As the trio gathered together at Longtree late that afternoon, Liina did not have any great news for Janos and Nopsa. She recounted her discussions with Ulrika at the cathedral, of course, and then her visit to the Royal Scriptorium. It had been almost a bit of letdown after the cathedral. Many of the scribes were more touchy, something of the nobility perhaps having rubbed off on them, though they had accepted Liina as an assistant to Ulrika easily enough. Helping Ulrika hadn't been too hard, as long as she had couched her requests as coming from Ulrika. Luckily, searching for merchant houses seemed well enough within the topic of combing through the noble records, looking for information about theoretical suitors, that they's been able to find symbols that matched the markings that Janos had seen on the carriage. The merchant house was one they hadn't heard of, but which mostly dealt in banking throughout the whole peninsula, as well as some side business in jewels, precious metals, jewelry, and secure shipping. It also had a goodly amount of ties to many noble houses. The only blessing was that it was a smaller house, with it's base in the neighbouring Saukarra, and thus probably having less influence in Kuiko. She also went over her letter of recommendation, and the addition of the local priest. Nopsa had a few comments on wordings to use to make some things sound more like commands than recommendations, but he admitted that the language of the clergy was mostly beyond him.
Nopsa was, however, practically gleeful over the nearly teeth-grinding allowance of Liina that yes, they might have a good reason for more spying. His excitement subsided a bit, though, when Janos took a quite serious tone as well. If they were going to be spying upon the upper nobility, or very rich merchants, they had better be very careful. Therefore, they would spend the rest of the time before the sun went down examining the surroundings of the same warehouse where the meeting had taken place the last time. They could only hope that the conspirators would use it again, for if another location would be used tonight, they had no real way for finding it. Elmar asked them to do some chores as they passed by, but seemed to accept when Liina responded that they'd be back soon, with only a quick errand to run. As they walked to the other warehouse, she reminded the other two that keeping their eyes open while carrying water worked perfectly well for watching for the conspirators, and provided a perfect cover story as well. Still, she had to admit that getting a better look now would help once it got dark.
The other warehouse seemed similar enough to Longtree, though with it's lower roof, it probably didn't have a second floor, just more height to pile crates in. It didn't have alleys on any side, which dashed Nopsa's hopes of easy spying. From what they could see, though, both of it's neighbours did have alleys next to them, and narrow enough that Janos' trick of climbing to the roof might work. Then, they walked as slowly as they dared past all three warehouses trying to observe everything they could. After they stopped at the next major crossroads – Nopsa had wanted to duck into the nearest alley, but had again been outvoted – they compared what they had noticed, with Janos naturally going first.
"So, the middle one, the freshest tracks were all on foot that I could see. A wagon or large cart had probably entered within the last week, but likely not yesterday. What's concerning is that I'm pretty sure that someone has gone in today, after many people left yesterday evening. Possibly the person left this morning or after the others during the night, but there's no way to be sure."
Liina nearly squealed. "So, there was someone in there as we passed?"
"Most likely. Coming in a lot earlier than the others to prepare something, or even living there? Hard to say. I just hope there's no secret entrances anywhere. There wren't any hatches on the front, at least. Now, the most uncanny thing was the front wall. Again, I can't be sure, but it sure seemed like the whole had been … well, sealed. Normally, there are always some cracks, knotholes, that sort of thing. You don't need to fill every hole to stop the heat from seeping out of a warehouse. But as far as I could see – which may not be entirely accurate, it's hard to be sure when your side is lit and the other side is in the dark, and you can't actually stop to do a decent check – there weren't any of the usual holes."
Nopsa had obviously caught on. "So when they meet in the night, there won't be any light to spill out and catch someone's attention."
"Exactly. However, that's also a sign against them. Unless they're all elves or goblins or dwarves or such, they shouldn't be able to see in the dark. And I didn't notice any light shining out last night, and we'll know to look for that tonight."
Liina had a chilling though. "Unless… unless they're cultists. I think the followers of Black Salma might be able to see in the darkness."
Nopsa concurred. "I think I remember that being a point in some story as well. They were able to capture the hero without him seeing them approach him, and –"
Janos interrupted. "I don't think that's really relevant now, but I'll trust what you two say. If that's what's happening, I'm going to with Liina and say we need to involve the church and the inquisitors. I don't want to get involved if they're cultists."
"But wouldn't that be part of… um, nothing."
Liina looked quizzical. "Part of what?"
"Uh, nevermind. Umm, Janos, you should probably talk with her about the discussion you had this afternoon. I mean, I can probably avoid … umm, I won't be able to avoid bringing that up if we're dealing with stuff like this."
"This really sounds like something I should know, you two."
