Over the next several months, the fame of Schwarzwind spread. Fear of the black-masked youths spread along the roads, especially the main roads surrounding Kurtstadt. Not only did the group's reputation swell, but it's numbers did as well. Their scope had broadened considerably, with Siegfried even adding outpost camps to man the area that they covered.

Unpopular nobles and their agents were accosted in and around the various towns in the area. In the towns, icons of factions considered unpatriotic were defaced. Upholders of unfavorable ideals were robbed in their own homes. Even wanted criminals were targeted, so long as they weren't a member of Schwarzwind and their crime a truly serious one. Such were either found trussed up outside a jail or sheriff's house somewhere, or more and more often slain outright.

The Dreizack siblings had become particularly close to Siegfried, and they formed as his base in Ober-Getzenburg. If other members in town, like Arndt and Wilhelm, needed to be notified of something, it was usually through Franz and Dielte. The three of them often hung about at the Schtauffen home. Sometimes it was to discuss Schwarzwind business, but most of the time it was to train.

Now that Franz had acquired a sword from their thieving ways, Siegfried decided that he needed to learn how to use it. Dielte, too, wished to learn how to handle her own weapon. One of the first things she bought with her gains was a new pitchfork. She also wanted to be present at Franz's training, a situation that Siegfried was notorious for taking advantage of. He didn't mind terribly, so long as he got somebody to swing his zweihander at, with or without restrictions.

"Mother, I really don't need to go to market. We have enough money this week to keep the eggs." Dielte and Franz had finished with their farm chores, for the morning at least. Normally, this was topped with a visit to town, but Dielte had other plans for her time.

Melusine Dreizack was of a different opinion. "The eggs still need to go to market, Diel. You skipped it last time and I had to send your brother. I don't know what godless things you do for money, but I still want to make our living the honest way."

"Really Mother, you don't need to send either of us. We'll do it next time. I can't today."

Her mother flicked a suspicious glance at her. "If it's for that mysterious income of yours, forget it. I thought you just said that we had enough money this week, anyway."

Dielte shifted uncomfortably. "No, not for that, I'm just going to town to visit my friends."

"Friends?" Her mother snorted. "You hardly see most of your old friends anymore, not even Tabea. You mean you're going to see the Schtauffen boy, whom you've apparently stopped hating."

Dielte blushed. "I never hated him, Mum, we just picked on each other when we were kids. He's all right. And I already told him I was coming over today."

"And I've already told you not to. Eggs, to market, now!"

Dielte took a deep breath and picked up the egg basket. On her way out, she also picked up her pitchfork. The eggs made it to market only in that they were carried through it. They were borne straight to the Schtauffen house, where Dielte deposited them with Siegfried's mother at the front door. "We wound up with more than we could get around to eating ourselves, so I thought you might like a few," she explained.

Margarite Schtauffen was relatively young, her build thin but strong. Her fabled beauty was still apparent despite the weariness in her blue eyes and the many stray wisps of ash blonde hair that escaped being tied back with the rest. "Oh...don't you usually sell the extra eggs? I really appreciate this, then, thank you." She took the basket and tucked it beside the door. "If you're looking for Siegfried, he's gone, I wish I could tell you where. I don't suppose you know?"

"Um, no, but maybe I can find him somewhere." Dielte replied, and began backing off. "I guess I'll go look now. Enjoy the eggs, bye!" As she passed through the front gate, she spotted a black feather stuck in a crack in the paving stones. She made off for Schwarzwind headquarters.

Siegfried was indeed at the main camp, along with five other boys. They were just putting out the fire and taking up their weapons when Dielte arrived. "Here you are, Sieg. I hope you weren't expecting me to spar with Grosselmeir today instead of you."

Siegfried finished adjusted the straps on one of his poleynes, the part of his armour that protected his knees. "Oh no, I thought we'd be able to make off without you. Tielo just found a cart full of stuff, stuck on a back road with a broken axle. I don't think we need more than the few of us to take it."

"Sounds good to me," Dielte replied. "Let's go."

Deep in the forest a laden cart stood stranded, the front end leaning at an unusual angle. Two men were with it. One was pacing back and forth throughout the glade, occasionally stopping to scan his surroundings. The other was half dozing in the broken vehicle, hands behind his head with one leg dangling over the edge. There was no beast of burden present that would have been pulling the cart, leaving the unknowing bystander to guess that a third party would have ridden away with it in search of help.

The pacing man eventually stopped his meandering to rummage some food from the back of the cart. "Don't fall asleep on me," he said to his companion, "we're supposed to be on the lookout for these Schwarzwind brats."

The lounging man opened his eyes. "I'm awake here, mate, just playing my part. Never know if they mightn't be out there watching. Probably won't show up till nightfall, though. Sounds a good time for thieves to strike."

"Could be they don't even know we're here." The other man wondered, still pawing through the supplies. "They might not come at all, and we both know Gozzo will have us out here for days rather than let us pack it in."

"Yeah, he would alright. You know, he-"

It was then that the Schwarzwind emerged from the forest, all masked and bristling with weapons. One stepped forward, pointing a huge sword at the pair. "You two, drop any weapons you have and sit down away from the cart! Do this quickly and we won't have to run either of you through," he commanded.

They didn't listen. Both drew swords, and the one in the cart also blew on a whistle that hung around his neck. The band of young thieves found the tables turned against them as a score of men appeared from various hiding places. "Retreat!" Siegfried cried, realizing the trap they had fallen into. "Scatter and run!" He swung the flat of his blade at the first attacker, sending the man crashing into those behind him before running off with the rest of the boys.

One of Gozzo's men halted the rest. "Don't go harrying off in all directions, just focus on a few of 'em! Get after their leader!"

Siegfried's heavy armour didn't make fleeing easy. The ambushers were gaining on him. He was beginning to look about for a place to make a stand when Dielte shot past him. "I'll lead them off!"

"Don't get caught!" Siegfried replied, then sheathed his blade and continued running.

The men did stop chasing Siegfried to go after Dielte, who passed dangerously close by them. She lead them off from the direction he'd gone in. Now she just needed to lose them, and at the moment things weren't looking good. They were catching up to her, one in particular getting very close indeed. When he was nearly upon her, Dielte turned and struck the man in the face with the haft of her pitchfork. Another one leapt past his fallen companion at her. She had to stop and deal with that one, too, dashing the blade of his sword aside. By this time, several more men were able to catch up and surround her.

"Drop the pitchfork, thief, unless you want to test your luck against all of us."

Dielte gripped the haft of her weapon hard in frustration before throwing it down and surrendering. She was marched back to the glade, where they bound her hands behind her back. Soon after, Tielo was brought under similar restraint by the last of the ambush party. "Gozzo's not going to be happy," one of the men said. "We only got two between the twenty of us."

Another man answered, "At least it's a start on pest control. Maybe he could use them as bait for the rest."

"Oh no, the master isn't interested in playing games with them." The first one said, leering at their quarry. "He's after examples."