Captain Swing Rides Again part I

My Dear Domini,

I apologise for not having written in so long, but my companions and I were apparently in the Sidhe realm where time runs somewhat differently. While it did not seem so long to us, it appears that we have lost some two months in the real world.

It's strange but after our time there I find myself strangely invigorated as if I had been almost asleep and have just awoken. I look at everything as if it were new, and certainly the women of Charouse have an appeal I did not notice when last I was here.

We returned to Charouse yesterday, on the day of Feast. Our friend Borstennskoldmund has rejoined us after his training in Freiburg and now carries his great sword strapped across his back ready for use. After speaking briefly with Piers he clapped him on the shoulder and Piers nodded his farewell and took off on some new mission for his master.

And we sat and drank we told Borstennskoldmund of our recent adventure. Dandelion made some comments about "changing" his disguise which I found somewhat confusing: through all his names he has always been a Montaigne noble and I took that as the one reality I had of him but it seems I was mistaken even in that. It occurs to me that perhaps he is some sort of spy and that amongst the endless string of names and livelihoods any reality may have become permanently lost.

After we finished telling Borstennskoldmund our news, he looked at Dandelion gravely and passed him a recent copy of La Plume, the newspaper of Charouse "I was going to ask what had gotten into you, but it appears that someone has usurped your character. I haven't been able to read it of course, but it was all the talk when I arrived so I bought the newspaper for you to read."

Dandelion looked somewhat puzzled as he started to read the news. "So the Explorers Society is sending a new expedition west from Carleon???" Borstennskoldmund shook his head, and bits of I know not what showered us from his braids. I think I heard Pistol mutter contentedly something that sounded sickeningly like "tasty".

Dandelion continued on "Well then I assume you are also not talking about the new expedition that Margaretta Orduño has had sponsored by the King of Castille???" Borstennskoldmund made to shake his head again, but stopped when we all flinched. I heard a muted "damn!" from Pistol.

"Oh" Dandelion muttered as he he turned the page. "Apparently Captain Swing murdered three teachers at an orphanage near the slaughterhouse last Soldi. According to the article it is the third outrage in as many weeks."

"I thought you said this Capitano Swing was mythological?" quizzed Antonio. "How can he do these things, especially when you weren't here? But then, perhaps this word mythological she doesn't mean what I think she means?"

We headed out to the street determined to take some action to get to the bottom of the mystery. As we stood to go, Pistol piped up "Oi'm afraid Oi'll haf da wait here fer ya loik. Oi've done me back and I can barely raise me mug, don't ya know? But don't you all worry, now. If anyting suspicious happens at dis here pub oi'll be roight in da tick of it, an dat's a fact!"

We agreed that we had to find out what the mythological Captain Swing had been up to in our absence. I suggested going to the library to read through back issues of La Plume, but Dandelion waved away the idea, boasting of his ability to bond with the common folk as we walked down the street. "I will return in a moment with all the information we need" he said, slipping into an inn called La Merde Gamine. A few minutes later he returned muttering under his breath. Antonio said "I will a show you how she's a done!" and went into the same inn. We were not surprised when a few minutes later he hurried out the door as if propelled from behind.

"The library?" I suggested again.

We discovered that Captain Swing had first assassinated a professor of philosophy in the area near the Musketeer Academy, and had then torched a school killing 12 children out near the quarry.

When we looked closer, it appeared that he was performing these atrocities on a Soldi, and that he was working his way around Charouse having struck in the north-east, the north-west, and then the south-west. We determined that we should see if we could get any additional information from the authorities. Dandelion advised us that it would probably be the musketeers investigating the problem, so we headed off to the academy.

As we made our way there, we asked Dandelion what might lie in the south-east that would interest this new Captain Swing. He could think of nothing, but did say that Le Grande Université lay in the southern part of Charouse.

At the musketeer academy we were told that the matter was being investigated by a Captain Chevalier, who the others recognised as the man that had met us in the sewers when we first arrived in Charouse. It rang no bells for me, but a lot of what has happened in the past months is somewhat foggy. The captain was not there, and we asked that he contact us later.

With that we headed off to look at the university, and we're struck by the impossible task of trying to watch the place as it extends over some four city blocks. As we wonder where we could possibly start given that we only have a day to formulate a plan, someone mentions that we know one of the professors because we had saved his daughter when we first met Mordred. It is no wonder that my past is a blank when my memory of things so recent is so poor, but I am again left feeling stupid as my companions recount to me the story, however the exercise is not without its benefits as in the telling Dandelion suddenly exclaims that the professor's name is Anget and we hurry off to his house in the hope that he can give us some guidance.

It took some pleading with the servant to gain entry, and once again I was convinced that my friends were pulling my leg about having met this family before because shortly after we arrived a beautiful young lady flew down the stairs and straight into my arms, peppering me with kisses. I am sure I would not have forgotten that!

We spoke to the professor, and he mentioned to us that the following day there was scheduled a lecture on the importance of education to be given by the Head of Social Justice. This seemed indeed a very tempting target, so we made arrangements with the professor to get some student garb as a disguise and arranged to attend the lecture. As weapons are not permitted on campus, both Borstennskoldmund and Mordred faced the problem of concealing their swords, but struck upon the idea of concealing them both in the case from a large stringed instrument. Of course, this then led to rather heated discussions as to who would carry the case but eventually they agreed that one would carry and the other would open the case when needed.

We returned to our inn to find Pistol engaged in some exercise he called "quality control" which apparently consisted of drinking large quantities of ale, so we moved to another table where we could discuss our plans. As we were doing so Captain Chevalier arrived and asked what we wanted. We told him of our suspicions and plans and suggested that he and his men could cover other parts of the university while we attended the lecture, but while the captain said he thought perhaps the lecture was too obvious a target, he and his men would cover it as well if we believed it the most likely place the evil, legion-spawned Captain Swing would appear.

And so it was that the next day, dressed as students, we arrived early at the Great Hall of the university to check for anything suspicious. Everything seemed safe so we and the musketeers took our places around the hall as the students and faculty started to enter. Dandelion elected to stay outside to watch for suspicious activity.

The lecture had only been in progress a few minutes and I was trying to decide whether having no idea what was being said would make the lecture more boring or less in the long run when the building shook from a nearby explosion.

By the time we were able to make our way outside through the crush of bodies trying to do the same, it was all over. Dandelion tells us that the explosion was the university press being demolished, after which Captain Swing rode up, threw a bent card at him, and then rode off laughing and shouting counter-revolutionary slogans. Dandelion attempted to chase, but being on foot was no match for the skilled rider that Captain Swing appeared to be. However Dandelion did find a clear hoof print that showed that the left front hoof of Captain Swing's jet-black horse appears to have a loose shoe. What use this information will be to us, we have yet to see.

Avon Arthur,

Poor Knight of the Order