squires could get a look at him, his face still displayed a surprised look.  His clothing was torn to ribbons and his body was pierced in many places.

Father Jerome, Father Aigulf and Brother Doolin each crossed themselves repeatedly at the grizzly sight, while the peasants cheered the downfall of their cruel overlord.

---

What are you to do?  Peasants rising up against their lord was technically treasonous, but he was a jackass and had just killed two peasants.  What of the town, and who is to govern it now?  What of the (average) store of riches in his manor house?

 Bailian watched the peasants fall upon the honorless Knight, and tear his to pieces like a pack of dogs upon a Coney. He was not sure what he should do in this situation, as the man had deserved what he received. But peasants slaying a Knight, they could all face the gallows for such a deed. But he then fell back on what he knew, the mission.

 The squire moved his horse forward then wheeled to face the group.“We must leave this place, and in haste, We are on our Duke’s business, and a mighty important business it be. Let the Bishop see to his own."said as Bailian made a sweeping gesture with his arm towards the peasants and corpse. "And we, to ours.”
This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Sun 19 Aug 2018.

Well, there went Walter's chance at a reward for his actions in restoring the river's course.  Not that he had expected one given how things had been headed, but it would have been nice.  A knight wasn't supposed to worry about money, but for a young man, it was still an essential part of life.  His friend's words forced him from his thoughts, however, and he shook his head.  "No, we need to return to the Prince-Bishop and inform him of what happened here.  As witnesses to today's events, our testimony is crucial.  We're only a day's ride at most, and I'm sure that the Duke will be understanding of the need for a delay given the circumstances."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:33, Mon 20 Aug 2018.

  Walter could tell by years of experience, his friend Bailian was going to be difficult on this matter. His usual stone faced expression was now formed into a deep frown, a sure indication that he was not going to be moved, or at least not with ease. “Go to the Prince-Bishop?!?   Say we go tra-la-laing off to the Prince Bishop, and what are we supposed to tell his nibs? He was harsh when asked for a blessing. What do ye think his humor will be, when you tell him one of his vassals is as cold as day old bread?"

 Bailain Looked hard at his well-meaning but misguided friend, and did his best in his low born gruff way to convince his brother, for he thought of Walter as such, to change his mind.” What do we say, when his nibs demands why we did not help the lord of this manor, when he was set upon? How are you going to explain why a Knight attacked you?  And why we have not reaped these peasants like wheat before the sickle, for daring to attack their lord?  Nay, we need to complete the task as set to us by our liege. Report what happened here to the duke, and let those above our lot deal with this mess.”

 Bailain Was about done, but had two last thoughts, he hurled at Walter. “What if his nibs changes his mind and refuses the loan of whatever the good father has. And last but not least, what if we are blamed for the death of the lack wit knight? I do not fancy being a guest in the Prince-Bishops Dungeon.”

Gontran looked at the remains of Sir Eignar, wiping the blood from his blade.  He turned then to Father Aigulf, ready to comment crudely, but then remembered the priest had been injured and thought better of it.  He looked around for further threats and, spying none, sheathed his blade.

"If the Prince-Bishop does not hear it from us, who will he hear it from?" he asked his colleagues.  "These good people who will deny slaying their lord and set the blame on us?"  He gestured to the people.  "Or shall we force Father Aigulf to choose between betraying his flock to the gallows or committing a falsehood?"  He frowned.

"I think that, perhaps, we need to accept the responsibility here.  At the very least, the Prince-Bishop is more likely to believe we squires who are outsiders than peasants who might be considered malcontents."  He paused thoughtfully.  "Of course, we must defer to Father Jerome, our ward.  If he wishes to press on, then so we shall."

Father Jerome, hearing all this debate, finally spoke up.  "What you say is true, that the Prince-Bishop ought to hear about the death of one of his knights from another noble.  It is important to mention the way he struck Father Aigulf, as the Prince-Bishop will have little tolerance for violence against men of the cloth.  I am not so frightened by the idea of taking an extra couple days out of our way to deliver this news and then proceed on.  As you say, the Prince-Bishop has a right to know of the happenings on his own land."

