The Pelennor Fields, Osgiliath, The Northern Fiefdoms (Free RP)

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen

Carpe Diem - Part 53


Iole Ishen. With Cali and Trevadir
As well as some unscrupulous pirates. Aboard the ‘Wingolost’.
Anchored out of sight of nearby Harlond harbour. On the last day of the Autumn Festival, last year.

The moments passed as uneasily as had all the years without her friend in sight. She’d known where .. well, not technically where he was. But she’d known that Trev was likely on this ship. Wherever this ship had been and taken him all these years … He’d left. Again. When Nal had told her that Trev had gone off to travel with his father, she had been .. disappointed. It had been so abrupt, so sudden. They hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye. Just like Ryn. And even when ..

“Rip.”

When first Cali gave voice to the foully familiar name, Iole almost moved to correct her. No, she’d been thinking about Ryn. The very opposite of the fiend they called ‘Rip’.

“T’was him ..” her friend insisted. Although ‘Rip’ was no more here than Ryn was. Of course Cali had been in and out of her memories for a while now. Iole did not waste her time trying to reason with her. Not only was her sister in no state to understand, but there were others suddenly at hand who were demanding all of the young woman’s attention.


In spite of this, she froze. The same two pirates as before had come back, instead of Trev, and Iole did not want to think what that might mean. Until they asked .. Until the idiots made it clear that they did not know where Trev was, or whether he had been to ‘visit’. The ship moved, ever so subtle in it’s mooring. The wood creaked and the men leered, and Iole froze. She had no doubt that her friend would have met their gaze defiantly, or hurled back some brave retort. If Cali had only been properly conscious. But the two young women, for all that they had grown up almost in each other’s pockets .. were cut from two very different types of cloth.

When the one pirate crouched, and leaned in, she was grateful for the bars which kept them separate. She drew back slightly then, inching her sister slightly along with her protectively, just another finger’s breath away from where they could be grasped at. Blue eyes dared not close, soft lips did not speak. Like a deer caught by the sudden sight of a poacher with it’s weapon raised .. all that she could do was not scream. Hope that they would go away …. Eventually ? And .. somehow .. eventually the one convinced the other that they weren’t going to get what they wanted. Not now. They couldn’t find Trev and they couldn’t touch the girls. Bad luck to them …


As the pair departed, Iole slowly released her breath. She glanced over Cali to assure herself that her charge, her sister, was not worse. And then she stopped in thought. And turned a glance back in the direction where the two men had gone.

“They were the ones who untied us,” she trialled the answer out loud, albeit as quietly as she dared to speak it out at all. “They said if we did what they said, they would be gentle. They said the Captain would never have to know ..” Twisting her fingers about the damp-stained hem of her dress, Iole wrenched the material apart in an unseemly jagged tear. The soft cry of the fabric being severed made her mouth fall open in a silent ‘O’ once it was too late to take it back now .. “But then he ripped .. my skirt .. and ” Blue eyes rose up, suddenly not startled, though back in the direction that the men had gone. They’d get in trouble if the Captain thought they’d tampered, would they ?

A frown did find its way to examine her more dishevelled now than ever dress. Well, she had half accepted that they might need to make do with whatever they could get hands on. Cloth was cloth. And she was hardly expecting for Trev to get his hands on everything they needed. If he even managed to get back to them .. had there not been some plan ? Hadn’t he said ..


When her brother all but flew back in through the door, his arms full of bandages and a collection of herbal resources, Iole first caught her breath, and then she smiled. Somehow she kept from confessing that she had begun to fear that she would not see him again .. Her brain wanted to stutter out a confused ‘how ?’ but there was simply not the time for senseless questions.

“They were here,” she told him instead. “They were looking for you.” And since she had no way of knowing that they might not come back again, Iole considered the bamboo in Trev’s hand. “We have to immobilise the injury, but it’s hurt at the joint I think. Can’t wrap it, or the swelling .. ” Deep breath. Start over. “Her arm’s already bent, so we need to secure the splint on either side of the elbow, from nearer to her wrist here, to halfway up towards her shoulder.” Drawing her hand from the first point she’d just mentioned, to the second, Iole waited for Trev to then see his bamboo to a length as she’d described. “We use the .. handkerchief,” she substituted in what he’d brought for what they needed. It would do. “Two pieces out of it. To secure it at both points. Then another three pieces .. " As she considered the amount of cloth that the handkerchief provided, blue eyes fell without word to where she had begun to tear up her skirt. "And then ..," Her tongue urged both his mind and hers somewhat elsewhere. "It’s easier to wrap about with two people, but I’ve done it before by myself ..”


She probably did not need to tell him when. “It will go far easier for us all if she’s calm first.” It was the least alarming way that she could think to warn him .. that the splinting might prove painful and if Cali cried out from the pain .. Conversing about how nonsensical their sister’s mumblings had become was unlikely to do any more than throw that panic back into his eyes as it had seemed before. She kept that to herself, unable to know whether Cali could at this point. Soon they both would be distracted of course ..

“You got everything ?” The question was more of an astoundment, and halfway towards reassurance. That against all odds .. yes. Lets set in that state of mind. They had already accomplished more than she had ever hoped would prove possible in such circumstances. Blue eyes threatened to tear up even at the acknowledgement, and Iole hovered about the cusp of asking .. again .. how .. why .. so many questions …


With a sniff instead, she held out both hands for whatever he had and could hand over. It would certainly be more easy to position the splinting and slings if they did not have to work through bars or even if they could stand Cali up, but they would have to take each step as it came. It was unlikely to be managed very swiftly.

“Do we need to keep a look out, in case they come back ?” she asked then in a small voice, without ever trusting to meet his eyes. Best keep busy .. There was much to do !

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Macardil nodded when Aderic thanked him, then gave him a thoughtful look at his question. "Bite marks along one arm. From a very angry canine. A long cut along the other. From a very angry girl. Both scars are some months old."

Concerning the key, he nodded again, more slowly, as he focused on Ziranphel. "One key for us?" he suggested. "And one for Halberion?"

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

The first concern, understandably, seemed to be for food while each thought about their choices about their part in what she had outlined for the way forward. Ziran tilted her head in a nod of acknowledgement when Aderic asked for food as well. They had brought enough with them for the trip there and back just in case, which would be sufficient for everyone. Halberion replied then after some consideration to indicate that he chose to proceed to the village, and Taendis added her thoughts about the trip and sharing with the guards. Ziran paused in thought and then nodded slowly. “Aye, I will think a moment and then write a message to send with you, so that your account is verified and they can act on an official request.” While she was speaking, Macardil was the one to move first to retrieve their supplies and get out the dried fruit and jerky as well as dividing up the sausage rolls they had bought at the inn that morning.

Her gaze followed him a moment before Bays caught her attention by asking about getting their captives out of the carriage. “Yes, and I am sure the driver will be glad to assist you in their removal.” Her reply was brisk but with a wry note to it at the understatement. “And Farchion can help.” She added in acknowledgement of the man’s apology and pledge to make amends.

“What about Thinnion?” Aderic’s question just as she was about to go to her horse and retrieve writing materials made her pause, her eyes narrowing in thought as she listened to him describe the man. She didn’t remember if she had heard them mention the man previously. “Hmm. Well, we will need to keep an eye out both now and later for his interruption and interference. We wouldn’t want him waking the sleepers before we are ready, and I’ll depend on you to recognize him.” She would reserve her opinion of the man until she met him herself, but she was leery of everyone who worked here, despite being willing to work with them as necessary.

Just then, Macardil brought food over to Aderic and briskly examined the man’s arms one at a time. Whatever he saw or didn’t see seemed to have made a difference, as she saw his shoulders relax slightly as he let out a breath. Smiling slightly, she turned to walk over to her horse rather than listen to their speech. First retrieving her canteen, she took a long drink to clear the dryness from her throat before re-stoppering it and returning it to its sling. Unbuckling the strap on an outer pocket of her saddlebag, she pulled out a shallow wooden box with a smooth flat top that was fastened down. Finding a seat on a nearby bench, she rested the box on her knees and opened it to reveal a writing kit complete with a sheaf of parchment, Pen, penknife, and stoppered ink and sand bottles in their places, seal and sealing wax, as well as several sticks of charcoal, a stylus, and pencils for faster notation. She briefly debated using a pencil, but decided that ink was better as it couldn’t be changed, and was more clearly a mark of education.

Drawing out a sheet of parchment to lay on the box top propped on her knee, Ziran selected a properly cut reed pen and unstoppered the bottle of ink. Tapping the end of the pen against her chin in thought for a moment, she worked to compose her words before dipping the pen and beginning to write swiftly.

Cûner Ranger Karis Ziranphel to the Leader of the Guard, Greetings in the name of King Elessar. I am writing to request your aid in securing the Castle Ansellidus and prisoners therein that have been arrested by my authority so that they may, in time, be transported to Minas Tirith to face deliberation by the magistrate. The one styling himself as Lord Ansellidus has been gone from the castle for some time, has employed Umbarians and Corsairs amongst his guards, and wrongfully imprisoned a Lord of Dol Amroth. He is completely derelict in his duties, and as such I am seizing his lands for the King until such a time as the King decides to return them to him or give them to another. I am calling upon you to immediately lend such assistance as you are able until I obtain reinforcement for you from Minas Tirith. Mistress Taendis, who bears this letter, can verify her knowledge of these charges and submit to you her own experience being falsely imprisoned, as may Lord Halberion Veranis. Signed, Karis Ziranphel.


Sitting back after the final flourish of her signature, Ziran heard the jingling of keys as Bays searched through his keyring, and started to more fully tune back into her surroundings. She listened while wiping off the pen nib and stoppering the ink bottle, and carefully dusted fine sand over her words to dry the ink swiftly. Her eyes narrowed again in thought as Halberion spoke up, but she didn’t look up as she returned each item to its designated slot in the writing kit. She didn’t like the idea all that much, even though she knew Halberion should be trusted. They had no guarantee that those in the village would listen or that there was no one who would try to take the key from the weakened man. Keeping a key made sense. Keeping both keys made more sense unless it was to guard against the possibility of all of their remaining party being killed or captured so that they couldn’t let the village guard inside the gate.

Shaking the sand across the letter, she didn’t respond right away when Macardil deferred the suggestion to her in a tone that showed he favored the idea but let her decide. Blowing off the sand and giving the parchment a tap to remove any final grains, she finally looked up, first at Macardil and then at Halberion, and nodded slowly but paused briefly before speaking. She didn’t want the man to think she was slighting him by weighing the reality of their situation. “I think there are more potential risks in sending the copy than retaining it, but I acknowledge that there is wisdom in having one elsewhere in the eventuality that we all fail in our mission. Our part will be either successful or not before you have the opportunity to go and come back from the village. One will go with you, Lord Halberion, but I charge you to keep it safely hidden unless its return is required of you by one of us after a safe transfer of the castle, or by the king in order to regain control of the gate. If we fall, the village guard is unlikely to have the strength to take the castle from determined defense even with a key.”

It did not please her to explain the matter in such dire terms, but it was best to hope for the best and plan for the worst scenario. Folding the missive until the words were sealed snuggly within, Ziran secured the small writing box and rose to return it to her saddlebag before walking over to Taendis and handing the crisply folded note to her. “You know the best one to give this to. Have them read it first, and then please answer any questions that they have. Thank you, Taendis.”

Stepping back with a silent sigh, she finally snagged a sausage roll and a couple dried apricots and nuts for herself. She would be able to think more clearly and act more decisively with the energy it lent and without the distraction of hunger. Returning to the bench, she kicked her feet out while she ate quickly but judiciously and looked over their assorted group. They had a few more minutes to rest and then they needed to let the carriage out and begin their assault on the guardroom.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Carpe Diem
|
Trev & Cali,
with Iole
In the brig of the pirate ship, Wingolost, anchored out of sight from Harlond
Last day of Autumn Fayre (last year)

Trev stopped short when he took in the altered condition of Iole's dress. Brown eyes sought blue, checking that she was unharmed. Once the moment of inner panic had settled, he gave a small nod when she informed him that 'they were here'. Looking for him, of course. He wasn't surprised about that. He was, however, concerned about what they might have done while 'looking for him' in here.

"They didn't..?" He stopped himself from finishing that as his eyes dropped to the rip in her skirt, before returning to her for reassurance. Once she had given it, he relaxed and let himself breathe again. One sister was fine. Now, it was time to help the other to be fine, too.

Iole was already talking about what all they needed to do to accomplish that, and Trev tried to pay close attention, so he would know what to do. "Right," he nodded, taking his flute out. For a second, he hesitated, simply from instinct of not letting anyone else see his secret weapon. But then, he reminded himself. This was Iole. And Cali. Cali had been the one to make sure he got it in the first place. She moaned softly as Iole and Trev talked about how to help her. Trev lightly ran a finger over the emblem engraved in the metal, his throat tightening as he thought longingly of home. How he wished he'd never left. Blinking, he pushed away his own feelings before unlocking the blade from the instrument that served as its sheath, and drew out the hidden dagger. It would have been better if he'd had some sort of saw to use for cutting the bamboo, but the dagger was better than nothing.

Once he had managed to cut it to the requested length, he carefully shaved the edges of the cut so that it wouldn't be jagged, before handing the length of wood to Iole. She was talking about the kerchief now. "It was the best I could find," He admitted, apologetic.

He listened while she mentioned that it would be easier with two people. He wasn't sure how much help he could offer, having to reach through the bars, but he'd certainly do his best. At the mention of keeping Cali calm, and then asking if he got 'everything', Trev nodded. "All that you asked for, I think. Noru keeps as many supplies stocked as he can." He explained. "And restocks every chance he gets."

He was distracted from a thought he had been about to suggest, when Iole suddenly asked if they needed to keep a lookout. Trev glanced toward the door, hesitating from reassuring her just yet. He got up and went to the door, peeking out carefully for a moment before he closed it and returned to her. "I don't think they'll be coming back for quite a while." He pulled the vial out of his shirt pocket to show her. "I gave them a good dose of this," He whispered. "They'll be asleep for several hours. And there's no one else on board for a few hours, except us." He hesitated as he glanced at the vial in his hand, then back at Iole and Cali. "In fact, I was going to say, maybe a drop or two of this would help her?" He suggested with a nod to Cali. "So, she doesn't make any noise while you're doing what you need to do?" He offered the vial to Iole if she wanted to take it.

"While you're prepping her, I'm going to see if either of those two has the key to this door on him." He added, hoping it would be as easy as sneaking the key off of the sleeping pirate and letting his sisters out without a sound. Then they could work on Cali's arm more easily. He figured both of them should be sound asleep by now, but he would still need to proceed with great caution.

---

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

|
Lord Halberion Veranis | Aderic
With Taendis, Sergeant Bays, & Farchon

After having assured Lady Himhathol that he would recognize, and keep an eye out, for the castle's steward, Ric listened intently to Macardil's answer about the scars, looking very curious. Bite marks from a dog? He found that... intriguing. "Mar has never cared for dogs," He muttered thoughtfully. His thoughts flashed back to Pebbles, but he swiftly pushed that thought away. That was something to ponder about later. So, a few months ago, his brother had gotten attacked by a dog? And.. a blade. Interesting. He would certainly be making note of that in his journal, first chance he got. Which, apparently, might come sooner than he thought.

While the lords and lady discussed what to do about the key, and Bays, Farchon, and the coachman went to take the prisoners out of the carriage and into a stall, Ric took the food that had been given to him and went to sit on one of the benches. Fortunately, there were plenty of these along the length of the stable, which at one time would have held many horses. He kept his ears open to listen to what was being said while he ate some of the jerky and other things. The pillowcase he had earlier retrieved from the guardhouse had been stowed here when they moved Hankins here. He took his makeshift journal out of it, now, and a pencil he had packed with it, and quickly jotted down some notes in shorthand. While ranger Karis was writing a letter to the guard, Ric was writing notes to keep track of all of the news he had gained today concerning his brother. He had learned so much in just a few hours, and he didn't want to forget any of it!


Meanwhile, Hal noted that Macardil deferred the decision about the key to his new wife. He was very curious about the fact that his friend had remarried, but he refrained from asking about it. Yet. He was curious to learn more about her, however. He noticed how she seemed to take a moment to think about the question before answering, and he couldn't blame her for hesitating. Maybe she didn't think he would be the best choice to entrust the key to. He knew he wasn't in the best condition right now, and couldn't really take offense at that. So, he was a little surprised that she did eventually agree, albeit with the charge for him to keep it hidden. "Of course, Lady Himhathol." He answered with a serious nod once she had explained her thinking, and returning her level of formality in addressing her. Particularly since that was the only thing he had to address her as, so far. As an afterthought, he recalled hearing her give her name to Taendis, but he didn't know the preferred way to address her. So he stuck with the most proper way, for now.

"Oh, don't worry," Farchon couldn't help but interject, with a bit of an annoyed huff. "He happens to be quite good at hiding keys so no one can find them."

That comment made Hal grin slightly in amusement as he accepted the key that Macardil offered him. "Or, maybe you just didn't search well enough." He replied innocently, before turning back to Macardil and his wife, with a little smile lingering on his face. "He's just sore that he lost a key a few weeks ago, and therefore had to move me to where I was when you found me," He explained with a little amusement. "I'll offer a better explanation once we're all someplace where we can talk more comfortably and leisurely." He promised, speaking only with confidence that they would not fail, and that they would get together again after all of this was done. As much as Hal wanted to ask Macardil many questions, he knew it would be best to wait until they could talk alone. And he figured the same was true of Macardil, who surely had tons of questions to ask Hal.


Taendis accepted the letter with a nod. "I'll be sure and do that." She promised. "After I see that the lord is safely situated in an inn..."

"No, the guard first." Hal insisted. "My comfort can wait until we've sent reinforcements to aid Lord and Lady Himhathol. Besides, I can tell them more about the situation than you can, I believe."

