This map of eastern Gronne-Haute may prove useful to track the progress of the protagonists.
21.08, Moonday
The characters emerge, confused, from a pool in the Tibellu highlands.
The pool is the fount of a small stream, which cascades down from its rim. At the opposite direction of the stream's fall, one sees a plume of smoke at the horizon, roughly in the direction of the setting sun. Perpendicular to this line one sees a stone circle.
As the escapees remove their clothes and put them out ot dry, it is discovered that Cynebuhr is a woman in her 20s. Gaudramas and Cornelius are astounded by this, and discuss whether it might be a mutation occasioned by Faerie.
Gaudramas tends to the injured.
Bretrand is in a high mood, and seems to notice neither cold, hunger nor injury.
Cynebuhr occasions the leering glances of Bertrand and Yon, and the extreme bashfulness of Jacques-Alponse. The latter is teased by her.
Upon investigation, the stone circle is found to have huge pile of elfstone in its centre, and the menhirs are found to be subtly carved with some kind of knotwork.
After some deliberation, they set out along the stream, finding the going difficult, but always managable. The stream is very cold, and the gorge it follows is full of shadows in the afternoon. What trees grow here are small. Game is scarce, but Cynebuhr manages to fell a couple of birds with her sling.
Tensions are running high between Bertrand on one hand and Cornelius and Gaudramas on the other. Cynebuhr and Jacques-Alponse are more phlegmatic about his sorcerous nature, while Yon apparently remains as imperturbed by sorcerous degeneration as by any other of his master's foibles
Just as the companions are growing too tired to go on, Jacques-Alponse discovers a convenient cave, halfway hidden behind a large boulder. It has smooth walls and a flat, dry floor. They rest there. Jacques-Alponse and B dream. B awakes screaming, and Jacques-Alponse keeps him from invoking magic.
22.08, Godsday
Before they depart from the cave, Gaudramas cauterizes Jacques-Alponse's chest wound. This is a preventive measure, as it still shows no sign of infection.
The stream reaches a large river, which Cornelius surmises (based on its chill and a dream of Jacques-Alponse's) must be the Nimèle. They are on the western bank, and must therefore be in the lands of the hated Montcuivres.
Food is scarce, and the party's advance is extremely slow. After some debate, Cornelius goes on ahead to get help.
The remainder continue their slow advance, coming gradually into slightly warmer and more hospitable terrain, but Cynebuhr's hunting luck is limited. They rest in a wooded vale. Jacques-Alponse and B dream again.
23.08, Airday
They wake in the company of goats. Two goatherds, their dogs and a dozen goats have joined them in the nighttime. They tell that they are from Valsangé, having crossed over into Montcuivre to take advantage of the pastures, and being driven further south by an encounter with goblins in the hills. Bertrand is convinced that "the goats are not what they seem", and only Jacques-Alponse's intervention keeps him from working his vile art on them.
The goatherds share their food (bread, milk and cheese, which seems a delicious feast) with the travellers, but know little of the state of the civil war.
As the party and the goatherds travel down along the Nimèle, they meet Cornelius, whom is returning with food, a couple of small horses and two churls.
They arrive at a small hamlet of shepherds. Cornelius tells of Jacques-Alponse's glories, awing the the villagers.
24.08, Earthday
The villages avoid the Valsangé goatherds and their herd. They are also rather uneasy around Cynebuhr and Jacques-Alponse.
Cornelius writes on the village gate to pay for the night's lodgings and food. He then secures a good deal from the villagers, letting them stay at the village with bed and board for 3 sous per diem, with board including half a lamb every day.
Cynebuhr claims that the goats are weird. The goatherds depart, saying "see ya lateh" (in their rustic manner), taking their herd with them.
The party rests. Gaudramas gives Jacques-Alponse his best treatment, but refrains from aiding Bertrand, apart from giving him more opium.
25.08, Fireday
The party rests and deliberates on how to get to Castle Valsangé, and how to liberate Roxanne.
Cornelius makes an "amulet" before speaking to Bertrand. It is agreed that with C's engineering skills and Bertrand's sorcerous powers, they should be able to breach the walls of Valsangé without bringing them down on their heads.
