Halgra Blackblade's page

He walks over to Halgra and Omast, shaking their hands in turn. "Your strength and leadership are a blessing to Trunau. I know the citizens will be safe with you both around."

"We've a great deal to thank you for as well, Padre," Halgra replies. "If there's ever anything we can do for you, we'd be pleased to lend you a hand; you'll always find a friend and neighbor in Trunau. And if you discover any further danger to the town, I trust you'll get us word."

Halgra's brow creases with concern. "If there's anything we can do to help, you let us know," she urges. "You've acquitted yourself with honor in service to the town, and we're in your debt."

"If the artifact's been taken to the Mindspins, that's good news for the town, isn't it?" Halgra goes on. "If it were still here, we might expect more attacks, but if it's been removed, our homes and children are safer."

"An artifact?" she repeats, staring from one to the next of the party. "You think that's what the Twisted Nail were after? Lessie Crumkin knows more about history than anyone in the town. Or you could ask Jess Meeson or Omast Frum; they've lived here longer than anyone else."

"Thank you for your efforts, all of you," Halgra puts in warmly, her tone a sharp contrast to Sawyer's. "I'm sure you could all use some rest. I'll not forbid you to return to your lodging in the Lower Quarter, but it's far from secure down there tonight. I believe your fellow clergy," she addresses Marikel directly for a moment, "are in the Longhouse with most of the rest of the town. I can't promise a luxurious accommodations, but it will be the safest place in town to grab some shut-eye before we start trying to set things to rights in the morning."

"Calm down, Baseil," Halgra puts in firmly. "Yes, we've fought off orcs before, and we will again ... but you must admit that there are some troubling differences this time around: Kerst's death," she nods her condolences to Jagrin Grath, "the saboteurs, this business of a message being sent to persons unknown. It won't do any harm to organize a thorough search of the caves below the town, once the palisade is repaired."

Halgra considers a moment. "Could be that when we turned up on the Twisted Nail's tail, they decided sneaking in was a fool's errand. Or could be some of the saboteurs were supposed to inform the orcs where to go when they got here, but you stopped them from making contact."

Halgra sighs. "Little enough to go on. The question remains, what reason has this mystery half-orc from Freedom Town to attack Trunau?"

"Were you able to get nothing out of the orcs about whom they were leaving the message for?" the Chief Defender asks.

Halgra exchanges a long glance with Omast Frum. "They didn't act anything out of the ordinary. Ill discipline, no sense of tactics, straight-ahead brute force: classic Twisted Nail excursion. But as you say, those siege engines! I'd never have believe they could have built those up in the Mindspins. And the cave giants: I suppose it's just possible they trapped them young and raised them, but...."

"You say these orcs were reporting to someone that their attack failed?" Halgra approaches the group, ignoring Sawyer's response. "Implying that they are in someone's employ?"

"What? And leave you short a voting member? The founders chose six councilors for a reason, to discourage politicking and promote consensus." She smiles at Sawyer, the corners of her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Don't worry, Baseil: Omast has no intention of proposing new business. If the Council isn't convened while I'm gone, he'll only concern himself with directing the Patrol in case of need in Jagrin's absence."

"Check the town charter, and I think you'll find I'm required to," she replies tranquilly, checking the saddle straps on her black horse. "'If the Chief Defender departs the palisade, he or she shall designate a citizen to perform the duties of the office until such time as he or she returns within the palisade.'"

Halgra unsheathes her sword, revealing that its blade is as black as Kerst's hopeknife after it was burnt in the flame last night. Raising the weapon above her head, she shouts, "Trunau forever! Live free or die!"

"And, in keeping with the theme of coming out of retirement," Halgra goes on smoothly, "I have imposed on former Patrol Captain Omast Frum to take my place as Chief Defender until I am back within our walls."

With a final quiet word and a nod, Halgra separated from Omast, who took a place in the front of the crowd while the Chief Defender climbed up on the platform.