The seamstress glanced at him, then nodded. "Alright, then. We will go to the guards first." She agreed.


Once that was settled, they each spent the rest of this time in their own way. The prisoners were secured in the otherwise empty stalls. Hal ate slowly while enjoying the sunlight and the fact that he was outdoors, and in the presence of his best friend. Over on another bench, Ric finished writing his notes and tucked the papers back into the pillowcase and finished eating. Taendis walked around the area a little, but didn't venture far from the group, while Bays and Farchon sat on another bench to wait and rest.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen

Carpe Diem - Part 54


Iole Ishen. With Cali and Trevadir
As well as some unscrupulous pirates. Aboard the ‘Wingolost’.
Anchored out of sight of nearby Harlond harbour. On the last day of the Autumn Festival, last year.

She saw him look. She heard him ask. She knew what Trev was thinking even though he never even finished speaking the question. ‘Not this time’, she thought, instinctively. But giving voice to the words might have declared whether she was determined of this time being different or simply recalling what had happened … the last time. Either way it would do little but derail their focus. There was no time for that. So her breath was simply sucked in, sharp as though it pained her to do so, but in the end Iole shook her head.

“They seem to think the Captain might not be happy with them if they .. did,” she reported what she’d heard, what he undoubtedly knew already. “He doesn’t know they didn’t .” Blue eyes met brown for a moment before the young woman dropped her sights, unwilling to even really have this conversation. With a man who cared .. “It might help,” she supposed aloud, and then reasoned. “We will probably need the material.”


It wasn’t Trev’s fault if the handkerchief did not quite stretch to cover all the bases she’d been planning. He hadn’t known exactly what she intended to do. She was still amazed he’d managed to find them as much ‘help’ as he had. And the handkerchief was good, it was just .. a little small. The bamboo on the other hand .. “I only need the one piece, if it’s long enough,” she let him know. “You can always leave a jagged end on any extra .. pieces ..” Her eyes did not look to meet his this time. Perhaps he did not want for her brother to see that sort of fierceness. Not in her. She was not fierce. But something soft can smother, just as well as something sharp can slice ...

Truth was that Iole would far more likely stab herself than any antagonist, if she tried to wield any kind of sharp tool. Against an enemy, that is. But there might be more than men for her to cut. Ropes, skirts .. “It will do,” she promised him, when her brother started to panic that this was the best that he could find. Silent patience met his explanation, that he’d taken this supply from the healer’s stock. And it would be swiftly, easily replaced .. Iole made as soothing reassurance as she could manage for Cali, while Trev went to close the door.


She was about to ask how he could be so sure the pirates would not come back soon, when her brother revealed the vial. She let a small breath out however, as he assumed there might be an hour or two before their ‘company’ might come back around again. There was time. They had time. Time enough to sail away with the ship ? No, that was probably not a thing that even the only two conscious and able people could manage. Iole frowned though when Trev proposed drugging Cali with some of the same as he’d given his crew ‘mates’..

“If they are drugged to sleep and there is no one else about to hear, then there is no worry over noise,” she considered. “And I don’t think I could hold her upright very long, let alone carry her far, if she was drugged too.” The would-be nurse shook her head slowly until he withdrew his vial. Was she subtly pointing out that she could not leave with their sister, without him coming along .. ? Maybe it had entered thoughts ...

“It could lose us an advantage if we have to hide or run quickly.” Iole gently brushed some of Cali’s dark hair. “The herbs should help her feel better and more alert. A little pain now .. we can not help. It will just take a bit of time for them to work. And if the arm is to work thenafter .. ”


So. She did not take the sleeping vial, but she did accept the other aides that the young man had obtained. And she might have asked about where this Noru the healer man was, at the moment, for him to prove both ‘unavailable’ and yet accommodating. But Trev’s plan to see if he could gain them a key was a focus stealing matter. In short, a very wise, though daring, objective. They wouldn’t get far after all, if they could not even leave this room. “Maybe we have time to lock those pair in here instead ..” she mused, in a quiet conspiratorial manner to Cali. “That would be good, wouldn’t it ?”

Iole did not expect her friend to reply. She did not intend to wait and do nothing until Trev returned. Idly she turned over the small pots and bottles. Twisting the lids, the fresh aromas escaped and aroused her senses back to lessons, learning. It had first begun when Ryndir and Cali spent time learning from their father about their family business. And Trevadir began to spend more of his time, practicing his music .. Nal had only to lay a “Pssst” close to her ear, and he would easily then lead Iole off with one crook of a finger. Before an hour was through, they had rambled through the field, gathering up sprigs and twigs and flowers and leaves .. She had scooped up sweet bouquets of wild flowers while he amused himself with making pastes and ‘potions’. At the end of the day she had a pretty table decoration to please her father. And he had a rather rancid smelling ointment which he swore his grandmother had told him would soothe the sort of headache she claimed that he often gave her. Iole almost shook her head now, recalling .. They’d had good times .. and when she had tripped home, with dirtied feet after all, and bruised finger tips from scrabbling at roots .. somehow she hadn’t been even a little sorry. Even if she (and the ointments) had smelt like a dying toad ..


The obstinate lid on the last jar stole the young woman back from her memories to a real pungent present. As the small stopper popped to a release in her grip, Iole lined up and inspected the motley crew of small pulpy wads and fragrant tonics which now sat at her disposal. Readied for far swifter use aboard the ship than if they’d had to forage first and then prepare some tincture or the like. A potent blend would have taken weeks to properly develop. The ship’s healer had done all of the work for them. Except now, knowing which and where to apply them.

“We’ll start with the comfrey,” Iole decided to narrate her efforts as though Cali were alert enough to note them. Just like any other conversation with her friend, the ones she’d imagined when she was still out in Pelargir and pretending had been the much harder. “They call it ‘knitbone’, you know,” she confided, coming just short of a wink. “You can always find it because of the droopy purple flower heads, with tapered leaves .. it smells like ..” The young woman raised the small pot of pureed green toward her nose, and frowned to find no description to mind. “It reduces pain, is the important thing,” she assured her sister. And began with where she could wager a guess the pain felt worst of all. Cali’s arm. “It’s cold, and mushy I know. But best we apply it now before any wrapping and winding. There’s no broken skin about your arm here, so it’s safe to be as generous as we can afford to be.”

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

When Ziranphel stated her opinion there were more potential risks in sending the second key to the village than keeping it with them, Macardil made sure not to frown - not even slightly. They disagreed in opinion, there - because were they not sending Halberion and Taendis with the objective of sending reinforcements? How would such reinforcements be able to enter, without a key? It was not as if the small group who'd be staying inside of the castle could spare one of their number to stand and wait by the gate, to let them in.

Yet he said nothing, and waited, and there was no need to disagree with his lady - for she agreed that one of the keys would go with Hal. Her orders to keep it on him, unless one of them actually required the key's return after a safe transfer of the castle, however, made Macardil hesitate whether or not to speak up. He had to firmly remind himself that he was not in charge, here. She was.
It seemed like Ziranphel was not intending for any reinforcements to come and help them. They would simply have to succeed all on their own.

In the end, Macardil did not speak. The reason why was entirely practical. Given the distance to the village, and the time it would take the guards there to gauge Taendis' and Halberion's story, and actually send people to the gate - their small group would have either already succeeded or failed - he agreed with Ziranphel on that. Thus, the point seemed rather moot.

He had to smile knowingly as he gave Halberion the key, and his friend explained Farchon's comment. "Sounds like you found what little entertainment you could," Macardil told Hal quietly. "Playing hide and seek with the jailor."

Biting his tongue as Halberion insisted on speaking to the guard of the village before going to an inn, so they'd be able to send reinforcements first, Macardil replenished himself with some food and water, instead. It took all of five minutes, before he had completed the task, and then he helped where he could.

With the prisoners now relocated, Macardil helped Halberion toward the carriage once his friend was done with his own drink and food. Before Halberion stepped in, Macardil carefully pulled his friend close. "I can still hardly believe it," he muttered to Hal. His friend's reply made him smile, but then his eyes grew serious at Halberion's next words. When they both pulled back, Macardil gave him a grim nod. "Consider it done," he promised.*

Macardil retrieved a mostly empty pack from his belongings, and went with the group who'd be going down to the village as far as the farthest gate, making sure the coachman, Taendis and Halberion were through and the outer gate was securely locked, before he returned to the others: Ziranphel, Aderic, Bays and Farchon. The prisoners in the stall - they did not count.

"Do you require any further preparation of us, my Lady Cúner?" he asked of Ziran. "If not, I suggest we do not waste any more time," he said solemnly, and he gave Bays and Farchon an assessing look, knowing the next stage of the plan would depend a lot on their cooperation, as well.


*Actions of Halberion agreed upon with Halberion's writer, Rillewen

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Her light meal was finished quickly, and Ziran took another drink of water before doing some limbering exercises and stretches to loosen her muscles. It had been a long ride that morning, followed by quick activity and then the tension of being on edge while exploring the dungeons. Tension had tightened her shoulders, but she knew she needed to be loose in order to respond quickly if the sleepy guards decided to give them a fight instead of surrendering. Tight muscles would react slowly.


She lifted a hand in farewell when Taendis and Halberion entered the carriage to leave, but gave privacy to her husband as he bade leave of his longtime friend. She noted his grave expression as he closed the door, but put it down to having to part again so soon after finding the man. Turning to the stables as the carriage departed for the gate with Macardil as escort and door warden, Ziran searched for the tack room to replenish her supply of rawhide cords for binding.


It took a few moments to find sufficient lengths of the tough leather, and she tested its strength before returning to the courtyard. They didn’t want any to be able to break their bonds with an easy test of strength. Dividing the cords into three bundles, she gave them to Bays, Farchon, and Aderic, while keeping a small handful for herself. “While I do want you, Bays and Aderic, armed in case of resistance, taking them by surprise and binding them as quickly as possible will go faster if all three of you do so. I would join you in the task, but believe the threat of my arrows is more effective than my ability to tie knots. You each have the benefit of strength that they will take seriously, and Lord Macardil’s axe lends a warning to those wise enough to pay attention.”


Her sword and dagger would serve as secondary weapons this time, as the confines of a room were so tight that she would not miss with her arrows as long as none of “her” men got in the way. She ran her fingers deftly over her bow to check it and then held it relaxed at her side as Macardil returned to the group. Her eyebrow lifted slightly in question at the empty looking pack he bore, but it didn’t seem of much consequence, and he likely had a reason that she would discover later. At his question about preparations and suggestion that they not waste any more time, Ziran shook her head with a sharp gesture. She could almost feel his impatience to be done with the place. “We can proceed as long as everyone is ready.” Her voice was steady in reply. She turned slightly. “Bays, lead out. Your presence would be most expected if any happen to be awake. I will follow you directly, and then Aderic, Farchion, and Macardil, in that order. Remember that silence is key, and we want to remove their weapons if possible before binding them. I will stay by the door, and the rest of you proceed inside. We will use simple hand gestures until they are aware of our presence. May the Valar give us success.”


She knew she had stated much of that already previously, but clarifying before going into action was always crucial. She extended a hand to indicate that Bays should proceed, and then followed after him, pausing briefly and reaching out to give Macardil’s hand a silent squeeze and lifting on her toes for a very brief touch of her lips to his before continuing. They didn’t have time for more if they wanted the element of surprise.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Carpe Diem
|
Trev & unconscious Cali,
with Iole
In the brig of the pirate ship, Wingolost, anchored out of sight from Harlond
Last day of Autumn Fayre (last year)

Hearing Iole's answer, Trev swallowed down a sick feeling in his stomach, as well as he could. He gave a tiny nod without venturing to speak his own thoughts about the matter. As much as he hated to admit this, he knew Dev's ways pretty well by now. And if the captain was likely to get upset at the men for any attempts at 'playing' with their catch, well, that told Trev that the end destination he had in mind for Iole was not good at all. He didn't even want to make a guess at what Dev had in mind, however. His gaze flicked to Cali. Not the same destination for her, obviously. Not with her arm like that. So, likely a worse one, then. Keket. That thought made the sick feeling all the stronger.

As she spoke of using the fabric of her dress, he nodded. "Right." He answered quietly, with a forced little smile, trying his best not to sound the way he felt. He wanted to convince his sister that this situation was not hopeless, after all. He could get her out... he had to get her out. Both of them.

Her suggestion of leaving the other pieces of bamboo jagged, made him glance up at her. "Alright." He nodded, catching on to her proposed idea of having a makeshift weapon, just in case. Not that he wanted her to have to use such a weapon, but in case it came down to it, he'd rather she had something than nothing. He deftly sliced his dagger through the end of the excess piece of bamboo, to create a tapered, pointed end. This, he laid on the floor beside his sister before putting away his dagger.

As it turned out, she did not want to give Cali any of the anesthesia, and after hearing her reasons for that, Trev couldn't quite blame her. He could offer no guarantee how easily he could smuggle them off of the ship. He certainly didn't think he could smuggle them off as easily as his crewmates had smuggled them on, but he would find a way. Somehow. He still left the vial with her, resting on the floor among the other things, in case she found some use for it at a later time.

As he moved to check on the sleeping men in the other room, Iole's softly spoken suggestion brought a smile to his face, as he only just caught her words as he was about to leave the room. That was an excellent idea! He flashed a grin back over his shoulder, then slipped through the doorway.

---

The fragrance of herbs and flowers began to fill her senses. Cali stirred, struggling to bring her mind into focus. She wanted to believe that she was out in a meadow with her friends, lying in the grass and wildflowers and just... staring up at clouds or preparing to camp outdoors for a lovely, warm summer night. But there was a mysterious darkness overshadowing everything. Her eyes refused to open. Her arm... moving it only slightly brought forth a sharp pain that seemed to somehow shoot through her entire being.

She wanted to go back to sleep, and forget about whatever this was. Return to the happy summer meadow. But Iole's voice filtered in through her ears, sounding weirdly distant, and at the same time, too close.

“They call it ‘knitbone’, you know,”

Cali tried to open her eyes, feeling confused. What was she talking about? Wasn't that some sort of stitch her mother used in knitting? Since when did Iole take up knitting? But now, she had moved on to talking about flowers and leaves, and Cali lost the thread of her speech for a moment as she fought an inner battle between waking up, or dozing off again. But some part of her subconscious warned that she wasn't supposed to sleep right now. Why? Why couldn't she sleep? She wanted to argue about it, but there was no one with whom to argue.

As a glob of something cold and mushy was pressed onto her arm, Cali gasped. Not because of the stuff, but because of the tenderness in that particular part of her arm. She struggled to lift her head and see what was going on, but all she saw was Iole. Resting her head down again, she kept her head turned toward her friend, watching as well as she could, though there remained a sort of glazed look in her eyes, as if she did not fully know what was going on.

---

Stepping softly, Trev approached where the two had dozed off. Grisly had dropped his chin onto his chest, snoring softly into his beard. Scar had sunk sideways against the wall, and had that half of his face was smashed against the wood, giving him a distorted face. He was quietly playing his own tune of snores. Trev looked from one to the other, heart racing, feeling uncertain just how 'out' they might be. What if they woke? Well.. the longer he put it off, the higher the chances were of that. So, he decided to start with Grisly, and began very carefully checking his pockets. Every breath had him on edge, expecting the man to stir and catch Trev 'trying to rob him'. It was not an uncommon occurrence among the general crew, to try such things, but Trev was 'new' to the practice. All he wanted was the key to the brig.

He did not find it. He even checked that it wasn't hanging on a string or chain around the man's neck. No such luck. Breathing out a slow, quiet sigh, Trev moved to Scar. He was positioned in a way that made it a little more tricky to search him, but the young man did the best he could under such circumstances. Still, no key. Frowning, Trev stepped back and looked at them in confusion.

So, neither of them had the key on them. Trev frowned, trying to think of what to do. He decided, at this point, that the best thing to do would be to ask the only conscious person who had actually seen the key in use, what had been done with it. So, he returned to the brig quietly. "Iole," He spoke in a whisper, just in case, letting her know it was only him entering. "How is she?" He asked first, distracted briefly as he saw that Cali had reacted to the first application of herbs onto her arm.

---

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
With Sergeant Bays & Farchon

As the two groups parted ways, Ric couldn't help but feel both glad to see the liberated prisoners leaving for the safety of the village, and at the same time worried that some trouble may befall them before they reached it. Taendis' story seemed to imply that such a thing was not unheard of. She had been heading homeward to the village, after all, when those corsairs grabbed her. But perhaps they were not nearby, right now. He hoped not.

Accepting the bundle of cords, Ric gave a serious nod in reply to the lady. "Very likely," He agreed. The majority of these men, as far as he could tell, did not have much respect for women, particularly women who could handle weapons. He hoped no one would have to be killed for them to believe that she was in fact quite dangerous with her weapons.

"We may also find some wrist restraints when we reach the guard chambers," Bays mentioned. "There should be plenty of them there in the supply room, for the guard's use."

Before long, it was time to move. Ric buckled the sword belt around his waist and made sure that he could draw the weapon easily enough, while Bays checked his own weapon. At the lady's order to move out, Bays nodded and set out for the castle. Ric waited before falling in line behind the lady, with Farchon trailing after him. Despite being in front of the jailor, Ric tried to keep half an eye on him, even though he figured Macardil would do the same.

All the way into the castle, Ric also tried to work on walking as quietly as he could. It wasn't very easy, and stealth was not his strong point, but at least he managed not to make too much noise. And Bays knew the way without hesitation, so it didn't take the group very long to reach their destination. Ric was a little nervous, thinking how badly this could go if the plan didn't work, but to his great relief, everything went surprisingly well. The men were asleep as the infiltrators crept into the barracks room, quietly removing any and all weapons that were visible. Once the men were awakened, they were confused and caught by surprise to find themselves surrounded, particularly their own sergeant having taken sides against them.

