> [RP] Mortimer Castle

Drestakil quickly walked through the gate and onto the grounds, scanning the trees, bushes, the walls, up and down the road, looking for...what? 'A good question. If there are no more questions, class is dismissed.'

Drestakil had heard the name of Ignatius in the past. He was surprised to hear Jarlath's claim that he not only knew the man, but considered him like a father. Nothing of the little Dres knew about Ignatius was good. 'But, if roles were reversed, would I do any less?'

Dres had learned long ago that it didn't pay to worry about the gray areas of life and living. Try to keep things black and white. Family first before anything else, including the King. A man had to make a choice. Don't worry about what others choose. Be true to yourself and the rest takes care of itself.

Dres loosened the sword in its scabbard, silently moved through the trees around the wall to the back of the castle. Quiet...oh so quietly he slid through the trunks, hearing the birds sing, feeling the slight breeze moving toward him, the musky scent of the fallen leaves filling his nostrils. Something else...he stopped and crouched. Sweat and leather and the sharp tang of metal...straight ahead. Dres slowly moved forward. Slowly and silently...slipping a knife from its sheath and inching forward around a tree. A small man was crouched there, head turned toward the castle grounds just visible over the wall.

Drestakil's breathing slowed, his sight sharpened, he could hear the man breathing. Dres stopped and scanned the area around them, looking for someone else. There was no one. Dres moved closer and tapped the man on the shoulder. The man started, then swung his sword in a flat arc to his side and behind him. Dres lurched back, then forward to grab the man's sword arm, pull him forward off-balance, and kick his knee joint sideways. There was a loud pop as the knee came out of joint. Dres released the man's wrist and let him fall to the ground. He quickly moved forward and found the man's throat with his knife.

The man was gasping in pain, face screwed up tight from the agony in his knee. "Friend," Drestakil said, "it seems we have a problem. I need to know why you're here and who sent you. I won't bother asking who you are, since it doesn't matter. So, who sent you?" The man continued gasping in pain as if he hadn't heard Dres speak. Dres pressed his knife against the man's throat. The gasping stopped. The man opened his eyes and looked at Dres. "I won't ask again...who sent you?"

The man's eyes glared, his left hand shot up and almost before Dres could see the small knife in it, Drestakil's knife had slit the man's throat. The eyes rolled back, the man relaxed and died. Dres wiped his knifeblade on the man's clothes, then heaved the body up to his shoulder and walked up to the rear gate of the castle. The two guards let him in, eyes wide at the sight of the body on Dres's shoulder.

Dres walked to the stable, threw the body down on the floor of one of the stalls, then went inside. Viceroy was talking to the women. "Brother, could I speak to you alone for a minute?" Viceroy looked at him, nodded and they moved out of earshot. "I've found something you might want to look at," Drestakil told his brother. "I think Jarlath should have a look also."
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"Jarlath, your words will be tested in time. Until then, come with us. Gina, call forth Michael Angelo. Tell him to keep a lookout. Drestakil, let's go see what you found," Viceroy commanded in a very serious tone, one not used often.

"OK, I'll do what you say. And if someone gives me a sword I can fight, if it does come to that."
Having spoken Jarlath looked around at them all, for better or worse he would treat them as his family until the truth was discovered. Hopefully though it wouldn't come to fighting Ignatius though.. He still meant a lot to Jarlath, lies and all.

Kenna had sat very still when her father started speaking, in fact she had almost forgot to breath. Only a short time passed between them to truly know one another, but she believed her instincts. He was suddenly the man from many years ago, the man she never saw as a child. His face was tense, his eyes shifting from one thought to another. She could almost hear the calculations falling into the patterns of reaction he was plotting. She was suddenly less curious, the fear of the unknown beginning to take over.

He had expressed that they were all in danger. Someone was coming. He’d directed his own fear towards her and in doing so, conveyed that this man, this Ignatius fellow, aimed to inflict some sort of brutality upon anything directly attached to her father.

He wants to hurt my father, and he will use me to get to him… she thought.

She bit her lip and tried to control herself. Her thoughts beginning to tumble to the only thing she could think of. Bart would know how to fix this, he would have protected her and her family, wouldn’t have let anything happen to them. If he were there, she wouldn’t be so afraid.

He’s not here, she whispered to herself. She needed him to be.

There was no time to send for help, no promise that anyone would even make it off the grounds. They did not know if this man had men of his own, no insurance that he hadn’t been watching them all of this time.

Suddenly there was a commotion in the hall, everyone stood to see, hearing her Uncle’s voice, the words, the alarm. She started to breath harder and finally she stood , answering the boy “ I shall call you Lath, if that is alright. Under different circumstances we would welcome you into the family with celebration, but the current situation does not allow for such. Come with me and I will show you to your weapon, as I see it is time for me to find my own. Hurry along now..” she brushed past the boy and in passing squeezed Gina’s hand “…it’s going to be alright, cousin, be right back.. Find Michael” she whispered quickly. She departed through the kitchens and into the servant staircase, down past the guest quarters and storage rooms, deep into the mansions darkest rooms. Stopping to grab a candle from the last wall sconce, she used it to light their way, descending even further into their home.

