Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"I'll be alright, Kell." Kate said simply as a group of soldiers worked to get her tent up and stocked for the evening. "No one, especially Qira, is going to let anything happen to me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think you can defend yourself just fine with or without them in this situation. Try to make sure my boys all come back too. Some of them are a little too ready to throw themselves between you and a blade." Kell finally dismounted and handed his horse off. "Til then... we'd best get a meal and some rest."

 

[heartofcourage]

“The cook personally packed my satchel. I probably have more than enough to share.” Kate said as she offered the leather bag to her husband, letting him look at what was inside. “No alcohol.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I didn't expect there would be." Kell welcomed her over to where a large tent was being pitched. It would serve as a sort of meeting area. The royal tent was in front of it, though not too rich as Kell didn't see the point. In the larger tent, a makeshift table made of a canvas stretched between four trimmed branches staked in the ground held aloft a map of Fort Pax and the town, and was already being marked with key positions and patrol paths by a small group chattering and eating as they worked by candlelight. It was nearly completely dark out, and the inside of the tent was dimly lit as best.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate glanced over the map quietly, not disturbing the men who were marking out positions of where the enemy was. They seemed much more informed of the dangers than she was, talking about where the safest places would be to search before they moved into the dangerous territories. She would heed the advice of those that knew more, keeping her out of danger.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell joined right into the group, though he was mostly silent save the odd addition, and he welcomed Kate at his side to listen. These men, all trained and experienced tacticians, were weighing odds carefully for what the highest risks and greatest rewards would be and where. They were particularly focused on and around the castle and even had a rough blueprint at hand. The plan came together for Kate's group first, how they'd get in and how they'd systematically search for Lord Castor starting in the stocks on the castle grounds and the prison tower.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate listened intently, learning from each of the men as they planned and spoke among each other. This was her first true taste of what her defenses looked like, how these men would defend her and her kingdom in times of trouble. She simply wanted to soak it all in, quietly observing from the sideline as they all worked.

 

[KieranSoares]

The planning and reconsidering and reshaping with the input of scouts and spies would last all night. But for Kate and Kell, they soon went to bed and would be woken before Dawn.

The early morning was a bit chilly, though warm enough that a heavy mist had settled over the area in the night after a short, heavy rainfall around midnight. For the strategists, the mist was welcome and the rain would likely have dampened or put out any remaining fires in the city.

The teams of soldiers and stealth agents all fell in quietly after a quick meal, fires being allowed as the fog would mask them from sight on the north end. Kate's group was a mix of very different men and women, all in black and all in light leather armor. Qira was now among them as well.

After their own meal, Kell walked out with Kate before the different groups, surveying the mostly-silent ranks for a long moment.

"... Well, we're as prepared as we can be. Still no word on the state of Lord Castor or his family, and nothing about any other key people," Kell muttered to Kate. "There are still some battalions in the city, no doubt one in the castle. Knowing that... Try to capture officers if possible. Quarter should be given to those who surrender if it can be spared, but otherwise... Well, soldiers following a rogue Baron and trying to breK a peace between two kingdoms know what they're getting into."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll be careful. You need to worry about your own tasks and less about me." Kate said softly, her claymore on her back as they trekked through the fog towards the fort. "Qira will keep watch over me while we search."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's impossible not to worry about you even on a normal day," Kell muttered before growing silent as they came to the city's edge. With a nod to Kate and a long glance, he and his men parted from her own group. The other teams split off til Kate was left alone with Qira and a dozen of Kell's trained assassins and spies. All looked to her, knowing their mission and awaiting her lead.

"Without intimate knowledge of the number of hostiles in the castle itself, it is up to you, milady, whether we clear it on our way in, or find Lord Castor first and take the castle from the inside," one dark-haired human with one half his face covered in Lunar tattoos spoke up.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We secure Castor and his family first. If they are alive, there is no need to raise the alarm and have them killed." Kate murmured, glancing to her men. "Discretion and stealth are key. If they are alive, they can give us more information more willingly than the enemy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then it will be done." He looked to the others, all of whom nodded silently before they split into a loose formation to quietly stalk toward the back of the castle. Qira kept close beside Kate, guiding her as she wasn't as thoroughly trained in stealth and subterfuge as the men and women around her. Once they entered the back garden, Qira had Kate walk in his footsteps in order to make the least noise.

