Ghosts of Gauntcliff Chapter Four

[Adam]

Bennedict sighs in frustration but keeps his mouth shut, head hung dejectedly.

While feigning defeat, he gives the ropes a tentative tug, feeling for any give.

[ewancummins]

The apparent leader or spokesman says, "Smezel, open the gate. We go now."

[ewancummins]

Juergin, in a dark place

Juergin finds himself laying the cold floor in a dark place. He doesn't recall how he got here. His weapons are missing. Getting to his feet and feeling about, he bumps into vertical metal bars. He hears a soft whimper from someplace behind him.

[steveflam]

Juergin checks to be sure that he isn't injured first. Then he calls out softly in Mordentish "Hello? Who is there?" Are you harmed? Jonas? Is that you? It is me, Juergin your poppa Benn's friend."

[ewancummins]

Juergin checks to be sure that he isn't injured first. Then he calls out softly in Mordentish "Hello? Who is there?" Are you harmed? Jonas? Is that you? It is me, Juergin your poppa Benn's friend."

Juergin can feel a big goose egg on the back of his head, and some other bruises or scrapes, but he doesn't think he's badly hurt.

A small voice replies to his call, "Scared." It sounds like it could be Jonas.

[steveflam]

Juergin winces at the goose egg. He talks still in a low voice in Mordentish "Jonas, keep talking, I can hear you and will come to you. Then I'll try to get us out of here. Talk, little one, talk."

[ewancummins]

''Want Mama! Papa!"

Juergin follows the sound, but soon reaches another upright set of metal bars. Feeling about , he's able to get a better sense of the area. He is confined within a hollow square, like a cage, about four feet on each side. The ceiling is low, only a foot above his head. It feels like wooden planks. The floor is brick or stone. The bars are set into the floor, and joined to the wooden top by some sort of brackets.

[PathOfDreams]

Petrie helps the brute along to lead them to the mulberry bushes, not wanting to cut his binds just yet. Once the glimmering contents of the chest are revealed Petrie's eyes are caught by its allure. "Right then good lad... seems my friend 'ere 'as given you quite the deal. Just a wee trade and look at that, you've secured the life of you and yer partner then." Petrie throws his head back as a hearty laugh issues from his lungs.

"Go on then... Go and stir that lump in the sand and the two o' you make 'aste fer somewhere afar." Petrie puts a hand on the chest of the bound man and tosses him backward into the sand. He pulls a dagger and holds the mans legs down while the rope is split with one long stroke.

Petrie stands and points the dagger toward the unconscious man, "GO..." He shouts. "And ye best heed the fine words of warnin' what came from my friend 'ere."

Petrie whistles for the hound as he backs toward the coffer, closes it, and finds his seat upon it. With dagger in hand, he watches as Bruno does as instructed.

[ewancummins]

Bruno grabs the still unconscious Vincent and makes his escape into the wooded hills.

[ewancummins]

Benn-

Benn feels rough cloth being pulled over his head; not a bandage for his bloody ear, but some sort of hood or blindfold. Something bumps his back, but not hard enough to hurt much. The ropes at his ankles and wrists tighten and his body lifts from the floor. He feels himself moving through the air. He hears feet slapping against the floor, and wheezy little grunts all about him.

“Fat human is heavy.”

The comment is followed by a few chuckles and more grunting. Bells tinkle.

Benn experiences a sudden burst of vertigo, and a sinking feeling much like the one he had when the shadow portal sucked him into this lightless dungeon. After a moment, the feeling is gone, replaced by a deep chill. Something cold and wet brushes against Benn’s exposed skin. Wind howls in his ears; the left ear burns with pain where the knife sliced away half the cartilage.

“Bad weather. We go fast. Drag the fat one.”

Benn drops to the earth, and then he feels pebbles and dirt clods rolling under his body as he’s pulled across the ice cold ground.

“You be there soon, human. The sleepless ones pay good for you. “

Jeurgin-
Jeurgin repeats nursery rhymes, trying to calm Jonas. The little boy stops whimpering.

