Mists of Winter, Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

FRANZ

Franz rouses his usually early time. Careful not to wake Munchen, he begins his morning ritual of exercises. This lasts about an hour before he takes a hot bath.

After his bath he checks his equipment, making sure everything is in good order before completely dressing. Now he is ready for the day. He gently wakes Munchen and heads down for breakfast.
He will order a full meal and ask for the woman who took care of Mathilde yesterday if he doesn't see her.

Franz finds the old woman sitting by the cold hearth, a long blanket-wrapped bundle laid across her lap. Getting closer, squinting in the dim light-- the window admits a little sunlight but no warmth-- Franz sees a child's hand sticking out the near end of the blanket.

The landlady weeps, groans, and buries her face in the blanket wrapped around the unmoving body.

[steveflam]

Franz walks over to her, concern showing on his face. A sense of dread comes over him. A dead child is never something you get used to seeing, no matter what. If that was indeed a dead child.

"Frau. Parton me, but is everytink all right?," he asks in as comforting a voice as he can muster. He also tries to get a better look
at what he hopes is not in the blanket.

[ewancummins]

KAT AT THE CAFE

KAT, ON THE STREET

She pauses for just a moment, desire to quickly get news warring with hunger, then shrugs and heads into the cafe to grab a little breakfast on the hoof!

The glow of the big bread oven set behind the counter mixes with sunrays, fill the the interior the little café with light and warmth.
The air smells of yeast, flour, bitter coffee.

A pretty , slim soot-haired girl oF perhaps thirteen stacks croissants a basket on the counter.

An thick bodied man in an apron works at the oven, bringing out long white baguettes and round loves of rich, brown bread.

Kat doesn't see anyone else present.

The girl looks up from her work at the counter, smiles at Kat, and covers the basket with a square of cheesecloth.
"Good morning, madam! "

[ewancummins]

FRANZ

Franz walks over to her, concern showing on his face. A sense of dread comes over him. A dead child is never something you get used to seeing, no matter what. If that was indeed a dead child.

"Frau. Parton me, but is everytink all right?," he asks in as comforting a voice as he can muster. He also tries to get a better look
at what he hopes is not in the blanket.

Looking down, Franz sees a familiar face tucked in the folds of the blanket-- the tavern-boy. The boy’s eyes remain closed, still. His mouth, set in a grimace, does not move. Nothing about him moves.
The plump old woman says, “He was dead when I found him. Poor child—I had no idea he had taken ill.” She sniffles, and goes on, “I heard him crying in his sleep, when I passed by in the night, but I didn’t want to wake him. Just bad dreams, I thought.”

[steveflam]

"Do you mind if I take a look? I am so sorry about dis." He will inspect the boy just to see if he might notice anything not right on his body. Teeth punctures, anything out of the ordinary.

[ewancummins]

RAEN

Having the day for himself, Raen did a bit of research in the morning making sure the windows were shut and the door closed, prepared his daily spells and mid-morning he headed out in case Kat has any more news to share.

Looking for Kat, Raen does not find her at her home in the tenement house.

He might try her place of work (the Sign of the Two Goats) , he might ask around the neighborhood, or he might try something else...

[ewancummins]

FRANZ

"Do you mind if I take a look? I am so sorry about dis." He will inspect the boy just to see if he might notice anything not right on his body. Teeth punctures, anything out of the ordinary.

The woman allows Franz to examine the boy. She gets up and starts building a fire, mumbling a prayer as she works.

Something bright falls from the folds and clinks on the floorboards when Franz move the blankets to have a closer look at the dead boy.
The Falkovnian finds no injuries whatever, except that the dead boy appears to have bitten his tongue in his sleep. There's not anything even close to enough blood in his mouth to have chocked him, though. The boy's skin feels cold, but probably not more so than one would expect if he passed away on a winter's night in a draughty old tavern.

[ewancummins]

BENN'S OFFICE

Bennedict limps through the front door of the office, there before dawn as was his custom. Cold mornings like these had a way of setting his knee to aching in a way that made his walking stick much less decorative than it used to be, another souvenir of their time at Gauntcliffe. He is unsurprised to find that, as usual, Hornsby had arrived first.

"What news?" he says, forgoing greetings as he handed him his coat and hat. He stepped to his desk, picking up the warm mug of tea waiting for him and scanning the desk for correspondence. "Has anything come in for me over night? Any reports of more drownings at the docks?" He looks around for any papers that looked particularly grimy. "Our...hairy friend was also supposed to bring me some news."

Hornsby sniffs.
"I haven't heard of any drowning cases today sir-- but of course the day has hardly begun. The men you had paid to keep watch over the Marble Faun after the burglary there have offered to continue their watch at the same price. They don't report seeing or hearing anything unusual. As for your hairy friend, sir---do you mean the Falkovnian or his dog?"
Hornsby allows himself the faintest of smiles, and then goes on, "Mister Franz mentioned something about needing your help with a bad back--not his own I think-- last night. Did he not? It was very late when you two returned and I confess I have a little trouble understanding his speech at times."

Benn smiles as he takes a sip of his tee. "Ah, not that hairy friend," he says, "Our acquaintance, Ignatz. Nevermind, if you had seen him, I'm sure you'd have mentioned it."

He shuffles the correspondence, not seeing anything of note. "I was expecting to speak with the young woman who came in yesterday. Franz's father's back isn't going anywhere. Inform the mercenaries that their efforts are appreciated. I don't know that I really expect any more trouble, but I'll keep them employed for sake of Matteo's peace of mind."

