Neither of the women notice the spymaster sneaking in the shadows. Gwen is holding their son. A half-elf child with short bits of red growing on his head and the unmistakable grey eyes of his father(Correct me if I'm wrong about the eyes.). After a old nursery rhym, once sung by Ganit's mother to Delilah when she was a child, Gwen watches as the child falls asleep and looks out of the window. Old Beaufort was there too and knew that look in his daughter's eyes, shaking his head.
"It's his choice that he doesn't want to be involved. I don't see why you havn't started meeting new guys. That last one seemed promising." he says off-handedly, but Gwen gives him a glare. "Sure he wasn't perfect, but most men don't want to be with a woman who has a child already." he shrugs, getting the point across.
Gwen looks back out the window and shakes her head.
"None of them can replace him. I knew that, the day he saved my life those many years ago from that bear." she smiled at the memory. Her stubborness was just as bad, if not worse than Ganit's currently is. She still believed him to be irridemably evil, but was growing an attraction to him as she suspected he must've towards her. During a argument she went off on her own and tried to take down a bear on her own, but it was bigger than she thought and cut her deep. Just as it closed in, Ganit had killed it with a headshot from his bow. The fact he had tried to save her had shown that he had changed, but even today he doesn't appear to believe that. "If only he could see the good in him I do. I'm sure he'd be a great father."
Old Beaufort sighs and rises, now appearing to be on a walking stick to help with his leg, however it seems to be more than just the wound that's weakening him.
"I raised him like a son, but I guess it's true what they say. You can't clean the stain of sin without believeing you can atone for it." he hobbles over to the window to look up at the castle, as if looking for Ganit up there and in the sunlight the grey of his hair is more noticeable. "Before too long that drink is going to come back on him bad. I just hope his son doesn't grow up to resent his old man. Ain't his fault."
You know, with Ganit and all his drinking, I'm surprise I havn't rolled up a scandal :p
Bronwyn would visit him at the bar whenever Carina unpinned him from the twisted crimson-nailed finger that she loomed over his head. James too would drop by every now and again to exchange short pleasantries. Other than that he kept mostly to himself. The only person other than the maid (who he only allowed visit once a week, while he supervised) to see his personal quarters was Saki, Oleg's new help. She was an easy target when he was low in spirits and needed someone to warm his bed while the alcohol warmed his belly. Although it had started off low key, rumors began to circulate and Ganit assumed the worst when he saw a stone faced Beaufort approaching that afternoon.
Beaufort wrote:
"Boy, I need your help. Gwen's been acting strangely recently. She can't aim her bow right and she's been nauseous. I've told her to see Jhod about her illness, but she refuses to talk to me about it and I hope you can convince her."
"Things between us aren't too good. Might be she's at least told you that much," he replies with a bit of relief. "She hasn't told you nothin then she sure as hell won't be telling me too much more."
Saki certainly doesn't turn Ganit down on his attempts and she has no problem with no commitment involved. For the moment she works in the castle's kitchen until a tavern or inn is built as she's more used to a tavern crowd rarther than royalty.
Beaufort nodsat what Ganit says and takes a seat next to him.
"True, she is angry with you." he pauses for a moment and shakes his head. "Kid, I'm not going to tell you what to do or force you into anything, not like I can at my age anyway." he laughs as he taps his leg which has healed, though he still has a limp with it. "She won't talk to her old man about this. No matter how angry she is with you, she'll still open up if you just go and ask her. I just want to know that she's okey and isn't suffereing from anything serious like her mother." with this he places a hand on Ganit's shoulder "Please, for me."
After a moment of silence Ganit responds. ”That’s… I’m sorry to hear that, Beaufort. I am. Truly…” He hesitates before continuing, ”I’d say that kind of guilt weighs more than any shackles a jailor can bolt on. I’m glad it helps you sleep to think that the Gods have forgiven you after your crimes. As for me, I couldn’t give a $@!t how they feel until after I’ve forgiven myself. If you’d of asked me a year ago ‘why I’d continue living after burying the $@!t I’ve done’ I don’t believe I’d be able to give you a straight answer. But now, heh, NOW I know,” he points north to Restov with his boney forefinger. ”I’m gonna continue on until I drive a knife into Josef Mordelle’s black heart and then I’ll watch as his soul sinks out from his eyes and into the hellfires of the Abyss. Contrary to what Gwens told me, the bastards still alive. Trading in his Issian collection plate for some ’honorary’ medals and titles for Brevoy. So as long as I kill that son of a b***h I can't really say I'll care if I go on living afterwards or not.”
Beaufort gives a sigh and shakes his head.
"You're a fool for wanting to throwing your way in persuit of revenge, but I won't stop you." for the first time in a while you see him looking nervous as he pulls out a weathered note. "This was left by him. I told Gwen the truth and shot him with my bow, the arrow burying itself deep in his head. He didn't move when I tried to bring your sister back, but she remained beside him and wouldn't leave him, but I found this note when I went past your old home. That's one of the reasons I searched for you. The other is, Gwen cares deeply for you and I wanted to make sure you weren't dead." he hands the note over, leaving Ganit to read it.
Note:
Dear old Friend,
Despite what you may have been told I'm alive and well right now, as is your sister. We have such fun together and she would like you to join us as it gets so lonely being only the two of us and we can't wait to see you again. I know that you, being the murderous bastard you are, wish to kill me and make sure it's a perminant job but please be reasonable. We have missed you and would love you to join us again.