He attempts to open the cage using his locksmith's tools, working by feel alone.

The Others-

Everline eventually finds partial maps of the caverns, but she sees nothing that connects to the chateau cellars, much less to the ruins of the Old Abbey. Rollo tells her it’s time to go. He makes certain the door is locked behind them both, after they leave the office.

Despite hours spent searching the chateau, the grounds, and even the bath caverns, none of the guests or servants find any sign of the three missing persons.

(The servants think only one person is missing--Jonas--unless told otherwise.)

As the sun sets, Petrie and Thom return to the chateau.

Denys invites the whole (remaining) party to meet him in the side parlor for a light meal and a conference. He sends servants to make sure everyone in the party is informed of this.

[ewancummins]

Benn-
After several minutes of dragging him across the ground, the creatures stop. They allow Benn to rest on his back for a little while, only occasionally prodding him with sticks or fingers (he can’t see to tell which). He feels cobblestones beneath him. Thunder rolls in the distance, and the icy wind is replaced by a hot sirocco.

An unfamiliar voice, queerly accented with a slight quaver, speaks from a place above Benn,
“This? You bring us this? It is half dead already.”

The piping voice of one of the creatures that dragged Benn here answers, “No, is good! Good and fat, just made it soft for you. “

“This is all?”

“’No, no, we brought treasures. Stick, nice stick! Looky glass! Book! Nice book, burn real good.”

“”Hmmm…perhaps this one has value. Remove the hood. We wish to examine it.”

The hood pulls back, and Benn blinks as he eyes adjust to the light. Above him he sees an orange sky and dark clouds of dust shot through with lightning. He lies supine on the pavement in a small courtyard. Crooked houses of gray stone and black timbers rise all around the square, with narrow alleys snaking off in all directions.

Standing all around him in a circle are a dozen sallow skinned cyclopses, no bigger than young children. The ugly one-eyed creatures are dressed like ragged clowns. Several of them carry knives or clubs, weapons sized for a full grown man. Their hands are out of proportion with their scrawny bodies, being fully as large as Benn’s hands.

Standing beyond the circle of small monsters, a trio of tall robed figures looks down at Benn. He can’t quite make out their faces under the shadowed cowls of their shapeless gray robes.

“He is damaged. Payment will be less.”

[steveflam]

Jonas, listen to me. I have water...... I bet you are thirsty, yes? Come, come to me. I have water, little one. Then, then we will work on a plan to find your parents, ok?"

[ewancummins]

Jonas, listen to me. I have water...... I bet you are thirsty, yes? Come, come to me. I have water, little one. Then, then we will work on a plan to find your parents, ok?"

''Can't get out."

[steveflam]

Jonas, listen to me. I have water...... I bet you are thirsty, yes? Come, come to me. I have water, little one. Then, then we will work on a plan to find your parents, ok?"

''Can't get out."

Juergin frowns. Can't get out? Huh?... Oh he must be in a cage in this cage? Yes!

"Jonas, can you talk a little so I can find you? I will try to get you out of your cage, ok? Please, you have to help me to find you. Then you will be with me and closer to finding Mama and Papa, ok?"

The young lad now listens closely for Jonas' voice so he can better get closer to it and try to get him out. HE stops trying to unlock the lock he was attempting to open.

[ewancummins]

Jonas, listen to me. I have water...... I bet you are thirsty, yes? Come, come to me. I have water, little one. Then, then we will work on a plan to find your parents, ok?"

''Can't get out."

Juergin frowns. Can't get out? Huh?... Oh he must be in a cage in this cage? Yes!

"Jonas, can you talk a little so I can find you? I will try to get you out of your cage, ok? Please, you have to help me to find you. Then you will be with me and closer to finding Mama and Papa, ok?"

The young lad now listens closely for Jonas' voice so he can better get closer to it and try to get him out. HE stops trying to unlock the lock he was attempting to open.

Juergin hears Jonas moving. After several minutes of crawling about his cage, he realizes that Jonas must be locked up someplace outside the cage. He can't reach the smaller boy.