Navigating the swamp was difficult at first. It was extremely shallow, and they ran aground frequently. Although roomy for contraband, three people, packs and a wolf made it rather cramped. They had to get out to get the boat loose when they ran up against a shoal that was more gravel than silt. They took the opportunity to get their armor off, and pack it, and tie their belongings down more securely.

After that it went better. Gwen could see the best and was using Zipper’s spear to pole themselves along when the current was too weak. As they got away from the periphery the water got deeper and they beached less often. Things were steady enough by midnight that Delta and Zipper bedded down and nodded off. They had got to what was the main flow by then, and Gwen really just had the nudge the boat now and again to keep them drifting downstream at a reasonable pace.

By the time dawn was approaching the streams had collected together and become a respectable river. They had a cold breakfast while drifting past pastoral scenes. The odd collection of cows looked at them with detached expressions while they chewed their own meals.

The number of farm buildings slowly increased until they saw a line ahead crossing the river. “That must be the bridge at Crebanne”, said Zipper.

Delta took the pole from Gwen and began directing them towards the southern side. “I don’t see troops”, said Delta. “We may have beat them here.”

Zipper splashed out as they got close to the shore and pulled the boat up against the bank. There were a few other boats there, of sturdier construction, and a number of people watched curiously from them, and from an inn that was perched on the bank above them.

They moved Gwen to the shady side of the bridge, stacked their possessions there, and dragged the boat further up. Delta pulled her armor out and looked disappointed at the muddy tabard. “I should go and report to the Baronet”, she said. “I just wish I looked better.”

“Oh, you’ll do fine”, said Zipper. “At least you look like you’ve been in a fight.”

Delta handed her some coins from the purse. “Why don’t you see if you can get us a place to sleep the day off at the inn. I think the Knight’s budget should cover that after what we’ve done.”

“And food!” said Zipper.

Delta nodded, resignedly. Then she beat what mud she could off her tabard and looked for someone to tell her the way to the Baronet’s residence.

Zipper figured a goblin and wolf were enough to scare away anyone from messing with their baggage and trudged up the slope to the inn in good spirits.

The place was larger than she expected for a village of this size, but the proximity to the river and bridge probably brought them more customers passing through than the local population warranted. They were pleasant but bemused. Gossip had already spread of her arrival from upstream rather than downstream and speculation was rife. She played up their roles as heroic mercenaries, hinted at fighting for the Baronet, but left the details vague and mysterious.

Not knowing Delta’s plans, she managed to negotiate for a room until sundown, rather than a palette and soon had a collection of children happy to move their stuff from the river side to the room for a few pennies. Gwen gave them pause, but Zipper brushed her off as a “special agent”.

Once in the room, Zipper closed the shutters to make it as dim as possible for Gwen. They then went through their belongings, taking stock of what they had, and cleaning and drying what had gotten sodden during the boat trip. They used it as an opportunity to exchange and practice more vocabulary.

“Looks like we’re going to have to restock our food”, said Zipper, with a complete lack of disappointment.

“Sell boat”, said Gwen. “This bridge, zero enemy. That bridge, one enemy. No go that bridge.”

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Zipper nodded. “I doubt I’ll get much for it. But that will be discretionary funds. We can spend it on anything, not just mission requirements.” She grinned and tried to convey the concept in simpler words for Gwen. “I buy. What need?” she asked in goblin.

Gwen looked around at their stuff. “Blanket”, she said. Those were bulky when not rolled up and hadn’t made it into their quick packs.

“Blanket”, Zipper agreed. She gave Johnson a scratch on the head. “Bones.” And she set off downstairs.

The lunch crowd had come in early. Apparently, they were the most interesting thing that happened in a while. Zipper bought them a round of drinks to put them in a good mood and then opened bidding for their boat. Their first offers were very low and given by the universal agreement among them that it was a good price, so she knew this was not to her advantage. She pointed out that, quite rightly, she had to sell and any money was better than chopping it up for firewood, but didn’t the others think it was a little unfair that just one of them should get an advantage over them by increasing their services at such low a rate? That got them thinking, and a few more bids started coming in. Zipper let them build up steam as they remembered old rivalries, and then she started talking about the storied history of the boat, and how when her Captain said she could tell them the full story, they would not regret owning a boat that had been pivotal to such things.

Zipper was quite pleased with the final count. Pleased enough to buy another round of drinks before buyer’s remorse kicked in. The landlord was pleased enough with the custom she had driven to let her have whatever scraps and bones were left in the kitchen for free.

Delta came in as the crowd was thinning out. She looked tired, dirty, and dejected. Zipper slid a mug of weak wine over the table to her. She sat down heavily.

“I’m guessing I did better than you”, said Zipper. She grinned and pushed over her profit. “Got this for the boat.”

Delta nodded absently and sipped at the mug, then picked up some leftover crusts. “When the Baronet finally saw me, he was deeply skeptical. He seems less so now, but I’m not sure he’s really going to take the due consideration he needs to take. He only really started taking me seriously after he offered some token compensation for the loss of the horse and donkey and I asked him to send it on to Sir Rault since they were borrowed from him. He finally accepted at that point that I wasn’t just trying to shake him down for money.”

“Give him a day or two to come around”, said Zipper. “Once the troops come marching through.”

“Unless they go through Havdeauxco. That’s the village at the other bridge.”

“Should we warn them?” said Zipper.

“If they are going that way, they’ll be there before we can get there”, said Delta. “I did get a look at one of the Baronet’s maps. This general of theirs seems big into feints and counter maneuvers. The straightforward way is down the coast road. But if he makes as if he’s coming here, like he made as if he was going for Lyre, he could do something to draw attention here first.”

Zipper peered out the window. “Well, if he can do it by about 4pm Gwen should just be waking up and we can get on our way. That’s assuming you consider that we’re still hired and need to spread the word more.”

“Sir Rault left it rather vague”, said Delta. “But his money is good, and I don’t really feel the job is done yet.” She sighed. “But it’s a long walk to Metzre.”

“Ah”, said Zipper. “Just so happens I have a pretty good lead on a horse and wagon, if you wish”, she said.

Delta smiled faintly. “And provisions as well, I’m sure.”

“Of course!” said Zipper. “Speaking of which, I should take these up to Johnston before they get, well, less fresh.” She picked up the plate of scraps and bones and went off to their room.

Delta made sure the landlord had been paid up and arranged for a bath and to have their tabards laundered. The landlord was very curious as to all the hints Zipper had dropped. Delta was unsure how much to tell him. On the one hand, these people could do with being warned. On the other hand, she didn’t want to go against the Baronet’s wishes.

Zipper may have worked up the lunchtime crowd, who were as like as not to embellish anything said. But they were gone now, and it was just Delta and the innkeeper. She decided to level with him and give her best military style report of what she had seen, from Cleres all the way up to Banbury Tower. She kept to just what she had personally observed and didn’t add any of her speculation.

The landlord took it all in, nodded a few times, and said that he would make sure his shutters were in good order. He also offered the services of one of his daughters, to run errands to collect whatever they needed if they were going to leave town to warn others.

She hadn’t made a decision on that, but this decided it for her. The landlord of the inn in the town where she grew up wasn’t what she would call wise, but he did strike a good balance between what was good for the community and what was good for himself. She didn’t trust the Baronet, with his personal guards and fortified house, to weigh the concerns as even handedly. If this man felt that a broader alert was warranted, then it was a barometer she should probably pay attention to.

“Thank you”, she said. “We’ll be out of the room before sundown.”