Cornelius and Gaudramas discuss how to
Cornelius goes to the nearest village and buys ink and pens from the parish priest.
As he returns past the hamlet next to the one the party is resting in, a man tells him of a disappearance and of beastly tracks. Cornelius gives him his amulet.
26.08, Waterday
Bertrand wakes with a roar, turing to a scream of horror, and rushes out of the sleeping quarters. Gaudramas follows him, and sees him make an invocation and lob away the bar of the village gate, as if it were made of wickerwork rather than heavy wood. He rushes down to the icy Ossuelle and castigates his body with its waters to cleanse certain traces off it.
The companions spend their last coins paying their poor hosts, and travel down the valley.
Passing the next hamlet, they are accosted by some villagers led by a crone. They beg Jacques-Alponse - "the Hero", to save them from the Beast which prowls night. The companions are taken to see the place were a man disappeared, and see how a single beastly track, a pair of wooden clogs, and a large, blody stain were found on a line, each yards apart from the other. It is noted that some grass blades near the blood stain have been withered, as if by acid. Jacques-Alponse pronounces that the best thing they can do is to leave, for the Beast follows them. The villagers recoil in horror.
The companions find their own way back to the road, and reach Mont Enroute-des-Nains. Here they pause and regard the village and the surrounding lands, espying the banners that fly from the keep. They carefully circle westwards, keeping out of sight from the walls as best they can, keeping to the vales and behind hills, hiding in orchards and coppices.
Eventually they get back on the road, and follow it down to the river plain. They keep to side roads when they can, Cynebuhr and Cornelius scouting ahead together. Once they narrowly avoid being seen by a foraging party, but they manage to keep out of sight of all soldiery.
As the evening comes, they find themselves at the edge of the fallow land near the Old Bridge and the Banelight Barrows, within sight of the village of Pont-Vieux, debating whether to try to reach the bridge in daylight - braving Montcuivre outriders, or to wait and sneak across at night, taking their chances with ghosts and banelights.
They decide to try to sleep until the last quarter of the night, and then try to make it over the bridge and past the barrows.
Waking, Jacques-Alphonse announces that they should not attempt to cross the bridge, but rather go up to the Ossuelle waterfall. The others comply, nonplussed.
Passing once more through the lowland on the western side of the Ossuelle, they are warned by Cynebuhr of horsemen approaching from behind. Cynebuhr and Jacques-Alphonse make it through the hedge in good time, unfortunately Gaudramas snags his unicorn horn on the bushes and falls flat, Cornelius get stuck in thorns, and Bertrand decides to stay nonchalantly in the middle of the road, despite Yon's entreaties.
The four visible picaros are accosted by three armoured riders, bearing glaives, shields slung behind them on their saddles. Bertrand explains that they are merely sightseeing, and this is perceived by one Sieur Brantame as a terrible euphemism for spying. The knights (Sieur Brantame, Sieur Varocher and serjeant Huon) deliberate whether the picaros should be hung on the spot, but decide that Bertrand might be a madman. They resolve to take the lot to Trecore.
Jacques-Alphonse and Cynebuhr stalk the riders and their prisoners, and Jacques-Alphonse boldly rushes them from behind. The fray is remarkably even, between the riders' armour, mounts and reach, and Jacques-Alphonse's greater skill, mobility and luckiness. Jacques-Alphonse soon draws first blood from Huon, and within seconds dismounts Sieur Brantame by raking his saddle strap, volting past Sieur Varocher's glaive to pierce his cheek, then lunging back at Huon, distracting him enough to let Cynebuhr close in on him and strike his face with her spear. Both knights are knocked out by these facial attacks. Meanwhile, Cornelius pins down the fallen Brantame, whilst Bertrand is kicked by Varocher's horse. Gaudramas feverently tries to become one with the hedge fr the entire combat.
After being told that he has fought Jacques-Alphonse des Bois-Alsante, Brantame surrenders gracefully. The three knights are tied up, and the picaro's take their food, coinage, rings, swords, knives and signet rings. Jacques-Alphonse also acquires a helm and a pair of gauntlets.Yon is remarkably diffident in the looting.
