Session Twenty-Eight: The Squire's Tale

The Affair of the Knife

Everyone is relieved at Sir Henri’s recovery, and all congratulate Pierre on his great skill.

Meanwhile, Sabina tells Charlotte that she can be free of her “wish,” if she burns it. Charlotte approaches the still smoldering campfire. She stops at the last moment, telling the others that she still needs the magical knife in order to heal the wound that she dealt to Gascon Gascoigne. Charlotte explains that she doesn’t know how she knows this, but she says that the touch of the knife is the only thing that can heal the wounds it makes. She asks the group to take her back to Vierzon as soon as they can.

The company spends a few more moments recuperating and letting Pierre bind their wounds. Magnus, who now desperately covets the magical knife, has Garnier steal it off of Charlotte and deliver it to his hand. This is effort is aided, though unwittingly, by Sir Henri, who presents Charlotte with the sword that he found in the camp earlier that evening. The fine blade proves to be Charlotte’s own sword, which she gratefully belts about her waist.

On the return trip to Vierzon, Sir Henri tells the others about his time being “dead,” and about his visitation with the strange man in yellow robes. Sir Henri says that he is convinced that they are being aided by a Ruinous Power, though he is not sure which one or why it is helping them. Sabina is deeply disturbed by this, and wonders if this is what the cultists they encountered meant by, “the Cult of the Stranger.”

Charlotte, for her part, is completely baffled by the conversation. This, plus her own exhaustion, renders her quiet and unfocused for the rest of the journey back to the town.

The Magic Knife

Reunions and Rejuvenations

The company returns to The Hungry Mice, where Charlotte is tearfully and gratefully reunited with her mother, Dame Britolette. The knight, though still reserved, expresses her deep thanks to the company, saying that if they were hired on to be the pilgrimage’s guardians, they were well-chosen.

Sabina, completely exhausted by the work of the day, goes upstairs to her room and gets ready for bed. The rest either relax in the common room or go with Magnus and Pierre to visit Gascon.

The members of the company going upstairs crowd into Gascon’s room, where they join Rauchamp and Guilbald, who are still tending to Gascon. While the others keep the pardoner and the summoner busy with idle chit-chat, Magnus surreptitiously taps the flat of the magic knife to Gascon’s chest wound.

The effect is immediate and startling. Gascon opens his eyes, sits up, and looks around the room. He cheerfully greets those people standing packed around his bed and begins talking to them most amiably.

This brief moment of lucidity is cut off by Bram the Yeoman, who slipped into the room with everyone else, and who deals Gascon a vicious blow to the face.

"Rapscallion! Swindler! Eat my fist!"

Shenanigans Ensue

The members of the company in Gascon’s room watch in amused horror as Bram punches Gascon a few more times before grabbing him by his chest bandages and roughly slamming him against the bed. Bram’s oaths—as well as Gascon’s terrified cries—are more than loud enough to reach every corner of the inn.

Those that are downstairs in the common room decide that what they’re hearing is an upstairs problem and choose not to investigate.

Sabina, who has just changed for bed, groans and sticks her head out the door to see what’s going on. She sees that almost all of the pilgrims who were in their rooms have stuck their own heads out of their own doors, and are doing much the same thing.

Sabina sees that the only door that doesn’t open in the upstairs hallway belongs to the oft mentioned but never seen prioress. As this door is also partially blocked by piles of dirty dishes and cups, Sabina begins to worry that some foul deed has befallen the prioress.

Sabina attempts to open the door, only to find that it has been barricaded on the other side with a large trunk. She shoulders the door open only to find an elderly woman, naked but for her own filth, crouched on the floor and staring into a silver hand mirror.  The woman mutters invective at the mirror, which sounds like, “filth, unrighteous, unclean, sinner,” and so on.

The woman, who is presumably the prioress, ignores Sabina until she catches her reflection in the mirror. She then demands Sabina’s name. When Sabina tells her, the woman whispers to the mirror, “show me…Sabina.” She then launches into a diatribe about Sabina’s various sins and shortcomings.

Sabina, disturbed and angry, leaves the room and closes the door behind her.

The Prioress, in Less Distressing Times

Resolving the Shenanigans

Out in the hallway, Sabina encounters Brother Martin, the prioress’ secretary, as well as the three nuns who attend on the prioress. Sabina realizes, based on the fact that all four of them are in various stages of undress, and that they are all sharing a room, that their relationship goes beyond what is typical among the faithful.

Sabina quickly relates to Brother Martin and the nuns about what she has seen. All four are horrified, and agree that something needs to be done.

Sabina borrows Renee’s net, returns to the prioress’ room, and entangles her. The prioress barely notices, only becoming aware and violent when Sabina tries to take the mirror away from her. When Sabina succeeds, the prioress collapses catatonic on the floor, beneath the net. Sabina gives the mirror to the nuns for safekeeping, and warns them not to look at it. Then, at Brother Martin’s instruction, the nuns bathe the insensate prioress and place her gently in her bed.

Sabina quickly searches the room and is unsurprised to find a slip of yellow paper serving as a bookmark in one of the prioress’ holy scriptures. It reads:

“Oh Lady, your servant Justine would do your work better if she could penetrate the falsehoods of men.”

