The Tower Guard

[Arnyn]

@Ercassie @Rillewen

Tercen & Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath
December 30th, evening
Continued from Play

On the way from the White Tree Theatre to the Guard Headquarters, Thorley and Rallick had made sure that neither Ava and Dom, nor Ava and Tercen, were walking together. Neither seemed wise; for Ava and Tercen had already been whispering at the theatre, and the guards had definitely learned that it was better not to let witnesses talk too much before an interview, so they couldn't agree on a mutual version of the story. Also, since the current story was that Dom had threatened Ava, placing those two together did also not seem very wise. Thus, Rallick had asked Tercen to lead the way, since he knew where the Guard Headquarters was (Rallick had asked) and had motioned for Gwestion to walk beside him. Neither seemed hostile toward the other, at least. Dom followed alongside Thorley. And Ava followed alongside Rallick.

Once arrived, the guards put all four of them in different rooms. Rallick had completed training for this sort of thing a while back, but this gave him a prime opportunity to prove what he had learned. So it was the younger guard who was sent in to find out everyone's story, and who would then be tasked to piece it all together.

He figured that starting with Gwestion might be the easiest. Since that particular man had clearly only joined the 'incident' after Tercen had left to find guards in the first place, Rallick figured that Gwestion's story must be the shortest. And if they would be letting anyone go the quickest, it should be him. If there were so surprises.

So, the first door to open was the one that led to the small room in which Gwestion had been asked to wait. Rallick entered, holding a writing kit and papers. Plenty of papers.... which Thorley had given to him.

"Right," Rallick started, trying to sound as confident as he knew he should be. "Why don't you start with how you found yourself behind that curtain with Domanol, Tercen and Ava? What made you go there? What did you see and hear?" Rallick opened the kit and set up the ink and quill. "From A to Z please. Meaning, chronologically." He offered the other man a smile. "The more detail, the better," he clarified. "Trust me," he added with a half groan, looking at the papers in front of him.

[Rillewen]

Gwestion
Guard HQ, interrogation room 1
Dec 30th, evening

This whole thing had gotten way too out of hand, Gwestion internally lamented. He quietly paced around the room where he had been asked to wait, trying to think of the best way to go about this. What should he say? How could he possibly manage to get them all out of this with the least amount of trouble? And could he even do that, for Dom? He held back a frustrated sigh, wishing the guy hadn't come in late. If he had just got there when the rest of them did, Gwestion could have pulled him aside to try and explain things. Of course, he hadn't even known that the man would realize where Ava was from. How did he even do that?! He found that a bit baffling. She had been using her Gondor accent while in the box, and Gwestion couldn't think of anything she'd said that would have been any sort of hint.

When Guard Rallick entered, Gwestion ceased his absent pacing, and went to take a seat across from him. He wondered why all the papers, and momentarily became just a little distracted, wondering if he'd ever even seen that many pieces of paper all together at once, except for looking at books. Then he recalled the record room, in Bree, where they'd bribed the man with doughnuts to let them look. If he hadn't been in such a serious situation right now, he might have even cracked a tiny smile at the memory. But he didn't, and instead gave a little nod when Rallick asked him to start.

Sitting back, Gwestion gave a little sigh and laced his fingers together on the tabletop. "From the beginning, then." He nodded, finding it highly frustrating to have ended up in this situation. But he pushed the frustration down. "We had made plans to attend the theater with Arnyn, as she is a good friend of my brother and myself." He began. "When we arrived, her brother was there with his lady friend, Ava. And when we mentioned needing to get into line to get tickets, she told us that she had already reserved a box with ten seats, and she invited us to join her. At which point, Ms. Seri informed her that Dom, who was her date, would be joining us, but would be a little late. Ms. Ava said that was alright, and we all went to the box." He would not normally be so forthcoming, of course, but this was a guard. He paused then to let him finish writing his notes.

"Domanol arrived after the play had come." He paused, then decided that the dog was probably worth mentioning. "Along with Ms. Brooke's dog, Chewy. She had left him in the care of those with whom we are staying, but he must have gotten away, and followed us. He was... muddy." He cleared his throat. "And, at some point, he decided to become acquainted with Ms. Ava." he explained. "When intermission came, she decided it would be a good opportunity to clean the mud off of her dress. But she is not from this city, and asked Tercen if he would show her where the washroom is."

He paused again, letting the guard catch up with writing. "Meanwhile, Domanol went to check his coat with the attendants, which he had not realized he could do when he arrived. Brooke and Aislin, the nieces, took Chewy to try and clean him up a bit, and I went with Ms. Seri to get some snacks for everyone." He paused. "Arnyn and my brother, Gladhron, remained behind in the box." Taking a breath, he resisted the urge to sigh, and continued. "It was when Seri and I were returning, laden with snacks and drinks, that we passed near the curtain. I heard Tercen's voice protesting, and it sounded like an argument or some sort of trouble was going on, which troubled me." He frowned. "As I was currently carrying a tray of drinks, and with Ms. Seri, I continued with her into the box, to ensure that she arrived there safely. Then, I went back to see if Tercen was in need of any help." He waited for the guard to finish writing.

"I was only there a brief time before you arrived, for Tercen had set off to find you, while I was ensuring Seri's safe arrival back in the box." Now, this was where things got tricky. Gwestion frowned and grew thoughtful, hesitating. What could he say now, about Dom? He would not lie, but nor could he tell the whole story. "It appears that there was a major misunderstanding to occur, but I was not able to make sense of it, entirely." He paused to consider his options, and decided that there was really only one, when it came down to it. "To be honest with you, officer... the entire matter is very sensitive, and I don't really know how to proceed from here." He said quietly, sighing.

"We have been sworn to silence concerning the root of this whole matter... by lieutenant Dealedwen. And I have now told you as much as I deem I am able, without breaking that vow." He explained with an uncomfortable and troubled expression. "And the same goes for everyone else involved; we cannot tell you what actually caused this matter to occur, for it would be a breach of that vow of secrecy." Yes, he knew that Dom had not taken any such vow, but he was really hoping that this might prevent him from being questioned too intently about it. "And yet, I realize that your job requires you to try and seek the root of the issue. Therein lies our problem." He sighed, looking across from him, wondering what the guard might have to say about that.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, evening[/url]

"You and your brother made plans with Lieutenant Dealedwen, and then her brother was there with Ms Ava," Rallick repeated. "So you know the Lieutenant but not her brother or Ava? What about Ms. Seri and Domanol?" Rallick paused his wiriting, looking up at Gwestion. "I apologize forprying, but I am only trying to understand the dynamics between all of you. Given that one of you supposedly was threatening another," he explained.

The question of how Ava had gotten mud on her dress, was answered at least. One one of the names of Ms Seri's nieces had now also been supplied.

"So - do I understand it correctly that you arrived at the scene after Tercen had already left? And while Domanol and Ava were alone?" Rallick tried to verify. He frowned, however, when Gwestion claimed he could not say any more. His eyebrows almost went through the roof when the man before him told him why. "Lieutenant Dealedwen made you swear not to speak of... the root of the matter?" he questioned. "What does that even mean? Surely, you can tell me whether or not the man was threatening the lady with the knife?" he wanted to know. "Upon your arrival? How far apart were they? Were they hostile toward one another?" The guard leaned back in his chair. "You say you cannot explain the cause of what happened. But even so, you can tell me what happened. Can you not?"

[Rillewen]

Gwestion
Guard HQ, interrogation room 1
Dec 30th, evening

Gwestion held back a sigh as the guard pressed for more details. He did not like having to speak about any of their plans and doings, nor about their relationships and such. But, he realized that perhaps it was necessary in this instance. And, at least it was a guard asking the questions for a specific reason, and not a random stranger with no business knowing such things.

"You and your brother made plans with Lieutenant Dealedwen, and then her brother was there with Ms. Ava,"

Gwestion nodded slightly. "Yes, that's correct." He agreed. "I believe Tercen and Ava decided to come to the theater after hearing that Arnyn and us others were planning to go," He attempted to explain. He appreciated the apology for prying, and gave a small nod of acknowledgement to the comment. "I understand." He tried to focus on answering the guard's questions. "Ms. Seri and Domanol have known each other for many years." He answered. "They have been.. involved romantically with one another, for a few years." Idly, he thought, that if Gladhron were here, he would likely regale the man with the tale of how those two came to meet, as a result of he and Gwestion. But Gwestion saw no reason to bring up such details about a story that was not his to tell. He didn't even like telling that they were involved, but the guard had asked if they knew each other.

"As for Tercen," Gwestion attempted to clarify this matter as well, "I have met him twice before this evening, but that is as far as our acquaintance has gone. My brother has spent much time with him and considers him a friend, however." He paused. "I only met Ava earlier today."

As the guard moved into trying to get more details about the incident this evening, Gwestion considered his questions before giving a slow nod. He could, at least, answer those questions, he figured. "That's correct. In the time it took for me to escort Ms. Seri to the box, and return.. Tercen had left to find a guard." He answered. He could see that his comment had caught the man by surprise, but that was all he could say about it.

Gwestion considered what he could say, without lying, which might make Domanol not look so bad in this. "When I arrived," He spoke slowly, picking his words carefully, as he was also trying to be sure he did not say more than he ought to. "I was informed that Tercen had gone to retrieve the guards. Both Ava and Domanol seemed to believe that your arrival would make everything well again." He let out a slow breath in the form of a silent sigh. "Domanol was upset.. as I have only seen him once before." He frowned. "I believe there was.. a great misunderstanding, but that would be best discussed between Domanol, Ava, Arnyn, and my brother and I." He paused, hoping the guard would accept that.

"As for the knife... he was not making any threats to her, when I entered. He was agitated, for reasons I cannot disclose..." Which he did not even fully understand, in fact. "He had it in hand, yes, but then he threw it at a mouse. I'm sure he had no intention of harming anyone. His motives were, rather, the opposite. Perhaps he mistook Ava for someone else, or perhaps one of them ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't know." He added, taking a moment to think. "I'm not quite sure what was said between them before I arrived, but she seemed upset and alarmed. I attempted to calm her, and to find out what was going on, but Domanol became impatient, and seemed annoyed.. then he said he was going to the washroom, and he was about to leave when you and the other guard showed up." Gwestion sat back in his chair, looking calm as he concluded his answers to the guard's questions.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, evening

Rallick was scribbling almost furiously, trying to keep up with the information while filling out the forms the way he knew Thorley would want him to. "You say you have only seen Domanol as upset as this evening once before," he finally said, while lifting his eyes from the papers to Gwestion. "But what does that mean? How long have you know him? Long enough to determine this was truly uncharacteristic behaviour for him?"

"So, according to you: Domanol was upset, and so was Ava. Domanol was holding a knife but you did not see him try and use it on the lady. And even though she seemed alarmed to you, you did not see her panic." No, in fact Ava had seemed very steady. "And when you attempted to learn more about what was going on between the two, Domanol wanted to step away." Then he did not seem hell-bent on using that knife against Ava. Not according to Gwestion's account.

"And you say neither Domanol or Ava seemed to be opposed to guard intervention?" he repeated, to verify. That was important, he reckoned. It had also appeared that way, upon their arrival. Neither had shown any fear or anger towards him or Thorley. Only, perhaps... reluctance at sharing. And perhaps Gwestion had already supplied the reason for that reluctance, here and now. Lieutenant Dealedwen.

Rallick wrinkled his nose. Peculiar woman. Difficult to get a read on.

"And you cannot delve into your ideas of what or why any further, because of an agreement with the Ranger Lieutenant," he finally muttered, underlining something twice as he asked this.

[Rillewen]

Gwestion
Guard HQ, interrogation room 1
Dec 30th, evening

Gwestion gave a slow nod. "I've known him for years. We've worked together on multiple occasions, as rangers in the northern lands. I would certainly agree that it is uncharacteristic of him. I have no doubt that, whatever he did this evening, he had only the safety of others, especially those he cares about, in mind. He would never have threatened anyone without believing there was a very good cause to do so." He wondered how much of this questioning was left.

"Yes, that sounds accurate," Gwestion agreed, when the guard asked for confirmation about the events. "Domanol did not attempt to attack her, nor did she attempt to attack him. If anything, I would say that I walked into a stalemate of sorts. Each waiting to see what the other was going to do, and waiting for the guards to come.. and arrest the other." He decided not to divulge anything further than that. "Regretfully, I cannot delve into the reasons for this misunderstanding," He added in conclusion. "However, I am hopeful that if I can speak to Domanol and make certain matters clear to him, that it would resolve the matter on his end. I cannot be certain about Ava, for I don't know her well. But.. Arnyn may be able to clear this up on her end, perhaps."

---

Sergeant Hâdhon
Interrogation room 2

Meanwhile, Sergeant Hâdhon entered another room, after being asked to speak to one of the.. witnesses? He wasn't sure what was going on. He had literally just walked in to start his shift, and had been informed that there had been some sort of trouble at the theater, and that they had four people they had to talk to and find out what happened. At least the night wasn't off to a dull beginning, anyway.

"Right," He said, sighing as he sat down across from the blond fellow, dropping a stack of papers onto the desk. "So, I'm Sergeant Hâdhon. Your name, sir? And could you tell me, as clearly as possible, what exactly happened? I understand you were the one who actually came asking for the guards? Is that correct?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 1 - December 30th, late evening/night

"I see," he mumbled, trying to write that down where he thought such information needed to go. Uncharacteristic behaviour pointed to an emotional response. Which meant things might go wrong if they let both Ava and Domanol go tonight. Unless Domanol had truly calmed down, and Ava was not vindictive. If Domanol had already wanted to step away earlier, perhaps that was not all that impossible.

What Gwestion said, however, was interesting. Intriguing, even. Both Ava and Domanol had been waiting for the guards' arrival, and both of them had been thinking the guard would be arresting the other? How was that even possible?

Rallick smiled wrily. "You will not be speaking to Domanol before we do, I'm afraid, sir. If we release him, you may talk to him for however long you want, though." He sighed as he was still writing. "Well... at least you might be relieved that I see no reason to hold you for much longer," Rallick told the man. "I will have to verify with my supervisor, first. But if he agrees, you will be free to go in about half an hour." Finally, Rallick rose again. He reached a hand over the table, toward Gwestion. There was no reason to be impolite, after all.

