[IC] Bifyrd-Feron Adventures [Iron Gauntlets]

[hafrogman]

Tarrens plan looks like it's going well, as he quickly closes in on the staircase. But no sooner does he set foot on the first step than one of the maids spies him as she herself comes down the same flight.

"A Tarren, good. Be a love and do us a favor. Run this load of linens out to Mistress Hannety. She's doin' the scrubbin' and I have more to gather."

Without waiting for a response, the maid dumps a load of bed cloths into the stunned youngster's arms and scurries off. Luckily concealed behind a billowing cloud of sheets, Tarren is able to escape the roving eye of Middling who appears once again. Still, he has to run the sheets out to Hannety. They're hardly subtle.

The better part of the hour is spent in much the same fashion. Every corner of the manor seems to be crawling with servants, maids, everyone who has some kind of errand or other for Tarren to run. He takes a barrel around to the kitchen, he runs messages, he even watches some distraught lady's child for a few moments. Finally however, he manages to make it up the stairs without anyone seeing him. He presses his back against the wall, panting slightly and makes sure to avoid being seen from below as he approaches the hall. It's been forty minutes. . . hopefully he hadn't missed too much of the meeting.

[sblock=ooc]8,8,10,7,2,7,5,7,10,3,4,10,4,6

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[/sblock]

 

[doghead]

--- Bifyrd Manor - The Great Hall ---

Eventually Tarren manages to get into the house and up to the balcony without being spotted, waylaid or intercepted. The meeting has already started. Tarren finds a place out of sight, even of someone on the balcony. He can hear what is going on, but can't see.

"Are you be sure that there is a connection between Myrel's disappearance and those that left the tracks?" someone asks. Tarren recognises the voice of Forissa of Abren, a priestess at the local Peonian temple.

"There is no other explanation for why she hasn't been found. The dogs lost her scent around where the tracks begin," Lumin responds.

"I think you should keep looking around the manor. It could just be a coincidence." Tarren doesn't recognise the voice. The speaker is male however.

"We will keep looking, while you are gone," Inlysë says. Inlysë's voice is quiet and tightly controlled. She is Myrel's mother, and Tarren is familiar with her voice. "Even if the two events do turn out to be unrelated, then it leaves the question: "Whose tracks are those, and why are they sneaking around the manor?"

There is a mutter of agreement around the table.

"What kind of tracks were they?" another person asks. To Tarren, it sounds like that of Yoreth of Kelis a yeoman and beadle of Bifyrd manor. "How many were there?"

Lumin answers this time. "We are not sure. More than a couple, less than a score. The boat, judging by the marks left in the bank, wouldn't have been big enough to carry no more than that."

Forissa speaks up again. "How do we know which way they went, once on the river?"

"The tracks lead to Broke-back bend," Mosa responds. "On way back I followed river down streams. None of the folks that ways recall seeing or hearing anything unusual. And the wee folk are pretty sharp. I doubt anyone slipped by them unnoticed. So either they crossed over directly or went upsteams is my my guess."

"I still think we should take horses," rumbles the unknown male's voice.

"The boat that's being brought around is too small to carry horses, Sir Guarin. As was mentioned before," Sarin says slightly sharply.

"They could swim across," is the response.

"And what if we have to travel upstream some ways?" Sarin counters.

"They could follow along the bank," returns the one with the deep voice.

"Its pretty wild that side of the river. Horses won't be any advantage," Mosa interjects. "And the river is not easy to get too in most places. Broke-back is one of the few places you can do so easily."

"We don't have enough horses anywise. Massy and Ferguson were both run pretty hard this morning. Midlock is lame. Ash and Willow with foal. And Thunder is a draft horse." Lumin's tone is more conciliatory than Sarin's. Lumin sounds weary. Almost ... bored?.

A door opens and closes, and there is a lull in the conversation. Someone murmurs something.

"Good," Lumin says quietly. Then more loudly he adds. "The staff have prepared the provisions and gear. There is enough for 4 days in each bag. If there is anything else you want, just ask."

"Then I think we are done here. We should get moving," Forissa says.

"Right. We will meet outside the front of the manor in 10 minutes," Lumin concludes.

The hall is filled with noise as people push back benches and start moving around, talking amongst themselves.

 

[hafrogman]

Tarren ponders his options for a moment. The meeting didn't reveal too much information, but it was better than nothing. Broke-back bend seems like the place to be, perhaps he should start there. From the sounds of it, one smallish fellow might have an easier time getting about than those clod-feet.

Still, it's obvious that this is a job for Tarren. The adults aren't nearly as dedicated to this rescue, heck even Lumin sounds like he's only half awake.

Tarren sighs again, well, at least getting out should be easier than getting in. That's where everyone wanted him to go to begin with.


[sblock=ooc]Is this bendy place familiar? Do I know where they're talking about?[/sblock]

 

[doghead]

--- Bifyrd Manor ---

Tarren has heard of Broke-back bend. Its on the Feron side, somewhere to the southwest of the village, perhaps about half a mile or so upriver from Feron. The quickest way would be down the path into Bifyrd village, over the bridge to Feron village then overland to the river. Of course, that will be the way Lumin and the others will be going.

