Nell realized how they must look to the woodsman as they wandered out of the wood but she was also hesitant to tell him the truth about their situation. Gunthir and his search party had been closer than expexted and she was not sure she wanted to share her true identity with anyone just yet. Not because she didn't trust the man but because she didn't want him to have to lie for her if Gunthir came asking question. Thankfully she did not have to lie to his first question. "We are are better now that we are finally out of those dreadful woods..." She gestured to her clothes and did not have to pretend to be embarrassed about her appearance. "But we have had quite a harrowing night as you can plainly see... We were robbed by bandits on our way here."

The woodsman turned his attention to Nell, he studied her for a moment as if she might have recognized her but was having trouble considering where from. But as he was deliberating Serg spoke up. "Please, if you could direct us to your burgermeister."

He looked back at Serg and studied him for a moment. He seemed to come to a conclusion a moment later since he instructed the pair to follow him a short distance to his house. Once there he got a cloak for Nell and even got them something to drink, a hot drink of the local blend that he referred to as nara. It was a cinnamon flavored drink and quiet good at that.

His name was Fredrick they learned. A woodsman that lived alone for the last three years since his wife passed. He didn't have much but was willing to share what he had in the ways of food and drink. He wasn't nosy but seemed quit sharp too. He asked no questions as to why they would take Nell's clothes and not Serg's figuring that the pair would reveal their true motives when they were ready to.

He had his own theories but they were just that, theories. When they were settled he left them to fetch Jeb, the burgermeister.

Nell was relieved that Serg was playing along with her story and even more relieved when Fredrick accepted it. Or at least, he seemed to accept it. If he had any doubts or questions he kept them to himself for which she was most grateful. She had told the lie about being robbed because it seemed the most simple explanation at the time but she had not yet worked out the details. She thanked the woodsman for the cloak and the hospitality but once he was gone she turned to her companion apologetically. "I'm so sorry about the lie... If we had been planning to ride straight to Gerron from here then the truth probably wouldn't have hurt us but as we are going after Wilhelm now I figured it was best to keep our identities a secret for now.

"Still, we should probably take this time to get our story staight before Fredrick retuns with the burgermeister." She sat down and began to think aloud. "It would have to be a story that explain why my dress was taken and yet your clothes were untouched... An attempted rape, perhaps? There is a hint of truth to that after all. We could say we were traveling and over taken by bandits who robbed us and attempted to rape me when you stopped them and ran them off. But my dress was ruined beyond repair... What do you think of that story? Oh, we also need to work out what our relationship is and why we are traveling together."

Fredrick told her that she was welcome before he dipped out leaving the pair together. Serg gave it a little thought then shook his head. It was awere nice suggestion but there was a small problem with the matter. "They won't by that. I'm unarmed. Of course your dress could have been ruined in traveling here, they'll probably ask why we ddn't stick to the roads and we could say that we were avoiding or rather lessening our odds of encountering further bandits but we'd have nothing further to take so I doubt that it would work if we relaid that. I'm surprised that Fredrick didn't recognize you, your image is on some of the coins here, perhaps he just thought that was too unlikely and that you only look like the princess ..."

His voice wandered off then a second later it was a little bit louder, a little sharper as something hit him. Whether or not it made any sense was yet to be seen as he didn't think through matters right away. "You're a noble and I your servant." Thus far not to far from the truth. "We were waylaid on the road and thought that we were being accousted by bandits since they took your dress, a fancy little number worth quit a bit. We discovered that they were actually slavers and your bodyguard, that which remained after the initial fighting anyway tried to over power their captors and in the scuffle we managed to take off into the woods and not look back ..."

Nell chewed her lip nervously after Serg had pointed out the flaws in her idea. "Oh, I had not thought of all that." She shifted uneasily in her seat at the reminder that she face was on the local currency. She had never had use for money living in the castle so she really had never seen the coin of which Serg spoke spoke so she did not know how accurate the likeness was to her. She hoped, for the sake of keeping a low profile, that the artist had done an offer job rendering her. "Your story does seem to be the better suited to our predicament. Though it might looks suspicous if we don't want to wait to see if any of my guard survived or even if we do not wish to have someone go out searching for them?"

Serg thought for a moment. She looked uncomfortable with the reminder that he bestowed upon her. She did not have a need for currency being in her position if she wanted something she got it and didn't have to worry about the trival things such as cost.

Serg had to deal with those things of course and even as she considered his suggestion she caught a grin turning up the corners of his mouth. She was better at persuassion and lying was easier for Serg though of course he had not been overly skilled at it and his little deceptions were by no means fool proof.

"That is no problem ... a noble tends to be arrogant and concerned only with their affairs and unconcerned about what others have to go through as long as they get what they want ... present company excluded of course.

"You could order a search team out and tell them to report their findings to such and such a place and simply not be there. The big problem would be if word of a noble suddenly showing up gets back to Gunthir and he further investigates but it seems that everything we do has risks."

"Hmmm..." Nell considered Serg's suggestions and tried to decide what would raise the least amount of questions. "We could say that the guards know where we are going and will meet us there if they survived. It might sound callous but then they would not wonder why we have not sent a search party or left word for them. If anyone asks where we are going we could imply, though not outright state, that we are heading towards Gerron still. That way if Gunthir does come asking question he will think we are rushing to seek aide from our allies. It is where they will probably assume we are going anyway."

"Agreed," Serg confirmed what he said. They exchanged a few little details before 10 minutes or so slipped past an Fredrick returned with the burgermeister, a tall older man that had to be in his 60's, maybe even 70's. He was easily the oldest being Nell had seen here though he was by no means the frailest.

