A Dangerous Gift

Findal emerges from his room again, with a little "light reading" (a stack of books retrieved from his luggage, piled up to his nose). In response to Morik's muttered question, Findal says "Hm? What's that you say?" at full volume, completely oblivious to the presence of the Grayhaven guard peeking into the rooms nearby. The guard starts in surprise and points at Findal: "You! Gnome! Come with me!" He strides forward and gently takes Findal's elbow, clearly with an eye to steering him down the hall and back into the common room. Peppercorn gives a chatter and spreads its wings for balance. Morik is right next to them now. "The Duke would like to speak with you now." the guard says, not unkindly, to the little sage.

---

The guards seem mollified by the combined excuses of the different party members; between the distractions of flirting, changing the subject, and providing the mysterious box that is somehow connected to the Duke, it seems like the Grayhaven guards don't really suspect any of you in particular of hiding anything. They turn back to the Duke and one says: "None of them have seen anything, Your Grace."

"Oh, really?" The Duke responds. "Is that what they told you?" The Duke struggles and fails to conceal a sneer. "Ridiculous. Search everyone!" The guards stiffen and salute, then turn back to the party with apologetic smiles. "I suppose it's possible the fugitive slipped something onto one of you without you noticing it..."

Various cries of outrage fill the common room at this brusque and abrupt treatment. The Duke looks on impassively. The palace guards on either side of him nervously grip the hilts of their sheathed swords. The Grayhaven city guards raise their free hands in supplicating gestures, trying to mollify the incensed patrons, particularly the one closest to Elowin, who is clearly torn between his orders and his reluctance to provoke the cleric further. With all this, Elysia just barely manages to slip the contents of the case - a bundle of some very old parchment - into Eozindra's pack and drop the now-empty scroll case to the ground without quite getting noticed by any of the guards nearby. But one of the guards sees the motion as the case rolls to a stop below the chair of one of the guests at the center table. "What's this?" the guard bends down and picks up the case. "Your Grace, a scroll!" The guest in the seat, an elderly man who might have a bit of tiefling blood, starts in surprise. "What's that? That...! Where did that come from?" The Grayhaven guard who was inspecting the guest rooms returns from the hall - frowning as he steps around Morik, completely unimpressed - while gently leading the book-laden Findal by the elbow. The last guard who went into the kitchen returns, clearing the way for the guard captain in full plate armor, who has apparently just come in from the back door. The captain bears a limp body in wet scholar's robes slung over his massive shoulder. He stomps up to the table in the center of the room (the patrons there hurriedly grab their plates and cups) and heaves the body onto the table where it can be seen by everyone in the room. "We've found our man." he announces grimly.

It's Tykus. A great bloom of crimson blood spreads over the breast of his robes, where his heart has been pierced by two short crossbow bolts. "He had nothing on him," the guard captain announces, "The murderer must have taken it." As everyone's eyes turn on the elderly tiefling, whatever The Duke was about to say is interrupted when Findal cries out in horror as he recognizes the body, dropping his armload of books with a crash. "No! Tykus!"

The Duke raises his eyebrow, turning to really observe Findal for the first time. "Did you know this man?"

Furious with indignation, Findal snaps: "Yes...yes, I did! Tykus was a gentleman and a scholar! He doesn't deserve to be hounded through the rain by you lot, nor treated with such indignity in death!"

"Hm." The Duke blinks. "This fugitive was involved in research that poses a threat to Grayhaven and the Realm, and was known to be collaborating with a gnome that fits your description. You will tell us everything you know about him and his research."

"I don't know anything! He was just my friend!" Findal protests, weeping.

"Hm." The Duke sighs. "It's clear you aren't telling us everything. You and that man there" he indicates the tiefling, "will be detained and taken to the castle for further questioning. Bring them...and let the fine citizens return to their evening of respite!" The guard captain nods and grabs Findal's arm and begins to drag him toward the front door. A Grayhaven guard helps the elderly tiefling up out of his chair, and the guard captain grabs him, too.

"My friends!" Findal calls out to the heroes, struggling futilely against the powerful grip. "Help me! Tell them! I don't know anything about Tykus' research!" Peppercorn chatters angrily, flapping its wings.