“Listen, I wouldn’t trust just anybody with this job. I need the right person for this job. And you, my friend, look like the right person for this job.” So spoke Silas Gribb to each of you in private, just a day or two ago.
You met Silas when he was recruiting adventurers and mercenaries in the Taldan port city of Cassomir to work as protection for what the grizzled human described as a very delicate cargo that needed to be delivered on quite a tight schedule to Wispil, the 'Lumber Capital of Taldor'.
This last, he proclaimed quite proudly.
At first, the enterprise is exciting and almost fun, espcially with the thought of the promised payout at the end of the ride. Three days travel on the road to reach Wispil, with 30 gold for each of you per day, and more if any combat became necessary.
And so, with three wagons, your group set out yesterday morning, with Silas on the first of the wagons with his right hand man, Finneas; a gnome named Veltner handled the second; Gorth the half-orc driving the last, with the rest of you scattered about, two to a wagon.
Silas, on the whole, discouraged conversation amongst you all, prefering everyone to focus and be on the lookout for trouble...but thus far, the road has been clear of both obstacles and bandits, and the weather looks like it will hold. Even when the group stopped for the night, the worrisome merchant insisted on three of you on guard duty at all times.
Still, the trip through the outskirts of the Verduran forest turned out to be uneventful, and when Belhaim comes into sight, it's at least something of interest. The town itself presents a sleepy, rustic façade to all appearances, and appears in large part to be self-sufficient.
Also of interest, is a group of three guardsmen on horseback near the town entrance, and six more guards standing at attention as you approach. The lead horseman, obviously command in both his manner and medals on his armor lets the lead wagon get withing a few yards and then calls out, "I am looking for Silas Gribb! Present yourself, sir, for questioning!"
As he speaks, three more guardsmen come out of the woods along the road with crossbows trained on the wagons...
"YOU, sir, are under arrest for smuggling and other crimes against the crown!" The lead officer proclaims, looking and pointing directly at Silas.
For his part, Silas looks over at Finneas and then at a couple of you before shrugging, "Uh...I'm innocent?"
The guardsmen move forward towards the cart, hands on weapons and eyeing each of you warily.
Thorfinn scowls. Not a place to die, if I don't have to. And perhaps a wagon or three in it for us, if Gribb is taken? He calls out warily, "What of the rest of us?"
Bumolin is visibly shocked and speechless for a few moments. Then he says: "please don't shoot me. I'm sure I am probably more innocent than Silas. Even if I am probably less innocent than Abon" He points to his boar.
She'd been travelling in the second wagon with the dwarf named Bumolin, tasked with guarding it. The journey had been uneventful - so it meant easy coin on the road for doing very little.
At the entrance to the Belhaim is where trouble found them in the form of lawkeepers. Least they're not after me, Cordia mused silently, casting a glance at Silas Gribb striving to state his innocence and apparently failing.
As the guardsmen moved forward and set eyes on them, Cordia didn't balk for it'd be a sure sign she was guilty of something. Beside her Bumolin appealed to the lawkeepers not to shoot him. Well, that's one way to do it.
In a steady, clear voice, Cordia spoke, trying her luck in quelling the guards' suspicion of them, "Good day, lawkeepers. We've been hired by Mister Gribb to protect his wagons through the forest. We met him a few days ago. There must be some misunderstanding. We don't wish harm to you or any local folk."
Bumolin looks up to Cordia and thinks to himself: she seems to know what she is doing, better let her do the talking
Roxy follows Cordia's Statement, backing her up, "We thought this was lawful work. We're just heavily armed to deal with rabid wolves and bandits. Although, now that I see the quality of the guards in this region, I am certain that you've rooted out all the bandits. This must just be a misunderstanding."
Uff, just my luck thinks the skinny half-orc, rolling his eyes to the sky and quietly rising his hands up in the air. He is guarding the last wagon, although "guard" is a pretty strong word for the nothingness he had to defend it from.
Probably it's just better to do the businessmen do the talking, at least for now he just waits until the lawkeepers say something to him. I just hope we won't have to turn back now that I've reached my destination, that would be a total bummer.
Xylas gives Silas the sideways eye and says loudly, "Hey now, I didn't sign on for anything shady!"
The lead officer, a middle-aged man with a strong handlebar mustache and rather unruly eyebrows purses his lips together for a long moment, listening to the group's comments, then says, "Well, now. Quite the band of innocent folk we have here...yet, SOMEhow all tangled up with THAT man..."