She turned to tell Lath “This is where we keep our things, weapons I mean. Everything. Small shields, larger ones, daggers, swords" she pushed the door open and let the light flood in.

“Uncle Drest and my father will need your help, so please hurry” she urged him to make his choice.
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Drestakil and Viceroy walked swiftly out to the stable. The man's body was still laying in the stall. He looked almost peaceful, contented.

"Have you seen this man before, Brother?" asked Dres. Viceroy knelt beside the body. "I looked through his pockets. All he had on him was this gold coin." Drestakil handed it to Viceroy.

"I also found out one other thing...his tongue has been cut out." Viceroy's head snapped up and he darted a look at Dres. "Jarlath needs to see him," Dres said, "It's possible he might know him."
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As Geo took action, and instructed her to find Michael Angelo, LadyGina felt a tremendous relief that he was here. She did not know what would have happened if he, and Dres had not been here. She was not a fighter. Had never held a sword in her hand for anything other than to admire the craftsmanship of those she saw on the market. Kenna had fought in battle before, but not her.
Going into the next room, she found Michael. "Excuse me, Michael, but Geo sent me to have you have a look around. Things seem to have taken a possible dangerous turn with the news that there could be a man named Ignatius searching for our family. The visitor we have now...Geo thinks that this Ignatius could have followed him, and could possibly have men already on the grounds. I do not know what this means, but I do know that Geo and Drest are very serious. Kenna has gone to get weapons.....just in case. Please, do as Geo said and have a look around."
Hurrying back into the other room, she suddenly felt afraid. She was alone in there, as Kenna and Jarlath had not returned, and Dres and Geo were also gone. She sat in the chair nearest to the door and wrung her hands, waiting for someone to return and instruct her as to what she should be doing. Should she go to her room and hide? No! She was a Mortimer too and if she needed, she would take a sword to anyone who tried to hurt any of her family. That much, she knew. As always happened when she was frightened, or upset, she wished her Father were still alive. He always knew how to relieve her fears. She would have a nightmare, and he would come in and tell her stories, and wash away her fright. Here she was now, a grown woman, and she wished her father were here to hide her away from the things that were looming in the air.

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| Countess of Arden | Herald of Arms of the CoH | Member of the RHA |

Chosing a short sword Jarlath checked its weight with a few swings at the air. Feeling how balanced it was he happily decided to keep it. "Thank you, this is all I need. I prefer not to use a shield, they get too cumbersome in a fight. Now, we had best get back to the rest before someone worries we've been killed. It wouldn't do to have them looking for us."
On the way out Jarlath took a small bandanna from his bag and tied it around his head. His hair was fairly long and was annoying at the best of times, lethal if it obscured his eyes in a fight.

Viceroy shakes his head. "This man... I do not know. We must see if Jarlath does," he commented.

"By Jah! Angela will stay with you. No one should be alone," hurries and grabs Angela's attention and whispers. A serious mood sets in. They both grab swords. Michael flies out the room with a very clear intent. He knew his job and nothing would stop him from doing it.

Angela stood holding the sword. It was obvious that she had too much study of the use of a blade. She looked comfortable with it. "Lady Gina, I am worried about this. I haven't seen Michael worked up like this in years," she whispered to her as if she expected someone to pop up out of nowhere.

Seeing Michael's reaction only heightened her fear, and then when she heard Angela speak of her own nerves, and seeing them both brandishing swords, LadyGina knew the seriousness of the situation was dire.
Looking into Angela's eyes, she said, "Angela, you have known my cousin Geo longer than myself. Do you know who this man is that they suspect could have followed Jarlath to our home? And why would he want to cause harm to us?"
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| Countess of Arden | Herald of Arms of the CoH | Member of the RHA |

Kjolmar arrived by horse at the Mortimer grounds. He dismounted with an agile movement and decided to do the last steps by foot. When he came to the position of the guards, he formally introduced himself.

"Lord Kjolmar Calvin Avis-Phoenix"

After explaining his reason for visit, he put the horse temporarily at the stables while he continued his way. It'd be great to see the Mortimers again. He hadn't seen Viceroy since they last had tea together at the Embassy. This was the time to catch up. Kjol never thanked Gina yet for her wonderful paintings she created for him, he surely had to do that as well. And how he could have waited so long to visit dear Kenna, who had been such a good friend to him. Kjolmar wondered if the WoS had still a bounty of her head...

There seemed to be some sort of commotion to be going on. When he was noticed, he waved from the distance and closed in on them.

