Birthright: Tuornen, Chapter Two

[steveflam]

Unfortunately for him, he is dead. Grabbing his hair and smashing his head against the cobblestone road.

Dominica gives the man's skull three hard smacks against the pavement and leaves him face down in a pool of blood and muddy water. The bubbles from his submerged mouth and nose stop before she finishes picking his pockets.

A window opens down the street and a silhouette briefly appears in the lighted square before the shutters snap shut. Most folks mind their own business in Riverside, especially at night.

She doubles back and hastily loots the other man before fleeing into the darkness. Behind her she hears muffled voices and footsteps of several men-- but if she's being chased the pursuers are not successful. She soon makes her way back to her room, bedraggled and clutching the things she took from the two dead men.

She removes her dress, cursing those two now dead thugs. She inspects the rewards she's reaped as she lays them on her bed.

"Well whoever you two were, you most certainly didn't ear your coins this evening. I'll have to ask around who sent them. I'm sure my good friend Fez will know. I'll let the dwarf know someone has taken an interest in me."


Dominica has a hot bath and relaxes. Later, she exits her room in her roguish attire, armed to the teeth, equipped for fun. She heads for Fez' watering hole and his promised meet.

[Lord Skybolt]

Cormac grumbles and wipes his hands on the muddy brown towel tied to his waist and stands up from a patient, nodding with satisfaction at the splint he has tied around the man's shoulder. He reaches into his belt pouch and pulls out another plug of tobacco, stuffing it into his cheek.

Bloody town dwellers, he thinks, looking around at all the wounded and the dead lying on the groundThis is why I stay out in the woods.

"Yar, wha' ya' need?" Cormac says, walking towards Gunnar.

"I was wondering if you would come on back to my house to stay the night, as I plan on going after the bandits at first light ? And could use a good comrade by the my side when go after the rest of them . Plus my heavy fighting gear is at home for me and my horse . "Gunnar asks of Cormac .

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Your Grace," Rennault says once he, Devlin, and Hotspur are away from the crowd, "take a look at this." He hands the duke the tattered note he received during the coronation.

Two killers, two targets.

"I'm still puzzling it out. Are you the second target, with the late Duke as the first? Whatever the case, this seems to imply that the Toymaker was no lone assassin."

[ewancummins]

Dominica, later that night, the wharf
Fez left word for her at the watering hole, where and when to meet...


Dominica waits just outside the circle of light cast by the lantern hung atop the pole at the last pier. Looking north, she sees sandy riverbank and flat dry ground sprinkled with weeds. Looking south, she sees the line of the waterfront recede into the light fog, and beyond that the dark bulk of the city walls and the watch lights set atop them.


A low whistle; and Fez steps into the light, facing Dominica. The greasy man squints.
“Red? Good, good. Gut-Ripper is here to meet you.’

Dominica, by shifting position to look past the bright area, spots a tall man in the darkness, light glinting from a gaff in his hand—no, a gaff that is his right hand.
She hears the lap of oars on the river before the keelboat beaches on the sand. Armed men splash ashore. Dominica, with her superior night vision, makes out the shapes of other vessels landing along the western bank, north and south of her.
Fez steps a little closer and his smile widens.
“Yeah, Gut-Ripper came, and he brought friends…”

[ewancummins]

Filbert-

Filbert hears, but doesn't see, a boat upstream. Roald is looking downstream, beginning to also walk that way...

[ewancummins]

The carriage ride back to Caer Haes(Devlin, Renn)-

"Your Grace," Rennault says once he, Devlin, and Hotspur are away from the crowd, "take a look at this." He hands the duke the tattered note he received during the coronation.

Two killers, two targets.

"I'm still puzzling it out. Are you the second target, with the late Duke as the first? Whatever the case, this seems to imply that the Toymaker was no lone assassin."

Braedonnal nods.

''Yes. That seems likely."

He turns to look straight at Devlin.

