Gontran had laughed heartily when Bailian called out, and echoed with a cry of, "Yes!  For sausage!"  His jovially left him, however, when grazed by the arrow, and he loosed a profanity he would apologize to the priest for later.

The battle, if it could be called that, was over shortly thereafter: it seemed to Gontran that these peasants had practically thrown themselves upon their blades.  His family had faced hardship, but they had never known desperation to this extent.  He frowned as he tried to staunch the bleeding from the gaping wound in the man who charged him; he had found no glory in battle... only pity for this lot.

He was brought back from his thoughts when Walter spoke up, and Gontran nodded his agreement.  "Yes," he said. "Father Jerome is our charge.  Maybe we can come back for the rest..."  It wasn't the same as challenging a Robber-Knight, but brigands couldn't be left to prey on honest folk.

With the brigands driven off, Father Jerome crosses himself.  "Praise the Lord that He has vouchedsafe us this victory."  He kisses the relic, still held close to his chest.  When the squires make their plans known to move on, he agrees.  "Yes, the relic is the cause of this journey.  Petty bandits shall receive their own punishment in time, especially with the knights of the realm out looking for the Robber-Knight.  However, this excitement has made my old bones weary, and I would wish to camp soon."  It was already in the later part of the day, so the group agreed to move a short distance from the ambush spot and make camp off the road in an inconspicuous spot.  The two surviving prisoners had their wounds bandaged, if only to keep them alive.

The night passed uneventfully, but in the morning, the squires found one of the prisoners dead.  The one that Gontran had run through did not survive the night, as the wound was so deep that no amount of bandaging could staunch the slow trickle of blood.  The other prisoner still lived, but silently cried.

While breaking camp and preparing to travel, the squires were greeted by a large group of peasants.  These were distinct from the brigands, as they appeared to be relatively clean and not-at-all armed, also there were several women among them.  As they approached, they saw the squires and hailed them as traveling knights.  One steps forward, wearing the robe of a priest.  "Good morrow, kind Sirs!  I am Father Aigulf of Esneux¹.  Though you be travelers through this land, we beseech you, upon your knightly honor, to oppose the heathen sorcerer who lives on yonder isle," he motions to the small island in the Ourthe River, which the squires saw before had a small wooden shack.  "He uses unholy arts to slow the waters of the river, drying out the watermill of our town.  I see you have killed and captured the highwaymen from these woods, so please lend us the strength of your arm to defeat this sorcerer!"  Many of the peasants line up behind Father Aigulf, attempting to look intimidating.  This was because on the small island, the hermit was outside of his hut and standing in the open.  He did not have a sinister appearance, merely that of a humble hermit.

¹  Esneux is a small town downstream from where you are currently.  Like many of the small towns in Bastogne, you have heard of it and have a rough idea of where it is, but have not been there.  It is still within the lands of the Prince-Bishop of Liege.

---

Now you are in the middle of this.  Talk with the peasants or the hermit, or find some other action.  At this point, given the accusations, if you simply walked away you would get XP checks for negative traits such as Lazy, Cowardly, Arbitrary, or lose a point of Honor or Attitude: Commoners (I mean, probably just one or two of those, depending on your rationale).

 Bailian looked the mob of peasants over, and then had to force himself not to make a sound of derision when told that the man on the island was a Sorcerer. “What proof have you, good priest? What makes you think that Hermit be a sorcerer?”

"Of course Father, that won't be a problem at all."  Despite the fact that they had rather handily dispatched the would-be brigands, Walter wasn't sure that they wouldn't return under cover of darkness, and so he insisted that the squires maintain a strict watch so as to ensure that they weren't slaughtered in their sleep. Whether it was their vigilance, the Almighty looking out for them, or simply luck, the night was uneventful.  It wasn't until the next morning that things took a turn.

