“Quillburn.â€
The word name that left his lips was leaden, cold, and sour.
“Aye. Found dead. In one o’ the finer rooms in the inn.†Brynnalia let out a long sigh before she added, “...in one of the rooms that are under the accounts o’ Lolorito.â€
They are growing more bold.
“How was he found?†Jameson steepled his fingers, his arms elbowed up on his dark polished desk. His eyes were narrowed, and they did not look directly at the Highlander woman standing before him in his office but rather at the fireplace.
“Gutted. The blade was found next tae the body.†Callae kept her voice calm, as if not to incite him. “From the streaks on the floor, he didn’t die quick. He had crawled his way at least, from where he was stabbed to just a few fulms from the door.†Her voice turned grim. “But collapsed just before. Died o’ blood loss.â€
Second dead. And I still have no answers. After two suns, nothing.
“Was there anything else found?†Jameson did not move, he was barely breathing.
Roen cannot know that Rezhenne had no wife. And only a bastard son from a mistress. Only a few knew of them. How could she protect him still?
“The room was searched. There were…†Callae paused, arousing a flick of a glance her way from the noble. She cleared her throat. “Letters, found hidden within his other belongings. It was addressed to Mumuqaru. It mentioned something of a plan hatched between the three houses, Mumuqaru, Quillburn, and Rezhenne.†There was another pause, but she did not wait for him to prompt her. “The plot was against ye.â€
It must be Lazarov.
“Where is the letter?†Taeros’ voice remained calm as ever, as if he was inquiring about the weather rather than a conspiracy against him.
Who else could it be?
“Ah…†Brynnalia frowned, rubbing the back of her head. “A new Blade was assigned tae the case. An ex-Flame, Haruko Kokojo. She snatched it up on the scene. I was only able tae read it over briefly.â€
That finally brought a slow frown to the noble’s face. The evidence was weak at best; whoever was framing him did not know the true dynamics of the nobles involved. Quillburns were noted by many to be in his favor. Jameson made no such outward gesture, but the Highlander family had assumed a strong alliance between them a few moons ago, and Taeros did not deny it for the time being. Whereas Rezhenne, an old friend, had hinted at some insult implied between them. The Elezen lord had wisely kept his umbrage to himself, but Taeros had come to learn of it none-the-less. But before he could discern the true source of the rift, the lord had been killed.
And now a third house, Mumuqaru, was being implicated in all this. An Ul’dahn family with long ingrained history in the desert, they had also recently been rumored to have expressed displeasure with Jameson.
Anyone truly in the know would recognize that Rezhenne would hold himself above the likes of Mumuqaru. The Elezen lord was pompous and arrogant. Quillburns also would not jeopardize their favored position by getting in bed with Mumuqaru or Rezhenne. And yet...
The evidence that was found at each of the murdered Monetarist rooms was beginning to indicate that they were all in some conspiracy against him. However untrue, it was damning enough.
It has to be Lazarov. Even though this does not seem like him. The pirate’s maneuvers so far had been made of broad strokes: choke off the supply lines, sow seeds of dissent amongst both wealthy and poor by robbing them of supplies and goods, and arm some violent bandit gangs with an agenda. In the months of campaign that the pirate had waged, there had not been an effort to actually implicate him in specific crimes. Lazarov had not shown interest in delivering any individual justice.
Creatures do evolve, however. Jameson curled his lip at the thought. Then he found himself pausing. Or was it Roen? Even as the thought rose, the noble was just as quick to dismiss it. The paladin had no heart for such things as assassinations. And yet, she was the one that had arranged for his reputation to be smeared, with the articles in the Lantern, the raids of his warehouses, and he suspected, somehow tugging at the delicate balance of power amongst the noble families.
Roen has to be involved in this. His expression grew hard, his fingers lacing into a firm grip upon each other. I will find out all she knows.
“Well?†Brynnalia finally broke the heavy silence that had fallen upon the room. She shifted in her stance, her anklets jingling nervously. “What do ye want me tae do?â€
“Nothing,†Taeros said sharply. For the love I bore… “I will take care of it.†He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
The bard hesitated in turning, as if to consider something. She took a step forward. “Grimsong and I are still workin’ on flushing out Lazarov’s supplier, Stormchild.†She reassured him. “She may be able tae give us a lead tae find him. I am just waitin’ on yer lady tae contact...†Callae trailed off when it was obvious that the he was paying her words no mind. Her green eyes regarded him for a moment longer, before she nodded and turned for the door.
“I will report more when I have somethin’,†she said before she exited. The woman spared none of her usual quips and her easy smile was gone from her lips. She too had recognized that the game had changed.
Jameson remained seated on his desk as the door closed. He continued to stare at the crackling flames of the hearth.
She will break. One way or another.
