The Homecoming 42.

A Castle & A Town...

"They're not there?" says Narladene the ground pixie "I figured as much" says Helbe the elven thief, who continues with "I can't sense Tam's sword, or Percy's sword and shield".
The naturally magical creature who is attached to the elven magic user nods her head, then asks "Should we carry on?".
"Maybe" says the elven masterthief, who thinks about it for a moment, then continues on with"Or maybe not". The young elven noble from the principality of Laerel nods his hooded head towards the town of Massic, and castle Lé Dic "Let's see what's happening in the castle" the elven princeling then adds "Besides, we'll probably find out in there where they've got to".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril, who is standing at the edge of the woods to the southwest of the nearby town and castle, blurs himself. As he doesn't particularly want to announce his presence this morning.
Besides it's easier to find things out, whilst invisible to all those around you. And it just saves the hassle of having to deal with people. Not to mention it's way easier to steal things when no one knows you're about.
The elven magic user, who as usual when he travels, is shielding himself. Senses a druid in the town of Massic, who is of average power, and probably competent.
Also senses a wizard in castle Lé Dic, who is fairly weak in power. Who must be inept, as most human wizards are much more powerful than that.
The elven masterthief shifts away towards the town and castle. It takes him three shifts to get there, with Narladene clinging onto his right shoulder as he does so.
The young elven noble who is the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel, doesn't bother with the town of Massic. He goes straight to the massive castle instead.
Helbe the elven thief stands upon the south wall of the castle, looking down at the courtyards, bailey's, towers and keeps within the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The elven magic user sees a fair number of soldiers about to depart from a couple of the yards. He reads the minds of a few soldiers on duty this morning up on the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head after he quickly finds out what's going on. He informs Narladene what's happened. How the border town of Falshire has fallen to baron Harkonin. And that the army of the Lé Dic fief is going to take it back.
Apparently another force has already left the massive castle, and with them went the group. Who consists of Dorc da Orc,
Shur Kee the monk, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, Tamric Drubine, Lisell Maera and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy as well as sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel tells the tiny winged creature on his right shoulder, to go and find out anything more,
As she wings away, and disappears into the side of a nearby broach tower. The blurred and shielded elven magic user, shifts to what looks like the main keep of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family. As he knows the most information, as well as the most important information will be found there.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril and Narladene the ground pixie spend the first half of the morning, exploring castle Lé Dic. Listening in on conversations, from the nobility to the servants. With the elven magic user casting more than a few spells that go undetected, as he reads the minds of quite a number of people.
It's after mid morning when Narladene finds Helbe the elven thief in a garden behind one of the keeps in the massive castle.
The elven master assassin is sitting upon a wooden bench beneath a tree on this sunny, and fairly warm morning, for what's still the end of winter.
He's watching a young girl sitting upon a stone bench. Next to her is a woman in her thirties, attractive for a human, Narladene guesses.
The woman and child are reading from a book, with the child reading out loud. Fairly accurate by the sounds of it, as the woman hardly ever has to correct her.
The ground pixie settles upon the right shoulder of the elven princeling she's attached to. Then whispering in the elven language, the language the two of them always communicate in, Narladene asks Helbenthril Raendril "Who are they?".
"Percy's niece Linara" is the whispered reply of the young elven noble, the naturally magical creature nods her head at the mention of the lady of the fief.
"The woman is the lady Hollis, her governess" adds the blurred and shielded elven magic user, who follows that with "The lady Hollis Duc de Laér, Percy's sister in law, well ex sister in law now i guess".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril glances at the ground pixie and tells her in a whisper "We've got a bit of a problem".
Oh, apart from losing lord Farque, and Mira, as well as not being with the others? Narladene dryly thinks to herself, but she says in a whisper "What's that?".
The elven masterthief explains what he's found out, and what the problem is. The naturally magical creature slightly winces, then says "Do the others know?" quickly followed by "I guess not, as I'm sure Percy would of done something about if he knew".
The elven princeling nods in agreement, and does so again, when Narladene whispers "They'll probably try to get rid of Percy too". "More than likely" whispers Helbe the elven thief who continues with "Him turning up was definitely not in the plans. And now this attack by baron Harkonin will give them an opportunity to rid themselves of him as well".
The ground pixie nods to that as she watches the two humans sitting in the sun on the bench nearby, Narladene then murmurs "I guess the girl doesn't know".
"She doesn't" answers the young elven noble from Laerel, who continues with "She'd be devastated if she did, especially as she adores her grandfather".
"Damn" mutters the ground pixie, who after a few moments of silence, asks "Is there anyone she can trust?".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head at the two on the nearby bench, then whispers "The lady Hollis is the only one close to her she can trust" he then adds "There's others, they'll be angry if they learn the truth. But she's not exactly close to any of them".
"And her mother is out of the question" quietly continues the elven magic user.
Narladene grimaces at that, as she went up the tower, to the chamber where the mother of lady Linara resides. Or to be exact, where she's being held.
