(Continued from The Case of the Three Torches- Part 6)
Nob cheerfully chatted away to Bartholomew as he washed the dishes from the supper crowd; the hobbit had moved his new friend from the main room of the Prancing Pony to the kitchen, per Barliman’s orders, and was giving the plant an “earful” about his day. Suddenly, the back door swung open and his eyes nearly bugged out when he saw Kraddock enter. “Oh goodness me, Bart,” Nob exclaimed. “That’s the one-eyed minstrel I told you about… the one that threw me clean down the hallway.” He turned to run, but Kraddock caught him by the collar.
"There you are little mouse,” Kraddock’s voice boomed as he lifted the halfling two feet off of the ground, “it seems that I found the hole you crawled into.”
Nob’s feet continued to run in the air as he shrieked out, “Don’t throw me! Don’t throw me!”
“Calm down, will ya?” The Captain commanded as he turned Nob around to face him; he then motioned his head back toward the blonde woman that had followed him inside. “Bring my young friend here something to eat and drink. “Actually… bring her a glass of water, and bring me an ale.” The hobbit managed to nod, but his entire body was shaking as Kraddock lowered him back down to the floor. “And don’t keep us waiting or I will feed you to her, cleverly disguised as a radish."
Nob’s eyes widened and he scampered off just as soon as his feet hit the ground, but his shrill, frantic voice could still be heard from the kitchen. “Mister Butterbur, Mister Butterbur…I need bread and ale right quickly… I don’t look good in reds or purples.”
Kraddock shook his head and looked back at Addie; normally the woman would have intervened to help her small friend, but she just stood there with her gaze fixed on the ground, completely distraught and seemingly unaware of what had just occurred around her. “Let’s find you some place to sit down,” he sighed out, and then gently took her by the arm to lead her through the hallways to one of the unoccupied dining rooms in the back of the inn.
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Once Addie was settled in a seat, Kraddock walked back to the doorway and impatiently drummed his fingers on the doorframe. “Where’s that wretched mouse with the food and ale? The service in this backwater place is--” His brow lifted as he noticed a tray sliding down the length of the hallway and toward the door, followed by the sound of childlike footsteps running away. Kraddock huffed and bent down to pick up the tray. “That little Shire rat…”
After placing the plate of bread and cup of water in front of Addie, Kraddock grabbed the tankard of ale and plopped down in the seat next to her. Addie looked down at the bread and sighed- there was too much on her mind to even consider eating. "What if they discover that she's not Gerda?”
Kraddock ignored her question and pushed the plate of bread closer to her. "Eat something...”
Addie took a slice to humor him and then turned her crystal blue eyes to look at him. “How would they even know about Gerda?"
"You have no idea who she is, do you?”
Addie shook her head. "Nay, I do not; I only know that she is Miss Elsa's twin, and that Miss Elsa didn't even know that she had a twin sister."
“Well, I didn't know that part either... I don’t think anyone did.” After getting a good swig of ale, he placed the tankard down on the table and looked over at Addie. “Gondor would dearly love to see Gerda captured or dead, she has quite a list of confirmed kills… She is one of Angmar's top assassins.”
Addie’s eyes widened and her face showed even more concern. “An assassin?”
Kraddock nodded. “She kills without pity and without thinking, it is automatic to her… and add to that most Angmarim are terrified of her due to her reputation and because of who her mistress is… Gerda works directly for the Butcher of Balchorth.”
As Addie listened and took in all of this new information, her fingers tore the slice of bread into small pieces. “The Butcher of Balchorth?”
The Captain lifted his mug for another swig before continuing. “A high ranking priestess of the Unsealed; a woman by the name of Drasia… She seems be an old crone, but we have intelligence that her ancient appearance is some kind of glamour, that she is much younger than she looks.”
After hearing that name, Addie's fingers worked double-time on tearing the bread. "I believe that I have read about her in the tomes I found in Minas Tirith… Drasia…. If I recall correctly, it was written that she is a very skilled necromancer, and that she is somehow involved the resurrection of dead tissue.”
Kraddock nodded to confirm. “As far as we can tell, she is allied with those Unsealed bishops who could be called ‘reformers’, for lack of a better term, and has been heading up Angmar's ‘Uruk project’. She wants to create an army, immortal and unstoppable, by building creatures out of the best bits and then breeding them.”
Addie's jaw dropped and her fingers stopped moving. "That's... that's horrible!”