The squires were able to trace their way back to Liege with little difficulty, as a large portion of the day's journey was following upstream along the river.  As evening fell, the city of Liege itself appeared to have closed its doors to outsiders, a different pace of life than the frenetic case of Bastogne.  The squires were in no way held or delayed when they knocked on the abbey door, but led inside by one of the brothers and brought to a small meeting chamber.

Shortly, the Prince-Bishop entered from a different side room and greeted the squires.  "Oh, hello again."  The greeting was less than enthusiastic, after the last meeting where he had nearly accused some of the squires of being glory-hounds.  "Have you returned with the relic so quickly?  That could not nearly have been time to travel from here to Bastogne and back."

Father Jerome pulled back the cloth of his robes to show that he still possessed the silver reliquary box and contents.  "No, Prince-Bishop, we have not yet traveled to Bastogne, but the squires wished to tell you of the strange and curious behavior of one of the knights on your own lands."  Here Father Jerome nudged the squires forward.

Arriving once more before the Prince-Bishop, Walter bowed deeply, his face an emotionless mask.  "Indeed sir.  As the good Father said, we are here due to some troubles that we encountered during our return trip."  Taking a deep breath, Walter began to outline their adventures, describing the bandits that they initially encountered, and their captive's claims about the now-departed Sir Eingar.  Next, he told the tale of the peasants and the river, taking great care to describe the heroic rescue of the hermit by Bailian, and Gontran's key role in keeping everyone calm and collected.  However, when it came time for his own exploits, he was quick to gloss over them, saying simply that "We managed to correct the course of the river by destroying parts of the dam, and it is in fact, my understanding that things should be even better than before thanks to the new flow."

But finally, he arrived at the crux of the matter, Sir Eingar.  Describing the scene that awaited them as they first arrived, Walter's voice cracked slightly, and he was forced to pause a moment to collect himself.  However, he quickly recovered and continued with his tale, freely sharing their shock and horror at the sight, to say nothing of when Eingar struck the Father.  "He then offered us his hospitality, but given what we had just seen, we were obviously very conflicted.  It was then that the man threw himself at us, screaming about our being little better than women, and too long in the company of men of the cloth."

Walter's account of the battle itself was brief, much like the conflict itself.  However, he did his best to emphasize the fact that the man seemed keen to continue to fight, despite the fact that he had been knocked down and offered the chance to peacefully surrender.  "It was then that the people rose up and struck the man down."  Pausing to blow out a heavy breath, as if having just completed a heavy labor, Walter quickly added "I beg thee sire, please don't judge the people too harshly, for they were little more than products of their environment.  I do hope you'll forgive me for speaking ill of the dead, but by all accounts, Sir Eingar was a monster, who regularly abused his station.  He spat in the face of the Church and its teachings, as does the Bible not say that 'He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him'?"

Eloquence and or Intrigue test?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:07, Sun 26 Aug 2018.

Once again, Gontran found himself in the company of learned men.  As he listened to Walter speak, he was reminded that he was always in the presence of his betters, although he occasionally let himself forget it.  Since he had known Walter, during happier days at Buchenborg, Walter had possessed a gift for speaking.  As Walter continued, Gontran stared at his own arm, still bandaged, and wondered if he had anything to contribute in such company.

Walter's gift weighed heavily on Gontran, for he was compelled to break the spell Walter had woven with his own clumsy words.  "I have two regrets in the matter, Your Excellency."  He paused, already questioning his decision to speak up in this company.  "We could not have prevented the deaths of the peasants, for we arrived too late, but had I issued a challenge immediately, perhaps Father Aigulf might not have been struck."  He frowned, for he had been dwelling on this long.  "Had the Father not been struck, perhaps the people would not have been so enraged as to set upon Sir Eingar."

During their last visit to Liege, Gontran had avoiding meeting the Bishop and, from what he could tell, it had been the right decision.  Now, rather than return down that path of wisdom and hope to continue to be overlooked, Gontran had spoken up.  His discomfort -- stemming both from admitting his faults and doing so to this man -- was evident.  Nonetheless, he promised two regrets, and he had yet to express the second.