Drornan, the leader of the northern mercenaries, protested the most to this unexpected occurrence, but he quickly hushed at the sight of an arrow aimed at him, especially when Bays assured him that the lady needed little encouragement to loose it. Farchon dutifully helped with securing the prisoners, and gave no indication that he was planning to switch sides. He even offered to store the prisoners in a cell, until the guards of the village came to deal with them.

Once the guards had been dealt with as Lord and Lady Himhathol saw fit, Bays then led the way to take them to the office of Lord Ansellidus, where they were sure to find plenty of paperwork to look through. But first, there was another obstacle to deal with.


Thinnion, so far oblivious to any of the goings on, was there. As the group approached, he stood up from the desk, where he had been busy for the past several hours, and came to the door in surprise. "Excuse me, who.." He began asking, when his gaze landed on Ric. He frowned, hesitating briefly with indecisiveness. Was this Lord Ansellidus, or his brother, escaped again? He looked at the others in the party. Farchon, Bays... and two unfamiliar people as well? "Can I help you?" He asked while his gaze searched to decide who was in charge of this strange group, in a tone that clearly suggested he thought they were disturbing him.

Ric stepped forward slightly, hoping to help the situation go a little more smoothly. "Thinnion, this is Lord and Lady Himhathol," He explained. "The lady is also a Cuner, of the King's rangers. I suggest you cooperate with their requests, and give them no trouble." He then glanced at the couple in question and gave a small bow of his head, as if to respectfully turn this over to them now that he had offered what introductions he could.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Ziran was relieved that, for once, they didn’t have to deviate from her mission plan. So many unexpected occurrences had turned the day upside down from their expectations on approaching the castle that she had fully expected something to go wrong despite her planning. Yet despite some loud complaining, the guards had all submitted to being restrained and were without a means to free themselves. Once they were all bound, Ziran returned the arrows to her quiver and slung the bow from her shoulder. She had partially taken Farchion up on his offer, and the prisoners were transferred to a locked room near the entrance to the dungeons after being hobbled so that they couldn’t make a dash for it. They had it easier than Halberion or Taendis in that light actually filtered in and they weren’t chained to the wall.

She had not forgotten the earlier warning about the Steward, but was not overly concerned about him when they turned their steps towards the Lord’s office. Bays led the way once more, but Ziran had dropped back to walk near Macardil, taking position on his right whenever the hallway was wide enough to accommodate two people. She knew that she would likely need to look for further evidence to back her decision to take over the castle, but was somewhat weary in spirit after the events of the day.

Their steps echoed in the hallway, and drew the Steward out to investigate. As they drew to a halt at his question, Ziran looked him over and tried to assess how best to approach him. Aderic answered in part by introducing them by rank and emphasizing her title as a Ranger, while also suggesting cooperation. She figured that was as good a cue as any, although she would have been just as happy deferring to Macardil. Taking a step forward after Aderic’s gesture, she met Thinnion’s gaze directly. “Greetings Steward Thinnion. We traveled here today to meet with Lord Ansellidus and Lady Alyssa, and had sent word ahead of our arrival. Upon arrival we were grieved to hear that they were not in residence.” Her voice was calm and well modulated as she took another step forward to bring herself squarely before the man, but without blocking the doorway.

She paused briefly, and her face shifted into a more grave demeanor. “We were further grieved to find things awry among the guards and within the castle. By my authority as a Ranger and my husband’s status as a Lord of Dol Amroth, I charge you to give us a full account of your master’s dealings, and allow us to peruse his office for anything pertinent.” She debated stating upfront that they were removing Ansellidus from authority, but decided she would give him a moment to respond first. While her words were likely to cause some confusion, she wanted to judge his level of cooperation or defensiveness before fully testing it.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Steward Thinnion

A moment passed in stunned silence as Thinnion processed this news. His gaze scanned the faces of the people standing there. Sergeant Bays, Jailor Farchon, and.. the prisoner Aderic. It must be him. He couldn't imagine Lord Ansellidus being in that group, telling him to cooperate and give the lord and lady access to his office. He returned his gaze to them, last. This was quite unexpected. And yet, perhaps not unwelcome. The past few years hadn't been going so well, after all. Personally, he did not care for the way the new lord began to run the estate, once the elder lord had passed away.

He cleared his throat. "Your letter must have been delayed in arriving. I only received it earlier this day, and yet, here you are, already." He mentioned with a little frown as he motioned to a letter on the desk, in the room behind him. "I apologize that you have made the trip in vain... In fact, I was just working on a letter in return, to inform you that the lord and lady have been away for some time now, and I do not yet know when they expect to return." He explained.

At the request for him to give an account of Lord Ansellidus' dealings, and to let them look in the office, the steward swallowed nervously, knowing there were likely to be a lot of uncomfortable questions once they began delving into such things. He shifted his weight, but gave a little nod. "As you wish, my lady." He answered, stepping aside. "I have kept the books up to date and as orderly as possible, and the accounts should all be in order." He paused slightly before adding, "All I have done, has been in accordance with my master's orders." He was anxious to make that clear, and to hopefully be free of all blame for anything they might find.. troubling.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

She saw the slight hesitation as the Steward scanned each of their faces before replying to her greeting and challenge, but despite shifting around a bit, he eventually nodded slightly in agreement and stepped aside. “Thank you, Steward.” Her reply was succinct during his pause, before he added a comment about doing everything in accordance with his master’s orders. Ziran’s gaze narrowed as she assessed him closely. She waved the others in the party forward into the room if they so chose before stating quietly. “Just following orders can occasionally be commendable, Steward, but it will not serve to excuse you from complicity if those orders were wrongly given.”


She left off the word of warning and circled back to his earlier statement about not knowing when the Lord and Lady of the castle intended to return. “Did the Lord entrust you with details of where they were going when they left, at least, even if you know not when they will return?” She would allow the others to search the space first, but still wanted to find out the stewards' disposition before she joined them.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

He fell back to a secondary position as Ziranphel easily took charge. It was a position he had been in before, and it brought about some mixed feelings for the Belfalasian Lord. His brow furrowed ever so slightly because of it, btu he nodded with approval at Ziranphel's estimation. The three others would focus on binding the rest of the guards. Ziranphel and Macardil would be the main threats to them, in case they considered to resist.

His hand returned his Ziran's little squeeze, but he was surprised when she kissed him briefly before following after Bays. It was unusual for her to display much physical affection in public - for him, as well. He had not at all expected her to do such a thing, now. The right corner of his mouth lifted as she already pulled back, but his sapphire eyes met hers with quiet caring.

Macardil was pleased to be guarding the rear of their little procession through the castle. So he might keep his eyes on those ahead. He watched Farchon, especially - because the jailor was closest and Macardil trusted him the least - but the former ranger also watched Aderic, since he was walking right behind Ziranphel. If Aderic were to try and move against her, he would learn the brutal ways an axe could not only cut flesh and muscle- but also crush bone.

It was a relief how smoothly they were able to detain and imprison the rest of the guards. Farchon was, despite his initial ruse back at the dungeons, proving to be a decent ally, now. Macardil's fingers tightened around the handle of his axe. The jailor would be wise not to sway the other way again.

Ziran walked beside him whenever the hallway allowed, on their way to the office of the Lord of the Castle. The Lord and Lady Himhathol made eye contact a few times, though they did not exchange words. Words soon become an inevitability, however, when they arrived at the office and found the Castle's Steward within. Aderic introduced Ziranphel and Macardil swiftly, and given that Ziranphel had been the one to lead the takeover of the castle, Macardil held back at the introductions, to give her the room she would require - and the opportunity to speak first. For it was still hers, in this case, he figured. Macardil's main response was a low nod of his head when Ziran mentioned his status. He was indeed ready to repuse, as she had called it.

Meanwhile, he was assessing the Steward. The man's expression, his body language - everything he was communicating that was not verbal. The Steward had clearly not expected them today, nor had he expected this sort of development. To Macardil, he looked uncomfortable. Nervous, even - perhaps. The man seemed to agree, however. And stepped aside. Macardil did not need more encouragement than that, but Ziran's wave officialized it. He stepped forward without hesitation, moving for the desk first of all, checking the papers atop first before moving onto the drawers.

He was looking for anything that might tell them more about Alyssa - her whereabouts but also her condition. And while he was here... he couldn't help but think about Reilly. Whom both Aderic as well as his brother had a past with. Halberion might not be the only one interested in certain papers.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
With Sergeant Bays & Farchon
And Thinnion

The lady's warning gave him pause. Thinnion stared for a second or two, but he wasn't sure if he could really make this lady understand what life had been like here, after 'Amardir' took over. Instead, he focused on the question that she had asked, concerning where they'd gone, while Macardil and Ric went past him, into the office. "The last news I've had from Lord Ansellidus.. was months ago," The steward answered with a little frown as he tried to remember the details better.

"He was going to the Dimaethor estate for an event in September, but he needed to make a business trip first. He planned to go directly to Lond Col from wherever he was going... though he did not say where that was, nor what sort of business it related to." He frowned disapprovingly at that. "He was last here at the end of August, but he did not stay long." He paused. "It seemed, mostly, as if he were checking to see how his brother fared, and then he took a few things and hurried on his way. He told me to expect a message with further news and instructions from him, in about a month. But I have not received any such messages." He frowned. "He left with the Lady's handmaid, and neither have returned. I assume the lady must have requested for her handmaid to be brought to her, wherever she is now."

He paused, debating whether to say anything more. Then he decided to go ahead and speak what was troubling him. "Truthfully, it all seems very odd. The lord is always going off on trips for business, relating to the mines and his lordship duties and so on... though Lord Alagion never did anywhere near that much traveling, I might add. Still, Amardir rarely brings his wife along. And for them to be gone for so long... and without sending any word," He shook his head, finding this puzzling. "I have begun to wonder, I will admit. I have heard no news, received no messages, and I know nothing of their whereabouts... I don't know what to think of it. The last I saw of the lady was right about the time the lord's brother turned up. Lord Amardir instructed me and the guards to keep his brother here, no matter what. For his own protection, he said. And then he took the lady away with him, that very same day. That was in July, and it has been far too long since we have heard any news. I fear something may have happened, to prevent their return."



Ric quietly observed the brief interaction between Lady Himhathol and Thinnion, hoping there would be no trouble. He was glad, then, when the steward stepped aside to let them into the office, as it brought hope that the man did not plan to stand in their way. Was that a hint of nervousness, or relief, that he saw? He wasn't sure, and he didn't know the man very well.

As Macardil went past Thinnion into the office, Ric hesitated briefly before following him. Bays and Farchon remained out in the hallway, hanging back unless called upon to do something. Ric figured they had little reason to come in the office, as they did not know what to be looking for. As for himself, he wasn't sure if he would be welcome to join the search, and he couldn't really blame them much, if the lord didn't want him to help. Would he even be able to be of any help? Still, he certainly had plenty of interest in searching the place, even if he didn't know quite what he was looking for, and even if he didn't think he would find anything helpful. But, you never know, right?

"I, um, don't know how much help I can be, but I'll do my best." He thought it best to give him fair warning of his... uselessness. "I'm.. not really a very good investigator, and most of these papers, I can't make any sense of them." He added softly, looking down in regret. He was clearly no good at investigations at all, or Mar wouldn't have been able to manage all of the things he did, right under Ric's nose. Even posing as Ric, many times. He couldn't even think how Mar could have managed a lot of it, and he felt bad for not having grown suspicious of him sooner.

Since Macardil was checking the desk, Ric looked around briefly, then went to begin looking at other things. The bookshelf, a cabinet full of files, things like that. He had been in here once before, about a month prior, but he had not had much time to look around, and most of the papers he had seen then, hadn't made much sense to him. Nor had he known much about what he was looking for. And he still didn't.

Ric tried not to let himself feel overwhelmed or frustrated by the various things there were to look at. He knew nothing about mining operations, nor very much about business matters. He knew absolutely nothing about running an estate. This place was practically founded upon a network of mines in the mountains, which produced a few different resources, such as coal, copper, gold, silver, and other metallic elements. There were records for all of these mines, each filed in separate ledgers. There were records of employees; where they work, when they were hired, and any other important information.

On the desk were all sorts of records relating to the running of the estate, like an itemized list of groceries purchased for the upkeep of the pantry, and the wages paid to each staff member, a record of taxes that had been collected annually... which was significantly higher than was normal. There were also multitudes of complaints filed in another ledger, from the miners, about the safety of the mines. Along with many requests from Thinnion, to implement better safety equipment and procedures, upgrades and so on. Each of which had been rejected by Lord Ansellidus, and filed away into the appropriate folder. There were letters from a large number of local residents, making petitions and requests for this or that, most of which had either been ignored, or dealt with by Thinnion on behalf of Ansellidus. There was a list of each former employee of the castle, when their employment had been terminated, and any causes given, whether they were forbidden from returning on the property, or if they were deceased, and so on. Several of those who had worked here prior to "Amardir's" arrival had been marked as deceased or had been let go over the years.

During his search of the bookshelves, Ric came across a roster of all current guards, each with a note about their previous employment. Some of these were listed as having previously been sailors, and most of the others listed as 'drifter'. He took a little time to study these, as this was actually something he could recognize fairly well. From what he could figure, the 'sailors' were the Umbar crew, and he guessed that the others, Drornan and his group, had not given a very clear answer about their past employment, which meant that Thinnion likely didn't know what to put down for them. The latter, he noticed, had apparently been hired fairly soon after the elder Lord Ansellidus' death. Interesting. Coincidental? Probably not. He found little else of much interest, there, and put that away, turning to look through another assortment of papers.

After a moment of thinking, he ventured to speak up, taking a brief pause from skimming over papers. "Lord Himhathol?" He hesitated before continuing. "You reside in the White city, correct?" He asked, fairly sure he had heard something of that sort. After seeing him nod*, Ric continued, tentatively. "I realize that there is no reason for you to do any favors for me," He began, a little awkwardly. "Yet... there is a matter which has been troubling me for a while now, and I wonder if you could... would.. look into it, when you return." He asked, glancing up from the papers in his hands. "Not exactly for me, however." He added.

"My.. apartment," He went on to explain, feeling somewhat embarrassed even to bring up something which would seem so silly. Therefore, he tried to explain what he wanted before the other guy could turn him down. "I don't really care that much about the apartment itself, but.." He drew a breath before going on, "Reilly's things are there." He said, his voice quiet with a touch of sorrow. "His room, his belongings... everything is just as he left it, and..." He swallowed. "When I left, I paid for six month's rent in advance, but that time is.. either close to being expired, or already has expired. And..." He dropped his gaze, unsure quite how to continue. Taking a slow breath, he continued. "It may already be too late, and I don't know what the landlord would do, but... I would hate to think of Reilly's things being sold off. Especially, now.." Now that they had found his father, alive, he meant, but couldn't quite think of how to say it.

Ric let out a slow sigh, focusing his gaze on tax report in his hand. "I don't know if he will ever return. Or if he is..." He found it too hard to say 'dead'. "but, either way, well, I thought perhaps his father would be better suited to keeping his belongings." He glanced up at Macardil again. "If you would at least check about the apartment, when you return..? I could give you my key, and the address."


*checked with writer

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Even though it may have looked as if he wasn't listening to Thinnion, for he did not look up from the desk and the papers atop it, nor did he pause - the lord was most definitely keeping both ears open. If Amardir Ansellidus had been gone since late August, that meant four months had passed. Without sending even so much as a letter to his Steward, who was handling matters in his absence here. Macardil's heartrate hightened. The only time he had ever done that, himself, was when he had been incarcerated in the dungeons of Minas Tirith for his crime against Amarthen. Based on the Steward's words, it seemed like it was unusual behaviour for Lord Ansellidus, as well. What might have happened to him, to prevent his return - and to keep him from even sending something as simple as a letter?

As for Alyssa, she had been gone from the castle even longer. Since July. Since the time of Aderic's arrival, more or less. Macardil could not help a glance at the latter, then. Six months. Six months... Macardil lowered his head, although it looked natural since he was returning his attention to the papers. That was an old trail.

He did not react immediately to Aderic's warning of his limited helpfulness, but Macardil did not demand him to step back, either. His eyes quickly but thoroughly scanned over papers that detailed purchase orders and recepts. He also found wage slips, and budget calculations. All of these might be unfamiliar to someone like Aderic, but given that Macardil had his own estate in Belfalas, he had been schooled in such matters. Even with the help of a Steward, even with Amarthon taking up the daily matters for him - it had still been a part of his education, and Amarthon often wrote to him with updates. In addition, Macardil also took the matters upon himself when he returned to the estate during the summer. So he would not lose the skills learned. So he could keep track of the evolution of matters. So he could evaluate if Amarthon was still handling things as Macardil trusted he would, and that they still saw eye to eye in their approach to all estate-related matters.

His eyebrows lifted when he came across the tax records, and Macardil actually went through some of those twice, as if to reassure himself he was not seeing things. Taxes here were... high. Much higher than the taxes House Himhathol requested, and much higher than what was the norm. "Did the estate demand similar taxes under the rule of Lord Alagion, as well?" he requested - and it was Lord Himhathol of Belfalas who wanted to know, not Macardil of Minas Tirith.

When he came upon the list of employees, Macardil could not resist looking for the name 'Taendis'. What would have been put, behind her name? That was when Aderic asked him whether he had taken up residence in Minas Tirith. Macardil's gaze lifted slowly from the different records toward Aderic, when the latter began speaking carefully. He was about to ask Macardil for a favour? Concerning his apartment? Curious. Macardil lowered the paper in his hand back down to the desk as he waited for the full question to emerge. His eyes flashed when Aderic spoke of Reilly's belongings. There was no question about the answer to this question. In fact, now Macardil had been made aware, he would not have it any other way. He nodded. "I will," he stated, his tone leaving absolutely no doubt that he would. Halberion would want to come, as well, if the apartment was still intact. Probably even if it had already been cleared. "I agree. His father will want whatever we might be able to retrieve."

