I hesitate a long moment, then dig one of the five galifars out of my belt pouch and offer it to her.  "Can get it back off 'em, all goes well," I say, a little wryly.  And fuck knows if the major is gonna bother paying you at all for us being here, either.  Stupid, stupid, stupid, but I aint gonna be a thief.

"This is too much," Sattler protests, but doesn't make to return it.  After a second of consideration, she reaches into her own belt pouch and makes change, handing some silvers back to Astra.

I take the silvers, then with a little smile, add, "That case, I'll see about getting one of the others to pay for our group tomorrow, yeah?  You and yours have a good night, Mistress."

I take the silvers, then with a little smile, add, "That case, I'll see about getting one of the others to pay for our group tomorrow, yeah?  You and yours have a good night, Mistress."

"You as well," Sattler says, still watchful, but that undercurrent of distrust slightly quelled now.  "Good night."  She watches Astra go, then returns to the house.

I slip back into the barn quietly, shushing the dog, heading for Corporal Valenae, and hoping to avoid the sergeant entirely.

[Nature: 18+10=28
Stealth: 9+5=14]

You succeed at making nice with the dog, but Sergeant Pepper spots you from her rooftop.

I also hear her approaching.

"What's happening not-Soldier Astra?"

"Careful, or not-Sergeant Pepper'll be on your ass," I murmur with a quick grin.  "Got basic descriptions of the group that came before us - six of 'em, three humans with a light-eyed man called Ivan their leader, a half-elf, and two dwarves.  And a direction they went.  That's about it, 'cept they didn't pay 'em for the food they took.  Figured we had a better chance of getting it back than they ever would, so I gave 'em five silver."  I look at the corporal expectantly.

I grin back.

"Put your request in writing, in triplicate, and I'll pass it up the not-chain-of-not-command.

"Nice work though. Do you know the name Ivan? It's ringing a faint bell."

"You should probably have some expense money seeing as though you're currently the most useful member of our troupe. Take this five galifars and I'll hit our accountant up for it when we're all done. And if we don't get done, then it doesn't matter, does it?"

I blink, stunned, and dazedly accept the coin.  "Sir, I - thank you," I say gratefully.  "Wasn't really sure how I was gonna manage if we wasn't being paid all this time.  You sure you... I mean, I know you can't make much more'n I do.  Don't wanna put you out."

Later, if anyone were to look for Pepper, they would find her with the farm animals.

[Nature: 13+13 = 26 to make friends with the animals on the farm.]

The goats prove particularly fond of you.

Sound asleep atop a straw bale, Oleg warbles softly through his beard, dreaming of a barn filled with gold.

I blink, stunned, and dazedly accept the coin.  "Sir, I - thank you," I say gratefully.  "Wasn't really sure how I was gonna manage if we wasn't being paid all this time.  You sure you... I mean, I know you can't make much more'n I do.  Don't wanna put you out."

"Like I said, if we get through it, I'll get it back, if not, it doesn't matter. And I've been in the army for a long, long time. I have some saved up."

I look at her, assessing her pragmatism.

She's plenty pragmatic. Just say it.

"We're the fifth group sent north. The fifth best option. We really need to be on our toes, working together, to get this done and get back. You have shown yourself to be resourceful. If a couple of galifars can help with that, then it's a small price to pay.

"I really want to get back, and I'd pay ten times that to make it happen."

"Pepper is very wedded to the army, but old Leatherleaf and Oleg seem sensible. For officers anyway. Let's have a chat to them later. See what we can do about building team cohesion."

"Pretty sure the major'd rather I aint been sent along at all," I say quietly.  "She don't see a soldier when she looks at me, she sees someone who aint much more'n a kid.  And fighting and tracking's all I know; she tries to pass me off as someone else, I really will be useless.  Don't care much what she thinks of me, but if I'm so busy pretending that I can't do my real job... aint safe, sir."

Later, if anyone were to look for Pepper, they would find her with the farm animals.

[Nature: 13+13 = 26 to make friends with the animals on the farm.]

The goats prove particularly fond of you.

"And I am going to name you Fondue.  Who's a good goat?  You are!"

"And I am going to name you Fondue.  Who's a good goat?  You are!"

The goat gently headbutts you.