A woman with short black hair and dark coffee skin was first to reach the back wall, where she found a small door and began picking the lock. In seconds, it clicked open and a black werefox slipped inside to check the hall before ushering the rest in. The woman who'd picked the lock stayed, acting as a lookout.

Once inside, there was little in the way of hiding places so the assassins and spies traded stealth for very quick but silent steps. Kate heard a few quiet takedowns before she ever saw guards ahead. When she passed, she would see some of her men binding unconscious mercenary-looking men in varying patchwork armor.

 

[heartofcourage]

Before entering the fort, Kate pulled the hood of her tunic up over her hair to hide the flaming red color. She didn’t want to give away who exactly they were just yet. Qira watched her closely before leading her into the fort.

Men were already at work, taking down those that had secured the fort for their own devices. All she could do was wait until Castor or his family was found alive or dead.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kate and Qira ended up with two others who kept moving forward consistently, their allies clearing the way ahead. There weren't too many mercenaries in their way, though that was likely because any others were asleep. Upon reaching the second floor where most of the bedchambers were, Kate's assassins slowed to a crawl, checking each room silently. As expected, there were sleeping strangers in most of the rooms. Instead of risking raising the alarm, the Edinburgh assassins barred all the occupied rooms from the outside to trap the invaders. Finally they reached what was suspected to be the master chambers, where even in the dim light of one man's hooded lantern, Kate could see the floor nearly black with blood.

A large pool of dried blood lay on the floor before the doors to the master bedroom, bootprints and drag marks visible in the mess. Bloody handprints and fingernail scratches littered the wall across from the doorway, and a discarded dagger completely coated in blood was jammed into the door itself.

Qira tried the handle and found it unlocked, and glanced in as he cracked the door open. Kate would see the tiniest hint of a wince from her stoic guardian, but he didn't speak as another, much slimmer panther with them also glanced in.

"Jesus Christ," the smaller panther whispered, pulling back quickly but quietly. "Fucking barbarians..."

 

[heartofcourage]

“All dead?” Kate whispered softly, watching Qira for confirmation that her own Lord was slaughtered.

If that was the case, she’d give the order to return force and slaughter those mercenaries that we’re still in the fort. Kate would send a message that brutality would not be tolerated.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Worse..." Qira muttered. "I will... Cut them down..." He spoke softly in shaky English. Opening the door wide enough to enter, he slipped inside. Kate caught a glimpse of a corner of the room inside, spying the large bed where bloody ropes were tied taut around the posts, leading off to something she couldn't see. But on the bed lay a body, too small to be an adult, and completely crimson.

A soft cry came from inside and the other Panther bolted in immediately as the yelp turned into soft sobbing. "One lives," Qira's voice called. The third assassin remained beside Kate, glancing in. She recoiled immediately. "Ah... You'd best stay... Out here, milady..."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate stayed outside the door as Qira and a few others moved to help whomever was inside. She listened to the sounds coming from inside and turned the other assassin that was standing beside her. She was not a vengeful person, but the fact that Qira was shaken told her that the worst of the worst had occurred.

“Give the order to start taking care of the issue.” Kate said softly. “Those that did this will pay with their lives. Those that are simply here on orders will be taken as prisoners of the crown and dealt with accordingly.”

 

[KieranSoares]

The woman turned as a few of her fellows returned. "Start rounding up any captains and interrogating them. Underlings are to be arrested and taken to the courtyard. Anyone who resists violently, dies. Anyone suspected of torture and murder of the noble family is to be separated out for Qira."

As the orders were doled out and the rooms of the castle were raided in silence and there were only a few scuffles always ending in the Scots' favor. In the meantime, a small battle had broken out in the streets.