The picaros saunter up the vale to the waterfall. Bertrand grows mildly hyperactive, while the remainder try to get some rest.
At twilight, Jacques-Alphonse sees the upmost waterfall glow with white and polycromatic radiance, the latter falling like a tangled rainbow from and with the water. Dark figures emerge, one a male in a dark robe reminicent of Jacques-Alphonse's dreams (and other events). He bids them enter the waterfall, as the martichore is near. Jacques-Alphonse, Cornelius and Gaudramas are led easily under the waterfall. Yon, and later Cynebuhr, run away, and Bertrand uses a strange magic to hold fast the robed figure whom takes up pursuit of Yon. He and the figure are both carried under the fall by goblins.
On the other side of the waterfall is a dry, cold, shadowy world. Also, there are a number of horrible creatures: Two hobgoblins, nearly a score goblins, whom seem remarkably disciplined, and two more robed figures, these two female, one of whom closes the waterfall to passage. She is the Dark Lady whom has been visiting Jacques-Alphonse's dreams. Jacques-Alphonse comments on her company. She commands a hasty and quiet travel, as the humans have a terrible beast in pursuit.
The torch-bearing goblinoids encircle the humans, the three sorcerers form a triangle around the circle, and they head forth through the gloom and cold. The ground is barely tangible under ones feet, hidden by a layer of dry, dirty-looking mist. The dry, icy air leeches warmth and humidity from the travellers. The surrounding landscape seems a wasteland, unfocused and only half-real, but filled with strange, ephemeral sights and a number of faery favours. A river, black and slow as pitch, is seen.
Eventually, the four come into an area where sand can be felt underfoot, eventually approaching a squat sandstone tomb, graven with statues, the statues in their turn defaced and mutilated. On top lies Hamartin, whom chides the sorceress for calling him a terrible beast.
A conversation ensues. The Dark Lady seems to spar with Hamartin somehow. They discuss the present company, and Hamartin alludes to certain others who would take an interest in the Dark Lady's doings. Hamartin states that what he desires is the young sorcerer. The Dark Lady claims that his desires are ill timed. Hamartin chides her for being greedy, taking all the mortals. Bertrand verbally abuses Hamartin, whom expresses the opinion that Bertrand is cute when he is angry, and reiterates his desire for the fledgling sorcerer. The Dark Lady asks whether this is the time and place for such desires, and emphasises the company he is in.
Hamartin departs, admonishing the Dark Lady to take care of Bertrand, as he will hold her responsible for any harm that comes to him, and complimenting the picaros on being caught in a remarkably beautiful web of lies.
After leaving Hamartin's gloomy perch, the unlikely company passes further through the shadowed land, seeing mostly dead and ruined things, crossing a bridge across a black, oozing river in a ruined town. They come to a mist-like waterfall, which under the Dark Lady's spell becomes more real, and offers a passage back into the material world.
Here they find that they are near another, smaller waterfall (The Gron Fall, though they know not this). By the position of the waned moon, less than two strokes has passed.
They walk through the nightshrouded pastures and along cartroads and cattle paths, discussing in which manner they will liberate Roxanne. Jacques-Alphonse attempts to divulge whom the Dark Lady is, and her role in the raid on Hamvalle in the spring, but she answers him with generalities, emphasising his goal, and the importance of trust. She adds that she is will readily assist the liberation of the elf in the tower, but also offers to leave the four humans to themselves, if they so desire.
By midnight they find themselves within sighting range of the Valsangé Castle.
On their request, the Dark Lady provides them with ropes, a 11-yard ladder, a scarf (for masking Jacques-Alphonse) and a sedative potion in a wooden jar. The latter is grabbed by Gaudramas for inspection, and stashed in his satchel, not to benefit the liberation attempt much.
The four picaros advance carefully on the castle, successfully negotiateg the spiky moat (crossing it on the long ladder) and reach the berm without injury or alarm. They raise the ladder to the wall of the inner keep, bringing it up quietly and steadily on a section of batten. Jacques-Alphonse and Bertrand climb rapidly and silently up it, creeping through an embrasure and onto the the wall walk. The two academicians remain outside, lowering the ladder to reduce the danger of being discovered. Jacques-Alphonse and Bertrand disable the lone sentinel stealthily before he can raise any alarm - a lucky punch of Bertrand's to the throat of the sentinel does the trick. The swordsman and the sorcerer then sling the longer of their ropes around a merlon, and climb down simultaneously, each taking one end of the rope. Then they pull down the rope and prepare to cross the inner ward.
