The Travels of a Hairy Hermit

The chamber remains sealed and orderly. Baron Edric sits behind the table, while Nilsar stands beside the locked evidence box; Beran and Sella have gone ahead to guard his house for the royal collection.

The record-office door opens, and Aritik enters with a marked list held in both hands. Ink-dark annotations crowd its margins beside the Harris leases and the names of their holders.

Aritik places the list beside the sealed ledgers and turns it toward him. Each leaseholder is matched to a payment, supply notation, or route reference, with uncertain links marked separately.

The baron studies the marked list, then the box for which Nilsar remains responsible. The legal process holds its ground, but Aritik’s evidence makes delay increasingly difficult to defend.

Nilsar opens the Coastmere ledgers beside the sealed evidence box, placing each leaseholder’s payment, supply notation, and route reference where the baron can compare them directly.

Reads Legal Records exposes the precise wording needed: each warrant separates proven connections from suspicion, identifies the relevant holdings, and permits immediate custody of records.

The baron signs the warrants and presses his seal into the wax. He orders copies sent to the watch captain and grants Aritik authority to verify each seizure against the original evidence.

The baron studies the warrants, then the custody entries. Reads Legal Records shows him the promotion can be attached to the seizure authority without exceeding the writ.

The baron writes the promotion into the warrant copies, naming Nilsar a sergeant for this enforcement duty. His Legendary Diplomacy turns a request for service into a formal command recognized before the court.

Odran enters in his weathered guard coat, a broad-shouldered middle-aged man with close-cropped gray hair and a scar along his jaw. He accepts the sealed order from the baron.

Odran leads Nilsar from the keep with three town guards. The sealed warrants travel in the captain’s hand, while Nilsar’s concealed chainmail rests beneath his clothes and his longsword hangs ready at his side.

At the first Harris office, workers gather beneath the signboard. Nilsar speaks calmly with the guards before the door, turning their attention from anger toward the warrant and the lawful seizure.

The guards form a steady line behind Nilsar, their presence lending his words weight. His rallying call settles the murmurs, and the office door opens without resistance.

Inside, shelves of lease papers and payment books fill the narrow room. A thrown stool skids toward Nilsar, but Gravam’s chainmail turns the wooden edge aside as he steps forward.

Nilsar takes the Harris ledgers from the shelves while the three town guards secure the clerk, a pale middle-aged man, slim and narrow-faced, in a rumpled brown wool vest over a cream linen shirt and dark trousers with thinning brown hair and ink-stained fingers.

Records Research separates lease accounts from payment books, while Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes each holding, office mark, and named leaseholder in an orderly list.

At the fireplace, Nilsar finds fresh ash, half-burned account leaves, and a brass-bound packet fallen behind the grate. Gravam’s concealed chainmail turns aside a sharp iron poker as he retrieves it.

The ledger entries and rescued packet name three further Harris offices, their clerks, and the order in which shipments and payments were transferred. The burned leaves confirm deliberate destruction.

Nilsar hands Odran the marked list and keeps the ledgers together as evidence. The captain now has lawful locations for immediate seizures, while the guards hold the first office secure.

Nilsar leads Odran and the three town guards through Anuncagra’s crowded lane. His calm commands rally the defenders, while the warrant’s wording keeps every step lawful.

Records Research and Keeps Reliable Accounts guide them to the next Harris office. Nilsar matches its sign, lease number, and payment references to the marked list.

The office door opens onto shelves of contracts and sealed account books. Nilsar’s concealed chainmail turns aside a falling iron latch as he enters, longsword secured at his side.

A thin middle-aged clerk in a dark vest steps from behind the desk, pale-faced and ink-fingered. Nilsar reads the warrant aloud, and the man’s resistance fades before its precise authority.

Nilsar records Bale’s demand, separates lease papers from payment books, and identifies every named holding. The guards seal the seized records, while Odran orders the next Harris office taken under the same authority.

Nilsar keeps Perrin answering, listening closely to each qualification rather than accusing him. Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes the clerk’s claims in sequence, while Reads Legal Records keeps every question within the warrant.

The three Town Guards spread through the office and its adjoining spaces. Nilsar’s chainmail catches a protruding nail as he shifts beside Perrin, letting him remain close without a cut interrupting the questioning.

Odran’s search finds a concealed recess behind loose shelving, containing damp scraps and a sealed payment bundle. Nilsar’s orderly questions keep Perrin focused until the records are secured without loss.

The concealed recess, damp scraps, and sealed payment bundle are secured. Perrin and the other office workers are placed under lawful custody for questioning, while the Town Guard keeps the records together.

Nilsar’s Takes Prisoners gift turns resistance into orderly custody. His concealed chainmail catches a jagged latch as he checks the prisoners’ restraints, protecting him from its piercing edge beneath his clothes.