The assassins set up a simple headquarters on the lower, less bloody floor of the castle. It seemed that the attackers had come at night and killed Lord Castor and most of his family and guests in their bedrooms. The only survivor, as Kate would soon see, was a woman a few years younger than herself. Qira had spent some time cleaning her up and brought her down to the ground floor. Instead of subjecting her to the quiet chaos of the new temporary headquarters being set up, he took her to the servants' quarters connected to the kitchen. It seemed that whatever servants there had been had either fled or been killed elsewhere, as the quarters were abandoned.

Once Qira had calmed her down, he emerged to silently beckon Kate to speak to her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate stayed out of the way while her people worked. If she were asked a question, she answered in a concise way, but otherwise, she trusted that they knew what to do. She walked among them as they got the fort under control, setting up a command so that they could operate in safety.

When Qira had calmed the girl down and summoned Kate, she quietly entered the room where the young woman was huddled in corner of the bed, sobbing into her hands as she shook. No doubt she had seen horrible things, but Kate needed answers as quickly as possible.

"What is your name?" Kate asked softly, knowing that nothing would be simple in this moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

The girl, no older than seventeen, had gathered the blankets tightly about her so that little more than her long brunette hair and horribly bruised face was showing. The white of bandages about her neck also just peeked out, as well as around her hands.

Qira kept back, but remained as he was the only friendly face the girl knew as of yet, and he listened closely as she spoke meekly between gasps for air, "H-Hannah... Hannah Castor."

 

[heartofcourage]

Castor. She was the daughter of the slaughtered lord. Kate knew that the poor girl had probably seen and experienced the worst moments of her life, but there were things that she needed to know as quickly as possible.

"Who did this, Hannah? And why?" Kate asked her softly, knowing that the girl was traumatized and likely wouldn't give her much information. "I promise you that your family will not have died in vain."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I only saw soldiers, mercenaries..." She whispered, clutching her chest as the very memory brought up a panic. "We were asleep when they attacked, and they dragged us all to father's chambers before the alarm could be raised. We sat alone in the dark while they razed Paxton... We could see them chasing people out of the city and slaughtering anyone who hesitated to comply..."

"Lady Hannah," Qira murmured. "... Do you know where your mother is? We could not find her."

Of all things, that seemed to bring the girl a moment of Hope and relief. "She's in Lancaster, thank merciful God... Visiting her cousin the Earl."

"And you have no idea who is responsible?"

"They were all mixed mercenaries... But I did see one officer in a cloak, in blue, yellow, and black. He had proper armor, some English soldier."

Qira's expression did not change, even as he murmured, "... Those are Carlisle's colors."

Hannah looked up, panic rising again. "No, you're mistaken. Baron Alba is like a brother to my father... Was..."

"The only others with similar colors are Devon on the southern coast of England, and our own Dumfries, but this attack came from the south," Qira told Kate in Erygonian.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Nor do I fully believe it was the English.” Kate answered back in Qira’s Native tongue. “Send riders to Dumfries just to be safe. Inform my Lord there of the situation and have the town locked down until they are cleared entirely. Other lords will question otherwise.”

“Lady Hannah, you will be assigned a guardian and one will be sent for your mother. You do not need to worry about your safety from this moment forward.” Katementioned, removing her hood finally as the room grew claustrophobic. “And you can go anywhere you wish if you do not wish to remain here.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I... I just want to be with Ma," she whispered, and Qira nodded.

"Would you feel safer in Lancaster with her?" Qira offered, and at the girl's nod he confirmed.

"Then you will go to Lancaster for the time being. The Earl there is a devoted servant to the English crown and no enemy of Scotland as long as King Henry isn't either."

"Milady," a quiet whisper came from the doorway, and there awaited another assassin. "We've captured a mercenary captain. He says he'll tell us anything for the right price."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate turned towards the doorway as another assassin for her attention. She loathed to give any enemy of her crown a deal, but she needed answers as to why the Castor family had been slaughtered so senselessly. Kate glanced over towards Qira and then at Hannah as she cowered in the bed.

"I'll be there in a moment." She said finally, turning back towards the assassin. "And send word to the Lord Protector of this man. I'm sure he will want to be there to question him as well."