Germaine POV ***

Germaine traveled across the wastelands of the battle torn Forhem lands for three weeks. It was ridiculous to think that the Free Companies had taken more than two years to capture land that could be traveled across in three weeks. Often times he’d be greeted by a laughing skull of some unrecognized soldier; death took its toll, whether they be Forhemian or soldiers of the Free Company.

He crossed into the Borish country, traveling nonstop during the day, and stopping to rest the horse at night. He arrived at Gelderland. The place was a sharp contrast to what was left at Forhem; the floor was covered with green grasses rather than thick black mud that stuck to the booths and made them heavier.

After asking around and consulting the map he’d gotten at Borish, he arrived at the manor of Duke Gusebe.

He was ushered in immediately after he mentioned being herald to Count Adhemar of fort Anjou. Duke Gusebe was a wrinkled, bent old man, in large shapeless robes that’d have passed for colorful sacks.

“I have come on errands of my master,” Germaine began, “There are questions whose answers he demands from you.”

“Go on then,” said Duke Gusebe, flashing a toothless smile.

“I have come with regards to a knight sworn to this house,” said Germaine, “You have have knights who compete in jousting, do you not?”

“I do,” said duke Gusebe, rather slowly. “But… they are all around at the moment, surely you must have heard our neighbors are trying to invade our lands, have you not?”

“I am aware of the war your nation is facing, my liege has also been fighting for our nation Messers,” said Germaine, wickedly. “Would you like me to describe the invasion of Forhem to you?”

“No need for that,” said duke Gusebe, waving wrinkled hands. “Which knight is it that you speak of?”

“Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein,” Germaine answered.

Duke Gusebe gazed at Germaine pensively with a hand on his chin. “I don’t recall such name,” said he, after a while. “Allow me to summon my house governor, he handles recruitment these days.”

Germaine acquiesced and waited for the governor. The latter didn't take long to arrive and was quickly questioned by the duke.

“Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein? Why, he’s a star! But he isn’t sworn to us,” answered the governor, “I mean, if he was, we’d be richer and far more popular than we are right now? And we’d host jousting tournaments despite the war because we know for sure he is going to win.”

Germaine left there a confused man, more confused than he was before he left the camp six week ago. Did the man lie then about which house he fought for? Why?

So many questions tugged at his consciousness for answers he didn’t have yet. However, one thing was certain to him; there was something fishy about Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein, and it was only a matter of time before he found it out.