To: Captain Larol, Commander and First Sword of the Tide of Destiny, House Palanial, Countess of Brannor, Blood Royal.
From: Septimal Caine, Acting Executor and Battlemaster, Elendil’s Vanguard, House Palaniel.
My dear Twilight Sister,
I hope the new moon ceremonies find you well. I regret to inform you that I will be unable to attend upon you at your festive moon viewing party three days hence, due to the requirements of duty (more regarding that later, read on). I would appreciate it if you could express my heartbroken despondency over this outcome to the Lady Fariel, and then out of earshot of Lady Fariel express the identical sentiments to the Lady Harrow. As always, I depend upon your discretion, dear sister.
I trust our Father the Margrave is well. I would appreciate it if you could call upon my mother and see that she is well tended in my absence and does not require anything. If she does, please see to it and we will settle matters when I return.
No doubt when I did not attend upon our father last week at his gallery luncheon, you enquired and know of the strange matters here in sleepy Linhir that have ensnared Captain Kraddock and myself, so I will not bore you with the provincial details. Suffice to say, Linhir itself is a pleasant enough fishing village, with some charming seaside vistas should you be interested in oil painting….as I am not, I wish I could say that these murders are the only trace of interest in the town, but I cannot as that would be in poor taste and you would surely rebuke me for it.
It just so happens, the doughty and self-important mayor of the town beseeched the Captain and myself to remain, so that he could depend upon Kraddock to take the weight from his own stooped shoulders and deliver High Justice once the miscreant was found, leaving the mayor’s hands clean should an error be made. That seems straightforward enough on the surface, but beneath it, there seems to be more. This Mayor, Ordan by name, seems truly afraid, and to know a great deal more than he is volunteering. As he mewls on about some Corsair preying upon his town, I see in his eyes he knows very well who is holding the knife, and is nearly insensible from fear of them. And no, before you ask the question I know you are thinking my cynical sister, he is not married, so the fear is not of his lady wife. There are dark secrets in this strange little town…and for the moment Ordan is keeping them.
At any rate, we chanced to notice aged bunting celebrating the deeds of a local Captain, Nethrida by name. Recalling that name as one who was listed in intelligence briefings as being in the company of a certain Champion of our mutual acquaintance, Kraddock had me send a note off to the bloody minded maiden on Tol Lochul to see how she would respond.
Lo and behold, who should arrive some days later but the Captain Nethrida herself, indeed in the company of the Banshee and several other companions. This Nethrida’s relations are still in the environs, and in fact, her father is one of the only level headed members of what they somewhat euphemistically refer to as their “City Council”.
Over the last several days I have had occasion, while investigating this sorrowful business, to consider our mutual acquaintance and her current companies at some length.
As for Xandilif Warchild herself, she seems well if a trifle subdued, especially considering that her sister is nowhere to be found which usually gives her the leigh way to run a bit amuck, especially in a place such as this. I cannot say she has been quiet, but she has yet to harm anyone (unlike some of her fellows) so that is surprising. However, anytime one finds Bark out upon her own, it is simple wisdom to wonder where Bite may have gotten to. Too often those who neglect to ask such a question find an arrow through their throat at the most inconvenient moment. I asked that question to one of the company, a Rohirric woman called Addiela (more on her further on) and she answered defensively, but not in an aggrieved manner. Therefore, while she told me nothing directly, her manner indicated that Xanderian is not injured or perished, and must indeed be on another errand. Perhaps she has been summoned to duty.
But enough about she who you know (perhaps too well, my twilight sister…do remain calm), let us discuss those you do not know.
The Captain Nethrida is a fine figure of the ideal Gondorian infantry officer, stoic and moral and rigidly competent. To her credit she keeps trying to inform the residents that she is no longer a Captain, now serving the throne of Dol Amroth in some capacity, but they refuse to hear of it. They have decided she is the local girl made Captain, so Captain she shall remain. She is clearly trying to do her best by a town she has in all manner outgrown, and the tensions pulling upon her are apparent. She is handling matters with a professional demeanor which is admirable.