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

The Steward did give some account of his dealings on behalf of Amardir, Lord Ansellidus, but the details were sparse and the length of time that Alyssa had been missing was concerning. Ziran listened to his long tale quietly, with only a few thoughtful hums in response to his statements to encourage him to continue. It sounded as if Aderic’s brother had not returned since they had seen him at the joust several months ago, yet decisions had been made about the guards and other employees since then. It also concerned her to hear that there had been no word sent from either of them during that long span of months. She knew that Macardil conducted frequent communication with his cousin about his estates, and he was supposedly less involved than most, living away from the land most of the year. It was definitely unusual to have no word, and Thinnion was right to have concerns. While a young lord traveling much more than an older lord wouldn’t initially seem odd to her, in combination with the other evidence and at least some form of connection to Umbar through his hiring practices, Ziran’s thoughts skipped to her memories of men disaffected with Gondorian rule and open to influence by dissidents connected to Umbar.
Crossing her arms, she kept her focus on Thinnion despite noting the progress of the men’s searching in her peripheral vision. She decided that it was safe enough to tell him her intent for the castle, but remained quiet as Macardil asked about the taxes, so that the steward could first reply to his question.


Once he had given an answer, she lifted her chin slightly and dropped her hands to hang poised to react before speaking. “You are right to have concerns, Steward, as this is exceedingly unusual and unfit behavior for any lord. Combined with his unjust taking of prisoners, knowingly employing Umbarians and Corsairs amongst his guards, and wrongfully imprisoning a Lord of Dol Amroth, I consider Amardir to be completely derelict in his duties. As such, by my authority as a King’s Ranger, I am seizing his lands for the King until such a time as the King decides to return them to him or give them to another.” Her gaze was direct and stern, watchful for his response. “Is your loyalty to the King of Gondor, or to Ansellidus first? Will you work with us and recognize our authority, continuing your work by better caring for the people of this castle and lands, or do you need to be replaced as steward? Choose now, and choose honestly, and it may weigh in your favor when the King decides what is to be done.”

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
With Sergeant Bays & Farchon
And Thinnion

Thinnion turned to those inside the office, upon hearing the question posed to him from the lord. Taxes. That was one of the things he had figured they would notice. One of the things he had tried to oppose when the increased taxes began. "No, my lord," He answered with a little frown. "That is a more... recent development, within the last five years or so." He answered, his tone making it clear he was not too pleased by this 'recent development'. "A point which I have attempted to argue, on more than one occasion. But.. I have learned that it is not very wise to argue with the new lord, nor to oppose his wishes." He added more quietly.

Turning back to the lady, he listened as she began to explain that she was seizing the lands for the king. Thinnion's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, but not in an alarmed way. He was relieved, more than anything. "I have heard good things of the King," He answered, when she asked about his allegiance. "You can be sure that my allegiance is with him, and not with the young tyrant." He briefly glanced toward the office, unsure whether the brother would be irked to hear him refer to 'Amardir' in that way, but Ric gave no indication that he had even heard the comment. Thinnion gave his attention back to Lady Himhathol. "What can I do to aid you, my lady?" He asked sincerely.


Ric felt as if a bit of weight had slid off from his shoulders upon hearing Macardil's answer. If it was not already too late, then he need not worry anymore about losing Reilly's belongings. He breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and managed a small smile. "Thank you." He said softly. "The key is with my things, in the stable." He added. "I'll be sure to give it to you when we return there."

Now, the only things left for him to worry about were a couple of promises to keep. And a brother to apprehend. As he heard Thinnion refer to Mar as a 'tyrant', Ric's heart sank a little, wondering how he could have possibly not known that his brother was like that. The brother he had known growing up wasn't like the person everyone else had seen. Or, was Ric simply that unobservant? So oblivious to everything, that he'd just overlooked everything that everyone else saw? Maybe, if he had paid more attention when they were children.. he should have noticed something, right? Maybe if he had, none of these terrible things would have happened.

Mentally pushing the feelings of regret, self-blame, and guilt away, somewhere deep down inside, Ric tried to remind himself that it was all too late for 'what if's and 'if only's. Belatedly, he caught something that Thinnion had said earlier, about the maid who had gone with Mar. He blinked as the words sunk in, late, because he had been preoccupied at the time the steward spoke them. Then he stepped to the doorway, around the time Thinnion was vowing his allegiance to the king. That was a relief, but Ric was focused on this other matter at the moment. "Excuse me, Thinnion... but did you say that my brother took Lady Alyssa's handmaiden along with him?" He asked, needing to make sure he had understood that correctly.

"That's right," Thinnion answered, turning to face him. "Why?"

"No one had told me that." Ric frowned thoughtfully. "I was given the impression that she had.. gone away. And would not be returning." He hesitated. "I assumed that she.. like so many others.. had died." This news brought some hope that perhaps the girl was not dead, but then... given all else that was coming to light, he really didn't know if he should get his hopes up. Maybe she was alive, or maybe not. With everything he was learning about Mar, he really couldn't be sure about anything, anymore.

Returning into the office, Ric looked concerned as he began looking through a folder of reports about the guard's doings from day to day. That, at least, was something familiar to him, since it was so similar to what he did in his own job. Used to do, he thought with a little pang of sadness. He skimmed through, then paused as something occurred to him. Had he missed it? He looked again, studying the entries more carefully. Then he frowned at what he did not see, and moved closer to the desk to show Macardil. "There is no mention in these guard activity logs about them bringing a prisoner to Farchon." Ric mentioned. For now, he kept his voice low enough that only Macardil would hear him. "I'm not finding any records to show that they were keeping Ms. Taendis here, at all. I'm not sure if Thinnion even knew about it," He said, almost whispering. "Why would they not tell him, or Bays, about that?"

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Macardil's gaze hardened when the Steward claimed the tax rate had changed more recently. So it had been Androllius' doing. At least the Steward had the morality to disapprove, if the way he spoke counted as a good indication. While Macardil was interested in asking how exactly Thinnion had learned it was unwise to oppose the new lord's wishes, Ziranphel drew everyone's attention before he could ask anything about that.

He could not deny there was a notable amount of satisfaction that coursed through him, when Ziranphel declared that she was seizing the Ansellidus lands until King Elessar would render his decision on the lord's status. While it was true that it would be a very risky move in case "Amardir Ansellidus" had done no wrong, there were certainly enough discrepancies to justify such an action in this case. Lord Himhathol raised an eyebrow to hear the Steward refer to his lord as a 'young tyrant', but he refrained from commenting. He set aside a few of the tax papers, looked for Taendis' name on the employee roster, and then started going through the drawers of the desk, instead. Looking for anything and everything that had to do with Alyssa Veranis.

His head snapped up when Aderic said: "I assumed that she... like so many others... had died." He was talking about Alyssa's handmaiden - but it was a sharp reminder that no one knew of what had happened to Alyssa. And that anything was possible.

At Aderic's question, Macardil's sapphire eyes scanned the logs before they focused on the other man's face. Assessing. "These are official records, Aderic," he spoke quietly, recognizing this might not be the easiest kind of thing for Aderic to accept. "I imagine there will also be no official record about Lord Veranis. If there is a prisoner's record, I dare assume that Halberion's identity will have been altered. It would be very unwise to have it on record that you are incarcerating innocent people." Macardil paused, deliberating something. "If you find anything that could point us to Lady Alyssa's whereabouts," he finally said, a bit more slowly, eying Aderic thoughtfully, "Then I would like to see it."

He sat on the chair behind the desk, to stoop lower more easily as he moved on to the next drawer. Its contents did not seem too interesting; writing gear, stationary,... Macardil moved on to the drawer below, and as he was rummaging through its contents, he frowned. This drawer seemed... deeper? Moving back up to the top drawer, he re-opened that one. Also deeper. He pulled out the drawer with the stationary again. More... shallow. His frown deepened as he removed the contents from the second drawer, placing them on top of the desk. The bottom of the drawer seemed flawless. But it made no sense. On the outside, it was just as wide as the other two. So why did it have less space? Macardil started pushing different parts of the drawer. He was no longer expecting for much to happen by the time he got to the last corner. But then something clicked.

And suddenly the 'bottom' of the drawer felt... loose. Macardil snatched the letter opener from the desk and lifted it out. To find himself looking at what looked like papers of sale. To a house? He pulled out the small stack of papers, to take a better look.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic

Official records. Ric looked back down at the papers, realizing that perhaps Thinnion had simply omitted the woman from the record. Perhaps acting on Mar's instructions. "Right." He gave a slow nod, realizing he should have considered that. The thought process of a criminal was not something he was familiar with. No wonder he wasn't very good at investigating crimes and all that.

The mention of Lord Veranis made him wonder whether there would be any record listed. Since he knew that Thinnion knew of that prisoner, he decided to look further back in the records, to find out whether he was listed at all, or not. Then he paused as the lord reminded him about clues about Alyssa. "Of course." He answered softly. It was definitely one of the top priorities on his mind, too. As well as catching up with his brother. Finding clues was the part he was not as good at. But he was planning to look as thoroughly as he could, to see if there was anything in there that might help. For the moment, the only thing he could think of to do was to look through the files and see what he could learn.

Returning to the cabinet where he had found the guard's logs, he looked through to find a file on dungeon records, as he knew there should be something of the sort. At least, there was always records like that in Minas Tirith. Sure enough, he soon found what he was looking for. After locating it, he flipped through the pages, going back a few years to find any sort of records that might be helpful. There were more entries than he had expected to find throughout the ensuing years, but he eventually went back to near the beginning, when the dungeon was made useable. Just after Mar took over the running of this castle.

While Macardil was searching through the drawers in the desk, Ric skimmed back to the beginning of the file entries and quickly found what he was looking for. An entry of a prisoner who was put in the dungeon, around the same time when the Veranis family supposedly died. At the very beginning of the log book. But just as Macardil had said, there was a different name listed. Harudir Vukrom. Ric stared at the name for a moment, thinking. It appeared like a Sindarin first name, as was common for Gondorians, with some other sort of last name that did not look the least bit Gondorian. This man was apparently held in the dungeon for 'serious crimes' which were not listed. Ric flipped through the pages, skimming through until he reached the end. There were log entries on a monthly basis for visits to this prisoner, from 'A.A.', for the entire time that he had been in the dungeon. Up until the last visit, at the end of June, at which point the entries stopped.

Ric hesitated as he looked at these entries, debating whether to trust the gut feeling that 'Harudir Vukrom' was a made-up name, used in place of the real one. If so, then it would seem that Macardil was right. But, maybe Ric was only seeing what made the most sense to see. Maybe it was the name of someone else. It was an odd name, but not impossible for it to be a real one. And the visitors.. that could be 'Amardir Ansellidus', or it could be 'Alyssa Ansellidus'. It could be someone else entirely. He shouldn't jump to conclusions, regardless of what it looked like at a glance. Maybe he wasn't impartial enough for this. Maybe he wasn't capable of finding and following clues, figuring out his brother's plans, what he was up to. Where Alyssa might be. Ric apparently didn't have the first clue what his brother was really like. He had failed to notice so much about him, all of their lives. In the last few months, he had realized that he had only just begun to scratch the surface. How could he hope to find either Mar or Alyssa, when he couldn't even be sure of what his brother might do? Might have done? Might be planning to do? It was all the more frustrating that he had been unable to begin searching until the trail was already rather cold.

He stared at the names on the logbook for a long moment, before finally deciding that he should not trust his own judgement about this. Quietly clearing his throat, Ric spoke up, "Sir, I've found something, which may indicate that you are correct about the false name. But I am not sure-" He looked up then, just in time to watch Macardil taking a false bottom out of a drawer. Intrigued, he ventured closer. "What is that?" He asked, surprised to see him pull something out of a secret section in the drawer. Some sort of papers, but what about?

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

The Steward only acted surprised at her words, rather than defensive or wary, and declared his allegiance to the King before asking her how he could aid her. Ziran examined his features closely before nodding in acceptance of his apparent sincerity. Aderic interrupted to ask about Alyssa’s handmaiden specifically, which was notable not only because the woman had gone with Amardir, but also because she should have gone with Alyssa whenever she traveled.

Ziran debated a moment on how to proceed while the men searched the office,as she propped a fist on her hip. What would bring the most cooperation from Thinion, and how might he be useful? The Steward should know all that proceeded within the castle and lands, particularly with the lord so frequently absent. Reaching out her free hand, she rested it on Thinnion’s shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. “You would aid me greatly, and best serve the King, by putting in order all the records as they should be, and point out to us any that we should pay attention to. I charge you to ignore any standing orders from Lord Amardir, and revert to those from your former lord that are in the best interest of the people of these lands. Halt collection of taxes until ordered to resume after full accounting has been made.”

She paused briefly. “I have requested the presence and aid of guardsmen from the closest town to help keep order, give security to those who remain loyal to the King, and to guard the former guards of Ansellidus until they have the opportunity to face justice.” She tilted her head to indicate the men still in the hallway behind her. “Sergeant Bays and Farchion have both been helpful and can give you aid as needed. In addition to these tasks, I would appreciate a statement from you about your own experiences and observations about conduct here in the castle since Amardir took over, so that we have an accurate picture from one who has experienced both the way of the former Lord Ansellidus and the new one, and that you may share if there are things that the official records have left out thus far. Truth is what we seek above all.”

She had heard the scrape of drawers being pulled out and papers and files being shuffled, but hadn’t heard much clearly from within the office. It did sound like a few discoveries had been made, but it wasn’t until Aderic’s exclamation of “What’s that?” that she stepped forward abreast of Thinnion and took a better look into the room.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Aderic was about to show him something, but the hidden compartment in the drawer apparently drew his attention away from what he was holding in his own hands. Macardil glanced up, towards Ziran, Thinnion, Bays and Farchon - and noticed he had drawn his wife's attention, as well.

Macardil did not allow any of them to rush him, and took a moment to peruse through the papers. "A deed," he spoke then, louder than before, so Ziranphel would hear him clearly as well. "To a house which Amardir Ansellidus bought from a certain H. Menilzir," he added. "The sales papers are included, for that property. As well as a second deed - to a farm and its accompanying land in Anfalas." Neither specific location meant much to him, although it seemed interesting to take note. Macardil's gaze found Thinnion. "Can you shed any light on these matters?" he asked the man.

Remembering that Aderic had been about to show him something, and also realizing that as his brother, maybe Aderic could offer some insight of his own, Macardil held out the deeds to Aderic with one hand, while reaching out with the other to take the book in the younger man's hand from him. They could switch, each looking at what the other had found, and perhaps offer some additional perspective.

Once Macardil had the logbook in hand, and Aderic had taken the deeds, Macardil's eyes flew across the entries. Harudir Vukrom. Visited monthly by A. A. Lord Himhathol held back a snort. "It appears this confirms my suspicions," he mused out loud, for Aderic's benefit. "Harudir Vukrom - the same initials as Halberion Veranis. The timing matches, too. And visited once a month by "A.A." - probably - Alyssa Ansellidus." The last name carried a sharp edge as he pronounced it. Macardil raised an eyebrow, once again searching out Thinnion.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Thinnion

The orders of Lady Himhathol, Cuner of the king's rangers, brought great relief to Thinnion. He breathed out a slow sigh as he nodded. "It will be done, my lady." He assured her, upon hearing her instructions. No more ridiculous taxes for the people. They would be very pleased by that! And the miners.. he could think of many changes to implement at once, bringing things back to how it was when Alagion was lord. He would be very busy in the next few weeks, of course, putting everything properly in order, and setting things back as they should be, and he began to feel worried that he might suffer some harassment from the men who worked for Amardir.

It was even more of a relief, then, to hear that they had requested aid from the guards at the nearby town, and that Amardir's hired guards were now under guard, themselves. He looked somewhat surprised to hear that, but glad, as well. "You shall have my statement." He promised, eagerly.

About that time, it seemed that the two searching the office had found something. Thinnion turned, and was quite amazed to observe Lord Himhathol pulling out something from a secret compartment in the desk! Thinnion stared, wondering how he had never noticed that before, after all the many years he had sat at that desk, filing reports, logging records, writing orders...

When asked if he could shed any light on the matter of the deeds, Thinnion shook his head. "No, my lord, I know nothing about those." He answered, the amazement audible in his voice. "I was entirely unaware of any hidden compartment in the desk, in fact, nor was I informed of those purchases."

The steward waited while the lord examined the dungeon log entries. "Those are the names listed. I copied into my records exactly what was written on the records kept by the jailor," He explained, casting a glance at Farchon for further explanation.

Farchon then cleared his throat. "That is correct, sir. The names you see there are exactly what I was told to write down in the dungeon records." He explained, though a bit uncomfortably. "As for the visitor.. 'A.A' is indeed Lady Ansellidus. I was ordered to only put her initials down, to protect her identity." He did not fully understand what exactly she needed protecting from, but he had not questioned the lord's orders, because he knew it was dangerous to do so. "She was permitted one visit per month with the prisoner, for reasons which were not explained to me. I was told not to ask questions, so I did not."

---

Aderic

In the office, Ric was intrigued to hear that it was a deed to a house. But upon hearing the name of the person from whom it was bought, a chill ran down his back. "Menilzir?" He repeated under his breath, which then remained caught in his throat, briefly. Hollin Menilzir... the man who had been involved in the kidnapping of the two young ladies, last autumn. Who had subsequently thrown all the blame for that onto Ric, claiming that he put him up to it. That he, Ric, had murdered Ryndir Dringolben, and then given the dagger to him, so that he might use it to threaten the victim's sister with it. The man who had then wounded himself in the dungeon, leaving Ric and Sorrela to investigate the blood left behind... a fresh chill swept over him, as if a chill breeze had just come in from outside. This.. could it be? Was this the proof he had been seeking, before he'd been held prisoner for all this time?

