Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

The inhabitants of the pen have gone back to rooting at the corpse. The pigs part with their meal only reluctantly. After they are chased away, one can see that they've lightened the load for Jon and Norzak by several pounds. Large pieces of the dead man's body have been consumed by the ravenous swine. There's nothing left that's recognizable as a human face, and the hands are gone almost entirely.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan helps Norzak remove the body from the pen.

[steveflam]

Norzak crinkles his nose and looks at Jon. "Allright laddie. Less get this man outta 'ere so we can 'onor 'im properly with a burial from Dorgio. I gots ta say I feel fer the lassie Marie, lad." Norzak swallows back bile as they lift the mangled corpse out of the pigpen. "Mebbe she kin stay with Evie an Charlotte fer now. I think that'd be best." He spits on the ground and tries not to look at the corpse.

"Git Marie inta the carriage an keep 'er there! Dorgio, we need ta bury the ma n da, pronto. I thinks they deserve thet! C'mon less move it!" A change appears to have come over the dwarf since he had his conversation with Benn. "Less fin' us some spades 'n' dig two graves fer the parents, people." He looks at Jon and nods grimly. "Okay, lad, gently now, to the ground." After they lay the man down, Norzak gathers the mother with Jon and they place her next to the father.

Having gotten spades from the barn, the dwarf begins digging, with Jon for the burial of Marie's parents.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan covers the dead with dirt and awaits Dorgio or Benn to say a prayer for them. His thoughts went to Marie. With her folks gone, just what were they going to do with her? The Ambush unsettled him as well. The armed men were one thing but the Weasel thing was another. What convinced men to work with such night things. Jonathan thought also about Cirdans woman Evie. It was a shame for a woman of her stature to witness such violence.

Maybe they were after her.

Jonathan remembered Benn saying something about Evie...about her being kidnapped and of some thing that fell into the water. But the details were hazy to Jonathan. He was sure Benn had left some things out.

"Um, Norzak....what do you think is going on? I only met you all a few days ago and we've been chasing Van Dieks whom I assumed wronged you all in some way. Bennedict hurriedly told me of a kidnapping that you averted some time back, I think involving Cirdans woman, and then to meet that wealthy Denys...are you all assassins of some kind? Why are we after Van Dieks, why do you think someone is trying to ambush us, and why do you think the Lamordian wanted into the archives at the Ezra temple? I guess what I'm asking is, Just what is going on here?"

[steveflam]

Norzak looks at the lad, not surprised at all byhis question. As he covers the deceased with dirt he retells Jon everything that's happened since he's arrived in Pont-A-Museau.

"I's not a smart man, thass granted, lad. A since I's been in this city, well lessee. I's rescued lil missy Evie to start with. Thass how I metted Cirdan and Benn. Thass' 'ow I metted Denys with Cirdan an Benn. Then we was joined after by Dorgio in tha sewers, I 's thinks you bin there a lot with yer pal tha dwarf. Seems like ye keep good company lad!" Norzak claps the young man on the shoulder.


"There's been other kidnappins of wimmin we've attended to. We metted Al soon after then you, laddie. Lotsa kidnappin of wimmin an runnin after varmints, really." The dwarf looks at Dorgio, then Cirdan. "If'n I's fergittin somethin, feel free to tell the lad. 'Es a part 'a our group an deserves to hear it. Same goes fer Al. 'Es a part 'a us an should know whass goin on."

"Ah, Dorgio, I's hopin lil miss Anja is dewin mighty fine these days. I should go an see 'er real soon. She's a gem fer sure."

"I's just a dwarf from Darkon 'ere to make me way in life. I 'appened to mett these fine fellas, ye included, lad. I think we make a purty gewd team if ye get me meanin'. Once this is done, we should get ta Benn at tha Temple of Ezra. I don' like leavin' me buds alone. Shoulda thought o that afore he went alone to the church. Splittin' up ain' a good idea, though on some occasions 'iss purty necessary."

