| Logs |
2000-07-02
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
Fire in the Hole
The Saucy Mare's nameplate has been repainted to indicate a Maidstone homeport, all the tiresome details of officially presenting the St. Genevieves to the Starfall ambassador as envoys have been completed (the ambassador nearly choking with apoplexy the whole time, while poor Van der Berg had all he could do to keep from laughing), and the Mare has been resupplied once again. Dimitri has picked up the pin and the glass holly leaves he'd ordered, and her Grace Duchess Minerva has arranged to have the count's new wardrobe delivered to the ship. Alex arranges for the pin to be delivered to the queen along with a nice note from her and Dimitri. Departure is set for two days -- well, the day after tomorrow morning. Dimitri and Alex are on the night watch when the young vixen looks up at a noise that Dimitri can't hear.
Alex's ears swivel as she turns her head, trying to locate the source of the sound. Horatio is sleeping, unusually fitfully, though deeply. Images, thoughts, ideas carouse in the slumbering carnival of his mind. The family has never been as close to vindication as they are now... and the logical part of his mind knows that it's been far too easy, especially with discovering and retrieving Father. And images of other sorts significantly alien to him: home... where is home, now, anyway? Starfall, Maidstone...? Ettore? Ettore... Jessie... How would Father feel? Surely he knows by now... Horatio's sleep continues, as yet oblivious to what's going on up on the deck. Pillowing his head is one of the larger and more interesting -- and more comfortable -- books in his library. Dimitri quietly walks the deck, one paw light upon the gunwales. Cleo stumbles up on deck just as Alex starts to look around, her bare fur bristling with alarm. "Apprentice! Do you feel that?"
An attractive young girl with proud carriage, she carries
herself with quiet, thoughtful strength. Despite the pretty lace-trimmed
silk shirt she's dressed in a decidedly non-feminine style, with snug
bottle-green breeches, well-worn black riding boots, and long leather
fencing gloves (finely embroidered with the house crest, of course)
tucked casually into her leather belt. A plain and practical military
epee (with a decidedly well-used look to it) hangs at her hip, and
there's a silver earring in her left ear. Her fur is a fiery scarlet,
and she regards the world with a thoughtful, green-eyed gaze.
Alex looks worried, but shakes her head, "No, Mistress Cleo... I just heard something." She looks around, her hackles starting to rise but her ears still perked alertly, "What's happening? How do we stop it?" She blinks, then adds, "No, wait... I can feel it now... what is it?"
The cat looks around, though her eyes aren't really seeing anything directly. "There." She points in the direction of the 'sound' -- though Alex is realizing now, it wasn't really a sound at all. "A spell, building up." Cleo nods to herself. "Time for a quick lesson, apprentice. Merge with me...we need to disrupt it."
Alex nods firmly, "Got it." She turns and calls quietly, "Dimitri, mages in that building there according to Cleo, building up a spell -- STOP them, please! Take backup!" Then she turns to Cleo, holding out her paws, "Ready." Alex puts both small paws on Cleo so it's easier for her to feed power to her teacher. She squints slightly so she can see their auras easier, then starts gently shoving her light green over to Cleo's brighter green.
Dimitri snaps his attention to the dockside shack, and before a single heartbeat can finish he is moving, not a step wasted. "Mackenzie... Natasha..." His bark is sharp and crisp. Gunwales passed and gangplank jumped in a feral rush, his steel blade is a glittering silver slash as he crosses the dock towards the shack's door. Natasha and Sam have their swords out, following Dimitri in his rush down the dock. Before they can reach their destination though, the building spell reaches its peak.
Midnight. Coal black he is, with fur as rich as a starless
nighttime sky. Brown eyes flash above his sharply chiseled muzzle,
quiet and sure, like a sea whose currents run deep. From one tall ear
sparkles three rings of gold, as plain as any crest, campaign rings of
Blackpool's Marines. The color of dusk wraps about the darkling fox,
all the shades of gray falling in severe loose folds, as if carven from
weather-stained quarry rock. Midnight black is his accent, the color
of his tall polished boots into which his stone tinted breeches are
precisely tucked. A black belt, tight, with silver fittings bright,
complements his dashing tunic, that too the color of a fell evening
fog. Beneath the tunic hides the only splash of color, where a pristine
shirt of white hides, and mayhaps the hint of fine ruffles. Each movement
is simple and professional, betraying a trained discipline. There is
a splash of color though, a slash so bright and contrary it cannot be
avoided. From his belt hangs a long favor or token; rich hues, its bold
embroidery proclaiming a sword topped by a pentacle.