- ooc -
Imagin a square, divided vertically down the middle. Feron Manor occupies the west side, and Bifyrd Manor the east. The manors are both at the north ends, with their villages lying to the south. A stream separates the two. A bridge crosses the stream, but it can eaasily be crossed in numerous places without getting one's feet wet if one is agile enough. The Hemurin River slashes across the the landscape, north west (upstream) to south east (downstream) and marks the southern border of the manor properties. Broke-back bend lies to the southwest on the Hemurin river. Its a resonable well known fishing spot, although its more popular with villages from Feron. Bifyrd villages usual go to closer places downriver from Broke-back bend.

 

[hafrogman]

Tarren extricates himself from his vantage point carefully. Not too worried about being seen now, but no reason to call undue attention either. Out of the manor he quickly locates his stash from earlier and ponders his next move. Speed is important, but if the others get wind of him, they're liable to try and send him home again. They'll be taking the bridge, but a little water isn't exactly worrisome.

Tarren decides to head south, following the stream. Once he's far enough south, he'll cross over to the west bank, then keep following the water to the river.

 

[doghead]

--- BIFYRD MANOR ---

Once Tarren has gathered up his gear, he heads for the gates. The manor, like most manors is surrounded by a woodedn palisade for protection. Gathered in the yard just inside the gates are Sarin and the others. Lumin is not there yet, the others much be waiting for him. Getting out of the gates without being seen is impossible at the moment.

There are of course other ways out; through or over the wall. There hasn't been a serious threat to the manor in years and the walls have not been maintained as they should have been. But most of the alternatives require a little more effort than walking out of the gate. The easiest way out is a gap in the logs on the north side. But that is the wrong direction. Working back around the wall would add about 5 minutes. There is a way of climbing over on the south side; closer but more difficult. Bally twisted his ankle jumping down from there last summer.

 

[hafrogman]

Groaning to himself, Tarren surveys the crowd gathered at the gate with disgust. Blocking his way when he's in a hurry. Bah. Still, he can't risk the up and over, he'll be no use to anyone with a broken leg. Sounds like the gap it is, should be pretty easy. He may not be big and strong like the woodsmen, but his slight frame should make it easy enough to squeeze through the gap.

 

[doghead]

--- BIFYRD MANOR ---

Tarren sets off. It is easy enough for him to slip through the gap, although it seems smaller than he remembers. By working clockwise around the wall anddown to the south, he is able to work his way to the path to the bridge without being seen from inside at the gate.

At the bridge, there are two options. He can follow the stream, but that kind of leads him away from where he wants to end up. Alternatively, he can cut overland, around the back of the old watch town and down to the river that way. Its more direct, but means passing through the fields of Feron. While its not unknown for Tarren to head that way, today is not a feast day, and it would be unusual for him to be out without any reason.

- ooc -
Imagin an equilateral triangle (like a d4 ). The base of the triangle is the river, Tarren is at the apex. The stream is the right side of the triangle. Cutting overland would be like going down the left side of the triangle. The ruins of the old watch tower lie in the bottom right corner of the triangle, where the stream meets the river. Broke-back bend is upriver of the bottom left corner.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Forissa hurriedly pulls on the hardened leather coat that Guarin had commissioned for her a few months back. She'd laughed at him then - who around here was going to bother a Peonian priestess around here, after all? But then, she supposed she wouldn't have thought anyone would ever dare to abuduct Myrel, either. Poor girl, you must be terrified. Well, don't worry, I'll bring you back. Then we'll let Guarin show whoever took you exactly how large the mistake they made was. She hopes everything is buckled on properly, and heads to front of the manor where the servants had gathered the supply packs. Guarin is already there, and she sees he has brought that silly foreign shortsword (what had he called it, a gladus? Something like.) he'd cajoled her into to practicing with exactly once before she'd proclaimed the whole excercise ridiculous. She grimaces slightly at the thought he might make her wear it. She couldn't even lift the thing (Well, that's not quite true, she corrected herself), let alone make good use of, it if things came to that (whereas that judgement she felt was rather generous). Still as she approaches her cousin, she saw all the other manor folk gathering to see them off, and she draws herself up, trying to project the air of serene confidence she felt was necessary when there was a crisis at the manor. It was important for the people to know that things were still well in hand, after all. Lord Lumin must have decided the same thing, she thinks, remembering his demeanor at the meeting. He doesn't manage it quite as well as I, though.

When she reaches her cousin, and sees the other two approaching as well. She looks in the general direction of the river and to her cousin, she says (in the bold, ringing tone familiar to the manor folk from her sermons), "Is everything ready, Sir Guarin?"

 

[hafrogman]

Free of the town, Tarren is more convinced of his abilty to remain unseen. Surely there shouldn't be too many people around. Until the search party gets underway, he should be safe enough with the direct route. He shoulders his borrowed gear and sets out, eager to get on with his search. Enough time has been wasted today.