Helena says "So our good-looking knight vanished?"
MTKnife snickers.
MTKnife says "Helena, you sent him after some thieves"
Helena says "Oh, did I? ;-)"
MTKnife says "the people from a local vilalge were complaining that bandits had been raidign out of our woods again."
MTKnife says "yes you did."
Helena says "Well... How long is he gone?"
MTKnife says "He took some grogs and went thataway"
MTKnife says "well he left in the morning and it's past noon already."
Helena says "Oh... *shrug* He will come back. :)"
MTKnife nods.
HelenaG thinks . o O (Men always do somehow...)
MTKnife says "We're discussing hte fact that Helena sent Richard out ot investiage some complaints by local villagers that bandits were operating out of the woods again; he's not back yet."
MTKnife says "You'd think he'd let you know if he weren't going to be back by nightfall."
MTKnife says "I'd think so.  Wouldn't you?"
Helena says "If he's a polite man, he would."
Stefanos says "depends on the circumstances... he's a cop... he wouldn't know what could come up"
Helena says "So... If he is not back in the late afternoon I'll send three grogs to look where he went. But they are supposed to stay in the valley and come back and report if they found something."
MTKnife says "okay"
MTKnife says "well he's not back by late afternoon..."
MTKnife says "okay Helena, who did you send off to find Sir Richard?"
Helena says "Well... Who's there... Let's see. Astrid, Neson, Merlor and Nantos?"
Helena says "That should be more then enough, even _if_ there is some kind of trap."
Helena says "OK, then those other three should be able to do the job."
MTKnife says "so you're sendign out Auriane's shield gros and Astrid?  Actualy ther are problaby few other grogs around"
Stefanos says "there are probably many other grogs around... "
MTKnife says "indeed"
MTKnife snickers.  Send them all away--leave the covenant defenseless--I promise not to have the rampaging trolls show up right then.
Helena says "It's only the names I remember. :) I don't really care who is going. There only has to be ONE who understands what I said."
Astrid says "Ok, you will all excuse me if it takes me a bit to get into the swing of things."
MTKnife says "okay, the three of you set off for the village that was complaing about the the reappaerance of bandits in the forest where you live"
MTKnife says "Astrid of course was one of hte bandits who lived there...but they haven't been stealing anything since they started working for the magi (who found that the forest was a powerful magical site)."
MTKnife says "how do you approach the village?"
Neson, the elder grog sergeant, sets a regular pace to head towards the village where the reports are from.  Approaching it, he first circles it from a distance to see if anything can be seen before going into it.
MTKnife says "it's just a village"
MTKnife says "not very interesting"
MTKnife says "it's the closest village to the woods when travelign to the northwest"
Auriane *How well does Astrid understand NEson and Merlor?  Does she speak any Greek?
MTKnife says "yes, a bit, though she's obviously better in the lcoal Crimean dialect"
MTKnife says "Naturally she speaks Gothic a lot better than they do..."
HelenaG thinks . o O (I should have sent Folcwica with them to translate...)
MTKnife says "well you can send her if you want"
Neson mulls the situation over a bit before deciding to head in.  He takes the lead and perfunctorally tells Merlor and Astrid to keep their eyes open.  The first villager they see, he veers towards, keeping his weapons at his belt so as not to a appear threatening.
Helena says "Might be better... Along with the other ones."
Helena says "OK, I'm sending Folcwica. She speaks both, Greek and Goth, well enough."
MTKnife says "okay, so you enter the village?"
MTKnife says "Neson, you enter hte village?"
Folcwica waits for Neson to give commands. She's only a maid, not a Grog, remember? ;-)
Helena says "What I was trying to say is: She does not wear nor use weapons."
Neson bids Folcwica to come forward and asks, in Greek, "See if you can find out if Sir Richard or the others were here, you speak better here than I."
Folcwica asks the first person she meets if he saw a knight lately. :)
MTKnife says "the peasant looks at Folwica suspiciously, and not a little bit hostiely, and points you toward a house on the other side of the village."
Folcwica says Thank you, sir. - and walks over to that house.
Headman has arrived.
MTKnife dropped Headman.
Headman says "Another pack of you bandits?  What do you want this time?"
Folcwica looks surprised. A what?
Headman points--"And keep that sneak away from my chickens!"
MTKnife says "he's pointing at Astrid."
