They checked in with the clerks in headquarters. It was the most active they had ever seen it. The clerks were rushing from one person to another. Troops were going in and out with messages. A number of people in castle livery were also on hand to answer questions or to take down messages.
Eventually they were noticed, and the man who usually dealt with them smiled and came right over. “Good to see you. I’ve had nothing but good reports about you. We will be extending your guard contract for another three days, if you accept that. We don’t have much time for training right now. After that we will be offering you an extended courier mission. Probably about a month or two long if that would be of interest.”
Delta looked around. “I can see you are busy right now, so I won’t press for details. We will need to discuss it and see the exact request, but I think we will probably say yes.”
“I can plan around that”, said the clerk. He counted out their pay, half in silver, and half in brass promissory coins. “Please see the officer of the day for quarters and your place on the duty roster.”
They saluted and left the clerk to his business. First, they got the donkeys and wagon quartered in the stable, then got Gwen to their quarters. When they reported for duty the Sargent gave them a quarter of the city, and a name to report to for rubble clearing and general cleanup.
It was dirty work, but fairly mindless. They had worn their nice, white tabards, and on account of that, the Lieutenant in charge decided they would be better off directing the people filling the carts, and clearing a path for the carts as they moved to where the fill was to be dumped.
Gwen was given night patrol. She was to stalk the city at night and scare the crap out of anyone acting suspicious. It was duty she delighted in.
In their off time, they tracked down a seamstress and a washerwoman. They had a second set of tabards made, and the designs embroidered on, instead of being painted. The wagon was brought to a wainwright to make some of the more extensive modifications they wanted, and to prepare it for a longer journey.
They were summoned to where operations were set up a few days later. The General was ensconced in the castle with Count Metzre and they had been engaged in writing messages to all the other senior landed nobility of Avenio, including the King himself. They had a detailed list of which messages were to be delivered two whom.
“We feel it would be best to have a nominally neutral third party deliver these. And we want them delivered safely and securely, so if they are armed, so much the better.” He showed them the elaborate tubes the messages were stored in. “Each is addressed and sealed like so. If it is opened by other than who it is designed for, the message will be blanked. So, in the worst case, if someone tries to get at them, let them. Do not lay down your life for these messages. Their loss would be an inconvenience, not a calamity.”
“That’s very kind of you”, said Delta. She and Zipper exchanged glances. Here was more of that practical magic that they had seen much of.
“I expect the recipients will have many questions for you. You may speak freely of all you have seen or partaken in. That, too, is part of the message we are sending.” He smiled confidently.
It all seemed good. The wages were the usual mediocre amount, but the duty was light. They took the job.
They were serious when they said they had letters for everyone of Viscount or higher title. The destinations were scattered across the length and breadth of Avenio. All major towns south of Metzre, as they, pretty much, had the north all tied up.
It was mostly civilized country, with little general danger on the road. They had remounted their polearms into vertical loopholes since they weren’t trying to be subtle. They even flew pennants from them. Brigands avoided them, and officials who let them pass when they explained their mission and showed their scrolls.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The only part where they met any difficulty was when they decided to overland from Rouuiler to Touco. A last finger of the mountains that made up the world’s spine jutted out into the belly of Avenio there and the unsettled land was fairly trackless and wild. The wagon proved difficult, and they had to lift it at times. But they had replaced the wheels by now with good iron reinforced ones, so the main hinderance was speed. The donkeys, by now, were in much better shape, and had finally warmed to the ministrations of Zipper.
The whole area put Gwen in high spirits. Although there was only one outcropping that rose to her standard of being called a mountain, the fact that there were slopes and you could actually see the terrain around you was something she found very comforting. Their mutual comprehension of language had also improved a lot on the road and seeing all of this loosened her tongue and they exchanged much about their childhoods and where they came from.
After a day or so’s ride into the wild lands, she pointed out to them a pile of stones that was a territorial marker. She was quite excited and said that they should be able to negotiate not just passage, but an escort and probably help over the rough bits. They decided that was a lot better than fighting their way through.
Following her direction, they spent the afternoon laying out their blankets, and a selection of their tools and stores. Nothing they couldn’t do without or replace, but that she said would be appealing to the locals. They built a fire and waited for night to come.
And when it did, so too did the goblins. They had been spotted as soon as they entered the valley, and they were expected. What was unexpected was that they would stop and do them respect. This curiosity brought them out, including the chief.
Gwen did most of the speaking, being fluent. The accent was different, but it was mostly comprehensible. She explained the clan she came from, which they had distantly heard of, and that she was now working for Delta, who served as an itinerant chief. They were quite taken aback when Delta made a few comments, herself, in goblin. The negotiators considered for several moments how much of what they said had been understood. After that the conversation was much more measured and respectful.
Deals were made and goods were exchanged. Passage was bought, not just through their territory, but they also negotiated on behalf of the other tribes on the route. No doubt taking a measured cut from the top. They even promised a giant to help porter the wagon over a specifically difficult bit, to shave an extra day off their journey.
Several of the blankets interested them, as well as the cloth from the top they had rigged for the wagon. They could weave, but it was long and laborious, and they did not raise wool bearing animals. Similarly, the sewing kit, and especially the needles, they had were highly prized. They were good with iron, but not on such a small scale.
There was a bit of a stir once they realized that Gwen did not have the use of her legs. She had been conducting her business while appearing to sit cross legged. However, negotiations were so far progressed at that point that they downplayed it and steamed ahead.
On their side, Delta and Zipper coveted their chain mail. It wasn’t as good as dwarven make, but the price was much more affordable. Unfortunately, they did not have any to fit them, and they did not have the time for them to resize any pieces, otherwise they would have spent much of their savings on it. They did pick up some well-tanned leather and furs for general use and to make their wagon more comfortable.
They conversed much with their escort on the way through their region. Both to improve their accent and vocabulary, but also to glean what sort of things they would find valuable to trade in the future for a chain shirt or aventail.
At a high saddle between two hills they parted with their escort. It commanded a good view of the slope ahead, and after looking around for a bit, Delta got her perspective aligned. This was where she grew up, and certain parts of it formed the skyline of her youth.
Once their message was delivered to Touco, they took a couple of days for Delta to visit with her family and relations. They were both delighted and proud to see her, especially when she insisted on leaving a majority of her savings with them. Either to keep for her, or to use if there was need.
She introduced both Zipper and Gwen to her old mentor, who was now quite elderly. He listened with interest to their war stories but tended to nod off.
Eventually, after replacing miscellaneous goods they had traded to the goblins, they continued with their journey. They travelled along the southern border before turning northward, and going up the coast, finally arriving at Germarnis, the capital city and seat of the Kingdom of Avenio.