Fearing pursuit by the
villagers, Chonkorchuk races across the frozen Vydra, and into the woods. He
knows these better than anyone, and hopes to make it to the burrow where he and
his companions found signs of a bear being kept captive over a week ago. As he
jogs northward through the woods, he is suddenly accosted by an interloper from
behind. The man gives him a solid whack on the head with the hilt of his saber
from behind, but the hermit is just able to turn away enough to avoid getting
knocked out. The man is unfamiliar, but looks similar to the smugglers the band
confronted in the woods near Yelizarov’s estate – probably a member of Lionia’s
band, Chonkorchuk surmises. He turns himself invisible and attempts to get away
– getting the coins to Baba Yaga is his top concern. But the ground is covered
with snow, and he is easy to follow. His pursuer attempts to push him down to
the ground, and to wrest the cauldron of treasure away from him, but
Chonkorchuk manages to maintain his footing, and keeps moving away. The man
seemingly gives up the chase, and Chonkorchuk arrives at the tree above the
burrow. He climbs up a neighboring tree, covers himself with eaves, and watches
the clearing.
 |
| Who is that masked man? |
Within the hour,
Druvvaldis arrives. He was not so lucky. He was set upon by the same man, who
similarly clocked him from behind, and then finished him off when he tried to
run. When he came to, the flaxen shirt in which he was carrying his share of
the loot from the warren was gone, as were the man’s footprints – it is not
clear where he went. His familiar, in raven form, was looking for the other
companions, and returned to find him unconscious, and woke him.
Druvvaldis is
uncertain why the man did not kill him, but he detected something familiar
about his voice when he cursed after not being able to lay him out with a
single blow from behind – he heard a lot of it until quite recently.
Chonkorchuk is not surprised to hear that the likely assailant was Lionia – the
double-cross appears entirely predictable to him. He is not sure why he did not
try to kill Druvvaldis, but suspects that he has alerted his associates, and
may be coming after the rest of the treasure, which he must secure at all
costs.
Plamen arrives soon
after. He still limps, and is unable to run – hence his late arrival. But he
was spared the assault by the pursuer, for reasons that are not clear. He feeds
some of his magic berries to Druvvaldis, who recovers somewhat from his assault.
Since the trio fears the imminent arrival of the smuggler band, they take care
to wipe away the tracks leading to the burrow. Druvvaldis creates a new set
heading to the Rys’ River, and then the party secrets itself in the burrow.
At night, while
Chonkorchuk keeps watch, the smugglers arrive. The companions’ efforts to
conceal their location seem to have paid off. The hermit overhears them saying
that Lionia surmised they went to the hermitage. They soon leave in that
direction, apparently with harmful intentions.
The rest of the night
passes without incident, and in the morning, the party heads off in search of
Baba Yaga. In response to Druvvaldis’ query about how to find her, Chonkorchuk
states that she usually finds them, and he is proven correct. Within two hours after leaving the burrow, the lynx
bounds up on them, though he is friendlier this time, and engages in a playful
wrestling match with Plamen. His mistress appears soon after, as if from
underground. She appears pleased enough with the takings brought by Chonkorchuk
and Plamen, and mentions nothing about any particular amount she was expecting,
though she dismissively rejects the copper pulo, and Chonkorchuk obligingly
picks it out before turning over his camping cauldron full of only “pure
treasure” to Baba Yaga, who demands to keep the cauldron as well. In response
to queries about the nature of the treasure, she confirms that it was indeed
stolen from her by Plamenka, who was able to capture it by enchanting the
Kochmak warriors, and forcing them to fight one another (and to kill the villagers).
She expresses satisfaction about the way she ended up (as a spirit bound to her
warren for eternity), before she presses to find out when she is going to get
the galumphing oaf and the young bride. The hermit promises both within the
week.
 |
| What goodie did Baba Yaga get from her hamper? |
The crone then turns
to Druvvaldis, and demands to know who he is, as she has never before met him.
Druvvaldis tells his tale – about his people who were slaughtered by the
Ritterheim Knights, and about the spirits who led him to this place.
Chonkorchuk recommends him as one who aided the group’s efforts in recovering
the pure treasure, and Baba Yaga offers to aid him against his enemies in
exchange for his help in securing the other things she wants, perhaps by
brewing a potion. Druvvaldis asks for a potion of fire breathing, but Baba Yaga
suggests something subtler that may discredit the Knights (who she apparently
also dislikes) – a potion of diminution, for example. Chonkorchuk seconds her,
but Druvvaldis is unconvinced. The hag suggests that a potion of fire breathing
requires components – such as the special sacks of a fire-breathing serpent.
Her supplicant Chonkorchuk waves that off as an impossible task – where would
they find one? How would they defeat it? But Baba Yaga answers that one never
knows when such a beast might be around, and then mysteriously recommends that
the companions be sure to bathe themselves before confronting one. She then
flips a curious slimy but fragrant block to Chonkorchuk, and, becoming two,
walks away in opposite directions.
Having delivered the
pure treasure, the trio discusses what to do next. In light of last night’s
pursuers, the logical step is to track down the galumphing oaf. But where is he
now being kept? Chonkorchuk surmises that the smugglers keeping him have left their
hideout now that their cover is blown, though he does recall that Lionia paid
off or sweet-talked Yelizarov into laying off, and that he also has a good
relationship with Trofimov as well. In any case, looking in on the smuggler’s
shack seems like the first order of business. The party crosses both frozen
rivers, and, avoiding settlements, proceeds along the southern bank of the
Vydra. They arrive to within a verst
or so of the shack as the sun is setting. The companions set up camp, and
Chonkorchuk sends forth the fefila, invisibly, to spy on the shack (and
hopefully come back in one piece).
Before an hour has passed, the fefila returns. It relates to its master,
telepathically, that the shack is indeed occupied, by men similar to the one
who apparently attacked its master in the woods the previous day. There is a
one-handed bear among them, but Lionia is not. In fact, the people there seemed
to be very unhappy with Lionia. Chonkorchuk shares the information with his
companions. Lionia has likely screwed his other associates as well. Druvvaldis
wonders whether he might be at home, but Chonkorchuk opines that he is likely
far away, probably going westward (where the smuggled goods
originate), and with armfuls of money.
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