"People of Trunau," she addressed those assembled, and the spectators immedately fell silent so her words could carry, "I told you last night that the Twisted Nail tribe was planning to attack our town. They hired saboteurs who intended to help them get past our palisade, but thanks to Kerst Grath, and to those who loved him and discovered his killers, their plan has been thwarted."

A buzz arises among the spectators at the mention of saboteurs; the words "Freedom Town" can be heard from every direction as the audience speculates in a fierce whisper.

"All known saboteurs," Halgra goes on, pitching her voice to carry over and silence the interruption, "are dead or in custody, save one: a woman known as a Hold guide working out of Freedom Town, Melira. I'm telling you her name, because the Patrol has been instructed to capture or kill her on sight. Any loyal citizen of Trunau can consider themselves under the same orders, and anyone found aiding or abetting her will be considered an enemy of Trunau and an ally of the Twisted Nail."

"Captain Grath," she continues, "is leading an elite group of the Patrol up into the Mindspins. Their intention is to waylay the Twisted Nail, defeat them, and send the survivors back to their mountain tops to lick their wound for a generation or two." A few whoops of encouragement ring out from the crowd. "Failing that, the team will fall back toward Trunau, skirmishing along the way to reduce the enemy's numbers and deplete their resources, to rejoin the main group of the Patrol, where they will be ready at the palisade." She pauses. "Where you will be ready at the palisade." Another outbreak of whoops and cheers: 'You're damn right we will!' 'We'll be waiting to pound those Twisted Nails straight!'

"And with Captain Grath's permission," Halgra drawls, clearly enjoying herself now, "I'm coming out of retirement for the occasion and joining the expedition. If you have no objections, Captain?"

"The Padre has already been thanked for doing his part," Halgra puts in firmly, "and the Council isn't going to deal with any further business tonight. Baseil, your concerns have already been voiced; continuing to argue them isn't going to change anyone's mind tonight. If there are no other questions, I'm going to declare this meeting adjourned and encourage everyone to get a good night's sleep. We're all going to want to give Captain Grath and his men a hearty send-off in the morning."

"Can I help?... I mean... with the expedition? I.. I know I'm outsidey and all that but without Truneau after Master Carbonel disappeared I'd be dead. I'd rather be non-dead still when this is all said and done... and it seems the best way I could achieve that is helping Mister Grath stay not-dead as well. I'm not much for bloodletting... but I can make things look and sound like they aught not... and Carb" tilting his head t'wards the cat upon his shoulder "Has a few tricks up his fur as well..." trailing off as he realises that eyes and faces have tilted his way with either patronising, dismissive or insulting gaze. His eyes fall to the floor and he toes at a bit of fluff.

If Vhailor's proposal is met with amusement from some on the far side of the table, it is not by Halgra, who nods graciously. "Patrol Captain Grath is putting the team together, but I will pass on your offer to him. And yours, Padre," she turns to Marikel. "We certainly don't want to leave the citizenry bereft, but a healer might be quite welcome on the expedition."

"Not at all, Councilor," Halgra replies mildly. "The Patrol did not investigate this matter because its chief officers were too personally invested in its outcome. I have no doubt that our Patrol could have discovered the plot against the town, given free rein and disinterested personnel. I merely point out that we ought to be very glad, in this instance, that competent and reliable outside help was available."

"One principle we've always valued in Trunau is that those who have proven themselves locally are appreciated for their capability, not questioned about their background. In that spirit, I've invited these folk here to hear what their efforts have uncovered ... and to impose on them for any further help they may be in a position to give us."

She turns her attention to the party's side of the table. "It appears that the Twisted Nail orcs reached out through agents unknown to Freedom Town, seeking help in gaining entrance into Trunau. Their people would pose as prospectors, but their real aim was to cut a path up the back of Bloodmarch Hill that would allow attackers to gain access to the very heart of Trunau, while our defenders would be deployed along the palisades. In addition to the flood troll you captured, a guide from Freedom Town known as Melira has been implicated, along with a number of unidentified male half-orcs. The Patrol has been instructed to take Melira into custody on sight."