Down the hallway, the situation in Gascon’s room eventually resolves when Magnus pulls Bram off of Gascon—though Magnus does let the man get his licks in first. Bram goes to take a walk to cool off while Gascon gets up, gets dressed, and goes downstairs for a bite to eat. Several of the pilgrims, astonished at his recovery, go with him.

In the common room, Gascon recognizes the company as the guards he hired. He also recognizes Andre, who had been left behind in Paix. Gascon welcomes the company to his employ at last, but hints that he will be paying them less because they have reached the pilgrimage more than halfway through its journey. Garnier replies with a veiled threat of his own, suggesting that “all accounts” will be settled, and quite soon.

With that, Gascon orders food for any who wants it, and tells the inn’s staff to put the company’s orders on the pilgrimage’s tab. He starts to explain that, though The Hungry Mice is quite expensive, he has managed to get a good deal for the pilgrims, but is interrupted by the master of the house. Gascon turns quite pale when the master says that the company has already paid for their own meals, and for those of the pilgrims, for the evening, and knowns the prices. After receiving several dagger-like stares from members of the company, Gascon quickly retires to his room for the evening.

Garnier, too, goes upstairs to find out what all the commotion was about. He checks in on the prioress and searches her room. After this, he notices the rather close relationship between Brother Martin and the three nuns and decides to invite himself along. We shall draw a veil over the rest of his exhausting, but exhilarating, evening.

The Prioress' Mirror

Apprehending Gascon

The company, suspecting that Gascon will attempt to flee in the night, post guards to keep watch on him. Renee sleeps in the hall outside Gascon’s door, while Maurice keeps vigil beneath Gascon’s window. Both of them soon fall asleep, but are awakened a short time later by a flurry of activity from within Gascon’s room.

Renee charges in to grab Gascon, only to find that he has barricaded the door to slow her down. She watches in impotent fury as Gascon clambers out the window and drops to the street below. Renee is able to reach the window before Gascon can flee into the darkness and manages to cast her (now clean) net over the top of him. The net does not entangle Gascon’s leg, and he still manages to run away.

Maurice, now awake, decides to end the whole business by shooting Gascon. Though he had only planned to deal the retreating scoundrel a minor wound (at least, that’s what he tells everyone), Maurice’s aim proves to be too good, and he hits Gascon square in the back of the head. The arrow also, fortuitously, hits one of the knots in Renee’s net, preventing it from penetrating as deeply into Gascon’s skull as it could have.

Gascon stops running, begins weeping, and begs Maurice to spare his life. He promises to pay Maurice a hefty sum if Maurice will just let him leave Vierzon. Maurice makes no promises, but agrees to accompany Gascon to his wagon. Meanwhile, Renee, who is still in the window, rushes to awaken Pierre.

Gascon, still netted, still with an arrow in his head, searches  through his various hiding places on the wagon for coin with which to bribe Maurice. Since Andre and the others took most of Gascon’s hidden wealth earlier in the evening, this search does not go well for Gascon. He is on the verge of overwhelming panic when he finds that Sabina left behind most of the gold coins he had sewn into his horses’ tack. Relieved, he pries out the coins and pours them into Maurice’s hands.

Gascon bows politely to Maurice, says that he hopes the matter has been concluded to his satisfaction, and compliments Maurice for his gentlemanly and pragmatic demeanor. As just that moment, Renee comes around the corner, with Pierre in tow, and slaps irons on Gascon.

A defeated Gascon argues for his innocence and release while Pierre removes the net and treats his head wound. The trio then escort Pierre back to The Hungry Mice. Magnus, who is still awake, this opportunity to test his magical knife on Gascon. Magnus wounds Gascon several times, albeit superficially, and heals him afterwards. While Magnus ruminates on what would happen if he cut off Gascon’s finger and applied the knife to the stump, Gascon pleads to the others to stay with him until morning. They do.

Gascon Desperately Tries to Make a Deal

A Bounty and a Theft

The next morning, both the company and the pilgrimage take no pains in hiding their delight at seeing Gascon’s miserable state. They discuss what is to be done with him—as well as what is to become of their pilgrimage—over breakfast. Late arrivals to the breakfast are Garnier, Brother Martin, and the nuns—one of whom wears Garnier’s hat—along with the Prioress Justine, who seems to have completely recovered from her episode.

The pilgrims all agree that Gascon should be turned into the local guardhouse. They also state that they would like to continue their pilgrimage, and would like the company to go along with them as guards. Garnier suggests that Henri the innkeeper, who is both a man of good character and one who is well-versed on the path of pilgrimage, be elevated to leader. Henri the innkeeper is delighted to find that Garnier’s suggestion is agreed upon unanimously.

Renee, Bram, and several others escort Gascon to the guardhouse, though Bram takes pains to knock around the former pilgrimage leader one last time.

“All right, I’m done.”

He is then turned over to legal custody without further ceremony. Renee is paid a 7 crown bounty for his arrest, which she dutifully shares with the rest of the company. 

Back at The Hungry Mice, Henri the innkeeper asks the rest of the company if they can pay a visit to the shrine of Saint Eloy, the patron saint of goldsmiths and horses. They agree, waiting only long enough for Renee and the others to appear.

Upon their arrival at the shrine, however, they find the gates locked up tight and a notice tacked to the frame. Pierre and Frieda relate its contents to the rest of the company.

“The shrine is currently closed due to theft. We apologize for the inconvenience.”