61st of Ashan, Arc 717
Xander had left Celeste and the children back at the Inn, under the watchful gaze of Torqin, the man had proved himself a valuable fighter but not so valuable when it came to tactics or self control. Perhaps that was what Xander was there for, to keep him in check. Either way they had successfully saved Celeste and gotten her away from harm. It had been at a cost for them all and had answered few of the questions which Xander had hoped too but she was safe and that was arguably the most important thing. Still Xander longed to know if his message would be seen or if any webspinners were lingering nearby.
Therefore, the ex-noble had returned to the scene of the earlier violence, keeping his distance but watching the now much less pristine hovel. He had left a message for the webspinners and whether they had received it he was not sure. Honestly he hoped to spot someone there, someone sneaking in or out of the house and so he found himself a comfortable position to keep an eye on the place.
Studying his surroundings he picked out an old alleyway and took a seat at the end of it pulling his coat up over his head he took some dust from the ground and rubbed it over his face. Taking on the appearance of a homeless man he removed his sword from his belt and his it under his coat with him. His eyes locked onto the house and he watched, leaning against the cool stone as he waited there. It was early afternoon when he arrived, not cold and not too warm but comfortable enough as he spied on the former home of his kidnapped wife. The gate still barely hung onto its hinges and the door had none, it was leant haphazardly in the frame to hide the blood stained floors and walls within from passers by although they had failed to close the curtains.
Perhaps the lack of closing the curtains had been what resulted in the arrival of a small group of guard. He heard them before he saw them, their heavy ironclad boots pounding on the cobbles. Two of them were massive, giant Ithecal that Xander hoped he would never stand opposite on a battlefield. Their size and stature was intimidating even to him not a small man himself as the more human races went. Still they seemed to care little for the homeless man sat at the end of the alleyway as they stood guard and two men went into the house.
Xander could imagine the smell from here, the bodies sat in the upstairs bedroom without ventilation in the warm weather. He was sure he could smell the scent of death from where he was but that could just have been the human waste that ran in small streams in some places. The wolf had managed to avoid raw sewage for the most part but in this case he was on the same level as it, possible even sat in some as he kept his cover and watched.
He couldn't hear anything from where he was but he could imagine the sort of things they would be saying. After all, the house was more red than anything else now. The bodies had been left in an unordered and bloody pile, there really wasn't anything but a horrifying murder scene to find. When the guards who had gone in eventually left they were carrying with them the bodies, first came Rafael and one of the strangers and then the other stranger and Benji. The guards left them on the grass and told the Ithecal to remain as they headed off down the road once again.
It was still afternoon but it had to be heading on early evening now as the sun had begun to drop a little, casting long shadows and turning the sky more orange. Xander bit his lip as he waited feeling unfortunate that only guards had shown themselves, then again a webspinner could have been among them for all he knew. There was not much he could do at that moment to tell though.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man begin to approach him and he knew he had little chance at holding up a realistic impersonation of a homeless man. So in an attempt to keep him at bay Xander broke into a fit of fake coughing, allowing himself to splutter small bits of saliva too, not covering his mouth. He appeared dirty from being sat and now the coughing too he could have been very sick. The wolf noticed the steps slow and turn as the man changed his course and carried on down the road. His ploy had been effective and he smiled slightly behind his coat. Perhaps he was not so bad at this spying after all.
Sitting there he faffed with his sword under his coat, it was not easy to conceal that had to be said but he had managed to slide on end under his crossed leg and the handle ran up along his body, the pommel against his shoulder as he made sure it could not be seen with his coat. It wasn't very comfortable, the points of his cross guard poked into his rib cage and breastbone. Still he ignored that and focused on keeping his eyes peeled for the return of the other guard, he really hoped the webspinners hadn't already been or sneaked into the back. In truth he had no idea if he was even doing this right, he was new to the whole investigation thing. Stakeouts were especially fresh in his list of abilities.
It was around another half break until the guards returned, with them was a small horse drawn wagon. They nodded to the Ithecal on arrival who lifted the bodies and threw them onto the cart, not taking much care over their task as they most likely just wanted to get out of the stinking slums. Xander watched intently looking for some sign that one of the men might be suspicious.
