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The Hanged Man rose to leave the room, joining Galiena in the foyer. The first words out of his mouth were an apology. "Sorry--I didn't know wh-what else to say." When she mentioned that he may fall ill, too, he chuckled and looked aside. "W-worry not, mistress. I'm cut from hardy cloth." He procured the scroll from the mainland and held it out, eyeing the seal with hesitation. "Perhaps we should break it. Unless you've a steady knife hand." His own were shaking slightly. "There's aught rotten here, and I'd hate to move on if I can do something about it. Alas, I'm but one man ..."

He coughed, regaining conciousness and the ability to think clearly. "Wh... what happened?" He asked, his voice throaty and raw. He coughed out a rather sizable amount of seawater and blood, looking around at his captors. "Who are you..?"

The cleric looked slightly uneasy at the idea of opening the scroll not intended for her eyes, but found herself nodding. "I could try," she said, taking it and pulling out a small blade from her pouch that was meant more for utility than combat. "Maybe it will shed some light on what Zarrin is hiding from us."

She tries to open it discreetly and skims the short missive, summarizing as she goes...

"It's by Lord Rolf and to Constable Leofwine Botwright... yearly tax collection totals ... he asks if there is enough available farmland to accept more permanent settlers.... please re-provision the Elfleda if needed ... and that is pretty much it. No mention of Zarrin at all. Or of this illness."

She looked back up, only more worried that Lord Rolf seemed to be in the dark that anything was amiss on Avery's Isle.

She dully shook her head at the questions and backed away, staying just close enough to carefully watch the stranger. She didn't know the man, she was only a wildling, and she clearly had no clue what had happened to put him in such a state. "He needs water." She quietly noted, and hesitated to share her oxhorn flask.."This should help with pain, some." She offered the horn to the man.

As the guests left, Rome turned to Zarrin. "So, my father is sick now too." She stated bluntly, "Any chance I can go home and see him? I've been with you long enough, you practically raised me." She chided, tapping the cestus on her left arm, fingers padding along the Lord's engraved name. "Or at least do something about those idiots on the coast who stole my pipe." She crossed her arms and took her helmet off to set on the table, revealing short cut black hair and a green eye instead of blue in the shadow. The girl with heterochromia began helping herself to some food as the two stood together. Her two eyes may be different colors, but she was as normal as any foreigner.

"Who are you..?" the "prisoner" asked.

"The welcoming committee", Red answered sarcastically as Bethany gave the man a drink. "Better question is who the hell are you?"

As Henrik seemed to be coming around more, Drugo placed himself just behind with a hand upon his shoulder, clearly intended to keep Henrik from getting up.

"And who's this little lovely thing?" Oscar says, eyeing Bethany. "Maybe the captain might let us keep this one, eh?" The question earned a warning glance from Red.

He muttered, noticing Drugo's hand but not really feeling it or being suspicious. "I'm..." He mumbled indistinctly, not completely remembering his name.

Bethany gave the stranger looking at her an odd glance. She didn't like his tone, but the way they were treating the ill man put her on guard as she flipped her hood on to hide her features in a dark shade.

Zarrin turned toward Rome, aggravated not only at the request itself, but at the poor timing of it. The arrival of the Elfleda and her overly nosey and "helpful" adventurers was already threatening to expose them and here she was, asking for leave. Though perhaps the timing was intentional, that she hoped he'd simply say 'yes' so that it was one less thing he had to contend with.

"Now is not the time for this conversation, Rome," he hissed quietly at her. "We need to take care of this healer and her protector, first. You take them upstairs to the Constable's room and I'll send Wystan, Seth, & Brig up to back you up. We'll say they contracted the illness and that we'll send them back to the mainland."

The door where the 3 maids had disappeared opened again and an older man with a gray beard (Oakes) stepped through, carrying a bag and dressed in the same fashion as many of the peasants and farmers on the island. He sent unfriendly looks toward Red, Drugo, and Oscar, then a curious one toward Henrik and Bethany.

"Wut ya do to 'im?" he asked bluntly, jumping to a conclusion.

"Found him washed up on the shore like this," Red stated, though Oakes narrowed his eyes at Red and then glanced questioningly at Bethany as if she might shed more light on this. "Just see if you can patch up his leg and keep him alive for Zarrin," Red ordered, impatiently.

Oakes stepped toward them and got to work, easing the large splinter of wood out of Henrik's leg as fast as he could manage while Drugo (tried to) held him still.

She breathed a heavy, agrivated sigh. "I can..try." She grabbed her helmet and slipped it back on, finishing her water and heading to the door, leaving Zarrin an unsatisfied glare as she left.
She stepped out and noticed the strange man and the healer Zarrin spoke of, looking at some missive. "Dare I ask, why the worried looks? I was going to escort you to Constable." She eyed the man again, wondering why she had such a terrible feeling about him, but despite her feelings she knew better. "I hope you can forgive our unkind tone, things are not easy to hold down in this fort, of sorts. No one ever expects peacekeeping to be as hard as it is." She noted with friendly smile. She strode to a side door and prepared to walk the pair, when they were ready.

Bethany shifted her looks to their clear leader, "You are unkind, you do know this?" She didn't like to be rude, but she felt like this hurt man may need help...possibly beyond just healing. She looked to the elder and offered him acsess to her collection of herbs, that honestly were meant for poisons and rashes, not trauma like this. Though while she emptied her pockets, she tried to carefully slip the hurt stranger her hunting knife.

He cried out in pain as the splinter was ripped out, yanking his head backwards and smashing it into Drugo's skull. He grabbed the knife as he fell out of the chair, scrambling backwards into a corner as he pointed the knife at them, adrenaline filling his veins.

The Hanged Man leaned in when Galiena read the scroll. His own eyes scanned the words but made no sense of them. "Frustratingly tame," he grumbled. It was then that he heard Rome's footsteps approaching, and he straightened up, trying not to look guilty. It was a relief to see it was Zarrin's woman-at-arms, and not Zarrin himself. "I know well the struggles of keeping the peace," he said gravely. "But this seems a quiet settlement ... I am surprised there is such unrest." He folded his arms, standing halfway in front of Galiena in an assumably protective stance, though he was trying to give her cover to roll up the scroll. She wouldn't be able to reseal it, but better it be rolled than flapping open. "W-well, aye then--take us to Constable Botwright."

"Hey! She's..." Oscar started, seeing Bethany slip the man a knife. But too late.

Drugo groaned and staggered backwards, clutching his bleeding nose.

Red followed Henrik, brandishing his own weapon, though didn't attack, trying to bring back some semblance of order. "We're just trying to fix ya up! Put down the knife!" he commanded.

Meanwhile, Oscar went to Bethany, trying to get behind her to pin her arms to her side.

Oakes stepped back away from the fray, seeming unsure what to do or who to side with here.

---

Galiena quickly used the cover the Hanged Man provided to roll up the parchment and shove it into the deep pocket of her dress. Who was this Zarrin? And did Lord Rolf even know he existed?

She nodded her confirmation as well that she was ready for Rome to lead them when a muffled cry followed by other sounds of commotion came from the kitchen. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it sounded like a scuffle.

"What was that?" Galiena said in alarm, looking to Rome for an explanation and suddenly wishing she had brought her weapon and armor. But she hadn't foreseen the need.