RRPG Chapter 9: Return to Rittersdorf

CHAPTER 9 -Hi, Sosenka!- Rudy waves at the little Dryad who just walked out of the forest. -I was waiting for you. I already know a lot about what was happening here… Sosenka? The Dryad walks up to him. -You promised me headpats, sir? -Oh, of course. Good girl- the knight smiles and gently ruffles Sosenka’s hair. It smells like fresh flowers and wet pine needles. -And where are those two, huh? -I walked with them to this beautiful glade!- Sosenka proudly smiles. -And they talked a lot. Mister Georg even told Renate that she’s pretty! -Good- Rudy smiles back at Sosenka, patting her head. -I didn’t know he is that decisive… -But they did not kiss. Nor did any other funny things. I was quite disappointed, you know?- Sosenka pouts. -Maybe they don’t like each other after all? Rudy laughs, trying not to think too much about the answer. -What can I possibly know about it? When I was as old as Georg, I was a travelling mercenary with little time for anything but long marches, endless chats with old guys who never stopped talking about good old times, guarding someone alien to me, trainings and occasional battles that, more often than not, ended faster than it took for me to get into the fray. I had little time for those things. -Seems like… not a very fun life- Sosenka raises her eyebrow. Rudy nods with a sigh. There was more to it, quite a lot more actually, but he does not want to bother the innocent little forest maiden with it. Suddenly, he spots Renate and Georg walking out of the forest and blinks. Those two are talking. And not just randomly exchanging short sentences while being bashful, but actually merrily talking, with smiling and whatnot… So it was not a failure, then. Especially as Georg is holding a full basket of berries. Yummy. -Hello, young ones- Rudy waves at them. -I can see that the foraging trip went well? The question is innocent enough that Georg simply shows him the basket and nods, then they give each other a high five. Renate, however, feels a tiny shiver going down her spine. Young… ones? She’s used to Rudy treating Georg as his own son, but this is something quite different. He called her like this too? She can’t possibly know if it was deliberate and she does not know whether she should hope it was or was not. And even if she had the courage to ask, Rudy would probably not answer her, as she can see him being pestered by the villagers about something – probably related to the mission again. After a hot soup and a big portion of grilled vegetables for dinner, the trio prepares for a return trip. The village elder insisted on preparing a cart for them, and the weary adventurers happily oblige, especially as Rudy knows that people are waiting for the news in Rittersdorf. There is more than enough place and hay bales for all of them to sit comfortably and rest while enjoying the view. It’s already late in the afternoon when they are already in Rittersdorf, carrying the “spoils”, as Rudy jokingly calls them. He accepted ten thalers from Anthenea’s parents and another ten from the village elder; not a lot for the party of three, but they were also gifted enough salted, cured or otherwise preserved leftovers from the festival that they shouldn’t have to worry about eating for a week. Rudy informs Renate that she’s going to get one third rounded up, which will be seven, plus her daily wage; ten thalers in total. Renate tries to protest, just as the first time. Rudy looks at Georg and they both nod in understanding. A little joke never hurts. -Sorry, Renate- Rudy keeps a solemn face. -I thought we had an agreement back then. So, will twelve thalers be enough? -Old man, you cheapskate!- Georg shakes his head. -Too few! Fourteen, miss Renate? When Renate’s face flushes with bright red colour and she covers her eyes with her hands, both men try not to smile. Unsuccessfully. Rudy waits until the girl is able to look straight at him once more, then simply pats her gently on the shoulder and places ten thalers in her small palm. -We will get much more, Renate. But first, we’ll have to find someone willing to buy this- he opens his moneybag and shows the youngsters two eyeball-sized rubies he took with him back then. -There is no jeweller in Rittersdorf, but if are ever in the red, we could just go to a bigger city to sell these. Or we could just drop by a gemcutter’s shop when we find one. And then… Renate’s thoughts trail off. Ten thalers is a wealth she has never had before; and yet it pales in comparison to the beautiful dress she got from Anthenea. ***Mission: I speak for the trees! Successfully completed. Protectors of the Cute obtained: two rubies; 20 thalers; a week-long supply of food; positive relations with Glademere Village and Brightwood Forest Kin; a Brightwood Folk Dress; a Dryad Flower. Protectors of the Cute lost: Rudy’s old sword.*** When they walk once more into the Trusty Innkeeper’s Inn, they are greeted by a stream of questions. Renate feels overwhelmed and hides between her accomplices, who are much more used to it. When Rudy talks about the Fire Fiend, the murmurs around stop and the knight speaks to a crowd silent like a grave; after the mention of Georg’s feat, the patrons get cheerful again. Congratulations are spoken and someone shouts the round to Georg, who seems to be happy and flustered in equal means. -Yup! That’s my boy! I have always believed in him, you know!