"Why thank you, Ruprecht," Melissa says with a friendly smile as she passes the coins to the boy. "Keep an eye out for any other strange things such as that and there might be more coins in it for ya."
Ruprecht nods and pockets the coins. "Please, don't tell the wizard I said anything. If he knew I saw him, he'd kill me!" The boy quickly runs off.
"Hmm..." Saleh rumbles when Melissa relays the new information. "So this wizard might be the source of the problem. We know he is found at the pub in evenings, which means he will not be at home. Elizabeth, Kragga, perhaps you should go and meet him there, see what you can find out. Melissa and I are less... obvious. We can investigate his residence."
"If you think we can afford to wait that long," Kragga rumbles in a manner similar to Saleh. "Faeries are not known for their patience. They may launch another attack tonight if they don't get what they want.
"And once the danger has passed, I will have some words with that perverted priest," the orc mutters.
"Be careful with that," Melissa says, at Kragga's plan to correct the wayward cleric. "Some men enjoy that sorta thing."
"Or we could just go confront him in his home now," Elizabeth offers as an alternative. There's a fire in her eyes that isn't normally there.
Saleh shrugs. "If you like."
He's clearly not going to disagree with Elizabeth when she's this determined.
Kragga nods to Elizabeth, and the four of you head to Abalard Henry's home, Whitehouse. A knock on the door of the sprawling white manor is greeted by a middle-aged maid named Martha. She leads you into a sitting room and offers tea while she goes to fetch her kindly master from the study.
After a few minutes, the wizard Abalard enters. It is clear that old age has begun to take its toll on the man. His stringy hair is streaked with gray, rheum dims his eyes, and wrinkles are carved into his face. Despite his wizened appearance, he greets you with a firm handshake. "I heard how you fought off the faeries last night, friends. Bricksburg is lucky you happened along when you did, though I fear our troubles are far from over. I've been doing what I can to quell the locals' fear of those vicious creatures, handing out bits of iron as talismans against their attacks. If you're keen on confronting them, I suggest you bring some iron with you as well. I've a good idea of where they're coming from, too."
Saleh walks across the room under the pretence of examining a wall hanging, and maneuvers himself between the wizard and the door.
"Oh, I'm sure you do," Elizabeth says with a perfectedly*-civil smile on her face. "We heard that you're the only one around these locals that speaks elvish. Have you taken a look at the writings they left behind? Any idea what they say?"
Abalard nods. "I have seen the graffiti. They read, 'Give him back,' though I know not to whom they refer. It could be nothing more than a red herring, though. Faeries are notorious liars and tricksters."
"It's curious that even though they can speak our tongue, that they'd make their demand in a language that only one person here in town could speak."
Elizabeth crosses her legs in a casual manner.
"It's almost as if they were directing their demand to a particular person. Is there anyone else in town that speaks elvish?"
Abalard narrows his eyes. "Not that I am aware of. Are you implying that they are attacking this town because of something I did? That is simply preposterous! More likely, the faerie may be able to speak Common but not write in our alphabet, so they resorted to their native tongue."
"Yes." Saleh says bluntly. "We have witnesses after all."
"My dear Abalard," Elizabeth retorts in her best dining room voice. "I would never imply anything. How gauche." Her nose curls up in distaste. "I'm simply attempting to gather all the facts and determine to which explanation they point."
She taps her finger on her chin as if contemplating something else.
"So what else do we know? Oh, yes. Someone was seen coming out of the forest with a body and we've got agents attempting to narrow down whom that was based on their description. Any ideas on that one?"
Abalard crosses his arms. "Witnesses, you say? And just who exactly is claiming to have seen these things?"
"Oh, Abalard. A gentleman doesn't deny a lady her secrets. Let's just say that it's someone that hasn't lied to me yet. So no ideas on whom our forest excursionist might be?"
She places her hands on her knees as if to rise.
"We'll just have to resort to magical means to identify the individual. You might say that I know a little bit about that. Melissa?"
Melissa answers with a start, "Yes, Miss?"
Elizabeth doesn't take her eye off the man in front of her. "When we get back to the inn, begin the preprations for scying magic."
"Scrying magic, Miss?"
"Yes, scrying magic," she answers, finally turning to her maid-servant.
"But that always takes so much out of you, Miss," Melissa says with a frown.
"It's the price we pay for the truth," Elizabeth answers as she rises from the chair. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Henry."
The wizard rises as well. "Yes, of course. I am sorry that I cannot be of further assistance in tracking down who this mysterious person might be. I wish you luck in finding the truth about what is really going on here. I will tell you that there is an elf hill in a forest clearing a few miles northwest of town. That is likely where the faeries make their lair."
Abalard rings a bell to summon his maid. "Martha, please show these ladies and gentlemen out."
Outside Saleh looks around carefully to ensure that no-one is close enough to listen in.
"Can you scry on him?" He asks. "We were always told that there were ways of blocking that sort of magic. And this elf hill, should we investigate?"
Elizabeth gives a quick curt shake of her head.
"I know no scrying magic. It was a bluff. I was hoping he'd panic which he still may do. He's taken something from the fey. Correction, someone from the fey."
She stops on the path.
"The fey know who he's taken. Perhaps we should ask them? We've dealt with the fairie folk before. The fact that we've bargained with the Lady might carry some sway."
