Aftermath 32.

The Kaldel Plains...

There's a loud knock on the front door of their house that wakes the both of them.
The knocking continues, and in the darkness of their room, Sasha without even seeing Pallen, can tell he wants to kill someone.
That someone being who ever it is that's knocking on the door.
The knocking on the door is persistent, and a voice calls out "Sasha!" followed by "Pallen!" then a "You better get out here!".
It's Sovirn, the only wrecker who is a plainswoman. And one of those Sasha takes in the small group with her and Pallen when they search for future targets. And when they take down those targets.
"Something's happened" murmurs Sasha the former mercenary, Pallen the blademaster grunts, and as the two of them get out of bed, the good looking woman with one eye calls out "What is it?".
"Just get out here!" calls back Sovirn the plainswoman, the couple Sasha and Pallen who can just make each other out in the dim light in their room as it lightens up outside as it approaches dawn, glance at one another and wonder what's happened.
A short time later, and the two of them, who are originally from the kingdom of Girdane, make their way out of the home they share, where they find Sovirn pacing back and forth infront of their house.
"What is it?" asks the former mercenary with one eye, and a wicked looking scar down one side of her face.
"I don't know" says Sovirn, who like all plainswomen and plainsmen, is fairly tall, with many of the women standing five foot ten inches tall, or taller.
"Just that Gorlic said to get you two and hurry" adds the plainswoman who is part of the crew of illegal wreckers.
"Where is he?" asks Sasha as the three of them head into the village, while to the east, the sun is starting to come up over the horizon, on a cool morning on what's one of the very last days of summer, here on the Kaldel Plains.
"Arvelle's place" says the plainswoman, both Sasha and Arvelle glance at one another, then the two of them take off running, leaving Sovirn behind.
They head through the village, making their way towards the village green, where on the northwest corner, is the two storey house that Arvelle, the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers, lives.
They make quick time running through the village, and as dawn breaks upon the Kaldel Plains as the sun creeps up over the horizon to the east.
The former mercenary, and the dangerous blademaster, both of whom hail from the kingdom of Girdane.
Hurry across the village green, as they've both caught sight of Gorlic the former arena fighter, looking nervous as he paces back and forth infront of the two storey house where Arvelle lives.
The two from the kingdom of Girdane, who are a couple. Spot a number of the other wreckers standing here and there. On the village green, and around it. Looking towards Arvelle's house, wondering what's happened.
When Sasha and Pallen get closer to Gorlic, and they approach him. They spot the local woman, Arvelle's latest lover. Sitting on the steps, quietly sobbing.
Gorlic stops pacing as the other two approach him, and he quietly tells them "Something's happened".
"What?" quietly asks Sasha "I'm not sure, but he's in a mood" says the former arena fighter, who continues with "Hell, his temper is worse than mine this morning" Gorlic then adds "I briefly stepped inside before he started yelling at me, i retreated quick smart".
Sasha who has noticed the local woman on the steps, has a cut lip, and looks like she has a bruised face, she's trying to cover with her wrap.
Nods to the plainswoman sitting on the nearby steps, and asks the former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury "Did he?".
"He did" is the quiet reply of Gorlic, who looks at the couple originally from the kingdom of Girdane, and tells them "Like i said, something's happened".
Sasha and Pallen share a look, then the good looking woman who has just one eye, goes towards the steps to head inside, but stops short when her lover the blademaster reaches out and puts a hand on her arm.
The tall plainsman, who hardly ever touches Sasha in public, slightly shakes his head "I'll go first" quietly says Pallen the blademaster, who moves forward.
Sasha moves aside, and the dangerous blademaster, ignoring the sobbing local woman on the steps, goes up them, and opens the door, and enters the two storey house.
Arvelle the plainsman spins around saying "I told you to get the" who stops in mid sentence when he sees who it is that's walked inside.
Instead he grunts, and says "Pallen" with a nod of his shaved head to his fellow plainsman.
The leader of illegal wreckers then adds "Sasha" as the former mercenary makes her way inside behind her lover the blademaster. The good looking woman with one eye, who has a wicked looking scar down one side of her face, closes the door behind her.
Then Sasha asks Arvelle "What's happened?" as she and her lover Pallen look at the state of things here inside the two storey house, in particular the main room that they're in.
Chairs and tables have been overturned, as have drawers. Some of which look like they've been kicked to bits. There's a broken door leading to the corridor to the kitchen and other rooms down here on the ground floor.
The couple originally from the kingdom of Girdane look at their leader, who is visibly trying to get himself and his temper under control.
