She closes the book again and pointedly busies herself at the desk, clearly communicating that you are dismissed. You remember that Tyari said she'd send Brantos to find you if you didn't make it back to the mission in a timely manner and wonder if he's out looking for you yet.
"Of course. Though Miss Alicia does seek opportunities to get into into trouble so I hope you do find her quickly. Otherwise we'll no doubt find her sleeping in again tomorrow morning."
Only Vhailor dreams that night, flickers of light and shifting colors that have haunted his unconscious mind since he found the white cat. Banny's heavy drinking does its job, keeping her mind as dark and quiet as an undisturbed tomb, and neither Alicia nor Marikel have any dreams they can remember.
A peaceful night, however, ends in a very unpeaceful way. In the gray light of early morning, the residents of Trunau are awakened by the clamor of a bell in the watchtower at the top of Bloodmarch Hill. Everyone's hearts rise momentarily into their mouths as they fumble with the bedclothes and shove their feet into their boots, but after a short alarum, the bell falls into silence; if the watchman had seen orcs advancing, the bell would have kept ringing as a call to arms. Still, something has happened, something serious enough to justify waking the town. There will be a lot of people dressing quickly and trotting up to the Longhouse for the news.
Vhailor sits up in bed to find Carbonel already awake and staring out the window. Sufficiently roused and rabbled to be unable to return to slumber - the gnome's curiosity is sufficiently enticed to warrant the enrobing and preparation to embark. Once suitably dressed, if not adequately groomed perhaps, Vhailor looks to set out from the Ramblehouse.
Alicia groans and rolls out of bed at the sound of the watchtower's bell. Bleary-eyed, she looks to Ruby. "Wonder what that's all about," she says. Slowly rising to her feet, she dresses and arms herself.
Banny's up and on her feet with her heart pounding in her throat in a rush of adrenaline. Only as she registers that the bell has fallen silent does she breathe out, exhaling slowly, rubbing at her temples.
Most men or women who had drunk half of what she had put away the day before would be nursing a monstrous hangover; Banny merely grunts and rubs a little at her forehead and temples before moving to the tun of rainwater outside the tavern's back door. She drinks from cupped hands, splashes a little water onto her face and her slept-in clothing, then heads inside to grab The Essentials: her axe, her sling, and a battered tin hip flask which she fills with some of Rabus's applejack. She'll give him the coin for it later but it's a good mornin' wake-up.
Without armor or pack to slow her down, Banny trots quickly up the steep road to see what the commotion's about, her dark eyes peering sharply around at the other Trunauans.
Alicia groans and rolls out of bed at the sound of the watchtower's bell. Bleary-eyed, she looks to Ruby. "Wonder what that's all about," she says.
Ruby is bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide and terrified. "Is it orcs?" she squeaks. "Are they coming?" Her hand clutches at her new hopeknife, but she looks as if she wishes that, if the orcs were going to come, they had come yesterday when she could have taken shelter in the Longhouse with the young children.
Alicia shakes her head and gives Ruby a reassuring smile. "No, the bell would still be sounding if we were under attack," she explains. "But something's up, at least."
She finishes her preparations and heads for the door out of their shared room. "Let's go see what."
Marikel is up in a flash. As he dresses and arms himself he looks across to Brantos.
"You found Miss Alicia last night, right?"
He slides his dagger into its sheath and adjusts his sword on his hip.
"Well, that's one less worry."
He grimaces at Brantos and tosses his shield across his back as he leaves.
He doesn't wait for Brantos, but does slow down when he catches up to Alicia and Ruby.
"You ladies all well? Any idea what's happened? You need anything today, Miss Ruby, you let us know. Most graduates get a bit more time to adjust."
Marikel smiles grimly at Ruby. "I know you'll do fine."
Banny jogs up the hill, as other citizens emerge, bleary and half-dressed, from their homes to join her. Some of the tables from last night's ceremony are still standing forlornly around the rim of the Commons. She sees a small knot of Patrolmen and a few civilians standing at the foot of the watchtower just east of the Longhouse and heads in their direction, with most of the rest of the roused citizenry.
Marikel is up in a flash. As he dresses and arms himself he looks across to Brantos.
"You found Miss Alicia last night, right?"
Brantos looks wounded. "Would I have given up and gone to sleep if I hadn't?" He is strapping on his own armor and buckling on his sword belt just as quickly as Marikel is.
"Well, that's one less worry."
"Aye," he smirks, "that whatever's wrong, she's not up to her neck in it?" He sees that Marikel is ready to go and tells him, "Go on and see why they've sounded the alarm. I'll wait here with Tyari for now. If there's need, people know to come here for healing."