"My word, what has happened to you?" Gray eyes swung from one to the other before he shock his head slight and pressed on as if the question did not matter. "I am called Verr and am the burgermeister here. How can I be of assistance?"

Nell straightened up in her seat when Fredrick returned with the Burgermeister, Verr. She nodded in acknowledgement of his indrotuction and introduced herself as well, though not as honestly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Meister Verr though I do wish the circumstance had been better. I am Vivan du Pree and I was on my way home to visit my father but my escort was overtaken by slavers in the forest." She explained, using the name of an actual noble she had known of from Gerron. The real Vivan was a head shorter than Nell herself was and a good deal plainer but she hair was the right age and their hair was roughly the same color. The princess hoped that Verr knew enough of the du Pree's for her lie to be convincing. "My man and I only barely managed to escape and we lost most of our guard and supplies in the process... Among other things." She gestured to her lack of apparel. "We were hoping you might be able to assist us in getting back underway. My father is very ill and I would like to be back with him as soon as humanly possible."

"Dupree? Your father is Naramis? I had no idea that he had taken ill. My condolences, I wish him only the best of health. Whatever you may need will be provided to you. Clothing, food, horses and the like. Fortunately you are not too far from the castle itself, but a day away though it might be hazardous getting there.

"Spartha has attacked Gerron and most of the roads are closed down leading to the castle. You might be able to circumvent them by traveling to the south and then going up north there but it's fraught with danger ... wolves mainly, though most of our merchants going into Gerron as of late have been turned away. Under the circumstances though even a Sparthan cannot be as cruel as to turn you aside."

"Thank you, Meister Verr. Your generous offer as well as your news is greatly appreciated. We had heard that the Sparthians had taken the castle in Geoff but were not aware they had attacked our castle as well." She frowned grimly and wondered if Prince Vek had been completely honest with her before. If his quarrel was with country then there should have been no need for them to take over Gerron. It seemed a tad extreme to prevent their allies from aiding them by seizing their castle as well. She wondered it Vek wasn't just using this claimed offense as and excuse for conquest after all. She shook her head. "We have heard that Spartha has been persecuting nobles from Geoff, racing around the country hunting for some ambassador..."

She glance to Serg as though looking for confirmation and then looked back to Verr. "I fear they may not treat me much better. We would prefer to avoid unnecessary contact with them. If you could tell us where their patrols are most intense and possibly provide us with... erm.... less conspicuous apparel. We might be able to slip by them without suspicion."

"Actually one of their riders arrived here not too long ago and is looking for the princess. Apparently she escaped and they were trying to recapture her though no one here would turn her over even if they had her. Our history with Spartha isn't on the best of terms ..."

Verr allowed this to sink in, then considered for a moment. "Their patrols are more intense closer to the castle so many of the main roads are patrolled. If you know the land then you would be able to use the trails there to circumvent them.

"I know the roads reasonably well," Serg retorted.

"Mundane clothes and steed can be rustled up within an hour or so, I could have them brought here unless you have other arrangements.

Nell's chest tightened with confused mixture of emotions at Verr's revelation that the search had already reached this far and his statement that the village would not betray her to them. She suddenly had an intense desire to cry that she had to fight back. She felt an immense swelling of gratitude towards the man now as well as guilt for having lied to him but she sensed his words had a deeper meaning and wondered if he had recognized her after all. She nodded in silent acknowledgement and waited for him to continue.

Once he had finished, she replied. "Here would be fine if Fredrick would not be opposed..." She bowed her head thoughtfully and decided to trust them with a little more. "I think it would be best if we did not wander about much while we were in your town. You have all been most kind to us and I do not wish to cause you any trouble in return."

"Here's fine," Fredrick confirmed.

If Verr had recognized her at all he brought no attention to the matter though he reflected on her words then nodded. "Sparthians are not here now pushing on further north though there pace indicated that they were in no hurry. But it is probably best that you stay put."

It was 45 minutes later that Verr returned to the abode with a few simple sets of garments and brown cloaks. The clothes had suited those of a merchant caste and were better than common or peasant garb.

"You have horses so dressing as a pauper would draw attention too you as well as people considered how you got those horses in the first place. I felt that disgression was best and have the pair of steeds near the woods, Philip has them, he is mute so he'd be unlikely to disclose anything even if he were so incline.

"The horses are draft animals and there is a cart with them that contains pottery so onlookers will assume that there are wares you are attempting to sell or trade ... in the cart though are provisions as well; blankets, food, fed for the horses, a few changes of clothes and the like along with a few maps of the region detailing roads near the castle and a nice little flop house not too far from here. The prices are reasonable and it does sport games of chance and other forms of entertainment. They even have illegal pit fights there from time to time ..."

Nell listened intendly and her heart leapt a little at the mention of the flop house. Something that Vek had mentioned suddenly sprang to her mind. Wilhelm was a gambler. If this flop house was well know for games of chance, both legel and otherwise, then someone there might very well know where Wilhelm was. She smiled brightly and thanked Verr enthusiastically once again, not realizing how strange her sudden excitement as what was undoubtably meant as some form of warning might appear. She was too happy about the possiblity of find a lead on Wilhelm.

"You have been more helpful than you can possibly realize, Meister Verr. Thank you." She gathered up the offered change of garments without celemony and turned to Serg. "We had best change and be on our way. We much take advantage of the daylight while we still have it." She turned to Fredrick then. "Do you have another more private room where I can change?" She waited for his reply then went off to change.