She is accompanied by a young lady whose voice betrays a Northern rasp whose name seems to be Rin or something similar. She bears a nasty facial scar from some misadventure which seems deliberate, which again speaks of an origin in the Iron Mountains to the north. She seems quite attached to this Nethrida and has been acting as her aide de camp in this matter due to some affection between them. Beyond Nethrida, she seems to tolerate her companions (mostly) and has little time for anyone else. As father would say, she is clearly a “one person dog” but achingly loyal because of that. Not a bad quality to have.
This Rin seems often at loggerheads with an enormous woman of Rohan that I have seen in the White City, called Eduwiges as I recall. At least that was the name Yanor was screaming as she swung him about the training room by one leg. She seems to have taken Xandilif Warchild on as a mentor, which I am not sure is the wisest choice. This Eduwiges' approach to problem solving, as far as I can tell, is “hit it”, and when that does not give results, she opts for “hit it again”. I shudder to think what the Maiden of Madness may be teaching her, perhaps a third option, “just keep hitting it”. Fortunately Nethrida and Eduwiges seem friendly and long-time comrades, or else I imagine she would have broken Rin’s arms off by now, just on general principals. Still, Eduwiges seems to have the cunning of her people despite her bluster, and if things turn worse here, I will be happy to have her at my back.
The next is a very curious character called Finchley I believe with an accent as thick as an Eregion brick, though the Banshee habitually calls them Babygirl and is fiercely protective. This Finchley is either the survivor of a lurid childhood tragedy, or a refugee from a music-hall sketch, for they appear to be a girl, pretending to be a boy…or perhaps the other way around. Either way, she (I will settle upon she as the rest of the company are females) is deeply devoted to the Banshee, which is a bit of a concern knowing the attrition rates for close companions of either Bark or Bite. She seems a nice enough sort, clever with quick hands, but despite how much she eats, she is no soldier. If matters go pointed I worry what will become of her, but I suppose I will have to put my faith in the Warchild, as she clearly does.
Lastly is the woman who I have recently left in the local tavern to see to my duties and then write this letter. Another Roherric lass, this one is called Addiela. She is also no soldier, but there is a sense of experience about her, likely hard won. She has none of the mannerisms or annoying habits of an adept, yet her eyes move like one who has seen beyond the veil.
If you recall when you were very young, and i was not much older, Father kept a kestrel in his study whose pin feathers had been pulled. The sky that was it's due had been denied it through no offense of its own, yet it still had the piercing gaze of a hunter, and the memories of the horizon. That was what came to mind as I sat across from her this evening. As you can tell, I find her to be a conundrum (and yes, am just a touch fascinated by her). I had had occasion tonight to rescue her from a mob intent on rescuing HER from the killer, that the locals have taken to calling The Linhir Ripper. Considering her terror of the crowd manhandling her in their protective, half-drunk zeal, I think she would have rather faced the mad killer then these boisterous saviors. All in all, very curious. She took my assistance graciously enough, after I made sure she understood I was NOT going to lay hands on her or drag her about. Once the crowd had gone baying off in another fruitless direction, I was able to get her safely into the local tavern and we talked for a bit as i have said. It was she who artfully deflected my question about the Monk of Osgiliath while cleverly interrogating me about just what two Knights of the Companies happened to be doing in Linhir. I very nearly applauded and would have if that would not have made her all the more wary. Her hair is far too fetching a shade of blonde for me to wish her to be wary….as I already said, just a touch fascinated, there is little enough to look at in Linhir other than fish.
Beyond my clumsy flirtations and her adroit deflections, when I first came upon her in that alley I clearly felt a shadow, a powerful malevolence seemed to hover over her, which I am sure helped fuel her reaction to the mob. I cannot imagine the coincidence that such an evil presence would be in Linhir and NOT connected to these murders…so I am now convinced this is more then a local madman or traveling pervert. Something is very wrong in Linhir, and it was in that alley with Addiela tonight. I do not believe for a moment I frightened it away, so the danger is unabated and very real. Kraddock and I are both convinced of this.
I should bring this to a close, as my fervent hope is that it reaches you before you can stare in bootless offense at my empty seat at your party.
I hope I shall see you soon, my twilight sister, and none the worse for this strange adventure.
Yours most dutifully, your twilight brother,
Septimal
