SPQT -- Moos from the past

January 22 - Sigurd brought Gaius and Alfredus's boy Harald to me this afternoon, Harald not seriously injured but bearing all the signs of boyish violence. Sigurd had found his story disturbing, and rightly so. He and Ludo were returning from the school when two boys they didn't know began harassing them. The gist of the teasing was that Alfredus is a "sissy," but they revealed knowledge of details of his early life and his brother's death of which the locals shouldn't be aware. Since there were two boys, both larger, Harald opted for a strategic withdrawal to recruit reinforcements, which is how Gaius got involved; and also how Sigurd found out about it, since he overheard the recruitment process. The details about Alfredus's early life struck him as forcibly as they had me, but in his case, they echoed words he'd heard in a more serious context.

It seems that, at the local Teutonic tavern - a place called "The Horned Helmet," which Alfredus hardly ever patronizes - a man has been holding forth for hours at a time, casting aspersions on Alfredus's character which, according to their barbarian code, can only be properly addressed by mayhem. Sigurd has avoided mentioning this to Alfredus, correctly divining that the natural result of such an encounter would not be well-received by Uncle or the vigiles. I commended his course of action, and got Harald cleaned up enough that Greta wouldn't be dismayed at the sight of him, admonishing him to avoid the boys for the time being.

However, there was a stench about this matter which I could scarcely ignore, and of which it might be dangerous not to apprise Alfredus, so I called a meeting. Decimus is still closeted with his magic items, but the rest of us were there. All agreed that this had all the earmarks of a Valerian plot. Alfredus said that of course it was a plot but he'd have to deal with it anyway, and I find that I understand this. I wish I didn't. Alfredus also pointed out that, if the Valerii were digging into his past for weak points, they could easily be doing the same for all of us. He looked quite a long time at Corvus and Robyn, but they didn't take the bait. As for me, I have plenty of vulnerable spots in the here and now; no need to dig up any past of mine! Even if I could think of one.

Fortunately, I've been memorizing "Commune" every morning, hoping to work out the proper sequence of questions to lead us to the monster who boobytrapped Gaius, but reluctant to disturb Orus until I had the perfect set of questions. Things having become too urgent for that, I resigned myself, and did the best I could. Quintus Valerius is behind both the attack on Gaius and this obvious trap for Alfredus. Some of our relatives (but not mine, and not Alfredus's half-brother) are being used as pawns in his plots. Quintus himself is not on Analubia, and that doppelganger friend of his is not in town.

Sigurd took Corvus down to the Horned Helmet to observe the slander in person. Alfredus seems set on challenging him, and I suppose I can't prevent it. As long as we ensure that all forms of cheating are ruled out, and they restrict themselves to fisticuffs, which I understand is within the allowable parameters of violence for this occasion, the vigiles are unlikely to care about it; and if Alfredus accidentally kills the man, I have the Rod of Comforting the Staff, though that's not the use I had envisioned for it! I wish I could skip the event, but it's plainly my duty to attend if this goes forward. I'm not going to mention the Rod to Alfredus. No need for him to get it into his head that it's all right to murder the man, since I'll be on hand to bring him back!

January 23 - We've come out all right, but I didn't like today. Hrolf, the slanderer, has a villa apartment in a good section of town where he lives with his wife and two children - the boys who picked on Harald. His transfer to Ayzidas is recent, but he has been employed by the Valerii for some time. At one time he was a landowner in the north, but he lost his fortune in the cattle raid which cost Alfredus's brother his life. He spends almost all of every day sitting in the Horned Helmet drinking and defaming, with a bundle behind him that looks remarkably like an ax wrapped in cloth. This information is equal parts Gaius and Corvus. What follows is the result of Corvus's following the fellow home last night.

