Chapter 1 - Summer

Something tells Elaine that her companions aren't going to look favorably at an idea of going to a market to buy carrots for a horse, so she marks it in her mind to find the kitchen boy before they leave. "Thank you, your help is much appreciated. I hope this incident does not harm your establishment."

She is about to walk off, but then pauses, as thoughts of investigation the others are planning gives her an idea. "...These bandits who attacked the baron. Have you or any of the locals ever seen them before? Are there any organized criminal elements in the area in general?" Elaine straightens her scarf. "As representatives of the crown, it is our duty to ensure something like this doesn't happen again." She hopes it sounds proper enough, fitting for a royal musketeer.

"Sounds good Sans. I'll be inside. You coming with me or staying out here, Isaac?" Giving his fellow a moment to decide, Aloys would make his way into the establishment properly. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimmer setting, scanning the room to look for the man at the bar with the expensive glasses of wine. Making his way over towards him, he would saddle up onto the stool beside him and give a nod. "A mug of ale please. Something to sooth my parchness."

As he waited for the drink, he would look over at the man beside him for a moment. He checked his demeanor quietly; was the man happy or sad? Thrilled or depressed? Having a good, initial read would be important before he got to the harder questions.

Sans approaches a group of onlookers that he noticed for their expressions of concern for the violent events.
He straightens up, trying to let his uniform come to the forefront, hoping that the half-concealed face will not put the folks off.

"Good people of this hamlet," he starts, "I know you recognize our attire: we are here to protect you against these acts of violence. It is our Queen's desire that the roads of her kingdom are secure for herself and her citizens."

He looks at them in the eyes in turn, "We want to catch these murdering brigands. But to do so we need your help, we need you to be our eyes and ears."

"Did any of you see the attack on the Baron's valet, Rene? Did the attackers wear a mask? Did you hear them speak?"

"I'll stick with Sans for now, and meet you inside in a bit Aloys. First round is on me." People are already a bit apprehensive of Sans, Issac figures he can try to 'yes, and...' whatever speech the scarred savior is formulating.

Seeing San's words not having quite the desired effect, Issac chips in, "Fellow Hamleteers!" Where are we again? "One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never! If we are together nothing is impossible." He looks the gathered crowd in the eye one by one as he gives this rousing speech (a mix of his favorite quotes in an off off, one man Broadway play he did a few years back) that typically always got the audience's blood going in a positive way.

Elaine ~ The innkeeper is appreciative of your concern for his establishment and says as much.
"These are troubling times...but I've always pulled through. Won't be any different now."

He weighs your question about the bandits slowly, rubbing his chin. "You know, I've been wondering if their height or movement would turn any gears for me, but alas it does not. As for criminal elements here about..." He spits in the dirt.

"There's a tavern down by the river--The Fox and the Hound--not a proper inn mind you, like my establishment--just a flop house. An' not that I'd say anything unkind about the folk in these parts--honest farmers most--but the trouble makers tend to gather down there."

"If you are looking for the lower types, you couldn't hurt to stop in there."

---

Aloys ~ The inn has a pleasant smell of beeswax candles, malty ale, and finished wood. Light reflects gently off the sanded and waxed woodwork. Only a few folk are at tables. All the excitement is outside.

The man you look up and down is engaged in an intense conversation with a pretty looking serving girl. He seems excited about that, but you'd have no luck parsing his mood here from his general mood from the murder and hijacking.

He leans in and says something quiet to the serving girl that gets a giggle out of her.


The tender *thumps* a well made wooden mug on the bar in front of you, its wheaty scent almost overwhelming. "5 bits"(copper pennies). He sees your coat. "Uh..sir."









Sans & Issac ~ The crowd is not sure how to react at first... but supporting each other the folk visibly focus in on what Sans is asking them. Even the Queen's Guard stand and listen thoughtfully.

The villagers look at each other, mostly quiet. A woman in the back timidly raises her hand.

"Aye. I was nearby when it happened."
The crowd parts around her like a retreating tide. She stands there, meek, with a basket of apples at her feet.







