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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
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Tiercel's Peregrinations
Topic Started: Jan 10 2017, 09:00 PM (4,173 Views)
neildarkstar
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Overlord
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Ah, the Zen Master speaks again - "We shall see..." :)

Good read!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks!
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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LOL, both hilarious and lovely Sis!! Loved it!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Sis! I might have to stew over this next bit a while.... This is a case where I know the ending, but not how we get there....
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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38 - Well, three words: just do it.

More or less anyway.... When I walked into the Hall the next morning, everyone else was already there, finishing breakfast. I’d eaten something at the inn, because my stomach was jumping - still is, actually.

“So. I’m wondering.... if Vintan might have put a back way out of the Manor, as well as both mines. Melki, would you do me the favor of seeing if you can tell whether he’s still in the Manor? Use the long way round, please, for the same reason as last time.”

He nodded, stuffed another hunk of bread in his mouth, and headed for the marshes.

“And - I need to talk to Torvik. Vartain, if you’d accompany me?”

He slanted me a look, then bowed. “Of course, lady. What do you think he knows that he hasn’t already told you?”

Grim-faced, I set off for the cell where Torvik currently resided. “He’s actually told nothing outside of answering the direct questions we asked him. I expect that he knows exactly how Vintan’s getting in and out without being seen - most likely another tunnel. I’d been thinking that once this is over, Torvik could go back to his home though not to managing the mine. But now.... I think he’s going to have to be jailed for a long time. That’s going to be a hard thing for his da. Had Torvik wanted to be redeemed in our sight, he could have volunteered a sufficiency of information, I would have thought....”

He whistled a low long note. “Your mind is a wonderful thing lady. It’s more than obvious that I’m nowhere near devious enough to be High King, I think!”

We reached the cell. Torvik was turned away on the bed, face to the wall, presumably still asleep. “Torvik. Wake up. I’ve got some questions for you, and I’d like to introduce his highness, Vartain, the High King.”

He never moved. I looked at Vartain, and then said, “Hmmm. This doesn’t look good. I’m going in, you be ready to either kill him or rescue me.” Grabbing the key from the hook on the hallway wall, I unlocked the door and walked in.

Torvik was unconscious. Deeply so. The smoke, like in the mine, I had no doubt at all. I hurried out. “I’m off to get the alchemist. If you could just watch? Oh, lock the door again probably, just in case!”

I heard the tumblers grind as he did so, and I ran as if all the dogs of the hells were after me. The family gaped as I sprinted past them, and thank the divines I never bothered with skirts!

Back in the cell, Lami dealt rapidly with the remains of the poison smoke. Finally, Torvik opened his eyes a bit, and whispered “He wants me dead. I have to tell.... before he manages it.” But then Lami waved something under his nose which sent him off to sleep - healing this time.

We went back to the family, sobered by the fact that Torvik had been nearly killed inside his cell, inside the Hall. Vintan could have killed everyone in the Hall, including his brother. I shuddered as something horrible ran across my grave.

“We can’t have this happening. I have to deal with him now, not later. Elsewise we’ll all be dead, and him in possession of everything. Including the High Kingship. When Melki is back, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do. And then we’re going to just do it.”

Vartain moved to my side. “Aye. We will. This is - not acceptable. Not at all. If we’re targets, we’re targets. I’ll be going with you, Tier. Perhaps.... it will give him enough of a shock, seeing me, that we can take him off guard.”

I didn’t think it likely, but there wasn’t a point in saying so, after all. So we waited, hoping Melki would be along sooner rather than later.... or not at all, if Vintan had found him out....
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Oh man oh man...another nail biter!! Not that it hasn't been all along, but this is worse!! Which is GOOD!! LOL LOVE it Sis!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thank you Sis.... This seems to just get more convoluted the longer I write!
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Nothing wrong with that! *grin*
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Heh. Well, at some point it will get "finished". But things keep happening....
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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And don't you love it? LOL I do!!!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Yeah, actually, I DO love it. All these people talking in my head, talking OVER each other in my head. Sure, it's sometimes disconcerting.... but hey - I never have to worry about having something to write, do I?
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Brambleberry
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:book: :book: :book: :book: :book: :book: :book: Whaaaaaaaa? Where's the rest of it? Looks to see if there's a loose page somewhere! :teehee: great read Sere!
Edited by Brambleberry, Feb 27 2017, 10:09 PM.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Eh thanks Bram! The "rest of it" is still in my head - and Tier's.... among others.... Tomorrow tomorrow I love ya tomorrow....
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Beaut of a read!! Hopefully Torvik get's to spill the beans... and everything else work's out right...
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks sis!
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Kane
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Liking the love twist, but it makes me worry even more for Tier. I don't want to see something bad happen to Vartain. :unsure:
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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39 - Torvik’s tale.

Before Melki returned, Torvik came to enough for us to decide to talk before anything else happened. The Hall guards moved him near the fire pit, sat him down in a chair, and tied his arms behind him, gently enough.

I’d made sure Vartain stayed out of sight to begin with. Then I stood facing Torvik, and stared him down. “You are really more trouble than you’re worth. The only reason we’re going to listen to you is for your da. Before you start though.... I have someone I want you to meet.”

Vartain walked into the room, and Torvik’s eyes rolled in his head. “NO! You can’t let him kill me!” he screamed.

“Torvik. This is the High King, Vartain - your good friend’s twin.”

I sighed as Torvik slumped into a near-faint. One of two things was possible: either he’d known every bit of the rig Vintan was trying to run - a willing participant now seeing his own doom; or he was basically innocent of the knowing, if not the assisting.

He was shaking, and in tears. “I didn’t know. I swear it! He never said anything except what I already told you - about being the last of the Windstads....”

“But you must have known there was something else going on, what with the smoke used in the mine, and his attempt to kill me. You can’t have thought it was just a way to get back land!”

“I.... needed the money. He - he paid me enough that I could” he swallowed hard “pay off my gambling debts. If I could just quit gambling.... but I can’t.... Da’s going to kill me if he doesn’t.”

“Well, he damn near did already. So first thing, I think we’re taking you to Solitude, and putting you in one of the cells in Castle Dour. You’ll be treated well - but also be shut away where hopefully Vintan can’t get at you to kill you.” I shook my head as he opened his mouth. “No. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you eventually. For right now, we just want to make sure Vintan can’t kill you - while we figure out how to winkle him out of the Manor so we can take him.”

I slanted him a glance under my lashes. “I don’t suppose you might have any ideas about how we can do that?”

He went white around the mouth. “There’s - a tunnel. It opens in the northwest corner of the smithy in the basement, and comes out not too far from those old ruins to the north.”

I went cold all over and came near to killing Torvik myself where he sat. Not only had I been at risk myself, but Melki was at risk right now!
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Brambleberry
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Jarl
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*on edge of seat* so very engaging Sere! :)
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thank you!
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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dammit dammit!! That guy gives slugs a bad name!! SO good Sister!!!
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