"The secret path up the cliff of Bloodmarch Hill was fortunately not completed, but the conspirators came close. We believe that the Twisted Nail may already be on the march down from the Mindspins, anticipating that the path will be finished by the time they arrive. They expect that we are unwarned; we intend to turn the element of surprise on them."

"Patrol Captain Grath will leave in the morning to lead an expeditionary force into the Mindspins. We have extensive knowledge of the passes that lead down to the plain and hope to ambush the orc army at a chokepoint and do enough damage that they are forced to retreat to the highlands. Failing that, they will inflict as many casualties as possible and then perform a fighting retreat back to Bloodmarch Hill to join up with the defenders here, so that the attacking army will at least be weakened before it reaches our palisade. In the meantime, Trunau will be on high alert, the civilians will be ready to retreat to the Longhouse, and the Patrol will keep pitch burning and oil boiling to tip over the promontory on anyone trying to gain access by the unfinished passage." She smiles a little grimly. "They hoped to take us by surprise, but we'll have a few surprises up our own sleeves for the Twisted Nail. Are there any questions?"

Halgra gives Banny a welcoming nod, then turns to the opposite side of the table. "Council of Defenders," she announces, "meet the newest saviors of Trunau. Or, if we all die in battle, at least the people who gave us a fighting chance. You may notice," she drawls casually, "that only a few of them have their Hopeknives, that is, that most of them are that most distrusted and disregarded category in Trunau: outsiders."

Halgra is slumped in a chair along the wall near the front of the room, sipping from a wine glass and looking older than she has ever done in public. When she sees the party arrive, she pulls herself together, handing her glass off to a Patrolman and forcing a wan smile onto her face. "Thank you for coming," she says, getting to her feet. "It's thanks to you that we know what we know; it seems only fair that we share that information with you, along with what we plan to do with it."

She turns to the rest of the room, raising her voice back to its customary crispness. "All right, Council. Let's get to business. There's many of us who will want a decent night's sleep before the morning."

The six chairs of the Council members have been placed close together along one side and the ends of the table, and five extra chairs have been lined up along the other side for the party, two thoughtfully prepared with thick bolsters to put Kaleb and Vhailor at an equal height to the taller attendees.

"His Hopeknife?" Halgra asks quietly, and Rodrick hands her the dagger. A thick gauntlet on her hand, she takes it by the hilt and holds its blade in the flame. The steel first glows with the heat; then, it begins perceptibly to darken, the blade turning black. Finally, Halgra removes the knife from the fire and turns away to let the metal cool. Those near enough the stage can see the engraving on the blade shining like a star as the dull black of the darkened blade blends into the rising night.

"A black blade," Halgra says quietly, her voice still carrying over the absolute hush of the ceremony, "is the best memorial a Trunauan can hope to leave behind. Those who carry one in memory of a fallen hero carry a treasure more valuable than an inheritance of gold."

She turns back to the Grath father and son, and it is clear that the crowd expects one of them to accept the blade. Instead, Brinya stands, dry-eyed and resolute, in the front row and climbs onto the stage. An excited murmur runs through the crowd as Halgra extends the tarnished Hopeknife to her, and she accepts it. Rodrick gives her a sad smile and rests a hand gently on her shoulder; Jagrin merely stares straight ahead, his face a stern mask.

Halgra does not allow the eager speculation to metastasize but firmly continues with the ceremony. She turns to Jagrin and accepts the torch from his hand, then steps over to the bier. "Kerst Grath," she addresses the corpse in a gentle tone, "you stood your ground. You lived free. You kept your Vow. Your neighbors thank you."