And there was a second deed, as well? Hearing the details of that, Ric was pretty sure he knew what that one was, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions prematurely. He refrained from voicing his opinion about the second one, until he could look at it for himself. Still, it made him wonder how many other secret compartments there might be, hidden around here. The thought felt a little overwhelming. Even if they searched the entire castle thoroughly for days, or even weeks, and found several secret places, what if they missed one? They might miss an important clue as a result. His discovery in the dungeon logs seemed a bit insignificant, now. And he didn't really know if it was useful anyway. He should try to find something more useful, like Macardil had apparently just done.

When Macardil held out the deeds to him, to let him have a look, Ric didn't snatch them, but he did take them eagerly, being quite anxious to see these deeds and sale papers for himself, while turning over the logbook without hesitation, to let the lord have a look at his own discovery. Perhaps he would not find it insignificant after all? Ric quickly scanned over the document in his hands. Having never purchased any sort of property, it was not something he was familiar with, but it also wasn't terribly complicated to figure out, thankfully. He located the address and tried to memorize it. Who knows, perhaps there would be more leads there? He would want to check it out, if he could. The house was in Dol Amroth, and appeared to be sizeable, but still only a house.

Next, he searched for the purchase date. His stomach twisted a little. His gaze fixed on the date, swiftly doing the math in his head. It was... what, two? three? weeks, after the incident where Cali and Iole had reported having been attacked by H. Menilzir II. Who supposedly was coerced into abducting them... by "Ric". Ric, of course, knew that he had not done any such thing. Which meant that it was his brother, but of course... proving it was the trick. Could the house have been payment of some sort? Had they worked out some sort of deal? He frowned as he tried to make sense of it, trying to understand why his brother would have purchased this property, from that man, just after that that very same man did that to those particular young ladies.

It was definitely a connection, and one that he felt was important. But what did it mean? What did this prove, exactly? That they'd met? But the sale had been made through a third-party lawyer, so that neither buyer, nor seller, had to have actually met. Which meant it was possible to prove that they had never met, nor laid eyes on one another, after all. Doubt set in again, and Ric began to question it all. What if it had nothing to do with the abduction? What if it was all some strange coincidence? The timing.. the person involved... As unlikely as it seemed that it was a coincidence, would this even hold up in a courtroom? Would it be thrown out as circumstantial?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by trying to make sense of it, Ric closed his eyes and took a slow breath in, trying to calm his circling thoughts while Thinnion and Farchon were responding to Macardil about the dungeon logs. It was some consolation, at least, that the lord seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion as Ric, about that. He felt some small sense of reassurance from that. It seemed maybe he had been on the right track about that, anyway. But that didn't mean he was right about anything else.

Opening his eyes again, Ric switched to looking at the second deed. Everything he saw there confirmed his suspicion about the farm property. The date matched up with the time he remembered his parents moving off to the new place, and the location was right.. everything appeared to match up. Ric nodded slightly to himself and indicated the farm deed. "This one, he bought for our parents." He explained quietly. "He told them that he had come into some money," He gave a wry little huff of breath at that, for it was clearly an understatement. "Apparently, it is an excellent piece of farming land, and they have prospered there for the past few years, particularly, since the end of the war. I have never been there, myself." He hesitated, but then decided there was no need to explain that he was not close with them, and never had been. The distance alone made it difficult to visit them, even if he'd had any inclination to.

"As for this one," He returned to the other deed, of the house in Dol Amroth. "This Menilzir fellow was arrested shortly before I left the city." He explained, keeping his gaze locked onto the paper in his hand, and the name written on the paper. He felt sure that he was missing something about this, but he felt hopeless to figure out what it was. "It seems that he and my brother had conspired together to commit a crime, just over a year ago, although I have yet to find any sort of proof to that effect." He frowned at the paper. "The sale of this property was concluded only a couple of weeks after this crime took place." He added, as a point of interest. In case it meant something to Macardil, or anyone else in hearing. And still, he felt like there was something else he should be noticing. What was it?

For a moment, it seemed like he almost had it. Then it slipped away. He let out a little sigh. "I don't know if this will be any help in proving anything, either." He admitted, then blinked, straightening up slightly. Because it had just clicked what it was that had been tugging at his mind. "Wait.. Hollin knew Mar was posing as Lord Ansellidus." His eyes widened a bit as he stared at the deed, then hesitated. Did it prove that, though? "Or... did he?" He frowned as he immediately questioned whether that actually proved such a thing, while skimming through the sale papers. Seeking for any sort of indication that Menilzir and 'Ansellidus' had actually met in person.

Finding nothing that seemed to him, to prove his latest thought, Ric's shoulders slumped down a bit in defeat as he sank into an extra chair, which was positioned facing the desk, in case the person behind the desk had company. He lowered the papers to his lap with a heavy sigh, shaking his head slightly. It felt impossible to find anything that would ever actually prove anything against his brother. And it was getting more and more frustrating.

After a moment, he offered the deeds back to Macardil and took a moment to stare at the floor. It didn't matter, he told himself. There was plenty of evidence, not to mention witnesses, here at the castle, to prove many of the crimes Mar had been committing here. It didn't exactly help clear Ric's name back home, but... well, he tried to put that from his mind. That wouldn't matter if he couldn't find Mar. And nothing really mattered much if they could not find Alyssa. Not to him, anyway. He wordlessly began searching through anything that he could find that had not yet been searched. Filing cabinets, bookshelves, drawers; trying to find anything that might help point him toward either one of them. He was definitely planning on checking the other property, as well... and it might even prove helpful to pay a visit to his parents, to ask if they had seen his brother. But for now... he didn't want to leave here without being sure he had checked this place thoroughly. He could not, would not, let Alyssa remain 'missing' indefinitely, too.

(edit; spelling)

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

The papers being discussed were deeds, and a list of prisoners, apparently under false names. H. Menilzir. The name seemed distinctive and memorable, but didn’t form any connection for Ziran. She continued listening with her arms crossing as her gaze shifted to each in turn as they spoke. One exclamation did catch her attention though, as Aderic spoke about “Hollin” knowing that his brother Mar posed as Ansellidus. Hollin. Where had she heard that name before besides as a region near Rivendell? In connection with false guards…Ziran’s eyes narrowed in thought, and she lifted a hand to trace her thumb along her jaw.


Mar had Umbar connections as well as Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith. She hadn’t known him among the guards in Minas Tirith, but had seen him in Dol Amroth when Isys had not shown up for the joust, later revealing she had been detained in some way. Her memory jumped to that awkward meeting in the headquarters months past, when it had been revealed that Isys had a man observing Shamara for personal reasons, and Umbar had played a large part in their discussions. There had been many names mentioned when she was pressed for an identity, but the only one Ziran knew to match to the man from later accounts was Arkadhur, who was arrested at Midsummer, shortly before Aderic would have come to the castle. Could one of them be Hollin? Did Arkadhur and Mar know each other that well? Had Isys known or suspected? Ziran tamped down that last question, and asked the more relevant one out loud. “Do you know this Hollin Menilzir, Aderic? Did he use any other names? I knew of an Arkadhur arrested, but not one by this name.”

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic

Upon hearing the lady's question, Ric looked up from a book he'd just pulled off a shelf, and shook his head. "No, I do not know him. But I was present when he was brought in for questioning regarding the crime of which he was accused." He explained. "That was the first time I had ever seen the man."

As for the other names... he was somewhat surprised to hear her mention one of those which he had heard previously. "As a matter of fact, he does seem to use a few other names... and 'Arkadhur' is one of them." He frowned. "What his rightful name is, I could not say. When Lady Azrubel brought him to headquarters for questioning, she introduced him as Lord Hollin Menilzir, the second. But both of the victims of his actions stated that he had used the name 'Lowendir', while another witness said that he knew the man as 'Arkadhur'."

There, Ric hesitated, debating whether to add any more information. He looked down as he weighed the options briefly. For now, he decided not to delve into it any further than he had been directly asked. But there was another bit of information that he would like to bring to their attention. He indicated the deed for the Dol Amroth house. "The date that the purchase of this property was finalized.. it happens to be less than a month after Ms. Dringolben and Ms. Ishen claim that I helped this... 'Lowendir' smuggle them through the South gate and onto a ship, operated by some rather... unscrupulous sailors." He explained, frowning. Then, he hastily added, "I had nothing to do with any of that, I assure you. I.. I just think it seems awfully coincidental... and suspicious... which is why I mentioned it. But, perhaps I am simply reading too much into it," He concluded with uncertainty, wondering if he was just being overzealous in his efforts to discover any solid proof against his brother, now that he had learned some of these things about him.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Arkadhur and this Hollin Menilzier were two names for the same man, and Isys had introduced him as the latter to the city guards in Minas Tirith. That was interesting to say the least. She didn’t think she had heard the name Lowendir before, but for a man that she knew by reputation used many names for purposes of subterfuge, she wasn’t surprised to have a new one added to the verbal list Isys had given them many months ago. It was more concerning to hear that the man had played a part in abductions, but that also corresponded with some things mentioned by Shamara.

Ziran nodded thoughtfully once. “If your brother had such intimate dealings with this man, Hollin Menilzir or Arkadhur, who at times has worked as a sort of private double agent, he may well be even further involved in working against the free peoples than previously suspected.”

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

So the Steward claimed to be unaware of the property sales. And A.A. indeed referred to Alyssa. Macardil resisted sighing when he heard Alyssa had been restricted to one visit to her father, every month. The jailor did not know why. He had not asked. Going off his words, now, and the Steward's words just a moment before - Aderic's brother did not take kindly to people questioning him. "What happens," Macardil asked, slowly, "to people who ask too much of your Lord? What happens to those who question him?" He could not help but wonder, since two grown men seemed to be so scared of doing just that. What had they seen? What had they heard? Or had they, perhaps, experienced something themselves?

The name Menilzir gave him pause. Macardil recognized it as a name that had been subject to some discussion amongst the nobility of Belfalas. Both a long time ago, due to unfortunate events which transpired even Macardil had been born - as well as... more recently. That the farm in Anfalas had been bought for Aderic and his brother's parents, was rather interesting. "Your Lieutenant may wish to know this address," he mused, glancing up at Ziran and making eye contact with her. The conversation he had had with the blonde ranger came to mind, where she had mentioned she had been on the verge of verifying whether Aderic Androllius having a twin brother was indeed fact or fiction. Macardil was entirely unaware, however, whether the Ranger Lieutenant had already done so, in the meantime. While witnesses like Farchon and Bays may already be all the proof Arnyn might require, perhaps she would also be interested in the location of the parents. Who better to ask about a son, or twins - than the parents, after all?

When Aderic handed the deeds back to him, Macardil accepted them. As he listened to Aderic speaking of the 'Menilzir fellow', Macardil sought out some writing tools and proceeded to copy over the location of the farmlands, and adding in a small note to designate the location concerned the 'Androllius parents'.

The mention of a crime just over a year past, committed by both Menilzir and Aderic's brother, made Macardil's eyes narrow as he stared at the deed to the house in Dol Amroth. So the two had committed a crime together. And a few weeks later, Menilzir sold a house to Aderic's brother. Macardil frowned.

And then Ziran asked Aderic if he knew Hollin Menilzir. Whether he used any other names. And that she knew of the arrest of an Arkadhur, but not a Hollin Menilzir. Macardil's head tilted minutely. After which... After which Aderic confirmed that 'Arkadhur' was an alias that Menilzir used. And then they topped it all off - with Aderic referring to Cali Dringolben and Iole Ishen. Trevadir's friends. Macardil had heard all about that, from his young friend. An uncomfortable feeling ran down his spine, but he wiped a hand through his black hair, as if wiping it off him.

"So you are under investigation for the abduction of Iole and Cali," Macardil said slowly, still trying to make sense of it, "wherein they claimed you helped Menilzir - Arkadhur - Lowendir. And weeks later, your brother - Lord Ansellidus - purchased a house from Menilzir. In lands answering to Dol Amroth." Two thought lines appeared between his brows. "Payment?" he asked, looking to Ziran once again, to gather her opinion on the matter. "Or perhaps another cooperation, then?"

His gaze dropped back to the deed. "Perhaps this is where he placed Alyssa," he spoke, more out of hope than actually having a good reason to believe so. Then at least they might have a lead. Then at least... he could offer Halberion something.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
Thinnion, & others

Thinnion fidgeted at Macardil's question. "He is.. not the sort of person you want to anger," He began, trying to find the best way of putting it. "There have been.. severe punishments under his rule." He cleared his throat. "When he gives orders, he expects them to be followed, without question."

"That's true. He is certainly not known for leniency or mercy." Bays agreed, speaking up. "One of my men was.. suspected of something, a couple of years ago. The lord thought the fellow had been trying to make a move on his wife." He paused and looked uncomfortable. "He... um, well, his head is still on display, in one of the courtyards." He shifted. "As a reminder to everyone that she is off-limits."

Ric stared at the steward, then at the sergeant. Unbidden, his thoughts returned to that one room he had stumbled into. He shivered and tried to push away such thoughts, before it made him sick or something. He certainly didn't need that.

Instead, he tried to focus on the talk about Mar and Menilzir. That was a matter he did want to learn more about. Was that something which could help the case against Mar, rather than Ric? As Lady Himhathol mentioned Menilzir as being a double agent, Ric was not sure whether she was speaking of Menilzir, or Mar, when she spoke of 'him' possibly being further involved in things. For Ric was still learning more and more about the sort of things Mar had been involved in. And he knew practically nothing about Menilzir, aside from what he had just told them. After a moment, he decided perhaps she had meant Menilzir. The man was in custody though, as far as he knew, and he was sure that his colleagues back in the city would do a far better job of investigating his crimes than Ric had done.

"So you are under investigation for the abduction of Iole and Cali,"

The use of the young ladies' first names caught him by surprise. Because Ric had been careful to remain as professional as he could, and therefore that told him that this man was familiar with them, or at least with their names. He hesitated, glancing at Macardil, then back to Karis. How to reply to that? He took a slow breath in, trying his best not to let himself be nervous. But it was there. This could turn out badly for him. Or, it could turn out well. Either way, it seemed that he was going to have to tell them more. He just hoped he was making the right choice in doing so.

"I.. suppose maybe I am," He admitted quietly. "But it is... more complicated than that." He added, fearing they might insist on bringing him back to the city with them. Maybe, if he could explain, they might understand. "It is a bit of a lengthy explanation, but please hear me until the end." He asked, hoping he wasn't making a mistake by confiding in them.

"Just before I left the city, the man introduced to me as Lord Hollin Menilzir II had been incarcerated for the abduction of two young ladies, nearly a year prior. Calithildis Dringolben, and Iole Ishen." He added, since Macardil knew their names already. He sighed quietly. "There was no dispute as to his guilt in that. Ms. Dringolben was very... adamant about his involvement." He added, hesitating. He glanced at Macardil, but then focused his gaze mostly upon Lady Himhathol. As a ranger, he figured this information was most relevant to her. "She also filled out a report. A very lengthy report, which apparently vanished soon after it was written, which meant the matter ended up not being investigated." He frowned at that, wondering if Mar had a hand in it. "I recall very distinctly that she did make a report, though, because I was the one who was first sent to take her statement." He somehow managed not to make a face. "But she refused to speak to me, and was very... insistent that I leave the room, and demanded that I send another guard. So, I did." He sighed, recalling items being thrown at him by the furious smith to encourage his hasty exit. Even though she'd had to use her off-hand, she'd had far too good an aim for him to feel safe remaining in the room. He cleared his throat and steered himself back on track.

"During the course of the investigation, 'Lowendir' also became the prime suspect for the murder of a young man who had been killed years prior. Ms. Dringolben's brother, no less." He said quietly, finding it difficult to find the will to tell this tale. But he continued on to the more difficult part of it, since that was what was really relevant.

"I was involved in the investigation when it was brought back up, in the days following the man's arrest. But during the interviews of the witnesses and the suspect, it very quickly became apparent that I should not have been." He felt like a knot was tightening in his gut. Shifting with uneasiness, he hoped that it was not a mistake to tell any of this. "There were witnesses who insisted that.. I was present at the South Gate, at the time of the abduction. That I, apparently, was fully aware that Ms. Dringolben and Ms. Ishen were being smuggled out of the South Gate against their will, and yet did nothing to stop it. And that I, also, unlawfully detained two of their friends who might otherwise have been able to help them and prevent this from happening." He swallowed. "And then it gets even worse."

"This man, Menilzir, Lowendir, Arkadhur... whatever his name really is.. when it was his turn to be questioned, he claimed that I was the driving force behind his crimes. That I had committed the murder of Ryndir Dringolben, and I had practically hired him to abduct the two girls, and that I was the one who gave him the dagger to use to threaten them with. The weapon that had belonged to Ryndir... a case which had never been solved." He explained, unsure how well they were following it. He was trying to be clear in his explanation, but it was difficult without knowing what details were already known. "The suspect claimed that I had coerced him into doing all of these things, along with many others." Ric took a slow breath and sighed. "I'd never seen that man before in my life. It was the first I'd ever heard about any of these deeds which "I" had allegedly done. But, I didn't have to ask how that was possible." He concluded, dropping his gaze down to the floor, saddened, and half-fearing they might not believe him.

He looked up again, trying to finish his explanation. "I knew that I was nowhere near the vicinity where any of those things happened. I.. did have people who could verify that, but.." He frowned and briefly pondered the fact that both of those had since gone missing. First Reilly. Now, Alyssa. He tucked that thought away for later. "There was no doubt in my mind, anymore, about my brother being involved in criminal activity. I had suspected it for a long time, but I could never find proof." He gave a wry smile at the irony. "Now, at last, I had the proof I had been seeking, but it was pointed in the wrong direction." The thought of it still troubled him greatly, but there was no denying it. He frowned sorrowfully. "Unfortunately for me... no one will ever believe that I even have a brother, much less an identical twin. And.." He trailed off, not sure he wanted to go down that path. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face.