"Your Grace, I am certain that Carilon Alam is behind this. Aside from the Manslayer-"

A nasty, hateful look flashes over the elf's fine features-

"-the Duke over the river is the worst enemy of your family. Hiring a tinker to do his dirty work; that is Carilon's way. Rhoubhe's style is different. He prefers to spill the hearts blood of his foes with his own blade, not strike them down through clever mechanical traps. If I am right, we should be on guard for further attacks. Your despicable cousin is nothing if not persistent in his hate, and he will surely strike again.’

[VAN]

"I agree with you Roald, lead the way. I can hear a boat upstream as well. We should hurry so the don't get to Baubb before us."

[ewancummins]

Roald and Filbert, night, outside the walls along the river-

"I agree with you Roald, lead the way. I can hear a boat upstream as well. We should hurry so the don't get to Baubb before us."

Filbert and Roald walk down stream and search the shore, but find no sign of Baubb.

The noise of boats on the water grows louder and closer--and then the Halfling spots a barge being pulled ashore. A couple of dozen men wade onto the riverbank with swords drawn. Someone raises a lantern on the flat boat, and Filbert sees more boats of all shapes and sizes crossing the river!

The pirates, invaders, whoever they are don't seem to have spotted Roald and Filbert just yet...

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald's breath catches in his throat as he ducks down. "Jester, we should make haste to the toymaker's house. I think your Young Duke would like to know that there's an army crossing the river into his realm. I'll stay at the house and guard the tunnel."

[ewancummins]

The Auld Oak-

Brennan locks a trussed-up bandit-- the only prisoner-- in the cellar.

The innkeeper finds Cormac and Gunnar.

''I thought I'd let you two know that the Huntsman has vanished. Came with the wind, left with the storm, like the old folks say. Left us a bandit-- human-- too. That one hasn't told much. Something about the goblins going back north to join their brothers in a really big raid.''

[VAN]

Filbert whispers:

"I agree with you. Try to make less noise possible now, the invaders don't seem to have seen us for now."

[ewancummins]

Roald and Filbert

Filbert whispers:

"I agree with you. Try to make less noise possible now, the invaders don't seem to have seen us for now."

Filbert and Roald hurry-- as quietly as they are able-- back to the tunnel.

Looking back from the tunnel mouth, they see a mass of armed men marching under cover of darkness; no lanterns raised so close to the walls. The men are moving straight towards the tunnel mouth, guided by a couple of leashed and muzzled hounds...

[Varrus the Ethical]

Moving as fast as he can down the tunnel, Roald climbs up the ladder and then closes the trap door after Filbert make's his ascent. "Go, Jester! I'll deal with the men in the tunnels."

Roald draws his sword and levels the point at the trap door.

[steveflam]

Dominica, later that night, the wharf
Fez left word for her at the watering hole, where and when to meet...


Dominica waits just outside the circle of light cast by the lantern hung atop the pole at the last pier. Looking north, she sees sandy riverbank and flat dry ground sprinkled with weeds. Looking south, she sees the line of the waterfront recede into the light fog, and beyond that the dark bulk of the city walls and the watch lights set atop them.


A low whistle; and Fez steps into the light, facing Dominica. The greasy man squints.
“Red? Good, good. Gut-Ripper is here to meet you.’

Dominica, by shifting position to look past the bright area, spots a tall man in the darkness, light glinting from a gaff in his hand—no, a gaff that is his right hand.
She hears the lap of oars on the river before the keelboat beaches on the sand. Armed men splash ashore. Dominica, with her superior night vision, makes out the shapes of other vessels landing along the western bank, north and south of her.
Fez steps a little closer and his smile widens.
“Yeah, Gut-Ripper came, and he brought friends…”

All she says is "Your two friends are dead. Hire better help next time, Fez."

The red haired woman smiles as her eyes take in her surroundings. Quickly, she turns and runs for a spot and hops down, running through the shallow water.

[ewancummins]

Dominica
Fez barely has time to speak before Dominica escapes.

"What?!?"

And she's gone, splashing through the water under the docks.

A rough voice overhead, not Fez, speaks-
"Forget the woman. Any minute now the westerners will spot the boats, if they haven't all got proper drunk to mourn. Get that thrice-damned...'' The rest of the stranger's speech fades out of hearing for Dominica as she escapes under the boardwalk.