- Rudy is happy as a clam. Georg tries to appear composed, though he’s too happy to remain calm. It is not everyday that he’s praised by dozens of people. Someone pats him on the back, another person throws a jab at Rudy for losing his sword – and probably his brain too, if he was stupid enough to face a Fire Fiend head-on. -And that Renalotte girl, she’s a plucky little lass, huh!- one of the least sober regulars rasps. Rudy and Georg look at him instantly in a way that makes him understand that this name should not be spoken here by any means. Renate gets that the comment was about her, though, and no matter that her cheeks take a red hue, her heart feels a little warmer. A plucky little lass… Not bad at all! -Oh, please, that shady wizard guy who was sneaking around snooping got his butt kicked and ran away from here…- the drunken patron excuses himself. Rudy feels a shiver going down his spine. Someone was here? Looking for Renate? -Rudy, friend!- Trusty pushes aside a few men with his burly arms and walks up to the knight. -Miss Renate, how good it is to see you safe! The maids should have something nice to eat for you if you go ask them now!- he blinks. Renate thanks him with a curtsy and walks away, rather happy to not be in the centre of attention of overly enthusiastic and not necessarily sober warriors anymore. -What happened? Who was spying here, and what did he want?- Rudy asks him upfront after the girl disappears in the back door. -A sorcerer. Shady guy, I say, covered in a black hooded robe. Wearing a ring with a symbol of Obscurria on it. Rudy clenches his teeth. Obscurria, the guild of sorcerers and their henchmen, known for its power and ruthlessness. Officially one of the greatest assets of mankind against the King In Blue and a protector of ancient knowledge… For Rudy and those who think like him, a wretched hive of intrigues, degeneration and villainy. -And what have you told him? -That his kind is not welcome here, and to get lost- one of the regulars pats Rudy on the shoulder with a laugh. -And he did get lost, if I reckon well. -After being kicked to the curb- Trusty adds and leans closer to Rudy, lowering his voice to a whisper so no one but him can hear. -He did not return here. But he sure was asking a lot of unsettling questions. Including the one about a girl who looks just like your bonny little princess. He did not get much from us, though, unless we’re speaking ‘bout a black eye. Rudy nods. This is more than worrying, but at least anyone who seeks her will not find her easily here. -Anyway. Heard that you two made short work of a Fire Fiend running amuck in Brightwood, huh?- asks Trusty. Rudy pats Georg on the shoulder. -It was him. And miss Renate found the girl. I was kinda dead weight- he winks at Trusty, who laughs. -Yeah, of course, lad. Methinks we should visit the mayor tomorrow morning- the innkeeper hands Rudy a paper and a quill. -The investigation request, remember? Brought it. No fixed reward, but when the old fart hears about a Fire Fiend… Well, I think he’ll be pleased. While the boys, as usual, stay up late playing cards, Renate goes to sleep early. The cozy, warm bed in her own room is nothing short of fantastic for an adventurer, especially a modest Caregiver like her. And she gets up early with an idea. The morning is already sunny and more than warm; in the midday, the heat would be barely bearable. A perfect day for what she always had to do after an adventure. Rudy wakes up when Georg pulls at his arm. -What is it, young one? -Our clothes, old man. We have just… this to wear- Georg shows him a shirt and pants he’s wearing, both quite neat, but far too big, and Rudy almost laughs until he realizes that he got similar clothes and nothing else. He quickly dresses up and walks down to the inn’s main floor. -Oh, those? My old clothes- Trusty nods. -Your little lass asked me to borrow those for you, and almost didn’t blush while at it. She’s getting cozy in here, methinks. She’s in the yard. Rudy raises his eyebrow and walks through the back door. Just as he thought, here she is. -Hello, sir Rudy!- Renate waves at him. The knight smiles. -Hello, Renate. I hope you had a good sleep? -Yes, sir Rudy!- the girl seems to be in a good mood. She’s kneeling by a wooden washtub, diligently cleaning Georg’s uniform in a pleasantly cool water. Rudy sees his own clothes and that pretty folk dress already drying up on the ropes hung around the yard. -I hope you didn’t plan anything this early in the morning, sir? -No, Renate- Rudy can’t help but smile. He actually did, but he reckons that if he tightens his belt enough, he’d be able to look acceptable, and that Renate surely just couldn’t bring herself to wake them up. Such a good girl. -And thank you! You’re so reliable. See you in an hour or so!- he waves at her and goes back to the inn. Together with Trusty, they make their way through the town to the council’s house. It’s old and dark, a remnant of a city that stood there centuries ago. The guard lets them pass without a question after Trusty waves at him. All the while, Renate can’t quite shake the feeling that something is very wrong. Did he really… thank her for doing the laundry? It is so heartwarming that it actually becomes unsettling. -…A Fire Fiend, huh- the mayor, grey-bearded elder with face marked by scars left by his former knightly life, nods. He doesn’t seem to be surprised nor dismayed, as if he’d seen far worse before. -I’ll have to think about it. Much is happening right now. Too much. Well, lad- he looks at Rudy with a slight amusement. -I’ll have to be careful with money, as there might be a bigger problem abound. But feel free to take a blade from the town armory, lad. If I’m going to have to hand out weapons to everyone, better have you already equipped. ***Mission: Investigate extraordinary occurrences in Brightwood Forest! Successfully completed. Protectors of the Cute obtained: chosen as below.