[size=1][b]Done-ish, sorry it took so long.[/b]
Xii closed her eyes. Horror and lack of sleep had exhausted her; it had been a long day. She forced them back open quickly, though, behind her eyelids lay the scene just outside the tavern door.
"I'm hardly qualified to detail Aiken's history," Acantha began with a slow smile. "Suffice it to say that Aiken may not be quite as innocent as it appears."
Her words hung in the air, not followed by any further explanation. Burman blinked; he had expected something lengthier. When it became clear that Acantha had no intention of going on, he tugged at his ear--a nervous gesture--and spoke.
"Aiken was founded...well, quite some years ago. I don't know that anyone is sure of the date; there were people here long before the town itself was named. It's a small town, really, and began as little more than a hub for the surrounding farming communities. The city wall was built about a hundred years ago, quite recent, really. The town hasn't grown outward much since then, although you might say it's grown inward. Sturdy homes inside the walls; they can stand up to just about anything.?
Xii forced back a yawn and stuggled to listen to the mayor.
?The town records go back only about eighty years,? he was saying, ?although the older families have some old journals and what-have-you that date from who-knows-when. The town was named for the oak grove on the other side of the wall..." Burman paused in his jumpy narrative. "I guess that's about it. Nothing very interesting, I can tell you. I've lived here all my life, and until a few weeks ago Aiken's been the most normal little town you could see."
Dharin arched an eyebrow. "And you haven't the faintest idea why the attacks have suddenly begun?" he asked.
Burman stiffened, only now noticing that the bartender had been listening. "None at all," he said after a moment.
Lacroix looked severely unimpressed. "Well, if that's all the information you have for us," he said dryly, "Perhaps we should continue our investigations elsewhere."
"Or perhaps we could all get some sleep," Relee said, looking around. Xii looked at her gratefully.
"I agree," Alex said haltingly. It was far out of his character to suggest extra rest, but the group as a whole had been badly shaken by Calonice's...death, and very few were in any emotional state to do work. Things would be, if not better in the morning, at least further removed.
Lacroix looked with some degree of condescension at the others. Relee was right; the group needed recovery time. He, however, had no special desire to waste the night. Dharin caught his eye and silently offered discussion. Lacroix nodded; he would be up long hours with the barkeeper tonight.
"I can't.." Xii murmured softly, not sure what it was she couldn?t do.
She looked around, pointedly avoiding the direction where Calonice--her thought cut off abruptly, avoiding the memory. Her mouth still tasted vile, even after the water Dharin had considerately offered her.
Percy was watching her. They'd developed a rather lopsided friendship since they'd met in the forest--her spontanaety tempered by his rather reserved behavior. Still, he was fond of her. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.
Xii jerked, momentarily jolted out of her exhaustion by his voice. "I'm fine," she lied shakily.
"I see," Percy said, accepting the lie but not believing it.
Xii smiled faintly and took a mental count of the group members. Percy, right beside her; Acantha, reserved and watching the rest of them; Lacroix, already moving toward Dharin and the promised discussion; Burman talking quietly with Alex; Tylenia, shaken but silent. Relee was to be also taking stock of the group; her eyes met Xii's, and moved on to Percy. [i]Calonice[/i]--Xii shook her head fiercely. Two more bodies stood in the circle. [i]Jice[/i], she remembered, the minstrel. But who was the other..?
Relee seemed to have come to the same revelation, and spoke harshly to the newcomer. "Who are you?"
The man smiled. ?Ryan Schezar.?
There was a pointed silence.
?That?s very nice,? Tylenia said acidly, ?but we were looking for something a bit more than just your name.? The others murmured in agreement.
The man nodded to her. ?Fair enough,? he said. ?My name is Ryan Schezar, and I?m a Streamer.?
Xii watched dazedly as the man introduced himself. Percy seemed immediately interested and moved towards him, saying something. The voices in the room grew loud and slurred in her ears. She stood uncertainly at the edge of the circle, achingly tired. There was a commotion over by the new man?Ry?Ryan? Ryan. She swayed, suddenly at odds with gravity, and stuggled to remain upright.