The gruff officer nods dramatically at Silas, who has his hands slightly raised, and at least has the decency to appear to be embarrassed by the whole matter.
"...Silas Gribb. Also known as Silas Grab by some folk, and Silas the Smuggler by a few more." The officer takes a long pause to give the entire group the once over. "For those of you who might not know me, my name is Sheriff Benhovy. I am what you might call, The Authority. These men behind me, some of whom are aiming crossbows your way, are my deputies."
He nods to Silas, "You, sir, are under arrest for suspicion of smuggling. Now, now, don't try and deny it. We already caught your contact here, and frankly...well, Veltner there heard every word you said before heading this way. All your plans. Sent word to me and the boys here to be ready for you."
At this, the gnomish driver of the second cart nods and climbs down from his spot, moving to join the Sheriff.
Silas is speechless, and seems in shock but from the looks of things, if weapons were not currently trained on the wagons, Finneas and Gorth would have attacked him on the spot.
The Sheriff pauses again, for a bit too long, then says,"Deputy Hodd. Take mister Silas into custody."
Hodd, a slender young soldier and three others move to Silas' cart and politely help him down, though Hodd keeps a hand on the likely-smuggler's arm the whole time.
"But what to do with the rest of you?" Sberiff Benhovy rubs his chin. "I'm considering arresting you all, just on principle."
Xylas sighs and shakes his head. "Sheriff, I am truly, truly embarrassed to have been associated with a crook. I really should have looked into Mr. Grab here before taking the first job offer I got. You see, I'm just a small town boy and tend to take people at their word. Old Deadeye requires us to be a straight shooter and I forget that not everyone aims to meet His standards. I want to make this up to you, Sir. If there is any small service I can offer to wipe this stain off my reputation, just ask away, Sir. I mean it- I'm a hard worker and I aim to do right. You'll see."
Thorfinn tenses up as if to run, then seems to think better of it. I've broken out of jail before, and will do it again if I need to.
"Veltner will vouch for us, voicing our lack of vice. Silas the snake sur--" No, not much of a stave. Best just to speak plainly. The northerner clears his throat. "We're just the hired help."
The gnome driver of the wagon she had ridden on with Bumolin was an informant. Clever gnome. I'll have to be more careful around Veltner in future, she warned herself silently.
"But what to do with the rest of you?" Sberiff Benhovy rubs his chin. "I'm considering arresting you all, just on principle."
As the cleric and northman tried to reason with the lead lawkeeper, Cordia inwardly cursed their ill fortune at getting caught working for a criminal.
"Sherriff, as my northman friend here's said, Veltner will vouch for us, for we've done nothing unlawful to be arrested," yet she added silently.
Bumolin thinks to himself: so Silas was transporting some kind of prohibited goods? This is my punishment for not trusting my feet to take me where I want to go.
Yeah, Mr. Benhovy, Kuvan finally takes the floor, approaching the soldier, I mean, Sheriff Benhovy, as my companion are telling you we were completely in the dark about this man's true intentions. We were just hired as guards, all in good faith, some of us to make some gold, others like me to have some strength in numbers on their way to Belhaim.
The young half-orc adjusts his clothes, pats away the dust from the trip from his trousers, then says I'm here to visit a renowned citizen of your town, the wizard Hunclay. He and my mother, Tamra, have been buddies in the past, and they used to exchange letters from time to time, but now she's worried because the old mage hasn't responded to her last letter.
Kuvan looks around to see how the sheriff and the other guards are reacting to his story.
After a pause, he asks the sheriff Could you please tell me something about this Hunclay fellow? My ma' didn't told me much about her past as an adventurer, some bad blood with my old man or something like that. I never saw this wizard, would be nice to know something before I actually meet him.
"Oh, please, Officer! We didn't know anything about Silas, I swear!"
Bumolin looks at his companions and then at the guards. I can't help the feeling that you are waiting for me to say my part as well. But there is nothing new I can say: I don't know what is on those carts either. Didn't know it earlier, don't know it now. When Silas was looking for someone to help him stay on the right road and avoid any dangerous beasts on the way, I didn't ask what he was transporting. I was just eager to make the next part of my journey quicker than exspected and earn some coin on the way. So I'm certainly guilty of unseemly haste, wanting to cheat the road out of the blisters on my feet and a little bit of greed as well. But not of knowingly transporting prohibited cargo.
the way they look at me keeping my mouth shut was probably wisdom after all. I wish I had stuck with it.