"You can stay here, for now. I will come back, with your knife, when I've been given the all clear."

---

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 2 - December 30th, late evening/night

Tercen had been getting increasingly nervous on the way from the Fifth to Guard Headquarters. It wasn't a feeling he enjoyed. Nor a feeling he was used to. Stuff like this never happened in Ithilien, he thought a bit sullenly.

The entrance of a guard he hadn't seen before, made him uncross his arms and sit up in his chair. Tercen put his forearms on the table, hands clasped together in front of him. "Sergeant Hâdhon," Tercen first acknowledged the man, repeating his name. "My name is Tercen, sir." That was the easy part. "And yes, I was the one who came looking for your fellow guards, and brought them to the scene." Though it had seemed like the right decision at the time, he was starting to wonder whether it had been a very, very dumb idea.

"Well, I..." He gave the Sergeant a forlorn look. It was honest, too. "Arnyn had mentioned to Ava and myself that she was going to the play with some friends she'd made in the north. So with um - Gladhron, and his brother Gwestion, and then the ladies who are here with them: so, Ms. Seri, Brooke and I think it was Aislin? And then Ava - I also met her at the midwinter dance, and we've been... spending a lot of time together - said she had never seen a play and would like to attend, as well. So she and I joined the group, so to speak."

"We all agreed to get a box and so we did. Ms. Seri said her date would be joining her later. I don't know the man, or didn't - I guess I sitll don't," Tercen rambled, "and neither does Ava. But the others all seemed to. I think Arnyn did, for sure. Oh," he suddenly realized, "Arnyn - the Ranger Lieutenant - she's my sister, by the way." He scratched his throat, frowning a little as he tried to think how best to continue. "Where was I?"

"Oh, right - Ms. Seri's date. So he arrived while the play had already started. Along with Brooke's dog. Chewy," Tercen added with a quick smile at mention of the canine. Since he figured it would be dangerous to mention how Ava figured the man was a spy from Umbar, Tercen decided not to add that tidbit of information, though he had no idea whether that would come back to bite him later... "And since Chewy came to say hi a bit overenthusiastically, he got mud on Ava's dress. So at intermission, she asked me to show her the washroom. But I wanted to talk to her separately first and had us stepping behind the curtain in the main foyer a bit, before showing her the washroom - and that is when Ms. Seri's date came in. His words were hostile and he pulled out a knife. It was mostly directed at Ava. He just seemed annoyed at me - for being with her, I suppose. He clearly has some kind of grudge against her. Ava wanted me to leave, but I didn't - I tried to talk him down, I guess, and tried defending Ava by stepping in front of her, but I have no experience with situations like that and obviously failed miserably. Ava's also not the type of woman to let someone else defend her, so that was useless, too. Ava didn't trust the way he was handling himself and... well, after a short while, neither did I. In mere moments, they both seemed angry at one another and the situation was looking more and more like it couldn't be solved between the three of us. And the way the man was speaking about Ava, got me angry too." Tercen's mouth thinned into a straight line. "Very angry," he added, muttering. "So instead of just starting to punch the guy with the knife, I decided I should get the guards. Ava, of course, didn't object, because she knows she did nothing wrong - and so do I," he stated confidently. "The weird thing is, the other guy didn't object either."

"And then when I got back with your fellow guards, Gwestion was there, with Ava and that guy - Domanol. And your fellow guards should have told you the rest, I imagine?"

[Rillewen]

Gwestion
Guard HQ, interrogation room 1
Dec 30th, evening

Gwestion remained quiet while the guard was writing everything down. He realized that his statement didn't give the guards very much information, but he couldn't help that. And, while he understood their reasons for not letting him speak to Dom, he wished it were otherwise. He gave a little nod. "I understand." He answered, though with a hint of resignation in his tone.

However, he was glad to hear that he would soon be free to go. That was fortunate, since he really needed to find Arnyn and see if she could resolve this whole mess. He had done the best he could, and it was not enough. When the guard held out his hand, Gwestion was inwardly a bit surprised, but he didn't let that show on his face as he also stood up and shook hands with the man. "Thank you, officer Rallick." He replied calmly. He was extremely relieved that they did not feel the need to keep his knife, at least. "I apologize for being unable to answer everything fully and openly, but I appreciate your understanding." He added.

---

Sergeant Hâdhon
Interrogation room 2

Hadhion could see that the blond man was rather anxious, but he did not yet know why. "Tercen," He repeated, when the name was given. He jotted that down on the paperwork before him, and added a few other notes as he began to speak. He looked up, catching the forlorn expression on the guy's face, and wondered about it, but he didn't interrupt as he began to answer Hadhion's questions.

Fortunately, he seemed very forthcoming about what happened. That was good. A couple of times while Tercen told his side of things, Hadhion had to ask him to pause and let him finish writing, or to check how to spell this or that name. "So," He paused, going over all the notes he'd taken. "You had never met the other man before? Domanol?" He checked. "But you knew everyone else in your group, is that right?"

He sat back, trying to sift through the rest of the information. "But everyone else in the group, besides you, knew Domanol..?" He thought he had understood that correctly, but he wanted to be sure he had it right. The added information that the ranger lieutenant was this man's sister, was quite interesting. He made a small note of that. "You said that Domanol seemed to have a grudge against Ava." He commented. "Do you know what it was? And does that mean that she knew him from somewhere else? A former lover, perhaps?" He made a wild guess, using one of the most common motives for such things. It did sound like perhaps jealousy was involved, if the knife-wielder was annoyed at this guy for being with the lady.

At the mention of him leaving her to go find some guards, Hadhion looked curiously at the guy, but refrained from asking why he would leave his lady friend while a hostile man was holding her at knife-point. It was not his place to judge, he reminded himself, but inwardly.. he was judging. "Right. So, the hostile man with a knife had no problem with you running off to get the guards." he repeated, jotting that down, and nodded when he mentioned that he'd probably heard the rest by now.

He looked up at Tercen after he had finished writing everything down. "No offense, but did it occur to you that maybe he was only glad you were leaving the scene? And thus, leaving him with no resistance to.. whatever he intended to do to her?" He couldn't help but ask that. "What exactly did he say that seemed hostile? Was he attempting to rob her? or did he have.. other motives in mind? Forgive me for asking, I'm not trying to be insensitive, but anything you can tell me will be helpful in figuring this out."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 1 - December 30th, late evening/night

"Yeah. Let's not say that I understand why you can't tell me more, since you obviously know more, and it's downright annoying," Rallick said with a raised eyebrow. "But I understand not wanting to ruffle Dealedwen's feathers, at least." He'd heard too much about the woman to think she was easy-going.

With a final nod to Gwestion, Rallick left the room. And closed the door behind him. Leaving Gwestion to, once again, wait. Alone.

---

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 2 - December 30th, late evening/night

"No, I'd never met him before," he confirmed with a nod at the Sergeant's question. "But the others, well... Not exactly," he said thoughtfully. "So, Arnyn, obviously, since she's my sister. And Gladhron has become a friend although I only met him, what, ten days ago. I've also only known Ava for that same amount of time, but I've gotten to know her pretty well by now. And I'd met Gwestion, Gladhron's brother. I met Ms. Seri at the dance, too, but hadn't seen her after that until this evening. I'd already met Brooke and Chewy, but hadn't met Aislin." He watched the Sergeant scribbling, and muttered: "Sorry. Gladhron has spoken about Seri and Brooke and Aislin, though. They all know each other from the north, where they are from."

"And I think... I guess it seemed to me like they all know Domanol. Apart from me, and Ava."

When the guard asked about Ava and Domanol, Tercen blinked. "No, nothing like that," he said, shaking his head at the guard's suggestion. "She did say she thought she'd danced with the guy at the Midwinter Ball. She danced with a guy, that night, who'd given her the creeps, somehow. She'd mentioned it, that night - and she did tell me when we were still in the box she thought Domanol was the same guy. He sounded the same, she said. Something about his accent. Which is pretty unique," he had to admit.

"Behind the curtain, Domanol said he wouldn't grant her the same leniency as the last time. So I guessed Ava was right about recognizing his accent and he had to be referring to the dance," Tercen said, worry in his tone. "And he also said something about how he was thinking about everyone's wellfare apart from Ava's." Tercen wrung his hands. "He also claimed I was defending what my sister stands against," Tercen said, his eyes frowning at the table. "Which I am not!" he said emphatically, glancing up at the Sergeant. "And he called Ava something very rude, which completely pissed me off," he admitted begrudgingly.

"I wanted to go find guards, or Arnyn - either or both," he said, frowning at the Sergeant at his 'suggestion'. "The weird thing is that I know Ava and Arnyn have reached an understanding, but it seemed like this Domanol also thinks he has some kind of understanding with Arnyn. So..." Tercen rubbed his face with a hand. "I don't know, Sergeant. The situation was impossible. I'm not used to crap like that! I'm just a carpenter who lives out in Ithilien and visits the city a few times a year! I just wanted someone to help sort it out, because Ava and Domanol were only getting more upset, but I know Ava and the others seemed to know Domanol, and and I can't make sense of why Domanol would be so hostile toward Ava." Surely it couldn't simply be because she was Umbarian. That would be ludicrous! And very short-sighted. He'd expect more from a ranger. Hadn't they been looked down at up north for years, before the war and before it was made known one of them was actually the King of the Reunited Kingdom?!

"It's like the answer is there, somewhere - at the edge of my mind. But I can't get to it. But I'm sure my sister could."

"And before you say anything else about me leaving Ava with Domanol -" Tercen said, leaning forward over the table a little. "I just told you that my sister is a ranger Lieutenant, didn't I? And that I have gotten to know Ava well? I wouldn't have left her alone with him if I didn't think she could handle herself. Or are you trying to say women couldn't do such a thing?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Sergeant Hâdhon
Interrogation room 2

"Right," Hadhion resumed making notes as some matters were cleared up, trying to make sense of who knows who and so on. "So, she believes she danced with him, and he creeped her out," He repeated, finding that intriguing. He leaned back in his seat as Tercen mentioned that the guy had said he had everyone's welfare in mind, except Ava's. "And you have no idea what he might have meant by that?" He asked, trying to make sense of this.

As Tercen seemed to get more upset, Hadhion held back a sigh, feeling some frustration of his own as it seemed he had gotten dragged into something very complicated. "Just calm down, please." He asked, although he made a note that he did not live local, in case it was relevant later, as well as noting his profession as 'carpenter'.

Hadhion glanced up from his notes when Tercen seemed to become defensive of his choice to leave the lady alone. Hadhion brought his hands up slightly in a 'don't be mad at me' sort of gesture. "I only asked if you think that he didn't stop you from leaving, because maybe that was what he wanted." The Sergeant pointed out, though he was glad he hadn't verbalized any of his judging thoughts, as it would have given the man a valid reason to be upset at him.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 2 - December 30th, late evening/night

"I don't," Tercen said honestly when asked about the 'welfare' comment. "Everything the man said, was either rude or confusing," he grumbled, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms. He glared at the guard when the latter asked him to calm down. "I am calm," Tercen claimed. Didn't mean he wasn't getting frustrated at the same time, though. "I have no idea what Domanol wants or doesn't want. The man makes no sense to me," Tercen repeated, using different words to say the same thing. Again.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Sergeant Hâdhon
Interrogation room 2

As Tercen claimed that he is calm, the sergeant couldn't help but feel doubtful. "Right," Hadhion said again, more slowly. With a hint of skepticism. He leaned back and looked over his notes. "So. You went to.. talk.. privately with your lady friend, behind a curtain in the lobby. And this man, whom you had never met, and whom she had only danced with once - at a masquerade ball - showed up, and started acting hostile, waving a knife around, saying rude things to and about your lady friend." He repeated back the summary of the incident, as well as he understood it.

"And, after a point, you felt that guard intervention was necessary, and that Ava could handle herself in this situation." He leaned back. "And you don't know why this man did this.." He paused. "Did she mention anything about why she felt 'creeped out' by this man, at the dance?" He asked, recalling that detail. "Or why he said that he had been 'lenient' then?" He tapped his quill on the desk, thinking. "And are you certain that he was referring to the dance, and not another incident?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 2 - December 30th, late evening/night

He glowered a little at the Sergeant's 'Right'. Clearly, the man didn't believe him. Whatever.

"Right," Tercen repeated, confirming Hâdhon's summary. "Yes," he said emphatically, when the man repeated Tercen had felt like Ava could handle herself in the situation, without Tercen being present. "I certainly don't know why, no," Tercen also said. The only thing he knew was a factor, was Ava being from Umbar. Domanol had pointed that out all too strongly. But that couldn't be all of it. It just couldn't, right? And Ava thought Domanol was a spy and wanted her out of the way so she couldn't help Gondor - but then how was it that one Guard had recognized Domanol as a ranger? And Domanol surely couldn't have fooled everyone, including Arnyn.

So Tercen had to conclude he in fact did not know. Or, at the very least, did not understand.

"You should ask Ava about that," Tercen countered, when Hâdhon asked about why Ava had felt creeped out. "Not me. And I have no clue why Domanol said he'd been lenient, or what that meant. And no, I can't be certain he was referring to the dance. It's the best guess I have."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Sergeant Hâdhon
Interrogation room 2

"Hmm." He had nothing really to say, for a moment. Instead, he focused on jotting down what Tercen said, and trying to look through the papers to make sure he'd filled out everything. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things to fill in. He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Alright." He decided that there was no reason why he should have to fill out every bit of this paperwork, and that he had enough information to feel that he had gotten as much of this guy's side of things as he was going to get.

"Well," He set his quill down. "If you'll be so kind as to fill out as much of this as you can," He turned the stack of papers around to Tercen, "I'll just go and confer with my colleagues. By the time you finish with that, we should have you cleared to go. If you think of anything else that might be relevant, please include it on this form." He said, standing up. "I'll return shortly." He added, preparing to take his leave for now.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

Tercen's lips parted with disbelief when the Sergeant oh so politely asked him to fill out the rest of the paperwork. And turned what looked like way too many papers toward him. There was a reason he had gone into something like carpentry! Not because he couldn't write - but because he found it tedious! Tercen had tostop himself fromgaping first at the Sergeant and then at the forms as he was left alone with the latter.

