Magan Aetheling's page

"We don't have that long. Arthek will be alerted when he doesn't return and the city guards are in their pocket. We need to know his next instruction now."

Magan waves Kara off. He had little choice in the matter. He returns to the carriage to watch Branok work and wait for Jowan to come around, his leather pack sat across his knees.

"Somebody get Isolde out of the carriage and inside somewhere. She must not be allowed to see him, not yet anyway. Kara, help me get him inside." He lowers his voice so that only Branok, Gawen and Felix can hear. "Branok, this is one of Arthek's men, he was on the roof looking to ambush us here, another of his men was at the inn watching us very intently. We need information from him before he faces justice for his crimes."

Magan lifts Jowan into the carriage where Branok can work to stabilise him. As Branok works, Magan sorts through Jowan's possessions, looking for what may be useful and what may be sold. Then he walks to Ealing and removes the leather waterproof roll, pacing up and down as he decides what to do, carrying the roll in both hands.

"I'm not done with you yet!

He picks Jowan up and starts dragging him more urgently towards the wagon.

" Focus on my voice. Tell me the plan. So you shoot my big friend, then what? "

Magan stops suddenly as if the news truly shocked him. Throwing his hands up to his face in mock horror, he let's Jowan fall back to the floor.

"He stood up to Arthek? By Odin's beard that explains everything. Felix did you know he'd stood up to Arthek? I truly wish somebody had told me."

Magan let's out a laugh.

"Well that means all this has been a sorry misunderstanding. Where is Arthek so that I can send him my apologies? I hope he can forgive my grave mistake. I can't have upset him too badly though for I am still alive. Do you think it's too late to share a drink and be friends?

And in that moment, Magan invented the form of humour known as sarcasm that England would become famous for over the coming centuries. True History Fact

"Ah yes, you are used to those sounds after what you did to that poor farmer and his family. I'll wager they took on a whole new aspect when you recognise the voice. Now how were you following us?"

"So this is just about that little fire? Who else wants us dead?

"Good. Well done."

Magan takes an arm, and rather roughly starts supporting Jowan towards the wagon.

" Now, why are you still following us? What is it you are after?"

"Of course we will see the monk. Now don't be so rude. I'm making nice conversation. You give an answer, we head towards the monk a little ways. You get rude and I'll try and fix it myself, and I warn you, I never took needlework very seriously. So let's try again, who were you trying to shoot, and why do you continue to follow us? "

"Felix, take that breastplate and move into the alleyway. I will be down presently."

As Felix strips the man of his plate, Magan makes a careful descent, as nimbly as he is able, and joins then in the alleyway.

"Now Jowan, who were you hoping to shoot from that rooftop and why do you follow us when we had left you in peace after simple restitution for your wrongs?"

His tone is that of a disappointed father, questioning poor behaviour in the face of kindness.

Seeing the bleeding fool jump off a building, quickly followed by Felix, Magan notes that the gods must be with them, for they have sent an Eagle to aid them in their quest. He leaps to the next building, peering over the edge he draws back his bow string.

"Jowan, you are bleeding to death. If you surrender to my friend here we will have our healers save your life and make you our prisoner. If you continue to flee I shall be forced to shoot you, ending your life mercifully more quickly than the wounds you have already taken surely would anyway."

Odin guide my arrow again, but this time please account for that chunk of metal under the furs. Perhaps this time we should go for his head? But I leave it in your capable hands.

intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Magan puts his axe and shield away as he walks forwards towards the edge of the roof. His bow is in his hand in the blink of an eye and he stares down the shafts of an arrow that wasn't there a moment ago. He breathes in, exhales and releases the arrow, watching it fly towards its mark, a little gap under the arm that he had noticed earlier when they were following up the stairs.
[i] Odin guide it [i]

Before it even ends its flight, he is calling out for the benefit of any onlookers.

"Stop, Thief!"

Magan climbs onto the roof a little behind Felix, just in time to see the well aimed knife strike between the man's ribs. He let's out a growl and leaps forwards to attack Jowan from the other side, shield and battle axe quickly in his hands. He fixes Jowan with a piercing stare, looking for any gaps or weaknesses.

init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
studied target

Magan sighs, this was not his idea of fun. He gestures to Felix to lead the way.