Instead of finishing that thought, he chose another. "With so many terrible accusations being hurled my way, and no way to make anyone believe my 'twin story'... I feared that I might end up incarcerated for his crimes, or worse... and then no one would know to be looking for another who looks exactly like me." He explained. "I knew I would never be able to convince anyone to even look for a twin. So, the only thing I could do.. was to go and find him myself, and bring him back to stand trial for his deeds." He took a deep breath. "I made a vow that I would not return to the city until I have my brother in custody. I.. was severely delayed, but I still intend to find him."

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Thinnion’s answer to Macardil about Amardir’s violent retribution for disobedience helped explain why there had been such complete capitulation by the regular staff in the castle, and added to the crimes the man had committed. When Macardil pointed out that Arnyn would like to know the location of the farm the parents lived on, Ziran nodded in agreement, and was pleased to see him noting down the information.

Stepping into the room after her reply to Aderic about the association of Hollin and Arkadhur, she no longer blocked the door, but still remained closer to the entrance than the desk. Macardil’s question to her about whether the property transfer in Dol Amroth lands was more likely to be in payment or as a guarantee of continued cooperation was a good one, but one she didn’t have a full answer to. Ziran met his gaze with consideration a moment before replying, as he looked back at the map. “Likely both payment and a gesture to promote further cooperation. Arkadhur was supposed to be in custody, but was transferred from Minas Tirith. I don’t know his disposition at this time. I do hope it will prove to be a lead to Alyssa.” It was better than the possible alternative, that he had sold his wife into slavery along with the others.

Listening to Aderic’s tale of events brought the report of the incident to Ziran’s mind, although the details conveyed to the majority of the Rangers had been very brief. She had also been preoccupied with other matters at the time between getting engaged and interrogating Shamara, and not too focused on matters that others had dealt with. Brief mental amusement at herself swelled, but she tried not to let it show as she refocused on the quite serious details that the man was sharing. They did fit with suppositions that Arnyn had shared that Aderic had a twin, now confirmed, standing in for him in matters that he did not know about. Ziran sighed quietly. The access of being a guard officer had given Aderic’s brother the ability to act with impunity while acting the part. Aderic’s vow to confront his brother had led to him being imprisoned himself, and left confusion in the city at his disappearance. His statement that no one would ever believe that he had an identical twin brought a slight frown to her face, and she lifted her chin slightly. “You have people here who can give testimony on your behalf of having seen both of you at once.” She nodded toward Thinnion, Bays, and Farchion. “It is no longer only the missing who have seen the two of you together, although it will help your case if we are able to find your brother and bring him to account for all his misdeeds in your name and in the name of Lord Ansellidus.”

Aware of the passage of time despite the important revelations in the office, Ziran walked over to stand beside Macardil to speak. “I think I should go check the gates for the arrival of our relief party.” She paused briefly, and then dropped her voice to a murmur for his ears alone. “When you are satisfied that we have found sufficient evidence, I think we should quit the castle and return to Halberion and the comforts of the Inn rather than staying here. We can talk things over there, but think on whether you want to send a messenger ahead to Minas Tirith and go seeking Alyssa immediately or first return with the news ourselves. We are not expected back in the city for another week.” She could provide a full enough report by letter for Captain Pele and Lieutenant Arnyn to be apprised of the situation before their return, although she didn’t like to trust all details to a messenger.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Macardil looked unimpressed when it was revealed that the 'Lord Ansellidus' had put one of the guards' head on display in a courtyard, because he'd thought the guard had tried to make a move on Alyssa. Nor did he show much of a reaction when it was revealed the head was still there. Years later.
It was... Unsavoury. Unnecessary. Cruel.

His attention shifted back to Aderic when he started explaining about the incident with Iole and Cali. Macardil could piece it together with what Trevadir had told him, and the story did make sense with the information he already had. Even though he knew next to nothing about this Lowendir-Arkadhur person. Other than what he had heard about his Menilzir alias, that was.

"What do you mean," Macardil asked the younger man, "that you had the proof but that it pointed in the wrong direction?" He was not quite following that line of thought. He also couldn't help the slight narrowing of his eyes when Aderic claimed no one would ever believe he had an identical twin. How pessimistic, after people had just put a weapon in his hand. He wanted to tell the man that he had ways now, but Ziranphel beat him to it, and Macardil shot an appreciative half smile at her even as she was walking toward him. When she lowered her voice to speak to him, he leaned his head down slightly to make that easier for her, and nodded briefly. She wanted to leave this place, that much was clear. "I simply do not wish to miss anything that could point us to Alyssa's location," he replied quietly, the words also solely meant for her.

And so, that is what Macardil proceeded to do. He combed through anything and everything he thought might be relevant, both for his wife's sake - proof Ansellidus needed to be removed - and for Alyssa's and Halberion's sake.

Some information, he copied over. Most useful things, however, he packed away. The reason why he had taken an empty pack with him into the castle, was thus made very clear.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
Thinnion, & others

Ric looked up from the paper he had been examining when Lady Himhathol mentioned that Arkadhur had been transferred from Minas Tirith. "Transferred? To where?" He asked, surprised by this news. When he had left the city, the man had recently been rushed to the houses of healing, but Ric had thought he was supposed to remain in custody in Minas Tirith. Partly to stand trial for his own crimes, but also, partly, to give his testimony, or something like that.

While he was thinking about testimonies, the lady brought up the fact that the people here could testify on Ric's behalf, concerning his situation. He glanced at her, then at the sergeant and others in question. "I suppose they could, now." He agreed softly. "But at the time I left the city..." He shook his head, sighing. "Alyssa was not missing, then." He reminded them. "There were also many servants here, at that time. People who had seen me come and visit with my brother and his wife. But none of them were in Minas Tirith, which is where these things were being investigated. It wasn't until after I came here that.. everyone here who knew about me began to disappear." He added softly, then paused, thinking about Alyssa. "I knew that Alyssa, at least, could confirm my identity, but she wouldn't have been willing to leave here, and come to Minas Tirith." He sighed. "Though, at the time I didn't know why." Now that they had discovered that her father had been held prisoner in the dungeon here, it seemed to explain a few things to Ric, anyway. She must have been afraid of what would happen to her father if she left...

He was going to add something else, but Lord Himhathol's question stopped him. He hesitated. "Well, 'proof' may not be the correct word," He amended. "Witness' testimonies, more like. But that was the proof that I needed, to be certain that my brother was definitely involved in criminal activity." He explained. "Everyone who offered a testimony to the crimes my brother has committed.. their testimonies all pointed to me, not him. Because they either don't know that he exists, or... they do know, and wanted to implicate me, rather than him." He looked down as he wondered whether this Hollin fellow was in the latter category. "I had my suspicions about some things, but.. I wasn't prepared for the full scale of it all." He shook his head slightly.

As for the lady mentioning it would help his case if they could bring Mar in, Ric nodded slightly. "Bringing him in, to account for his crimes, is what I still intend to do." He declared quietly. "I did not know, when I left the city, when I made that vow, that I would end up meeting either of you, nor them," He motioned to the others waiting outside the office. "I certainly had no idea I would meet Lord Veranis, and I didn't know that there would be anyone here willing to confirm that Mar and I are two separate people." He hesitated. "To be honest, after... about twenty years of being ridiculed for trying to make anyone believe me, I had simply given up on trying to explain to anyone that I have a brother, because they always simply accuse me of lying." He admitted, and sighed. "I made my vow, and I intend to keep it... if I am permitted." He added with an uncertain glance at the lord and lady. His fate would seem to be in their hands, now. He had no horse, as well as no forestry skills to speak of. It wasn't like he could expect to take off and avoid being found, by a ranger of all people.

While the lord and lady spoke among themselves in quieter tones than he could hear, Ric focused on looking through some ledgers and things of that sort. Most of it seemed irrelevant, but he wasn't certain, so he tried not to miss anything. But it seemed evident that everyone else was ready to go, and personally, he wasn't too eager to spend much more time in this place than he must, either. So he tried to be quicker as he went through papers, occasionally offering something to Lord Himhathol to look at, to see if he thought it important, and so on.

---

|
Lord Halberion Veranis & Taendis
Town of Imloth Melui, Lossarnach
Late Dec

The carriage encountered no problems during the trip down to the town, and enabled both liberated prisoners to rest for the duration of the trip. Not that Taendis needed very much rest, for she had not been held captive very long, and had been treated well. Hal, on the other hand, still had a long road of recovery in rebuilding his muscles and stamina, so it was good to be able to rest before they reached the town. It was also nice to be able to look at the scenery as they went, and to enjoy the feel of fresh air and sunlight, even if the air was cold with winter's frost.

It seemed not to take long before they were drawing up in front of the guard's headquarters in the town. The seamstress exited the carriage first, glancing around, and then aided the malnourished man from the carriage. At least, as much as he would allow her to help him. Hal didn't like having to have help for such a simple task as getting out of a carriage, but... he did not yet have his balance, nor the strength or coordination that was required. Once on the ground, he was able to stand well enough. Walking was more of a challenge, but he managed, while Taendis hovered nearby, clearly expecting to have to support him with each step. Hal kept his head held high as they made their way into the guard's building.

Fortunately, given Hal's condition, combined with both of their tales, it did not take much convincing at all for the guard's captain to believe them. Not long after they had gone to speak with the man, a small force of guard soldiers was setting off for the castle with orders to aid Lord and Lady Himhathol in any way they required.

While those guards were heading up the road to the castle, Hal and Taendis continued to the nearby inn to procure a couple of rooms so they could both clean up while they waited for the others to rejoin them. Fortunately, the innkeeper knew Taendis well enough to accommodate them, and he provided them each with a room. Hal was very glad for a chance to take a hot bath and clean away the dirt and grime of the dungeon, for he had not wanted to put on the borrowed clothing from Macardil until he had a chance to clean up. The whole time, however, he was waiting anxiously for Macardil to return with news of whatever he may have found out.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn , @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

A hitched up shoulder and tilt of her head had been Ziran’s only response to Aderic’s exclamation about Arkadhur’s transfer. She didn’t know where, or what happened to him afterwards. That was the officer’s problem. Neither could she give a response to his statement that he couldn’t have known anything that had happened was going to happen after explaining that evidence had pointed to him rather than his brother, and she sighed internally. None of them could really have predicted the recent events or finding that Halberion lived or that Alyssa was missing after finding out she was alive. It seemed disingenuous to continue down the rabbit hole of explanations.

Ziran was in agreement with Macardil’s desire to find every bit of information possible on Alyssa’s disposition and whereabouts. “Of course. Let me know when you are ready.” She nodded, returning Macardil’s slight smile, and placed her hand on his arm briefly, before stepping back and letting the men continue their search. If he didn’t want to give her the key and have them split up, she wouldn’t impede the progress. Even though she wanted to leave soon, she didn’t want them to miss anything. It pleased her to see that Macardil’s pack quickly filled with papers and notes.

When it appeared that they had searched through the entirety of the office, Ziran turned to Thinnion. “Thank you for your forbearance as we upended this space to find what we require. We will leave you to write your own statements and put the affairs of the castle and lands in order. Once you are finished with your written statements, please send them to the inn by way of one of the guards. You may expect messages from us or the royal court as to what to do going forward, and let us know immediately if Ansellidus is sighted here again.”

Having said her part, she left the office and retraced their steps back to the courtyard, letting the others follow as they may. She wanted to be ready to greet the guards on their arrival, let them in and hand over responsibilities for the castle security so that they could continue to the Inn, see how Halberion fared, and find rest themselves.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Aderic's words replayed through his head more than once. 'Bringing him in, to account for his crimes, is what I still intend to do.' And: 'I made my vow, and I intend to keep it... if I am permitted.' He'd seen the younger man's doubtful look at Ziran and himself.

Macardil quite understood the reasons for that look. For he truly was not at all sure whether he would be willing to let Aderic Androllius simply walk away. Even if Macardil believed he was not the man whom had abducted Eryn, given the lack of the necessary scarring on both arms - problems could still present themselves if they let him go freely.
For, even if the man was innocent of all crimes - which was no guarantee, but all Macardil now knew and had seen did suggest it was true - Ziran was a Ranger of Gondor. She knew Lieutenant of the Guard Aderic Androllius was being investigated, and that he had run. And thus that he was wanted by the Guard, for questioning. And to be held until the investigation was completed. In addition - he himself was a Lord of Gondor. He, too, had a responsibility of sorts - albeit predominantly within his own lands, not here - to help safeguard the King's lands, to whatever extent he had the means to do so.

Then again, if Aderic could not come with them willingly, they would also have to restrain and guard him. An approach on which Lord Himhathol was not at all keen, since the evidence pointed to Aderic's innocence.

At last, Macardil trusted they had gone through everything they could, inside of the office. No words were required for Ziranphel to take note, and Macardil's lips curled faintly when she addessed the castle's steward. Macardil left their Minas Tirith address with Thinnion. So that he might also send words of 'Ansellidus' - but more importantly, to Macardil at least, about Alyssa... should that be the case, at some point.

The group left the office. Macardil's pack was full, and even though no obvious path to Alyssa had been found, perhaps Halberion could put a few more things together from the documents Macardil had collected. Other than the address and the sale details of that property in the fiefdom of Dol Amroth. On their way to the gate, Macardil stepped close to his wife and handed her the key to the gate. "All yours," he told her, his voice low, meant only for her. He was proud of how she was handling herself with such confidence. Not that it was in any way a surprise, given everything he knew about Karis Ziranphel.

The transfer of the keys and the 'delivery', so to speak, of the castle into the hands of the guards, went rather smoothly. As much as Macardil had looked forward to entering the castle, earlier - he was now looking forward to arriving at the inn. Where one of his oldest and very best friends would be waiting. Alive.

Oh, how he wished to speak with Halberion.
And how he wished for a moment alone with his lady wife, even before that.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen

Dolûzor Solis, idling at an inn
In Imloth Melui, Lossarnach
End of December.

The people here believed he was a messenger. He had done all that he could to encourage that assumption. It was the most convenient alibi for all the coming and going, all the interest in peoples’ affairs. Of course he scarce had to even try to ‘investigate’ a thing, in this saccharine little settlement to learn about the people here. They were very open with gossip and rumour, and ultimately he had enjoyed the last few months loitering in such climes. Telling tall tales of scandalous affairs of people the locals had never met in person, it was a pastime.

He had also let them believe that he was Gondorian. Had perfected a believable accent. Not that the sleepy-minded vales folk here really contemplated much about Umbar, nor considered it’s influence. This was the place where the folk of Minas Tirith had sent their elderly, infirm, and infants, in times of war. It was a safe place, sheltered by mountains, watered by natural neighbouring rivers, fragranced by the incessant perfume of so many flowers, he was half convinced he had caught the sneezing disease.


There was nothing of this sort of lazy natural aroma back in Umbar. Harlond had been closer to home, with the fishing imports and the endless motley crew of vessels who crowded about her dock. Men there stumbled off their deck straight into the nearest inn. But it was no longer safe for him in Harlond. His work, as look-out for the chandlery, had been rendered superfluous since Nâluthor had led a troop of Rangers there, upon his wild goose hunt. The ambush had not gone the way they had all hoped. It had been precarious before, when the Belfalasians had regularly chanced by to ‘check’ the building was as abandoned as they had gone to great pains to have it appear. A clever, alert lookout could always give the smugglers a heads up. But the ambush .. his comrades within had already been aware that their company was coming. They had been supposed to subdue them … Instead they had clearly underestimated them.

And then the debacle back at Lond Col after that .. It had been a few months now of things going far from the way his people had hoped. Half of his old ship mates were now kicking back up at the castle, living it up. Safe behind their walls, unsupervised since Nâluthor had departed. But he was not allowed to venture up there. He was not to have anybody associate him with the castle, or the ‘lord’ there, or any of it. He was supposed to be the one who nobody knew to consider as anything to do with any of that. And as long as he could skulk about in the inn, without anyone to question his true cause for always being there, or not there; he was answerable to no one. And a considerable wad of coin was delivered to where he knew to collect it, regular. Just in case. He was the ‘just in case’ man.


So when the raucous started up out in the street, with men heading up to the castle, Doluzor did not consider hastening up the road to warn his countrymen. He did not even sit up in his seat. It was already too late for them and a man did not survive in this world by getting involved without proper incentive. It was about to be Harlond .. all over again ..

He did not recognise Taendis or Halberion when the pair entered the very same inn where he was nursing a long drink. Thankfully there was no reason why they ought to recognise him either. So when the innkeeper greeted the woman by name, the Umbarian drank deep, rather than risk any hint of recognition at hearing that name. For her face he might not know, but that name … He had heard that name .. Lowering his glass, the ‘messenger’ took his dark gaze out of the window where the party had already set up toward the Castle. Looks like a case of ‘just in case’, he realised. Already not anticipating being the bearer of bad news, yet again.


After the two newest guests made their way up to their assigned rooms, the Umbarian gave it a moment, to be sure the men heading up to the castle would not see him leaving, if they chanced a quick look back. He stood, paid his tab, and waved his farewells as he always did before setting out with a message. And then took to his black horse from the stable, and away. He could make it to the Captain before dark. Whatever was happening here, he did not intend to stay around and realise first hand. His meagre belongings were ever packed and ready to ride, so ride he did. And as the thought struck him that he may never see the pretty valley again, he could not say that he would mind all that much. There would be some other use for him. They always thought of some use to be found for him. And as long as they were paying, as long as he did not have to risk his neck, he would happily oblige. His latest message would be on it's way to Nâluthor before anyone thought to wonder quite who the messenger even worked for exactly. There had been too many tall tales and grand rumours falling eagerly from his lips, to keep anyone from ever asking him that over the last few months. And now they'd never get another chance. Hopefully he would ...

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
Thinnion, & others

The staff of the castle who had sided with the 'invaders' remained waiting outside the office while the others searched. Bays, guarding the corridor, while also keeping an eye on Farchon. The latter tried to be useful by watching down the other direction of the corridor. While Thinnion waited against the wall by the door, not making any protest about those searching the office. He was quite relieved, in fact, that things might finally be put right. Something he had not dared hope for in a long time.

