Chapter 44
Simple Shepherds
Fabian and Elsie attend to their stakeout. They dismiss Luca to sleep in his cabin. The sun sets and things seem quite for a time, then a rustling sound of footsetsp on approach pulls them to attention.
Anna Krezkov has come with cider, she'd lied about being out of it because young Ilya has been so ravenous lately. She pours them drinks and says they should go after the werewolves, that Dimitri is being over cautious. Fabian gets slightly suspicious but they small talk a bit longer and Anna departs.
Elsie and Fabian discuss it, and Elsie agrees that it's strange, that Anna is not usually one to go against what Dimitri says, and definitely not in secret. So it must be important, but she has a theory that Anna is simply willing to sacrifice the adventuring party for a shot at destroying the werewolves. The conversation shifts to their recent past, the fortune telling's they received (Fabian asks if Elsie knows Madam Eva, but he lies and says no), Fabian's death, she mentions the name Norganus, but Elsie is not familiar.
The night passes, no sheep go missing. They return to the Krezkovs to enjoy breakfast and discuss their next move. Elsie mentions that a Vistani had come by a month ago. She hadn't thought to mention it but the group brought it up again. Ezmerelda d'Avenier. She'd asked about local news, any additional travelers or passer's through. Elsie wanted to ask questions in the morning but she had left in the night. When dimitri arrived they questioned him, and he initially lied, but apologized, stating that he merely did not want the news getting out to the rest of the town. He thanked them for their help watching the sheep and asked if they noticed any clues or information. They did not, so he extended a formal invitation for them to winter in Krezk, or go if they wish, but if they were to leave they would not have the free reign to come and go like other citizens of Krezk.
The following day they spent resting and pondering their next move. Fabian went for a walk about town and found the macabre statue in the gazebo, but did not clear the moss to view it's face. They considered attack the den outright, then assumed they could do some recon, maybe lure a few out and thin them in a fight. Pick them off over time. They also considered journeying to the south bogs to secure belladonna root as a preparation for being bitten, but this lengthy journey would be dangerous and could possibly be long enough to push their crusade against the werewolves deep into winter. Eliza reminds the group that there is division politically in the den, and while she wouldn't consider Zulieka a friend of them, there may be something to fracturing their ranks. The main problem is Ghol, who Kiril seems to control. Elsie also expressed interest in investigating the strange mansion to the west, the boogy house she'd always grown up hearing about and taking an interest in.
In any case Elsie felt she was meant to travel with this group for the time, see the rest of Barovia at the least, and they welcomed her involvement. But she dreaded the looming conversation with her father, who assuredly would not approve.
