Guard Tessa checks Savin’s bandage while Edrin readies the cart. Mara watches the forest, and Patter stays close to the bedroll, ears fixed on every rustle.
Savin
Wait. We cannot continue yet.
Savin grips Octavius’s sleeve with surprising strength, then winces and points weakly toward the ash tree. His face tightens with shame before he forces himself to continue.
Savin
I concealed the satchel beneath a marked stone before I reached the road. I kept quiet because I feared you would leave me with the burden.
Guard Tessa
You are bleeding, Savin. We need a proper medic now. The satchel can wait until you are safe.
Savin
No. If those men wanted it, leaving it there may put every pursuer on your trail. They may be watching the stone, waiting for whoever comes to claim it.
Edrin pauses with one hand on the cart rail. Tessa keeps pressure over the bandage, while Mara scans the road and the trees beyond the ash. The choice now rests with Octavius.
✓ Quest Accepted
Recover Savin’s hidden satchel
“Sir Savin, are the contents of that bag worth dying for? I can go back and look for it if you wish, but I do not know what the delay may mean for your health... You have been hurt in ways I cannot do more than relieve temporarily. You NEED a doctor. Quickly. Can you spare the time?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -2)
Octavius
Savin, are the contents worth dying for? I can search for the satchel if you wish, but you need a doctor quickly. Can you spare the time?
Savin
No. Not if I must choose between the satchel and surviving. Take me to the doctor. I will tell you where it lies, and trust you to leave it until we can return safely.
The admission drains the urgency from Savin’s grip. Tessa nods once, accepting the decision, while Edrin turns the cart toward the nearest settled road and Mara keeps watch on the ash.
Guard Tessa
Good. That is the sensible choice. But you will owe Octavius the truth about that satchel, and you will not make him carry its danger blindly.
Savin
Aye. I owe him that, and more. The satchel holds letters and a small iron seal, not coin. If the wrong hands find them, travelers may be marked for pursuit.
Tessa and Edrin lift the bedroll together. Savin gives the stone’s location and the safest return route, surrendering the satchel’s immediate claim as the cart begins toward medical aid.
“..What travelers?" I ask suddenly, "Lady Tessa, if this is related to our guest, perhaps you should go ahead and I will retrieve the bag. Patter and I can travel far more quickly than the cart can. If sir Savin can give me adequate directions, I should be able to find it quickly before you get too far ahead." I glance pointedly towards Savin, "Respectfully, you did not go very far after being so badly hurt.. If you have a decent recognition point, I should be able to find your bag quickly.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Survival, rolled -1)
Octavius
What travelers? Lady Tessa, if this concerns our guest, perhaps you should go ahead while Patter and I retrieve the satchel. Savin, give me a clear landmark.
Savin
The leaning ash marks the place. From it, count twelve paces west to a stone split like a fish’s jaw. The satchel lies beneath its southern edge.
Guard Tessa
We will take the cart toward the settled road, slowly enough for you to catch us. Do not linger, and return if the ground shows company.
Tessa and Edrin guide the cart onward with Mara beside them, while Patter darts after Octavius into the trees. Savin watches from the bedroll, one hand guarding his bandage.
Savin’s landmarks prove precise. Octavius finds the split stone, lifts its damp edge, and draws out the wrapped satchel without disturbing the surrounding leaves or adding a trace of his own.
Octavius
The satchel is intact, and no one waited beside it.
With the satchel secured across his shoulder, Octavius and Patter follow the cart’s fresh wheel marks and catch the party before the road leaves the forest. Tessa reaches for the burden, ready to share its danger.
Quest Complete
Recover Savin’s hidden satchel
New Gift: Expert Appraisal
+ New Item Acquired
wrapped satchel