La tardor havia arribat abans d'hora a Kappelburg. Quan vinguessin els recaptadors del Gran Duc poc gra es podria enviar a Talabheim. Això no feia que la taverna del poble estigues menys buida que de costum. El Festag vespre era la nit on més cervesa es consumia i això sense tenir en compte els grups de viatgers que havien coincidit aquella quinzena.
Autumn came early at Kappelburg. When Great Duke's tax collectors arrive they would find little grain to send back to Talabheim. This reality did not diminish the numbers inside the town's inn. Festag's evening was the time when most beer was drunk even without considering the groups of travelers who arrived there that fortnight.
Vincent va decidir que la seva nit de joc havia acabat i es va acomiadar dels seus companys de joc per prendre un vi apartat.
Havia perdut dos xílings aquella nit mentre treia informació casual a l'oficial de reclutament de l'ordre Cometes de Sigmar i els moviments que sabia que els caçadors de bruixes feien per aquella zona. Un preu molt petit a pagar que l'apropava al seu objectiu.
Vincent decided that his gaming night was over and said farewell to his game partners to drink some wine away from the crowd.
He had lost a couple of shillings that evening while extracting casual information to the recruitment officer of the Order of Sigmar's Comets and the shenanigans of the witch hunters in the area. A very small price to pay that moved him closer to his objective.
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| Vincent Von Tidmarsh |
- Una altra copa? - Li acabava de dur un home que no estava a la taverna o ell no havia vist abans. Estrany, molt estrany.
- No crec que ens hagin presentat. - Digué de forma diplomàtica amb un quasi excel·lent accent de Nordland. - Duu mala sort acceptar presents així.
- Entenc. - Digué l'estrany amb un somriure divertit. Realment no sabia el molt que es jugava. - Els noms són importants, de moment seré Carter. Acceptaràs ara beure amb mi?
- I tant, em dic Tidmarsh. - Va dir mentre bevia aquell líquid que enmascarava la seva set. - Que us duu a Talabecland senyor Carter? No sóc capaç d'esbrinar d'on sou? - I no mentia gens. Alguna cosa no anava bé.
- Another drink? - He was served by a man who he had never seen and was not part of the inn's regular customers. Weird, very weird.
- I think we have not been introduced. - Said diplomatically and with an almost perfect Nordland accent. - There is bad luck in accepting gifts like this.
- I Understand. - Replied the stranger with an amused smile. He did not really know how much was at stake. - Names are relevant. For now I will be Carter. Are you accepting drinking with me now?
- Absolutely, I am Tidmarsh. - He said drinking that liquid hat masqueraded his thirst. - What brings you to Talabecland, mister Carter? I am unable to ascertain where you are from. - And it was true. Something was not right.
Un home que ni havia vist en tota la nit es va asseure sense que s'adonés a la seva taula i si això no fos poc, que ho era, era incapaç de llegir-lo. Alt, ben plantat, pell clara, cabells foscos i ulls porpres. Qui era aquell home? Problemes?
Un fanàtic de Sigmar no hauria actuat de forma tan subtil. De fet no sabien ni que ell hi era allà. O sí?
- He vingut a reclutar a familiar llunyà.
- A sí? Ha aconseguit trobar-lo? Aquesta província és molt amplia i els pobles molt petits. Com a mínim a aquest hi ha empallissada.
- Doncs estic força a prop, tot i que no sé com plantejar-li el problema que té.
Ara sí que el tenia encuriosit.
A man he never saw during the night sat at his table without him noticing and, worse, he was unable to read him. Tall, handsome, pale skinned, dark hair and purple eyes. Who was that man? Problems?
One of Sigmar's zealots would not be that subtle. In fact they did not know he was there. Or did they?
- I came to recruit a distant relative.
- Really? Did you manage to track him? This province is wide and her hamlets small. At least this one has a fence.
- In fact I am close, but I am not sure how to explain his problem to him.
Well, he was now truly curious about the affair.
- Coi, i el problema és anar amb vostè o era previ.
- El noi, - Bé, ja li treia informació. - creu que està resolent un greuge previ i no sap que fa setmanes que l'han localitzat.