As Marikel exits the room he and Brantos share, he sees Tyari in the corridor, smoothing her chasuble. "You're headed up to the hilltop?" she asks. "Here." She tosses him a small satchel. "In case of need."
Across the hall, Alicia and Ruby appear from their own room. Tyari looks as if she is about to insist Ruby stay behind in Sanctuary until she spies the hopeknife on her hip; instead, she swallows her words and gives the girl an encouraging nod. "Going up to see what the alarm is, girls? Remember to stay out of the way and do as the Councilors or Patrolmen tell you." She lets the girls go out the front door, then touches Marikel lightly on the arm. "Keep an eye on them?" she requests.
He does slow down when he catches up to Alicia and Ruby.
"You ladies all well? Any idea what's happened? You need anything today, Miss Ruby, you let us know. Most graduates get a bit more time to adjust."
Marikel smiles grimly at Ruby. "I know you'll do fine."
Ruby attempts a queasy smile. She looks like she did before the Hopeknife Ceremony last night. As the three leave the mission, heading for the first switchback in the road leading up Bloodmarch Hill, they see the flame-haired gnome who pulled on their side in the tug-of-war skipping down the steps of the Ramblehouse, obviously on a mission similar to their own.
Alicia nods in response to Tyari's question, a correspondingly vague smile her only response to the cleric's instructions. "Off to be responsible citizens, and all that," she says flippantly as she escorts Ruby out of Sanctuary and toward the hilltop.
Squinting at first before a flash of recognition crosses his face, Vhailor redirects himself to join up with the trio of Marikel, Alicia and Ruby. He gamefully waves with his cat bearing shoulder... nearly topping Carbonel from his perch before smiling and gushing "Hulloo" a beat passing before thinking that he somehow needs to reinforce his credentials in greeting Ruby "I helped... well tried to help at the tug of war yesterday. It was my first time so I'm not sure how well I did... but I'm Grenvhailorisch Delhorenfalk." smiling gamely before leaning in conspiratorially "Did you know that he thinks my cat is a knight?" gesturing towards Marikel.
"I...," Ruby stammers at the mouthful of gnomish name, glancing to Alicia and Marikel for help. "Thank you."
Alicia gives Vhailor a wall-eyed look. "Hi, Gren," she says. She glances at Marikel and smirks at the gnome's conspiratorial whisper. "You don't say! Well, Ruby here is a dame."
Taking Alicia at her word Vhailor is stunned to momentary thought, pushes his glasses back up the ridge of his nose and exhales heavy. His mouth half opens before closing again in further thought... all the while continuing their trudge towards the disturbance.
Banny jogs up the hill, as other citizens emerge, bleary and half-dressed, from their homes to join her. Some of the tables from last night's ceremony are still standing forlornly around the rim of the Commons. She sees a small knot of Patrolmen and a few civilians standing at the foot of the watchtower just east of the Longhouse and heads in their direction, with most of the rest of the roused citizenry.
Banny trots that way, yawning a last yawn as she picks her way towards the Patrolmen and townsfolk. She looks for Kerst in the group, but if she doesn't find him, she nudges the next closest familiar face from Patrol with an elbow.
"What's the ruckus?"
"What's the ruckus?"
Banny recognizes all the Patrol members. Canaday, the sore loser from last night's pie-eating contest, is the one to answer her. "Inger was on watch," he nods up to the watchtower. "Saw someone wandering around the back of the Longhouse. Figured it was just someone looking to piss last night's ale over the cliff. Then she saw him go over. Looks like it wasn't an accident. Whoever it was left his hopeknife jammed between two stones in the wall. There's a search party on their way to find what's left of him, but unless they get lucky and stumble across him, they may not be able to find him until the sun rises."
"What is it? What's going on?" Brinya Kelver pushes her way into the conversation, arriving in a dressing gown and her hair in long braids down her back. The story is repeated by several men, vying with each other to be the first to explain it to her, until she gets the gist. "Has anyone checked the hopeknife?" she interrupts. "If it's engraved, we'll know who it is."
Alicia, Ruby, Marikel, and Vhailor continue to hurry up the road, rounding the first corner and heading through the inner gates. They are now part of a group of over a dozen and gaining more companions all the time as they pass through the Inner Quarter.
Vhailor looks around first curious then smiling as they get more and more members to their convoy. He begins to murmur quietly a playful rhyme in a foul language:
"Chumolilar birma-bir yurish borish, urra urra..."