"I think you has better take the lead here".

Magan picks up the pace, one hand already feeling for an axe as he moves to follow.

Magan locks eyes with Felix and nods towards the door of the inn. He walks inside, and looks around quickly for their quarry.

A shudder runs down Magan's spine.

They must have been watching us for a while.

He continues to follow, looking for the opportune moment to strike.

Magan gestures to Felix to come with him.

They silently follow Jowan, keeping their distance and hoping he'll turn down a quiet alley where they can jump him.

Magan leads the way in a hurry to try to catch the man before he reaches the inn. As he hustles he turns to Felix

"There's no purpose in entering the tavern now and giving away that we know where they are, but if we can catch him outside we can lessen their number now. If not we can spread some rumours to make their stay uncomfortable. "

"Or come with us if you prefer, see what you paid for." Magan adds as he leaps from the carriage.

When out of sight Magan has Branok stop the carriage.
"Let's go and deal with this one then"

Magan frowns.

"It is as I feared then. I knew we should not have dallied here. He must not be allowed to report back, let's see if we can't have him follow us into an alley somewhere here and leave him for the rats."

Magan will sit atop the wagon, ready to drop off the back in a quiet alleyway to ambush the man following.If he doesn't follow then he will loop back before they get out of sight in order to catch him when he heads back to report.

Magan smiles. "I wonder why someone might be trying to kill you."
He turns to Kara with a frown. He tries to keep his tone gentle because he knows things are strange for her here. "Why would you assume this is ill-gotten? Perhaps they found it on a campaign emptying Christian churches. Besides, it is none of our business, she is under our protection and that's the end of it."

Magan thinks back to the foreign land where his own chest of money lay scattered on a field in a pool of blood spilt by his friends and companions and tried not to blame Kara for its loss.

Magan waves away Theli's protests.

"Somebody gained access to your room and sabotaged your bed, do you believe they couldn't have tampered with your other belongings? My man checks everything if it is going on our wagon. Of course if you prefer to carry it yourself you can choose to take on that risk." His tone is forceful and it is clear that it is not a negotiation.

Magan gestures for Kara to relax.
"We are getting fair pay here Kara, you saved her life already so its already gone up considerably, and we dealt with worse on the way here. You are right though, we should get out in the open."

Magan chews his lip at Kara's words. Was this the wrong decision? As she calls down the stairs he thinks she is probably right. He catches Felix's eye, gestures at the stairs and holds his finger to his lips. Moving as silently as he can he heads towards the sound of Kara's voice.

Magan nods his agreement and as she leaves he turns and translates the discussion for Kara.

Magan waves his hand as though it doesn't really matter.

"Fel y dywedais, nid cyn canol dydd, ond nid ydym mewn unrhyw frys penodol ar ôl hynny."

Magan settles back into his chair, calming himself after his outburst.
"Firstly it costs a little respect. If we are protecting you we are not underlings to be bossed around like common serving folk,if we say move, you move, we sleep where and when I say, and you help out with the chores. As for the silver, we are fair. If nothing happens then 3 per day it is. If we have to save you though it becomes 12 per day. You will see that we are worth it. If we track down and remove the threat, a healthy bonus is only fair, a one off payment of 25 silver each. And we are 4, not 3.The big man has business elsewhere."
He gestures for her to make a decision.

Magan looks offended for a moment, but mostly as he tries to hide his embarrassment.

"Rwyf am roi defaid i chi, rydych chi'n gwybod. Roeddwn yn ddiddorol gan eich gwlân wrth i mi gerdded i mewn, a chan eich stori hyd yn oed yn fwy felly. Nid wyf am wneud hyn am yr arian ond i ddatrys y dirgelwch, ond rydym yn edrych am y gwaith gan ein bod ar frys ac ni allwn dreulio amser yn stopio fel y byddem fel arfer ac yn dal i fod yn rhaid i ni fwyta a phrynu llety ar y ffordd yn enwedig gyda merch ifanc i ofalu amdano, yn fwy cyffwrdd â marwolaeth hyd yn oed na chi."

