There was a saying, one that Jurgen had quietly muttered to Roderick and Brandt, that if you have the perfect plan, make sure you tell the enemy so he can follow the plan too. And so it quickly proved with Lord Waldo's plan to make for Hergig. It seemed that Lord Gerard had not taken long in discovering that they had fled Lorch completely and already patrols of Talabec Outriders were so thick on the main roads that Lord Waldo despaired and his small party were forced Northward in the Drakwald, toward Estorf. 

Lord Waldo had no friends in Estorf, his refusal to allow them to use Lorch's small port without paying a hefty tax had earned him their ire, and he was quite certain they would happily turn him over to Lord Gerard for a few gold coins. Because of this, and because he refused to admit his was lost, the sunset found the small party blundering through the thick brush.

"M'lord, we will have to make camp soon." Jurgen spoke up at last. As the only actual soldier in the group he had become Lord Waldos undisputed deputy whether he liked it or not. 

The young man sighed and nodded, even he could no longer pretend that they were going to make it to Hergig that evening. Even with friendly weather, clear roads, and no enemy hunting them, it would still have taken the better part of a week.

"Very well." His voice was high pitched, still unbroken in youth. He halted as they came into a small clearing and glanced around. It would do as well as any. 

"You," He pointed to Brandt. "You were a smith, make us a fire."

"You," He pointed at Priska and Jurgen. "Make me a shelter."

"You," He pointed at Roderick. "Find us some water and food."

"You," He now pointed at Maria but she shot him a look that could have killed him on the spot and he faltered. "Um... Help someone...." 

The directions given, he threw himself down on the ground under a tree and wrapped himself in his thick cloak, watching them over the edge of the fur collar. 

Roderick and Brandt moved off together only to have Maria hurry after them. She didn't say anything as she did, and neither man was going to tell her off as they certainly welcomed her company. The three moved into the woods, lured to a small stream by the sound of running water. It bubbled from a steep hillside and formed a small pool large enough for someone to bath in.

"I might, um... Wash, if you don't mind." Roderick ventured at last as they stared at the clear water. He was indeed utterly filthy. "And I could take a look at your arm, Brandt."

"I'll wait over here." Maria said, not missing a beat, and stepped behind a large tree while the two men approached the water. Roderick stripped off his filthy robe and tossed it into the pool before lowering himself into the freezing water. He scrubbed violently at himself for a few minutes and then managed to wring the worst of the filth from his robe. He pulled the garment back over himself and gave a silent prayer of thanks that it was mid-summer and not winter as the wet cloth settled heavily over him.

"All clear, miss." He called out and Maria joined the two, watching as Roderick washed and dressed Brandts wound using the bark of an Aspen tree and small but sturdy vines as a bind. 

"The sap on the backside of the bark has some healing qualities we don't understand, but it works." He offered as he finished lacing the vines. "And the maggots will eat the dead flesh. Please don't let them go when you take the binding off." 

His last words were to Brandt. The maggots had been in a small tin in one of his pouches. Father Gerwig had taught him the trick and had saved more than one wounded man during the siege. Maria had frowned at the small white creatures but said nothing, only nodded, when he explained why he used them.

The light was fading fast now and together they quickly gathered a mass of wood and then, using Brandts helmet, some water from the small waterfall. It wasn't much but it would serve them for the night.