The mood is somber and hushed already; when Halgra ascends to the stage, the crowd falls silent. The crackle of the lit beacon near the Longhouse, the Flame of the Fallen, can be heard.

"I stood here two nights ago," Halgra begins, "to conduct one of my favorite duties as Chief Defender: awarding a Hopeknife to a young citizen. Tonight, I face one of my least favorite duties: laying to rest a citizen who died doing his duty."

"You may have heard," she goes on, "that Kerst Grath jumped from the point of Bloodmarch Hill. I am fortunate enough to be able to tell that that is a lie. Kerst Grath was a hero, killed in the line of duty. Like any of us would hope to do, he died defending his neighbors. Those who killed him tried to make his death look like a suicide, in the hopes that their plots against Trunau would never come to light, but I am happy to say that they failed to cover up their crime."

The crackling beacon has now been swallowed up in a buzz of alarm arising from the crowd, and Halgra raises her voice to talk over it. "This is a sacred occasion, and now is not the time to go into detail about what happens next. I'll ask you to respect the Grath family enough to allow them time to grieve, and you grieve as well. Because we are all left bereft for the loss of a brave and loyal citizen like Kerst. But we are Trunauans: we take care of ourselves, and we can know the worst and hope for the best, so here it is: saboteurs working within our city were allied with the Twisted Nail orcs and planning an assault on Bloodmarch Hill."

The buzz raises to a clamor, and Halgra lifts her hands placatingly. "If the plot hadn't been uncovered, I don't dispute we'd be in a tight spot. But thanks to Kerst Grath, and to those who investigated his death, we do know the Twisted Nail's plot, and plans are underway to thwart them. Your Council of Defenders has not been idle. Tonight, I ask you," she looks down at the bier, "pay your respects to the man who discovered the truth and paid for it with his life."

She gives Jagrin a nod, and the Patrol Captain gets to his feet, accompanied by Rodrick. Together they walk out of the Commons toward the beacon. The sun is slipping beneath the horizon, and the flickering light of the Flame of the Fallen can be seen between and atop the intervening buildings. A drummer and bugler from the Patrol band play a slow and solemn air, as the crowd waits for their return.

"Thank you, but you've done the job we asked you to," Halgra replies. "I'll ask you to give directions to a member of the Patrol, and they'll lead a team to perform a search. I'd rather have you near at hand while the suspects are being questioned, so we can quickly double-check their stories with what you've observed. Kerst's funeral is planned for just before sunset, and I'm sure you'll want to clean up and get ready for that. Captain," she turns to Jagrin Grath, "you and the Lieutenant can question these two. Omast, you'll take Daktani. Make sure they're questioned separately. Mister ... Dorn?" she inquires. "Are you staying at the Ramblehouse? We'll want to know where to contact you, if we need you to make a statement."

"A tribe of highland orcs who haunt the Mindspin Mountains," Halgra replies. "A particularly nasty group: the rest of the orcs of Belkzen consider them violent and uncultured and think they give the race a bad name."

Halgra's mouth tightens as she looks down at the dead woman with something like regret in her eyes. "Put the body on the cart," she directs the informal pallbearers, "and someone fetch a tarp or something."

One of the Patrol steps into the gatehouse at the Chief Defender's behest and comes back out with a rough wool blanket to cover Urnsul as she lies in the tumbrel. No one can help but be reminded of Kerst's last journey up Bloodmarch Hill in a similar conveyance.

Halgra holds up a hand to stop the soldier just before Urnsul's face is covered. As the Patrol member waits, she touches the single black earring. "Jagrin, Omast," she draws their attention to it. "Twisted Nail, do you think?" She turns to the party. "Did you see any other tokens like this? Or any sort of identifying symbols on the conspirators?"

"Aye, that's true," Halgra nods. "Don't antagonize anyone needlessly. There'll be some few folk that'll take his side against the Patrol, no matter what; we don't want that number to be any higher than it has to. Trunau has to stand united."

