Catamount certainly presented an imposing facade. The walls were high, solid stone, and pennants flew at each of the many towers. Janos had little knowledge of siegecraft, so he couldn't be certain of other, somewhat more troubling details. He decided to ask Ulrika.
"May I have your time?"
"Certainly. We'll have to enter the town soon with Katrin and locate my quarters for the night, but I've got a moment."
"Do you know much about fortifications?"
"Not really, but I can try to answer. What did you have in mind?"
"The town walls seem impressive, but some details seem questionable to me."
"Such as?"
"Those uneven stone blocks – they seem like quite easy to climb, especially with no moat underneath. And there are so many towers. Wouldn't it take hundreds of guards to man them throughout day and night?"
"Correct on all accounts, though some details matter more than others. A skilled burglar certainly could get in unseen under the cover of night. A besieging armed force would have a harder time, since just a dozen men would suffice to watch. But yes, the towers are rather small and close together compared to other places. Now, this is a newer wall, likely built some decades ago, if I recall correctly. The castle no doubt has it's own, and the old outer walls have probably been incorporated into buildings near the castle."
"Still, it seems like that wall would barely slow down a goblin war party."
"I'm guessing there hasn't been one in over a century. The outlying farms still have to deal with the occasional raid, no doubt, but as we get away from the forests, it becomes less and less of an issue. You probably deal with them multiple times a year, yes?"
"The worst year I've been told about had thirteen, though some were small enough to hit less than a handful of farms."
"Right. And some years ago, we had not a single one during the whole summer, though a bad summer can see half a dozen."
"So around here, the farmers have to deal with them time to time, but they won't risk a castle."
"Exactly. Nor will bandits. With nobility, they prefer to have their battles out in the open. The biggest risk would probably be a peasant rebellion. Which also shows in that there are very few outlying buildings near the town wall. You'll see a lot more of those in other places."
"Thank you. It seems to be a different world we're travelling into."
"Oh, this is all still much the same, just more settled down and lived in for a longer time. Now, if you happen to see some dwarves at Kalaun, they're something much more alien."
"Ah, that would be … something."
"Well, I've got to get to town. I'd ask you to carry my bags, but Liina told me to give that task to Nopsa, and tell you to look after him." She grinned. "I'm starting to get a feel of how you three operate."
After having given account of their plans to the guards at the gate, the five began trying to find the house of Ulrika's farther's friend. Liina observed carefully, probably mentally comparing things to Baron Filippa's town, only asking a quick question now and then from Ulrika or Katrin. Nopsa certainly would've liked to run from new thing to thing, but, being weighed down by his load, had resigned to commenting on everything he saw. At least he seemed to remember to lower his voice when saying anything less complementary, whether about the decoration on a house, the dress of a burgher, or the quality of an horse. Katrin stopped to ask for directions now and then, and Ulrika seemed to mostly be keeping silent. Janos hoped they could leave once they found the place, but luck was not with him. Nopsa wheedled Katrin into letting him see the castle after all his hard work of carrying Ulrika's bags. His doubts were lessened by the fact that they decided that Ulrika and her host's son should accompany them, and since the sun had already set, they'd have to leave pretty soon, before the gates would close.
The castle was even more grand than the town walls. The big banner of Catamounts hung above the castle gate. Janos looked at the hanging flag, a field of green parted vertically with a black bar, and two golden lions rampant, each facing outwards, covering the join between the two colors.
"The quality of the banner seems very good."
"Hard to say from this far away," Katrin replied, "but it's new, at least. It can't have flown outside for more than a year."
"Oh, that's actually what I meant."
They were standing on the edge of the town square, the rest of them observing the goings-on, Nopsa of course twitching with eagerness to go explore everything. Even though it was getting dark, there were some torches lit here and there, as well as light spilling from windows from the various buildings surrounding the open marketplace. There were still people moving around as well, though no more selling going on with the guards pushing the last stragglers towards the gates. Janos' ears pricked up as he heard concerning noises.