Seeing the group, Walter smiled and dismounted before approaching.  "Hail and well met good people!  I must apologize, but we are not knights, but rather squires in the service of the good Duke Thierry.  Still, who are we to ignore such a request, especially if, as you say sorcery is involved?  After all, it is a most serious accusation, wouldn't you agree brothers?  And I trust that as my friend Bailain says, you have some sort of proof?  And why might the hermit wish to cause harm to such good and gentle folks as yourselves?"  As he talked, Walter's gaze scanned the villagers present, flashing a disarming smile, or knowing nod as the various peasants caught his eye.  Especially the women.  After all, Walter always had something of a soft spot for gorgeous women.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 16:14, Mon 16 July 2018.

Having planned to travel a short ways, lest the peasants strike with reinforcements, Gontran brought the body of the man Bailain had slain.  After they had set camp, Gontran sought out some soft soil that might serve for a shallow grave, for he had no tools to dig a proper one.  Although he had little knowledge or appreciation of things holy, he tied sticks together into a makeshift cross.  Once finished, he invited the priest to say some words over this meager grave.  Afterward, he pushed the dirt back over the body.

Later, Gontran tried to question the remaining prisoners by providing food.  It struck him that they were probably desperate, rather than merely greedy.  He also knew firsthand that, although sometimes desperation is earned, most is beyond the control of mere men.  Gontran was interested in the circumstances that led to the attack, but he also pressed to know how many more they were likely to face when they came back this way.  There were no words that could convince Gontran to release the men, for although he was merciful, he also knew that justice needed to be done.

A night in camp did something to raise Gontran's spirits: in the monastery, he feared the small bed would give under his frame, and he felt he had barely slept before the monks rose to chant their hymns in the early hours.  Being out in the wild was much more restful for him.  Even when he had access to the rooms of Buchenborg, he often spent a night out of doors, particularly when he was young.

The following morning, finding that a prisoner had died, he dug a second grave beside the first.  This one felt a more solemn task than the first, because it was by Gontran's sword (and, perhaps, ineptitude at healing) that this man had perished, and he was unaccustomed to taking men's lives, even if justly.  He tied a second cross together and planted it in the ground.

Gontran's arms were still sore with excursion, and his hands still muddy, when the townsfolk approached.  As Walter and Bailain approached, Gontran lingered back with the priest as he had upon the road.  The recent betrayal of the pilgrim set him on edge, and even a priestly robe did nothing to assuage his suspicions.  "Do you know this one, Father?" he whispered to the priest.

Standing and speaking with the assembled peasants, the squires were unsure what to do.

Father Jerome turned to Gontran, saying, "No, but he appears to speak the truth, as the waters of the river are clearly over their banks on that side."

As the squires were speaking with the peasants and priest, several armed men approached.  They wore simple leather armor and were armed with spears, not as fine as the gear possessed by the squires.  This was a common sort of armament among the footman and yeomen in the area, not the brigand rabble that had attacked the night before.  One raised his arm in a gesture of peace.  "Hail, travelers, ye seem to be of noble stock, what with horses and arms.  We have come from Sir Eingar, lord of Esneux, with instructions to bring the peasants back to work and till the land.  The river dried up two days ago, and these peasants abandoned the land, instead of working it by hand.  They ought to be brought back and forced to complete their labors."

Amid all this shouting from the peasants and now from the men-at-arms, no one seemed to notice the hermit of the isle was outside, standing on what little solid ground of the island was left.  He waved his hands and began shouting just to get the attention of the others on the opposite bank of the river.  "Calm yourselves," he said.  "I am not to blame for the river, unless the Lord Jesus Christ sought to punish me by slowly raising the waters to make me drown in my own hut.  Despite my prayers, the course of the river has not straightened out, and every hour the waters take away more of my isle."

---

Now a standoff with peasants, the men-at-arms, and the hermit!  What to do...

Gontran frowned: there were too many people near his charge for his liking, and all of them wanted to take his attention away from the matter at hand.  He felt that, were he to have any luck with words here, it would be with the peasants.  He took a few of them aside.

"Good people, do you think a sorceror would call a river from you to wash away his own house?  His predicament seems as grave as yours."  He waved idly at the man shouting on the island.  "I suspect both your lots will worsen if you continue on this course: he will drown if he does not leave and, if you remain, these armed men will surely force you back to a very displeased lord."  He patted one on the shoulder congenially and walked out to the river bank.