Janos nodded, somehow wearily to her eye. "Yes, you're right. Liina, I'll tell you about that later. Maybe once we're carrying that water. Right now, though, back to what we saw. The neighbouring warehouses aren't in much use, would you agree? The ground seemed like it hadn't been disturbed recently."
The other two nodded.
"So. Let's get back to Longtree. We need to figure out shifts, some kind of backup plans, maybe a few whistle calls. And do our chores, of course."
They then worked on their chores as fast as they could without causing too much suspicion. Nopsa took some dried fish from it's soak and put it to boil, throwing out a token grumbling to Elmar before moving to the sweeping. Janos and Liina carried water, keeping their eye on the street with the other warehouse, and Janos told about his discussion with the Royal Ranger. Liina was concerned about his plans, though less so than Nopsa, and promised to give Janos time to handle his parents in the way he thought best. They took their supper to their sleeping corner, then discussed things in lowered voices. Before it got too dark, Janos wanted to go test the roofs of the warehouses next to their target, to see if he could crawl without too much noise. Although Nopsa pleaded in intense and various ways with both him and Liina, neither was ready to let him join Janos on the roofs, at least on the first try-out, and both thought it unlikely that he should join Janos later, either. He was also disappointed when Liina declared that she wanted a turn at the spying as well, since she had generally hadn't been all that keen about dangerous adventures such as this, but her argument that they both should have an attempt to distinguish the conspirators entering or leaving the warehouse finally wore him down. He was somewhat mollified, though, with Liina giving him the choice, and he decided that the first watch wold suit him better. She quickly reminded him that she was quite willing to march out of the warehouse and through the dark of the night to fetch him if he didn't come back after no one had gone in for a longish while. His reassurances that of course he'd let her have her turn were almost sincere enough to make her feel ashamed of not trusting Nopsa, but only almost. In any case, they decided to do the check on the roofs now, when there still was a bit of light left out, then come back for more planning.
In the closer alley, Janos again braced against the walls, and started shuffling up. He managed to get over half the way up, but then he first got his clothing stuck on something, then slipped and fell. He managed not to make too much of a noise hitting the ground, then sat down leaning against a wall, panting slightly.
"Nngh. Harder than I thought. Maybe a bit too far away from each other, those walls. Or no, they're fine here, but – yes, they lean out, well, in, actually, but the gap becomes wider. I hope the ones on the other side are a bit closer together or at least stay that way."
They circled to the other side, with Janos now tying his clothes down better, looking up and judging the best spot. Liina was a bit concerned, with the darkening twilight and all, but Janos soon made up his mind and started pushing himself up again. This time, he managed it better, only having some problems when he had to climb around the small overhang of the roof. He waved to them discreetly before disappearing from their view. They strained their ears, trying to listen for his movements, but aside from a slip they both caught a few moments later, they couldn't agree on the other sounds they heard. Even Nopsa somehow couldn't find anything to talk about, so they waited in silence, though luckily not for long. A small piece of wood clattering softly on the ground near them got them looking up, where Janos was tying a rope one of the rafters. He slid down easily, then spoke with a grin.
"Not that hard, actually."
Nopsa's eyes shone. "So, I can come–"
"No, sorry, Nopsa, I still think you shouldn't try it this evening. I only meant that it wasn't as hard as I feared. Maybe tomorrow, if we can get up there in the daytime and you can see what it's like in better light."
"But–"
"The tiles can be slippery – I'm sure you heard me slip on my third step – and I nearly dislodged a few, and the clatter that would make would give us away instantly. I also think I cracked a few simply by not placing my weight on exactly the right place. I'll have to go much slower when it gets truly dark. Too dangerous for you to try now."
"Damnit."
"Nopsa!" Liina couldn't help herself.
"But he threw the rope down and everything!"
"I need it to get back up without tiring myself, and will have to untie it before coming down after my eavesdropping. It shouldn't be noticable in the dark, but I can't leave it for the day. Besides, I feel bad for borrowing it without telling Elmar, and he might need it for something tomorrow."
"You were grinning, there, earlier, though. What did you see?"
"Not much. The middle warehouse is in poor shape, when looked from above. It's taller neighbours have channeled the water from their roofs on to it, so the sides of it's roof have suffered. There were some gaps, and I could see some light, as if from a lantern, and I'm pretty sure I saw two chairs in a way that would form a circle."
"So, a meeting could be taking place?" Nopsa's voice was full of hope.
"Seems likely. Now, back to Longtree. I want to gather up a few bits of gear if I'm going to be holed up on a roof for a watch or possibly more."