Neson sends Merlor to scout the nearby area around the village and to keep an eye on the hut on his return before moving to the house indicated by the villager.  In a gruff tone and in broken Goth, he answers this himself. "Not bandits.  Looking for friends."
MTKnife says "A pack of bandits; it's not enoug htaht you steal from us, you have to come and talk to as about it as well."
Folcwica says: Nice manners, man... I was just trying to find out where that knight went... 
Headman says "You mean the head bandit?"
Headman says "He kicked down the door of my hut and thrashed me to within an inch of my life."
Folcwica says: I mean what I said...
Headman scoffs.
Headman says "There was a man here with a sword and mail, but he was a bandit, no knight."
Neson narrows his eyes at this hostile villager.  "Villagers, they're all the same." he snorts in greek.  "Tell him if there are any thefts it isn't us. We have an agreement to leave all villages alone."
Folcwica says: So you must have got him really angry... Anyway: Where did he go?
Headman says "Back where came from, I guess--he said he was going to go catch the 'real bandits'"
Headman scoffs.
Folcwica says: I trust that's what he's doing... So... What do you think those so called bandits came from?
Astrid hides at that.
MTKnife says "from the forest, like they always do"
Neson asks, "Which /way/, man? Are you so simple you can't point where they went?  Just tell us and we'll leave."
Headman says "They went bac kto he forest, the same way they'd come--and the same way you came."
Folcwica says: Obviously not. We did not meet him.
"Fah.  He knows nothing,"  Neson growls, tapping the maid on the shoulder. "Come, we'll have to find another way."
Headman says "Well all I know is what I saw"
Headman says "They went back the way they'd came"
Headman says "And if they never com back again, that'll be too soon."
Folcwica says (in Greek): If he calls me a bandit, hold me...
Folcwica is not very patient...
Headman shuts the door in your faces.
Folcwica says: Snippy...
MTKnife says "what now?"
Neson spits at the door before turning on his heel and heading back to the ourskirts. "Let's see if we can't find another who might tell us.  Then we'll go, I sent my son to scout around, maybe he found tracks."  
Folcwica shrugs and looks at Neson.
Folcwica looks for someone else to ask.
Auriane says "Are there any other villagers about?"
Astrid looks about for something to steal...
MTKnife says "Merlor has found anything"
Auriane says "Is that question?"
Astrid might want to face Helena, if she does...
Astrid resists the temtation and sits, QUIETLY, and aware of all around her.
Auriane pokes Knifey.  "So do we find another villager or did Merlor find anything while scouting?"

[...and that's when the infamous lag-monster got us...]

MTKnife has reconnected.
Auriane guesses that explains where he went to. :)
Folcwica says: So... What now, Neson?
Auriane says "No tracks?  Did those bandits fly in?"
MTKnife says "wle lhe does find one thing--the headman seems to have been telling the truth"
MTKnife says "the tracks from Sir Richard's party do into go back towards the woods"
Neson grunts as he leaves the village and meets up with Merlor. "I suppose the only thing to do is to follow, see where they go.  Let's go."  He makes sure Astrid is not lingering /too/ far back and moves the party out.
MTKnife says "okay, you go back to he woods, but the tracks diverge from the tpath you came up."
Folcwica shrugs and follows Neson.
MTKnife says "what do you do?"
Neson puzzles over this, but continues trailing the tracks nonetheless.  He also sends Merlor a little distance ahead to scout, in case there are any waiting ahead of him. (OOC: What are these woods like?  Dense?  Sparse?)  Merlor, bow in hand, moves up as quietly as he can.
MTKnife says "pretty dense; magical woods tend to be that way"
MTKnife says "the tracks lead to an old campsite the bandits used to use...and out.  But there's another set of tracks going out as well--particularly noticeable is the tracks from a two-wheeled cart."
Neson leans down to see if he can tell which might be newer.
MTKnife says "Sir Richard's party, definitely."
Neson just says in general, "Remember this site, I want to come back to follow these wheeled tracks again.  Let's keep going, the sooner we find them, the better."  He sends Merlor out ahead to scout and brings the maid and the former bandit in tow.
MTKnife says "actually both sets of tracks head in hte same direction==off to the north."
Folcwica says: Waitaminute. Mistress Helena asked us to report before we leave.
MTKnife says "it's late afternoon now"
Neson turns to look at the maid puzzlingly. "Before we leave what?  She knows we're looking for Sir Richard."