The wolf watched their hands, seeing if any of them held anything or took anything. He wondered if any of them could perhaps have taken something they had missed from the house but it seemed not. They just went about piling the bodies before they paused for a moment and began to speak. Xander needed to know, to hear and so he decided to risk it. He stood and slouched his body forward allowing the blade to drop down to where it was still tethered to his belt he moved it round his back to it was hidden behind his leg and covered by the coat. Keeping his coat wrapped round him as he staggered forward towards them coughing a little but listening closely. "You should have seen it, there was blood everywhere and the place had been ransacked." One of the Ithecal shrugged. "Doesn't sound that bad, we have seen worse surely." The other guard shook his head and sighed. "But that isn't the worst of it, there was even a message written on the wall in blood saying that they found her. But there isn't a woman here." He looked to the bodies and the Ithecal shook his head. "It is probably nothing, just some crazy killer."
The wolf stumbled forward and grabbed onto the Ithecal's arm. "So sorry Sir, I tripp'd." He channelled the accent he had heard Tessa using as he coughed again. Holding out the hand he had just coughed into he put on a sad face. His other hand was under his coat and round his back as if he were holding it due to injury, in truth it was grasping the hilt of his blade which was already slightly drawn in case something went wrong. "Got any change Sir?" The Ithecal pushed Xander back looking at his hand with a shake of his head. "Get lost you, ain't no money here for low lives like you!" The guard was clearly unimpressed by Xander, apparently his act was working. "Well what 'append 'ere then Sirs?" Xander tried to look past him and through the door. "Nothing, just a run of the mill murder, now get lost, this is none of your business you layabout." He pushed Xander again and faking weakness the wolf allowed himself to fall to the ground and then scurried backwards. "Alright, alright, I'll leave." He slunk off, heading back to his alleyway not having learned much but seeing that apparently the guard new little of what this all meant.
Taking back up his seat he watched as they replaced the door and headed off, leaving the house empty and without any bodies just the blood and the message left still possible for the webspinners to find. As night fell Xander headed back, knowing better than top hang about in that area much longer. He washed himself before heading back into his room to rejoin his family and rested knowing little more than he had when he headed out there.
Xander had left Celeste and the children back at the Inn, under the watchful gaze of Torqin, the man had proved himself a valuable fighter but not so valuable when it came to tactics or self control. Perhaps that was what Xander was there for, to keep him in check. Either way they had successfully saved Celeste and gotten her away from harm. It had been at a cost for them all and had answered few of the questions which Xander had hoped too but she was safe and that was arguably the most important thing. Still Xander longed to know if his message would be seen or if any webspinners were lingering nearby.
Therefore, the ex-noble had returned to the scene of the earlier violence, keeping his distance but watching the now much less pristine hovel. He had left a message for the webspinners and whether they had received it he was not sure. Honestly he hoped to spot someone there, someone sneaking in or out of the house and so he found himself a comfortable position to keep an eye on the place.
Studying his surroundings he picked out an old alleyway and took a seat at the end of it pulling his coat up over his head he took some dust from the ground and rubbed it over his face. Taking on the appearance of a homeless man he removed his sword from his belt and his it under his coat with him. His eyes locked onto the house and he watched, leaning against the cool stone as he waited there. It was early afternoon when he arrived, not cold and not too warm but comfortable enough as he spied on the former home of his kidnapped wife. The gate still barely hung onto its hinges and the door had none, it was leant haphazardly in the frame to hide the blood stained floors and walls within from passers by although they had failed to close the curtains.
Perhaps the lack of closing the curtains had been what resulted in the arrival of a small group of guard. He heard them before he saw them, their heavy ironclad boots pounding on the cobbles. Two of them were massive, giant Ithecal that Xander hoped he would never stand opposite on a battlefield. Their size and stature was intimidating even to him not a small man himself as the more human races went. Still they seemed to care little for the homeless man sat at the end of the alleyway as they stood guard and two men went into the house.
Xander could imagine the smell from here, the bodies sat in the upstairs bedroom without ventilation in the warm weather. He was sure he could smell the scent of death from where he was but that could just have been the human waste that ran in small streams in some places. The wolf had managed to avoid raw sewage for the most part but in this case he was on the same level as it, possible even sat in some as he kept his cover and watched.