Cleo concentrates, and Alex watches as the magical energy builds up and spears for the other spell, a flaming ball of energy building up around the pier-side shack. Cleo's bright spear impacts the fireball just as it begins to move toward the Saucy Mare. The premature detonation rocks the wharf, blowing in the side of the shack, blowing shards of fire onto the pier and the Mare, and half-deafening the furrs nearby. The black fox is a rough tumble, the scent of burnt fur staining the night air. He sprawls, tossed upon the wharf by the harsh magical energies. For a heartbeat he just lays there. Still he is, his sword fallen just beyond his reach. Finally he raises himself on one elbow, shaking out his head. Eyes narrowed, he leans forward, grabbing the ricasso'ed blade with one paw, its tip dragging on the dock planks as he stands; moving to the broken building, seeking the broken door, the broken wall. A breath and he looks behind him, seeing where Natasha and Mackenzie are... and then his ears rotate forward, to hear what he might from within, before forcing his way inside.
Skeee plummets toward the water, her wings wrapped over her ears. Alex winces, her ears flattening at the explosion, then reacts automatically -- she turns, unwittingly gesturing her intended magical action, attempting to scoop Skeee gently up from her plummeting fall, onto the deck. She's already barking commands, "Bubba, bat overboard! Karl, to the marines on the dock for back up, so they can search for bodies! Tina, make sure the captain and the navigator are up, rouse more marines, and have Horatio open the weapons locker; we may be under attack! Sven to the fo'c'sle, Jessie, up to the crows nest please!" It is moments later, the debris barely having settled, that Carroll bursts from his cabin, wearing breeches, boots, and carrying his sword. As soon as he gets out on to the deck he's looking up at the ship; to check damage, to find the crew, to gain status. The explosion has woken everyone on the ship, and Alex's orders bring a welcome order to the initial chaos.
Alex barely manages to catch Skeee, and suddenly finds herself struggling just to hold the bat, let alone bring her on deck -- she gasps, "Cleo, help!" Cleo's eyes widen as she realizes what Alex is trying, and she reverses their linkage, feeding energy to her apprentice as Alex tries to bring their scout in for a safe landing. Between them they manage to bring the injured bat in close enough for Bubba to snag her before she hits the water. The cat smiles proudly at her pupil for a moment before reverting to healer and heading over to help Skeee. Carroll stays out of the way of crew as they move quickly about their tasks at Alex's deft commands, watching the crew form into an organized unit rather than a confused mass, with rather more pride in both them and his sister than he expected. Not having time to stand around and beam stupidly at them, he makes his way to the quarterdeck, looking around and trying to count noses to see if anyfurr is missing. Horatio is roused rather unexpectedly from his dreams, stumbling out on deck just in time to hear Alex's command to open the weapons locker. He beats the rush to the armory, and starts handing out sabers and crossbows.
Carroll watches, uncomprehending, not having seen what the mages are at, and then looks where Cleo heads. He murrs, "Oh, no," and his tail fluffs, for just a moment. Concerned, he asks Alex, "What happened?"
Alex whews! then looks relieved when Cleo calmly sees to Skeee herself. What's next... she dashes to the edge of the quarterdeck, staring intently... are Dimitri, Natasha, and Sam all up on their feet? Without looking away from her worried regard of the dock she gabbles hastily over her shoulder, "Captain attempted magical attack from that shack Cleo sensed it and stopped it before it could hit us oh!" She looks up and barks, "Kammy! Up in the air, let us know if there's anything else! Jessie, keep an eye on him!" Alex glances back at the dock, then turns worriedly to Carroll, "Magical attack, captain. They're getting desperate. Think we should send someone for town guard or something?" The frigatebird launches into the air, muttering something incomprehensible. Once airborne he stays close in to the fire-lit scene as the dockside shack burns. Alex makes sure marines are stationed around the ship, and everyone's not focused on the excitement of the burning shack as well... then looks around worriedly, sure she's forgotten something vital... she glances over her shoulder at the shack again, and wishes the marines and her brother would come back already...
Carroll nods and murrs, "Yes, but when things are calmer, if they aren't attracted to the noise. Right now we should set people down in the launches to watch the waterline, and have a watch inside the ship listening for someone trying to sink us while we're distracted with this." He looks over the railing and asks, "Who went ashore? Where are they?"
Alex nods to Carroll, "Watches set, captain. Dimitri, Natasha, and Sam went ashore, I sent Karl after them for backup since I expect they'll want to pull anyone out of the fire." She points (somewhat redundantly) at the shack... then gets a wary look and steps between Carroll and the docks. Her height isn't sufficient to cover him that well, but she doesn't seem to realize that, of course. MacKenzie and Natasha are picking themselves up from where they landed and regrouping with Dimitri, singed but apparently unbroken. The wolf smothers a burning spot on her fur and nods grimly to Dimitri. Alex looks quite relieved when all the marines are up again and sets crew to watching the ship, both inside and out, as per Carroll's instructions.