"Ugh," he groaned, once the door had closed behind Sergeant Hâdhon. After taking a moment to scowl at the papers, Tercen sighed loudly and reached for the quill.

---

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

Rallick had just dropped a release form in front of Gwestion. Not about Gwestion being released - but rather his weapon. He'd forgotten that thing even existed - but Thorley had been glad to remind him. Rallick had needed to do his best not to roll his eyes when leaving the form. Honestly, the Guard was way too into their paperwork. It had been bad in the army, sure - but here? "No wonder we're understaffed," Rallick mused quietly to Sergeant Hâdhon, when he saw the night Sarge leaving the other interrogation room. "With all this paperwork, everything takes three times longer than it could."

The two of them stepped aside, though still remaining in sight of the doors to both interrogation rooms. And conferred.

"Well, when I gave Gwestion the form, I told him to come out when he is done," Rallick told Sergeant Hâdhon. Both guards seemed to agree that the two men who'd already been questioned, were not the ones they needed to be worried about. Some comment was made about Tercen being rather defensive, and another comment was made about Gwestion being tight-lipped... but neither should pose a problem to themselves or others.

---

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

When Tercen finally emerged from the room himself, he seemed tired more than agitated. The forms had served for that much, at least. Rallick pointed him to the waiting area, where Gwestion had already been waiting. Unsure of how to carry himself in front of Gwestion, given his relationship to Domanol, Tercen found he was too spent to waste energy on feelings of paranoia or... well, much of anything negative, really. So he did not cross his arms as he approached. Nor did he glare. He just gave Gwestion a neutral look before sinking down into one of the chairs. "I'm waiting for Ava," he declared quietly. "I need to make sure she is doing alright."

[Rillewen]

Sergeant Hâdhon
Interrogation room 2

"Yeah, tell me about it," Hadhon replied to Rallick's comment, with an eyeroll. "At least, if the city is ever under siege again, we can use these giant stacks of paper to form a barricade and keep out the enemy." He joked. "And if that doesn't work, we can throw the bundles of forms at them."

After the two guards had conferred quietly about what each of the two witnesses so far had said, Hadhon suggested that Rallick take the next statement, since he was already more familiar with the situation than Hadhon, and this was more his case than Hadhon's. After that was decided, he went back to check on Tercen's progress with the form. He was pleased to note that, by the time the entire thing was filled out, the man had lost much of his agitation, and seemed more weary than anything. So, at least they served one purpose. Good.

He took the form and informed Tercen that he was free to go. But no, the guy was insistent on waiting for his lady friend. Hadhon shrugged at this, and directed him to the waiting room, then he went to put the form in the stack that would normally end up on the captain's desk, if their captain was around. Next, it should have been one of the lieutenants. But no. Instead, it was Hadhon who was 'lucky' enough to have to look them over, until someone else became higher ranking. Someone who wasn't off on vacation, or under suspicion of corruption. He heaved a sigh and sat down to look it over. At least he'd have plenty of reading material tonight.

---

Gwestion
Guard HQ, interrogation room 1
Dec 30th, evening

The form made him blink. Gwestion had been expecting his knife, not a stack of papers. He looked questioningly at the guard, and was duly informed that he must fill out this form in order to have his knife released back to him. He took a deep breath, nodding as he accepted the quill.

While he certainly knew how to write.. in three different languages, in fact, Gwestion was not used to doing a great deal of writing all at once, and it felt like it took him forever to finish, despite trying to get through it quickly. Finally, he turned it in and received back his knife. He was free to go, at last.

But now, he had another problem. Obviously, the easiest solution to this entire mix-up was to get Arnyn. But he didn't know where she lived. Gladhron had been to her house multiple times by now, and he had told Gwestion that it was on the fourth circle, but Gwestion didn't know where on the fourth circle. Which meant that he would have to find someone who did know. And, obviously, Tercen was the most logical choice, and he heard one of the guards mention that they would be releasing him soon.

So, he sat down in the waiting room, trying not to get impatient. It took a lot of effort to remain seated and not get up and pace around, but finally, Tercen joined him, saying that he was waiting for Ava. Gwestion gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "And I was waiting for you." He told him. "I think the most efficient and helpful thing to do, if we want to clear all of this up quickly, is to get your sister down here." He explained. "But I don't know where she lives, nor do I know any of the streets and landmarks in this city. I hoped that you might take me to her house, and hope that it isn't too late in the night by the time we arrive." He sighed, aware that it was growing later and later with every delay.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

Tercen frowned when Gwestion revealed he'd been waiting for him. "My sister?" he repeated, a bit incredulous. But it made sense soon enough. He'd also been thinking that Arnyn would be able to make sense of all this, earlier, after all. It made sense for Gwestion to think the same. With a sigh, Tercen slowly shook his head. Once, twice. He did consider, however, and stayed silent a while as he did so.

Knowing Arnyn, she would clear this up. It could help speed up Ava's release, if the Guard was thinking about holding her. But what had she done wrong, really? Shouldn't they be releasing her quickly enough, with or without Arnyn's assistance? Gwestion was probably more concerned about the other one. Domanol. Hehad pulled a knife, after all. He... Tercen's jaw ticked as he tried to tamp down a new flare of anger at the memory.

"It's already late." A pause, before he continued in a lower voice. "Especially for her. Need I remind you she actually fell asleep during the play?" He asked pointedly, feeling protective of his little sister, even if she would surely balk at him doing so. "This may still be resolved without her," Tercen countered. "If you want to drag her out of her bed, be my guest. I'll only go once it's clear that she's the only option." He folded his arms, his tone terse. "But if you can't wait, I can give you directions. You don't need me to walk you."

---

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

Well. The woman was next. Rallick entered the room they'd put her in, and observed her for a moment while he closed the door behind him with one hand. A fresh stack of forms was held by the other.

"Ms Ava," he greeted her politely. Rallick was a nice guy, and he wanted to be polite, despite not really being excited about this happening tonight. Besides, the woman was beautiful, and she hadn't been rude to him or Thorley earlier. A bit sassy, perhaps. But just barely.
"We've already spoken to Tercen," he told her, curious whether that would loosen up her lips a little. "And Gwestion." He tilted his chin up slightly. "So why don't you take me through what happened, too?"

The former soldier settled into the chair opposite from Ava's, the table between them. The forms ended up in front of him. The writing set, off to the side. "First of all: How do you know everyone who was in the box, throughout the course of the evening? And secondly, I need you to describe the events from the moment of Domanol's arrival until the moment my colleague and I arrived at the scene." His voice was calm, mildly curious, as he watched her.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Gwestion noted the incredulity in Tercen's tone, and he held back a sigh. He watched him, noticing how he seemed annoyed, even perhaps a bit angered. Why was he upset at the notion of getting the one person who could clear up this whole mess? After hearing what he said about how late it was, Gwestion held back a sigh. "Yes, that is true." He acknowledged. "She will likely not be pleased to be awakened." He glanced toward a window, trying to gauge what the time might be. It would most likely interrupt her sleep, and he felt bad about that. "If you prefer to wait until a more reasonable hour, we can certainly do that."

It was certainly true that Tercen could just give him directions, but he also didn't think it was quite fair for Tercen to leave it up to Gwestion to fix this mess, just so he could wait for Ava. Gwestion had a hunch that they would be waiting for a long time. "You are the one who involved the guards." Gwestion calmly pointed out. "There are certain matters which cannot be resolved without her. If Ava remembers that she mustn't tell.. certain details.. which they will almost undoubtedly want to know," He glanced toward the guard at the desk, pointedly, then back at Tercen. "then they may not be willing to release her." He explained, quietly. "I've done the best I can to make it clear that we are all under orders to keep silent about the root of this issue, but I have no idea whether they might try to ask her for more information than she is able to give."

---

Ava
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

Ava was growing impatient and a little anxious, waiting to find out what was going to happen. She wasn't really sure what to expect here. Although she had been the 'victim' in this, she was still nervous, because she didn't know what the guards here were like, and what they would do. By the time the door opened and she watched the guard, Rallick, enter, she was sitting with her hands clasped together in her lap, her posture was straight and proper, but otherwise there was no other visible indication that she was tense or nervous. But she definitely was. She was imagining being thrown in some cold, dark cell, shivering while she awaited some sort of trial that would never come. Or, if less accepting people than Tercen found out she was from Umbar...

Blinking, she pushed those anxieties to the back of her mind and focused on the present. "Officer Rallick." She replied the greeting politely, watching him as he approached her. As he declared that he had spoken to both Tercen and Gwestion, she wondered what that should mean to her. She gave a small nod, also wondering whether Gwestion might have said, and also, what Domanol would say, when they came to him.

She took a slow breath in as he asked her to go through what happened, and sat across from her, then asked her to explain how she knew everyone. "I met Tercen at the dance," She answered. "We have spent a lot of time together, since. Later, I met his sister." She paused, trying to think of how to simplify the 'story'. "Gladhron, and his brother, are apparently friends of hers," She frowned thoughtfully. "Tercen and Gladhron have become friends, also, but he has not known him for long." She still wasn't sure about the brothers, though. "They have come to Minas Tirith with some others from the North. I met Gladhron last night, and then, this morning, I met Gwestion." She paused, deciding it was best not to go any further into that.

"When I heard that they planned on to the theater to see a play, I was interested in seeing the play, too. Though I had not met the other members of their group, I thought Gladhron seemed nice enough when I met him, and both of the brothers had agreed to help me with a.. personal matter." She explained. "So, when Tercen and I arrived at the theater this evening, I decided to reserve a box, partly to be generous, and partly to save them the expense of buying tickets, as there had been some concern expressed about the cost." She gave a tiny shrug with one shoulder. "Also, I thought we would all be more comfortable, there." She explained. "I met the other members of their group at that time. Ms. Seri, and her nieces, Brooke, and Aislin." She frowned then. "Seri did inform me that her date would be arriving later, but that was all I knew. I did not meet him."

She slowly exhaled, but did not relax. "When he arrived at the box, he caused a bit of commotion. And, when I heard him speak, I was immediately reminded of a man with whom I had danced at the masquerade, who had left me feeling very... unsettled." She frowned and looked away, at that point, as she tried to think of how to get around the cause for this. "I felt certain it was the same man, and I told Tercen about that. I was.. uneasy, for he had given me a sense of.. danger." She couldn't quite think of any other way to explain it without coming right out and saying what she had thought.

She looked at the guard again. "I really didn't know what to do, and then that dog tried to leap into my lap.." She looked down at the muddy pawprints still on her dress, though she had tried to brush away the dried mud, by now. "I am really not a dog person, but I don't think he meant any harm." She paused, thinking. "Perhaps he sensed my anxiety," She realized even as she said it, as she had heard that dogs were, or could be, sensitive to such things. "Anyway.. as soon as the intermission came, I saw an opportunity to get away from the others.. away from that man.. and talk to Tercen. I was hoping he might have some idea of what to do." She hesitated. "I wanted to alert Arnyn to the matter, but I was hesitant, because she.. was busy." She decided at the last minute not to say 'asleep'.

Letting out a sigh, Ava fought the urge to fidget with her hands, even though they were in her lap where the table hid them. "But that man followed us." She said, her expression darkening. "He had already drawn the knife as he came behind the curtain, where we thought we would have the privacy to discuss the issue and reach a decision about what to do." She explained. "Neither Tercen nor I had ever met this man before, but everyone else in the group seemed to know him. They called him 'Dom', but I did not know who he was, nor that he.. apparently.. is a ranger?" She frowned, finding that confusing.

She paused then, dropping her gaze to her lap as she debated, briefly about what she should tell the guard, and also whether it would benefit her to act as upset and distraught as she felt inside, or to continue to hold her composure strictly together.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

"No, she would not be pleased," Tercen stated with unmistakable certainty. "Not with being woken up if she's finally in bed, nor with being called in to clean up a mess like this. Trust me."

Tercen raised an eyebrow when Gwestion said he had been the one to involve the guards. "Yeah, and? Your friend was the one to pull a knife at my date and call her a whore," he said, sounding icily calm in turn, more than matching Gwestion's tone. He wasn't going to tip toe around any of this. "If anyone deserves to be held here without my sister coming to bail him out, as you and he clearly believe she would - then it's him."

Tercen tilted his chin slightly. "Ava has done nothing wrong in this situation. Nothing. I can choose to trust the process of justice in my own city." Not that Minas Tirith was technically his home. But it was the only city he might ever consider calling anything close to it, so he figured it counted. "They will release her once they realize she was not the threat, here." He had no way of knowing that for certain, of course. But he had to give the Guard the benefit of the doubt, at least. Didn't he? Plus - Tercen would not mind if Domanol would be held overnight, if only Arnyn was the one who could fully explain things to get him released. Whatever the case ended up being, ranger or not, misunderstanding or not, Tercen wanted Domanol to feel the consequences for what he had said about Ava.

His arms across his chest tightened. "Ava will know what to say," he said, not a sliver of doubt in his voice. More pointedly meaning she would also know what not to say. "She won't budge on anything." Tercen raised an eyebrow at him. "You told them we were all under orders not to speak about the root of the issue?" He assessed Gwestion quietly. "Sounds like you already said more than you could have," Tercen told him quietly. "But we can see. You just agreed to wait for a more reasonable hour. I want to wait until I know whether they are releasing or holding Ava here. It seems that, even though our reasonings differ - wildly - we can still agree on a course of action. For now - we wait." Tercen uncrossed his arms, gesturing at the chairs in the waiting area. "So. Pick your seat."

If there was ever a time for Gwestion to note that Tercen and Arnyn had more in common than just their hair...

---

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

He started by just trying to write down everything Ava was saying. How she had met everyone. All recent enough connections, for her. He gave her a longer look when she so casually dropped she offered to pay for a whole box at the theatre, all by herself. The rest of Ava's story seemed to match with Tercen's. Creeped out. Sense of danger. The woman spoke more eloquently, clearly, but it was close enough.

One thing he found interesting, was how Ava said she had wanted to talk to Arnyn - but that the latter had been busy. Tercen had not mentioned that. Rallick raised an eyebrow, first listening to the rest of Ava's story.

