Journey to Red Deer

Note: I have written Checkers words in 'Backlander' to give an idea of what the effect of that speech would be on someone that speaks "Standard Barque." I used the accent that one would find in Maine or the Maritimes as a model. It is a bit of a challenge writing someone speaking in an accent, so if it becomes a plot point in future episodes, I will just write "in a Backlander accent." Anyone who wants to get in on the fun can do this either way.

Jan said, "I would not take that chance. Whilst games amongst the commoners do not have mages, cheating has been known to go on in other ways, from what I hear."

In another part of town, Checkers stood reading some notices, with a long shawl covering her wings so that she would not attract unwanted attention. However, a potbellied, well-dressed man seemed to be looking at her. He then approached, and said:

"Excuse me, Miss. You don't know me, but I believe that we both know a Mister Brazel. He spoke highly of you."

Checkers then replied in a 'Backlander' accent, which was the mark of someone from a rural and isolated section of the interior of Archangel. Some of her words gained an extra syllable, and the final "r" tended to get dropped.

"A-yeh. I know Mista Brazel. Finest kind of ma-un."

The stranger smiled. "You don't look you are from the Backlands."

Checkers smiled back, and said, "I was in a care-avahn for two ye-us [years]. I lear-und mah Bahrque from Mista Payblie. Everybody in t'e care-avan was from arond t'e Sal' Country. So thaht why I sound a bit off from regulah Bahrque."

"Oh. No problem. It just sounds a little funny around here. But I heard, from Mister Brazel, how quickly you were able to get the wine to birthday party of the watch chief when they ran out."

Checkers nodded.

"And also how reliable you were. Nothing lost in 'evaporation' apparently."

Checkers shook her head.

"Would you be interested, for a lot more than two bits, in a light delivery of some distance?"

Checkers nooded her head, and said, "Where were ye-uh thinking?"

The man said, "It is about thirteen leagues from here, but the road is bad. I can't use horses."

"Which wa-ay?"

"By way of Walker Road. Take a right on Spine Road, about six leagues in, at the sign of the Red Deer. Then go down toward utility road number 7. It is not well marked - it is overgrown in some places. But it gets better as you approach Red Deer. You should be able to see the town standard - it is red, and about 15 paces high. There will be a white globe on the top.

Checkers nodded as she took all this in, and said, "Got it."

"Good. The house of which I speak will be an estate owned by Mister Bullware. Two storeys, two barns nearby. Nothing like that around there. Tell him that Mister Jarnestone needs him to act more quickly than he expected. And then show him this paper."

Checkers took a glance at it, and said, "Ah ye-uh buying or selling?"

Jarnestone said, "Selling. I need his signature by tomorrow by noon. Otherwise I will be forced to sell to someone else. Mister Bullware will be very happy with my price, so if you can find him, he will sign."

"And once it is done, I would gay-et ... [get]." She trailed off into silence, not directly posing the question.

"A sovereign, or its equivalent in silver."

Checkers thought about this. "I shall do it. I shall tay-ik [take] it in gold. Haf ye-uh any coffee?"

"No. Sorry. We have not had any come through in an age. If you could get Mister Payblie's caravan to detour through Tupport on the way to Colonia Gallia or Archangel Northport, we would be grateful."

Checkers smiled, and said, "If I see him, I shall tell him for ye- uh."

Mister Jarnestone held out the paper and Checkers took it. Then she bowed slightly, and Jarnestone bowed back. And then they went their separate ways.

Checkers followed Walker Road until she was outside of town. She climbed a tree, and then pushed off, and let the wind catch her wings. She negotiated the winds until she was over the forest. From there, she found Spine Road, and was able to go over the forests and creeks directly to the city standard. Checkers had little trouble finding the Bullware house, and as expected, once Mister Bullware was found, and he got over the shock of seeing an acutal "harpy", he signed the paper and wrote some numbers under his name.

As it was likely that she would not be back by dark, and she needed some rest, Bullware gave her a good bed of straw in a stall in the barn, and a hearty supper. He asked her a little bit about where she came from, where she picked up her accent, and questions about her homeland. Checkers answered their questions frankly, while portraying the Dolomite League in as good a light as she could. She did pick up a useful piece of information. Colonia Gallia, which is where Astra was said to have gone by the mariners, was a renegade town, neither under the control of the laws of Blacksand nor those of Archangel. Bullware thought that Astra might have been sold to Lucius, who was said to engage in truly wicked practices. But it had never been proven, and some vouched for him as a very respectable and educated man. But all agreed that you could only cross him once - and then you disappeared, died, or became his most abject servant. But the good news was that Colonia Gallia lay on some routes into the interior of the continent, and if they could find Astra, then they might find a larger company and travel more safely.

1. The night and the journey back pass without incident.
2. The night and the journey back pass with incident.

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