When they were finally done, he nodded in reply to the lady's words. "Of course, my lady." He answered, with a bow of his head. "I will certainly do my best," He promised, although he hesitated at the mention of Ansellidus being sighted here again. If that happened, Thinnion might not live long enough to send a message, but he kept that thought to himself. "I will certainly do my best." The steward promised, as their address in Minas Tirith was left with him.


As for Ric, he remained quiet as he and Macardil continued searching the office, until it was evident that they had searched it well enough. For now, nothing more was said concerning his own situation. Still, knowing what he probably would do in their position, he had a feeling in his gut that he knew what they were going to insist on doing, and that made his heart sink a little with disappointment. If they chose otherwise, he would be surprised, but he doubted it.

He remained quiet as they exited the castle. A group of guards could be seen coming up the road, approaching the gates as they arrived. Since the lady now had the key, it was logical that she would be the one to go and greet them and let them inside, and probably also give them instructions on what needed to be done. Meanwhile, Ric quietly undid the sword belt, then turned to Macardil. He held up the sheathed sword, offering the weapon back to him now that there was no longer any need for Ric to aid them in defense. "Thank you." He said softly, with a small hesitation before adding, "for allowing me to assist." He wanted to express how much he truly appreciated the lord extending even a small level of trust to him, but now that the true guards had arrived, Ric realized that he had no need to continue carrying the weapon. Besides, he half-assumed that he would soon be taken into custody, so he wanted to make it clear that he did not intend to try and fight them if they did.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn, @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach to Imloth Melui - Late December

Reaching the open air was bracing, but a relief after spending that length of time in doors. It was good to be outside again, despite the cold breeze that blew across the mountain now that the sun was well past its zenith and it was undeterred by the castle walls. Ziran took a moment to breathe in the crisp air to drive away the more stale scent of indoors, and her adrenaline had lowered enough to have her fastening the top of her coat back up where she had loosened it to keep cool in the somewhat warmer confines of the building. When the others caught up to her in the courtyard, Macardil stepped up beside her and slipped her the key with quiet words that brought a slight smile that she turned to him before continuing on to the gate. “Thank you, Hervenn.” Her soft words were a murmur.

The outer gates past the bridge had remained open at the departure of the carriage, and thus the first outriders of the guard sent up from the main town of Imloth Melui were able to meet her at the inner gate shortly after she unlocked it and swung it open. More men arrived shortly after on foot, having taken a wagon to the foot of the mount and then decided that it was easier on the mules, and faster, for them to walk up. Following the guard was their carriage driver, having swapped horses for the return journey to the castle. The work of climbing the mountain and carrying passengers the long miles up and down the mountain had been tiring for the solo mare. After greeting the guardsmen and receiving a brief report from the driver, she found that the outgoing party had gone on past the first village and returned to the larger town where they had stayed the night before. There, they had found the guard captain quite willing to send a squad of his troops to their aid, as well as a double handful of men that were part of the local militia who bravely volunteered to accompany them. Ziran thanked them all for being willing to give aid and face an unknown number within the walls. She explained the disposition of the castle, the cooperation of the Steward, and the number of prisoners they would need to guard, before handing over the key to the guard sergeant. Several of the militiamen decided to stay and assist with doing a full sweep of the castle, while others chose to return to their homes and occupations now that the immediate threat was over, leaving around twenty in total to hold the fortress.

From her discussions with the guardsmen, which had ended in a smooth transition of responsibility, Ziran spoke to Bays and Farchion briefly. “We will be taking the carriage and our horses down to the Inn and proceeding from there. If you still desire to go to Minas Tirith, there is room in the carriage for you. Otherwise, you may stay and assist the Imloth Melui guards and Steward Thinnion in their duties, as you both know the castle well, provided that you hold to your oaths to act rightly from here on out. The guard sergeant has been informed both of your previous complicity and the aid that you have rendered since.”

Ziran hadn’t exactly ignored the import of Aderic’s earlier look of uncertainty, despite not answering his question of whether he would be allowed to pursue his brother. She had learned long ago not to dwell overly much on questions that couldn’t be answered quite yet. They didn’t have all the information they needed to be able to pursue the man’s twin immediately, unless there were further clues to be gleaned from Halberion once they returned to the inn. Aderic would need to come with them that far at least, and likely have to delay his quest by coming with them. Since she had reason to want to see the man brought to justice as well, she didn’t see cause to completely thwart his desires, but he couldn’t be allowed to pursue them alone. Now, she turned to him. “Aderic, I would ask that you come with us under your own recognizance and assist us, and I will do my best to speak for you in Minas Tirith. Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to leave on your own, but you need not be restrained. We would also appreciate your help in figuring out the location of Alyssa and your brother. Let us work together.” She paused briefly to let him think on that. “Our driver will provide transport for you in the carriage since your horse has gone missing.” With a nod, she turned to the stables to tack up and retrieve her bay mount and Macardil’s Nightshade, trusting her husband would be able to deal with any issues that arose if he chose to protest.

It didn’t take long to outfit the horses and get the carriage turned around, and they started out with good will to be gone. The ride down to the village and then past that to the town and Inn where they had started their journey that morning was a welcome one. Ziran felt the tension in her muscles slowly ease as they put distance between them and the castle walls. The day had been a shock for many different reasons. There had been violence, though no death, and the distinct possibility of not living through the day, considering their number. There had been both joyous and bitter revelations, reunions, and more mysteries to solve. She knew that Macardil would want to reunite with his dear friend Halberion and catch up on all that they had missed the past few years, and she also found herself curious about the man she had heard him talk about, but she also knew she wouldn’t fully relax until she’d had a quiet moment with him alone to recenter. Thus,as often as she looked out on the scenery around them and the vistas that it provided, her gaze found him as they rode along.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

When Ziran spoke to Farchon and Bays, Macardil looked at Bays and gave him a little nod. The offer Macardil had made him, still stood - in case the sergeant was wondering.

Macardil had accepted the sword from Aderic. The young man was staying true to his word, for now. He did not seem to have so much as a smidgen of recalcitrance. It would likely have led to suspicion in most cases. But Macardil knew a thing or two about having been in a position of authority and... well. Their situations were very different. But there was still a vague similarity which the lord of Belfalas could not deny. Aderic looked like a man resigned to his fate. Whatever that may end up being.

It was no surprise when Ziran told Aderic she could not allow him to leave by himself. Honestly, it was a relief that the decision was not his to make. Macardil sought to ever so slightly soften that blow. "I can speak for you as well. At the very least you will be cleared from any blame in one of the cases that has been laid at your feet." The abduction of Erynneth Raedor. "And if the Sergeant is accompanying us - you will have a testimony to the existence of your twin. The Ranger Lieutenant already suspected as much, as well. She mentioned something to me about how she would be sure of it 'soon enough'. Perhaps you will be lucky. Perhaps that time has already come." Macardil had no idea what the Minas Tirith Guard would do with all of this - the Guard had always operated so differently from the Ithilien Rangers, in his experience. The Guard were rather more sticklers for protocol.

He was glad to mount Nightshade - and glad to head toward the inn. His first order of business would be to acquire a room for his wife and himself, and to take a moment to gather himself.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic
Sgnt Bays, & Farchon

Once they reached the gates, it all went fairly smoothly, as the guards from Imloth Melui took charge of guarding the prisoners, both Umbarian and northern. And now that they were there, Bays was leaning more toward staying, after all. His reason for asking to come along, before, had been out of fear of what would happen to him when the lord returned. But, now, with the change in guard, he felt less afraid of staying here. Still, he wanted to take a moment to think about it before he decided for certain.

Farchon was undecided about whether to stay or not. At the first, he had not expected these people to be truthful about their intentions, given his previous experiences with the young lord running the castle, but it was now clear that they were not like him at all. He did have a family who lived in the village at the base of the castle, which he would not want to leave behind to face any possible consequences in the event the lord returned. And he did not think everyone would be able to travel in the carriage being offered, so he eventually decided that it might be best if he simply went home and began preparing to move to another city where they would be safe from him.

As for Ric, he was expecting them to take him into custody, so he was inwardly surprised when the lady turned to him and asked that he come along of his own accord, and assist them. That he needn't be restrained. Although she soon followed with words he had expected, that she could not allow him to go on his own. While he was very disappointed to hear this confirmed, he was relieved that he would not be put in restraints like a criminal. Even if he was sure he would be seen as such, in Minas Tirith. The promise that she would speak for him was a little unexpected, however. He glanced at Lord Himhathol when he spoke up with the same promise, and offered a tiny smile of appreciation to them both.

He was further surprised though, to hear that the ranger lieutenant already suspected he had a twin. He blinked and looked curiously at the man, upon hearing that. He had, of course, seen the woman around the city before. She was well known by sight among the guards in the city, and several of his colleagues were familiar with her. But personally, Ric wasn't sure he had ever spoken to her, nor vice versa.

The part that Macardil added about the sergeant made Ric think of something, and he glanced at Bays, then at Farchon. "I... I would also suggest that Farchon could offer a testimony as well," He mentioned in a quiet voice, as the former jailor glanced up, at hearing his name mentioned. Ric addressed him directly, then. "Your testimony could be very useful, concerning what leverage was used to make you comply with my brother's demands, and what your job as jailor involved." He remembered him saying something about how he had never wanted that job, and that he had been glad for an excuse to offer his prisoner more food on a regular basis, or something like that. So, if he would be willing to testify that Mar had forced his cooperation with threats to himself or his family, it would help strengthen the case against Mar. And, probably, help Farchon's case in the process. In any case, Ric knew the guards would definitely want all the testimonies they could get.

Farchon hesitated, thinking about that, then he slowly nodded. "I suppose I could do that, but not right away. I must first check on my family, and then... we will all come to Minas Tirith. As soon as possible." He promised.

Bays spoke up with his own decision, then. "I'll stay for a while to help these guards from the town." He declared. "They'll need someone familiar with the castle, I reckon. And, I do have one or two loyal men still working under me, so I think we'll be alright even if he does come back." He hoped so, anyway. "But, once everything's in order, if you need my testimony, you'll have it." He promised Ric. "

Ric nodded slightly in gratitude for that, but he also wasn't sure how convincing it would be, if someone was very set against believing his story. He'd had plenty of experience with being called a liar on this very matter, and he could see where any one of the Five would simply claim that he'd paid the guy to lie for him. That was a huge part of why he did not want to come back to Minas Tirith, of course. Not to mention that he would be all the further behind on his search, and that he would likely become a prisoner there... but there was a sliver of hope, when the lady asked that he help them, and work with them to find Alyssa and Mar. Ric had been contemplating that even after she had went off to the stable. He hadn't had much luck on his own. In fact, if he'd learned anything over the past few months, it was that he was no good at this sort of thing. He desperately needed help, but until now, there had been no one to turn to for it. At least, even if he was arrested and locked up, someone else would be out there looking for them both. Which reminded him... there was another matter he'd like to bring up, too. But he supposed it could wait until they had gotten inside and warmed up.

Ric turned to Macardil, since the lady had gone to get their horses. "As for me," with a little sigh, he addressed the question of whether he would come willingly or not. "I hate to be forced to break a vow, but it's clear that I have no choice in this." He felt his heart sinking as he spoke. "It would be extremely foolish of me to try and run away," He pointed out quietly. "I have no horse, and no supplies, nor any weapons." Not to mention no cloak or coat or anything, nor any of the skills one would need to avoid being captured by a skilled ranger such as these two. He was shivering by now, after spending so long out in the cold without any sort of cold weather gear, but since he had chosen to give his cloak to another, he had made no complaints about being cold.

There was nothing else left then, but to get in the carriage while they were mounting their horses. That, too, made him sad. He had no idea where Lady was anymore, and he had no idea if she was alright, or if she had been moved to somewhere else, or if she had perished, or what. While he was upset at the loss of his horse, at least riding in the carriage, he could be shielded from the freezing wind, which was worse up here in the mountains than it would be down in the valley. Before getting into the carriage, however, Ric remembered his things that he had left in the stable, so he went to retrieve them. As promised, he dug out the key to his apartment, and offered that to Macardil before getting into the carriage, so they could begin their journey down to Imloth Melui. He tried to find some positive thing about it, and all he could think of was that at least once they had arrived there, they should be able to warm up after the long, cold trip down the mountain.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn , @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Imloth Melui- Late December

The sun was sending the warm golden beams of the last hour before setting past the mountains at the far end of the valley when they reached the town that Ziran and Macardil had left early that morning. The various militia that had returned split off to go to their own homes, and the horses and carriage returned to the same Inn that they had stayed at the night before. Their steady driver had thought it best to stick with what they knew after how well the place had welcomed and provided for them already, and had trusted them to care for Halberion. When he reserved the room for Lord Veranis on the Himhathol name, he had forewarned the innkeeper that there was a chance that the Lord and Lady would be returning that night and want rooms as well. Thus, when they drew to a halt the stablehands were quick to move to help with the horses, and they were quickly assured that rooms were available.

The rooms were on the upper level toward the back, and at Ziran’s request, they would send up hot water to each for cleaning up, followed by a meal for themselves, Halberion, and Aderic, to be set in a small drawing room at the front above the main gathering space. Their driver preferred to join the common room once again, and parted ways after they dealt with the horses and shared their thanks for his lengthy and patient service that day.

Ziran had felt the fatigue of the day in each step up the staircase following Macardil with her weaponry and saddlebag slung over her shoulder. A long ride in the cold, a brief fight, and the tension of the search each compounded the weariness, but she knew that warmth, and food, and the opportunity to find more answers in conversation, would each revive her. A young serving man turned from leaving a steaming bucket of hot water by each of their doors and gave them a nod as he returned downstairs, Ziran giving him a slight smile and nod of thanks as they passed in the corridor. The closest numbered door was for Aderic, followed by Halberions’ already occupied room, and the furthest was for Macardil and Ziran. They would reconvene at the front room by the stairs in half an hour for the food that had been promised from the kitchen.

The sounds from below, the clatter of the kitchen and the dull murmur of conversation from the common room, were muted more by each step they took away from the stairs, but were almost completely shut out once they entered the room and swung the door shut. She felt her shoulders relax at the reprieve from the outside world, and transferred the objects she carried to the pegs by the door as well as her outer layers before reaching a hand out to her husband with a quiet smile. “Here we are again. Still alive. Steadfast.”

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
Ansellidus estate in Lossarnach - Late December

Macardil carried most of the bags they would require, up to the room. The fact his wife was carrying her own saddlebag did not sit well with him - it defied the manners which had been drilled into him and had evolved into instinct. He had to firmly remind himself that Ziran was not the kind of lady he had been raised to expect as his wife. Besides, his own hands, arms and back were already occupied.

His blue eyes lingered on the door which led to Halberion's room as they passed it. Now he was no longer actually laying eyes upon his friend, it was almost difficult to imagine he was alive. After believing he had perished for years... A frown mastered his features as he stepped inside the room which would be Ziran's and his. He almost unceremoniously dropped the bags near the door, before bringing in the hot water. Macardil was thus still wearing his winter outerwear when Ziran reached out to him.

His smile showed his appreciation at her words - but the expression was nonetheless faint. "So we are," he said quietly. It took him a moment, but then he stepped to her and enveloped her in his arms. Eyes closed, he searched to reclaim his emotional balance from the steady woman in his arms. "It..." He did not finish the sentence. "He is alive, Ziran," he whispered. "I cannot believe he is alive. Part of me still expects to wake at any given moment."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Aderic

The carriage ride was long, and quiet. Ric had plenty of time to think about everything that had happened, and everything that was likely to happen. He didn't expect a warm welcome for himself, back in the city. He was not looking forward to it at all. He also began wondering what he was going to do in the meanwhile, as far as sleeping and eating. He had no money with him, since any money he'd brought along with him had been gone when he woke up in the castle's guest room months ago. Which meant that he couldn't pay for a meal, much less a room. At least he was able to get inside and warm up, for which he was very glad.

It was a surprise, therefore, to learn that the Himhathols had procured a room for him. He hadn't even considered asking if they would help him with that. Not only a room, either, but a meal. He could think of nothing to say, except for 'thank you'.

The hot water was very nice, and Ric was happy to be able to wash up after all the events of the day. Ric was also glad for the chance to finally change out of the castle guard's uniform he had borrowed earlier, and into the spare set of clothes he had packed before making his escape earlier. It felt like it had been ages ago, by now. He felt as if weeks had passed since he'd escaped from the guest quarters which had become his prison, and had fought his way out of the courtyard and through the gate. Or over the gate, more like. He sighed as he looked out of the window after getting changed, and wondered what would happen, now.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn, @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Imloth Melui - Late December

Macardil’s pause with that faint smile on his face had her wondering what was weighing on him, but it was only a long moment before he moved to wrap her in his embrace rather than taking her hand. She returned his hug firmly, sensing from his manner that he needed it, and acknowledging within herself that she did as well. Turning her head slightly to breathe him in, her own eyes closed for a moment as she slowly felt herself relax, and she listened quietly to his halting words of wonder, soon shifting a hand to move up and down in a soothing gesture on his back despite the layers of his clothing. It tugged at her heart to hear the tone in his voice, and reminded her of his first days of freedom, when it was a wonder to be no longer relegated to darkness.

“Aye.” Her reply was quiet. “Beyond our hopes since hearing of Alyssa. He is alive. And you are most definitely awake.” She smiled with those last words, and he would have heard it in her voice, before she stated again more seriously. “I am glad for you despite the renewed grief for years and lives lost. He has been returned to you, and hope remains that we may yet find Alyssa.” She paused for a long moment before murmuring. “What a day it has been.”