"I needn't remind you," Halgra puts in with a glance at Alicia that says that perhaps she does, "that Daktani may be entirely innocent, just a ploy meant to sow discord in the town and direct our attention away from our true enemy. If you can persuade him to come speak with us voluntarily, that would be ideal. If he's guilty, of course, he'll likely resist ... but we'd still want to interrogate him. A citizen of Trunau deserves a fair trial, no matter what he may have done. Bring him back alive."

The Chief Defender looks a little startled. "Dragons? I certainly hope not." She sits back down herself, and the Graths also resume their seats. "No, we merely wanted to thank you for your service to the town... and ask if you might be willing to do something else for us." She exchanges glances with Jagrin Grath. "The Patrol was unable to locate Daktani last night. He has a certain ... history with the law in this town, and it's possible that someone is helping to hide him from official notice. We thought that someone unofficial, without a uniform and a badge, might have more luck turning him up." She looks from one to the other of you, hopefully.

The second story contains the Chief Defender's residence; up here, the atmosphere is less formal and more homey. The party finds Halgra, Jagrin, and Rodrick in a comfortable sitting room. The trio get to their feet as the party arrive.

"Thank you for coming," Halgra greets them. "Do forgive the surroundings. The office downstairs is too small for so many, and Kerst is laid out in the Meeting Room."

"Well, I didn't hear tell that they saw any ghosts," Halgra puts in with a tolerant smile at the party. "Are you on your way out to check out that trail? Or is there something else you wanted to tell me?"

"All right," the Chief Defender replies. "You lot check out this trail and report back what you find. I'll contact Omast to question the troll and dispatch some Patrolmen to locate Daktani. Jagrin," her tone softens a bit, "you see to your son's funeral arrangements. It looks like he died in the line of duty after all, which is what I'd expect of a Grath."

Who has the Hopeknife? Are you going to give it to Jagrin or Rodrick or take it to Brinya? Or something else entirely?

"No, Captain," Halgra insists. "If Daktani is involved, he may have had something to do with Kerst's death as well. Besides, you've a history with him: if he sees you coming, he may go into hiding even if he's innocent ... in this instance. You've trained the Patrol; let a team of them locate him."

"I'll request that you not throw around pubic accusations based on a member of the Council of Defenders speaking with an unidentified half-orc or having a dog track a person past his house," Halgra advises a bit sourly. "Councilor Sawyer's family has been here since Trunau was founded. I'll have Frum interrogate the flood troll, we need to locate Daktani, and you intend to follow this trail?"

"I'm not backing down on this, Jagrin," she replies firmly. "I told you this morning to take the day off, you and Rodrick, and the day's not over yet." She turns back to the rest of the party. "Anything else you think we should know?"

"Would you" she interrupts in turn, "appoint a team to supervise the interrogation? You're too close to this," she explains. "If what these people say is true, the flood troll killed Kerst. Ordinarily, I'd say to pass it off to the Sergeant, but...." Her gaze travels to Rodrick at his side. "I'm going to ask former Patrol Captain Omast Frum to take charge of the questioning."

"Good thinking," Halgra nods. "Jagrin, would you...?"

Halgra nods mildly. "Aye, that's not the Trunau way. He has the right to defend himself against such allegations. The sooner he tells his side of the story, the quicker we have an idea where we stand." She looks back to the party. "I presume you took the troll alive so she could be further questioned."

The Chief Defender responds with a barely-perceptible shrug. "I don't disagree. But Trunau hasn't survived as long as it has by underestimating its enemies."

"A flood troll...," Halgra turns toward the Patrol Captain. "Could be they're looking for the source of the Hopespring? If they could divert that so it doesn't come out inside the palisade anymore, the prospect of a siege becomes a lot more troubling."

"You say they stole a Hopeknife?" Halgra asks. "Whose? From where?"

