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The next day. Two days since the Longest Night, a day after any final celebration. The city of Ysenhof was stumbling back to its feet after a drunken holiday stupor, spiced wine in its breath and buttery pasty in its belly. It was back to normal rations, now. A return to vegetable stew and herb tea as staples to extend food as much as possible.
In the afternoon, you rendezvoused with the men you’d sent to pick up the Grimoire for Queen Edelina, though they knew not what it was. Kovacs held the wrapped package in his hand before you, a makeshift sling and sack wrapped around it, and when handing it off, commented snarkily, “You have a piano you want us to pick up next?”
“You’ll wish that you were only moving furniture with the next load the Kaiser lays on us,” you shot back, “I’m just giving you an easy break, you know.” You saluted. “Dismissed. I’ll write off any demerits you earn in case you’re naughty before I can pay you proper.”
The fallschirmjager cleared out- and you went towards where you were to meet the Queen in the empty, isolated park on the edge of town, where she already was, standing with another man. A mysterious fellow- a green haired mountainfolk man with an odd mask on his face. He noticed you before you were even close, maybe before you even saw <span class="mu-i">him</span>, but he didn’t draw attention to you until you were close.
“Your majesty,” the green head said, “He is here.”
“Ah,” Edelina nodded her head towards you. “Good afternoon, Lieutenant Colonel.” She waved a hand to the masked man, “You are dismissed.”
“Understood, your majesty.”
You watched the weird guy go, and looked back at Edelina. “Who the hell’s the mosshead?”
“He is called Mask,” Edelina said, “One of Kaiser Henrik’s agents. He is one of those assigned to me for my protection.”
“Does he know about…?” You shifted the package in your hands.
“He knows only as much as he needs to know,” Edelina said firmly, “And will ask for no more than he is told. Now.” Her eyes locked upon the package, and she took a slow breath, deep, in and out. You stepped forward and slowly passed the Grimoire to her, and even though it was a heavy lug of a tome, Edelina took it from you like it was but a light blanked. “My thanks to you, Lieutenant Colonel,” she said with soft gratitude, a weight slipping from her shoulders, “Did you have any trouble…getting this here?”
“Call me Reinhold,” you reminded, “I had my men grab it,” you said, “They didn’t say anything. Don’t see why anybody would know to try and get it anyways.”