What do you all do?

"Interesting... Perhaps we will pay it a visit later." Elaine inclines her head, genuinely grateful for the information the inkeeper provided. It's always useful to learn the area in her opinion, earlier shortcut through the watermill being a testament to this - if your opponent can't catch you, there is no need for skill with a weapon. "Rest assured, we will do our best to ensure the safety of these roads. Now if you excuse me, I will rejoin my companions..."

Elaine trails off as words of a rousing speech enter her hearing, courtesy of Isaac and Sans. Huh. She didn't peg the latter for a talkative, inspiring leader type, despite his seemingly kind nature and skill with a blade. Goes to show that appearances can be deceiving even to those who think themselves above a judgemental mindset... Nevertheless, it appears that they have the situation firmly in control, from what Elaine can see in reactions of the common folk. She'll leave them to it.

Saying her goodbyes to the innkeeper for the time being, Elaine once again circles the crowd and slips inside the establishment. Ah, the smell of wood and candles, both familiar and alien, similar to what she encounters aplenty whenever she finds time to visit a library, but different in certain ways. The ale is an unpleasant addition, for one; but at least there are only a few people inside, and she lets out a sigh of relief. Crowds of people are why she rarely joins other musketeers in their outings for drinks. Too many people means too much sound means her missing eye being more of a hindrance...

Elaine glances around the interior, noting the carriage driver, the serving girl and Aloys surveying them. She hesitates, not sure if she should join her colleague, and decides to compromise on approaching the bar without acknowledging the other musketeer in case he is... doing something. Spying, maybe? She doesn't understand Aloys at times - probably because they are quite literally from the opposite layers of society, a noble and an ex-thief, - but he's been friendly towards her, meaning that she doesn't want to accidentally mess up his plans, if there are any.

"Thank you, kind sir, and most appreciated." Aloys pays quickly enough, happy to have the tavern tender mind his own before he leans in where the carriage driver sat and flirted. His eyes looked over the wine that the man was drinking before he thought to himself what a man in his station could afford.

"Pray tell us what you saw and heard, Mademoiselle," he says to the apple basket woman, encouraging, "your help is most appreciated."

Aloys ~ Now that you've gotten a look at the vintage this fellow is drinking you'd know the Innkeeper was not exaggerating. You'd have heard of this particular spirit, and you would know it can sell on black-markets for months of a common laborers wages, even a carriage driver you can assume. And this fellow looks to have had several glasses already.

Sans ~ The young woman curtsies to you--just a quick bob. She keeps her eyes fixed on the basket at her feet. Folk in the crowd eye the interaction.

"It was as his lordship said. Several men ran out from the alley of there and accosted him and his carriage. His body servant seemed outraged and tried to make one of the highway and was stabbed for his effort."

Her voice grows a bit more confident."The other villains seemed very upset at the stabbing. They cursed the one who done it as a fool." She hesitates but your previous speech gives her the courage to carry on. "I think I saw them early this morning, sir. Down near the river, where my Da's orchard is. Twas a group of men lurking about in the shadows of the trees. I thought it strange, then. But it's only now I think mayhaps it twas them that attacked his lordship."

He asks the woman directions to the orchard she mentioned, then asks about the masks.

"We saw them wearing face masks as they rode. Were they wearing masks, when you saw them? If not, did you recognize any of these men?"

Catching sight of Elaine coming in, Aloys would give a subtle nod for her to join him by the drinking driver. As she made her way in, he'd lean in and whisper quietly by her ear.

"The driver's spending more coin than he ought to have at all. I think we found a lead." Giving a resolute nod for her to follow his lead, he would turn his attention back towards the man beside him before leaning over and taking a sniff of the wine.

"My goodness, that's Cottonwool '84 ain't it? That's really high shelf material there. I'd ask for a glass myself but I wouldn't want to be so rude to you, you must be grieving your comrade, right?" Aloys starts, looking at the serving girl and giving her a quick nod. Could you fetch me and my friend here a drink please? Nothing as expensive, please." It was a quick enough diversion to get the girl untangled from the man and get her out of the way in case things went sour. Once she was gone, he would clear his throat.