"Everyone! Keep close to the wall. Multiple horses, coming in fast. No, not the close road, but over there, coming from the gates."
Screams pierced the dusk as two young men, riding horses fitted with expensive-looking saddles and bridle, burst into the square. Behind them someone yelled, with sounds of bodies slamming into each other echoing after. The riders slowed down, waiting, as three more came after them, still with fine gear if not as decorated as the first two. Janos thought he saw the two lions on the saddle of one of the pair, and maybe a gauntlet on the other? After the riders had calmed down a bit, three of the previous sellers, followed by a couple of guards, trotted into the open as well. Their guide spoke up.
"Oh! That's the baron's younger son. Umm… I'd like to stay and watch, but be we can go if you insist."
Ulrika nodded. "We can stay, for now. Nopsa? Good, watch, but keep quiet and do not get closer. And be prepared to move quickly if necessary, back to my quarters." Janos approved. Good tactical thinking.
The situation was escalating quickly. Others in the town seemed to share Ulrika's assessment, keeping to the edges of the square, though Janos also noticed more faces slowly appearing in the windows. The sellers, most likely peasants from the nearby villages by the look of them, seemed to be quite angry with how the riders has destroyed their merchandise. Well, actually, looking closer, one of them was in a rage, the other two more aware of the guards, coming from both gate and castle, slowly gathering around. A change in the tone of the quiet chatter around and above alerted him. A somewhat older man, dressed in the finest clothes Janos had ever seen, was walking from the castle.
"Oh, there you are, finally! You're late, you know! We already started dinner without you." The voice, of a man used to raising it and having his orders followed, confirmed to Janos this must be the baron Burkhart.
"I'm sorry, father, but we roused the most beautiful silver quail, and just had to down it. And then these louts impeded us as we were making haste back home." The baron's son pointed at the three peasants.
"Impeded?! You're the one who rode me down, just as I was carrying my unsold goods back home! My eggs! The wonderful pastries my wife had baked! They're all ruined now!" The lead man of the three seemed still oblivious to the fact that he was addressing the baron's son, or that the baron himself was present. The baron looked quickly at the guards, then made a small half-circle with each hand and brought them together. With the guards surrounding him, the man finally seemed to reassess his surroundings.
"I'll not listen to such insolence, especially after having my meal interrupted. Throw them in the jail!"
"Lord, please, mercy!" yelled one of the other two. "We had nothing to do with this!"
"Oh? Are you three not fellows?"
"Umm, well…"
A guard saved him. "My lord, these other two dove smartly out of the way of the hunting party, and have offered no resistance."
"Oh, fine, drive them out of the town. And close the gates!"
"Yes, lord!"
The baron walked away, followed by his son and the other noble, none looking back. The lead peasant, a cold sweat upon him, offered no resistance as the guards threw him onto the ground. One of the remaining riders tossed them a coil of rope, and the unfortunate man was soon tied up tighter than a miser's purse. When the guards had pulled him up again, he tried to tell something to one of the other two, but a guard punched him in the face. Janos tried to listen to the murmurs around him.
"…lose his farm for sure!"
"His family might have a chance, if his wife comes in first thing in the morning, and…"
"…recognize him?"
"…thrown out to be a vagrant…"
"Must be one of the closer farms, so he'll take it…"
Not looking good for the man, then. Well, there was nothing he could do. Liina brought him out of his reverie. "We must get going. Come on!"
They walked briskly back to Ulrika's host's house. Liina's face was inscrutable, Nopsa was seething, and Katrin and Ulrika were discussing the event with their guide. A quick wishing of good night, an agreed upon cover story to the gate guards of them being offered a bit of dinner, and then to the town gates, Katrin practicing her best apologies just in case. Luckily, those were not needed, with them turning on to the main street within sight of the gate guards and rushing to the nearly closed gates. Janos feared they'd start asking for a bribe, but a guard remembered them coming in and waved them through. They returned to their camp with no further problems. As he set to sleep, Janos saw Liina talking with Nopsa, calming him down.