"Let's go back a step, to the Lieutenant. You said you wanted to talk to her, but did not. While that does seem like it should have been your best bet, if you felt Domanol was dangerous. She's second in command of the Gondorian rangers, after all. Was she not simply watching the play? And right there with the rest of you, when intermission came around? What do you mean, she was busy?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

As Tercen confirmed that she indeed would not be happy, Gwestion nodded in agreement. But before he could say anything else, the man revealed some information that Gwestion had not heard yet. That Dom had called Ava something very.. rude, to say the least. He blinked, mouth parting slightly in surprise, before he closed it again and frowned. "I was not aware of that." He admitted, holding back a sigh. Really, Gwandhyra? He wanted to cover his face with his hand, but refrained.

"But I am not trying to bail anyone out," He corrected Tercen. "I am trying to get us all out of this without it all falling apart," he kept his voice very low, to keep from being overheard by the guard over by the desk. "I'm not saying that he was right to do what he did. But if the guards hadn't gotten dragged into it, we could have had it all cleared by now, and no one would need to bother your sister."

He leaned back in his seat, giving a sigh. "She may not have done anything wrong," He told him, "But if she resists answering their questions, they could hold her for a while, if they feel there's any possible reason." He informed him. He wasn't really familiar with the guard's procedures, but it seemed logical to him, anyway. "Domanol is a ranger, working for the King." He reminded him. "He was also a guard here in this very city, many years ago, and at least one of them knows him. Meanwhile, they know nothing about Ava." He tilted his head. "The guards will surely take all of those things into account." He pointed out. "While he was certainly wrong to pull a knife on a civilian in a public place, they will have to draw one of two conclusions; that either he's gone nuts or turned bad, and has threatened a random lady for no reason at all... or that there was a very good reason and that he was attempting to stop a crime of some sort. Which will lead them to suspect that she has done something wrong." He watched Tercen. "Even though you and I know that she hasn't, they may still decide to keep her until they can figure out why Domanol did what he did. And if he does tell why..."

Gwestion sighed, finding it slightly frustrating to have to explain all of this, as it seemed perfectly logical to him. But obviously, Tercen was a bit too caught up with Ava to be thinking logically. He shook his head a bit as Tercen declared that he'd said more than he could have. "It's more than I wanted to say," He agreed. "But it was my desperate attempt to keep this matter from getting even worse." He tried to explain. "I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but I've ended up in the middle of all this and I'm trying my hardest to keep it from falling apart. I'm not as worried about whether Ava will say anything as I am about whether Dom will." He admitted, the next moment, after Tercen insisted that she would not say the wrong thing. "I wasn't able to explain enough to make him realize his error. I can only hope that what I was able to say was enough to convince him not to start telling.. something that will stir up a hornet's nest."

---

Ava
Interrogation room 3
December 30th, late evening/night

Ava was not expecting him to ask her to clarify about Arnyn being 'busy'. She paused when he asked her to go back a bit to that. She considered briefly how to word this. "She and Gladhron were on the far end of the row from me, and apparently there was some problem which afflicted them both. They had put their heads together to try and resolve it. That's all I know about that." She explained. "They kept their discussion quiet enough that they were not disturbing the rest of us during the play, however."

"When I became aware that the man, who had chosen to sit directly behind me and Tercen, was the very same one who had given me such an uneasy feeling during the masquerade, I whispered to Tercen that I thought we ought to alert Arnyn to the matter, but he was reluctant to interrupt her unless we really needed to." She mentally went over what she had just said, making sure it was all truthful and yet did not reveal that Arnyn had been asleep. Because, despite not knowing the woman well, she suspected that she would rather that detail be kept unknown to the general public.

Clearing her throat, she went on. "That was part of why we went to find somewhere more private to talk. We thought we would be able to figure out what to do, and whether there was an actual threat there, before we troubled the lieutenant with it, since she was already dealing with that other problem." She frowned. "Then, when Gwestion arrived, he informed us that they had left. I suppose whatever that problem was, it was important enough that they needed to attend to it right away instead of staying for the rest of the play. Probably a ranger related matter, I suppose." She shrugged. "Both Gwestion and Gladhron are also rangers, in case you did not know that." She added.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

Tercen stared ahead of him when Gwestion claimed that if the guards hadn't been dragged into it, they could have cleared the situation up by now. Whatever, man. What was I supposed to do? Hope either you, your brother or Arnyn would magically show up and know what was what? He didn't bother replying. What did it matter, now, anyway? It was done. Bickering wouldn't help any.

He listened much more carefully to all Gwestion said next than he was letting on, however. Domanol was a ranger, working for the King. That Guard had said the same, back at the theatre. Tercen tried not to show how surprising that still was to him, after the way the man had spoken to Ava. If he is working for the King, the King needed to work on his people's manners.

That this Domanol had also been a Guard in Minas Tirith at some point in the past, briefly gave Tercen pause. Another surprising little tidbit of information. All that showed that this was news to him, however, was a second's glance Gwestion's way. Then Tercen stubbornly directed his gaze straight ahead of him once more.

Silence fell between them for a while after Gwestion stopped speaking. While Tercen deliberated everything he now knew. But there was so much more that he did not know.

In the end, he did not quite see the problem in Domanol dropping the information that Ava was Umbarian. As long as no one blabbed about how whatever mission Arnyn was planning - probably - could be endangered by Ava's return, in case she got grabbed and tortured for information or something. And Dom surely had no idea about any of that. At least, not to Tercen's knowledge. Mentally, he sighed. He probably wasn't seeing the big picture. But could anyone blame him for that?

"It's about midnight," he finally answered. "I'm waiting to see what they decide to do with Ava. Whether or not Domanol talks about anything, is not my problem. If he does, and it is a problem that he does, then it is for you Rangers to clean up. All of these things are Guard and Ranger matters. Not mine. Like I said, I'm willing to give you directions to Arnyn's house, if the situation worries you too much. I'm staying here, for now. Whether you go alone or whether I join you, won't matter on your end. But whether I stay here or leave, will matter to Ava."

---

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

Hmmmm. Rallick looked thoughtful as Ava described how the Ranger Lieutenant had already been otherwise engaged. According to Hâdhon's information, Tercen had mentioned nothing about that, or about Ava wanting to talk to Arnyn even before the intermission. The man was probably embarrassed that his lady friend's suggestion had clearly been the wrong one to ignore. Because based on what Gwestion had told Rallick, it seemed to the guard that Arnyn could have kept all of this from happening.

"Too bad the Lieutenant's brother didn't follow your suggestion," Rallick noted, out loud, to gauge Ava's reaction to that.

He slanted his head when Ava said Gwestion and his brother were also rangers. "Not rangers here, though," he said. "Rangers of the North, my colleague said. They don't fall under Alarion's or Dealedwen's command - yet they seem to be working with at least the Lieutenant on something or other." He kept watchful eyes on Ava, looking for tells of whether she knew more. Baiting, to see if she would offer anything spontaneously.

"Why did Domanol unsettle you so much upon his arrival? Why did you believe he was dangerous to you, before you all found yourselves behind that curtain?" he wondered. Obviously, she hadn't been all wrong. He had pulled out a knife. But that had been later. What had happened before they had gone behind the curtain, to give Ava the feeling that Domanol might be a danger to her?

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Gwestion was not used to being involved in a disagreement, where the other person seemed to simply ignore him and stare off in another direction. He was used to Gladhron arguing his own point of view back at him, and having a lot of back-and-forth 'discussion' about it. And yet, despite Tercen's silence, it was obvious that he did not agree with Gwestion. He really didn't find that surprising, at least, considering how much alike Tercen and Gladhron happened to be.

He did his best to hold back a sigh as the silence stretched on. Then, finally, Tercen did speak. Gwestion was... strangely surprised that he wasn't launching into an argument. Maybe the two weren't as alike as he had thought. That was hopeful. "Yes, you said that already." He agreed. "And I thought I agreed to wait with you until you at least know whether they will release her tonight or not." He pointed out. If he hadn't said it aloud, he had intended it, by remaining here.

But he did not really like what he added about it all being a 'ranger or guard problem' and not his. He shook his head slowly, his expression quite serious. "You ought to be concerned about if this information gets out." He added more quietly. "Was it not she who expressed such concern about.. certain information getting 'back home', due to possible spies existing in this very city?" he asked in a near whisper. "Who is to say there is not such a person here, among the guard?" As a matter of fact, he had even heard a rumor to that effect, not long before all of this. While he didn't know how true it might be, he thought it couldn't hurt to be extra cautious. "If such information leaks out, it would be her problem as much as, or even more than it would be a ranger problem. And therefore, your problem as well, if you care about her as much as you seem to." He mentioned. "Especially since you intend to join us in our upcoming.. trip."

---

Ava
Interrogation room 3
December 30th, late evening/night

Ava merely shrugged slightly in answer to the guard's comment. She wasn't going to say that Tercen should have listened to her. Not to this guy, anyway. And, since him not listening to her had resulted in.. all of this.. she didn't quite want to defend him about that, either. So, she said nothing in reply to that.

Instead, she focused on what he said about the ranger brothers. "I wouldn't know anything about that," She answered with a thoughtful look. "Only that they seem to know one another quite well, from previous times that they have apparently worked together." She shrugged. "Or so I've gathered, from talking with Gladhron. I believe they came to the city for the masquerade ball, as many did. And it seems they are planning to stay here for a long while, and have therefore asked permission to access the equipment the rangers use for training. Perhaps the matter they were discussing, had to do with that?" She shrugged in an 'I have no idea' sort of way.

His last question was a bit trickier to answer, however. Ava looked down at her hands, thinking about how to explain this without saying certain details. She drew a slow breath and sighed. "At the masquerade dance," She began, tentatively. "I danced with a man who made me feel very uncomfortable. I believe I mentioned that. I.. don't know quite how to explain it," She frowned, looking troubled. "But while I danced with him, some of the things he said...." She shook her head slightly. "I just... got a strange impression from him. As if he.. knew exactly who I was. But I had no idea who he was, and I was sure I had never seen him before, nor had I ever heard anyone who spoke like him before." She glanced up, her troubled expression quite genuine. "He did not say or do anything threatening at the time, but he made me feel... as if I had been followed for some reason." She explained. That was entirely truthful, so she didn't even have to feign being bothered by this feeling. All she had to do was let her 'wall' down enough to let the guard see that this had bothered her.

"This troubled me so much that I even mentioned it to Tercen after it became evident that we were... more than casually interested in one another." She added. "And I pointed the man out to him before we left, but since he had not actually done anything.. there was not really anything to be done about it." She shrugged in a helpless manner. It wasn't like they could've asked the guards to arrest him or anything, after all.

"Since that evening, over the course of the following days, I have continually tried to shake the feeling that I were being watched, or perhaps even stalked..." She admitted, speaking in a soft voice. "There have been times, like going out to dinner with Tercen, or going dancing another evening, I have forgotten for a while, and I would begin to relax and enjoy myself," She smiled faintly. "But then something will remind me of this feeling of being watched, and I would begin glancing around, looking over my shoulder, checking outside of windows... and in general, feeling as if I had been too careless by going places." She swallowed. "I haven't seen anyone actually following me, nor have I noticed any sort of evidence of such, but there has been this.. feeling in my stomach.. a gnawing worry in the back of my mind.. that maybe someone is there, lurking just out of sight.. trying to eavesdrop on my conversations.." She let out a frustrated sigh. "And I don't even if it's true, nor do I know why someone would be stalking me, nor did I know who this man was, or how he could have any idea who I am, since I do not live nearby."

Though she did not raise her voice, it did grow increasingly more upset as she spoke. Now, she attempted to sound calmer as she continued. "That is why I felt it necessary to carry at least a small knife, for my own protection in case I was ever caught by surprise." She explained, looking down again, this time apologetically. "I did not expect to have my fears actually become real. I kept thinking and hoping that perhaps it was all in my imagination, and that I would feel ridiculous for being so paranoid." She raised her eyes up to the guard again. "I was shocked when someone said that man is a ranger." She said, sincerely puzzled and skeptical about that. "Is that generally how rangers behave?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

Tercen was unimpressed as he leaned back in his own seat. "It's always possible. It's possible for anyone to be crooked, guard or not. Ranger or not. Civilian or not. It's also possibly for anyone to mean you harm. What are you going to do? Sit alone in a shack somewhere, barricading yourself in and never interact with anyone? How do you even have any friends if you are this paranoid? And how on earth did you ever befriend Arnyn? It's not like she's all that forthcoming."

He sighed. "Look. If anyone is spying on Ava then they already know where she is from. And your Domanol knows nothing else about her, clearly." He raised his hands a little. "I don't want to argue. But I'm not exactly inclined to make friendly conversation with you, either - if this is the topic you're gonna stick to."

---

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

I was sure I had never seen him before, nor had I ever heard anyone who spoke like him before.

Rallick had to hold back a laugh. Well, yeah. It was a masquerade: people disguised themselves in frock and voice, didn't they?! He kept his expression mostly neutral, however, and simply nodded slightly. "So this man at the masquerade made you think he was following you, and afterward you had the continued feeling that you were being followed. But you never saw anyone." He leaned forward a little. "Tell me this - why would you be concerned about being followed, if you were doing nothing wrong?" He was wondering very much, by this point, why Lieutenant Dealedwen did not wish this Ava to leave the city without her explicit permission. Who was this woman? Why was she not allowed to walk out of the Great Gates?

"That brings us to the next point," Rallick answered Ava's question about ranger behaviour: "What exctly did Domanol behave like? What did he do and say, behind the curtain, at the theatre? Try not to leave anything out."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Gwestion held back a sigh. Tercen did not seem to get the point. And Gwestion was tired of trying to explain it to him. In fact, it seemed like he was determined not to see the point, and that he was no willing to admit that Domanol being in the guard's custody could be very bad for both him and Ava. He had no desire to keep arguing about it, either, and the less they talked about it, the less chance there was for anyone to overhear them.

He shook his head a little and decided to not even respond to the last bit. The guy might be her brother, but Gwestion saw no reason to tell him all about the times spent with Arnyn, or Celume as they had known her. Given the fact that he had nothing else to discuss with the man, he kept quiet. Instead, he began to spend the time in trying to decide what would be the best course of action. Obviously, waking Arnyn was going to upset her, at this point. As tired as she had apparently been, he did hate to do that, but he was also unsure how urgent this matter might be. How long would Domanol refrain from telling the guard what he knew? This whole thing was entirely unexpected, and Gwestion wasn't really sure how to handle it.