"Aye, Jagrin," Halgra puts in delicately, "the healer had a look at Kerst when they brought him in and didn't think it looked like he fell. Didn't seem any point to bringing it up unless something else came of it ... which it seems to have done." She turns her attention back to the party. "What is it Kerst found them doing that they killed him for? And who leapt off the cliff behind the Longhouse?"

Jagrin Grath mutters an unintelligble acknowledgment.

"Good day to you, Miss Varvatos," Halgra replies. "I hope we're not intruding. Might we trouble you to use a private room for a few moments? I'd have gone to the Ramblehouse, but it seems what needs to be said might be better not spread all over town by the time we get back to the Upper Quarter."

Halgra's gaze falls steadily on Banny for a moment. "Patrol, I trust you can keep this troll under guard for a while? Maybe move it away from the main road; don't want to panic anyone coming or going. Padre," she addresses Marikel as she turns back toward town, "do you think your priestess would mind if we used a room in the mission for a trice?"

Do you want to talk only to Halgra and not include the Graths in the immediate discussion?

The party waits more or less patiently until a small group of people can be seen to be making their way down the road toward the gates. As it nears, it can be seen to be comprised of Halgra Blackblade, Graths senior and junior, and five other members of the Patrol in full kit.

"Well," Halgra drawls as she arrives at the gate and is saluted by the guards, "a flood troll. And we haven't had any rain to speak of since the 28th of Neth. What's she doing so far from the Kestrel?"

Halgra purses her lips and tilts her head to one side in a manner which indicates that, despite her skepticism, she's doing more than just brushing them off. "Perhaps his colleagues in the Patrol? I know of no one with a grudge against Kerst, or against anyone in his family, for that matter. Rodrick is well-liked, and while the Patrol Captain can be strict, he is highly respected by his men. I suppose if there were any mutterings against him, Cham Larringfass would have heard of it, though prying information out of her is like parting an Abadaran from his money-pouch." She stands up. "I'm sorry, Padre, that I can't be of any more help. I won't deny that I hope you're wrong about all of this. A neglected second son giving up on ever earning his father's approval, well, that's a crying shame, but it's better than thinking we've a murderer in our midst."

Halgra looks pointedly at Vhailor before swiveling back to Marikel. "Then I presume you'll be questioning the local mage, Agrit Staginsdar. And good luck to you, I might add. I advise you to tread very lightly, Padre, and don't stir up unnecessary trouble. If Kerst was killed... well, that's a serious matter. But so is accusing someone of murder."

Vhailor's cheek earns him an unfriendly glare from the Chief Defender before she turns her attention back to the cleric. "I can't claim to have examined the body," she admits stiffly, "except to verify who it was. If you say he didn't fall, well ... you're the expert. Are you implying that Inger Redhill lied about what she saw?"

The Chief Defender fixes Vhailor with a penetrating stare. "When the alternative is an invisible assassin? I've known the Grath boys since they were born, and while Kerst's act sorrows me, I'm familiar enough with his family not to be surprised." She looks back at Marikel. "I don't question Banny's good intentions, Padre, but she's not the most reliable of sources. If she can't accept her friend's death... well, she's lost more than many in this town, and you know as well as anyone that she's far from stable as a result."

"I'm sorry, Miss Blackblade, but funeral arrangements are not what I had in mind. But I think you knew that already."

Marikel looks about before continuing. "We know Kerst has been murdered. I understand Trunau may well have its own processes for investigating this, but Banny Kneebreaker was a good friend to Kerst and has taken it upon herself to investigate the matter. There are others close to Kerst and his kin that also want to help find the truth of what happened. We suspect that the murder was committed by a native of Trunau, but we have no motive yet. Is there someone these people should be working with or under?"

Halgra's reaction belies Marikel's suggestion that she had any inkling of what he intended to say. "Murdered?" She sits down heavily behind the desk, looking from the priest to the gnome. "You must be joking. By whom? By my understanding, Inger Redhill reported only one figure at the cliff."