And I will have the truth.
The word name that left his lips was leaden, cold, and sour.
“Aye. Found dead. In one o’ the finer rooms in the inn.†Brynnalia let out a long sigh before she added, “...in one of the rooms that are under the accounts o’ Lolorito.â€
They are growing more bold.
“How was he found?†Jameson steepled his fingers, his arms elbowed up on his dark polished desk. His eyes were narrowed, and they did not look directly at the Highlander woman standing before him in his office but rather at the fireplace.
“Gutted. The blade was found next tae the body.†Callae kept her voice calm, as if not to incite him. “From the streaks on the floor, he didn’t die quick. He had crawled his way at least, from where he was stabbed to just a few fulms from the door.†Her voice turned grim. “But collapsed just before. Died o’ blood loss.â€
Second dead. And I still have no answers. After two suns, nothing.
“Was there anything else found?†Jameson did not move, he was barely breathing.
Roen cannot know that Rezhenne had no wife. And only a bastard son from a mistress. Only a few knew of them. How could she protect him still?
“The room was searched. There were…†Callae paused, arousing a flick of a glance her way from the noble. She cleared her throat. “Letters, found hidden within his other belongings. It was addressed to Mumuqaru. It mentioned something of a plan hatched between the three houses, Mumuqaru, Quillburn, and Rezhenne.†There was another pause, but she did not wait for him to prompt her. “The plot was against ye.â€
It must be Lazarov.
“Where is the letter?†Taeros’ voice remained calm as ever, as if he was inquiring about the weather rather than a conspiracy against him.
Who else could it be?
“Ah…†Brynnalia frowned, rubbing the back of her head. “A new Blade was assigned tae the case. An ex-Flame, Haruko Kokojo. She snatched it up on the scene. I was only able tae read it over briefly.â€
That finally brought a slow frown to the noble’s face. The evidence was weak at best; whoever was framing him did not know the true dynamics of the nobles involved. Quillburns were noted by many to be in his favor. Jameson made no such outward gesture, but the Highlander family had assumed a strong alliance between them a few moons ago, and Taeros did not deny it for the time being. Whereas Rezhenne, an old friend, had hinted at some insult implied between them. The Elezen lord had wisely kept his umbrage to himself, but Taeros had come to learn of it none-the-less. But before he could discern the true source of the rift, the lord had been killed.
And now a third house, Mumuqaru, was being implicated in all this. An Ul’dahn family with long ingrained history in the desert, they had also recently been rumored to have expressed displeasure with Jameson.
Anyone truly in the know would recognize that Rezhenne would hold himself above the likes of Mumuqaru. The Elezen lord was pompous and arrogant. Quillburns also would not jeopardize their favored position by getting in bed with Mumuqaru or Rezhenne. And yet...
The evidence that was found at each of the murdered Monetarist rooms was beginning to indicate that they were all in some conspiracy against him. However untrue, it was damning enough.
It has to be Lazarov. Even though this does not seem like him. The pirate’s maneuvers so far had been made of broad strokes: choke off the supply lines, sow seeds of dissent amongst both wealthy and poor by robbing them of supplies and goods, and arm some violent bandit gangs with an agenda. In the months of campaign that the pirate had waged, there had not been an effort to actually implicate him in specific crimes. Lazarov had not shown interest in delivering any individual justice.
Creatures do evolve, however. Jameson curled his lip at the thought. Then he found himself pausing. Or was it Roen? Even as the thought rose, the noble was just as quick to dismiss it. The paladin had no heart for such things as assassinations. And yet, she was the one that had arranged for his reputation to be smeared, with the articles in the Lantern, the raids of his warehouses, and he suspected, somehow tugging at the delicate balance of power amongst the noble families.
Roen has to be involved in this. His expression grew hard, his fingers lacing into a firm grip upon each other. I will find out all she knows.
“Well?†Brynnalia finally broke the heavy silence that had fallen upon the room. She shifted in her stance, her anklets jingling nervously. “What do ye want me tae do?â€
“Nothing,†Taeros said sharply. For the love I bore… “I will take care of it.†He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
The bard hesitated in turning, as if to consider something. She took a step forward. “Grimsong and I are still workin’ on flushing out Lazarov’s supplier, Stormchild.†She reassured him. “She may be able tae give us a lead tae find him. I am just waitin’ on yer lady tae contact...†Callae trailed off when it was obvious that the he was paying her words no mind. Her green eyes regarded him for a moment longer, before she nodded and turned for the door.
“I will report more when I have somethin’,†she said before she exited. The woman spared none of her usual quips and her easy smile was gone from her lips. She too had recognized that the game had changed.
Jameson remained seated on his desk as the door closed. He continued to stare at the crackling flames of the hearth.
She will break. One way or another.
And I will have the truth.