While her mouth was agape, Kraddock picked up one of the pieces that she had torn and popped it in. “Gerda is her… well, let’s say ‘harvester of raw materials’… she brings Drasia the best parts that she can find and then Drasia pieces them together.”
Addie sat there, wide-eyed and stunned- partly because of the information, but mostly due to the fact that bread had just been hand-fed to her. As she chewed, her forehead creased with worry. "What if Garon informs Drasia that he has Gerda? What if he hands her over and it is discovered that she’s not the true Gerda? Desad knows of Elsa and Gerda knows of Elsa… What if the other Unsealed bishops that we have seen in Bree have already informed Drasia of Elsa’s presence here? Surely a woman as powerful as she would have eyes and ears everywhere."
Kraddock shrugged. “Who knows? It’s hard to say… Angmar is like a snakepit… while they are making war against us, they are also warring with each other. Gerda has been seen in a hundred different places, but if Coinspinner thinks he has her, he will be very, very careful. He will look to how he can turn it to his advantage and limit his own vulnerability, if possible.”
Addie took in a deep breath and looked down at the table, finally noticing the mess that she had made. She sighed and started to sweep the crumbs into one hand with her other. "So, this Coinspinner... How well did you know him?"
"Only by reputation,” he answered as his eyes followed her movements. “He was very well liked, charming, and smooth; much like Septimal in some ways… He came up from absolutely nothing, which is rare in an outfit like the Hounds.”
Addie looked up at the mention of Caine and as she did, Kraddock popped a bigger piece of bread into her mouth. For a moment she just stared at him with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. After she had chewed and swallowed, she continued questioning, "What does he want from Angmar other than coin from his slave market?”
“Power, security, position, more money…the usual things…”
Addie’s lips pursed in thought. "If he was headed to Kheledûl, then, that means that he is working under Mans."
Kraddock frowned and lifted his tankard for another pull. “He is certainly working for Mans, to a certain degree… If Intel is right and Mans is back in charge of Kheledûl, then, it must have been a blood bath regaining his position. Garon is smart, very cagey- he was old Hirandiel's Executor after all… It is quite likely that he will assume Gerda being here means that Drasia is moving against Mans.”
The color drained out of Addie’s face, but before she could express her worries over the matter, Kraddock casually popped another piece of bread into her mouth to calm her. “I can't see Coinspinner taking the risk of carting Gerda’s sister to Mans… two reasons… One, Mans will be riding high from his victory in Kheledul and Coinspinner will not want to cross him. And two, because Gerda is so dangerous, Coinspinner wouldn’t want to offend her needlessly.”
As he spoke, Addie slowly scooted her chair away from him to avoid any further bread attacks. Seeing that she didn’t seem interested in eating, Kraddock frowned and muttered, “I should have told that mouse that you only eat plants.” He placed his tankard down and pushed himself up from the table. “You sit here and… eat some more bread… I’ll go get you some real food or rather… whatever vegetables they have.”
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Kraddock returned to the room with a large bowl of vegetable stew and plate full of roasted vegetables only to find that Addie was holding the ale that he had left behind and was staring down into the cup. He raised an eyebrow at the sight and walked toward her to put the dishes down on the table so that he could peer into the mug to see if she had taken a drink. “What are ya doing?” He questioned as he placed his gauntleted hand over the top of the tankard.
Addie looked up to him with tears welling in her eyes. “I… I don't know what I am doing anymore. I try to do what is right and it always seems to go wrong. Then… I’m left with the thoughts of what I should have done differently… The gnawing realization that things would have been better if I hadn’t intervened… Is that why you drink this liquid poison? Does it help you deal with your troubles?”
Kraddock sighed and gently took the cup away from her. “'If you were anyone else, I would say drink deep, but...You are too young for that stuff.” He picked up a potato and put it in her hand. “Here girl...eat...you need your wits about you now.”'
Before Addie could respond, there was a knock on the door and a voice called out, "Kraddock?!" The Captain spun around and drew his sword as he dashed toward the door; in one, swift motion, he jerked the door open and then placed his blade against the throat of the redheaded woman on the other side. His eyes narrowed and he paused, "I know you...You are Nethrida's little friend.”
Ryn glared at the blade of the sword. "Really?"
Kraddock didn’t lower the sword nor did he respond to the woman in front of him; instead, he called back to Addie. “Addiela... Is she alright?” When there was no response, he glanced over his shoulder. Upon seeing Ryn, the tears that Addie was trying to hold back started to stream down her cheeks and she just sat there with her lips pressed together. Kraddock’s eyes widened slightly. “OK… I will take that as a yes...” He sheathed his sword and motioned Ryn forward. “In here, honey.”