---

Ava
Interrogation room 3
December 30th, late evening/night

The guard's question took her aback slightly. Ava blinked, then sat back as she looked at him thoughtfully. "Forgive me for asking, officer, but do you have a wife? Daughter? sister, perhaps?" She asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Or a female friend, at the least? Assuming you have at least one female in your life whom you care about... if she told you that she felt as if a strange man was following her around while she was visiting an unfamiliar city, would you automatically assume that she had done something wrong and that she had a guilty conscience, and that she was concerned about being followed simply because she did not want someone to see what she's doing?" She asked, frowning. She couldn't help but find it annoying, and even a bit insulting, that he would automatically jump to that conclusion. Especially since she really hadn't done anything at all!

She held back from launching into a rant, and instead took a calming breath. "It may be difficult for you to understand, being a man, but for a woman, traveling alone.. it is quite unsettling to feel as if someone you don't know is lurking in the shadows.. always watching you, but never letting you see him..." She shook her head and sighed. "I told you that this man acted and spoke as if he knew exactly who I was, even though I did not know him. I realize, perhaps, saying that may sound vague, since you were not there. It is difficult to really explain," She sighed. "And maybe you think I am silly, because I realize it was a masquerade and that everyone was masked." She shook her head. "The thing is, I am not from this city. I have never been here before. And yet this man seemed to know who I am. Let me clarify... it was not as if he thought I was someone he knew... it was that he seemed to know me. As if he had followed me from my home city." She tried to make him understand, while being careful not to reveal any details that would be best left out of this.

She sighed and brought her elbows to rest on the desk, with her forehead resting in both palms, her face partly hidden as she tried to recenter and focus. She took a couple of slow breaths before sitting back upright once she had regained her composure. "Right. Behind the curtain." She began quietly, frowning. "Tercen and I had only just stepped behind it, when he followed us, brandishing the knife. And he declared that he most certainly did know who I was," She frowned. "Which proved that I was right all along," She couldn't help adding. "At first, he was insulting to both me and to Tercen... for being with me." She frowned, trying to remember. "He seemed to think that I had figured out, by this time, who he is.. which I had not. And he confirmed that he was, in fact, the same man with whom I had danced, at the masquerade."

She looked down at her hands, thinking back to everything he had said, that she could recall. How much did she want to tell him? She'd had a little time to calm down, now. To think about this whole thing. Did she want to tell the guards what the ranger had said, how he had threatened to attack her? Should she? Because... now that she knew he was a ranger, that changed things a bit. Hearing that he had threatened her, they might wonder what cause this ranger had to do so. While a part of her wanted to tell everything he'd said, every threat he'd made toward her, to get him into a lot of trouble... she could also see how that might come back to bite her. After a moment, she let out a shaky breath, deciding, against the vindictive part of her mind, to let it go.

"I did not know what to do. I did not know what he planned to do to me. Tercen was growing agitated, and I feared that he might try to do something.. brave.. which might get himself hurt, or which might escalate the situation further. So, I tried to calm him, and told him to ignore what the man said about us." She mentioned, fixing her gaze on a spot on the table before her. "But he did not want to be calmed down. He swore angrily at the man, and declared that he was going to get the guards. He left, and the man did not try to stop him." She frowned.

"Only a few seconds passed, before Gwestion arrived." She went on, hesitating. She no longer knew what to think about him. "Apparently, he and this.. Domanol.. are long-time friends." She still felt confused by it all. Was he on Domanol's side? But then, who's side were they on? Because nothing made sense anymore. "They spoke briefly together in a language that I believe is Rohirric," She added, frowning, "And then Gwestion tried to convince me to go elsewhere to speak privately, but I did not trust him anymore." She said with a frown. "I had only just met Gwestion this morning, and after what just happened with his 'good friend' Domanol... who knows what they both had in mind." She shook her head. "I refused to go anywhere, knowing that Tercen would be returning soon, with help." She declared. "It's a relief you arrived when you did."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

It finally seemed like they agreed on more than waiting to go get Arnyn. That, or Gwestion had picked up on the hint that Tercen didn't want to talk anymore if the only thing Gwestion could talk about was trying to prove he was right, and Tercen was wrong.

Good.

Tercen let out a shallow sigh, and looked toward the hallway with the interrogation rooms. Rallick had gone in to talk to either Domanol or Ava - Tercen wasn't sure. So that meant someone else was with the other? Or perhaps they were waiting, and interviewing one after the other? He couldn't be sure, so Tercen decided not to speculate, and simply wait for Rallick to exit the room he was in now, to ask what Ava's situation was.

---

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

Rallick's eyes narrowed when Ava asked if he had any women in his life he cared about. He understood the question, and realized his earlier question could indeed have come across as... well. But he did not answer her verbally. It was none of her business who he did or did not care about, nor was he inclined to offer any apologies. Besides, as a man, he really did not understand the female experience. Nor was he the type of person to immediately assume foul play when someone claimed they were being followed.

Ava did say something interesting, however. If Arnyn did not want Ava to leave the White City, it was probably to keep her from going home, then. So where was that? Where did she think Domanol would have followed her from? "And where is your home, then, Ms Ava?" he asked her, his quil poised to write it down on the form.

"What I don't understand, is why a ranger working for the King would insult you, for being who you are, and insult Tercen, for being with you? Why would Domanol pull a knife at you two?

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Ava
Interrogation room 3
December 30th, late evening/night

She should have known he would end up asking her about her home. She had tried very hard to avoid saying anything that would draw difficult-to-answer questions, but the entire situation was difficult. She wasn't surprised, but she did need to take a moment. She wasn't at the masquerade anymore, where it had been easier to dance around the fact.

As he went on to ask about why the ranger had insulted her and Tercen, and pulled a knife, she let out a soft laugh, wryly finding the questions ironic. "I assure you, officer, you are not alone in that you do not understand it." She told him, somewhat marveling at the fact he would even ask. Hadn't she just said that she didn't know why he had done any of this? "If you find the answer to those questions, I would appreciate it if you would let me know, as well."

She shook her head with a little sigh. The laugh had, at least, helped to ease a little of her anxiety. A tiny bit. She looked at him with a frown. "I couldn't tell you why he did those things, anymore than I could tell you why he would be following me. It's certainly made my visit here less pleasant than I had hoped. Especially after tonight." She frowned.

"As for your other question," She added, now that she'd had a chance to think a little bit, and come up with a reasonable answer that would not automatically condemn her, "I have a house in Pelargir. I planned to leave for Pelargir in a couple of days, in fact."

That was true enough, since she had sent Edwyrd to purchase one, and she had received a message only this afternoon that he'd found one that seemed promising, and that he had it under contract to buy, pending her approval. Having been alerted, only this morning, to the fact that she didn't actually have much time left before she had to be back home, Ava had sent a message back to him that he had her authority to make the purchase as he saw fit, and that she might not be able to come look at it personally. But she trusted him to find exactly what she needed. He had done similarly with her house in Minas Tirith's fifth level, after all, and it had been just about perfect by the time she arrived. Hopefully, she might have time to take a quick look, but it would depend a lot on how soon she could set out... and a lot of that depended on whether the guards would let her go or not.

[Arnyn]

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

Rallick paused his writing when Ava claimed she had no idea why. Tercen said he had no idea why. Gwestion - Gwestion had said that the 'why' had been forbidden to talk about because of Lieutenant Dealedwen's involvement. So either Ava and Tercen were lying, or Gwestion was lying, or they were all hiding the why but only Gwestion was owning up to the reason behind it. Rallick frowned a little as he wrote something down on the forms. Did he have it right, like that?

"Pelargir," he repeated, writing that down, too. "I see."

"Anything more you would like to add? Now that you still can?" he inquired, giving her one more opportunity to maybe mention anything about Lieutenant Dealedwen, as Gwestion had, or to offer up any additional information. "Anything that might be useful in determining why Domanol did what he did, so that we might gauge whether he might still be a danger to you or others?" It would serve no purpose to ask her whether she would hold a grudge or not, he figured. She would simply deny that, so she'd be released.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Ava
Interrogation room 3
December 30th, late evening/night

Ava was surprised by his question. Did she want to add anything else? She sat back, though still keeping her posture straight. What else was there, besides the things she had deliberately chosen to leave out? And was this a trick? Did he know something already, so that he would know that she had left something out? He had said that he'd spoken to Tercen and Gwestion already.

She looked down at her hands, giving a little shake of her head. "I.. I cannot think of anything, but it all happened so quickly." She answered, frowning. She didn't really know quite how to handle this. "It was very frightening. Perhaps, if something comes to mind later, I could return?" She suggested, not that she intended to do any such thing, but it gave her an 'out' in case there was something the guard knew she was leaving out, and was trying to entrap her or something. She did not like being trapped, either in words, or physically, and therefore usually always tried to ensure that she had a way of escape.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
Interrogation room 3 - December 30th, late evening/night

He gave Ava a wry smile when she said she couldn't think of anything. "Interesting," he noted, not even meaning for it to sound as dry as it did. He took the time to write some more things down on the forms in front of him. "Come back?" he mumbled as he wrote. "We'll have to let you go, first, before you can come back," he added, thoughtfully.

"I will go discuss your interview with my ranking officer. We will be contrasting and comparing, obviously," Rallick said with a little shrug. "But if you all spoke true, there shouldn't be much of a probleem, right?" He smiled faintly at Ava, before a-packing up his writing kit. "I hope to have news for you, soon, Ava."

Rallick stood, and bowed his head a little. Then he stepped out, and immediately went on his way to find Sergeant Hâdhon. To discuss the different approaches their 'guests' had all taken... and to see what the Sergeant wished to do with Ava, in particular... Before the spotlight would be shining on the last of the gathered theatre party; Domanol Raxelilta.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Ava
Interrogation room 3
December 30th, late evening/night

Interesting? What was that supposed to mean, she wondered? Ava noticed the tone he had said it in, also. But she remained silent while he was writing things down in the form. When he replied with the implication that she might not be permitted to leave her, she blinked in surprise as her pulse quickened a little. Why? Why wouldn't she be allowed to leave? What reason could they possibly have to hold her here? She had given her report! She wasn't the one guilty of anything here, why would they keep her here?

Outwardly, she maintained a calm appearance, breathing slowly and steadily. Inwardly, her heart had sped up with the fear that they would try to put her into some dark, cold dungeon. Her fingers tightened a little on each other as a variety of thoughts flitted through her mind. What would happen back home, if she couldn't return. What might become of her people there. And Tercen, how would he react? Or were they holding him, too? What about Gwestion? She had no idea, anymore, whether he was friend or foe, but he had really not even been involved in the whole thing.

It felt like the seconds stretched out into several minutes as he finished writing, and explained that he had to speak to his superior. Ava nodded in understanding. "Of course." She answered softly, about the only thing she could manage at the moment, while holding her panic at bay. She watched the guard pack away his writing kit, and leave the room. Ava took a slow, deep breath, and held it for several seconds before letting it out slowly. Then repeated it a couple more times as she tried to keep a calm outward appearance, while she was thinking about what the best thing would be to do, in the event they did decide to lock her up.

---

Sergeant Hâdhon

Hadhon was at his desk, and set aside the papers he was working on, when Rallick entered. Sitting back, he listened to all that Rallick had learned from the two that he had interviewed, and shared what he had learned from Tercen. After giving it some thought, and discussing a few things, Hadhon frowned slightly. The fact that Ava was someone whom the ranger lieutenant had specifically asked them to keep an eye out for, and to not let her leave the city without permission, made him not like the fact that she had mentioned that she planned to leave soon. In light of that, plus a few other things that came up, he suggested that they at least keep her until they had a chance to talk to Lieutenant Dealedwen and check if she was alright with the woman going free. Perhaps she was trying to skip town, he thought. For all they knew, the ranger may have been trying to carry out orders from the lieutenant, and if the guards let her go, they would be responsible for whatever happened as a result. It was too bad that they didn't know more about the situation, but since no one would talk, there wasn't much else to be done.

He debated whether they should question the other two again, and also mentally wondered whether he should have done a more thorough job of questioning Tercen, but it was difficult to know what sort of questions to ask when you don't even know the full situation yet... but anyway. At least he was the ranger lieutenant's brother, so he shouldn't be too hard to find if they needed to ask him more questions, later. And the other guy had barely been involved in any of it, anyway. So, he decided that it should be alright to let Tercen and Gwestion go, but that they would not release Ava until Lieutenant Dealedwen had given the 'all clear' about it. In the meanwhile, he asked Rallick to make sure that all the forms were properly and fully filled out, and suggested that if needed, he could use that as an excuse to keep her here.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen | Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
December 30th, late evening/night

The Sergeant wanted to keep Ava at HQ, and honestly Rallick agreed. They could at least hold her for a short while, until either Domanol Raxelilta cleared things up, or until they managed to speak to Lieutenant Dealedwen. But that did leave him with... Rallick glanced down the hallway, once he'd taken his leave from Hâdhon. Informing those two.

These were the times he sure missed soldiering. Much less of this 'people management' business. Just metal against metal.

Anyway.

Rallick approached Gwestion and Tercen with a calm demeanour. "You are waiting?" he inquired.

Tercen rose from his seat upon the guard's approach. "I am waiting for the lady. Ava. Can she...?"

Rallick's gaze flicked between the two men, before resting on Tercen. "Not just yet. Given your combined statements, we have decided to hold her -" he raised a hand, anticipating the blond man's objections, "- for a while. We have not decided to lock her up, sir. But simply to wait, for more clarification." His attention shifted to Gwestion momentarily. "We still have to interview mister Raxelilta. That might shed more light onto the situation."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

They waited mostly in silence, having nothing really to say to each other. Gwestion tried not to think too much about it, figuring that it was due to Tercen merely being preoccupied and worried, not that it was because he was annoyed at Gwestion or anything. Still, he was aware that he had a tendency to... not hit it off well with people. To not make friends easily. To be misinterpreted when he tried to say things.

How do you even have any friends if you are this paranoid? And how on earth did you ever befriend Arnyn?