From the roof they have landed on, the two burglars scan the ward. They soon discover that a dog is prowling the grounds. Attempting to sneak along the walls, they avoid human detection, but are set upon by dogs. Mortally wounding one dog and crippling another, Jacques-Alphonse cannot keep the other dogs from taking notice, and the baying of the dogs soon alert the guards, whom reluctantly rescue the hapless intruders from being mauled by mastiffs. Dame Chrysalia comes to the scene, and as Jacques-Alphonse's bandanna is removed, he is recognized. The two, well trussed up, are taken to the chambers of the Baronet Chrysale and the Baronette Bélisa, and are questioned there. Bertrand cowers, whimpers and wobbles pitiously through the night, while Gaudramas and Cornelius try with every movement to dissociate themselves from the entire plan. Jacques-Alphonse, however, gradually opens up to his strict but not unloving aunt, telling the story from late Stekk up to the present day. He omits certain key elements, notably Hamartin's existence and involvement, and Bertrand's sorcerous nature. He expresses his ideas that the events are linked to a secret war of the elves (germinated by Rosmarin's comments) and that to the elves, Avation is but a piece in a greater game, but that the outcome of this game is far more critical for the land than the present civil war.
Baronetta Bélisa (whom resembles the Sidhe Duchess superficially), towering imperiously at first, later finding a seat to rest her considerable weight, is first imperious and sarcastic, but gradually she is impressed with Jacques-Alphonse's yarn. She seems not unsympathetic to his flight from the monastery. However, she is highly indignant at his plan of stealing away her prisoner. Barontta Bélisa further asserts that she knows well that Roxanne is an elf, and that there are elves about. She comments that they have always envied humans "the seed and the bounty", and that they have been humanity's enemies since before they sunk Avalon. She assures that the castle is well warded against elves and their like, and that Roxanne is currently helpless. Regarding Roxanne Bélisa lets slip that she has subdued her with hawthorn and iron, but not been able to make her tell much. Some times, Bélisa stares fixedly at Jacques-Alphonse, or cocks her head as if listening. She tells that Jacques-Alphonse has an enchantment woven in his aura, and as the doings of the Dark Lady are revealed - she has frequented Jacques-Alphonse's dreams since the dark of the moon in Stekk- the noble Lady explains that the Dark Lady must have crafted a ladder into Jacques-Alphonse's dreams, letting herself in and gradually walling more wholesome presences (notably the Bois-Alsante ancestral spirit) out. She is puzzled by the black sorcerers and their goblinoid servants, as, to her knowledge, elves do not keep goblin servants, much less hobgoblins.
Baronet Chrysale is more sympathetic from the outset, and commends Jacques-Alphonse's skill in coping with hobgoblins. Mostly he just sits and listens, scratching his two favourite dogs. When the presence of the Dark Lady near the castle is revealed (in the Hour of the Rat), he goes forth with many men to quell the evil with iron and fire. However, no trace of sorcerers nor trãm is found by them.
Chrysalia is permitted to sit by and listen to the tale, occasionally commenting or questioning her mother on esoteric details.
The unicorn horn is exhibited and marvelled at.
At dawn, Jacques-Alphonse's tale comes to an end, and the four picaro's are eventually put to bed in a room scented with herbs and flowers, floor and walls coverd with drawn wards. The room is within the keep proper, with a narrow window open to the air shaft in the middle of the keep, and with a sturdy door. The companions have their possessions taken away for safekeeping, and are given clean linen chemises to sleep in.
In the afternoon the picaros are awakened by Steward Gilbert FizHubert. JA breaks his fast with the nobles, and human politics and warfare are discussed alongside the Elfin incursions. The other picaros are brought in later, and one discusses what to do about Roxanne, the elves and the others.
The picaros are tended with herbal arts by the Baronetta and Dame Chrysalia.