Marikel catches the satchel that Tyari tosses to him with one hand and nods.
He walks up the path beside Alicia and Ruby looking round warily.
He watches Vhailor suspiciously as the gnome joins them, but smirks at Vhailor's comment, then bites his tongue at Alicia's response.
"Perhaps it had a good night?" he offers to the cat with a gentle smile.
The smile retreats as rumour of what has occurred reaches him.
Marikel slows his pace and murmurs to the others,"This may be a local matter for the patrol."
Marikel heads towards Brinya some but tries to stay close to Ruby and Alicia.
Alicia shrugs at Marikel, content to remain quiet while the details are sorted out by the patrolmen at the head of the growing crowd.
Banny recognizes all the Patrol members. Canaday, the sore loser from last night's pie-eating contest, is the one to answer her. "Inger was on watch," he nods up to the watchtower. "Saw someone wandering around the back of the Longhouse. Figured it was just someone looking to piss last night's ale over the cliff. Then she saw him go over. Looks like it wasn't an accident. Whoever it was left his hopeknife jammed between two stones in the wall. There's a search party on their way to find what's left of him, but unless they get lucky and stumble across him, they may not be able to find him until the sun rises."
Banny's black brows arch up, and she whistles between her teeth. "What, murder?" she says, disbelieving. Not that there isn't violence a-plenty in Trunau-- but it's the orcs causing it, with their raids. The thought that someone inside the walls might betray the bonds of trust that hold the fort-town together, and kill a fellow resident... she frowns.
"Search party already gone? My eyes're better'n humans in this light, I could go with," she says, craning up on tip-toe to see if she sees the search party leaving, or if she's too late.
Banny's black brows arch up, and she whistles between her teeth. "What, murder?" she says, disbelieving.
"She didn't see anyone moving away, just the one person going over the edge," Canaday replies grimly. "More like suicide." Banny remembers the story Omast Frum told last night about the former Chief Defender's fate.
"Search party already gone? My eyes're better'n humans in this light, I could go with," she says, craning up on tip-toe to see if she sees the search party leaving, or if she's too late.
"Come have a look at the hopeknife then," Brinya insists, moving toward the cliff side of the Longhouse. "See if there are any identifying marks on it. Padre, come along; if there's any bad news to be delivered this early morning, you might be needed. Ruby? What are you doing here? Keep away from the edge!"
Far below, tiny lights bob into sight, bullseye lanterns sweeping across the rocky ground as the search party spreads out at the bottom of the cliff. "Wait," Canaday says, grabbing a torch from the base of the watchtower and lighting it. "If you're going to have a look at the hopeknife, I'll carry a light to guide the searchers. The body should be roughly below the blade ... depending on how many times it bounced on the way down."
"Come have a look at the hopeknife then," Brinya insists, moving toward the cliff side of the Longhouse. "See if there are any identifying marks on it. Padre, come along; if there's any bad news to be delivered this early morning, you might be needed. Ruby? What are you doing here? Keep away from the edge!"
"Uh, yes ma'am."
Marikel glances to Ruby and Alicia, then beckons to them and follows Brinya."Ruby and Alicia have both taken the Hopeknife Ceremony. They came in case there was trouble. They should be able to help if they want."
Ali shrugs, as much at Ruby as at Marikel, and follows after the cleric.
Unable to offer much by way of assistance, but the situation still calling to his curiosity... Vhailor finds a spot near to but not exceedingly close to the action to linger with intent.
Banny glances at the eastern horizon, already starting to lighten. It seems clear that by the time she were to jog all the way back down the road and around the base of the hill, the sun will have risen anyway.
Having lit the torch, Canaday leads the way to the back of the Longhouse. "Watch your step, now," he warns as they edge around the southern corner, where only six feet or so of uneven ground separate the building from the precipice. Once past the narrow point, however, the ground underfoot widens into a comfortable promontory pointing southwest. A glance back at the eastern watchtower shows that whoever went over the edge must have fallen from somewhere near the tip if Inger was able to see him from her position.
Holding up his torch, Canaday pans the light along the back wall of the Longhouse until he finds what he is looking for: a dagger with its point wedged between two of the stones, casting an unreasonably long and wavering shadow in the flickering firelight. Brinya moves up to examine the knife. The dagger is well above Vhailor's head; it seems clear that it was thrust in by someone of human height.
"Ma'am." Marikel's voice is low and warning.
"At the risk of being overly cautious and suspicious, if you'll just give me a moment, Iomedae will tell me if there's poison involved."
Marikel mutter a few words and casts an orison to detect poison.
