News travels quickly; bad news travels very quickly!

A pair of veteran Grenadiers; Grigor and Bogdan, are on post at the main gate to the castle in Schweingrad.

“Just stop Grigor, stop! Too may stories, will you never stop telling me these same old stories!”

“Shhh Bogdan, look!”

“What are you looking at you old fool?”

“A rider moving fast yelling, can you hear him Bogdan? My ears are not as strong as they once were.”

“Yes it’s the recognition sign, he’s a messenger! Open the gate! Open the gate now!” screamed Bogdan.

The gate opens just in time as the rider, now clearly visible in the uniform of the Hosok Tere Hussars, gallops past the sentries.

“He was in quite a hurry my dear Grigor; I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Well, with the damned Mohammedans active to our South, the rumblings with Alzheim to our North and Gallia and Hesse Seawald at each other in Germania, I fear for the balance of my hearing Bogdan!”

“Ehhh, why?”

“I’ve stood in one to many musket lines already; I’m not sure how many more my poor ears can withstand!”

“Grigor; you only need ears to hear with, I’ve never known you to shut up and actually listen to anyone you old fool!”

Grigor chuckles; “We’ve been together too long Bogdan, pass me some water and I’ll tell you of my time with the Musketeers!”