IC - Village of Limm

...grins so wide his missing teeth are obvious to casual observation; but he quickly covers the smile with a cough, and a newly plastered blank face.

"Oi, is that Tiyem?" he asked a nearby onlooker. "Pity..."

He scans the crowd, eager, looking for Ciara.

Damir continues his account and presents Ibic Panwol with the flute of the unfortunate.
Then he shows the man and thus the gathered villagers the second instrument.
"This harp we found nearby the flute. A young lady's, it has been suggested.
The mood changes swiftly as if the air has left the place for a moment.
Damir observes the miens of the bystanders. Perhaps there is one who knows more than the rest?
"Nothing else was to be found. Just the instruments, one finely crafted the other one crested."

Danill listens close to Damir; he looks at the harp the Guardian holds.

His eyes narrow on the harp, then widen.

Danill shoves his way through the crowd toward Damir. "Give me that, dammit!" His composure has dropped, and if the Guardian doesn't stop him Danill will rip the Harp from his hands.

"That's Ciara's..." He looks round frantic at the gathered faces. "Has anyone seen Ciara?"

To Damir, angry. "You didnt see her? Only Tiyem? Speak Man!"

Damir faces the newcomer with effective countenance. He does neither flinch nor answer in a similar tone, but remains calm and serious.
The instrument stays with him until the rightful owner is determined. Damir purposefully ignores the spirited way the man has chosen to address him and states:

"As I said - we came across the body of your friend - Tiyem,
afterwards the instruments, no tracks, no tools, no signs of further strife.
Might you introduce yourself, declare then what you were to them?
Maybe give some insight into where it is, the girl might still be alive."

His gaze is turned on the villager expectantly. It is time they are given more detailed information.
Should Ciara breathe, time is the factor most important to see she remains so. They have to act and do so now.
As Guardians they do not have the luxury to give themselves to their emotions. They have to focus on their purpose.

And once more Damir explains the whats, hows and whys. Although he tries to remain patient, his speech is quite fast this time. He hands over the harp to the musician's father. Tells him about where they have found the boy's body, about where the instrument has been and about their findings. Suspicions and speculations the Guardians might have at this point, Damir leaves out. He stays factual and professional in his recount.

Then he pauses, looks at both men before him and awaits their reaction to the news. He adresses all bystanders, but looks directly at Ibic Panwol when he says: "Whoever has something of value to add, please speak. We must be quick to find her, or Ciara's chances are more than bleak." The Guardian is done explaining himself. Thrice is enough. He locks eyes with some of the villagers, then Ibic. Damir crosses his arms and gives the people of Limm a chance to speak.

Brusk, to Damir. "I'm Danill Krahl. Newly arrived to this backwater..."

To Ciara's father, "And I have nothing to do with this other than tryin' to keep her away from that fool Tiyem."

"I would never put her in danger, and that idiot's gone an' got himself tore up!"

To Damir again. "We should go to her house an' check on her. Her father has addled his mind with drink.. I'd not trust his judgment. "

Quintus stands aside and listens quietly as Damir queries the villagers. When Ciara's father insists that his daughter is safely home, Quintus exhales in relief. He feared the worst, but fortunately that fear now seems to be unfounded.

The matter takes on a different color! Quail suspects that the young lady did not sleep well because she did not sleep at all; indeed, she must have crept out by moonlight to dally with the flautist Tiyem. What passed between them by the side of the forest pool? What might she have seen before she came away, and why did she leave a treasured harp behind her? Did she flee the place, and if so, from whom? Or from what?

Quintus Quail thoughtfully strokes his beard. The weary Ciara must soon be wakened and made to answer.

Damir nods in Danill's direction. Then to Ibic: "We'll make sure she's safe, while you take care of your friend." The villagers have seemed eager to put Tiyem's remains to rest properly and the Guardian needs to see Ciara up and well with his own eyes. Questions will have to be asked as well. It is best the man Danill leads Quintus and himself to the house in question without too many prying eyes.

He gives their names to the leader of the village and assures him that they will come back as soon as they have found the girl. Something or someone - maybe a combination of both - has killed one of their young men. Regardless of what they find at Fudreg's house, it is their duty to deal with whatever is threatening the village of Limm. Damir tells Ibic as much, then nods to Quintus and follows Danill. "Let us hope, good folk of Limm, that this will have a happy end."


Damir looks in the direction of the fields and wonders if Ognimir has had any luck finding more evidence. Then he asks:
"You have called Tiyem a fool and did not seem too broken-hearted when you heard about his fate.
We'll talk more later, when Ciara's back with you and safe - while we walk, though, tell us about the corpse, the one you so berate."

Danill huffs and puffs slightly.

"To be clear, Tiyem ain't my friend. He's, or was, just some puffed up popinjay. He'd go about, high an' mighty acting better than everyone else. But, I don't know, folk take a likin' to people like him. People like Ciara."

He points down a lane past a well. "This way."

"Any way...he manipulated people, like Ciara, to think fondly of him. But he paid her no attention! She's a magnificent girl and he just ignored her, but didn't let her go either. Didn't let her go to better men, like me."

They stop in front of a small cottage, a layer of autumn leaves covering the ground all about.

"Here we are."

Damir raises an eyebrow and supresses a grin.
The cottage lies in front of them quite peacefully. The differently coloured leaves fit the warm light. The Guardian stops in front of the door and listens intently. He cannot hear anything.

Damir looks at Quintus and nods. With Ognimir some things have become second nature. They don't need to communicate every thought, but rather know how to handle situations intuitively by now. With Quintus, Damir isn't so confident just yet. They haven't fought side by side, like he and the big fellow have. He puts his hand on the wood tentatively and sees, if there is anything to feel. Then he knocks.

Shouldn't there be any reaction, Damir plans to enter the cottage together with his fellow Guardian.

Half expecting Danill to storm forward, Damir simplay states: "Two Guardians, Damir and Quintus, who have found your harp - it would seem. We'd like to return it, see all is well and tell you about young Tiyem." He looks over his shoulder to Quintus. Is this relief or worry on his face?

Quintus glances up to where the blue of the autumn sky has begun to deepen towards evening, then sidelong at his new companion Damir. A smile tugs at one corner of his mouth.

"A late sleeper indeed," he murmurs under his breath. He sounds both amused and a little concerned.