"I doubt you are deserving of punishment, sir, but the waters rise all the same.  Swim over, if you can."  He cast a meaningful glance back at the peasants.  "You shall not be harmed."

EDIT: Punctuation
This message was last edited by the player at 20:53, Fri 20 July 2018.

 Bailain sat astride his horse,and watched events for a few moment. Without warning, the Squire kicked his horse over to the river bank then guided his horse into the water. His intent was to head over to the man upon what was left of the island and bring him over.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:53, Sun 22 July 2018.

Walter frowned.  Things had rapidly gone from bad to worse here.  First the brigands, and now this mess?  Surely the Almighty was having a bit of fun at their expense.  "It almost seems as if the waters are being diverted somewhere upstream, wouldn't you agree brothers?  It strikes me then that we'd be well served by seeing what is causing it.  Of course, it also seems like the minute we depart to see if we can find out more, that these people will come to blows."  Nodding approvingly at Gontran as he signaled his desire to speak to the peasants, Walter approached the men at arms.

"My good men, we obviously have a predicament here.  But surely your lord would prefer to see the river's course returned to normal, yes?  It would solve the issue at hand with his peasants while ensuring that their work is far more productive.  So please, I urge you patience while I see what might be causing this calamity.  My brothers will remain here to ensure their compliance in the interim."  And with that, Walter took off, urging his horse onward.  Rivers didn't just suddenly dry up like this, something had to be causing it, and he intended to find out what.

While Gontran separated all the different groups, Bailain forged ahead, his horse wading into the overflowing river banks.  The crowd all began to ooh and ahh, all other arguments silenced as they watched.  Fording the river on horseback was dangerous under normal conditions, let alone the flooding and currents.  Very quickly the horse was up to its shoulders in the water, and Bailain became soaked.  As the horse approached the middle of the river, it lost its footing and had to totally swim.  After only a short distance, the horse regained its footing and pulled out of the river on the hermit's island.

"Mercy!" cried the hermit.  Bailain scooped his brittle bones onto the horse and wheeled about, to cross back.  Again the horse kept its footing until the middle of the river, then went into a full swim.  Bailain and the hermit each were submerged and had to swim a distance until the horse regained its footing.  Luckily Bailain was a strong swimmer, and was able to pull the weak old man to safety.  A cheer went up among the others on the riverbank, while Bailain and the hermit each began to wring out their soaked clothes and the horse shook off the excess water.

Meanwhile, around the far side of the small island, Walter located a small dam of sticks and branches.  As he approached, two beavers hissed at him, but then turned tail and ran off.  Carefully removing a few of the sticks, Walter allowed a small trickle of water to pass and, over the course of several minutes, slowly restored the flow of the river.  Walter left a portion of the dam intact, as it actually improved the flow of the river.

The peasants cheered once the river's flow was restored, and turned to walk back to the village.  Father Aigulf said, "Thank you, kind sirs, for saving the hermit and restoring the river.  Please come back to the village to warm your wet bodies and celebrate your success!"

The men-at-arms turned to the squires and said, "You have averted this disaster, and done a good service to our lord, Sir Eingar.  Come see him in his manor home in Esneux and he shall reward you for these deeds."

Lastly, when the other crowd had dispersed and the squires were left with their own, the hermit knelt before Bailain.  "Thank you, kind sir, for saving me from certain doom.  My name is Doolin, a hermit for more than twenty winters, and I am in your debt," and he kissed Bailain's hands.  Before Bailain could reply, Father Jerome spoke, saying, "Rise, humble hermit, for it is unseemly for a man of the church to kneel so before a squire.  Come with us to Esneux, so we may restore you to fresh clothing."

---

Wow, great luck this time.
Gontran gets an experience check for Attitude: Commoners due to calming everyone down (and everyone is basically a commoner, even the men-at-arms and the hermit).
Bailain successfully made his horsemanship roll to cross the river and not lose his horse.  Gain a check for Horsemanship and for Reckless ('cause your horse almost drowned)
Bailain also gains Doolin the Hermit as a Follower, if you wish.  You have to pay each year 0.5£ per year upkeep, but he becomes an NPC Follower of yours (you may basically write for him) and use his Religion 15 and Read: Latin 15 anytime it is necessary.
Walter then got a critical success on his Siege check.  (If you had failed, you simply knock down the dam all at once, which would have flooded parts of the village).  Because of the critical success, you improve the village and will likely receive some reward.