[JMaytr]

"Was Van Dieks a kidnapper or just the brothel owner. with all these men I've slain...well...I'd like to know why."

[steveflam]

"I's thinkin' 'Es tha, well tha owner 'o' tha brothel, but in cahoots with tha doctor." The fact that having killed men at such a young age didn't bother Jon, actually bothered Norzak. They were due for a chat man to man. "Less' get back to tha city an then see what we do next. THe men ye've killded, I's sure they deserved it. Sometimes a man gives 'isself no choice an follows the wrong path. 'E kin be a good man but on the wrong side if ye get me meanin'. I don' pride meself on bein' a perfeck man. I do now realise that iss' not allas' a good thing ta stab or shoot an ask questions after. I think ye get me meanin' laddie. A lil restrain' ne'er 'urt nobody an if ye think about it, I bet ye agree with me."

"I's not a learned man, ask these mens 'ere. E'en tha elf 'll tel ye I's not a standout citizen, thass fer sure. But I knows whats I knows an sometimes bein' patien' is a good thing. Dun need ter rush into anythin'. Take yer time, lookit whaass happanin' 'n' judge what ye kin do. Iss a good philosophy, me da tole me once but I on'y began usin' it recently. Take it to heart, laddie, iss a good policy I kin assure ye."

[Adam]

Shortly before the arrival of the gendarmes, Bennedict picks up the books Van Willen had retrieved, quickly stashing them inside of his satchel. He's likely to be the only one who even knows what is or isn't supposed to be down here.

Bennedict looks on in disgust at the gendarme's crude analysis of the crime scene, but keeps silent, assuming he's on thin ice as it is. He does try to keep an eye open for anything useful.

Speaking with the Toret, Bennedict sighs and raps his walking stick thoughtfully against the floor. He runs through a brief synopsis of what had come before, emphasizing primarily the events of the attack in the basement. "The gendarmes will likely find nothing in the basement to tell us where the doctor came from, but I would like to take a closer look myself. It's possible they may have missed something. The doctor quaffed a potion of some kind to escape that changed him to a gaseous state. Thus it's unlikely that he left any physical evidence." He drums his fingers nervously. "Apologies, mein herr, I'm rambling. I shall need to investigate the archive room more closely, and I shall need to be allowed to continue my research."

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan in the meantime will make sure that Evie and her people are well.
Then he'll take care of the corpses of the attackers.
(Take their weapons, bury them in some underwood - or better. take their belongings, and let someone else bury them.)

[Lord Skybolt]

After suggesting that Dorgio tend to Norzak and their prisoner he goes in search of the man dragged away by his horse to see if he is alive, and if he is then take's him captive for further questioning . If not then he'll take care of the body, and it's equipment in searching for more clues to their attackers .

[ewancummins]

The farm

The dead are buried.

Dorgio learns the young man's name is Miklos. Miklos claims that he and the others [all of whom escaped or else died- mostly died] are mercenaries. He tells Dorgio that a man called 'Gaston' engaged their services to take down some hired killers working for an enemy of his[the party, apparently]. The sellswords knew the party would be at the farm because Gaston told them to expect it. Gaston has some sort of spy watching the party, or so he claimed when he hired Miklos and his companions. Miklos doesn't know anything about the furry monster that savaged Norzak. He says he doesn't know who or what killed the farmer and his wife, either.

With the living and the dead alike attended to, and nothing more to search, the party is free to return home. Evie and Hannah are most attentive to poor Marie during the return trip to the city, though Evie does spare some attention for her hero Sir Cirdan. The coachmen seem to be in good spirts for men who nearly died today- perhaps they are happy just to be alive! Your prisoner is mostly silent and wears a downcast expression.




The cathedral-

Benn is given leave to continue his research- now with an assistant and an armed gaurd! Poring over the books left behind by the murdered librarian, he begins to see a pattern emerge.....


END OF CHAPTER TWO