The words ran through his mind more than a few times, though he tried not to let it bother him. Tercen had no idea how closely they had come to her simply going on her way, and parting ways from them, all because of Gwestion. He was very glad that she had not, of course. But he wasn't going to lie to himself by thinking it hadn't been a close thing. He did not consider it being paranoid, either, he mentally argued. He had only been trying to explain to Tercen why this was all so bad, and why he was trying so hard to keep it from getting worse. Why couldn't he realize that? He had a lot more personal interest in keeping Ava safe than Gwestion did, and yet it seemed Gwestion was more worried about her secret getting out, than Tercen!

Frustrated, he tried to focus on something else, because none of what was going on inside his head was anything he wanted to verbalize and risk starting another argument. The guy was upset and stressed enough already. So, Gwestion was glad to see the guard approaching them, at last. Gwestion straightened up a little in his chair and gave a small nod when he asked if they were waiting.

The news that they were not releasing her, however, gave him some concern. Why? He watched the guard thoughtfully as he explained that they were not locking her up, but that they were waiting for more clarification. And that was... not for the reasons he had expected, but rather, because of their combined statements? He frowned slightly at that, wondering what exactly that meant. Had the other two given statements that didn't match his? Did she tell something besides what Tercen told? What reason cou-

Oh. He blinked as he recalled something that Arnyn had told him, this morning in the headquarters when she was giving them a more detailed briefing. She had warned the guards to keep an eye out for Ava, and not to let her leave town without permission. Therefore, they had her description. Now, there was all of this trouble happening. He wondered if that was it.

He gave a slow nod when Rallick mentioned that they had not yet interviewed Domanol. He hoped that wasn't going to go badly, and that what Gwestion had managed to tell him had been enough to convince the ranger that he should not tell them all he knew (or thought he knew) about Ava. If only... no, Gwestion silently let out a small sigh as he told himself not to even bother going through all of the 'if only' possibilities that existed out there. No use in that. He only hoped that they could get all of this cleared up soon.

"Thank you for letting us know," He answered Rallick politely. So. Gwestion had been right, although not for the reasons he had expected. But he wasn't really pleased that it turned out he was right in his guess that they would hold her, and he definitely wasn't planning to say 'I told you so'. In fact, he felt bad for Tercen for having to endure this, as he knew it couldn't be easy. He must be worried about Ava and stressed about her predicament. But it would do no good to stay here and pace around, right? After the guard had left them, he turned to Tercen. "I'm sorry," He told him quietly. Even if he wasn't surprised, he was regretful about the fact. He wanted to add, shall we go get your sister then? but somehow, that seemed like it might be too insensitive, and maybe it was a bit too soon after the news had been dropped to say something like that... So, he waited to gauge Tercen's response to his apology, before he said anything else.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
with Gwestion
December 30th, night

Tercen was just staring at Rallick in silence as the guard delivered Ava's current judgment. They would not be releasing her - yet. But there was no time frame given. Only the hope, the possibility, that interviewing Domanol would lead to her release. While Tercen had gotten the impression that was exactly what Domanol did not want, and would work against, even. He clearly hadn't wanted Ava roaming about in Minas Tirith, or anywhere beyond Umbar itself probably.

No. Tercen did not think that DOmanol was going to be doing Ava any favors.

Gwestion thanked the guard, and the man left them. Off to interview the last of them, Tercen figured. A frown made two lines appear between his brows. Two lines which remained there, when Gwestion said he was sorry.

"So am I," Tercen mumbled, finally looking aside at the northern ranger. "He is your friend," he half stated, half asked. "What do you think he will do?"


@Ercassie

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
with Domanol
December 30th, night

Yet another set of forms. Rallick held back a sigh as he entered the room. At least this man was a former guard - Thorley had said as much. He should be forthcoming, now they were here. This should be an easy interview. Shouldn't it?

"Hello, sir," he bid the man. "Not the evening I was thinking of, when I started my shift." The admission came honestly - this wasn't Rallick playing any kind of game. He took a seat opposite Domanol. "Could you please explain how you know the people involved? And what exactly happened at the theatre that made Tercen come and get my colleague and I?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Gwestion thought about that question for a moment, frowning slightly. He couldn't really be sure one way or another about what he would do... the man could be a bit unpredictable at times, especially when it came to matters like this. He gave a slow shake of his head, regretful that he could not give a better answer. "I really can't be sure," He admitted. "Umbar is a very touchy matter with him," he explained softly, not wishing for his voice to carry. He thought about it for another few seconds.

"I think it might be best not to wait too much longer to get this matter cleared up. If the only thing keeping him here is what he can say about her.. then the only thing I know of that would keep him from telling them, is whatever trust he may have in me." He sighed softly. Honestly, he didn't really know how much trust there was there. He'd looked pretty upset at Gwestion when he asked him to extend that trust... and Gwestion almost felt like he'd gone out on a limb even asking for it. He tried to focus on the present, though. "With him being convinced she's an enemy plotting against Gondor... it's hard to know what he might say... which could convince the guards that she should most definitely be locked up." He watched Tercen to see if he was getting the gravity of the potential situation here.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
with Gwestion
December 30th, night

Tercen let Gwestion's words settle. He assessed the younger man's serious expression. The uncertainty about everything, around the eyes. And something - something in the set of his shoulders, that reminded him... of Arnyn. The way she used to carry herself, when she felt like some kind of responsibility was lying on her shoulders, and she thought, hoped, she could fix it.

A curse was uttered, under his breath. Another silence, while Tercen contemplated his options.

Wait it out. And risk Ava being locked up. Could Arnyn even demand her release? The Guard was a different organisation than the Rangers were. How did that sort of thing even work? He had no clue - and for the first time in his entire life, he wished he'd have been interested enough in his sister's job to ask about such things long ago. Could have really come in handy, right about now.

Or take action, in the only way they could. And go get Arnyn.
Arnyn, who'd been so obviously tired. Arnyn, who was already dealing with... well, it looked like a lot, to him. And he probably didn't even guess at half of it.

"I'm not happy you were right." The statement was delivered without an edge, without animosity to the other man. It was no more than a states fact, an honest admission. Tercen tilted her chin in the direction of the exit. And then preceeded Gwestion out of the headquarters building. And onto the City's streets.

- To be continued in Minas Trith Streets and Levels (Free RP) -

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta, Interview room 4
with Guard Rallick, after the Play drama. Dec 30th. Late.

Domanol leaned back in his seat, and let his head roll back on his neck, from left to right, back to left again. It did not manage much to organise his thoughts, for there were wars of words going on inside his skull right now. The physical act of stretching, both arms extended above his head, did work though to alleviate the physical tension. He had worked hard with Narradir to be able to afford the little trip up to the theatre. And the evening had not exactly allowed for any real relaxation yet, as it ought to have done. But it had already been an amount of time he’d been kept waiting, and he knew they would speak to him last of all.

That was how the Guard had always worked. They’d let a suspect work themselves up into a panic about potential consequences, and they’d want to be aware of all the evidence they could gain from witnesses, before asking for the suspect to admit to or explain it. Since he, in this case, could not exactly do either of those options, it made little difference quite when they would waste their time trying to get any answers out of him. If he had wanted to allege any counter accusations against Ava then he ought to have done so, back when Thorley had given him the opportunity, just before he had abandoned his friend here. But what could he have possibly said, when he was only convinced now that he had no idea what was going on ?!


At least he could be assured that Seri and the girls would get home safely. He had obtained that much promise from his old friend. Because if the Guard were talking to Domanol last, it meant that woman might already be out on the streets by now. Because he could not stop it. Not by telling. He would have to do the best he could by .. not telling. The man’s brow furrowed until his thinking hurt and he dropped his head into both hands.

He made himself sit up when Rallick finally entered, though the motion was wearied, even before Dom caught sight of the readied paperwork. One eyebrow did rise as the younger Guard commenced with an ice-breaking effort. But then brown eyes flicked away mere moments later. This guy thought he was having a bad evening ?


The first line of enquiry of course appeared an easy ask, disarmingly so, and was clearly designed to verify or contest what the others had said on that same circumstance. The Guard probably already knew the answer, or expected that he did, by this point. And Rallick had literally been stood at hand, when Dom had explained his knowledge of some of them, at the theatre before. With a sigh, he shifted where he sat and tapped the fingers of one hand along the table top. Choosing to focus on that, rather than his interrogator. Though it wouldn’t hurt to remind them of a few choice facts on why he was not the one they ought to be concerned over.

“I have known the brothers Gwestion and Gladhron for some years, professionally, as Rangers in Arnor. I have been acquainted with the Healer, Seri and thus her nieces, their dog .. from the same vicinity and a similar amount of time. I only met Lieutenant Dealedwen since returning to Gondor this year, again professionally. But I had never met her brother before tonight.”


And there the Ranger stopped, because choosing not to tell might be more telling than anything he was even ‘allowed’ to say. When it came to clarifying how (or if) he ‘knew’ this Ava, or even when, or how, and where they’d ‘met’, the man glanced aside to the wall. Explain that ? Explain what had happened ? Honestly, he was still waiting for somebody to explain it to him !

“As to the other, I very much regret that I can not report what would now salvage anybody's evening,” he surmised, and dropped his hand from the table. He could not meet the other man’s eye, for it was not Rallick’s fault. He was not angry at the Guard, who was simply doing his job. The problem was of course, that Domanol still believed that he personally was also doing his job. As a Ranger, and as a man who had found his loved ones at risk before now, under very similar circumstances. It was maddening that the very people he was supposed to be working with were the same ones keeping him from finishing the job.

[Arnyn]

@Ercassie

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
with Domanol
December 30th, night

The endeavour of interviewing the former guard seemed promising, as Domanol Raxelilta proved to be calm and gave a succinct but unconfusing explanation for his ties with Gwestion and his brother, and the lady - Seri - who had stayed behind at the theater with her nieces, and a dog. Domanol even filled in how he knew Lieutenant Dealedwen, although knowing seemed to be a strong term. Domanol had only mentioned meeting her, after all. Not knowing her. And there was a difference, naturally.

Rallick gratefully used the pause in the man's speech to write that much down, already. But when the man on the other side of the table continued, the words made Rallick blink at his own writing, before he raised weary eyes to Domanol. "You cannot report what would salvage anyone's evening," the guard repeated, slowly. "Then what can you report?"

[Ercassie]

@Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta, Interview room 4
with Guard Rallick, after the Play drama. Dec 30th. Late.

There had been a time, when he had sat on that other side of this table. When he had been the one looking for answers. Now .. Domanol swallowed a sigh. To be fair, he still didn’t have the answer now, even when he did. He could simply do as he was being asked to, what he knew was right, and true, and would garner what he wanted most. For that woman to be recognised for what she was, as a danger to everyone he wanted to protect from her. He wanted to do it right this time. So that no other innocent would pay the price, because of his making an error in judgement.

Or he could do what his friend, a man who’d saved his life before, when he’d gotten too far in his head about this same subject ….. do what that man had asked of him. To refuse that, would it be a greater error in judgement ?


As the Guard endured the form, Domanol tried in vain to resurrect his brother’s arguments in mind, all the very plausible possibilities which Addhor had put to him, that had calmed him down over the last few days. But there was a quintessential problem there. Since he’d last seen his brother, he had seen his worst fears realised, his gut instinct .. proven. Proven !! And still, here he was. Doing nothing about it ?

He couldn’t do nothing. But at the same time, he couldn’t do what he knew he ought to. And there was a particularly irksome flavour roiling about in the back of his mind that he could do .. exactly as he wished to, to spite them. Because they were asking him to trust them. When they clearly had not trusted him. They had known. They had all known. People he had trusted. Should he now do them any sort of favour ? Who would it hurt if he spoke what he knew ? Her ? The Umbarian. He didn’t know why they were defending her. He had no clue why he should. If he told about her then she was the one who would pay. How could that be .. wrong ?

Rallick was expecting some response to his question.


Dom closed his eyes briefly, in a play at bored belligerence, then opened them and draped one open hand lazily against the side of his chair. What could he actually report ? “This is not at all the sort of evening I had hoped for either,” he concluded. After all, there was nothing to say he could not act on what he knew .. later. Once he knew why nobody wanted him to. It was better to bide time and choose with all the information, than to find out what was going on only after it was too late to tell if it should make any difference.

[Arnyn]

@Ercassie @Rillewen

Guard Rallick
Play Aftermath: The Interviews
having left Domanol and having spoken with Sergeant Hâdhon
December 30th-->31st night

Domanol Raxelilta had given him... nothing. Basically nothing. Even though Rallick had given it his best shot. Shots, plural, actually. To no avail, alas. The man was being as uncooperative as a mule. The guard drew in a deep breath before letting out a disappointed sigh. Thankfully, Hâdhon didn't seem to care all that much about any of this. If anything, the Night Sergeant seemed relieved that only the very first paper of the formstack that was supposed to be Domanol's, had been filled out. Less for him to read.

Rallick grumbled under his breath as he approached the waiting area. They really needed some new leadership around here. Then again, at least Hâdhon wouldn't hold Rallick's failure against him. For it sure hadn't been for lack of trying, on his part.

Huh.

He had not expected the waiting area to be empty. They were still holding the woman - he had checked as much with the Sergeant. But that blonde man was no longer present? Rallick rubbed the stubble along his jaw. Unexpected. And he'd been planning on updating that other one - Gwestion - with the news they were holding onto Domanol just a little longer, as well.

Well...now what was he supposed to do? Ava and Domanol had been brought in by him, and his shift was nowhere near over. They would remain his responsibility until the Sergeant decided to release them. Not that they could hold either for very long, as it was. If only they could simply decide to drag the Ranger Lieutenant out of bed, Rallick thought with a half smirk, as he mosied on over to the area where food and water was kept. That would be very convenient.

He drank some water himself first, seemed to consider something and then took a new glass, filled it, and headed back into one of the interview rooms.

Well. I'll be damned...

Arnyn
Trying to keep it together
with Tercen and Gwestion in tow
Arriving at Guard Headquarters - December 30th/31st, night

The stone walls of Guard Headquarters loomed ahead, as pale as her face in the torchlight, its shadow cast long across the street. The city had quieted to the hush prevalent after the witching hour.

Arnyn’s boots struck the cobblestones with perfect rhythm. One step after another. She did not stumble. On the outside, she looked composed: uniform crisp, gloves immaculately in place, collar fastened just so. But inside, everything was screaming.

She was so tired — not the kind of tired that could be shaken off with coffee or willpower, but the kind that clung to her flesh and bones and hollowed out her balance. The street wavered slightly at the edges of her vision. Her breath came slow and shallow, regulated by no more than sheer effort. Her spine held straight through memory, not ease.