Next, you all go to the village of Esneux (it is basically on your way anyway).  You may speak with the commoners, Father Aigulf, the men-at-arms, or speak with Sir Eingar himself.  Or do whatever you can think of.

Things had gone even better than Walter had hoped!  His foul mood immediately abated, Walter chatted amiably with the men at arms while they made their way to Esneux to meet with Sir Eingar.  Walter was something of a social butterfly, so he was excited about the prospect of meeting with the knight.  After all, he had yet to meet a nobleman that he couldn't charm!

And so when they finally arrived at the village Walter immediately approached the man and introduced himself and his traveling companions to the knight.  However, he's quick to dismiss any praise that he personally receives, insisting that it's simply what any man would have done; while at the same time, playing up the actions of his fellows.  It seems that the recent dressing down he received from the Prince-Bishop about his pride had an effect after all!

The ride to Esneux was sobering for Gontran: despite his desire to prove himself, it seemed to him that his companions outshone him at every turn.  After being the only one injured in combat and the only one not committing heroic deeds, he felt small which was unusual for him.

His grey mood was worsened further because he strongly suspected that the peasants he traveled with would be punished for their insubordination by their lord.  It was, however, not right that the peasants should take it upon themselves to leave the field and seek help.  He hoped this Sir Eingar would be merciful to them.  He tried to linger on his pity for them, as self-pity was unbecoming.

Upon reaching Esneux, Gontran lingered back to take the horses of his betters.  He was, after all, a squire and today he felt more a squire than a rising knight.  Additionally, he hoped that his presence among the peasants might lead to some amelioration of their punishment.

 The ride to the village was done with each of the squires left to his own thoughts. As for Bailain, he was pleased with himself, and actually thought the journey on the whole had been a rather grand adventure. There had been the battle or as close to a battle as Bailain had ever been in, with the bandits, then the river crossing to save the Hermit. Indeed, it had been a grand adventure for the young squire………until…..

 The group rode along the trail with the rescued hermit riding behind the squire. The old man was not fit to walk the entire way, so the squire felt responsible and allowed him to ride with him.

 Hermit.” A thousand thanks be to you, good squire.”

Bailain: “No needs for thanks, Sir”

Hermit:” But you saved this miserable one’s life. Blessing be upon you, young man. Thank you, thank you.”

Bailain: “You are more than welcome.”

Hermit: “Blessings be upon you good squire.”

Bailain: “Thank you.”

Hermit: "Blessings be upon your brave steed for daring the torrent of the river."

 Bailain: “Thank you.”

Hermit: “May the Virgin Mary smile upon you, your brave horse, and your family. Thank you for saving me.”

Bailain: “Thanks”

Hermit: "There I was, trapped like Noah without his arch, with the flood. And then, and then you came across the waters like Moses that parted the red Sea to rescue the chosen people. I was not worthy, mind you. I am but a simple servant of the divine father. But you risked life and limb to rescue a wretch like me. Bless you, bless your horse, and bless your gracious lord for sending you along this road today."

Bailain: through gritted teeth:” Thanks”

 Hermit: Now singing the praises of his savior at the top of his voice. “This young man, this one here!” Pats the squire on the head several times.” He risked his life to save a wretch like me, one totally unworthy of such a brave and selfless act. Bailain is the name of my rescuer, it must be shouted from on high, He is the bravest of the brave. And I, a simple hermit, unworthy of such a Christian act of charity, bless Bailian with all my heart. May God the father, our Savior Jesus Christ and all the Saints smile down upon this brave young man! Behold, Bailain the Bold!!!”

 When the squire heard that bit about Bailain the bold, he turned around with a frown that would have put a dent in a stone castle wall. The Hermit went silent with a sheepish grin.

