Colonel Mustard With the Candlestick in the Parlor

Writers: Chelle, Paula
Date Posted: 9th February 2010

Characters: Corowal, Barric
Description: It seems not everyone is content to forget about the fire
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 7, day 12 of Turn 5

They had finally gotten the fire out. The building had burned to the ground. The pottery kiln, stores, and living quarters had been lost besides craft working space. Injured holders had been taken to the main Hold and the Weyr. Displaced holders found themselves sent to the main Hold or went to stay with family elsewhere for the time being.

Barric had organized a burial detail and they were pulling bodies out of the ashes and quietly placing them in a pit several dragonlengths away from the Hold. The victims that the healers couldn't help were going there as well. He focused on this, in mourning, allowing Corowal to take care of everything else.

Corowal had talked with the harper. He had talked with the guards that were now helping to clean up the ruins. He had also talked with the healers to get the final tally of the injuries and deaths. Now, he searched out Barric to talk with him. "Barric," he greeted, "How are you faring?" his voice was full of compassionate concern.

Barric looked up, seeing that it was Corowal speaking. Completely exhausted, he still attempted to straighten up in the Lord Holder's presence. "I'll be allright. They deserve to be done right by." His voice was gruff and his grief was raw. These were his cousins and friends. He couldn't even look past it yet to think about rebuilding.

"Yes. This was a great tragedy," Corowal said with a sad shake of his head.

"Did they ever find out how it happened?" Even though it didn't help matters, Barric thought maybe prevention could be a good thing.

Corowal shook his head again. "Who knows how it started. There isn't enough left to even determine where exactly the fire started from."

Taking a deep breath, Barric left off with the work for a moment, wiping his forehead. As he and Corowal spoke, however, they were being watched.

Off in the distance, Meriek was ostensibly gathering herbs for the healers to use. In reality, he was stealthily watching the minor holder. "Bastard, look at him, just throwing em in the ground. Doesn't give a wherry. My Mathilda, she's cold and gone, burned up and he stands, wiping his face." Shaking his head, he filled his basket and stalked off.

"Let me know, when everything is ready for the burial ceremony. The main hold is sending food, drinks, and more blankets. We also need to set up some sort of temporary shelter for those who lost their home. Finding a more permanent place for them to stay may take a while," Corowal said.

"Most of them have already left, Sir." Barric had seen them. Turning his head, he saw some of the holders nearby, glancing in his direction and he nodded to them. They turned away.

~*~
That evening they gathered together for a bit of ale to soothe their feelings. Miriek was quiet at first. And then, finding an audience in two others, he began to spew his bile. "He don give a whit about us! Our babes and women are burned up like twigs and he just throws em all in a pit, like as you please! Bastard needs to be shown what it feels."

Several men nodded back at him. Not too much longer and a small group was going stealthily around the buildings. Barric was in his office, looking over accounts to see how much they had to cover a new building and the supplies they'd used up. His door came open and three men came through.

In short order, they grabbed him, gagged him, and proceeded to beat the living daylight out him. Jeers of, "Now you see!" were heard as Barric gasped for air, blood spewing from his broken face. They kept on, till he lay there, inert, and gurgling.

"Shite! He ain movin'." Someone reached down to hear Barric was still sort of breathing. "We better go. What if someone comes?"

"Bastard deserved it. Feckless monster." The unnamed man spat at Barric after he finished speaking.

"He's right. We better go." And after some mumbling, the small group disappeared off into the corridor, their wreckage left alone.

~*~
Corowal hadn't heard back from Barric about when to have the burial ceremony, and he went to look for the holder. They needed the ceremony, it would help with the grieving process, show everyone that the Lord Holder and Holder cared.

After a tip from one of Barric's sons, he entered the dimly lit office. "Barric?" he called. His toes bumped against something. He looked down and gasped. "Barric!" He bent to examine the holder's body.

He had stopped moving some time before. There was blood on the floor and he was lying on his stomach. It was clear violence had been done to him. There was even a bloody footprint left behind by a heedless attacker. His face was hardly recognizable.

Corowal ran back out to get help. It was probably too late for healers.

Last updated on the February 15th 2010

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Colonel Mustard With the Candlestick in the Parlor