The barge shudders, then stills against a new bank. The hatch above groans open a finger’s width, and cold moonlight slices into the hold. Damp air rolls down, carrying mud, rope tar, and the faint bite of reeds.
The Ferryman
Out. Quietly. This place is no harbor, if anyone asks.
John Smith ducks out first into the night, followed by Healer Gaston and the Boatman. The river glints black beside a narrow landing, and a low warehouse crouches beyond a strip of willows.
Healer Gaston
Your shoulder is bleeding through the bandage. If we keep moving, I can dress it properly under cover.
A lantern flickers somewhere upriver. The Ferryman shuts the hatch and points toward the warehouse, his voice barely above the water.
The Ferryman
There, the storehouse. We wait until dawn, or until the road is clear. Either way, keep low.
John Smith leads them toward the shadow of the shed, the folded paper still hidden on him. Behind them, the barge rocks softly at its moorings while the Seine whispers against the stones.
✓ Quest Accepted
Reach the warehouse and hide until dawn
John Smith leaves Riverbank behind and arrives at the warehouse.
“Head to the warehouse and ask the healer to change my bandage before resting up for the night”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +0)
The warehouse swallows them in a breath of mildew and old grain. Moonlight leaks through warped boards, striping crates, barrels, and a rough table pushed against the wall.
John Smith crosses to the table, the folded paper still secure, and sets his shoulder to the light. The bandage has bled through in a dark patch beneath the cloth.
Healer Gaston
Sit. Hold still, and let me see how badly that blade has opened you.
Gaston opens his satchel and rolls up his sleeves, already kneeling beside John with practiced hands.
John Smith
Change the bandage.
The Ferryman
I seal the hatch from outside. If anyone comes sniffing, they find only empty water and a locked storehouse.
The ferryman's steps fade off the boards. A latch clicks shut beyond the wall, and the warehouse settles into guarded silence.
Quest Complete
Reach the warehouse and hide until dawn
“Rest until dawn then begin the search anew”
SUCCESS (Great Health, rolled +1)
Dawn seeps in by degrees, thinning the black to slate. The warehouse stays still, and John lets the rough floor and his own breathing do most of the work while Gaston keeps watch over the wound.
Healer Gaston
You heal like a man made of iron. Still, iron dents. Hold your arm steady for me.
Gaston cuts away the old wrap and replaces it with clean linen. His hands move carefully, but without fuss, as if he has done this for soldiers, dockhands, and worse.
Healer Gaston
The bleeding has slowed. He can ride out the day if he keeps quiet, though that temper of his may be harder to mend than the shoulder.
The first pale light finds the folded paper on the table. It lies flat and ugly beside the bandages, waiting for morning like a verdict.
Healer Gaston
Tell me plain, John Smith, who would put such a mark to your name? A noble house, or something dirtier?
Outside, the river hushes under the warehouse wall. Inside, Gaston finishes the knot, then steps back and gives John a level look, leaving the question hanging in the calm air.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn who marked the paper