"Were you close to Rene? A shame on how the young man went...so cruel, I say." The man was already drunk and the plan was simple; get him speaking and pay attention to his words. If he slipped up, they were there to catch him by the tongue.

Sans ~
Her face says she's thinking hard, trying to help.

"Tis hard to say about the masks...They were under the shade of the trees. Perhaps I saw them tie the masks on? But i thought it simply kerchiefs at the time."

She frets. "I really can't say I recognized any of them from the distance I was at. You won't take me in will you? To be interigated?!"

---

Aloys ~ The serving woman huffs in annoyance but complies.

In her absence:
The man turns to Aloys. He takes in the sight of the golden coat.

"It tis that vintage. My tastes are as sophisticated as anyone else's. " Defensive.

His eyes squint. "I only met 'im on this journey. Seemed like a nice enough fellow. Agreed. No one deserves a gutting like that."

Sans ~ The middle-aged village woman makes sure she clarifies for you--the fiends were wearing masks when they killed Rene and stole the carriage and baron.

They charged from the alley fully masked!

Elaine listens to Aloys's assessment attentively, and agrees to follow his lead with a slight nod. If it's the schmoozing they're going to be doing to lure the truth out, then she can play a part of a friendly quiet musketeer. That wine is indeed pretty suspicious; and so is the man's apparent cheerfulness despite the fresh body outside.

She participates in the conversation passively, providing appropriate hums and nods as Aloys weaves his speech, and mostly watches the driver - with her golden hair as always styled to cover half of her face, they serve as a good way to hide her stare from its intended target.

Is he fidgeting? Uncomfortable? Definitely defensive, but why? Elaine is not as good at recognizing these things as her relatives, but she knew plenty of shifty nobles and equally as shifty professors. Even she should be able to recognize a lie of some bandit... Shouldn't she?

Elaine ~ Things you'd notice about this fellows behavior: despite his casual, semi-drunken tone he certainly appears to be anxious and nervous.

Perhaps you'd even have noticed his voice hitch just a pinch higher in tone when talking about the murdered valet.

Clearly a fellow with something to hide, this man. A guilty conscience, perhaps?

"They still have his body lying out there," she states blandly while examining the bar counter, seemingly not very invested into the conversation and merely remarking on the going-ons outside. "Checking for clues. Whoever did it certainly wasn't a professional. Must've been an uneasy death..." Suggest a thought, let uneasy mind terrify itself; it works only fifty percent of the time, but in this man's somewhat drunken state the probability is higher. Maybe.

When Elaine followed through, there would only be the tiniest bit of a smirk upon his face that disappeared before the man regarded him once more. He would let Elaine's final words linger in the air and on the man's mind. There were a quartet of Gold Cloaks on the scene, eager to prove themselves and the queen. Let him squirm with the thought.

"First time meeting him? Is this your first time driving the carriage for the baron then? I assume you are a local here?" Aloys would follow through with. "Must have quite the resume, most drivers I know would need to work months for such indulgences..."

~ The Inn's Tavern Room ~

Elaine mentions the investigation and poor, dead Rene. The carriage driver takes a heavy *gulp* from his drink. His hand shakes he sets the drink back down on the polished wood.

His eyes dart between Aloys and Elaine, the rapid fire questions having an effect of him.

"First time driving? What? No. I mean yes. For the baron that is yes."

"I'm not local. I mean yes I am. Local ta the Queen's own Duchy I mean. I'm from north of the Witherwood, not this village."

He stands and puts his hands up as if to fend you off.

"Look, I didn't kill no man, and it ain't a crime to drive a wagon--I mean carriage! An' no matter how much I'm paid for it."

He nods in appreciation of the woman's frankness. Then lowers his voice to a whisper, so not to be heard by too many, "And... what of the Baron, Madame? Is he a known face around here? Do you know of anyone... holding a grudge against him, perhaps?"