Chapter 1 - Summer

Elaine & Sans ~The Baron's calls out in answer. The resignation clear in his voice, even through the door.

"Enter!" He pokes the fire with an iron poker and waits.











If you enter, you'll find him sitting in a large upholstered chair, staring at the low fire, a glass of wine in his hand.

The room is low and cramped, but well kept, woody and bright. A large bed takes up most the room & a polished wardrobe fills a corner.

He awaits you, watching you enter.

Looking the Bravo head on, with a sympathetic gaze "These are hard times friend, our pockets are about as bare as yours. One drink is all we can afford. As for your worry of retribution, you certainly look like you can take care of yourself. If blood were to be spilled, do you really want to put the rest of these fine folk in jeopardy? Why don't you, I, and my comrade sit down, and we'll have a talk, simply see where it goes, ey?

Issac | Tavern Room of The Fox & Hound ~The room is silent but for the creak of leather tunics and wooden chair legs. All are waiting on the bravo's response to Issac.

A smile at Issac. "Aye, I can take care o'myself. An' there's many a veteran of the Duchy Wars in here," nods from scarred faces round the room, "so no shortage of folk who can hold a pike."

"Which means there's also no shortage of folk here who no what an armed and armored troop can do in numbers..."



The bravo saunters forward as he speaks, his bootheels clicking. He stops within striking distance and squints at Issac, square in the eye.

He gives an exaggerated bow and motions to a table tucked against the wall. "Call me Jean-Pierre. I'll hear ya out Piss-Coat. An' maybe we can loosen that purse a bit, if you want real information." He waits to see how you react.

Aloys moves in with a silence that is uncomfortable to see in someone wearing a bright yellow coat. He ducks amidst the pots but does not hesitate to move when the opportunity provides itself. The young man stirring the pot reaches for spices and Aloys slips through the door, heading towards the backroom where he saw an interesting bit of something. He could hear the muffled sound of Issac's voice from the main floor of the tavern. It seemed like the distraction was working perfectly.

Aloys ~You'd easily be able to make your way to the back room, due to the perfectly working distraction.

If you investigate the item you saw from the window you'd find that it is a long piece of black fabric...just like what the kidnappers were wearing round their faces!

Sans enters the room and steps aside to let Elaine through.

"Baron," he says nodding in greeting, then stays silent, taking position to one side.

He scans the room, assessing it for security. Looks at the windows, and at the items in sight looking for anything that might seem out of place.

Aloys picks up the piece of fabric and runs it along his fingers, looking over the room carefully. With nothing else to find there, he will quietly make his way back through the kitchen and out the backdoor, as long as it is still safe to do so. Otherwise, the nimble man will find his way out into the tavern with a grin on his face.

Not backing down as the Bravo invades his space, and matching his intense stare, "Aye, I agree the color could've been a better choice. If you have any suggestions, other than brown, I'm all ears." A smile widens across his face, to cut the growing tension. Issac nods at Mathis and heads to the table the Bravo suggested. As they settle down, "You can call me Issac, my associate here is Mathis. Now, after that cock off we just had, a drink is in order. What'll it be Jean-Pierre?" as he calls over the bartender.

The Baron's Room | Sans ~
To your ocular investigating the room is just a tidy, neat space; cozy and likely expensive to rent.

(5)Though maybe it's too tidy. It'd seem to you the Baron has made no effort to settle in. His bags are still packed.

Fox & Hound Tavern | Aloys ~

Jean-Pierre sits down as well, all creaking leather and jangling buckles.

When the nervous barkeep approaches, Jean-Pierre orders the drink himself. "Hal, you know that most expensive bottle of brandy you keep on the shelf?" Jean-Pierre smiles wide. "Well today is the day. Fetch it for me. On my new 'friends' bill."

He settles back in his chair, legs spread wide, waiting on your questioning.




Fox & Hound Tavern | Issac ~

While waiting for the barkeep, Issac quickly recounts what the apple-picking, village women mentioned seeing.

"Did you, or anyone else here, recently notice a group of men by the orchard tree, perhaps wearing masks", which he describes, "or perhaps arguing about the Baron or his driver?"

