With the fruit bundled at the fence, Makeda crosses toward the hempfield while Sofia, Angela, Daria, and Julia remain among the orchard trees, watching the farmhouse.
The hemp has been cut and stacked in long, drying heaps. Coarse stalks, useful for fiber and poles, lie within easy reach beside the narrow path.
Makeda studies the nearest bundle without disturbing it. Fresh footprints mark the damp soil, and a recently used sickle rests against the stack, its blade still bright.
Daria
Take what you can carry, but leave the stacks looking untouched. Someone still works this field.
The path leads from the hemp stacks toward a low shed concealed behind tall weeds. From within comes a faint movement, followed by a voice muffled by timber.
Sofia
Makeda, do you hear that? We can watch the house, but the shed is hidden from us.
Wind combs the hemp in pale waves. The useful stalks remain beside her, while the quiet shed waits at the end of the path.
✓ Quest Accepted
Discover who is hidden in the shed
“"Daria, take the sickle. It is the only weapon we have. I'll have a look at the shed." Crawling around the edge of the field, she moves closer to the shed, alert for any sound or movement.”
SUCCESS (Good Stealth, rolled +0)
Makeda
Daria, take the sickle. It is the only weapon we have. I will look at the shed.
Makeda points toward the bright blade, then lowers herself into the weeds. Daria crosses from the orchard, takes the sickle, and tests its weight without lifting it high.
Daria
I have it. Keep low, and do not let whoever is inside see you first.
Makeda crawls along the field's edge, using the hemp stacks and tall weeds as cover. She pauses whenever the wind falls, listening before advancing.
Makeda
The shed is closer than the house, and someone is moving inside.
She reaches the shed's weed-covered side and peers around the corner. The door is shut, but a narrow gap beneath it shows shifting shadows and hears a muffled voice within.
Sofia
Makeda, what do you see?
“Makeda pauses and listens at the door.”
SUCCESS (Great Perception, rolled +2)
Makeda presses her ear to the rough boards. The hemp stalks whisper behind her, while the shed yields a man's strained breathing and the scrape of movement within.
Makeda
There is one person inside, and he is restrained or injured.
Petar
Is someone there? By God, do not leave me here.
The voice is close beyond the door, low and frightened. Makeda hears a chain or heavy cord shift across the floor, followed by a sharp knock against the wall.
Petar
They locked me in when they went to the field. I have had no water since yesterday.
From the orchard, Sofia watches the farmhouse while Daria keeps the sickle ready. No one appears on the path, and the shed remains hidden by weeds.
Petar
Please. If you are a Christian, help me before the farmer returns.
“She looks for some way to open the door.”
SUCCESS (Poor Investigation, rolled +2)
Makeda feels along the shed's boards and finds an iron hasp fastened from outside. A loose stone beside the threshold serves as a lever.
She works the stone beneath the hasp, lifting until the old staple pulls free with a muted creak. The door opens inward.
Petar
Thank God. Quickly, before they return.
Inside lies a young adult man with a lean build, dusty brown hair, and a torn gray tunic. His ankles are bound with coarse cord, and his wrists rest against a timber post.
Makeda steps into the dim shed and keeps the opened door screened by her body. The man's face is pale with thirst, but he remains conscious.
Petar
They are farmers from the village. I was caught taking bread, but I have done no violence. Please, cut these cords.
From the orchard, Sofia gives a low warning whistle. Daria shifts nearer with the sickle, while the farmhouse remains quiet beyond the hempfield.
Quest Complete
Discover who is hidden in the shed
Skill Upgrade: Investigation Poor→Mediocre