Reguards, Josef & Delilah Mordelle
As he tries to head to the tower Ganit is again distracted, this time it is the subtlety of the glistening of a harp with an eerily beautiful voice accompanying it. With just a few strides he has a clear view of the exhibition in the dining hall. Although the rest are drawn to the little bird singing her song, Ganit sees past her to the prowling lioness in the shadows. Gwen returns his stare with a look both playful and menacing forcing a smile to grow under the ranger's short unkempt beard. For the duration of the song the two share a wordless exchange though when the music disappears so to does the ranger.
Without any further cause for delay Ganit finally reaches Beaufort; his approach is deliberately loud as to not take the contemplative old man by surprise. "I know that look. You got something you wanna say?" he asks, suddenly aware of the weight of his chest.
Ganit+Nosey PCs:
He takes what appears to be the longest time before acknowledging Ganit's presance and turns towards him with a half-smile.
"I believe Gwen told you about what happened to your sister and Josef Mordelle." he states as he looks him over for a moment. "I understand why you never told us, but why keep it buried if you aren't going to continue living?" he asks, though it's clear on his face that it appears he might already know the answer.
He looks back to the wilds and gives a sigh as he gets out a bottle of whisky and gives Ganit a wink in a silent way of asking him not to tell Gwen.
"I'm no angel neither, boy. I kill a young human child when I was the age we found you. The boy was the same age as your youngest sister and his visage has been imprinted on my memory, but before I handed myself in after what I had done Gwens mother passed away in child birth." he pauses as he takes a swig of whisky himself "People will tell you that it was selfish, but handing myself in wouldn't bring that child back and my girl needed her father. No matter how many times I tell myself this, I keep seeing his face on nights like this." he gives a short, nervous laugh for a moment before turning back to Ganit. "The worst thing...the worst f##@ing thing is my memory of my wife's face has faded, but the memory of the look of shock and horror on that poor child's face is burned into my skull and will haunt me to my grave." as he takes another swig he gives Ganit a look "You see, we're not so different. Laws claim that we should pay for our crime and I know Erastil damns me for not handing myself in and leaving my daughter in some god-damned orphanage, but seeing as I saved you and have saved other unskilled hunters I believe he has forgiven me, but I ain't spotless and never will be again."
"You know what they say about 'old habits' eh Beaufort?" Ganit replies morosely as he tears the cork from the whiskey with his teeth and pours a healthy dose down his throat.
"They die hard, that's right." he smiles as he watches him down the wiskey.
The Hermit Ganit D'Artain wrote:
"He doesn't need it anymore. Figure I may as well put a solid piece like this to better use," he lets that thought settle for a few seconds before snickering to himself. "Heh, 'better use'. Seems fitting that I take the bastard's bow. Should have taken his crown while I was at it. Two of kind, he and I."
With a sullen frown, Ganit takes another pull from the bottle. "Should have seen me out there Beaufort. It was just like old times. Barely missed a step. Like my body remembered what I tried for 10 years to bury, forget, and drink away. Funny thing is I forgot how good I was at it. Compared to everything else, killing is the only thing I can do well."
Beaufort remains silent for a moment and shakes his head.
"No, you are nothing like him. If that were true, I would've gutted you myself." he says as he stares off acros the lands.
"You can never forget the past, nor bury it or try to drink it away. I, too, have done things I'm not proud of, but I have a life and a daughter to look after. I can never forgive myself, but I move on with my life." he gives a small smile though his eyes tell the truth and deph of what he speaks.
1d20 ⇒ 9
1d20 ⇒ 11
Ganit:
You notice someone out the corner of your eye watching, but making no advances towards the two of you.
"It was the least I could do, considering all the trouble," the ranger shrugs as passes by the guard and makes a beeline to the bar, pays Svetlana generously for a bottle of oldlaw whiskey and retreats to the west tower for a brooding celebration binge. Such is his way.
Ganit and anyone with high perception or attempting to eavesdrop opposes stealth and perception rolls:
"Brooding again, I see boy." the familiar face of Beaufort comes to you from the shadows, though limping a little on his leg. He stops and looks at that bow of yours and gives a whistle. "That's a fine bow you have there. Tore it from the corpse of that disgrace to us rangers I hear." he spits at the mere thought of the Stag Lord.
You hear a call then for dinner as Beaufort has, with the help of Svetlana, served up head-cheese of Tuskgutter and used other parts for bacon, ham and even jerky, though there is plenty left for them to sell to passing traders of customers.
The head of Tuskgutter is left to the side, ready to be used for taxidermy.
"The people of this land will know your great deeds. Not only in the death of the Tatzlewyrms but of Tuskgutter too." he smiles and then produces his old bow for Ganit along with the nine promised arrows. "Use it well, warriors of the greenbelt, or sell it I don't care which. As long as it helps you in some way I will be glad. Ridding the bandits from this land will be your greatest victory here, I am sure." he gives a smile as he seems to measure you all up with his eyes. "Lesson I learnt, the fey here I have met like to keep their forest and only tolerate outsiders. Don't give them a reason to turn against you or your public."
unlike what someone said on OOC, the bow is not magical. It is a composite bow with a +2 strength rating. The arrows however are magical and have +1 enhancement, but +3 if fired at an animal as well as another 2d6 from the bane quality.