After he had been home for some time, a tall Aechean paid a call. Corvus was not in a good position for eavesdropping, but heard clear references to a boss, things going to plan, and the assurance that "He'll lose face or he'll lose his head." Having thus identified Quintus's agent in town, Corvus followed him back to an inn. He then returned to report and enlist Robyn to take over the shadowing duties while he rested up for tomorrow. His idea was that he should discreetly borrow the ax before Alfredus ever arrived. Since such fights are usually settled in the alleys behind taverns, I should have been able to assure that no magic items or spells came into play be casting "antimagic field" on myself and standing in the front row of the ring of spectators that is an essential part of these proceedings.

Greta did her best to turn me into a barbarian woman for the occasion, and Corvus used an ingenious kit of his to further alter my appearance, against the probability that Quintus's agent knows me by sight and might, recognizing me, take action. I decided to bring Gaius in case we needed errands run - to the vigiles, for example - but Corvus loaned him the Hat of Disguise for safety's sake. Gaius amused himself making himself look as tough, barbaric, and large as he could, prompting Alfredus and Sigurd to tease him about still being "a girly man."

We proceeded to the tavern in the afternoon, meeting up with Robyn on the way. He reported that the Aechean was in the tavern with a mage and that they were disguised as barbarians, whom he would undertake to point out to us. The Aechean, he said, was a bard, and in evidence produced a small harp which he had appropriated when the Aechean carelessly set it down while Robyn was nearby and invisible. Since this is undoubtedly the instrument that initiated Gaius's trouble two weeks ago, I'm less inclined than I ought to be to insist that it be returned in due course. In fact, I find I think of it more in terms of disarming an enemy than stealing. I'm in for a long bout of praying tonight, sorting out the ethics of this situation.

Once at the Horned Helmet, we entered in small groups, Alfredus awaiting the signal. Corvus invisibly extracted the ax while Robyn pointed out the Aechean and his friend to me - indeed, I could probably have identified them with some certainty, on the basis of the fuss one of them was making about his missing harp. I detected magic on the room generally, and found that Hrolf had some in his belt pouch, and the mage and the Aechean had several items. When we were all in position, Alfredus came in, went straight to Hrolf, and said: "I hear you've been wanting to see me. Would you care to step outside?"

Hrolf consented with alacrity, reaching behind him for the ax, and looking satisfactorily dismayed at not finding it. There was no backing out, however, and essentially the population of the bar adjourned to the rear, where I was dismayed to find there was a veritable arena set up! There was no possibility of remaining within spell range of Alfredus, so I concentrated on staying near Quintus's agents. Corvus also remained nearby them, while Robyn, Sigurd, and Gaius covered other angles - and, I regret to say, placed bets on the outcome, which seemed to me to be in bad taste, but no one agrees with me, and they know the etiquette of such occasions better than I. I'm disinclined to be stuffy on the topic, in light of Alfredus did next - producing two gladii he had secreted on his person and proposing them as the weapons of the contest! They were the masterwork pair he obtained some time ago and had silvered, against our next meeting of lycanthropes. Although I understand the appropriateness of defending his good name with a weapon indicative of his new status as a citizen,* I don't think that's a good enough reason to risk escalating the conflict. I was furious, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

The fight proceeded with a good deal of blood and no attempt on Hrolf's part to cheat. They were evenly matched, and produced a good deal of blood before Alfredus's superior skill gave him the upper hand - he disarmed Hrolf, took his gladius, and mentioned that he was trained in two-weapon fighting. Hrolf submitted, but with an ill grace. He at first refused an offer of reimbursement for the cattle, and it seemed for a time as though the fight would resume, but in time he appeared to reconsider, reflecting perhaps that the Valerii were unlikely to continue employing him since his efforts in this matter had failed, and that he has a family to support. The audience broke up and the bar maids, who seem used to the occupation, brought out bandages and salves. I volunteered my services to heal them both up. One of the agents whispered something in Hrolf's ear as he left, whereat he did not look happy. My anti-magic field does not appear to have been necessary, thank Orus!

Home we all went, and I scryed the Aechean, using the harp. He was sitting alone in the tavern, drinking and looking glum. He'd be an extremely handsome man if he didn't spoil his countenance with evil thoughts. I decided to risk a social call, after restoring myself to my proper persona. I'm not sure my hair will ever come right again. May that be the worst thing I have to complain of for the next week!