Arvelle closes his eyes, and takes a few deep breaths, then after he opens his eyes again, the tall plainsman with the shaved head says "Mac has gone".
Both Pallen and Sasha blink in surprise, as they were not expecting that. Then the two of them stare in surprise, after Arvelle points away to his right, and says "And some of the chests have gone".
"What the fuck?" is what Pallen eventually mutters "I can't believe it" adds the dangerous blademaster. His lover, the former mercenary nods in agreement.
The leader of the crew of illegal wreckers sourly smiles, then wanders over to the row of chests and strongboxes along one of the walls. And he takes a seat on one of the larger ones, one of the lockers taken from an airship.
Sasha and Pallen walk over to Arvelle, who tells them "Two of these large lockers are gone, as is one of the strongboxes" he then adds "As well as a pair of the cask chests that holds the gems".
Both the former mercenary and the dangerous blademaster do a quick count of the remaining chests that hold the coins and gems they've made over the last year or so. With the exception of the profit Arvelle has already distributed amongst the crew of illegal wreckers.
Pallen and Sasha, along with Arvelle and Mac the dwarf, are the only ones who know exactly how much they have. And the amount of chests to hold all of their wealth. Both wince when the count comes up short. And is missing what their leader has described. More than a fifth, nearly a quarter of what they've made has gone. And so has the former shipwright from the Cascades, Mac the dwarf. 
"You think he took it?" asks Sasha, who to be honest thinks Mac probably took it, though she doesn't know how, or why. Considering the dwarf is Arvelle's best friend, and his offsider, his second in command, who he relies on more than anyone else.
"I don't want to think it was him" says the plainsman who leads the crew of illegal wreckers, who continues with "But he's the most likely suspect since he's gone missing, and no one has seen him since we went to bed last night".
Arvelle sighs in frustration at the betrayal from his best friend, who he has known for nearly a decade. Having met Mac in the Cascades, when the tall, fair, shaven headed plainsman was traveling along the coastal region of the Southlands, just inland from the crescent port of Gilsom.
The plainsman who leads the illegal wreckers shakes his head in disbelief, then looks at Pallen who says "That must of taken a bit of effort to move, even for Mac".
The blademaster, who though born and raised in the kingdom of Girdane, is actually a plainsman, continues with "Is a wagon or any of the horses missing?".
"I'm not sure" says Arvelle, who hasn't done anything really since discovering the chests of gold and gems missing, as well as Mac gone. Apart from smashing things in frustration, including the local woman he's been sleeping with.
"That's what we have to find out" says the dangerous blademaster, who after a slight pause, adds "And to find out if he had any help".
The tall plainsman, who unlike his fellow plainsman Arvelle, wears his hair long, and in braids, gestures at the wealth they've accumulated over the last year or so, and he says "Because i think he must of had help to move what he took".
"I agree" says Sasha, who will admit that Mac is the strongest of the wreckers, but no way could he of moved all the missing chests by himself. At least not quietly, without anyone noticing. Even if he took it in the middle of night.
Arvelle nods then says "You're right" he looks at his fellow plainsman Pallen, and tells him "Find out who might of helped him".
Sasha slightly winces at that, as she knows what methods her lover the blademaster will use to extract information. She quickly says "Maybe i should do that".
Pallen looks at her, then shrugs and says "Fine by me" then the dangerous blademaster adds "It would be a whole lot easier if one of the spellcasters was back".
The tall plainsman from Girdane, who like all plainsmen, isn't particularly trusting of practitioners of magic then says "They might be as useful as tits on a bull at times, but occasionally they have their uses, and finding information and figuring out who's telling the truth or not is something they're actually good at".
"That they are" quietly says Sasha, who after a momentary pause, continues with "Interesting that this happened when none of our spellcasters were here".
The two plainsmen fall silent at that, as they contemplate what the good looking woman, who has just one eye, and a gnarly looking scar down one side of her face, just said.
Then Pallen quietly asks his lover "You think he planned it like this?" followed by "Wait until Samiel, the twins and Davon all left?". "Could be" says Sasha, who then adds "Who knows?".
"Who knows?" murmurs Arvelle with a nod of his head, then the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers calls out "Gorlic get in here!" as he figures the former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury is waiting just outside.
Gorlic opens the door, and enters the house, and Arvelle tells him "See if any of the wagons and carts are missing" followed by "And any of the horses too".
