Leif and Audfrith find Silver Hoard

This roleplay was set up by previously discovered information: Audfrith sees a ship delivering Danegeld to the docks. She has seen the way that the previous Merchant Master kept his books, and being literate, she understood his system. She also believed him to be loyal to the king. She had found good evidence to support all of these things in one of the log books, but there was no evidence that Trueblut's men had found or gotten the Danegeld. She had wondered for several days where the previous Merchant Master might have hidden such a large stash, in a quick hurry. With her old friend, Leif, staying as a guest in the Merchant Master's old house, the topic had remained in her mind as she visited him, or even stayed there on occasion, as The Faithfull left the skilled Carpenter alone unless they had a job worthy of his talents. They had alienated plenty of guilds in the takeover, and it was becoming hard to get basic carpenters to come to Skarvald under Martial Law, much less one with a reputation for such great work. So the two of them had searched the house, the underpinnings of the house, and everywhere around the house that broad daylight would allow. The only thing Audfrith found was one of Qiara's old watering buckets. But then she had an idea: what if the trapdoor was used more often? It would certainly allow a quick way to get goods in and out secretly of the cabin, but she had not considered that it might also help in finding something concealed already. [13:53] Audfrith (emmiedee): Audfrith had checked the merchant master's books several times now, since she had stolen them almost a month ago. She was absolutely certain that two shipments of Danegeld were missing: they had come in, and she had seen their delivery. And yet, they were not in the books. It had been shortly after the Faithful had started trickling into the village... Aud had reason to believe the hoards had been stashed against the occupation. Now that the underground knew that Balder and Ellie were alive, there was hope that substantial money could provide. [14:34] Audfrith (emmiedee): Aud had checked everywhere in the old merchant master's cabin, and now that Leif, her old friend from Eddasund, had been staying there, he had also checked and found nothing. He was not there at the moment, so she let herself in and looked around one more time for -- what? If she found what was missing, it would be a hoard indeed. How or where could someone hide something like that? [14:35] Audfrith (emmiedee): Aud knew that the old trap door led only to the water, but she decided to go through it anyway. She quickly slipped out of her clothes and slid through the opening into the cold water beneath the merchant master's cabin. [14:46] Audfrith (emmiedee): She felt carefully around the pillar that supported the cabin closest to the trapdoor. She had almost believed that it was a silly idea when she swam underneath one support that did not support anything, and she found a box tied up with rope beneath it. She went back and got her knife and more rope, then set to tying the box to a different rope before she cut the ones supporting it. She went up for air into the trap door of the cabin again, to find her friend Leif kneeling over the opening, looking down. She splashed up into his face for air, and gasped. [14:50] Lυяiαηα Ÿακυβυ™ (luriana23): Yeshiva stepped outside the Holy Temple, looking forward to meet with those she hold dear. She had been lost among all the happenings in town. She hopped to get an update so those at the Temple would be ready for any choices of action the leaders of the Rebellion take. She reached the city safely... [15:52] Audfrith (emmiedee): Audfrith told Leif that she had found a box, and she asked him to help her bring it out of the water. After a few more dives to secure the ropes, she cut the old ropes and the box fell into their net. Although it was very heavy, the two of them hoisted it up, using the rowboat as a floating pulley. Aud saw Yeshiva passing by curiously at one point, and she ducked below the water, hoping her friend would take the hint. The fewer people around the area until this was done, the better. [15:54] Audfrith (emmiedee): Audfrith and Leif pulled the heavy box into the rowboat, then stashed it under the cabin. She would try to find one of Faeth's birds at the Rookery to send a note with, but for now, she and Leif sat around the fire together, not even speaking of the job they had just finished. Audfrith had previously gone in search of the merchant's log book, in order to ascertain the general state of people she knew who might help in the effort to support the underground. The following was a roleplay done in Skarvald local chat and posted in RP chat group as done. [06:04] Audfrith (emmiedee): In the days when more non-Trueblut humans were walking around Skarvald, Audfrith had found that the soldiers could not normally identify her, if she changed from pants to a dress from when they had seen her last.  One soldier had seen her clearly in their skirmish to protect Yeshi-va, but he had seen her later in the Marketplace, as she walked about in a dress talking to other merchants, and he had seemed to take no notice of her.  It was this she was thinking as she changed into her more feminine dress, and hid her sword beneath her skirts, before she left her house. [06:09] Audfrith (emmiedee): In the days since the militia had taken power from King Balder and Queen Ellie, Audfrith's mind had been constant mush.  She remembered her time before she came to Skarvald, having known no being except for humans.  And now, every time she thought of a plan to try to find and rescue the Queen and King, or to get help to assassinate the priest himself, she could think of very few humans to call upon.  She breathed a deep sigh and readied herself to meet Trueblut's men as she entered the market area. [06:19] Audfrith (emmiedee): When the guards closest to her old tanner's booth stopped her on her way through, she lied, "I be here to pick up papers for Merchant Master Ragnar."  "And where be your Master Ragnar?" asked the guards, mocking her as if misunderstanding.  "He be in Thornhall, two days west," replied Audfrith, "and it be urgent to pay his taxes what he owes to the Priest Trueblut," she finished her lie looking levelly at him. [06:20] Audfrith (emmiedee): "You mean High Majesty and Speaker of the Gods, Priest King Hemskirr Trueblud the First of his Name and High King of Skarvald,  All Praise His Name,"  the guard chided Audfrith.  "Yes," she replied, "All Praise His Name."  He allowed her to go through, and she went to Ragnar's desk and began to look for the papers she needed.