He shifted uncomfortably.  "And had the people not set upon him -- and I tell you honestly, we would have prevented that if it had been possible, but they were driven in such a fury as I have rarely seen to defend their shepherd -- then he would be alive to answer for his misdeeds.  Perhaps..." he sighed.  "Perhaps Sir Eingar might have sought to atone."  Gontran considered trying to add something like 'God rest his soul,' but it certainly would have been a false affectation coming from Gontran.

If there were a God -- and Gontran oft doubted after the misfortune that had befallen his family -- then surely Sir Eingar was now in Hell.

 Bailian, his opinion having been discarded, yet again, fell silent and remained so  on the journey back to the Prince Bishop. The deep frown seemed chiseled upon his features, for it did not change over much .

 When the small group went before the Prince-Bishop, Bailain did not break his self imposed vow of silence. He stood behind the others and let them do the talking.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Sun 26 Aug 2018.

Prince-Bishop Fulcaire patiently listened to the squire's stories.  For much of the story, he simply nodded silently, but when the details of Sir Eingar's death came up he too crossed himself.  "It is not right for men to behave like a pack of wolves and tear apart a man, but in this case it may be excusable since the target of their anger was the one who caused them so much pain."  When Walter went on and called the Bible verse, the Prince-Bishop appeared happy.  "Well, perhaps you have taken the lessons of the Word of God to heart and are not as pompous as you first appeared.  And so I will tell you that Sir Eingar was a loyal knight, but did not seem genuinely pious in the least.  It does not surprise me that he could be so abusive toward those below him."  For a time, he waited in silence, contemplating his response, eyes closed as if in prayer.  Finally, he added, "Go, return to Duke Thierry, deliver the relic as you were instructed.  I shall not hold you to blame for a mad-man's self destruction.  But let this be a lesson to you, that when you are appointed knights of the Christian faith, you do not forget the teachings of our Lord and Savior."  With that, he departed.

The squires stayed another night in Liege, then re-embarked on the road to Bastogne in the morning.  This trip, unlike the previous one, was thankfully uneventful, and the squires reached Bastogne quickly.

The knights of the realm, along with their chosen squires, assembled at La Roche at the completion of their mission to track down the bandit-knight who bore a jewel on his shield.  With Prince Charlemagne and Duke Thierry seated at the head table, the knights one by one came up and told of their adventures to the hall.  Several of the knights produced pieces of the bandit-knight's corpse: his head, hands, feet, and so on.  But when pressed, each knight admitted that he found them in the forest, and that he did not slay the bandit-knight himself.

The last knight was Sir Milo, who stated that he found the bandit-knight's armor, but no shield with the famous jewel.  However, the whole hall quickly turned when behind Sir Milo, his son and squire Roland, appeared with the very jeweled shield.  At first, Roland was bashful, but when pressed by the Prince and the Duke, he told the story of how he encountered and slew the bandit-knight, man-to-man.  There were great shouts from the men in the hall, praising Roland and raising toasts.

Once the commotion had died down, several other knights told of minor adventures they had while searching for the bandit-knight.  Finally, Duke Thierry motioned to Father Jerome to approach, who in turn brought the squires to the fore of the hall to tell their tale.

---

Walter: citing a specific Bible verse requires a Religion check... which you luckily passed!  Gain an XP check for that skill, and 5 Glory.

Now, you have another chance to tell your story, this time in front of your own lord.  Possibly the use of Eloquence, depending on how elaborate and braggy you wish to be.

"Well I'm not sure how our little adventure can compare to that of the mighty Roland!  Surely they will tell legends about you one day my good man!" Walter exclaimed, raising his cup once more in the rather embarrassed man's direction.  "Still, I will endeavor to do our tale justice."

And so once again Walter found himself thrust into the position of telling their story.  And much like before he played up the actions of his fellows, describing in great detail how Gontran ably dispatched the bandit who accosted him, and Balain's rescue of the hermit from the raging waters.  Though rather than downplaying his own as before, he attempted to make light of his furry encounter.  "And little did I know, I would be confronted by that most dangerous of creatures, the wild beaver!  There must have been hundreds, and yet I somehow managed to fight them all off single-handedly!"  Waiting for the laughter to die down, Walter chuckled, before adding "Well, perhaps I miscounted their numbers, arithmetic was never my strongest subject."