The leader of the crew of illegal wreckers who have brought down numerous airships across the Kaldel Plains over the last year or so, then says "And see if anyone can find any sign of Mac, and where he might of gone to".
Gorlic nods, and says "Will do" then hurries back outside, and starts calling out to some of the other wreckers waiting nearby, wondering what's going on.
Inside the two storey house, Arvelle says to Sasha "See what you can find out".
The leader of the crew of illegal wreckers looks at his fellow plainsman Pallen, and tells him "Meanwhile we'll search the village and the surrounding area just incase he's hiding somewhere, or he's hidden what was taken". Pallen nods, then he says "We'll need help with that".
"Anyone else you trust?" asks Arvelle "Well Gorlic, but he's busy" says the dangerous blademaster, who continues with "The brothers Tim and Tom".
"And Sovirn" adds Sasha the former mercenary, who then says "And no one else" she continues with "The less who know about this, the better".
"That, i can certainly agree with" says the tall, shaven headed plainsman who leads the crew of illegal wreckers, Arvelle then adds "Let's go".
They make their way outside, and after Arvelle closes the door, he sets a number of the wreckers to guard the two storey house, and to let no one inside.
The leader of the crew of illegal wreckers looks around and spots the local woman he's been sleeping with recently. Who has moved away to the corner of the house. She looks more than a little frightened to see him.
"You" says Arvelle to the local woman "Get lost" adds the leader of the illegal wreckers who follows that with "And don't ever come back".
She's just about to ask about her things in the house, when she sees Sasha behind Arvelle look her way, and slightly shake her head no.
The local woman turns and walks away. With the leader of the illegal wreckers watching her for a moment or two, then he walks away.
As Pallen goes to follow him, Sasha quietly says to her lover "Be careful" followed by "I don't like this one bit".
"You think there's more to this than just Mac?" quietly asks the blademaster, who trusts his lover more anyone, including himself. As she has a knack for working and finding things out.
"I do' quietly says the former mercenary from the kingdom of Girdane, who then nods for her lover to follow their leader.
Pallen nods, and goes after Arvelle, who is heading to one of the damaged airships. Where the brothers Tim and Tom are discussing with a few of the other wreckers. What's still to be done to dismantle the vessel from the kingdom of Druvic.
Sasha looks around and spots Sovirn, and waves her over. When the tall plainswoman walks over to her, the good looking woman with one eye quietly asks her "Have you seen Mac this morning?".
Sasha watches Sovirn's face closely as the plainswoman says "No i haven't" followed by "Why?".
"Nothing really" says the former mercenary who gestures over to the airship where Arvelle and Pallen, have stepped away to have a quiet word with the brothers Tim and Tom.
"Go to Arvelle" quietly says Sasha, who then adds "He and Pallen, and the brothers need help with something".
The only wrecker who is a plainswoman lifts her eyebrows in enquiring manner. But she doesn't say anything, and just nods her head. Then makes her way to where the leader of the illegal wreckers, and the dangerous blademaster are talking with the brothers Tom and Tim.
Meanwhile Sasha spots a couple more of the wreckers. And she goes over and speaks to them. Quietly asking them if they've seen Mac since last night. Closely watching their faces and their reactions to that particular question.
The good looking woman with just one eye and a gnarly looking scar down her face after questioning a few more of the wreckers.
Spots Gorlic hurry around from behind the two storey house where Arvelle lives. The former arena fighter looks around and spots the former mercenary, and he hurries over to her.
"The only wagons and horses that are gone are the ones that went south to town yesterday" says Gorlic when he gets to Sasha.
Hell! the former mercenary from the kingdom of Girdane thinks to herself, who then silently adds, how did he take it then?
Sasha then points to the otherside of the village green after asking Gorlic if he's seen Mac this morning, and closely watching his reaction to that question.
"Pallen and Arvelle went that with Sovirn and the brothers, go to them, they need your help looking for any sign of Mac" quietly says Sasha.
"Why?" asks the former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury, who then adds "What's happened?".
"Arvelle will tell you" says the former mercenary from the kingdom of Girdane.
Gorlic just shrugs, and he goes off to find the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers and the others with him.
While Sasha continues to question both locals as well as her fellow wreckers to see if they've seen Mac the dwarf since last night.
As she does, the good looking woman with just one eye, wonders why the former shipwright decided to steal from them. Since he's been so loyal to the rest of the wreckers until now.
She also wonders if he had help. And if he did. She intends to find out who it was that helped him to take nearly a quarter of the wealth they have made over the last year or so by taking down airships flying over the Kaldel Plains . . . . . .