He turns his nose up at the price. The insult real on his face this time.

"Rydych chi'n meddwl ein bod ni'n gleddyf wedi ei llogi yn gyffredin, yn addas i'w dorri yn erbyn wal y castell? Rydym yn gyn-filwyr ymgyrchoedd tramor a domestig, rydyn ni wedi trechu cŵn y dan-ddaear â dwyn crafiadau yn unig, wedi goroesi yn gwrthdaro â bandiau dynion deg gwaith ein nifer. ac yn byw i ddweud wrth y stori. Rydym yn cynnig sefyll rhwng chi a llain mor gyffyrddol a marwol, a'ch bod yn cynnig yr un cyflog y byddech chi'n ei gael i briodferydd? Rwy'n ffyrnig rydw i, dywedaf yn smynnu i ddweud wrthych y lleiaf "

Magan shakes his head in sympathy then smiles gently.

"Gadael wyr dilwyn, chy jutro ty pryched.Bydd y Pennaeth yn bodloni'n daclus, nid yw'n. Wrth gwrs, bydd angen inni roi eich defaid yn gyfnewid."

Magan raises an eyebrow at the vagueness of her words.

"Wedi colli? Sut? Beth yw hyn sy'n eich dilyn chi?"

He leans back a little in his chair, gesturing at his companions behind him.

"Efallai ei fod yn arwydd, neu efallai beth bynnag yw ei fod yn eich helpu i barhau i ddilyn y ffordd, y naill ffordd neu'r llall, byddech yn well cael rhywfaint o ddulliau galluog o'ch cwmpas, a byddem yn eu darparu. Byddai'n haws dal rhywun ar y ffordd lle na allant guddio mewn tyrfa a diflannu wrth iddyn nhw ddymuno mewn cerdd."

Magan considers for a moment, unsure as to whether she is serious.

"You have me wrong on that. I kill for survival. At least that is where it started, and I think the same is true for most men. Of course, sometimes you will put yourself in a position where you will have to kill to survive for coin. Or perhaps some men kill because they need the coin in order to survive. Perhaps there are a few that it is different for. And now, now I think I kill because being around danger and death is a way to search for meaning in it all. And maybe a little because the thrill of fighting is the only way to feel alive. Do you kill? "

Magan grins.

"Rwy'n Magan, ac o ddefaid rwyf yn fwy cyfarwydd nag yr hoffwn, ond rwy'n gwybod ychydig heblaw fy mod yn dod â nhw at eraill, at ddibenion, ni all y rhan fwyaf o stumog."

Magan wrestles with himself for a moment. He knows the mission should come first and this girl does not offer the best chances of employment. But then again, what could it hurt? If she isn't looking for protection he can always try someone else. Besides, his instincts were usually right about these things. He approaches the young woman and moves to take the chair opposite her.

"Esguswch m'lady ydy'r sedd hon wedi'i gymryd? Taclus. Rwy'n cynrychioli grŵp o bobl sy'n cynnig gwasanaethau arbenigol mewn caffael defaid. Gallwn gwblhau dosbarthiadau, o bron unrhyw fath o ddefaid, yn fawr neu'n fach ac yn rhyfedd iawn ai peidio. A allwch chi feddwl am unrhyw angen sydd gennych o'n gwasanaethau naill ai nawr neu yn y dyfodol?"

Magan has a look around the bar, looking for young soft merchant faces, or whether he can overhear somebody discussing needing to hire protection before heading towards the bar to ask around.

"Then it is agreed. Felix, Kara and I will search the town for paid work. Gawen, we shall meet you back here in the afternoon. Good luck."

Magan leads the way down into the town in search of a merchants guild or tavern pitched at travelers, somewhere where large wagons can be parked.

Magan, scowls at the suggestion.
"I do not claim to know of such things, but why would Hel work with Christians? There is something bad at work I am certain, but a fight for later I feel. She will need some closure, but she isn't ready yet. " He nods at the girl, who is playing with Pen around the cart.