Bail resumed his looking forward and gave thanks in his mind for the silence that followed... Indeed, the only sounds where that of the horses plodding along the road, the jangle of armor and tack. Indeed, thought the squire, all was right with the world again……………

 Hermit:” Bless you”

 Bailain:” SHUT UP!!!”

The squires, together with Father Jerome and the Hermit Doolin, follow the peasants and the men-at-arms back toward the village of Esneux.

As they approached the village, Father Aigulf fell back from the rest of the peasants and spoke with the squires.  "I do not wish to speak out of turn, and I hope that you will not hold it against me, but I wish to caution you about Sir Eingar.  He is a knight and loyal enough to the Prince-Bishop, but is a heartless and cruel man.  He is my brother-in-law.  Just yesterday he burst into my small chapel and tried to interrupt the wedding of two peasants because one was from another village.  Luckily, I had just finished the ceremony and they were married, so he stormed out in a huff.  Beware his selfish and cruel nature."

The village itself was an average village for the area: several small houses and huts, a water mill - which now ran again due to the river flow - several small shops, a smithy, a chapel, and, atop a small hill, the knight's manor.  The villagers returned to their various homes, the men-at-arms returned to the manor house.

When Father Aigulf approached the chapel, he cried out, "Good heavens!  What have you done to them?"  For in the open space between the chapel and the manor home, there was a huge hollowed-out log that was split in two length-wise.  The two halves were bound together by numerous ropes, but upon closer inspection, between the two logs there were a man and a woman, apparently crushed to death!

From out of the manor house, Sir Eingar strolled with a casual stride of self-satisfaction.  He wore a long, black coat of wolf fur, despite the warm weather, another nod to his pride.  "Now father," he began in a patronizing voice, "you said 'what God has united, let no man separate.'  So I put them together, and now they can stay united!"  He laughed heartily at his own joke, while several peasants quickly untie the ropes.

Father Aigulf shouted to the knight, "You are no noble knight, but a villain and thug!"  Sir Eingar replies, "Calm down, you stuffed shirt, they knew I did not wish for them to marry."  With the logs removed, the female peasant lied motionless; the male attempted to stand and walk toward Sir Eingar.  Sir Eingar, without even drawing his sword, simply walked up and struck the man across the face with his mailed fist.  The man collapsed and stopped moving.  "There now, they will not disobey me again," Sir Eingar states.

Seeing the squires approach, along with their wounded prisoner, Sir Eingar greeted them warmly.  "Ah, knightly visitors, I see.  Come in, come in!" he motions to his manor house.  "And you have brought me a prisoner, excellent!  Those peasant rabble are too lazy to work so they leave the village and wait out in the forest to ambush travelers on the road.  I am glad to see that you all were not injured - or mostly uninjured," he says, seeing Gontran's bandaged arm from the arrow wound.  "Anyways, please come in to my home!"  While Sir Eingar directed the squires away, two of his men-at-arms roughly seized the peasant bandit and dragged him off.

---

Clearly, Father Aigulf was correct in his assessment of Sir Eingar.  Though some interpretations of law could mean that Sir Eingar has power to execute the peasants on his land, this is an extreme case; add to that, the staggering cruelty and carelessness that he exhibits makes any true Christian knight shudder.  How does this effect each character?  How do they view it?  And what do we do next?

It was not Gontran's place to confront a knight, but his hands trembled in anger at the cruelty of this Sir Eingar.  He could only now think it a mercy that the peasant he had subdued had perished from his sword.  He remembered that the third man had cried at night in the encampment; at the time, Gontran attributed this to fear and the death of the others, but now Gontran suspected that the prisoner had cried for fear of what awaited him.

He wished the peasant might have given him some warning as to the cruelty of his lord.  Would Gontran have believed it?  He liked to think that he would have.  Even so, what could be done?  Did the peasants' actions still demand punishment if they had been driven to their desperation by an evil man such as this?  Was that justice?  He tried to think back on his lessons, but he had regarded them with such disdain.  Now, he wished he had paid better attention.