The guards lead Perrin and the other workers away without disorder. Nilsar secures the seized papers, and his longsword, created for his own homeward purpose, stays sheathed at his side as he follows Odran.

Nilsar’s precise, confident answers have settled the workers and guards alike. With Odran beside him and the evidence secured, he reaches the final Harris office and takes position before its door.

Nilsar keeps his voice measured before the final office. His hidden chainmail guards him as he shifts beside the door, while his sheathed longsword remains ready without threatening anyone. The Town Guard closes ranks behind him, steadied by his calm rallying presence.

Odran points two guards toward the rear entrance and keeps the others with the records. Nilsar’s firm posture gives the arrangement immediate weight, and the guards follow without argument.

The plan is settled: Lucas will be separated, lawfully informed, and guarded while the office is searched. Odran moves to the door, and Nilsar stands ready to present the warrant.

Nilsar enters the final office and locates Lucas Harris at once: a broad-shouldered middle-aged man with thinning dark hair, a trimmed beard, and a gray traveling coat. The Town Guard closes behind him, while Odran keeps the doorway open.

Nilsar’s Takes Prisoners gift keeps his grip controlled as he directs Lucas toward the open back room. His longsword remains sheathed, and concealed chainmail turns aside a shelf corner when Lucas resists the movement.

Reads Legal Records gives Nilsar the exact wording and limits. Lucas enters the back room under guard, and Nilsar leaves the door wide open so Odran, the workers, and the street can witness the procedure.

Nilsar reads the full warrant aloud in the open room, then secures Lucas without struggle. The arrest succeeds, but Lucas’s accusation raises a concrete doubt among the office workers about Nilsar’s impartiality.

Nilsar dictates each charge slowly. Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes the wording and sequence, while Reads Legal Records distinguishes the alleged acts from the warrant’s authority and named holdings.

His concealed chainmail remains beneath his clothes as he bends over the desk, and the longsword he forged for himself rests sheathed at his side while he checks every line.

Odran directs a Town Guard to enter the charges beneath Lucas’s name. The office workers watch as the official record gains a clear cause for custody.

The clerk records Lucas’s denial beside the four charges, then Odran seals the completed arrest entry. The cause for custody is now preserved in the official documents.

Nilsar takes Lucas by the arm and leads him from the back room. His Takes Prisoners discipline keeps the escort controlled, while his concealed chainmail guards against the office’s sharp corners.

The three Town Guards form a measured escort around Lucas without tightening their grip. Nilsar’s longsword stays sheathed at his side, its familiar weight supporting lawful authority rather than threat.

Nilsar guides Lucas into the lane and toward Baron Edric’s tower. The prisoner offers no resistance, and the guards keep the passage clear as Odran’s search continues behind them.

They reach the tower without incident. Nilsar delivers Lucas into Baron Edric’s custody, while the Town Guards remain present to witness the transfer and preserve the arrest record.

At the tower, Nilsar retrieves the compiled arrest records from the nearest Town Guard, checking each page before placing the bundle before Baron Edric.

Nilsar arranges the pages by office and prisoner. Keeps Reliable Accounts exposes every custody transfer, while Reads Legal Records confirms the charges and warrants match without alteration.

The baron seals the bundle and records Nilsar’s delivery. The concealed chainmail remains beneath Nilsar’s clothes, and his longsword stays sheathed as Takes Prisoners keeps the transfer orderly.

Nilsar leaves the tower and returns through Anuncagra toward his house, his longsword at his side and his lawful duty completed until the questioning begins.

Nilsar reaches his cottage as evening settles over Anuncagra. Beran and Sella stand beside the secured evidence box, watching the path and keeping the house orderly.

Nilsar retrieves the evidence box from its guarded place and examines the wax seal, comparing its impression and edges with the custody record. Keeps Reliable Accounts confirms every mark and transfer agree.

The seal remains unbroken. Nilsar returns the box to its guarded position, then lowers himself into the chair at his table; concealed chainmail rests beneath his clothes as he finally rests.

Beran and Sella exchange a surprised glance. Nilsar retrieves the small coffee pouch from a high cupboard, where he had stored it after finding it among his cottage provisions.

Nilsar measures the dark grounds with a craftsman’s care, crushes them evenly, and heats water in his soundest iron pot. The careful work produces a rich, bitter fragrance.

He pours the brewed coffee into three cups and offers one to each guard. Beran accepts it with both hands, while Sella studies the unfamiliar drink before taking a cautious sip.

Beran settles onto the bench with his cup, and Sella draws nearer to the hearth. The coffee’s bitterness steadies the quiet watch, while the sealed evidence box remains untouched.

Nilsar rinses the iron pot, measures the remaining grounds for a second serving, and keeps the cups filled with the same careful precision he gives every piece of his work.