Karl reaches the three just as they are recovering. Natasha points, and growls "Tuda!" as two rather shaken-looking furrs extract themselves from the shack.
Carroll asks his sister, "Archers?" and adds, "Let's not let the bastards get away from us again." So saying he pads over to the weapons locker, and collects a crossbow of his own. He apparently means it.
Alex says, "Archers on the fo'c'sle and crows nest, captain, and crossbows all around already. Horatio took care of that."
Carroll nods and murrs, "Good work." He looks out at the burning shack and asks, "Is there anything we can do about that fire? Rather than the guard we may need the city's fire brigade, if we don't want to lose the whole dock."
Alex's ears perk up suddenly, watching the two new arrivals from the shack intently, leaning on the quarterdeck railing. She murmurs, "Thank you, sir," although there's still a touch of worry in her voice. Carroll climbs down from the quarterdeck, and walks out along the railing, looking in to the glare, watching. His crossbow is ready, and it's a great comfort to him to know there's others behind him.
The surrounding buildings are now emptying of their occupants as everyone nearby responds to the fire. Buckets are brought, and Alex directs the Mare's crew into bringing up enough hose sections to use the ship's bilge pump to fill buckets. She glances around, making sure the Thunderchilde's crew stay out of sight as well. As Natasha speaks Dimitri is already moving, cutting off the two furrs' escape. His sword slices out -- a sure, quick movement, deadly... and stopping just before it slices off a stumbling furr's head. Dimitri jerks his head, nodding to Tasha and Sam, his first words a harsh command to the no longer fleeing furr. "Anyone else still inside?"
The dazed and now terrified mink shakes his head. "N-no... just us..." His partner, a caracal femme, is only half-conscious and sags to the ground when the mink lets go. The locals quickly start to put the fire out with the help of the Mare's pump.
Alex sighs faintly, her shoulders sagging slightly in relief... good, everyone's on their feet, prisoners taken, fire being put out... now maybe the siblings can find out who is trying to blow them up! She glances back to the deck, and hopes Skeee's ears are okay also. Carroll listens as best he can, can't hear what's going on, and thinks very quickly. Prisoners. Mages. Unknown antagonists. He grins an evil grin when he sees it's a mink and murrs, mostly to himself, "Perhaps our minkish allies will know best how to ask questions of you."
In the confusion of the firefighting someone tries to put a knife into Dimitri's back. Fortunately his leather armor stops the force of the thrust. Natasha spots the attempt a moment too late to stop the attack, her wild-eyed charge a few feet too short as the assassin's blade is thrown. A moment later she takes a wild swing at him. Dimitri slams the mink down at Sam's feet, hard and sure, mashing him to the dockside planks where the wolverine can watch him. A deep, deep grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooowwwwwwwllllllll echoes from his throat, a sure reflex seeing a wolf with her sword drawn and no one at her side. It takes but a step for that to change, the longer reach of his blade slashing out at the one foolish enough to stand against his Tasha.
Alex is staring confusedly, trying to see what's going on. Carroll frowns slightly, also trying to keep up with what's going on. Alex is suddenly relieved she sent more marines... whatever is going on, at least Dimitri will have good backup. Alex frowns worriedly... then simply waves two more marines onto the dock to help get all the Mare's folks and the prisoners safely back aboard.
The assassin -- a rather evil-looking jaguar -- backpedals as first Natasha and then Dimitri charge him, then turns to flee into the gathering crowd. Natasha's second swing crunches into the jaguar a moment after Dimitri hits him. The assassin collapses bonelessly at their feet, bleeding profusely. Dimitri reaches down, grabbing a handful of shorn tunic, and lifts the boneless jaguar. He looks sharp and sure to Natasha. "Good work... grab Alex's mink, will you?"
Alex whews, seeing everyone heading back to the ship. She straightens, turning and seeing Carroll... she blinks, her gaze traveling down, then back up his partially dressed form, and he can see her struggling with a grin, her ears tilting out in barely suppressed mirth! She manages to restrain herself to a simple, "How... sartorially elegant you are tonight, captain!" ...and a small giggle, of course!