The air felt too thin. She could taste the metallic tang of belladonna still riding the edges of her tongue. A second pulse throbbed at the base of her skull — dull but insistent. She pressed her fingers more tightly around the leather of her gloves, hoping it would anchor her. It didn’t.

All the while, however, her expression betrayed nothing.

Tercen walked a half step behind her, watching. Not openly — she wouldn’t have tolerated that — but he was watching all the same. Nothing could be said of her composure, but he'd known her all his life. He saw the tension in her mouth. The glaze in her eyes. He wasn't sure if it was the hour or not, but did they not seem... off? Not to mention the shadows beneath those dark pools. The absence of any color at all in her lips. What was going on with her? Was it all simply exhaustion? Or was she that upset to be dragged away from bed in the middle of the night? Upset to be dragged away from... Gladhron?

Tercen didn’t ask if she was alright, though. He wouldn’t insult her by pretending she’d admit it. But he kept close. That would have to be enough.

They passed under the main arch, two guards straightening at their approach.
“Lieutenant,” one murmured, saluting.

Arnyn gave a brief nod. She stepped past them, letting the door swing shut behind her. Tercen had to open it again to follow, and he held it for Gwestion.

The reception area was still and cold, the kind of cold that settled in stone and refused to be chased out. The lamplight was low and flickering. But Arnyn was plagued by an inner heat, and the cold was a help more than anything. She moved without hesitation, only stopping in her tracks when a guard stammered a greeting.

"L-Lieutenant Dealedwen?" To his credit, he was trying to hide his surprise.

“Domanol Raxelilta. Ava,” Arnyn stated her business, her tone so deadpan that it did not sound in the least like a question.

The guard at reception took in the set of her shoulders. The Ranger Lieutenant clasp on one of them. When his eyes lifted to hers, he almost took an instinctive step backward. Black as night. “Right-hand hallway, ma’am. Room 4... and room 3.” Surely, Hâdhon wouldn't mind. The Night Sergeant wasn't exactly a man for protocol...

Arnyn nodded and turned into the hallway without another word. She was wrapping something around her, some kind of armour that went beyond the leathers. Tercen had seen this silence, this grace, this razor-sharp precision before. It meant she was fighting something. He couldn't say what. She would not speak of it. Not in front of him, not in front of anyone. But it was there in the precision of her steps, in the unnatural stillness of her expression. Too economical. Too much like the way she had sparred against Kaylin. Too... it was simply too much of something. And it twisted something in Tercen's chest. He hated seeing her like this. Hated that she wouldn’t let anyone in, not even her own brother.

She turned a corner, her pace unchanged. Tercen met Gwestion's eyes briefly, then looked away again. “Arnyn," he began, "Are you sure you don’t want—”

“I’m fine,” she said. It wasn’t an invitation.

Interview room 4

The door creaked open under her hand. Rallick, who had just slid over a glass of water to the person across the table, looked up from his chair at Arnyn, standing in the doorway. The full black uniform was stark against the gold of her hair. Behind her, Tercen claimed a spot against the hallway wall. He had no business being in those rooms, he figured.

“Lieutenant,” Rallick said, standing at once. “I was—”

“Out,” Arnyn said, stepping into the room.

Rallick blinked. “Ma’am, he—”

“Out.” Her tone didn’t rise. It didn’t need to.

Rallick looked between her and Domanol, then nodded stiffly. “Yes, ma’am.” He picked up his own glass from the table, and exited.

Only when the door clicked shut behind him, Arnyn turned her black gaze to Domanol. She didn’t speak. Not yet. She needed a second. Just one second to breathe in the quiet and keep the world from spinning. She didn’t sit. She didn’t offer comfort or greeting. She simply stood across from him.

“We are going to have this conversation once,” she said. “And then you will decide if you can continue our cooperation in this mission and whatever else you choose to think of everyone involved."

"Firstly - you were not withheld from." Her tone was even. Professional. "You were yet to be briefed." There was a notable difference. "Apparently you are even better at spotting a snake than I presumed. I regret there was no time for us to speak - before the play."

"My brother introduced her to me." There was no question, of course, which 'her' Arnyn was talking about.

"She claims her mother was poisoned. Her father - sacrificed. That she despises the ways of the Temple." A breath in. "There is no way to fact-check that, of course."

"She also claims she brought Gondorians back to our lands, who were being held as slaves by others in Umbar. After interviewing her, there is a way to verify that much. This verification will occur within the next two weeks." It had been set up with Pele, already, after all.

"She is also, unmistakably, the Umbarian who set free Captain Alarion, during her time of... imprisonment, there. The details, there, do not lie."

"Rather than try and relocate an endless number of people, over and over - she also claims she wants to bring down the Temple. Again, impossible to verify as it stands," Arnyn continued, trying to pick out what was important now and what could wait for another day. Her balance threatened to float away - the fingers of one hand curled around the top of the chair Rallick had been using when she'd come in. "And that she needs to return to Umbar in a matter of days, for if she does not, the Priest will make all the innocents on her estate live through the consequences of her absence."

"She has handed over maps of Umbar and the surrounding area. Of the city itself, including the locations of residences of the people in power, and other locations of interest such as the slave market, the fighting arena and the temple. She has handed over a map of the temple as wellbas other places. The information I already had on such matters, all lines up with what she handed over. What routes the Captain remembers, also check out with what she had provided. There are no inconsistencies, there, nor in anything else she has told me, when compared to the information we already had."

"It is, therefore, possible that all which she claims, is true. Howdver, it is also still possible she is weaving a careful web or truth and lies," the Lieutenant said coolly. "And from what she has likely picked up from my line of questioning, and most of all from our mutual friend Gladhron, if the latter is true then she is a liability and a threat to our mission. Which is why, when she returns to Umbar Gladhron and Gwestion are going with her. If it turns out she is lying, they have their orders to deal with her."

Another breath. "I will be joining them as well, shortly after the conclusion of the sea training exercise for the Rangers who have accepted going on the Umbar mission in the spring. And by the time I am set to leave, her story about bringing back enslaved Gondorians will have also either checked out - or not."

Her knuckles around the chair had gone white. Too much talking. Too many words. "Your turn," she decided, more quietly, before a second hand joined the first.

[Rillewen]

Ava
Interrogation room 3 - waiting for news
December 30th, late evening/night

Ava was getting... anxious. She struggled not to let it show, but she was feeling a knot in her stomach. Why hadn't the guard come back yet? He had said he was coming back. She went over it in her head again. He'd said they would be contrasting and comparing the statements. And that he hoped to have news for her soon. And that, if all of them spoke truthfully, there would be no problem in letting her go. She had spoken truthfully, as much as she was able. She couldn't imagine Tercen not doing the same. As for Gwestion... she didn't know him. He was a friend of Domanol's, and that man apparently was out to get her, for reasons she didn't know. What might he have said, then?

She got up and paced around, trying to calm herself. What did the northern ranger say to the guards, concerning her? Was it something he had said, which was hindering her release? She didn't like this. After a few meandering laps around the room, she wandered over to the door. Cautiously, she tested to make sure if it was even locked. Yep, locked.

Next, she inspected the lock curiously. It didn't look too difficult to pick, if she should absolutely need to get out of here. But she didn't need to, at this point. Breathing out a little sigh, she made her way around the room again before taking a seat at the desk. She felt somewhat reassured, knowing that she could get out if she really needed to. But she wasn't going to do that, because she wanted to prove to these people that they could trust her. And that she wasn't going to flee at the first sign of plans going awry. No, she would sit here and wait for as long as she needed to, as long as this was all she had to worry about. This was nothing like what one could expect, if they were to get arrested in Umbar.

Still, it was quite boring. Since she had nothing to do, Ava crossed one knee over the other and clasped her hands around the top one, then stared absently off at nothing while she thought long and hard about everything that lay ahead, including those two brother rangers coming along... and Tercen. Her forehead creased slightly as she thought about him, and how frightened she had been earlier, when it seemed like he might get killed trying to protect her. She wondered how upset he would be if she slipped off and left without him, but somehow, she just couldn't quite convince herself that that wouldn't hurt him.

Thus, she was faced with a dilemma. And one that she couldn't even hope to solve while she was stuck in here. But at least she could take this time to think about it, and explore her thoughts and feelings about it, and hopefully reach a decision by the time she did get out of here. If she got out...

---

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Gwestion kept up with Arnyn most of the way, but as they neared the guard headquarters, she took the lead while he fell back to walk with Tercen. He was thinking, the whole way back down, and they arrived almost before he realized it. He gave a little nod of thanks to Tercen for holding the door, as they all entered the guard's headquarters again.

He drew out of his thoughts as Arnyn spoke to the guard on duty. He watched her, finding it very... unusual. How much had she changed, since their time in the north? He recalled plenty of times when she had been wakened in the night... either to fight bandits, or to take her turn keeping watch, or whatever. And she had never been like this. There was something different about her, something he couldn't explain, but it concerned him.

As she turned the corner, he met Tercen's gaze, and saw his own concern reflected in the other man's eyes. So, Gwestion wasn't the only one... he made a mental note. If Arnyn's own brother was looking worried, there was definitely something to worry about.

For a brief moment, Gwestion considered whether he should join Arnyn, but he decided that it would be best if he waited out in the hallway, with Tercen. He caught a brief glimpse of Domanol as Rallick was leaving the room, and then the door was closed.

Gwestion let out a little sigh as he stood near Tercen, frowning slightly. He could hear nothing of what was going on in the room. It was probably for the best, he decided. "Perhaps it would be best to wait in the reception," He suggested softly, with a subtle nod to indicate the guard. There was something he'd like to ask Tercen about, but not with him near.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
& Guard Rallick
Guard Headquarters - December 30th/31st, night

Tercen, arms folded as he leaned against the wall, one foot propped up against the baseboard as well, looked between Rallick and Gwestion as the door closed. He noticed Gwestion's subtle little nod after he suggested waiting elsewhere, but Tercen's gaze went to the door, instead. His sister, and whatever was going on with her beneath the surface, was in there.

"I'd rather stay," he said quietly, before fixing his attention on the guard. A moment of silence passed, and then Tercen raised one eyebrow at the man.

Rallick cleared his throat. He'd just been thrown out of his own interrogation room by a ranger officer. It had been an experience. And now he was not exactly feeling very welcome in the hallway, either. Thankfully, Rallick was not a man with a very large ego. He raised both eyebrows at Tercen's look, and sighed visibly. "Alright then," he concluded, figuring he needed to inform Sergeant Hâdhon about Lieutenant Dealedwen's presence immediately. And then he had been planning to bring some water to the woman - Ava. He might as well do that, and leave these two here. Now the Ranger Lieutenant was here, Rallick didn't see much of a problem with it. "Don't go roaming about," was all he told the other two men, before giving them a little wave, and walking off.

Tercen nodded, his features uncharacteristically serious. "We won't," he called after the man. He watched the guard walking the length of the hallway. And only when Rallick was no longer in view, did Tercen return his attention to Gwestion. "What is it?" he asked quietly, to show the northern ranger he hadn't been oblivious to his earlier cue.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

He wasn't quite sure what to make of Tercen's refusal to go elsewhere. Why? He would have expected it if this had been the room in which Ava was being held, but Domanol was in there. Or... perhaps it was because of the woman who had just gone in there, that her brother did not want to leave?

Gwestion paused, watching while Tercen and the guard had a sort of... silent stand off moment between them. The guard caved in first, to Gwestion's relief and surprise. He had not expected that. He would have thought the guard would insist on keeping close by, or on escorting them to the waiting area. He was glad though, for he would rather stay close to this room, too. Tercen spoke for the both of them when he said they would not go roaming about. It wasn't as if either of them had any cause to, after all.

Although he kept track of the guard's progress in his peripheral vision, Gwestion kept his gaze neutrally on the door while Rallick walked away, not wanting to make him feel as if they were watching him go. Even if they were. Once he was sure that they were alone in the hallway, Gwestion turned to Tercen, glad to notice that he had understood that Gwestion had wanted to speak to him. After a hesitation, he asked quietly, with a little frown of concern on his face, "It's about your sister," He answered, glancing toward the door, then back to him. "There is something... off about her, isn't there? It isn't my imagination, right?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Guard Headquarters - December 30th/31st, night

Tercen held Gwestion's eyes for a moment. Then he judged the concerned frown on the other man's face. Assessed the ranger's question. How well did this man know Arnyn? Well enough to notice something about her was not quite right, that was obvious. And Arnyn trusted this man and his brother enough to send them on a rather sensitive mission, that much he also knew. And she trusted this man's brother enough to let him spend the night at her house. Tercen now knew that, too.

"I believe there is," he agreed tentatively. Which was exactly why he did not wish to go far. "You see it, too?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

There was a brief moment of silence. A hesitation as Tercen seemed to decide whether to give him an answer. But then he did. Gwestion not only understood his hesitancy, but he also appreciated it. Perhaps it was an appreciation on behalf of Arnyn, he couldn't be sure. But he could guess that she would not want either of them to discuss such a subject openly with others around. But they obviously both cared enough about her to discuss it, between themselves.

"I thought perhaps it was... simply because of the circumstances," He admitted softly. "Being wakened in the night. The stress of being in a leadership position. The years that have passed since we knew her before," He trailed off. Tercen could guess at the various possibilities Gwestion had considered. He didn't need to go into all of it, right? "But the more I've observed her this evening.." He shook his head slowly. "I can't figure out what it is, but she seems... unwell?" He tilted his head. "Is that a common occurrence with her, or..?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Guard Headquarters - December 30th/31st, night

His first reaction was to ask Gwestion what he meant by 'that'. Her being unwell? Her looking tired? What?

But - Tercen considered the ranger's words for a while. Then sighed deeply. "No," he finally decided on answering. "Not that I know of."

"She's had stress from a leadership position since way before you met her," Tercen said, shaking his head. "That is not it. Or at least, it cannot be the only factor involved. And I've known her to be tired before - but never like this. At least..." He hesitated. "Well, I haven't seen her much - or at all, I guess - when she was acting in a professional capacity. So I wouldn't know about that. Maybe it is the combination of being stressed, tired and being unwell?" Tercen frowned. "Whatever it is, I've never seen it on her before. And I don't like it. She looks as if she's coiled like a spring, but..." He ran a hand across his jawline. "I don't know how to properly explain it. Arnyn can be brutally efficient, but... my sister is not a cold person, Gwestion. And cold is all I've been getting from her, since we left her house. And even when she showed up in the living room, she..."