Magan rubs his temples. Everything is becoming a little too much to follow. His understanding of the world has been challenged too much over the previous days and even the spiritual guidance of the temple was not enough to soothe him. A sacrifice of blood would need to be made. Now the loss of his friend troubled him. Perhaps Prasutagus felt the same and was too ashamed that he was too coward to continue against the threats from beyond the mortal realm to tell them in person. That didn't sound like him, but who could tell, he had never fought Hel's hounds before to know whether his companions could stand to continue after fighting them. Truth be told he was a little surprised to see that Felix was still with them. Either Bletius' judgement was very good after all, or his reasons for being there were stronger than gold. Everybody's spiritual strength had been tested to the limits, and Magan had a feeling that there was worse to come. He supposed it was time to take control of the situation, though he didn't really know the words to use.

"This is a blow. We cannot allow the Christian's a foothold on this land though so we must move forwards.We need funds if we are to continue though I think. Gawen you wished to meet with your order? Perhaps the rest of us should see if there is a caravan that needs protecting, try to find some work that we can complete over the next stage of our journey. We should spread word of the hounds and bandits on the road, more fear should make more people think of hiring protection. Maybe even cause some who were headed west to turn back in our direction.We should ask around in inns and taverns and at the market."

Magan's arm flinches as he goes to tangle his fingers as he always does when he feels out of depth in a conversation before he realises he is still carrying the sleeping girl. She feels light in his arms and he can't help but notice how helpless she is. He realises that if she is to remain with them then she is going to need the toughness of the poor children he so often met on the streets worked into her. Whilst Branok's kindness may be lovely, it was not going to prepare her for what lay ahead. She will have to ride the next leg, help with the camp and carry some equipment, and the training will have to step up.

Magan follows quietly through to the Chambers to get some rest for the night and dream of battling Christians rather than hounds of Hel.

Not wanting to be left alone outside, Magan gently scoops up Isolde without waking her and carries her inside, just in time to hear the Godi's unwelcome conclusion. He keeps his thoughts to himself though, not wanting to begin any unease between members of the group, especially when they were just starting to trust each other.

Magan watches everyone leaving with a grimace, he had a bad feeling that splitting up was not going to end well.
"Will you stay here tonight and go to the druids tomorrow Gawen? I can accompany you if you wish. "

Magan looks around nervously. Big cities still made him nervous. Eyes everywhere,and travellers too. He lowers himself in the seat next to Isolde.

Magan crinkles his brow and grimaces.
"I still fear a little that we are being pursued. But our orders are to accompany you, so if you wish to wait a day then we shall do so, though I too am
almost without coin"

Magan climbs on top of the carriage with Isolde, playing games and getting her to practise her balance. He too has a huge weight on his mind after the attack but is more concerned by the girl. He stops playing at Felix's outburst and scowls a little, nodding towards the girl. He grins at Kara's response, though he tries to hide it a little.

"Let's keep things calm, no doubt these events were strange. Whether a test from the gods, or something else, as Prasutagus said, we can hurt them and they leave clean wounds, that means we can best them. So keep the hysterics for a more desperate time eh? "

Magan lingers in the carriage a while longer, stroking Isolde's hair and contemplating what just happened. He decides it is best to keep quiet but makes a mental note that he needed to step up the girls training. She will need to be able to defend herself soon.

Magan laughs at Kara and brushes away the playful prod with a counter jab of his own, slapping the back of her helmet. If his pride is still hurt it isn't visible.

"Not so feeble that I can't best you. The fight is over before you even get there hidden away under all that steel."

He smiles at the rest, perhaps the most jolly he has been since they all met.

"I can drive if you wish, but honestly it is but a scratch." He climbs up next to Branok though, knowing the argument will only slow them down and his desire to keep moving is bigger than his desire to save face at this moment.

Magan shakes his head.
"This is too much. Get the wagon moving Branok, we need to get out of this place."

Magan looks around, unsure how he ended up on his back again. He uses his shield and feet to defend himself as he rolls backwards to get back up. Ealing continues to attack the wolf with both hooves.

Magan glances around, unhappy with his situation and feeling a little embarrassed he drops the axe in his right hand and pulls his shield onto his arm using it to defend himself as he jumps to his feet. Ealing strikes the wolf from over his head as he stands and Magan tries a swing with his axe.