He couldn't hear anything from where he was but he could imagine the sort of things they would be saying. After all, the house was more red than anything else now. The bodies had been left in an unordered and bloody pile, there really wasn't anything but a horrifying murder scene to find. When the guards who had gone in eventually left they were carrying with them the bodies, first came Rafael and one of the strangers and then the other stranger and Benji. The guards left them on the grass and told the Ithecal to remain as they headed off down the road once again.
It was still afternoon but it had to be heading on early evening now as the sun had begun to drop a little, casting long shadows and turning the sky more orange. Xander bit his lip as he waited feeling unfortunate that only guards had shown themselves, then again a webspinner could have been among them for all he knew. There was not much he could do at that moment to tell though.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man begin to approach him and he knew he had little chance at holding up a realistic impersonation of a homeless man. So in an attempt to keep him at bay Xander broke into a fit of fake coughing, allowing himself to splutter small bits of saliva too, not covering his mouth. He appeared dirty from being sat and now the coughing too he could have been very sick. The wolf noticed the steps slow and turn as the man changed his course and carried on down the road. His ploy had been effective and he smiled slightly behind his coat. Perhaps he was not so bad at this spying after all.
Sitting there he faffed with his sword under his coat, it was not easy to conceal that had to be said but he had managed to slide on end under his crossed leg and the handle ran up along his body, the pommel against his shoulder as he made sure it could not be seen with his coat. It wasn't very comfortable, the points of his cross guard poked into his rib cage and breastbone. Still he ignored that and focused on keeping his eyes peeled for the return of the other guard, he really hoped the webspinners hadn't already been or sneaked into the back. In truth he had no idea if he was even doing this right, he was new to the whole investigation thing. Stakeouts were especially fresh in his list of abilities.
It was around another half break until the guards returned, with them was a small horse drawn wagon. They nodded to the Ithecal on arrival who lifted the bodies and threw them onto the cart, not taking much care over their task as they most likely just wanted to get out of the stinking slums. Xander watched intently looking for some sign that one of the men might be suspicious.
The wolf watched their hands, seeing if any of them held anything or took anything. He wondered if any of them could perhaps have taken something they had missed from the house but it seemed not. They just went about piling the bodies before they paused for a moment and began to speak. Xander needed to know, to hear and so he decided to risk it. He stood and slouched his body forward allowing the blade to drop down to where it was still tethered to his belt he moved it round his back to it was hidden behind his leg and covered by the coat. Keeping his coat wrapped round him as he staggered forward towards them coughing a little but listening closely. "You should have seen it, there was blood everywhere and the place had been ransacked." One of the Ithecal shrugged. "Doesn't sound that bad, we have seen worse surely." The other guard shook his head and sighed. "But that isn't the worst of it, there was even a message written on the wall in blood saying that they found her. But there isn't a woman here." He looked to the bodies and the Ithecal shook his head. "It is probably nothing, just some crazy killer."
The wolf stumbled forward and grabbed onto the Ithecal's arm. "So sorry Sir, I tripp'd." He channelled the accent he had heard Tessa using as he coughed again. Holding out the hand he had just coughed into he put on a sad face. His other hand was under his coat and round his back as if he were holding it due to injury, in truth it was grasping the hilt of his blade which was already slightly drawn in case something went wrong. "Got any change Sir?" The Ithecal pushed Xander back looking at his hand with a shake of his head. "Get lost you, ain't no money here for low lives like you!" The guard was clearly unimpressed by Xander, apparently his act was working. "Well what 'append 'ere then Sirs?" Xander tried to look past him and through the door. "Nothing, just a run of the mill murder, now get lost, this is none of your business you layabout." He pushed Xander again and faking weakness the wolf allowed himself to fall to the ground and then scurried backwards. "Alright, alright, I'll leave." He slunk off, heading back to his alleyway not having learned much but seeing that apparently the guard new little of what this all meant.
Taking back up his seat he watched as they replaced the door and headed off, leaving the house empty and without any bodies just the blood and the message left still possible for the webspinners to find. As night fell Xander headed back, knowing better than top hang about in that area much longer. He washed himself before heading back into his room to rejoin his family and rested knowing little more than he had when he headed out there.