"No harm in trying." Saleh replies, trying to repress his bodies varied and instinctive reactions to the memory of the Lady of the Wood.
"Oh, there be lots o' harm in trying if'n they don't take to us," Melissa offers with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm sure it will be fine," Elizabeth says with a solemn face. "They want whomever Abalard took and so first off we need to find out 'who' that was. They want this done as much as we do."
She looks around the road as they move through town.
"He's already told us where he wants us to find the fey. Perhaps we should confirm with someone else. Melissa, do you see our young informant anywhere? We should find out more about where these fairie folk dwell."
You find Ruprecht skulking about the town. He scratches at his arm as you question him. "Never seen no faeries myself, but I heard they live in the woods outside town. You can't see them during the day, but at night, they come out to pull pranks on folks and steal babies!"
"We'll just have to go and look. Perhaps if we avoid taking any iron, just in case?" Saleh suggests. "If the townsfolk are carrying it then us not doing so might be a good thing?"
Elizabeth nods. "Hopefully we can have a rational conversation with them," she says. "Let's visit the woods."
You follow the directions Abalard gave you into the forest outside of town. After a couple of hours, you arrive at a forest clearing, the edge of which is marked by birch trees form which hang black ribbons. A hill rises in the center of the clearing. Smooth and rounded, grass covers much of the hill, but here and there lichen-spotted rocks jab up from the soil. One the side opposite from the direction of your arrival, a crude hole has been dug into the hillside. The hill has mostly been filled back in with dirt, preventing passage.
No one seems to be in the clearing apart from a few curious squirrels that screech and scamper off if approached.
Elizabeth looks over the scene appraisingly.
She walks up to where the rocks stand and reaches out a hand to touch one.
"We would like to parley with you, please," she calls out. "Lives have been lost on both sides and we'd like to resolve this without any further bloodshed. Please help us to end this conflict without further violence. We would like you to get what you're asking for."
There is no answer to Elizabeth's speech.
"Maybe you're talking to the wrong rock?" Melissa offers.
"I'm talking to the rock. I'm talking to ... " Elizabeth begins, but then trails off with a roll of her eyes. "You know what, maybe I am talking to the wrong rock."
She walks around looking the hill over and moves in closer to examine the filled in hole.
"So how do we find the right one?" Melissa asks looking around the clearing as well.
"Mister Saleh?" she asks, looking over the hole. "How much effort would you estimate that it would take to clear the entrance to this cave?"
"I could clear it in a couple of hours." Saleh replies. "Easier with a shovel though. And we don't know that its the right way."
Elizabeth looks around the hill again. "I have a feeling ... a feeling that whatever Abalard took, was here."
A decision made in her mind, Elizabeth nods her head.
"We should return to the village. It appears that the fey are going to leave this to us. On the good side of that, it doesn't look like they're showing us any immediate hostility."
She strides determinedly back towards the path they entered through.
"It's clear to me that Abalard stole a body that was buried there. We just need to find out what he did with it and return it. Any suggestions?"
"Search the house." Saleh suggests again. "Where else could he put it? Unless the town has a burial place?"
"That's probably the best option we have," Elizabeth responds. "As long as he doesn't decide to come home early."
"What if I was to show up at the pub and keep him occupied?" Melissa offers. "I mean, more'n one bloke has stayed late at the pub buyin' me drinks hoping ta ... well, you know." She gives a bawdy wink.
Kragga shrugs. "It's as good a plan as any. So long as Saleh agrees with it."
Saleh shrugs, "I know better than to order a lady around." He adds with a smile.
"Smart man," Elizabeth says with almost a smile. "Melissa, why don't you go on over to the pub already. You can wait there for our grave-robber so it doesn't look as contrived a meeting."
She looks around at the others.
"The rest of us will just have to find a place to watch for when he leaves his home."
Melissa heads to the Redbrick Pub while the rest of you stake out Whitehouse, waiting for Abalard to emerge. Sure enough, as evening aproaches, the old wizard leaves his home and heads to the pub. Melissa sees him enter and wave to a pretty young woman a few tables away from her. The girl waves back, smiling happily.
Seeing Abalard meeting another girl, Melissa doesn't intrude, but orders another drink and contents herself with watching the man.
Elizabeth nods when the man leaves. "Let's go see what we may see," she says. She leaves the sheltered spot where they've been watching the house and approaches the door. Once Saleh and Kragga join her, she raps smartly on the door.
Saleh takes up position to one side of the door, hoping to be out of easy view when/if the door is opened.
At the inn, Abalard sits at the table across from the girl. "Good evening, Elizabeth. A pleasure, as always."
"Hello, Mr. Henry. I'm ready for my magic lessons!" the girl replies.
***
At Whitehouse, the maid Martha arrives to answer your knock. "Begging your pardons, but the master is not at home. He's over at the pub if you need to call on him."
Elizabeth carries the air of a woman that brooks no complications from 'The Help'.
"Yes, I know. However, he told me that I could wait in the study," she says pushing past the woman. She turns and glares at the woman in her most withering fashion. "Why aren't you showing me to the study? Does Abalard hire the incompetent? And where's my tea? I expect tea."
One of her hands moves up into the woman's face and she snaps her finger.
"Now, Missy! Or you'll be out on your arse!"
Over twenty years of living in her house should certainly give me the ability to channel my mother, she thinks to herself.