The Artifact of Absonial

[Sareth]

Lillith dropped the fruit she was holding onto the plate. "That's terrible! Why would someone do such a thing?" She paused then her eyes grew wide. "Does it have anything to do with us? Might we be at risk too?"

[Porcelain Fish]

Maduin's face went dead-white beneath his customary veneer of sparingly (and tastefully) applied cosmetics, genuine dismay reflecting in his hazel eyes. He'd expected Rebekah and Avner to eventually get married, had even entertained thoughts of returning to check on them in a few years. For their end to be so sudden and unexpected, and both of them so young - it was genuinely tragic.

"That's horrible." He shook his head. "Do they have any idea who the perpetrators are?"

[Drannin]

Argus stared in horror. "What?" he breathed. Harker, newly refreshed from his 'nap,' had a similar expression. Neither had known the two very well, but this...

Argus had a million questions, but forced himself to remain silent. Rose would explain what she could soon enough...

But it begged a question. It had happened so soon after their departure... were they being followed?

[Graybeard]

"Do they have any idea who the perpetrators are?" Sister Rose parroted Maduin (so to speak). "Yes, but I think they're wrong ideas. Let me try to remember this ..." Actually, despite the brain fog resulting from being awakened at oh-dark-thirty to get the message, she remembered it quite clearly; it was ... memorable, after all.

"There was actually more to it than just Avner and Rebekah. They were found in their room at the inn, bound both physically and magically. Amalric thinks they'd had some magical torture applied to them too, something involving the nerve endings." She was remembering something Brother Miguel had said, about the Cardinal Inquisitor having -- resources to induce -- cooperation by direct stimulation of the pain nerves. Surely he couldn't have had a hand in this? She shuddered slightly and went on.

"They'd had their throats cut and were beyond revival. But there's more. The other guard from the dig site, Private Rynovial or something like that, has also been found dead, in very similar condition, although in an alley rather than a room. And now there's a big fracas brewing, understandably enough, but what's weird is that they're starting to focus on the other guard from the dig, who has gone inexplicably missing, at least inexplicably from their own point of view -- a Corporal Canyon."

She looked at Bryce. "I don't suppose that would just happen to be your name, would it?..."

[Porcelain Fish]

Maduin had been so startled by Sister Rose's news that he'd failed to notice that Bryce had tensed beside him at her words.

"Private Biggs Runovian," Bryce corrected, face hardening. "That was his name, and yeah . . . Corporal Canyon, that'd be me." His dark green eyes met Rose's. "Major, I told my sergeant where I was going. Donnelsten's a good man, but if he's going to get tortured and murdered next . . ." He didn't finished the sentence, but his jaw clenched, and he started to get up.

Maduin reached out before he even really thought about it, fingers wrapping around Bryce's larger ones. Bryce hesitated and looked down at him.

[Graybeard]

"Major, I told my sergeant where I was going. Donnelsten's a good man, but if he's going to get tortured and murdered next . . ."

Something very frightening was beginning to occur to Sister Rose.

"I -- don't think I know the man, but let me take a guess. This Donnelsten is about six feet one, well proportioned, with blond hair and blue eyes, right?"

[Porcelain Fish]

Bryce nodded, wariness entering his gaze. "Yeah, got a scar on his neck right above his collar on the left side." His brow furrowed. "Major, is there something I should know?"

[Graybeard]

"Major, is there something I should know?"

Sister Rose thought about it for long enough to garner some mildly concerned looks from around the table, notably from Brad, who'd moved closer to Lillith (of course) when she made distressed noises. She flashed a quick mental message to Argus -- <"Remember Provatiel?"> -- then answered Bryce's question, after a long, deep breath.

"I don't think so, at least not yet," she said. "But if any of us see someone who looks like that, with or without scar, do not let yourself be caught alone with him, at least for the time being. Now who's going with me to the base to deliver our, ah, cargo?"

[Porcelain Fish]

"Bryce and I will stay here and stay inconspicuous." Maduin glanced up at the red-headed soldier, who had opened his mouth to argue. "You're not stupid," he said flatly. "You know exactly what'll happen if you go back, and it won't make a difference for your sergeant anyway. In fact, you might give him away in the bargain."

Bryce nodded and sat again after a moment. "That . . . had occurred to me," he said finally, dark green eyes resting on Maduin's. He smiled faintly. "It might not be safe for you to stick with me."

Maduin's answering smile was slight, dry, and faintly grim. "Let me worry about that." He glanced at Argus. "Dr. Cleiviein, I'll assume you'll go along to keep Sister Rose safe?" The smile that quirked his lips this time was less withered and more impish. "We don't want any more carriage incidents."

[Drannin]

Argus raised an eyebrow. "True, we don't. And yes, I would like to come along to make our delivery." He turned to Rose. "I assume that's alright?"

<"We should talk about this later. I might just be paranoid, but this incident has me worried, for a number of reasons. I might want to erect some defenses, just in case."> Weave, he wished he had a good staff right about now.