Gontran resolved himself to find out.  He allowed himself to be led into the house, but at the first opportunity, he decided he would find his way back out to talk to the people.  Perhaps, he knew, he would have attributed the prisoner's description of Sir Eingar to the desperation of having been caught.  Now knowing the knight's cruelty, he was inclined to take them at their word.

He cast his eyes to the banners on the walls of this man's home (if the title of "man" fit this one at all... he was more a beast!)  How foolish of him, he realized, to have been so fixated on the notion of the Robber Knight when there were truly evil men in the world.

 The group travelled to the village of Esneux.  Upon arrival, the Priest warned them of the land holder of this place, it seemed the man was thought to be cruel, but the squire reserved an opinion, until he saw evidence one way or the other. Baillian had little use for priests, always seeking to tell others what to do, and always asking for money.

 When the small band of squires and such finally arrived at the village, the opinion was quickly arrived at. Baillian saw the man and woman that had been executed, and the method was cruel, to say the least. The burley squire sat astride his horse and said nothing, but the expression upon his face was a deep frown.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:42, Tue 31 July 2018.

Wonderful!  So the Father was right, Sir Eingar was a heartless monster.  There went Walter's plans of an enjoyable night of conversation with the man.  Still, he put on his best face and went along with the knight.  This was hardly the first time he had been forced to make nice with a man he detested.  And while this man was undeniably a monster, there was little they could do about things at present, because as the lord of this manor Sir Eingar was free to punish these peasants as he saw fit.  Still, Walter couldn't just sit by and let this sort of thing go unchallenged and so he vowed to do something about it.

Playing the role of an inexperienced squire hanging on the older man's every word Walter began trying to get the man to share more about his 'leadership' style and past instances of punishment.  After all, he had never met a man like this who didn't take the opportunity to brag to a captive audience.  And if they're going to be able to make a case against the man to the Prince-Bishop, having him admit to such cruelties in front of numerous witnesses would be ideal.

 Bailain spared a glance at Walter, Walter knew his friend enough to know  when he was quiet, he was angry. Bail seemed about to say something, then then returned his gaze to the front.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Tue 31 July 2018.

Father Aigulf, seeing Sir Eingar motion and the squires begin to follow, cries out, "What, are ye squires content to sit silent while this man executes his own villagers?  Have you no honor, no compassion?"  Sir Eingar whirled around and stormed up to the priest, striking him with the same gauntleted hand he had struck down the peasant.  "Quiet, fool!  You know not what you speak, the ways of knighthood.  Return to your altar and your prayers, thankful that I have spared you a similar fate for marrying those two!"  Turning back to the squires, Sir Eingar was again calm, and motioned toward the manor house.  Several peasants came forth and helped Faither Aigulf.

When Sir Eingar had taken a few steps and was out of earshot, Father Jerome said in a hushed whisper to the squires, "You are not yet knights, but mere boys, who would allow such disgrace to go on.  Do you not yearn to take the vows of knighthood, to hunt evil wherever it may be, and whatever form it takes?  Yet you all stand mute in the face of this man, in deference to a mere title when he commits the most flagrant acts of cruelty!"  Pulling the small silver reliquary from his cloak, he continued, "I do not feel safe that the relic should rest under the roof of such a tyrant, and I fear that he has no respect for the laws of man and may simply seize it if given the chance.  I urge you to confront this man, for he who disobeys the laws of God has no claim to be a ruler.  All the other knights and squires are off chasing the robber-knight, a man who has a title but is a thief and mercenary; now in front of you is a man with a title who uses torture as a jest, and strikes a man of the cloth with impunity."

---

Because everyone delayed and Sir Eingar struck the priest, everyone loses one point of Attitude: Church.  You can confront Sir Eingar before he returns to his manor house, and the peasants are in an uproar.
You could try to invoke some Passions here, or strike him from behind or while outnumbering him.  This would make you lose a point of honor, but regain the point of Attitude: Church, and just to redeem yourselves.

 The young squire heard the good father chastise them all for their lack of action. Bailian’s frown deepened, if such where possible. He shook his head several times, but then sighed deeply and spoke.