"Specifically, wearing black materials like this? Aloys says, having stepped through the kitchen quietly and appearing alongside the bar. He makes his way over towards the table, settling down alongside his fellow Gold Coats. "It seems that they did have a meeting here and there were a good number of them. I know this place wouldn't harbor traitors, right?" Aloys murmurs, nodding to Issac.

Fox & Hound Tavern | Issac & Aloys ~

Jean-Pierre listens to Issac's question, and smiles sarcastically at Aloys' intervention and additional questioning. He looks at the fabric Aloys holds, as he answers. "Traitors? Surely not. The folk who gather her are laborers--tradesfolk. Honest people of the land."

He sees the barkeep approach with a dark purple bottle and waits before going on.

The barkeep places the bottle on the table, with one chipped and scratched glass. He looks at Issac. "Tis 50 copper....mi'lord." He stands there waiting to be paid.

Jean-Pierre watches Issac, smiling. His answer waiting on the bill being paid.

Mathis *gufaws* and looks between Issac and Aloys. "Don't look at me--Cap holds my purse strings. I think I have 8 copper on me..."

While Sans is examining the room, Elaine's attention is solely on the Baron, watching him impassively, but attentively. She inclines her head in polite greeting upon entering - thoughts of making a curtsy coming to her head as an unbidden memory of childhood, at which she promptly innerly scoffs, - but otherwise stays quiet for a few moments after. Whether it is to intimidate the noble, to gather her thoughts or to simply confuse everyone present, it's hard to say. But eventually, she speaks up.

"Baron, would you be willing to provide an account of your movements in the past five days? Locations, routes, places of stay," she crosses her arms absent-mindely, almost wishing that she had a notebook to record the statements in. Maybe she should get one later, especially if intrigue and mysterious connections are going to be prevalent in this case. "It will be useful in locating whoever organized this kidnapping and the subsequent murder of your valet."

The Baron's Room at the Roadside Inn | Elaine ~

The baron pokes the low fire, sparks dance up the chimney. He sips his drink. "*Sigh* I'll tell you anything you want... I just...This is tiring...You really are investigating all this aren't you...?"

He turns then and looks at Elaine. His eyes are earnest. "You're one of us. I can tell by the way you speak. You know what it's all like--the pressures."

"Honest folk? Honestly into banditry. This is the exact same fabric that the would-be kidnappers wore to kidnap the Baron. Of course, they were feckless, incompetent, and as skilled as a priestess on a street corner. The fact that they could even ride horses was incredible..." Aloys nonchalantly says, shrugging lightly.

He had a goal, picking at the bandits' character; if the man was friends of them then irritating him could make him leap to their defense. People said foolish things when they were angry, let details slip that they shouldn't. The bartender came up with the glass and Aloys whistled low, shaking his head. "I'm terribly surprised that this place has such a drink." He would take out the driver's coinpurse, putting it on the table.

50 copper! Bloody hell... Issac's mind was scrambling on how to get out of this, when he saw Aloys playing a smart move, I hope. Adding on, "Indeed Aloys, if I didn't know any better, I would think that to be horse piss", pointing at the expensive bottle. "I'm not paying 50 copper for horse piss, if you want that you can just go to the stables and get some yourself. I imagine their dung is used in your meals too? That lack of nutrition could explain the idiocy going on around here." waving his hand around the room.

Sans observes silently as the Baron tactically tries to find common grounds with Elaine, trying to read his true intent. He knows that noblemen used to the intricacies of politics and intrigue in courts and high society parlours have a way to use words to manoeuvre others...

"Of course; it is strenuous to navigate the way of nobility," Elaine replies to the baron, although her voice lacks any particular sympathy for the man, having not forgotten his earlier remarks towards her companion. "I understand you had a stressful day, but we need to forge iron while it's hot if we wish to discover your kidnappers. I'll try to be brief, so it won't take a lot of your time."

She holds a short pause. "If it helps alleviate any worries you might otherwise have, whatever you say here will be said in confidence unless it poses a direct threat to the safety of our kingdom." Elaine steps slightly closer to the fireplace. "Now, do state your movements for the last few days, please."