Altough the door was already closed and the servant eyed them suspiciously through the small eyeslit, she was willing enough to fetch Katrin's muleteer to vouch for them. Once in their corner, Janos quickly grabbed his thicker travelling cloak and leather water bottle. He also put a few strips of dry jerky in a pocket, some rags in another, a long bit of sting in a third, and then asked Nopsa to grab a piece of coal from near the stove for him. They quickly agreed upon the call-signals of ''enemy on alert'', ''retreat'', ''cause distraction'' and ''acknowledged''. After a reminder, Nopsa also took his thicker cloak – he'd likely be waiting for while – as well as his sling and his different missiles. After a quick prayer, the two left through the hatch, leaving Liina for the first long wait. After a moment of fretting, she decided that meditation might be the best use of her time. She could try to think of ways to approach different people at the cathedral tomorrow. And if she failed to think of anything, she'd ask them for tips on how to improve her skills of meditation.
After a trip to the well to fill his water bottle, Janos returned to the alley with Nopsa. He then took the coal and darkened his face as best he could, explaining to Nopsa that he needed every advantage that he could get, but that for Nopsa, a quick escape and being able to blend into crowds was a better choice. They then repeated the call-signs one more time, made sure that both knew approximately where the other would be, wished each other good luck and parted ways. Nopsa first thought of taking the straight route to his spying spot, but realized that would take him straight in front of the warehouse. He tried to walk as calmly as he could, circling around, telling himself that anyone was unlikely to appear for some time yet. When he reached the corner of the alley, he made sure there wasn't anyone nearby, then carefully moved a few rotten old boards to give him some cover from being seen from the street but allowing him to see straight to the door. He sat down as confortably as he could, wrapped his cloak around hum, and settled down to wait. He had unfortunately been correct earlier, and was feeling a bit cold and numb, with only a few servants having passed speedily by, before the first heavily cloaked stranger came and knocked on the door. Instantly on alert, he strained his eyes, but wasn't able to note any obvious details. After the person had gained entrance, Nopsa carefully stretched his deadened limbs, then carefully examined the wall around the door. No light whatsoever. As the next person approached, knocked and entered, he was able to see maybe a bit of light coming from inside the warehouse, but not much. After that, most of the people came on horseback, and all of those with the one companion, to take their horse elsewhere for the duration of the meeting. During his watch, he saw a total of eleven people enter, waiting as long as he dared after the last one until he decided to leave back for Longtree. By his guess, all were men, and none particularly young or old, and he was almost certain which one was Burkhart, but aside from one of the others arriving by horse having a slight limp, that was all he could discern. It would be up to Janos and Liina if they could manage to observe something that would give them more clues.
After easily shimmying up the rope, Janos changed the knot and added a quick-pull using the string so that he should be able to both use the rope to get down and collect it once he got down. Then, crawling much more carefully, he slowly approached the middle warehouse, using the noise of the horses whenever he could to cover stepping on tiles he was uncertain of. Finally, he got to the edge of the roofs, then moved a bit to get a spot were he could sort of see two outlines of chairs. They must have had very little light in the warehouse, though, probably only a few candles, since he couldn't make out much else. He'd have to trust his ears, then. He wrapped himself in his cloak, ate a strip of jerky and washed it down with a swig of water, then lay down a bit uncomfortably, body on the roof of neighbouring house but head over the edge, trying to hear what would be said.
At first, there was little speech, mostly just now and then some shuffling sounds, probably people changing their postures. He was pretty sure someone was grumbling a bit under their breath, but couldn't make out words. Then, a bit of light appeared, and the sound of steps, as someone walked with a larger candle to the center of the room. They placed it on something, maybe a small table or pedestal, then spoke.
"With this candle, we bind each other to our silence."
Janos froze. Magic? Then, other noises, as each participant in turn rose, walked to candle, then pronounced a similar oath.
"May I burn as this hair if I betray what I now hear."
By the shit of Zand's hounds, it was some kind of ritual. Janos could but hope that since he wasn't burning anything in the candle's flame, he wouldn't be bound by it. The first voice returned to the center, then did something with the candle again.
"May thus we all in the light of this candle be shielded from spying eyes and far-hearing ears."
Had this all been for naught? The man's voice, previously strong and arrogant, became quite muffled for a moment, but then Janos could hear some words again, though not all of them. It sounded like the whole group had been moved to the bottom of a deep mossy well. He suppressed a chuckle, as what words he could hear had lost a lot of the lower range, and now sounded more like coming from a boy, drunk the first time, though also unnaturally distorted in strange ways.
"Good fellows! … pitiful princeling … true, stronger leader!" A longer moment of quieter words, muddled into mumbling. "… how proceed our plans? … Sparrow?"
Another voice, different, though similarly distorted. "… Glove. The royal physician … priests … some allies. … unfortunate loyalty … weakling …"
The first voice. "… overcome. … Goat?"
A third voice. "… eastern … unsure. … wizards … road through Mara … hopeful, Glove."
