The three of them, Alkawen, Gwandalion and Khanadan stood in front of what used to be the door to The Warhorse Inn which had been reduced to ash. The opening was obstructed by fallen, scorched timber but there was enough room for the party to climb over and through to get to the interior. It looked bad, it smelled bad, it was bad. Everything was blackened. Tufts of smoke from smoldering debris lifted slowly to the freedom of the gaping hole where the ceiling used to be.
It was like some grim obstacle course as they made their way across the main hall toward the smaller room in the back on the first floor. Ironically, one might think, it was known as the smoking room. Preventing their passage further into the room was a very large beam and sections of the wattle and daub walls. The head of the Order asked for help in moving the beam enough so that they could shimmy their way through. With the two males on either side and the female elf in the middle, they managed to move the beam far enough aside to provide access to the hollowed out room.
The hounds, dutifully following their mistress, climbed over the beam and rubble and at the Lady's direction, started their sniffing and searching for the remains of Lyfrid. Within short order, it was clear the slender dogs could not locate their objective which puzzled the three searchers.
Gwandalion, however, with his keen vision, spotted a faint glint of something agleam amidst the blackened sediment. Plucking it from it's grimy bed, he discovered it was a silvery pendant which he handed to Alkawen for her inspection. After each of them had inspected the piece, it was Khanadan that commented he thought the design was of one of the tribes of the Rohirrim.
Satisfied the remains of the cook were not to be found, but confused as to why they were not, the troupe made their way to the front of the Inn again, Alkawen with pendent in one hand and the muslin shroud over her opposite arm. Just as they were passing into the anteroom, a sloven sleeved arm reached around a dark corner, grabbing the elf female by the throat. A razor sharp dagger followed, pressing firmly into the Lady's neck! Gwandalion and Khanadan quickly armed themselves but the assailant pressed the dagger higher and deeper into Alkawen's neck.
Remaining calm, the Order's leader demanded an explanation for the ambush. Alkawen recognised the voice of the Man holding her hostage, it was Harugrim, a hireling of the Inn, a suspect in fact of the arson at the Inn as he had disappeared at the time of the fire. It was well known in the village that Harugrim and the cook, Lyfrid, would have heated arguments.
Motioning for her companions to stand down, Alkawen again asked for an explanation and mentioned that had she wished, she could reduce Harugrim to a pile of cinders. At that point the captor pulled the dagger closer to the Hiril's throat but insisted he was there to find out who had set fire to the Inn and trusted no one. Iaurmenel Alkawen calmly explained they had come to find Lyfrid's remains to give her a proper burial and that there were investigations in place to find the arsonist.
It was at that point, the angry Man from Rohan noticed the pendant in the Lady's hand and ripped it from her, thanking her for 'returning' what was not hers and that Lyfrid would.. could not be found. He then turned and pointed at Khaladan, shouting out that she should question the southern man! In another instant, he let go of the Matriarch and hurled himself through one of the holes in the side of the Inn where a window had once been.
Alkawen called out to the others to follow him and the three scrambled outdoors but there was no sight of Harugrim. Without delay, the Grandmaster instructed Gwandalion and Khanadan to begin searching for Harugrim, she wanted him questioned, he apparently knew something...