Beran lowers his cup and Sella sets hers beside the hearth. Nilsar’s question is quiet, but his reliable-account habit fixes their answers as carefully as any custody entry.

Beran glances toward the sealed box before meeting Nilsar’s eyes. The question has earned an honest answer, but his guarded look makes clear that family is a boundary he expects respected.

Nilsar’s written tally now separates kinship from duty: Beran and Sella are not related, while both have family in or near Anuncagra. The warmth remains, though Beran’s trust has a stated limit.

Nilsar keeps his voice low and leaves the record book closed. Keeps Reliable Accounts separates the sealed evidence and custody entries from this private conversation, preserving the boundary he has promised.

Beran relaxes against the bench, and Sella moves her cup nearer the hearth. Nilsar’s careful distinction has earned trust without altering a single official entry or risking the sealed box.

Nilsar gathers split wood from the covered stack beside the cottage, carries it inside, and builds a small fire in the fireplace. Flame warms the room without disturbing the sealed evidence box.

Beran shifts closer to the hearth, while Sella remains beside the box. The firelight softens the watch, and Nilsar’s calm presence draws both guards into an easy conversation.

Their stories continue through the changing firelight. Beran describes patrol discipline, while Sella explains how trust between watchmen prevents small disputes from becoming larger ones. Their confidence in Nilsar grows.

Hoofbeats stop outside. A middle-aged man, an adult with weathered skin and a trimmed beard, in a dark traveling cloak enters, lean-faced and gray-haired, carrying a leather satchel stamped with the royal seal.

The king’s agent places the parchment and stamped seal beside Nilsar’s Royal Writ. Nilsar checks the wording, authority, destination, and custody limits line by line.

Records Research aligns the order with Baron Edric’s sealed evidence record. Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes each document, date, and transfer requirement in a fresh comparison list.

Reads Legal Records confirms the agent’s authority matches the Royal Writ: the evidence is to be collected under royal custody, with the chain of transfer preserved. The royal seal’s impression, wax edges, and stamped device match Nilsar’s existing writ exactly.

Nilsar completes the verification without finding any discrepancy. The orders and seal are authenticated, and the collection may proceed without leaving the evidence vulnerable to false authority.

Nilsar writes Corvin Hale beside the royal commission, seal description, and collection order. Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes the offered coffee as separate from the evidence custody, while Reads Legal Records preserves the lawful boundary.

The warning leaves Nilsar’s standing slightly exposed to questions of influence, though the evidence remains untouched. Corvin keeps his commission visible while Nilsar turns toward the hearth.

Nilsar pours a fresh cup and offers it across the room. Corvin accepts with one hand, then returns to the sealed box and prepares to complete the witnessed transfer.

Nilsar states the distinction plainly, then keeps his voice courteous. Keeps Reliable Accounts separates the coffee from the evidence transfer and records his denial as a formal statement.

Corvin writes the entry beneath the authenticated seal comparison. The wording preserves Nilsar’s denial, but records the hospitality plainly enough that a royal reviewer may question the appearance of influence.

Corvin signs the added statement and places it beside the custody record. Nilsar’s account now contains the requested denial, while the cost is a permanent note inviting scrutiny of his conduct.

Corvin secures the signed collection record in his satchel, gives the sealed box one final inspection, and steps into the dark road beyond the cottage. Beran and Sella watch until his lantern fades.

Nilsar warms the remaining grounds and pours the last coffee into two cups. Beran accepts his with a tired smile, while Sella checks the empty place where the evidence box stood.

When the cups are empty, Beran and Sella bank the fire, check the doors, and take their places for the final watch. Nilsar stores the pot, removes his outer gear, and lies down knowing every document has changed hands lawfully.

Nilsar sleeps through the remaining watch and wakes with pale morning light across the cottage floor. Beran and Sella have already departed, leaving the house quiet and secure.

He dresses, checks the empty place where the evidence box rested, and walks into Anuncagra. The town stirs around him as smoke rises from chimneys and shutters open along the lane.

The Yarb Smithing Shop stands warm and familiar beneath its timber sign. Gravam works at the forge, while tools, horseshoes, and half-finished fittings fill the benches around him.

Gravam sets a pair of tongs beside the anvil and clears space on the workbench. The familiar rhythm of the shop waits for Nilsar’s practiced attention.

The forge answers with a low breath of heat as Nilsar takes his place beside his father. Outside, Anuncagra begins another working day, while the family shop offers a familiar task and an open conversation.

Nilsar sets a fitting against the anvil and steadies it while Gravam raises the hammer. They shape hinge plates for the shop’s winter repairs, each strike measured and clean.

Nilsar’s Skilled Craftsman eye sorts the unfinished pieces by size and purpose. He separates the wagon brackets from the household hinges, making the remaining orders clear without opening any private account.