Ryn sighed quietly and followed him inside. "At least he remembers me," she muttered to herself as she closed the door behind her. She then walked toward Addie and, after some hesitation, softly placed a hand on her shoulder. “What happened?"
Addie’s chin quivered and she turned her head so that she wouldn’t have to meet Ryn’s gaze. “I failed... again...” She reached up to untie the cloak. "I am not worthy to wear this, to aid any, or to be called a 'friend'."
Kraddock pointed his finger at her and sternly warned, “If you touch that cloak you and I are going to have an argument.” The blonde immediately froze.
Ryn let out a soft sigh and calmly took Addie’s hand to lower it away from the knot. "No matter what happens,” she assured, “you will always be my friend."
"Miss Elsa’s been captured, Ryn,” Addie replied shamefully. “I couldn't keep her from falling."
Ryn's gaze hardened. "I had a bad feeling…”
“That was not your fault,” Kraddock interjected. “It was bad luck and bad timing.” The Captain sat back down and propped his feet up on the table. “Let me tell you a story… A few years back, I had command of a small group or regulars and a mounted infantry; we were tasked with dealing with corsairs. A young knight was in charge of that mounted infantry and was eager to make his name. He blew it… badly. He overcommitted, went too far ahead, got cut off, and lost a lot of good men.”
Addie lowered her head and tears began to well in her eyes again. “How is this helping?” Ryn grumbled as she gave Addie’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
Kraddock held up a finger. “Even though their ranks were broken and things looked dire, that knight held his ground and rallied the men he had left. As he gathered them together, the knight told his men, ‘This is my fault, I made a mistake and men died; that will be on my honor for the rest of my life. But if you surrender due to this, that will be on YOUR honor. Find your courage, and we will stand together to make their loss MATTER, despite their foolish leader.’ They won the battle that day, but as soon as the smoke cleared, that knight came to me and offered himself for court martial… Do you know what happened?”
Addie looked up and Kraddock smiled at her. “I tied that cloak around his throat and said, ‘To battle, son of Elendil...make the Vanguard proud.’” His gaze went distant for a moment, but then he looked back and cleared his throat. “And he did...and so will you.”
Realizing that the story was about Caine, Addie looked back down to the cloak. Finding inspiration in his words, she glanced back up at both of them and said, “Let’s rally our broken ranks and win the day.” The corners of Kraddock’s lips began to curl up in a proud grin, but he hid it behind the rim of his tankard.
Ryn nodded. “Do you know where she might be being kept?"
"The man we questioned said that they were headed for Kheledûl," Addie replied.
Kraddock shook his head. “'I know the way the Coinspinner thinks; he won’t go that far. He will hole up somewhere and wait for the heat to pass.”
Ryn’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Coinspinner?”
“The one that has your friend,” Kraddock clarified. “Back when he was with the Hounds, that was what he was called. He had unearthly luck, never lost a wager… He even escaped sure death thanks to the lucky shot of an ally of his; the arrow severed the rope to the noose around his neck and since it took everyone by surprise, he got away.”
Addie’s expression hardened. "Well… it is time that he pay up."
Kraddock let out a gruff chuckle. “I could not agree more. If he is now in league with slavers, he has found a way to drop even lower than before.”
Ryn nodded in agreement and tapped the necklace she was wearing. “I have some news for you… The others will be back soon… hopefully… as long as they aren't delayed."
Addie looked at the necklace with a glint of hope in her eyes, but that quickly faded. “I am not sure that we have the luxury of waiting, Ryn. They might not harm Miss Elsa if they think she's Gerda, but... they also had a wagon of captives. I am sure that they will try to trade them off as soon as possible."
Ryn grimaced. "Well... What do you intend? We don't have the people to handle this, Addie."
"I… don't know," Addie replied as she looked back to Kraddock. Ryn also turned her gaze to Kraddock, hoping that he brought more than just himself to Bree.
The Captain rubbed at his chin as he considered strategy. “'Well, I have been thinking about that… Coinspinner will assume that we will wait for reinforcements so, we could take him by surprise; but… WE can’t search the entire damn East Road for him, and he will be well hidden somewhere secure. It will be a pain in the arse to dig him out of whatever hole he is in without intel… We do have one lead though that still puzzles me and it may be worth taking a look at.”
Addie raised her brow in question. “That locket...” he answered. “It was found in a pig, that ate a girl...”'