The first voice, again. "… northern road. … Lynx?"
Janos was starting to figure out something of how the spell affected the voices. The first voice, probably this Glove, definitely seemed to be the leader, the one with the most authority.
Another new voice, with something familiar in it. Burkhart?
"… easily enough. I'm more concerned, however … Will our champion … our part in their rise to rule?"
"You fret too much. … Cap?"
Try as he might, Janos could hear nothing of the next one. Whoever it was, they were too quiet for him to hear anything else except that they were talking, nothing of the words or even inflections.
"… well. I have no doubts that … Miner?"
Another one with a quiter voice. "contacts … mutual relationships … … support"
Thus it continued for a while, sometimes two other voices arguing on some point, but mostly Glove moving the discussion forward in a firm manner. Lynx got a fair share of time, and seemed to be making some suggestions as well. He heard a few more codenames, but surprisingly soon Glove ended things.
"… return to our feasts. … too long. … tomorrow … but privately. … remember … happens, our faction … I, Goat and Lynx … Within a week, a better King, a true King, shall rule!"
A few tried to cheer, but quickly turned to the same as the rest, clapping their hands or stomping their feet against the floorboards. Janos noticed he could see a face, with the hood of one participant having fallen, and he memorized as best as he could.
Glove spoke, "This meeting is adjourned." and then blew out the big candle. Janos froze, then very slowly withdrew fully to his own roof as the sounds below once again returned to normal. Unfortunately, the only person speaking was clearly whispering to someone else, and he couldn't make out what was being said. As the group started moving towards the door, he had no choice to wait until they had all left. Though what he had heard certainly was both useful and damning, he hoped that Nopsa and Liina had seen at least a single device, some heraldry that could be traced to an actual person.
At first, her concentration drifted too easily, but after checking the hatch, Liina decided to wedge in slightly open. With the cool and fresher breath of air coming from the outside, she had more success with meditating. First, she imagined in her mind walking along different parts of the cathedral complex and meeting people, building theoretical conversations, then editing them or trying different replies. This worked otherwise well, but trying to enter the nave somehow always seemed to make conversations fizzle, her words stilted, the cathedral fading. She tried changing things, and by accident noticed that placing Ulrika and Filippa with her in the cathedral made things somehow work again. She pondered for a moment, then realized that the official programmme of the coronation was what was working against her. Tomorrow, and on the actual coronation day as well, it would be off-limits to her and others not in the high estates. She wasn't actually sure how much time Ulrika might have tomorrow, so she went back to trying to approach novices and deacons elsewhere in the complex. When an interrupting knock on a study door happened a second time, and she had already lost her line of thought over the first one, since it wasn't part of the scenario she was going through, she realized the sound had come from the hatch and she quickly opened it. Nopsa was below, a bit of disappointment showing from her response, but he quickly enough climbed up the rope she threw down. He answered quickly, with a few choice curses in the start – no, he hadn't seen anything important, no, no alarm had been sounded, yes, he could apparently sit in here waiting, where it was at least a bit more comfortable. After making sure Liina knew of his hiding spot, he helped her out and shut the hatch, fetching a piece of firewood to whittle on while he waited.
Liina walked first, trying to project a calm hurry, then checked that no one was watching and ducked into the alley. Creeping to Nopsa's hiding place, she crouched down into the cloak and prayed to Haine and Ripats for some stroke of luck, something that could help them recognize a conspirator. She decided to throw in a prayer to Marlee as well, while she was at it, though she usually, like most, avoided thinking too much abot the Old Crone of changes and magic. Ripats at least seemed to have given some speed to the proceedings, for soon, two people left the warehouse, the second leaving as soon as the first had gotten towards the end of the street. Then, the horsemen started arriving, with their lords quickly exiting, climbing on the horse and leaving. The first few did some strange movements, and after the third whistled out a sign-call, she realized that the previous assistants must have been showing some sign towards the door. Too bad there was no way of seeing their signs from her angle, and no way to hide right next to the door. She counted the same eleven as Nopsa had, but decided to wait a bit. Janos should be coming get her once he was done, and maybe the mysterious person who'd been in the building earlier might show themself. After a short while, a single horse trotted down the street, but nervously, as if deathly afraid of being whipped. A man, not particularly large, but somehow immensely threatening, walked out of the door and climbed on the horse. Liina nearly bit her tongue as she clenched her jaw and strained herself not to jump up and flee in panic. She didn't know who the man was – he was cloaked as all the rest had been – but she knew that he would, and could, crush her in an instant if he noticed her. The Seven must have been watching over their doubtful child, though, as he simply looked quickly around, first had the trembling horse walk some steps, then rode off much more normally with a fast canter. She couldn't get herself to move from her terror, though, and was still shivering once Janos came to get her a little while later.