Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

inside the Moothouse/ away from Benn, Dorgio, and Norzak

The commotion outside, or else just the sunlight through the windows, has woken up more than half the crowd in the hall. Men are pulling on boots and grabbing spears, going out to see what's causing the ruckus. Women are checking on their children, or else going about their normal tasks of the morning: washing out of buckets, preparing a meal, a little clean-up, etc.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio kneels beside Norzak and points to the smaller wounds. "Claws?"

Dorgio then checks the area around the body, looking for signs of any other victims.

[steveflam]

"Hmmmm, I dunno. Laddie, them here lookie like claw marks ta you?"

[ewancummins]

Norzak notices something shiny in the grass. Bending over, the dwarf sees that it is a small, sharp steel knife with an ivory handle. There is dried blood on the blade. He may recognize this scalpel, as he's seen it mates before this day.

[Lord Skybolt]

With the help of Wat getting into his chain shirt on and some clothes on . Alain with his help goes to the scene of the crime . Wat describes it to Alain so he can thinks about if this is the same killer as before .

[JMaytr]

"Whats that you've got Norzak?"

[steveflam]

Holding up the object, NOrzak shows the others "Hey! Dint VAn Dieks use one like this?" He orders his shadow to patrol the perimeter.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio shakes his head. "No, Gaston had a hunting knife and a pen knife, but not this." He stoops to look closer. "It looks like a blade from a healer's--" his dusky face goes white.

"From a healer's kit. By the dead dawn. The doctor. Benn, be looking at this!" He motions the scholar over.

"Cold light of the Rift, how many times will they be coming back?!"

[Adam]

Bennedict's face goes instantly white as the pearl handled scalpel comes into view, perhaps remembering his own close encounter with the Hazlani surgeon.

"Mein gott," he whispers to himself, nodding at Dorgio's assessment. "How many times, indeed? I am thinking it is time to institute a strict cremation policy for the corpses of our enemies."

[ewancummins]

''Lothar, Lothar!''
A tearful middle-aged woman rushes into the woods and kneels beside the dead man. She's speaking rapidly and with great emotion in her native dialect, and this speech is very difficult for you to comprehend,

Wat translates-

''The dead man is her brother, Lothar. Late last night, he went to relieve himself in the forest, and did not come back to the hall. She tells us that she had thought he might have found a woman for the night. ''

[steveflam]

Norzak turns to the others "So we also got ter deal with the Doc? Jest great. Mebbe then he an Van Dieks will kill each other, doin our jobs. If'n I git me hands on either of em, theys both dead ducks!"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio nods at Wat's words, then swallows hard. This is the worst part of of his commission. Every instinct tells him to withdraw from scene before him, to plunge directly into the hunt and the world of action where there was no time for grief and wailing. But instead, the priest takes a knee near Lothar's body and his sister, and offers the woman a drink from his flask. "I am sorry. Light be shining on him."

[ewancummins]

Though she surely does not understand much of what Dorgio is saying, given the language barrier, the weeping woman appears to take some small comfort in his kindness, for she calms down just a little bit. She holds her dead brother's right hand and whispers to him as one might lull a baby to sleep.

Wat, tears in his eyes, says-

''We have to stop this devil!''

The old forester grinds his teeth in frustration.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan takes Norzak to the side and whispers to him.

"If the doctor has found us, which I think is unlikely, but in any case I think its time for us to get out of here! Lets go home! I'm tired of this back and forth with these enemies."

[Adam]

Bennedict grimaces at the thought of leaving the people of the moot alone, but slowly nods.

"You may be on to something there," he says. "If they truly are following us, we could presumably lead them off. Bait them, as it were, to leave these people in peace." He shakes his head regretfully. "Of course, it's also just as likely we could be abandoning them to more torments like this."

He shakes his head again. "I doubt they will destroy each other, Herr Norzak. As you'll recall, Van Deicks and the doctor were associated. I'm beginning to suspect that this association are responsible for returning them. Perhaps they have access to some sort of ritual that is being used to create foul undead."

He kneels, examining the man more closely, looking for anything else they may have missed.