Over the last six months Kaes had been keeping watch over Combe. A lazy little village that she had grown rather fond of. In the last 4 months she had noted that the lumber mill leader had some strange activity at night around his house. Something that drew her to watch the house from afar. The evenings were usually a dull affair. People settled in for the first shift, ate their meals and did what they did then settled down to sleep till around high moon. Then woke for their revelries, games and other gatherings till around the third moon shift and went back to sleep till near dawn. Of late though a torch could be seen out the back of the mill leaders house by some trees as though someone watched him through the night. Eventually this stopped, but then he went missing. She endeavored to try to find him on her own but the tracks had been hidden and she soon lost them. It was clearly a professional much to her frustration. Not something she had expected in the sleepy town.
A month passed and she heard whispers of someone seeking news of the lumber mill boss. She sent word to the man to meet her in Combe, giving her name and to meet her by the inn. The day came and the man Ryheric showed up. He was about as she expected, a rough looking mercenary type, what she had not expected was for him to be a southrouner. She gave him her usual greeting, she had already met a young lass she had pulled into the possible hunt but it turned out he knew her, a fine thing perhaps. She hadnt yet decided. The man had with him the most peculiar man with him that looked like he had rolled in the forest under a elven moon while drunk. Or at least what she imagined it might look like considering the tales of elves. She didnt know if she should great him or trim his hedge.
Taking the group aside she explained what she knew, then took them to the mans house, showed them where the hidden person had been. The tracks long gone. Yet the peculiar hedge man seemed to suddenly find the trail. The run was on. They took off and a pace. Many long hours passed and eventually they ended up in a barren land. A ruins around them. It was here she found the calling card of the assassin. It had indeed been a professional hit. This of course did not endear her to Ryheric, his distrust of her evident. She explained she was a bounty hunter, knew the signs of these sorts of things from that work, he of course suspected she had a closer tie to it than that. Long ago this was true but that was long ago and not now. She kept far away from these sorts of people other than to hunt them down and bring them in. Searching around the body was soon found. They bought him home but for now they had little else to go on.
It was some time later that Kaes spoke to Ryheric and found out about a lead. Initially he was not keen to have her help. Eventually though she was called in to assist. The group gathered in Combe. The suspect was living close to Archet and they were to head out to bring him in. Tervorn, Gwennie, Ryheric, a new assistant Arthn something and herself, she never fully got the name of the newcomer. Kaes was to be the bait, the new comer to shoot the foot of the suspect to stop them getting away. Gwennie, Ryheric and Tervorn were to rope him and get him secured. A simple enough plan by her thoughts. She asked before hand if she was a malice bait or helpless. "Seducing helpless" or something to that effect was what she was told. Into the reeds she went and came out dressed in a reddish dress. Ryheric couldnt look at her, he didnt want to know why she had bait dress in her bag and she sassed him.
She of course kept a dress with her just in case. She just never knew if she might need to lure a bounty away from civilians and her body was still the best lure she had. Most bounties were male, and when they were female it was still easier to appear feminine and genteel, unassuming, than to appear as a bounty hunter if you wanted to lure someone away. If you appear to have a bit of coin then you also appear like you are not about to rob them, so again relieving them of fear of you. A simple ploy but effective. Playing helpless and coy was effective, and so now she employed those tactics when they came across the house. A story of a turned over cart. Pink cheeks and big eyes, a winsome plea and backing away into the dark begging for help. The man opened the door and it was over. The arrow sped past and got it foot. He threw his glass glancing her, but even as she turned toward him to look where it came from he was already being rushed by Gwennie. Like a bull at a calf, instead of a leaf at a tree, she rammed into him. That slight girl hitting him square in the middle. Kaes couldnt help but remind herself never to cross that little minx. Trevorn came rushing around the corner confused at the man falling backward and doing a double take then came to assist. Ryheric rushed in onto the pile seeming impressed by the little womans agressive take down.
Kaes then stepped in around the dog pile of bodies to investigate the cabin to ensure they would themselves not be ambushed. Satisfied she poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle still on the table. Once the man was secured they took him back to town. His rants silenced by a rag. The Officer was spoken to by Tervorn and initially was hesitant to believe he was the murderer, but when Kaes came forward with the calling card and the man able to speak then shouted at them for daring to take him and treated to add them to his trophy pile he was soon put in stocks and awaiting trial.
So it came to pass that the murderer was taken in. Kaes parted ways from the group with Gwennie following her initially. The two sitting by the pond to share a drink as she gathered her things to talk over the events that took place. For the first time in a long time she felt relaxed. Working with others was a delight. She hoped she would get a chance again to work with these people.