“What locket?” Ryn inquired. Addie took in a deep breath as she reached into her pocket for the necklace and then slowly held it out to Ryn. It was a small, tarnished silver locket of Gondorian make, worn and clearly an heirloom; and on the inside were two portraits that had been meticulously inked on ivory. Though they appeared younger, Ryn recognized that the portraits were of Neth in her Gondorian armor and Ane in her naval jerkin. She stared at the locket for a long moment and blinked several times before closing it and pocketing it.
Addie lifted her finger as she saw Ryn pocket the necklace, but decided not to ask for it back. She lets out a small sigh and turned her gaze back to the table.
“Where did you find this?” Ryn questioned.
“In Combe or some place with an absurd name like that,” Kraddock huffed. “Doesn't matter… What matters is that the locket belonged to mans and the girl snatched it when she got killed, or so we figure. Why would Mans bother to personally kill her?”
Ryn tilted her head in thought "Could he have left the locket intentionally? Spirits are always coming back; it could be that he was discarding his host's last connection to life... Perhaps in an attempt to make sure she was gone? I don't know all that much about Mans, or exactly how he works, but I know spirits don't like losing what they deem as theirs."
Kraddock shook his head. “'It's possible that Mans is losing ties to the woman he is wearing right now, but I can’t see him doing it on purpose; I doubt he would assume we would find it inside the pig. We got lucky that whatever farmer it was has an obsession with their pigs and found it. Anyways… My guess is that Mans wanted to be sure that specific Dove agent died and disappeared. I am thinking we need to find out more about this dead girl, and fast.”
"She was one of Miss Lyra's spies,” Addie specified. “She probably had intel on him."
Ryn grumbled softly, once again feeling that she was missing important information. "Lyra?" Her brows furrowed and her expression settled between frustration and sorrow as she looked back to Addie. "Don't leave me out this time...I need to know what’s going on."
Kraddock looked at Addie and nodded. "Nothing good ever comes from half-informed allies."
Addie slowly nodded back and stood to fetch her bag with Phineon's journals. She pulled the piece of paper that mentioned the girl and brought it over to show both of them. "This is all the information we have on her for now." It read:
545: Brunhilde: cunning and quiet, pleasant to look at. Dual occupations, barmaid during the day, works after hours for Narelin. Assumed to have quit her bar job after a fight broke out and was going to go full time into the other 'occupation', but she never made it home that night.
They both glanced over the paper and then Kraddock questioned, “Do we know where she lived? Where did she work as a barmaid? Here?”
Addie lowered the piece of paper and answered, “I would assume that she worked either here or at the Comb and Wattle in Combe; either way, I could ask Barliman if he knows of her.”
Kraddock looked back to Addie, his expression purely business now. “Find out.” She nodded and then turned to head toward the main room, leaving the other two behind to talk. After she left, Kraddock took a long pull of ale and his face scrunched up. "They better have whores here since the ale is trollpiss.”
Ryn furrowed her brows for a long moment before snorting softly. "Hah... Could ask around... But they don’t have an official service, I wouldn't think."
He raised a brow and then looked back at her. “I don’t want one for myself, girl… I just can’t see how this place makes any money off their brew....location, location, location I guess.”
Ryn grinned. "Something like that." She paused for a second before asking, "Did you come alone?... Because we could definitely use more people, especially if we find their camp before the others return.”
The Captain didn’t answer; instead, he drummed his fingers on the table for a moment. "Nethrida… she is a..."friend" of yours?”
Ryn had to take the time to process that statement and then nodded slowly. "More than a friend... but yes... Why?"
"Yeah, that's what I meant... You said that lot who went with the Last Lion to Fornost are back in the area?”
She nodded again. "Yeah, one can hope they aren't delayed at all."
Kraddock bobbed his head. “Get word to her. I want her here yesterday." While Ryn tried to think of a way to actually get that done, the door opened and Addie re-entered the room. "Well?” Kraddock asked as he looked over.
“She did work here," Addie responded, "the early hours shift with all the drunks." She then held out the key to show him. "She also rented a room which has been left untouched since it had been paid for throughout the month."
“Excellent,” Kraddock proclaimed as he pushed himself up from the table, “about time we caught a break. Lets go!" He finished his ale, took the key from Addie and then handed her a carrot. "You used to work here, no? Lead the way.”
Ryn snorted and Addie blinked as the carrot was placed in her hand, but she accepted it anyways. "Aye, I'll show you the way." She gestured for the two to follow her as she turned toward the door again and they all made their way toward the room.
(Continued in Finding Elsa: Part 2)