"She doesn't look like herself," he mumbled, lowering his eyes to the floor.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Gwestion nodded slowly in understanding. Everything Tercen was saying, he agreed with. "I know what you mean," He answered quietly. He didn't really like it either, for it seemed as if she were very much not herself. But he had no explanation. And he had nothing to offer Tercen in the way of reassurance. But at least, he now knew that he was not alone in feeling concern for her. If her own brother didn't know what was going on, and yet felt worried, then at least Gwestion didn't feel out of place, worrying about her as well.

He considered that for a bit, while he looked thoughtfully at the door across from them. Naturally, he was curious what was being said in there. What was happening. What sort of progress was being made, in sorting this whole mess out. But it didn't do any good to wonder and think about what might be happening, so he tried not to. "Perhaps, she's only a bit under the weather," He tried to supply a more optimistic possibility. "Winter does seem to be the time of year when things like that tend to go around, right? She may have simply caught something, and will be over it in a few days." He hoped that was all it was. Maybe there was no reason to worry.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Guard Headquarters - December 30th/31st, night

Tercen let out a snort of incredulity. "Yeah, maybe she's just caught a bug," he said, his voice too monotone for anyone to believe he was buying into that. "But what kind of bug lets you walk around while still looking like..." Tercen made a face. "Like a shadow of yourself?" he continued, even more quietly. "Arnyn is either bed-ridden or she deals. But now she looks like she should be red-ridden, and she's still somehow up and dealing with everything."

Tercen moved his foot squarely onto the floor again, shaking his head. "You think this was an easy day for her? She already wasn't feeling well yesterday - but at least she still looked like herself, then. And after what Gladhron pulled - after everything she had to deal with, unexpectedly, today? She's had to walk a very tight rope between her position as Lieutenant, between being my sister, and between being your and your brother's friend," Tercen told Gwestion. "And we just all go and walk around and pretend like it's normal she does it all. Because she always does it all. Somehow."

He frowned deeply, looking down at his own feet. "She shouldn't have come to the play. She should have stayed home, to rest. But I bet, now you two are set to leave shortly - she didn't want to miss out. She basically said the same to me, last night: that she had not rescheduled with me for fear we wouldn't be able to set another date while I was still in town. I bet she also still came to the play, because she wanted at least one 'normal' social activity with you and your brother while you were still in town." Tercen glanced up at Gwestion. "Which means she still cares about you two, despite not really having been in your company for all that long, years ago." A sigh. "I hope you're both aware. And I sure freaking hope neither of you are taking it for granted," he added in a mumble, his thoughts returning to the state they'd found Gladhron in earlier.

[Rillewen]

Ava
Interrogation room 3 - waiting for news
December 30th, late evening/night

Her fingernails lightly tapped a rhythm on the top of the desk, absently wondering how much longer they might keep her here. It must be getting quite late by now, right? She was feeling very tired. And disappointment was settling in, as well. The one time in her life she had a chance to attend a theater and watch some entertainment that didn't revolve around someone else's suffering... and she couldn't finish watching. Maybe, just possibly, there might be other chances in the future. But she wasn't so sure what might be awaiting her back home.

That made her turn her thoughts toward the people back home, and she began to wonder whether she would be able to return at all. Surely, they had no reason to hold her that long? Then again, they had no reason to hold her here at all. She was the one who had been attacked! Why were they keeping her here? Her fingernails tapped a little more loudly with agitation, for a moment, before she let out a slow breath to help herself relax a little. The fact that they were not even coming to let her know anything made her all the more anxious that they were not planning on giving her any information, nor were they going to let her go. But maybe... maybe Arnyn could change their minds.

Unless...

Ava paused her tapping briefly as she considered the possibility that Arnyn had changed her mind about it all. Maybe they were going to keep her locked up after all, now that the guards had her here anyway. She stared at the wall with a slight frown, trying to decide if that seemed at all like something the woman would do. She didn't want to believe that she wouldn't do that, but then... she didn't know. She'd only met her a few times, and she had trusted her because of Tercen. But then, she had also thought that the ranger brothers could be trusted, until tonight. Now, she wasn't sure about anything. Anything, that is, except for Tercen.

Closing her eyes, Ava took a slow breath in, and let it out. She didn't want to deal with any of that right now. She felt too stressed, too anxious, and too tired to be adding more things to worry about. She rested her elbows on the table, so that her laced-together fingers could form a prop for her forehead as she tried to focus her thoughts on something calming.

---

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting room
Dec 30th, late evening

Tercen's reaction to Gwestion's attempt at trying to offer an optimistic possibility... was not encouraging. In fact, he felt.. a bit like he was being ridiculed for the attempt as Tercen responded with sarcasm and began telling him how Arnyn shouldn't have even come out to the play, and that she only did it because of he and Gladhron. Gwestion's jaw tightened marginally at that, as he fought down a flash of temper that threatened to flare up. He stared so hard at the door opposite them, he might have been trying to mentally will it to open. As if he didn't know that this had been a hard day for her? After that meeting this morning? Which had stretched on into the afternoon, for Gwestion, Gladhron, and Arnyn. While Tercen and Ava had been able to go off together and probably get some lunch and who knows what else. Gwestion knew more than he did, how long the day must have been for Arnyn.

As Tercen went on to talk about how she'd only come to the theater because of him and Gladhron, Gwestion turned his head slightly away, inwardly fighting a battle with himself. An instinctive part of him wanted to retort back that the only reason he and Gladhron were about to be going anywhere, is because of Ava. And, by extent, because of Tercen, for involving his sister in all of this. And that much of the stress Arnyn was dealing with had to do with that. He knew, however, that such a comment would upset him more. And that it would likely fan the fire of anger between them, and things could easily spiral out of control when tempers got heated.

Don't say anything you'll regret, Gwestion told himself over and over, trying to keep a tight grip on his self-control. He had to figuratively bite his tongue, when Tercen went on to talk about how Arnyn looked like she should be bed-ridden, but that instead, she was up and dealing with everything. Well, obviously. That's the sort of person she is, Gwestion thought to himself. Gwestion would be doing the same, in her shoes; he was sure of that. Because he had, in times past, been so sick that he should be in bed. But he'd had to take care of his brother, who had been even sicker. And he'd only allowed himself to rest, once he knew his brother was getting better and had someone to care for him.

But he refrained from speaking about that. Tercen wouldn't want to hear anything Gwestion had to say, anyway.

In fact, it was pretty evident that the other guy did not like him. Gwestion shouldn't be surprised, of course. Not many people did. He had come to accept it as well as he could, even if it did bother him a little, inside. He tried not to let on, though. Honestly, if it weren't for Gladhron being his brother... he wasn't even sure if he would put up with Gwestion. And it had been pretty clear that Tercen was quite a bit like Gladhron in many ways, after all. Still, there had been a few moments, earlier, when Gwestion thought maybe the two of them might get along. Maybe, possibly, even become friends, in time. But he should have known that wasn't likely. He tried not to feel disappointed at the realization that Tercen apparently still disliked him. Maybe he never would. He wasn't even entirely sure how the friendship with Arnyn had managed to happen, because it had nearly fallen apart before it ever began. All because of Gwestion, as usual. He just wasn't good with people. It was frustrating. All Gladhron had to do was wave and smile at someone, or talk to them for a few seconds, and they were best buddies from that point on. But Gwestion...

He realized he had been holding his breath. Slowly, he let it out and drew in a deeper one, making sure he let that one out, too. As Tercen commented that he hoped they didn't take Arnyn's friendship for granted, Gwestion tried very hard not to feel offended at that. Take her for granted? Take her for granted? Says the guy who invited her to meet his girlfriend only to spring a heap of work onto her halfway into it? Gwestion could have thrown plenty of things back at him, and he was feeling hurt enough to do it, especially after all the other things Tercen had said, before. Things which, summed up, seemed to say that Tercen felt like it was all his and Gladhron's fault that Arnyn was feeling ill. That felt like a knife twisting in his heart. But he struggled to push that hurt feeling deep, deep down, and bury it. Don't say anything you'll regret.

A few seconds passed in silence before Gwestion spoke. He made sure to keep his tone quiet and level. Calm, without anger, but not without feeling. "Do you think," He asked, his gaze locked steadfastly on the door, "that I would have agreed to go to.. a place such as that... for just anyone?" He frowned slightly, though he still kept his tone level. He figured Tercen would know he meant Umbar. "To be quite blunt, I have no idea what could be waiting for us in that place. For all I know, we may be about to meet a horrible death there. And after hearing about the.. conditions there, with the temple and everything..." He glanced sidelong at Tercen at last. "Do you think I would agree to risk my life to accompany a woman whom I have only met this morning, to a place like that.. for her sake? For yours, whom I also barely know?" He shook his head slowly. "Gladhron may be the one who volunteered us to go, but I did not have to agree." He pointed out. "I could have refused. But I didn't. And I did not, because it became evident to me that we could be of help to Arnyn, by going. Because of the friendship that exists between us."

He swallowed, taking a second before continuing. "I care about her very much, let me assure you. Not the same way that Gladhron does," He added, to make sure that was clear, "but I do care. A lot."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Tercen
Guard Headquarters - December 30th/31st, night

Tercen's gaze intensified as Gwestion asked him if he thought Gwestion would agree to go to 'such a place' for just anyone. What? Well, of course Tercen hadn't figured that the two brothers were going for Ava's sake or for Tercen's, not in particular anyway, Tercen had figured Gwestion and Gladhron had mostly agreed because they were rangers, and - well... that sort of thing was what they did.

But no. Now Gwestion was telling him that he had agreed to go, after his brother had volunteered, because they could be of help to Arnyn, that way.

Caught off guard, Tercen's expression slackened. And he could feel the mostly hidden bite to the other man's tone, when he continued. Saying he cared about Arnyn very much. Tercen slanted his head. "You are going on a mission, with potential danger to your life, just to help Arnyn?" he asked, uncertainty lacing his voice. "Because of your friendship with her?"

Guard Rallick
Guard Headquarters, Room 3 - December 30th/31st, night

Sergeant Hâdhon hadn't seemed too bothered by Lieutenant Dealedwen's presence. Surprised, yes. But not concerned. Rallick had simply received orders to send her to him, when whatever she was doing was actually done. Rallick scratched his neck on his way to the water dispenser, then left his glass nearby and filled another.

Soon enough, he was unlocking the door to the room the woman was in. He put the glass down in front of her. "Figured you might be thirsty." He fell silent a moment, watching her. "Lieutenant Dealedwen just arrived." It was all he put out there. He couldn't deny he was curious to Ava's reaction, seeing as how the Lieutenant had been the one to hand over her description to his colleagues with orders not to let her leave...

[Rillewen]

Ava
Interrogation room 3 - getting some news at last
December 30/31, night

As soon as she heard the door opening, Ava sat up again. She turned her head to watch as the guard entered. She looked perfectly calm and collected, even if she didn't feel like it on the inside. Her eyes followed as he set the glass down for her, and she gave a small nod. "Thank you." She answered, curling her fingers around the glass, almost daintily. She didn't sip from it, however.

The guard's comment caught her by surprise. Arnyn was here? Already? She blinked and looked up from the glass, to meet the guard's face. "Oh?" She sat back, leaving the glass on the table as she considered this bit of information. Was that a good thing, or... what should she be expecting, now? She certainly wasn't going to let the guard know that she was feeling nervous about it all. "Someone managed to locate her, then. That's good." The last Ava had heard, she had been missing from the theater box.

Given the fact that the lieutenant had not come here, Ava could only assume then that she had chosen to speak to the man first. The ranger. Figures. She would hear whatever accusations he had to fling against Ava, even though he obviously didn't know anything about her. Maybe she hadn't even come to help Ava at all. Maybe she had come to tell them she thought they should keep her here. She turned her attention back to the water and debated about whether to try a sip or not.

---

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Guard HQ, waiting in the hallway outside room 4
Dec 30/31, night

Taking a slow breath in, and exhaling slowly, Gwestion heard the hint of surprise and uncertainty in Tercen's voice. The question gave him a little pause. He was hoping to avoid any misunderstanding, which he knew he had some difficulties with at times. So, he wanted to find just the right words to explain himself.

"While there is a.. personal matter.. which I hope to be able to investigate while there," He began hesitantly, his gaze lowering to the base of the wall across from him, "the simple answer is... yes. Because if not for this, I would never have considered going there, much less to the sort of places Gladhron and I will have to go." And to endure, and witness whatever they might, and to be unable to help anyone without the risk of ruining the entire mission. He ventured a glance at Tercen then. "I agreed to go, for her sake. Because she needed someone to do it. Because she was trapped in an impossible dilemma, and Gladhron and I could provide a solution to it." He didn't think he needed to spell out Arnyn's position to him, but he could be wrong.

"And because," He gave a weak, half-smile there, "she helped us, years ago, when we were in need of help. For something which was more my concern than Gladhron's, in fact." He added, since Gwestion felt as if Gladhron had only gone along with his desire to help Bel, probably because he figured it was better than 'obsessing' over the other matter. "And not only did she join our fight and provide aid in that matter, but she helped us further still, by improving and sharpening our skills along the way, and gave us the ability to continue that fight without her, after she had gone." He drew a breath and looked away again. "You could even say we 'owed' her." He added softly. "Not that she would see it that way, but.." He trailed off, feeling he had said too much now.

"It may be little surprise to you, but there are not many people I consider my friend," Gwestion added quietly, looking down at the floor in front of his boots now, a bit uncomfortable to admit that he had so very few friends, even if it wasn't likely to surprise anyone. "And, given the scarcity of such friendships, I most certainly do not take any friend one of them for granted." He sighed. "And now, two people whom I consider among my closest, and most valued friends, are in that room there." He nodded to the door where Arnyn was speaking to Domanol. He had an uneasy feeling about it, and somewhat worried that there was going to be a severe disagreement between them, and then Gwestion would end up torn between the two friendships, or something along those lines. And he didn't quite know how to handle something like that.