Someone was at her side, gently supporting her. ?C?mon, Xii,? Tylenia said softly. ?Let?s get you to bed.? Xii smiled weakly, gratefully?and was already asleep.
--
Xii slept straight through the next day. Words were thrown about: [I]Shock, exhaustion[/I]. She didn?t hear them; she didn?t wake; she didn?t dream.
She woke easily to orange and purple light streaming in through a window. Sunset. Xii looked around; she was in a room at the tavern, upstairs?the inn. She breathed deeply, somehow very content.
There was a soft noise in the hallway, and Relee appeared at the open door.
?You?re awake,? she said, amusement coloring her voice.
Xii nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. ?I?m?sorry,? she offered, unsure of what else to say.
Relee smiled. ?It?s alright. We?re all going to the Mayor?s in a few minutes for dinner. Are you up to it??
?Sure,? Xii said, and was startled to realize she was telling the truth. ?When are we leaving??
?As soon as you?re ready.?
Xii glanced around the small inn room. Her backpack was sitting on a chair. She stood and slung it onto her shoulder. ?Then let?s go.?
--
[b]This part added.[/b]
The Mayor?s mansion was across the square from the inn, and the party crossed it quickly?few willing to admit it, and fewer willing to be caught outside after dark.
Burman greeted them at the door, and led the ragtag group to a comfortable den-like room.
?I thought we might meet tonight in a more?? words seemed to fail him for a moment. ?Comfortable setting,? he finished.
?Safer, too, no doubt,? Lacroix said witheringly. ?Don?t dare leave your comfort zone after last night, eh??
Someone laughed darkly.
Xii ignored this and drank in her new surroundings. Of all the places she had stayed thus far, this large room seemed the most like home. Or if not her home, at least [I]a][/I] home. Deep, comfortable chairs and well-worn tables furnished the room. She sat carefully in the chair opposite the fire, and smiled despite herself as she sank into it. ?Nice,? she murmured.
Percy took the chair to her left, and made a small noise, also pleased by its comfort. He looked worn and tired. Xii wondered how long he?d been awake while she was sleeping, but her attention shifted from him to Jice as the other man sat down.
Xii wasn?t sure what to make of the minstrel?he?d been contrary the night before, refusing to answer any of her questions; she?d had to retrieve Lacroix?and look what had happened. She closed her eyes and shook her head briefly.
He looked at her. ?Are you all right, m?lady?? he asked.
Xii blinked, curiously pleased by his courtesy. ?I..I?m alright, I guess,? she said. A shadow passed over her face.
?Considering,? Jice offered.
Xii nodded. ?Considering,? she repeated.
Everyone was comfortably seated; Burman spoke. ?Well?We?re all very upset about last night, of course,? he said haltingly. Tylenia felt vaguely sorry for the man?imagine trying to calm down a village of people convinced they?re going to be killed.
?This is Calonice? death was unfortunately only one of many such--? Burman?s voice stopped as someone else spoke. ?What was that??
?The first death,? Relee found herself repeating. ?Calonice was the first death.?
The others looked at her, some confused, others? eyes bright with understanding.
?I don?t understand what you?re trying to say,? Burman said.
?None of the others were ever found,? Jice said. ?They were simply disappearances. Relee is right, this was the first death Aiken has seen.?
?But why?? Percy asked. ?Whatever has been causing the disappearances?well, in any case, why didn?t it just [I]take[/I] Calonice, instead..?
?It?s not the same thing,? Ryan said simply.
Xii looked at him. ?How do you know?? she wanted to ask?but no one else seemed curious, and she assumed he had missed out on some explanation while she?d been sleeping that day.
?Well, if it?s [I]not[/I] that same thing,? Tylenia said slowly, ?then what was it? And why??