Parlava d'ell? Va pensar mentre calculava com sortir amb una excusa dolenta i no enviar a norris tota la feina feta.
- Així que li vinc a proposar una solució. Tu que faries, Vincent?
El temps es va aturar. Vincent, sabia el seu nom! Com era possible? De les pròximes accions es veuria si aconseguia escapar o si la seva història acabaria allà.
El va mirar fixament durant uns segons, que per un vampir era molt i quelcom li va dir que es quedés.
- Com sap el meu nom? No li he dit a ningú.
- Un fill de Marcus ben aplicat. Per això volia trobar-te.
- Damn, and the problem is about going with you or it was older?
- The lad, - Good, information was flowing. - believes he is solving a prior affront and is clueless that he has been localised weeks ago.
Was he speaking about him? He was calculating how to escape with a bad excuse and not waste all the work done.
- So I am going to propose him a solution. What would you do, Vincent?
Time stopped. Vincent... He knows his name! How was that even possible? The next actions would decide if he manages to escape or if his history ends there.
He looked at him for several seconds, a long time for a vampire to do so, and something told him he should stay put.
- How do you know my name? I told no one.
- A well trained son of Marcus. That is why I wanted to find you.
Si tingués batec al cor, aquest aniria boig. Com sabia qui era Marcus?
- No saps que dir i fas bé. Primer t'explicaré el perill que tens i després et faré una proposta. Et sembla bé?
- Endavant, el més adient és tenir la màxima informació.
- L'oficial de reclutament que s'embriagava amb tu cada nit està informat a Hitz Horret sobre la teva ubicació i les preguntes que intentes fer per esbrinar on són. En pocs dies seran suficients per atacar-te a tu i qui creguin que està amb tu. Així la meva pregunta és: busques venjança?
- Busco justícia però em quedaré amb la venjança.
- Bona resposta. Si acceptes ocupar el lloc d'en Marcus, et donaré força més que una nívia venjança.
- Que més em costarà senyor Carter? Quelcom em diu que tots a l'hora de fer tractes tenint molt en compte els punts pactats.
If he had heartbeat, it would be crazy right now. How did he know who Marcus was?
- Cat got your tongue and it is fine. First I am telling you the danger you are in and then I will make you a proposal. Are you fine with that?
- Go on, it is most fitting to have the most information possible.
- That recruitment officer who drank with you every night is telling about your position and your questions about Hitz Horret to him. In a few days they will be enough in number to attack you and everyone they think helps you. So, my question is: do you seek revenge?
- I seek righteousness... but I'll take revenge.
- Good answer. If you accept the place of Marcus, I will give you far more than simple revenge.
- And what is it going to cost me, mister Carter? Something tells me that when doing business it is important to have everything tightly tied.
L'estrany va somriure mentre l'observava, un podria arribar a dir que per la satisfacció que li realitzessin la pregunta.
- Pel camí haurem de reclutar més individus. No tots ells seran temperats o fàcils de dur. A tu et necessitaré fred i ferm. Em diràs el que et passi pel cap sense por a les conseqüències. Veuràs que al futur grup no tothom serà així. Hi haurà traïcions dintre traïcions. Tindràs força poder però si acceptes, estaràs al meu servei.
Vincent va pensar la proposta uns segons, la seva ment li deia que estava fent una bogeria però el seu instint ho veia clar.
- Tracte fet. Quan comencem?
- Aquesta mateixa nit. Avui caçarem als teus caçadors.
The stranger smiled as he observed him, perhaps because of the satisfaction generated by that question.
- Be must recruit more individuales along the way. Not everyone of them will be quiet or easy to sway. I am going to need you to be cool and steadfast. You are telling me your thoughts without fear of the consequences, but you will see that not everyone in our group will be like that. There will be treason inside betrayal. You are going to be quite powerful, but if you accept, you will also be my servant.
Vincent studied the proposal for a moment and even if his mind was telling him he was plain mad, his instinct decided otherwise.
- Deal. When we begin?
- Tonight. We are hunting the hunters.