Walter it seemed, was quite an able storyteller and knew how to best play to his audience, pausing as necessary for cheers from the crowd, or raising his mug in toast at the proper moment.  However, when discussing their arrival at Sir Eingar's manor, his mood immediately shifted, and his expression became rather serious.  Though once again, Walter seemed to be able to tell when the crowd would gasp, or let out a cry of disbelief, and so again he allowed time for such things to occur before continuing on.

Eloquence for sure!  The man's got a story to tell here!
This message was last edited by the player at 23:52, Thu 30 Aug 2018.

Gontran listened to Walter talk.  This was something he would not attempt himself, for he knew he had no gift with words.  Even so, nearing the end of Walter's story, he nudged Walter with his elbow.

"Show them your shield, my friend," he suggested.

At the nudging of his friend, Walter smiled and produced his shield as he continued to talk about their adventure.  "And so the coward assaulted me, and it was all I could do to get my shield up in time to deflect his blow." he said, raising the all but shattered remains of his shield high.  "But undeterred by his cowardice, we resisted, like true men of Bastogne!" he roared, raising his mug once again in a toast.

Letting the cries die down, Walter continued his tale, telling of their triumph in combat (again eliciting more cheers), and the eventual mobbing and subsequent mauling of the late Sir Eingar at the hands of his peasants.  Only once his story was complete did Walter turn his attention back to the two men sitting at the front of the hall and bow deeply.  "And so my lords, we return with the relic as requested."

Split the post a bit in response to Gontran to make things flow a bit better.

 " Bah!" Was all that Bailain said during the celebration.

Walter's tale was met with a disappointing reaction from the assembly, a squire telling of an escort through friendly territory hardly compared with the excitement of finding and defeating and dismembering the bandit-knight (even though that too was accomplished by a squire).  Still, being a relative of the Duke's he was allowed to speak.  The beaver dam incident drew a few laughs, but many began to lose interest and think it was merely the Duke's family hogging the spotlight.

The rescue of Brother Doolin was of minor interest to the knights, particularly because he himself was there to verify the tale.  However, the knights grew more interested when Walter described Sir Eingar, his villainy and cruelty.  Sensing that the tale of a fight was near, the audience focused their attention.  As Walter described the battle and the death of Sir Eingar, the knights had mixed reactions, just as the squires and the Prince-Bishop before them.  However, at Gontran's urging, the display of Walter's shattered shield gave an uproar - for there was nothing that knights loved more than battle.

Soon, from the back of the room, a messenger spoke up.  "Lords, I have been instructed to bring this message to Prince Charlemagne, from Prince-Bishop Fulcaire."  The Prince, sitting on the high dias at the front of the room, motioned for the messenger to approach.  Breaking the sealed letter open, the Prince read it aloud.  It confirmed the story as related by Walter, and further went on to state that when Walter was knighted, he could claim the Manor of Esneux as a vassal of the Prince-Bishop.  There was an uproar in the court that a manor - any manor - should be passed to a mere squire, even an unknown one in a different county.  Prince Charlemagne quieted the assembly and said, "It is the rightful choice of the Prince-Bishop as to whom he may grant land and vassalage, and besides it is a fitting reward for besting the selfish Sir Eingar."  This caused several knights to shout out, until Prince Charlemagne reminded them that they had not accomplished anything of note on their adventures.

On the contrary, some knights called that the squires should be knighted immediately, or at least Walter, so that he might receive the manor without any delay.  Prince Charlemagne here balked, stating that the squire Roland had done a greater, knightly deed, yet he too was prohibited from earning spurs based on his age.  And so it was with Walter and the others.

Immediately after, Father Jermone presented the reliquary to Duke Thierry.  The Duke gladly accepted, declaring that the relic shall protect against the packs of wolves at night.

The revelry continued into the night, as was the custom with Duke Thierry.

After, the squires separated and went back to their family manor-houses.  The remainder of the year 766 AD was spent with the less exciting details of a squire's life, tending to the family's land and learning the ways of knighthood.

---

Walter, gain 10 Glory and a check for Eloquence.
You each are awarded £1 for completion of the task.
Everyone now proceed to the Winter Phase.  Since you are not knights and do not actually own the manors, skip the income in Step 4 and gain £6 stipend instead.  If you have questions about any step, ask me.