As the woman is completely mad, and is being cared for in a secure chamber out of the way, up a tower that's guarded.
"Could you do something for the mother?" whispers the tiny winged creature who is over seven hundred years old, which is still fairly young for one of her kind. As pixies and sprites can easily live to be two and half thousand years old.
The elven magic user slightly winces, then says in a whisper "Not really" followed by "I can make her more comfortable, but getting rid of madness is near impossible, it's not like healing a blow to the head" after a slight pause, he continues with "Look at Dorc as an example, he's born mad because he's an ork. I could never change the way he is, no matter now hard i tried" the elven princeling then adds "It's a little easier if it's someone whose madness is brought on by physical trauma to the head. But not so if it's like hers, brought about by the death of her husband. Which i believe she found out the truth about".
Narladene grimaces again, then mutters "Fuck" which gets a raised eyebrow from the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel who glances at her.
Then the ground pixie whispers "What are we going to do?" the elven master archer she's attached to, murmurs "I'm not sure" followed by "I'm still working on that" "Helbe the elven thief continues with "Whatever i do, it's going to change things a hell of a lot around here" he then adds "And we've yet to find anything out about the engineer we're looking for".
Decisions, decisions, the elven master assassin thinks to himself, prince Helbenthril Raendril knows he can do something that will make amends for what's happened here in the Lé Dic fief in the last eighteen months. Well really longer, basically since the the end of the civil war here in the kingdom of Druvic.
Though if he was to do that, he knows sir Percavelle Lé Dic would be more than a little annoyed. Helbe the elven thief knows that the former earl of the Lé Dic fief would like to be the one to deliver justice for his brother Maxiss Lé Dic, who was earl after him.
Earl Maxiss Lé Dic who died in battle during the border conflict against the forces of baron Harkonin eighteen months ago. Though he wasn't killed by the enemy. He was murdered by one of his own.
The elven princeling looks over at lady Linara Lé Dic, and knows that she too would like justice for what was done to her father if she was to find out the truth.
It's just a little difficult that the one who did the deed, as well as the one who ordered it, are both close to her. With the one who is the head conspirator in the murder of earl Maxiss Lé Dic, the person she pretty much adores the most in her life. With the exception of her governess.
Helbe the elven thief slightly smiles as he knows from reading the mind of the young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, that her uncle has got her affections now too.
She might not know Percavelle that well, but she likes him a lot. As well as his companions, especially Lisell Maera, who she admires and wishes she was more like. As well as Tamric Drubine, who is turning into the first crush so to speak for the young girl.
Then there's Dorc da Orc, who Linara Lé Dic finds funny, even though he reeks like nothing else. And she can barely understand him, except the swear words he clearly says in the common language.
The young elven noble wryly similes as he figures the young noble will quickly get over her infatuation of the large ork once she's around him long enough.
The elven masterthief looks at the lady Hollis. And from reading her mind earlier, he knows what she thinks of the group too, especially sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
You married the wrong sister Percy, Helbenthril Raendril thinks to himself with a shake of his hooded head, as he knows that the younger sister Hollis has always loved the former earl of Lé Dic. While the older sister Marsaé only married Percavelle for the position and rank.
And that didn't get far, as the marriage only lasted a little over three years. With Marsaé Duc de Laér learning how difficult it was to be married to someone like Percavelle Lé Dic. Who was never around, as well as being overbearing when was around, which was hardly ever.
At least they didn't have children, thank the gods, the young elven noble thinks to himself, as he sees that as the only positive to come out of the marriage of sir Percavelle Lé Dic and the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér.
The elven magic user as he looks at lady Hollis, knows that she's the only one he can trust with what he's found out this morning.
The elven master assassin glances at Narladene, who whispers to him "Will you tell her?" followed by "The lady, not the girl". "Probably" murmurs the elven princeling, who then tells the ground pixie "They both rode out earlier this morning with the army" the elven magic user then adds "The one who did it, and the one who ordered it".
The naturally magical creature nods her tiny head in understanding, then falls silent as she waits for the young elven noble she's been attached to for over nine years, to make a decision as to what he'll do.
The two of them sit there, invisible to the two humans nearby, until a little later when the lady Linara Lé Dic and her governess, lady Hollis Duc de Laér eventually get up and leave the walled garden, to go and get something to eat for the midday meal.
Helbe the elven thief stands up and stretches, the blurred and shielded elven magic user quietly tells Narladene "I'll tell the lady Hollis when she's alone" he continues with "We'll see what happens, and go from there".
The ground pixie nods in understanding. As she knows the elven princeling will finally decide what he'll do, once he informs the lady Hollis Duc dé Laér what he's found out this morning here in castle Lé Dic, apart from where the rest of the group are.
That eighteen months ago, during the border conflict with the army of baron Harkonin. Earl Maxiss Lé Dic did not fall in battle to the enemy.
He was killed in that battle alright. But he was murdered. Killed by his squire at the time. Jared Milburn. On the orders of Jared's grandfather. Lord Kievar Milburn . . . . . .