She shut the cases and walked out to the hall with him, Lath now holding his weapon. Kenna turned with the candle and took the stairs two by two, at the top she turned to him after blowing out the flame and said in a low voice "I have to go to the south hall and retrieve my sword from my quarters, you go on ahead and I will join Gina when I am finished. The fastest way to the stables is to exit from the kitchen storage closet, there is a hidden door, then turn to your right and take the path... " she nodded to him, looking at his face to try and read the expression. He looked so young to her, but his eyes seemed so tired. She tried to smile, hoping it would bring some form of reassurance to the situation, and then she turned and disappeared into the other well lit halls ahead.
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He had never considered telling the truth to Jarlath. At that time in his life he was crazed, dead inside, wondering the streets wild and half mad. He’d taken the address of from an informative blacksmith who told him where he could find a family with the name he sought. He’d sent men there instead of going himself, giving the orders to do whatever was necessary to persuade them to talk.

Mother, father, two daughters. The men reported that the father fought them, trying to protect his family, and was killed. The daughters escaped during the struggle, and their mother had fallen to her knees trying to get away as well, they had brought her with them, telling Ignatius that she was in labor, much to their dismay.

“What did you learn?” he asked. Surely out of the mess they had made, they had been able to gain a morsel of direction, something useful.

“Nothing, we were not able to subdue the cad before he’d rushed himself into my sword, after that the mother fell from the stairway, she’s in the sitting room presently, being attended to by the doctor” he shook his head “… little children were gone by the time we were able to chase them. Two girls, very small. Never was able to tell their age. I was thinking that we could..” he started but Ignatius slapped him across the face.

“Thinking?! You were thinking?!? HA! If you had been thinking then you would have brought me something I could use, something besides this trail of excuses” he put his face next to the mans cheek and whispered in his ear “..lame men are put out of their misery, housed on the edges of towns in houses with the cripples and poor, limping and starving, wallowing in filth and disease, you sir, did NOT do as you were paid well to do” he pulled away and looked him in the eye.

“Ignatius, I brought you the woman.. She is able.. “ he stuttered, his hands clenching, face reflecting fear.

“SILENCE! No more from you, I will see what her abilities are, you stay put” he stalked out of the room and down the corridor to the sitting room.

In the sitting room he could see a woman laying still as if she were sleeping, the doctors back was turned , his hands working with something Ignatius could not see. Then he heard the cries of a baby, and as the man turned, Ignatius saw the child in the doctors arms.

“She’s gone, and this is what is left” the doctor was covered in crimson, a small fleshy babe in his arms wrapped tight in a blanket.

“She took quite a fall, was bleeding in her stomach and drown in it. This child is lucky to be alive..” the doctor looked down on the infant and back to Ignatius.

“You should have left them both to die” Ignatius told him, walking over to the window.

“Lord Casimir, when I joined you years ago I told you that I would offer my services for payment but I would never take a man’s life. That includes all lives, women and children. That may be your business, but it is not my own. If you are finished with me, I must be getting home to my wife and daughter” he held the child out, hesitantly , standing to the right of the man who was gazing out the window.

Dismissing the child with a shake of his head he told the doctor “Take him to the kitchen, tell the cook to look after him while I attend to somethings, be back by morning, I will need you to look him over again” he pivoted and left to address the man he’d left shaking in his office. Before theman could speak, Ignatius pulled out a dagger from his hip sheath and burried it deep into the man’s gut, watching him fall and writhe on the floor. He spit on him and leaned down to whisper “…you brought this on yourself” as he cleaned his blade on his cloak.
Against all the things that told him better, he’d decided on raising the child. He’d never thought it would change him the way it had. He never expected to feel like a father again. He couldn’t have forseen the child falling in love with the doctor’s daughter, that she would help Jarlath uncover Ignatius’s lie.

It was too late to stop what time had set into motion, he should have known.


Ignatius had been building a silent army over the years. The monies in his purse keeping light as he tossed a few coins out for information or to make an unspoken promise of action if need be. It took little curiosity or hope for participation, the money was always enough. They had merely been waiting on him to say when the time was right, when could they get their hands dirty. Three weeks ago or more, when he had noticed the pattern of travel had become focused, that the boy was indeed quickening his pace, he sent word out to every mercenary group he could recall, sounding the siren of apocalypse, leading them here.


Just as he had expected, Jarlath led him right to the castle that now held the last family on his list. In the taverns he’d heard mention of a huge wedding, Geo Viceroy Mortimer’s daughter. He’d been drinking his mead peacefully, keeping his eyes adverted, waiting.
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"This is very bad," Dres said as his eyes scanned the stables and the outside. "It means this....Ignatius...knows where you are...you and your family. He knows more of us than we know of him. Just how badly does he want your head, Brother?"

Drestakil noticed someone walking toward the stables, someone he'd never seen. The man spotted Viceroy and Drestakil and quickened his pace toward them, waving his hand in the air.
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