?Someone doesn?t want you to get rid of the problem,? Burman said, slightly rushed. Xii wondered if he?d suddenly realized that, or only now found the opportunity to say it.
?But why?? she asked. ?The entire town??
?Wants the disappearances stopped,? Acantha said smoothly. Attention shifted easily from Burman to her. ?Our mayor is getting a little paranoid, I?m afraid. He?s had a terrible time about last night. I don?t want him to worry you without good reason?and there is no good reason at this point.?
?A woman was killed last night,? Alex said coldly. ?I think that?s a pretty good reason.?
Acantha shook her head, almost sadly?a mother who knew more than her children, but didn?t explain herself. ?You?re a wanderer, Alex. You don?t understand how things work in this town.?
?What has this town got to do with it?? Alex asked, but his voice was lost in a sudden clattering of wood?the shutters flew open, and the candles blew swiftly out. Lacroix and Alex were immediately on their feet, ready to react to any stimulus?albeit in rather dissimilar ways.
The fire still glowed dimly in the fireplace, however, and nothing untoward had happened. Burman laughed too loudly. ?It?s alright, that clasp?s been broken for years. Here.? He picked up a candle from the table closest him and took a step towards the fireplace, lowering the taper in. There was a flare, and the candle began to glow.
?Not a problem,? he said again, touching that candle to another. Wind gusted throw the window once more, extinguishing them once again. Burman swore clumsily, and the remaining tension in the room dissolved.
Jice walked over to Relee and Tyelenia and tried to interest them in some form of ballad he was writing. Alex relaxed and began speaking with Lacroix and Percy. Xii couldn?t fathom what they might be discussing, but didn?t press the question.
She rolled her eyes and stood, walking over to the open window. It was furiously dark outside, and it smelled of a coming storm. She smiled to herself, and reached outside to pull the outer shutter back?the wind twisted, pulled it out of her hand; it slammed once more against the outside of the house.
?What are you doing?? Ryan asked.
?I?m trying closing the window,? she said dryly. ?Care to help??
Ryan shook his head, smiling, and pulled the outside shutters together. The wind fought visiciously, but they held for a moment, and Xii slipped the hook through the eye of the latch.
?Latch works perfectly,? Ryan muttered. ?Burman doesn?t know what he?s talking about.?
Xii laughed softly and fumbled with the inside shutters for a moment, finally pulling them closed. Ryan seemed to be staring out the window?or would have, if it had been open.
?What?s the matter?? she asked.
?Nothing,? he said.
?Timmons!? Burman called gruffly. A boy appeared at a door none of them had noticed was open. Xii blinked in surprise?it was by the fireplace, right across from where she had been sitting. How had she not noticed it?
?Aye??
?Get some more lanterns in here, would you? And have someone come with more firewood,? Burman said.
The boy ducked back out of the room. Xii shrugged at Ryan and walked back toward her seat. She fell dramatically down in the chair, expecting the ?give? she had received the first time, and receiving instead a knock on the head. ?Oh!? she exclaimed. ?Hey.?
Percy turned around. ?What?s the matter, Xii??
?Eh, nothing?there?s just something here?bumped my head,? she said brokenly. ?Here.? She pushed aside the thick cushioning to reveal a smoothly engraved piece of wood. ?No wonder I??
?Let me see that,? Lacroix hissed, pushing her gently aside. He glanced at the wood again, and turned his steely eyes on Xii. ?Was this here when we came in.?
?I think I?d have noticed,? Xii said darkly. ?Unless this is a different chair..?? But no, this was where she had been sitting before the window broke open.
Lacroix grasped the handle firmly, and, with one smooth effort, pulled it away from the chair. There was a curious [I]shwipp[/I] sound, and he was holding an elaborate knife in his hand.
?Oh,? Xii said softly. ?Oh,? she repeated, swallowing back what came to her mouth when she tried to speak. ?Well.?
The room watched her.
?I think I?d better sit down,? she said absently, sinking to the floor. ?May I have a glass of water??
[/size]