''Very good, sir.'"
Hornsby heads off to carry out Benn's instructions.

Left alone in his office, Benn hears something scraping inside his desk.

[steveflam]

FRANZ

"Do you mind if I take a look? I am so sorry about dis." He will inspect the boy just to see if he might notice anything not right on his body. Teeth punctures, anything out of the ordinary.

The woman allows Franz to examine the boy. She gets up and starts building a fire, mumbling a prayer as she works.

Something bright falls from the folds and clinks on the floorboards when Franz move the blankets to have a closer look at the dead boy.
The Falkovnian finds no injuries whatever, except that the dead boy appears to have bitten his tongue in his sleep. There's not anything even close to enough blood in his mouth to have chocked him, though. The boy's skin feels cold, but probably not more so than one would expect if he passed away on a winter's night in a draughty old tavern.

Franz picks up the shiny object. He does put the boy back in his blanket. It appears to him that the boy did die of natural causes. Perhaps
he had a bad heart. At any rate there was nothing more anyone could do to help the boy any longer.

He inspects the object before turning to the old woman. "Tank you. Will someone take care of his burial, like family? Oh, by de vay, did Mathilde get bathed and taken care uff yesterday?"

[Adam]

"Damn," he mutters, "I thought we had that mouse problem sorted."

He begins pulling drawers, looking for the source of the noise.

[alhoon]

RAEN

"An early riser for a barmaid!" Raen mused and started towards the Sign of the two Goats. After a couple of steps he decided to ask around the neighborhood while in his way, in case someone knew where Kat used to go for her breakfast.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

EAST DOCKS

"Look here," he says, pointing at the bruises on the wrist. "Defensive marks, yes? As I thought, he wasn't on a boat when he fell into the water. I don't think he fell at all. Something dragged him in, and snapped his arm in the process. Judging by how much water is in his mouth, he may have drowned, but it was no accident. This is foul play."

He turns back to the guards. "I'll need to speak to my business associate about this. He has...practical knowledge that will be useful to our investigation. His name is Bennedict, have you heard of him? I should find him at once."

[ewancummins]

DORGIO

EAST DOCKS

"Look here," he says, pointing at the bruises on the wrist. "Defensive marks, yes? As I thought, he wasn't on a boat when he fell into the water. I don't think he fell at all. Something dragged him in, and snapped his arm in the process. Judging by how much water is in his mouth, he may have drowned, but it was no accident. This is foul play."

He turns back to the guards. "I'll need to speak to my business associate about this. He has...practical knowledge that will be useful to our investigation. His name is Bennedict, have you heard of him? I should find him at once."

The sergeant says, "I don't know the man you mean, but go get him if you like. I've got orders to take the dead man to a warehouse, out of sight, before burying him. We won't stick him in the dirt before your friend has a look, if that's what you want."
He gives Dorgio directions to the warehouse, which isn't far away.

[ewancummins]

FRANZ
FRANZ

"Do you mind if I take a look? I am so sorry about dis." He will inspect the boy just to see if he might notice anything not right on his body. Teeth punctures, anything out of the ordinary.

The woman allows Franz to examine the boy. She gets up and starts building a fire, mumbling a prayer as she works.

Something bright falls from the folds and clinks on the floorboards when Franz move the blankets to have a closer look at the dead boy.
The Falkovnian finds no injuries whatever, except that the dead boy appears to have bitten his tongue in his sleep. There's not anything even close to enough blood in his mouth to have chocked him, though. The boy's skin feels cold, but probably not more so than one would expect if he passed away on a winter's night in a draughty old tavern.

Franz picks up the shiny object. He does put the boy back in his blanket. It appears to him that the boy did die of natural causes. Perhaps
he had a bad heart. At any rate there was nothing more anyone could do to help the boy any longer.

He inspects the object before turning to the old woman. "Tank you. Will someone take care of his burial, like family? Oh, by de vay, did Mathilde get bathed and taken care uff yesterday?"

The shiny object, a coin, looks familiar...

VIEW CONTENT:

Franz gave an identical coin to the boy as a tip, just the other day.

The fat older woman says, "Poor Thierry was a foundling. I'll pay for his burial."
She stokes the fire she has built in the hearth, and adds, "The girl, Mathilde, she got a bath and a meal, some dry clothes, but she went home to her father before we all turned in for the night. I think I remember which tenement house she lives in.''

[ewancummins]

SARA
LATE MORNING

Sara wakes up late that morning since she hasn't anything urge to do till afternoon. Kat has already contacted an aquintance of hers about the vases and was waiting him to get back to her. So the only thing she has to do this day is waiting till noon to go see the bard.

After getting dressed and having breakfast decides to take a walk and pass from Raen's house and Kat's work place to discuss what they have found out so far before going to Lorelai's.

She doesn't find Raen at his inn.
"He went out, I dunno where" is all the surly landlord says.
Walking the windy, cold streets of the neighborhood, crossing and re-crossing one of the city's several bridges, asking around in taverns and ordinaries not far from Raen's inn, she tracks the wizard down as he walks in the opposite direction, across the lane and past a blacksmith's shop. He casts about as if looking for a face in the thickening bustle of shoppers, cart drivers, lackeys, and street vendors.


Calling to Raen over the clang of the men working at an open forge, she gets his attention.