Father and son return to the forge, dividing the work without argument. The shop fills with ringing metal and steady heat, while the arrest remains spoken of but not exposed.

Nilsar retrieves the forge tools from the wall rack and sets them beside the anvil. He heats bar stock, then uses his Skilled Craftsman eye to mark each bend before striking.

Gravam works the bellows while Nilsar draws the iron, bends the wagon brackets, and punches their holes cleanly. He changes tools between hammer, tongs, and hardy with practiced economy.

Nilsar fits the brackets against a shop frame and turns to the hinges. The first batch sits true, but one hinge pin binds because a hurried hole was punched slightly off center.

Nilsar corrects the binding hinge with a file and fresh pin, consuming one of the shop’s spare pins. The completed brackets and hinges are sound, though the wasted piece leaves fewer materials for the next order.

Nilsar sets the corrected hinge aside and selects a fresh bar of iron. His craftsman’s eye judges its grain and length while Gravam eases the bellows and listens.

Gravam draws a line through the heated bar, marking a narrow hook for a replacement fitting. Nilsar steadies it with tongs as his father works the bellows harder.

The fresh fitting takes shape beneath Nilsar’s hammer, its bends clean and measured. Gravam names a coastal inn where Eirik, an elderly man with a weathered face, white hair, and a heavy blue wool coat, can be found after the autumn sailing season, and gives Hakon’s harbor sign: a split oar painted blue.

Gravam clears a space beside the forge and draws out heavy paper, ink, and a sharpened quill. Nilsar’s Skilled Craftsman eye selects sound paper and trims the quill cleanly for a lasting letter.

Gravam writes steadily, describing Nilsar’s smithing skill, discipline, and purpose without promising more than the truth. Nilsar checks the wording with his Skilled Craftsman eye, catching a weak crease before it damages the page.

Gravam sets fresh paper beside the sealed letter to Hakon and clears the writing space. Nilsar organizes the leave’s dates, purpose, destination, and expected return in a precise order.

Records Research separates the necessary legal details from personal explanation, while Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes the proposed departure, duration, and return obligations without contradiction.

Aritik settles beside the writing table and takes the leave forms. She compares each clause with the legal requirements for absence, destination, duration, and return obligations.

She reads the leave wording against the applicable forms, identifying which details grant lawful permission and which personal explanations can be removed without weakening the request.

Aritik marks the revisions neatly, then places the corrected forms beside the letter to Hakon. The leave request now states its purpose and limits plainly, with no unnecessary disclosure.

Nilsar retrieves the shop’s forge tools from the wall rack and borrows the straightedge from the workbench. He lays the corrected leave forms beside his letter.

Aritik checks the destination and return line against the leave requirements. Nilsar’s Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes the dates without contradiction, while the straightedge keeps the new alias and trade description aligned across the letter.

His Skilled Craftsman gift guides the quill’s trimmed point and the careful spacing of the added name. He uses the flat back of his longsword as a firm support beneath the page, keeping the writing surface steady.

Nilsar signs the leave request and dates it clearly. Aritik witnesses the signature, then folds the letter to Hakon beneath its sealed cover, preserving Rognvald Blackmule’s identity as the named correspondent.

Nilsar leaves the smithy and returns along Anuncagra’s familiar lanes to his cottage. The walk is steady, his healed body carrying him home without difficulty.

Inside, he clears the table and sorts clothing, provisions, coin, and travel tools into separate piles. Keeps Reliable Accounts fixes each item in a written packing list beside the signed leave.

His Skilled Craftsman gift guides the preparation: he checks every buckle, repairs a loose strap, oils the tools, and reinforces a worn pack seam with close, even stitches.

He selects durable clothing for northern weather, wraps spare metal fittings against damp, and secures his letters and legal papers inside an oilskin covering. Nothing essential is left loose.

By evening, the pack stands ready beside the door, provisions are measured for the first days, and the cottage is secured for his absence. Nordland is now a prepared destination, not merely a line on paper.

Nilsar returns to the smithy and borrows a fine engraving punch, chasing hammer, and leatherworking knife from the shop’s tool rack before carrying them back to the cottage.

He sets the Northern Helmet on a folded cloth. Its traditional masked northern shape and chainmail down the nape give him a firm surface for careful work.

His Skilled Craftsman gift guides each measured strike. The punch traces intricate interlocking lines across the brow and mask, while the blacksmith tools deepen the pattern without piercing the metal.

Nilsar cuts a shaped leather patch and works it beneath the chainmail at the nape, fastening it through the existing edge so metal rests against leather rather than skin.

The helmet is finished with a dark, intricate design and a secure leather lining. The fine engraving punch blunts during the last section, leaving the borrowed tool needing repair before return.

He wipes away the filings, wraps the helmet in wool, and packs it beside the prepared supplies. The blunted punch lies separately, marked for replacement or repair.