Folcwica says: That's what she said... Maybe she just wants to be able to tell the magi where everyone went...
"Well, if we go back now, we still won't know where they went," Neson notes.  "We still have tracks to follow and some light to see by. If you want to go back, I can spare Astrid, or Merlor to escort you back, but I plan to keep on following."
MTKnife says "you're in th woods; she can get back by herself if she has to"
Folcwica says: Your decision. You lead the party, I only translate.
Auriane says "Well, in these woods, he probably doesn't feel that 'civvies' should be unescorted. :)"
Folcwica says: So... Lead on. :)
MTKnife says "the tracks lead off to hte north"
MTKnife says "ther's no nearby vilagei n exactly that direction"
Neson gives a nod, as if it were a forgone conclusion. "We keep following, we're bound to find something sooner or later.  Merlor, lead on."
MTKnife says "you alk on for some time; by the time you reach  village it's just about nightfall."
Auriane says "another village?"
MTKnife nods.
MTKnife says "er reach _a_ village"
Auriane says "Well, just checking to see if it's the same one we were at."
MTKnife nods. I mistyped it
Auriane says "Anybody about?"
MTKnife says "yes; the villagers are coming in from their fields"
Neson nods to a random villager coming in and asks Focwica to ask them if they've seen Sir Richard's party and if they have any place they can stay the night."
Auriane says "Folcwica, even."
MTKnife says "they point you to hte headman"
Folcwica head there and asks for that knight.
Headman says "Aye, they came this way this afternoon, then headed off to the north"
Neson gives a soft, wearied sigh, but accompanies the maid to see this man. "That is all?  No stopping?" he asks.
Headman says "They were looking for someone."
Headman shakes his head, "No, they went on to the north."
Folcwica says: Thank you, Sir.
Folcwica asks Neson (in Greek): Do we move on?
Neson directs Folcwica to ask for accomodations, since it's nightfall.
Folcwica asks for a room or two to spend the night.
MTKnife says "okay, you find a villager who'll lend you a corner of his hut."
Helena says "Something happening this night?"
MTKnife says "something happeening this night?"
Helena says "What I meant was: Do we get murdered, does SR come back... whatever."
MTKnife says "no murdering :)"
Helena says "Good news. :)"
MTKnife says "i'll say"
MTKnife says "okay, morning breaks..."
Helena says "We get up, we move on, we try to get something to eat."
Neson thanks the villager for his hospitality, before breaking for the trail.
MTKnife says "The villager smiles and waves you on your way."
MTKnife says "I'm sure you could barter somethign ot eat form a villager"
Auriane is sure Neson would've made sure they had at least some dried meat or something. :)
MTKnife says "true enough; and of coruse the villager you stayed with offers you a little breakfast; but you miht want ot repay him somehow"
Neson barters with some appropriate (left vague for now) before pushing forth on the trail. Nothing else he can do but follow.
MTKnife Nods.
MTKnife says "you head further up the road; eventualy it joins the main north-south road to Theodoro, and there's a little town here at the crossroads."
Folcwica asks people, if they saw the knight.
MTKnife says "and it turns out that Sir "
MTKnife says "yes, they stayed here at the inn last night."
Folcwica asks: ...and went where?
MTKnife says "at this point ther are no tracks to follow, but the townspeople point you off to the north"
Folcwica walks north and hopes everyone comes with her.
Neson navigates through the town, tugging the two grogs, even though they'd probably rather hang around in the square a while longer.
MTKnife says "okay, you keep walking north; you're high in the mountains now, under the high walls of the massif of Mankup."
Folcwica says: We better move fast, if we want to catch up.
MTKnife says "this is the capital of Gothia, a large city built on this high, sheer-walled plateau."
Helena says "Guards?"
MTKnife says "where?"
Neson frowns as this trip takes him further and further from the covenant. "Should've brought more money, we'll be in Russia at this rate."
Helena says "I mean: Do we see Guards in or in front of the city."
MTKnife says "anyway, not that you're on the main road, you travel quicker...and most people noticed Sir Richard come through, so by nightfall you're able to catch him--despite his inexplicable failure to send back a messenger."
Helena says "Someone who's there long enough to have seen our knight."
MTKnife says "and if he unidles you can join him.."
MTKnife says "Constantine?  You there?"
Stefanos has disconnected.

[...and that's when Constantine vanished - so no Sir Richard was to be met...]

...to be continued...