Chapter 2: A Trip on a Swideur to Reshall

The Chronicles of Brother Jacques
Spring 1 069:

Our linguistic skills being... adequate, we decided to leave for Reshall in the spring, as soon as the weather permitted.
Erenion thought that he could control Bastard, one of the worst tempered (greyish) warhorses in the stables, and proved himself. We also obtained armour for him, so that he can play the rôle of a Knight.
Erenion left seperately, posing as a wealthy (though not landed nobility) soldier of some sort.
Sir Zacharias de la Roche, with Marcello and Olivier, Sir Jean-Marc, and myself left Chateau Détourner on 1/4/1 069. Ilenia stayed. Eldonn came with us, but may not come to Reshall.

We arrived at the city of Chamdemor in the evening. This is a large and productive district, with a total population of around 50 000, with over 10 000 living in the city itself.
I went to the cathedral precincts to return some papers to Patre Janses (and Brothers Sammul and Jean in the library), and partake of his excellent red wine (le Val de Chamdemor 1 063).
Sirs Zacharias and Jean-Marc visited Sir Rafael de Lafayette, a Knight of great renown who is soon to be wed to Marie de la Tour. Her younger brother is Pierre de la Tour who Sir Zacharias knows. Sir Zacharias' bagpipes exploded during a recital, much to his consternation.

Erenion stayed at an inn.

2/4/1 069 Sir Zacharias, (finally) realising that his rustic plumed hat was out of style, bought a new hat to be his pride and joy; the rim coming to a point ahead, with no less than 7 more fashionable plumes sweeping backwards. It drew considerable attention.
The journey to Ymer was uneventful. Erenion does not approve of the way that our Valonese nobility treat the lower orders. Actually, I agree that many are arrogant, but it it not for Erenion to judge us.

4/4/1 069 We arrived at Ymer in the evening. Again, I stayed at the precincts of the cathedral, Erenion stayed at an inn (a seedy one called the Ship with beds that were too short), and the nobility enjoyed the hospitality of their own class. Sir Zacharias destroyed his host Anton du Gascelli's harpsicord.

Anton is closely involved with the wine harvest which was good last year.

5/4/1 069 We arrived at LePort, and I learned that the Swideur Endraco would arrive on 6/4, leaving on 7/4.
Again, I made my way to the houses around the cathedral, meeting Friar Berlain and Sisters Jolie and Gabrielle (of my own order). I availed myself of the excellent library, learned the latest intelligence from Reshall, recieved my final orders, and left a copy of my notes and intentions (such as they are at the moment):
We will travel to Senacran, posing as 2 knights for the Summer Tourney (with an entourage including a priest, and several months on their hands to cultivate local freindships). We will claim that Sir Jean-Marc's squire had died on the road, and at some stage switch Erenion to assume Sir Jean-Marc's identity.
Sir Zacharias successfully played a lyre without breaking anything while staying with Sir Yves du Cas, a respectable, but not very fashionable noble, who has no musical instruments.
Various others found ladies of negotiable virtue ready to negotiate at the Inn called Le Cart one of the best Inns in town.

6/4/1 069 Preparing. Marcello found a good butcher in Le Port who does instant soup sausages. I visited Henriette the Herbalist who sold Citronella ointment against mosquitoes, tiger balsam and healing poultices (which are supposed to draw infections and accelerate healing). I booked passage aboard Endraco. Georges, one of the crew, was missing.

7/4/1 069 Getting the horses aboard, ready to leave before dawn, was difficult. Thunderbolt kicked a sailor, and actually broke his neck, but by the grace of THE GOD, I managed to save his life. He was carried abroad, but cannot work for a few days.

We left. This Swideur is a huge vessel, with over 100 crew, 3 masts, a main hull and 2 outriggers, a flat bottom with no keel, but various lee boards. She is, nevertheless, an ungainly ship that can scarcely move against the wind, though I expect her to skim fairly swiftly over still water.
Georges hadn't turned up, but I spotted his boot, caught under a railing, concealed by timbers connected to an outrigger. It looked like the boot had caught, but the foot came out, and maybe someone had kicked the boot even further out of sight. Georges had been with the crew for 5 years, but was a quiet man with a book (probably a book of simple prayers, as it bore the Spiral). No one had seen him since the evening before landfall (5/4), and his kit was gone.
It looks like he either sneaked off ship, or was pushed overboard. I'd like to investigate further, but cannot ask more questions (I'll ask if anyone wants to confide in a man of THE GOD), because I most definitely don't want to make a name as an investigator.