*** CHOOSE YOUR REWARD! – PART ONE 1) Rudy enters the armory. A single item catches his eye. An **arming sword**, not a masterpiece, but a good weapon, better than his previous weapon. -I’d have taken it if I were you, lad- the mayor remarks. 2) Rudy nods, but places the sword back in its place. There is something else nearby between a pile of old, too heavy, too exotic or straight up weird weapons. A **long sabre**, much lighter than a standard sword and potentially deadlier in the hands of a skilled fencer, which he’d be able to wield skillfully given a bit of training. 3) This is not what Rudy takes, though. He decides to give the sword a break. He’s a defender. A protector. And he’ll take a fitting weapon: a **sturdy spear** with a long, sharp metal spike as a tip. This is outside his field of expertise unlike the former two weapons, but can be better in the long run. 4) Something else interests him. An **ornate sword**, gilded and adorned with small gems. Its blade is dull and rusted, near useless, but the ornaments may fetch a hundred thalers or so at the jeweller’s; someone who had scavenged battlefields before knows it well. The mayor frowns, but he’ll not go back on his word. 5) The knight shakes his head. He does not need a weapon, at least not from the mayor. If he needs, he can make a **serviceable cudgel** by himself. Meanwhile, Georg carefully looks from the back door into the yard. Once more, he hears a soft, melodic humming. It means that Renate feels happy. For a moment, he can’t do anything but watch. Her nimble fingers meticulously working through the clothes. Her little feet moving gracefully on the yard stones. Her girlish face smiling to herself all the time for no apparent reason. Her slender, fair arms, bared all the way to the shoulders as she had rolled up her sleeves… No, this is too much. I’m such a creep, Georg clenches his teeth and makes a step back. A plank under his foot creaks. Georg almost faints as Renate suddenly looks at him. -Oh, hey, Georg!- she gives him a warm and welcoming smile. The boy gulps. -Hey, Renate! Can I help? -Can you? It’d be great!- the girl smiles even brighter. Georg walks up to her and rolls up his sleeves too. The grossly oversized clothes make it harder for him to help, but he can easily do such a simple task. He doesn’t even know when they start talking to each other about simple, everyday tasks they used to do before. Georg catches himself wishing that he could see and meet her like this everyday from now on, up until their last days. This isn’t going to happen, though. Today he had this horrid dream in which he woke up an ran from the house on the street just to see a young man riding away with Renate and vanishing in the distance. She was hugging him tightly, the way he didn’t even hope to be hugged by her. He didn’t see the man’s face, but he is sure he’d recognize him. -Is there something wrong, Georg?- Renate asks with audible worry. The boy denies and they resume talking. And they don’t stop long after the laundry is done and dry, as in the sun the clothes take just a while to dry. -Sorry to intrude, young ones, but have you eaten your breakfast?- Rudy waves at them, holding a small bowl of brightberries for each of them. -I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you alone at least until the dinner. The mayor asked a good number of knights, me including, for a moot in about an hour. Can I leave Renate in your care, Georg?- he asks. Georg affirms vigorously. After Rudy leaves, the two youngsters look at each other. CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE! PART 2 A) -I have an idea- Georg raises up his index finger. -We can go to the market and buy the things we need then set up a small stand and sell the brightberries. With how much we have, they should fetch a good price. I’m a merchant’s son after all, you can rely on me! {Georg’s enterprise skill check, difficulty level: very easy; Renate’s Charisma skill check, difficulty level: easy} B) -Okay. We will go to the market and buy the most important things. And then…- Georg seems to have no idea. Renate does seem to have one, though. -We can go to the orphanage together to see the little ones! Georg nods. He is sure that the kids will drain their stamina quickly in the scorching heat, but the thought is not so bad. [RENATE’S RESOLVE: +1] {Renate and Georg’s Constitution skill check, difficulty level: easy} C) -Maybe we can get to know what the old men think?- Georg smiles. -Let’s go do some shopping and then I’ll pester Rudy to take us with him to the moot! {Georg’s Eloquence skill check, difficulty level: very hard; possible Renate’s Eloquence/Charisma skill check, level: normal/easy} D) -I’ve seen that one of Mister Trusty’s maids is absent today- Renate notices. -Maybe we’ll ask if he needs a hand? {Georg and Renate’s Constitution skill check, difficulty level: very easy} Please remember you can choose Renate's outfit before the mission, modifying her statistics!