Bloody Rooms

Writers: AL, Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 13th May 2014

Characters: Arippa, Leaton, Rendrall, Marle
Description: Arippa finds her husband's bloody quarters.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 5, day 17 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Reven, Coran

Notes: Back Dated due to LOA

Arippa

Marle had been making his normal rounds around Green Valley. A small
cothold didn't have a large reserve of guards the way the bigger
holdings did, but Marle still took his job just as seriously as if he
were guarding The Lord Holder himself. He had just crested the corner
that would take him down the long hall where the holder and his wife
resided when he heard the scream that rent through the air.

Immediately adrenaline slammed through his body, putting his feet into
motion as he ran down the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of
the holder's door.

"What the...?"

Another scream ripped from her throat like shredded glass and Arippa
ran from the room babbling incoherently of blood all over the holder's
room and screaming for the guards.

Marle grabbed Arippa by the arms, "Milady, what happened?" Where was
Reven? Where was all of the blood coming in the room coming from?

"I can't find him, I can't find him." she repeated. "You have to find
him." Arippa was hysterical from the sight of so much blood all over
his room.

The screams had drawn more attention to the hallway, and Marle found
himself looking up into the stern eyes of an older man that was quite
recognizable, "Rendrall, sir."

Rendrall had been in the Dining Hall when a drudge had ran to tell him
that there was commotion coming from the holder's quarters. As a
general rule, Rendrall very rarely meddled in Reven's affairs, after
all, it was his son who was in charge, not him. Still, the sight of a
hysterical daughter-in-law, and a bewildered guard, sent the hairs on
the back of Rendrall's neck standing.

"What's going on here?" He demanded to know.

Marle gestured into the open doorway.

Brows down, Rendrall stepped inside, and came to a sudden halt. His
eyes assessed the damage, the splintered desk, the blood strewn. It
had been a struggle then. There could only be one assumption. Either
Reven had been taken alive or.... He looked around at the blood. Or he
hadn't. But why take a dead body?

Rendrall came back out into the hallway and wrapped an arm around
Arippa's shoulders, "There, there, dear." He looked to the guard,
"Well? Go gather up some men for a search of the hold, he could still
be here somewhere!"

"Yes sir!" Marle hurried away, leaving Arippa with her father-in-law.

"H-how can this have happened," Arippa turned injured eyes on
Rendrall. "He was just here..."

The man looked over his shoulder at the other guards that had arrived,
"Don't touch anything and don't let anyone in!" He led Arippa away
from Reven's trashed room, leading her down the hallway to her own,
"Now, tell me everything. You left Reven in his rooms this morning?"
He asked as he pushed open the lady's door and ushered her inside away
from curious onlookers that were beginning to gather.

She crossed to her small table and sat down. Leaning her head in her
hands. "No," her voice came in a shudder. "He was here in my room."

Rendrall stroked his chin in thought as he studied his
daughter-in-law, "Coran has been gone all day too, as well as his
betrothed Relea." Was there a connection between his sons'
disappearances? How did the deaf girl play into this?

"Ma'am. Sir. I've heard a commotion. Are you..." Leaton strode up
to the holder's father and his wife, the lines of his face etched with
worry, his brows deep in furrows. He had been among those who had
gathered, had listened as the whispers began while the guards pressed
everyone who would simply be interfering back. He had then detached
from that group to turn his attentions upon the distraught wife. "Are
you all right?" His eyes, cold and calculating as ever, echoed a
sense of concern as they darted over her in an effort to detect any
sort of injury.

"Perfect timing," Rendrall said, shaking Leaton's hand, "I was just
telling Arippa what a poor time it is for Coran and Relea to have
disappeared as well. He had mentioned a few days ago about possibly
taking a trip to Emerald Falls. Do you think he left and took Relea
with him? We have the guards searching Green Valley now," he glanced
at Arippa and lowered his voice, "just in case he's.. still here
somewhere."

Arippa pulled a handkerchief from the dressing table and stood up
wiping her eyes. There was something about Leaton she had never really
cared for but that didn't signify right now. "Thank you for coming,"
she said with sincerity though she didn't reach out for his hand like
her father-in-law had. "I'll be fine," she said. "But we have to find
my husband."

"We will." Rendrall put a hand to Arippa's shoulder in support. Some
blood and broken furniture were not enough to convince Rendrall that
his son was dead. He wouldn't be convinced of that until he saw a
body.

"Have the guards organised search parties?" Leaton's gaze danced
around as he searched and spotted the various uniformed men who made
up the guard. "I shall volunteer. Have no fear, my lady, we will not
rest til he is found." He executed a bow, then turned to approach the
closest guard.

"Thank you Leaton," she nodded then watched him go off to help with
the search. She gathered her courage and nodded at Rendrall too.
"We'll find him."

Last updated on the June 2nd 2014

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