Alfredus, Gaius, and I formed the confrontational party, while Robyn and Corvus watched our backs. The interview did not go well. I miss Tamara. She'd have had him eating out of her hand inside of five minutes. I could not trip him up and he resisted the spells I had time and opportunity to use. In the end I didn't even get his name. The first time he attempted to storm out, Gaius tripped him, and was slapped for his pains. I was prepared to file a complaint against him for assaulting my page, in the interests of getting him into a more controlled environment; but Gaius ended that hope by kicking him in a delicate area. Alfredus restrained the bard from that point, but we were attracting far too much attention, so I told him to tell Quintus that harassing us further was not worth his while and he should leave us alone in future. It will never do him any good to pursue us. I then signaled to Alfredus to release him, and warned the landlord that he should insist on cash payment daily from this fellow, as he was likely to vanish unexpectedly. We left before the vigiles arrived, but I had to spend a certain amount of time this evening explaining the real state of affairs to a tired-looking vigile.

Corvus had gone upstairs, intent on discovering which room the Achaean's partner occupied. Robyn now joined him, quickly outlining a plan of his own, and downed his last invisibility potion when Corvus signalled that the Achaean was coming upstairs. Robyn then infiltrated the agents' room by slipping in on the Aechean's heels. He was in a very foul temper and ranted to his companion, who was sitting on the bed trying to read. It doesn't appear that he will pass my message on in the proper spirit. Robyn had to listen for almost an hour to a round lot of abuse against all of us, and some of Hrolf too, and gained little material information. Quintus is certainly the boss, and he is going "stir crazy" in his place of exile, "even with all the women." Other than that, the bard is overweeningly vain and foul-tempered, and the mage is much quieter and better able to keep his temper. Something about the terms of abuse heaped on Gaius seemed to displease him, possibly indicating some affinity in their pasts; but not enough to keep him from boobytrapping the boy, so I'm not inclined to excuse him. We may be able to use these character traits in the future, but for now they are beyond our grasp. Eventually, knowing his potion wouldn't last forever, Robyn knocked on the door and slipped out again when the bard flung open the door to see who was there.**

Robyn then returned home, but Corvus remained long enough to see the mage pay the shot and the pair of them carry their bags out to a private spot in an alley and teleport away. Nothing I do penetrates the blackness of the crystal ball. Obviously, Quintus has some excellent anti-scrying spells on his "hideout" where he is attended by "all the women."

The simplest thing would be to summon another planar ally, but that's not a spell to use lightly, and I'm already in debt to a hound archon and an astral deva. Summoning such beings should be reserved for the service of the Church or the Emperor, and though I could claim that I am tracking down a fugitive for the empire, I am not quite so befuddled as to believe that his legal status is anything but a side issue. I want them because we can have no peace or security until Quintus is in the hands of justice, and because nobody boobytraps my page and gets away with it. I'll have to find some other means of getting past those antiscrying spells.

My head hurts, and every time I think of the conversation I'm going to have with Gaius about his interaction with the bard, it hurts worse. It doesn't help that I can't let Mother know exactly how serious things are, and she's naturally curious about what I've been doing all day. We've given Uncle a full report, of course, and Mother knows I talked to the vigiles. Uncle offered to send us someplace less accessible, but we all agreed that this would only put matters off - and if they can't reach us directly, will they scruple to reach us through others? I can scarcely scoop up all my sisters and their husbands and fly off with them to visit the Gaians; the children need their education; we all have friends in town - no, better we stay here and try to devise a plan to turn the tables on Quintus and his lackeys.

I can't believe I was involved in two bar brawls today!

*In fact, Alfredus chose these weapons because they were easy to conceal; Sofia is overinterpreting in Alfredus's favor.

**Robyn has not mentioned to Sofia that immediately prior to slipping out, while the pair were occupied in arguing, he picked up an elaborate breastplate and the harp case, and took them with him. These are presently stored in a dark, nondescript place, and their ultimate fate has not been decided.