“Father Jerome, I am sure my friend Walter could explain this better than the likes of me, but what would you have us do? Should we club the Knight over his head, within sight of his own Hall? Our duty is to safe guard you and what you carry, and see both return to our Lord, the Duke. “

 The squire’s voice deepened from his usual baritone, until it sounded like a rumble of thunder, even if it was a whisper.

“That...Bas…Knight is on his own land, with men at arms at his command. He is a vassal of the Prince Bishop, not the Duke, and if we molested one of the Bishop’s vassals, it could be considered an act of war. Say we had acted, as you think we should have, what if we failed and the Knight and his retainers bested us? He would have you at his mercy and the relic within his grasp. Nay, I say. We did right, as our first duty is to see you and what you carry safely home.”

This message was last edited by the player at 21:56, Fri 03 Aug 2018.

Gontran had no love for priests, but he still winced when Aigulf was struck.  Still, it seemed to him that it was not his place to challenge a knight in his own house punishing a man in his lands for insubordination.  It was not his place to challenge, although he might be challenged.

"Father Jerome," he said, struggling to maintain a civil tone.  "I am not a knight, and I know my place.  However..."  He shifted his weight purposefully and took a deep breath.  "If you were to feel unsafe in this house, I would not blame you.  This is an unstable house, which tries desperately and fails use brute force to keep its people in check."  He sighed.  "And were you to feel unsafe, it would be our charge to ferry you to the Prince Bishop with all haste.  I am sure you will have much to discuss."

Frowning slightly, Walter clapped Bailain lightly on the shoulder and shook his head.  "Not at all, you are quite correct there my friend."  Blowing out a heavy breath, the young man took a moment to compose himself before continuing "Brothers, I worry about this the same as you, I truly do.  But if we were to attempt to do anything through force, it would be a mistake.  We are a country of laws, not one ruled by the whim of he who holds a sword, despite what some people might think" he said with a pointed glare in the direction of their host.  "And while we might be powerless to act, legally speaking, there is one who can.  The good Prince-Bishop would be well within his right to mete out punishment, as this... man serves at his pleasure."

Tipping his hand towards Gontran, Walter smiled "Oh I'm certain that it's nothing so serious, and that you all would love to accept the hospitality of this upstanding knight."  Holding up a mailed fist to forestall any rebuttal, the squire's smile turned almost wolf-like "But I seem to remember that the good Father left something rather important in Liege.  Would you two be so kind as to escort him there?  I, on the other hand, will remain with the good Sir Eingar and see what I might learn from the man.  Far better to have him confess to his cruelty first hand, yes?"

Glancing about to make sure they weren't going to be overheard, he continued to quickly whisper "If we agree that this is the best course of action, Father, could you please speak with your fellow and ask him to ensure that the peasants don't do anything rash in the interim?  The last thing we need is for this to turn bloody."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:02, Sat 04 Aug 2018.

 When Walter bespoke of his plan, the frown on Bailain’s face grow more severe, if such was even possible. “ Nay, I say nay to that idea, Walter. I’ll not leave my friend at the mercy of…….. He indicated the Knight……of that.” One wrong word or gesture from you, real or not, and you get squeeze between two logs like a grape. I won’t abide it, we stay or go as we arrived, together."

Walter chuckled slightly, but his expression was serious "Worry not my friend, I am in no danger here.  I've seen his like before, and know how to handle him.  And if truth be told, of the three of us, I am by far the safest.  Do you really think that he would attempt anything to the favorite cousin of the Duke?  No, the worst he'll do is talk my ear off, which is my hope in fact.  For if we are to bring this man to justice, then it is essential that I do this."  Gripping his fellow squire's shoulder tightly, he looked Bailain in the eyes "I need you to trust me.  We don't have much time my brother, lest our host grow suspicious."

  Bailain wanted nothing more than to club Walter on the head, and ride away from this place. But  as usual, and more times the Bailain could recall, Walter seemed to make sense, even of it made no sense to Bailain. " It is times like this, I really want to punch you, Walter. Really, really, want to punch you. " He made a heavy sigh. " I do trust you, but if get yourself killed, I will kill myself just so my spirit can punch yours, for eternity.” His tone was one of admonisment, but then he smiled to his friend.