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

Unalmis Raxëlilta, set on a meeting and a mission
In the Pelennor Fields, Dec 30th

The usual vivid palette of the Pelennor’s warm hues had been acutely blanched by the season. Though the crunch of hardened grass out in the fields had proven much kinder to his horse’s tread than the treacherous glassy floor of city cobbles. The barren sky encouraged any who had wandered out to observe her that, in fact, staying warm, inside, might have been a more comfortable prospect. But as Baran idled close at hand, shifting weight from one leg to another, Unalmis was too engaged in watching his warm breath dance into notice when it was expelled, and slowly dissipated after in the frigid air.

Gathering small dregs of wood was the meaningful pastime he took to next, for else sitting on the convenient fallen log was only a reminder of how cold his bones could feel. Waiting. A small, controlled blaze would not only aid the joys of the food he had brought, but also alert his expected company to where they might find him.


Nal had invited Xyler with the understanding that Hadassa might come with as well. His pair of Rohir friends did seem to be joined at the hip, and the Gondorian did not disapprove. Particularly since more than one opinion might prove useful to him on this matter. And it was this matter indeed which had seen him draw his friends out to where they might not be overheard easily. The opportunity for the two equestrian experts, or so he assumed, to exercise their own four-legged friends had not been overlooked, and it was for the sake of unknown horses, that he had not brought Hattie out with him either. If he had taken the time to think upon it much, Nal might have pondered how both Eryn and Hattie seemed to be always out from the farm before he arrived lately.

There was more than one thing upon his mind, and most especially throughout the course of this week. So that he was anticipating his company for more cause than simply .. company.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Pele Alarion

|
Xyler | Dusty
Pelennor Fields, Dec 30th

The streets had not proved very friendly to horse's hooves, and it had taken them a while to navigate a route that Dusty was willing to take. The horse had discovered that the sloping streets were far too easy to slip and slide on, which of course made him nervous about walking on the smooth cobblestones. He normally lived in a field, so these conditions were all strange to him.

Xyler was also still fairly new to horse ownership, and he wasn't really sure how to convince his mount that the streets were safe to walk on. So, they'd picked their way along as well as they could, sticking to parks whenever possible so that Dusty could avoid the "scary" cobblestones. And when there was no other choice but to walk on it, he tossed his head in refusal until Xyler gave him no choice, then picked his way along with almost comical dramaticness. Fortunately, they only had one level to navigate, and then they were out in the Pelennor.

Xyler sighed in relief as they passed through the gates. Dusty immediately went for the first cluster of frost-covered grass he saw, and tried to munch on it. While his horse was standing still, Xyler used the opportunity to pull himself up into the saddle. "Alright, come on now." Pulling his head up away from the grass, the healer apprentice urged his horse into a walk. He was glad to have a chance to get out and practice his riding, while also giving Dusty a chance to work off some energy. Meanwhile, Xyler also hadn't had much chance to talk to Nal or spend much time with him, since arriving in Minas Tirith, so he was glad to get a chance to hang out.

The ranger was, unsurprisingly, doing a ranger-ish thing when he located him. Before Xyler was near enough to call out a greeting, Dusty let out a neigh of excitement upon seeing another horse in the distance, picking up his pace to get there sooner. Xyler held onto the saddle as they drew nearer more swiftly, then pulled back on the reins to slow him to a more manageable pace. Smiling, once he had his horse under control, he carefully moved the reins into one hand, and raised the other in a wave. "Hello!" He called out cheerfully as he got within hailing distance.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

Unalmis Raxëlilta, with Xyler
In the Pelennor Fields, Dec 30th

A brief exertion with one foot had disturbed enough of the stiff cold grass to reveal the dirt resting beneath it. Once Unalmis had exhumed enough of a small space to accommodate the firewood he’d gathered, he sat upon the knobbled log, lazily flinging the short pieces of wood unto their assignment, just as soon as his small hatchet had split each bony wooden length in half. It was the best way he knew to get straight to the drier portion of the wood, which would burn more easily. It was also an easy way of keeping himself busy while he waited. But a sound come from not his horse made the young Ranger glance up and return his friend’s wave. Realising that his wait was over.


“Hail, horse master !” Nal then grinned, rising to greet the Rohir who approached. Slighting his gaze upwards required a slight squint against the brightest pale sky the day could provide them. “Look at you, finding me, without a map or anything ! We’ll make a Ranger of you yet. Or did your friend there smell the apples which I’ve hid from mine ?”

The Gondorian subsided his converse into an exaggeration of a whisper as the other drew closer, allowing for his friend to dismount before he wiped his dirty hand across one hip and offered it in a gesture of welcome. “I wasn’t sure you’d be brave enough to venture out, in such climes,” he admitted, now that it was clear his fellow was indeed bold enough. “Good air out here though, crisp and fresh. Sit !” he indicated the log, sheathed the hatchet’s small blade with it’s leather cap and leaned back.


“That’s Baran,” he introduced his horse companion. “Named because .. well he’s brown, really. But the elvish name gives him delusions of grandeur,” Nal explained without being asked to. “Thanks for coming out here,” A slow glance about reminded him that the fire required lighting still. “I realise my message might have been a little .. curious,” he admitted, first.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Pele Alarion

|
Xyler | Dusty
Pelennor Fields, Dec 30th

Xyler snorted at the term 'horse master'. "I'm pretty sure you're horsemanship skills are much higher than mine, Nal." He laughed, looking around for a place to tie his horse. "I think Dusty was excited to make a new friend." He added, leading his horse over to greet the other. "Though, I'm sure he'll welcome an apple, if you offer one." He added with a little grin.

After making sure his horse wouldn't be able to run off, Xyler came over and accepted the offered hand in a friendly handshake. "You've seen the mountains where I grew up," He remidned the ranger. "It gets colder than here, with snow and all." He didn't know if they got any snow here, although he'd heard someone say there was a light dusting of it, the night of the masquerade. He smiled as he went to take a seat on the log, as invited.

"Baran seems like a nice name for him." He would not have not known that it meant brown, of course, but it made sense, and it did make it seem fancier to have an elven name. "A good, sensible name." He grinned. "Like Dusty, for my dust-colored horse." He shrugged and looked back at Nal. "It was a bit odd, but that wasn't too surprising, coming from you" He agreed with a little teasing in his tone. "So, what's up? Are we camping?" He wondered. "Not only was your message curious, but I am now, too." He also hoped his ranger friend was going to get around to lighting the fire, because after riding out across the fields, he was a bit chilled.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
An inn in Lossarnach - Late December

He smiled, shaking his head minutely against hers. "Alive." His smile soon faded, however. "But kept in a cell. For years. Years, Ziran," he spoke quietly. He knew what a cell could do to the mind and the heart - even in the much, much shorter time that he had spent in one. "My cell was... better. Than his. And I was not restrained as he was," Macardil added, even more quietly. He had still been able to move around and keep his muscles strong. He'd had that cot. He'd had... something. It had been dark and too cold for comfort, but it had not been... like Halberion's.

Macardil had been allowed to... wash. That was probably the first thing that Halberion had done, since coming here, Macardil supposed. And then... the beard. When were they bringing up the food again? He decided that Hal's beard would have to wait until after they'd had some sustenance. "I believe," he began, "that after our meal, I might help him shave." Macardil remembered how that had made him feel more like himself, again. It would prove a strange kind of ironic, but then it would also be bizarrely fitting. For Halberion had been the one to teach Macardil how to shave.

Macardil retreated back to silence as he reluctantly, slowly, let go of Ziran and moved to take off his own winter outer layers. He ensured Ziran had more than enough of the warm water at her disposal before methodically cleaning up, himself. The lord sought out a fresh set of clothes, a combination of blacks and the blue of his house, cleaned off his boots, and awaited his lady wife by the door.

[Karis Ziranphel]

@Arnyn, @Rillewen

Karis Ziranphel, Lady Himhathol
Imloth Melui - Late December

“Aye” Ziran replied quietly to Macardil’s emphasis on the extreme length and cruelty of Halberion’s imprisonment, the deprivations intended to be a torture. She agreed that the conditions Macardil had faced had been nowhere near as difficult, despite the long hours completely alone and deprived of light. Conditions that had still worn away at the man she loved. It was a wonder that Halberion had been able to walk out and maintain his cheerful disposition.

When her husband mentioned that he might help his friend shave after their meal, she smiled and lifted a finger to briefly trace the corner of his jaw, remembering the beard he had worn and the transformation accomplished with the razor that he diligently maintained daily. “I think that is a wonderful idea, and would be a great gift.” Releasing him as he pulled back in silence, she watched him divest himself of his outer layers before turning with a slight smile to retrieve clean attire from her packs and wash up as best she might before dressing. Leaving aside the traveling clothes she had worn earlier and the sword she had carried, Ziran put on the dark blue evening gown that she had brought along, simple but elegant, and warm enough to not require more than a light shawl away from the fire. Belting on her dagger over it as her only weapon, and slipping on lighter shoes, she moved to the door where Macardil waited, and slipped her hand through his arm with a smile. “Lead on, hervenn.”
Their dinner would be ready by now, with simple fare that was tasty and hearty laid out for their group in the front room of freshly baked bread and butter to go with a stew of beef and vegetables and several excellent cheeses.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Halberion Veranis
At the Inn of Imloth Melui

Having already taken a good, long bath, Hal had dressed in the clothes loaned to him from his friend. They were too big on him, but he was severely underweight, so it was to be expected. He was simply glad to be clean, and to have something else to wear, at last. But his hair and beard... he had sighed as he saw himself in the mirror. In fact, he hardly recognized himself, at first. And, as much as he wanted to get rid of it all, he knew he wouldn't possibly be able to shave. He wasn't even sure if he could still write his name, let alone safely drag a sharp blade across his skin. He considered doing as Alyssa had done for him over the past few years; trimming the beard as close as he could, with scissors. But when he tried to hold a pair of scissors that he located, it didn't take long before he had determined that it would probably not be wise to try it. He'd probably end up looking ridiculous, and he definitely didn't want that. So, he reluctantly acknowledged to himself that this would have to wait.

Hal had asked, when he got the room, if someone would let him know when Macardil and the others arrived. So, he was expecting the knock on his door, but he didn't know when it would come. It felt like it was taking ages for them to get here, but he knew better. It would have been as long a trip for them as it had been for he and Taendis, and he didn't know how long it might take for them to accomplish what they'd intended to do there.

He was too weak to pace around the room like he might have done otherwise, but he'd tried to keep busy while he waited. It was a test of his patience that, after so long being imprisoned, and with Macardil so close, he still had to wait before he could speak to him. So, he passed the time by trying to meditate for a while, then walking across the room to look out of the window, then back across to sit on the bed. This was partly to watch for their arrive, and also simply for the practice of walking. He was slow and clumsy, which irritated him greatly.

He was just getting up to make another trip to the window, (which he kept slightly open so he could have fresh air, despite how cold it was outside) when a knock came at the door. Hal altered his course and went to the door instead, where he greeted the young man employed at the inn. He informed Hal that, not only had Lord and Lady Himhathol arrived at the inn, but that they had also made arrangements for supper, in half an hour, in the drawing room at the end of the hall. Hal was glad to hear that they were back, as he'd begun to feel a little worried ever since leaving them. Worried that something might go wrong, and they might not get out of the castle. But they had. Everything was alright, it seemed. He thanked the young man, and then returned into his room.

He took a moment to consider his reflection again, but decided there was not much more he could do about it. He had, at least, done what he could to make the beard look neat, and his hair was combed as well as he could manage. He sighed, then decided to make his way down the hall to the drawing room now, so he would arrive ahead of everyone else. Partly, so that he could have more practice walking, although he was trying to be careful not to overdo it. But also, so that if he needed to pause and rest, he might not have to have any witnesses to that. And he could sit and rest once he got there, without anyone observing it, if he needed to.

He kept one hand on the wall, moving one slow step at a time, until he reached the indicated room. While he knew walking would get easier over time, as he worked at it... it was a challenge. But Hal had never been one to back down from a challenge. He leaned on the wall for a moment before moving to take a seat near the window while he waited for the others to arrive.

---

Aderic

Ric felt much better after getting cleaned up and changing clothes. He was warm again, finally, after a long, cold carriage ride to get here. And, for the moment anyway, he was free. He had no idea how long that might last, since he was expecting to be locked away once they had reached Minas Tirith. But he tried not to think about that. Instead, he tried to feel grateful for the help given to him by lord and lady Himhathol. Without them, he would have been recaptured and dragged back to the castle, to be locked up for Valar knows how long. And Lord Veranis might never have been rescued. And no one might have known to be looking for Mar, or Alyssa, or... so many other things.

Yes, he owed a lot to them. Not to mention a room, and a meal. Speaking of the meal, he supposed it was nearly time to go meet them. He had spent a few minutes adding an update to his journal, after changing. Now, he put the journal away and stood up with a brief stretch before venturing to the door. Uncertain, he checked to find out if he was locked in, and to his relief found that the door was not locked. It was the first time in months that he'd tried to exit a room, and had not found the door locked.

It seemed he had good timing. He emerged from his room shortly after the lord and lady had come out of theirs, and so he wasn't far behind them as they went to the drawing room where the supper was to be served.

[Pele Alarion]

@Rillewen , @Ercassie
Hadassa
Pelennor Fields, Dec 30th

She had been notified of the meeting... adventure... or whatever else it actually was, but she had also made a commitment of helping at the stables in exchange for a room and food at the inn, so the duties had to be done first. But as soon as she could Hadassa saddled up Sugar and set out for the fields beyond the city gate, itching for a bit of free space without walls on all sides. She was also sure that her sweet horse would appreciate a bit more exercise.

Not sure what to expect or how long they would be out, she had popped a water flask and some wrapped up crackers into one of the saddle bags along with a couple carrots for her trusty mount. She also had her dagger at her belt and her bow and a quiver of arrows with her, just in case. She had decided against the spear though thinking it might be a bit too much, and perhaps the city guards might become suspicious of her.

As soon as she was out of the city, Hadassa climbed into the saddle, but hesitated a bit then, unsure of which direction she should be heading. But then she thought she recognised Xyler's horse in the distance, so she turned into that direction and followed him, letting Sugar choose the pace which appeared to be a gentle trot.

Eventually she arrived and led the horse into a couple full circles around the lads.

"Hello there, strangers," she greeted, still riding in circles around them. "What's all this about coming out here? What's the business?"

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Pele Alarion

Unalmis Raxëlilta, with Xyler. And Hadassa
In the Pelennor Fields, Dec 30th

“A Rohir should never concede such a claim where it concerns horsemanship,” Nal shook his head in seeming despair at Xyler’s modesty. “But you are right, I do recall the mountain paths you led us through last spring. And there you were far more sure-footed than any of us,” he recalled. The memory of the bitter cold peaks fencing Wyndhorne spurred the Ranger into locating his flint for their expectant fire. The errand involved moving an apple or two out of his bag, one of which the Gondorian threw over to his friend. Even as that friend had just sat down. Moving kept a person warmer after all. Until the fire could take up that role.

“Our mountain here sits on the end of the range, so I fear all of the snow is swept off the edge and never really settles,” he sighed, leaning back onto his heels as a small blaze paid for his efforts. “Well, except for one particular year, anyway,” he added half to himself, and the small smile that that recounting roused, and buried all too swiftly afterwards as he turned away and stood back up in one fluid motion.

“Sensible and not surprising,” a low whistle rattled through the young man’s teeth as he offered the second apple to Baran. “We shall have to see what we can do about that ! Camping in such climes might do the trick indeed. But mostly I just wanted to make sure we were not overheard,” he winked.


It was literal moments afterwards when the third shape grew distinction in it’s approach, and Nal recognised the young woman who was ‘herding’ them in her easy orbit. “Strange, she says,” he tutted even while trying not to laugh. “I will have you know, Miss Eorlinga, that we are trying to thaw out the winter and bring back the grass. Or .. some other business entirely. But you shall have to bribe your friend with this,” One hand rose for patience as the Gondorian delved the other hand deep into his saddle bag for a third fruit. Which he soon after flung merrily toward the Rider’s closest hand. “To see her settle near Dusty and Baran, over there, if either one of you wishes for some stew to bribe you into staying a short while ?”

The Gondorian glanced from one friend to the other, so glad to see them both that it ought to be easy to attend to their news first. “I also have a flask of mulled apple cider to share, which you shall be relieved to know I did not brew up myself. Oh and a secret. But also a quest. To get our teeth into.” He was talking a lot. Was he nervous, with them almost become strangers again after all, after so long ? Or was he simply unused to the sort of conversation which he was preparing to host. “But first, how are you finding your feet in the White City ?” he asked. “It is not usually ‘this’ white,” he put in before stopping himself, to let either one of the pair have a chance to speak.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel @Rillewen

Lord Macardil Himhathol
An inn in Lossarnach - Late December

Macardil lightly put his other hand on Ziran's upon his arm, on their way to the room where they were to have their meal. His hand slipped away, however, when he saw Halberion sitting down at the table, near a window seat. Was that a coincidence? A seat by the window? For that was exactly...

His throat bobbed before he led his lady wife into the room proper, and helped her with her chair. Not because she needed him to, obviously, but because he wished it. Macardil sat down in the seat opposite from Hal - the other seat by the window. He'd kept Ziran close, next to him.

"At least the smell is gone," he remarked drily to Hal, avoiding to steer the conversation toward awkwardness and emotion by using humor. With a comment so out of place, which would be considered extremely impolite within noble circles, that Macardil knew Halberion would appreciate it. They had always used such humor around each other, and it was already evident that Halberion hadn't lost his sense of it. "How about I show you what I remember from your shaving lessons, later?" he asked his friend lightly. "You can list the myriad of ways my technique still needs improvement." Without pause, he moved to pour water for all of them. Ziran, first, as the lady. Then, for Hal - for Macardil doubted that his friend could lift the pull pitcher and pour without spilling it, himself.

When Aderic walked in, Macardil nodded at him, and proceeded to fill the glass in front of the fourth seat, as well. Before, finally, pouring water into his own. He was not one to customarily observe the old Elvish custom, but he did wait for Ziran before starting on the food, himself. Ladies first.