He nods to Brinya once he's determined it's safe.
Squinting at the sky, Banny frowns. "Time I get down there, sun'll be up anyhow," she points out. She follows Canaday all the same, and looks at the dagger when the Patrolman points it out.
"Bad business," the dwarf mutters. Bad enough if it's murder; worse, to her mind, if it's suicide. Bad for morale. Bad all around.
The knife reveals no poisonous taint to Marikel's blessed sight. In fact, it reveals nothing to anyone examining it. The metal is smooth and pristine; neither an engraving nor any signs of use mark either side of the blade. Even the handle shows no evidence of wear. This is either a recently-bestowed hopeknife, or the owner was scrupulous about never using it except when under orcish attack.
Having illuminated the dagger in the wall, Canaday moves to the end of the promontory and swings the torch in an exaggerated wave. "" he shouts to the searchers below. ""
"We should check the ground. See if they dropped anything. Or if anyone else did."
Marikel makes his way slowly towards the end of the promontory, his eyes gazing intently down.
Marikel tries to examine the ground between the Longhouse and the cliff, but between the flickering torchlight and his own inexperience at tracking, he doesn't see any clues. There do seem to be some bootprints leading from the hopeknife to the ... oh, no, wait, those are the prints Canaday just made.
Unskilled in any pursuits that could assist in the situation at hand, Vhailor resorts to lingering with a smile.
Alicia's thoughts return to the suspicious behavior of Zola's father last night. Contemplative frown on her lips, she starts to look around for clues herself.
Alicia turns more practiced eyes to the rocky ground. There are Canaday's prints: walk them back, take them out of the picture. A few more sets along the wall: probably the patrolmen who discovered the hopeknife when the alarm was sounded; disregard those. What does that leave?
Besides Canaday's and Marikel's, another set of prints leading from the wall, not directly to the point of the promontory where the two men are standing and peering over, more to the west, where they march up the edge and don't come back. Similar prints, though: the same sort of heavy boots, and large feet, a man's feet or a particularly hefty half-orc or dwarven female. The smith Sara Morninghawk, for example: Alicia wouldn't be surprised if she wore boots as large and heavy as that. She sneaks an appraising peek at Banny's footwear as well.
Well, everyone knows where the person ended up: where did he come from? She traces the boots back to the base of the wall where the hopeknife was left and tries to track them back out of the jumble of investigators. There they are, she thinks, leading not around the eastern side of the Longhouse but the west. He was walking alone ... beneath the eaves of the building, following the wall in the dark for safety ... and then the trail ends at the packed dirt of the road in front of the building, and she can track him no further.
By this time, the eastern horizon has turned pink and gold. The searchers below the cliff can be picked out now by their dark shapes rather than the beams of their lanterns. A faint cry carries up to the top of the hill, and the searchers converge on one point. The last to arrive is slowed by the handcart he is trundling; no one expected that the object of their quest would be walking back into town under his own power.
Vhailor squints his eyes and picks out the trundlers arriving back into the village. He then turns to regard the rising sun and is nudged in the ear by Carbonel. A rumble in his core betrays a pressing desire... but given the sombre nature of the surrounding people he forestalls any speaking of what's for breakfast.
"The trail ends here," Alicia murmurs, still frowning. She looks around for any other hints near the front of the Longhouse. As the cry goes up behind her, she hustles back to the edge of the promontory. "Who is it?"
Marikel looks at the dirt in confusion.
"Which trail, Miss Alicia? Were they alone? Did they stop and jump, or were they stumbling through the dark?"
Marikel's eyes barely flit towards Banny before continuing.
"Which direction did they come from? Can you see anything else round there?"
At Alicia's muttering, Banny scans the ground for the signs the slight girl's noticed, her own dark, thick brows knit together.
However, hearing the cry of those down at the hill's base, Banny simply returns to the edge of the precipice, gazing down with a squint as she fishes out her hip flask without looking. Trunau's not the biggest of towns. Everyone knows everyone, at least by reputation. Chances are, she might feel in need of a drink, if it's someone she knows better than that...
She waits, unusually tense, to hear if the poor bastard's alive or dead. Not that the height of the fall gives her much hope as to the former... but then, people can survive all manner of things, sometimes.
One of the searchers looks up at the watchers on the precipice, waving a hand in acknowledgement, as the body is loaded into the cart and a tarp draped over it. They won't shout the identity toward the hilltop; someone in Trunau is like to be receiving bad news and ought to hear it from someone in authority rather than hear it as the gossip spreads through town. The group begins to trundle the handcart back around the base of the hill to the main gate.