"Pretty sure the major'd rather I aint been sent along at all," I say quietly.  "She don't see a soldier when she looks at me, she sees someone who aint much more'n a kid.  And fighting and tracking's all I know; she tries to pass me off as someone else, I really will be useless.  Don't care much what she thinks of me, but if I'm so busy pretending that I can't do my real job... aint safe, sir."

"Okay, as the next one up in your chain of command, let me deal with their opinions. You just do what you do. They'll change their minds in time.

"So, you're good at tracking? I'd be very curious to know what happened to the last group through here."

"Yessir," I agree, both to his order and his question.  "But the good mistress said it was three weeks back they passed through; we can go the way she pointed and ask people along the way, now that we've got a description, but there'll be no track tracking 'em this long past."

As you make ready the camp for the evening, you notice the major go blank and inert and still for a very long moment, almost like an absence seizure.  Then she blinks, and taken aback, looks around to all of you.  She's just had a Sending, she announces, mild shock in her tone.  She's being recalled - there's been a death in her family.  Someone must have pulled strings to get her leave.  You're to continue on immediately in the morning.  A replacement will meet you at the Pasarel Footbridge.  She is rueful at your inquiring looks - a Sending is only 25 words, she informs you, so there's only so much explanation they can include.

In the meantime, she orders, Captain Olegov is in command, but she encourages you to handle matters rather democratically.  And now she must make ready and leave.  She loads her clawfoot, face grim.  As she does so, she hesitates, then gives Mari's key not to Olegov, but to Valenae, for safekeeping.

[borealis is out for now ]

I rein the horse onto the road.  We head NorthEast.  Is it only my imagination, or does the wind already blow cold?  "We're overtaking winter, friend", I tell the horse.  His ears flick back in silent agreement.

You travel for a time uneventfully, the occasional drovers or travelers you encounter raising hands or nodding heads in greeting as you pass.  Just as the rhythm of the road is lulling you into a near-meditative state, you spot the blue and gold livery of an Orien courier - yes, it does appear to be the same one who blew past you before.  She's standing beside her horse, examining one of its hooves.  She waves an arm at you as you approach.

As you approach the courier, a lightweight carriage drawn by a pair of very glossy, very leggy horses catches you up, the fine piece of construction unusually quiet on the road.  Rather than passing you by, the window cover snaps up, revealing Rose's fair, aquiline face.  "Ivello," she says, rather casual, given the circumstances, gesturing you to her, as though galloping down conspirators is a routine activity for her.  "My colleagues have seized an opportunity.  Your traveling companions are now expecting you.  You are," she lowers her voice, for his ears only, "to meet them at the small bridge I earlier indicated on your map.  Your cover is that you received orders via sending stone in Irontown from General ir'Dulinch, telling you join their expedition.  Top secret, of course."  She hands you a slip of paper with the House Sivis seal, indeed stating those orders, indeed signed Dulinch, and you briefly wonder whether she somehow forged a Sivis document, or whether she had a false message sent via Sivis's stones to produce a genuine fake.  "Destroy the other note from 'ir'Dulinch' I provided, as it is not well aligned with your new cover.  Have you any questions?"

I listen, frowning, as Leatherleaf delivers her news.

Sendings are not to be trusted.  They are not secured means of communication, there are too many opportunities for deception.

I watch, frowning, as Leatherleaf hands the asset's key to the Corporal.

And apparently I am not to be trusted either.

Satisfied that her mount's tack and gear are properly secured, I nod in acknowledgement to Leatherleaf.  "The way of return should be clear.  We have not traveled that far as of yet.  Safe travels."

The Major departed, I assess the current situation.

This mission grows more suspect with each passing event.  Otto, help me, this isn't like what we did.  This stinks of personal conceit and subterfuge.  What has that chair jockey of a General gotten into?  How far out is his ass hanging?  And who is this replacement awaiting us?  The lack of a recognition code alone jeopardizes the integrity of the mission.  Any imposter could present forged credentials and work to sabotage the mission and we would be none the wiser.

Abandoning the mission, however is not an option.  I've passed through to the other side of far worse orders and situations, but this one grinds at my patience.

If only this 'team' were so in fact and not just name.  The girl may be capable enough, but she lacks discipline.  The pretty boy seems only interested in the girl, just as the Chaplain seems only interested in his wallet.

I can only trust Creon.