The Inn

Every small town, village and fort has some kind of place for travelers to stay the night. In some places that we have been through the inns haven't been much more than a barn where we slept in the straw along side our horses. Really it was just as well because such accommodations are cheap and not having much in the way of monies we have been forced to supplement our fare with work. This has been hard on Sir Frederikson. He is not selfish or arrogant but he has always had all the gold to buy anything he has needed or wanted. He is starting to adjust. Last night for the first time he bartered for our lodgings and did a good job. For a two night stay we will muck out the barn and re-straw the stalls. In addition to the two nights we will receive 10 pounds of dried venison and 50 pounds of oats. The oats are a little old but the horses will eat them well and I think if I soak and rinse them before boiling they will be edible for us as well.

Savages! Savages! ...

 

One of the advantages of long trips and of riding horses is that it gives a person plenty of time to contemplate and to think things through. It is also nice to have Sir Frederikson along as he is well read and educated. It is nice to have someone of that caliber to bounce ideas and concepts off of. I posed him a question. I said, “Can we be proud that we are not blood thirsty like the savage? That we are civilized? or if we looked closely, would we find that the reason we are not blood thirsty savages is that we are incapable of such a sanguine nature? That we have really not overcome anything, but are lily livered yellowbellies so far below the savage that we can’t even achieve his thirst for violence and blood?”            

A King To Be

Being at Belfour castle has been good. As I mingled with the inhabitants of the place, I sought information on the road ahead and on our destination. I didn’t find out anything that I didn’t already know or suspect. As one draws closer to the wild, the settlements become further and further apart and often less friendly to strangers. We weren’t much of a caravan when we set out on this mission to claim Sir Frederikson’s lands and we are now considerably diminished. We have a donkey, a three legged dog and enough warrior rations (a mix of dried meat, fruit and fermented grains) to last us until we reach Risoria, Sir Frederikson’s inheritance. Despite the situation, I have a good feeling about the road ahead. Frederikson has an indomitable spirit and seems to have renewed his resolve to give this enterprise all of his might and will. He will become the count of Risoria and restore it to it’s former glory.

In my traveling I have had the privilege of learning from many great individuals- simple farmers and craftsmen to great lords and kings. They all shared a spark, a love of life and adventure. Frederikson isn’t much to look at, a skinny young man in a rumpled mud splattered cloak and riding a skittish horse, but I have seen that spark in him.

It is my duty as his only servant to gather men for our journey. It will be perilous but it is nothing compared to the the task that lays ahead of taming the land that has been left desolate and become infested with goblins and thieves. If we hope to accomplish anything we will need man power, strong allays and true friends.

Marie

Leaving Again

Jord has been teaching me to fight.  We managed to procure some supplies for our journey, and Jord took it upon himself to buy me a sword.  It is a long thin sword called a rapier.  Apparently taken from a pirate some years back found its way inland to a Belfour armory.  I have never had the arm strength to use the broadswords or battle axes of my own people, but this is as light as a feather.  I am already developing callouses on my hands.
We left Belfour castle this morning, and as I write this we are riding still.  Spook makes it hard to write with all his shying.  I am apprehensive about our prospects going forward, but there is no other option for me.  I either claim my inheritance, or I live a beggar for the rest of my life.  To be completely honest the prospect was beginning to look quite inviting until I met Marie.  I have found a new source of motivation for taking my county.  I suppose I shall have to be a very successful count indeed to turn the head of a Dukes's daughter.
More than likely I am a fool going to a fools death.  Jord says it is better to die a fool chasing the clouds than a wise man lying in the dirt.  I have no idea what he means but it does sound quite poetic.

The Tortoise wasn't very fast but Tommy found him to be a very reliable steed. If fed well it could keep up its slow plodding for days going day and night.
Eventually he planned on building a small house on its back. Tommy, being a wanderer by nature liked waking up to new surroundings every morning.

Have you ever been caught in a rainstorm for three days? It was miserable to say the least. The cowardly deserters made off with our rain gear, along with most of the food. I was lucky enough to bring down a deer with my sling. I dried the meat over the fire, it was hard and really not all that good, but it gave us much needed energy. I made a rain coat of sorts out of the skin for Sir Frederikson. He is small and unaccustomed to exposure, and was suffering greatly from the cold. The skin smelled bad and looked worse, but it kept him warm and dry. I was quite impressed with Sir Frederikson despite the miserable circumstances we were in. He didn't complain and was a good sport about the whole thing, even managing to chuckle and laugh at my pathetic attempts at humor.
Since arriving at Belfour Castle, I have done my best to restock our supplies. I traded two days of work at the smithy for a donkey. One of our attackers had been carrying a very nice sword of fine steel with gold inlay in the handle. I sold it and was able to purchase enough provisions to get us to our destination, I hope.


One last note. For being such a small fellow, Sir Frederikson is quite resilient. He took a beating in the attack, though he fought bravely. He has suffered from cold, wet and bad food and yet by the day after our arrival at Belfour Castle, you would never have guessed it.

Belfour Castle

We have finally reached Belfour.  The rains came just after the battle, and a single days journey became three.  Our horses slogged through mud that sometimes came right up to the little mares belly.  Once Jord and I had to drag my horse, I call him Spook, out of the mud when he lost his footing and his composure.  Had it not been for Jord’s great strength he would have drowned or broken a leg. 

We were a sorry sight this morning when we arrived at the castle gate, and I believe it was only my name that got us in.  A hot bath and good food has improved my spririts though I am still saddened by the loss of my men, horses, and hounds.  Lord Belfour had sent out men to search for my lost property, but I have little hope that it will ever be found. 

We had the pleasure of meeting Lord Belfour’s daughter Marie shortly after arrival.  She is a terrible beauty with long blonde hair and blue eyes.  I’m afraid I didn’t make much of a first impression on her in my bedraggled muddy state.  Something about her makes me want to see her again though I cannot say why. 

We will stay here a few days, recover, restock our supplies, and then Jord and I will continue our journey.  Perhaps we will attract less unwanted attention as a group of two.  Jord tells me that when he traveled with the Vikings they often split into small groups to avoid attention.  Sometimes I think that man has been everywhere there is.