Carroll Waynewright St. Genevieve stands before you, wearing
only tan leggings, with yellow-gold trim down the outside edges,
and soft leather calf high boots. His short sword is at also rather
quickly buckled to on, ready for easy access, should he need it. His
full, white-tipped tail seems to flick distractedly back and forth,
as the brown fur on his back, which fades to almost light enough to be
red across his chest ruffles in the sea breezes. Despite having dressed
with much more haste than usual, the eldest St. Genevieve carries what
he's wearing, and himself with a no-nonsense air.
Carroll looks at Alex quizzically and cocks his head. He murrs, "You think I should have skipped the leggings? I worried about taking the time, honestly, but you had things well in hand." He's not scornful or upset; as far as can be told, it's a serious question. Alex blinks at Carroll... then laughs delightedly!
Lifting the jaguar roughly, Dimitri stands. Or at least tries to, before the big fox closes his eyes and just winces. But his grip never falters as he looks to Sam and Natasha and their other two captives. "Bring them with, yes? Before the folks here realize..." he speaks quietly, so only the five of them might hear, "...these two are the ones at fault for this blaze." Drawing the jaguar along, the cat's feet dragging on the dock, the cat's blood staining cloth and charred fur, he returns to the Mare. He walks straight up to Alex and ducks his muzzle. "A caracal, your least favorite mink, and a cat for Cleo to stitch back together before it dies on me, Sir."
Alex turns to watch Dimitri and the others come aboard, still covering a grin... then blinks as the bodies are dumped at her feet... then simply yells, "Cleo, Horatio, help!" again. She hastily checks over Dimitri, Natasha, and Sam, making sure they're okay before she checks the prisoners. The caracal and the jaguar are new to Alex, but the mink she's seen once before... talking to Jeremy Featherstone. Alex adds hastily, "Captain, if you please, you have the con!"
Carroll gives directions to other people; setting a guard on the gangway and walking around to talk briefly to all those on watch, just to make sure everything is quiet, and keep from fretting himself. He's wary of other attacks now. Then he heads briskly up to the quarterdeck, where he says to Alex, "You've been doing well." He looks at the prisoners, and asks, "So, what have we here, then?"
Alex's eyes widen slightly when she recognizes the mink, but she continues her rough triage... first a guard set on the prisoners, then check her folks, then the most wounded of the prisoners. The mink can wait. However, at Carroll's question she says quietly, "That's the mink we last saw talking to the rabbit gambler." There is a grim tilt to her ears as she works as swiftly as she can, helping Cleo and Horatio keep the jaguar alive. Cleo still seems not to have noticed that she rolled out of her bunk in nothing but her fur, and starts stitching up the jaguar after stanching the blood loss with a quick spell. Dimitri takes a step back as the prisoners are presented. His breath is a bit short, uneven, as he backs out of the traffic on the deck. He leans heavily upon his sword before stepping down towards the passage to his cabin. As he turns, there is a dark stain across his back, slowly growing from just beneath one shoulder blade. One step, two, as he retreats.
Carroll murrs, "Oh, really?" He ponders, then murrs, "Interesting." He ponders again, then directs the guards, "Truss them up good, and put them under guard in that holding cell we've arranged for our other guests. Any of them tries anything funny, knock them senseless. We can cope with that in the light of day."
Natasha notices Dimitri trying to sneak off. "Bozhemoi..."
Alex looks up, "Captain, um... maybe we should ask Cleo for advice on how to hold the mages too?" Her eyes widen and she snaps, "Oh for goddess' sake -- Dimitri! Sit down please -- right NOW!" She makes sure Horatio and Cleo have the jaguar well in hand, then darts over to where Dimitri is, "Natasha, help me get his shirt off please?" Dimitri nods once, and then just sits down on the passage stairs.
Carroll looks over, sees his brother's skin tone, and murrs, "Dimitri! Are you hurt?" Alex grins at Carroll over her shoulder, then continues working the shirt off with Natasha's help.
Dimitri ducks his head and swallows. "I'll... live."
The wolf complies, muttering under her breath the whole time... "Shto vo dumatst, tovarishch..."
Alex cautiously pulls the shirt away, wincing as Dimitri winces. She glances at Natasha, "Where's the dagger -- Cleo will need to know if there was poison or not." She wads up the shirt, using it as a makeshift pressure pad on Dimitri's back, and calls over her shoulder, "Dimitri could use a hand here, Cleo, Horatio?"
Carroll sighs, and tells the guards, "If these two do anything but breathe, and that lightly, knock 'em senseless." He looks at the prisoners and adds, "If you don't try anything stupid I'll let you live. You have my word. If you do, all bets are off." He grins a feral grin and adds, "And I define what stupid is." Then he stands and moves over to his brother, murring to him concernedly, "That's not what I asked." He adds, "Let me see."
Dimitri almost chokes though as his shirt is pulled off, wincing as charred fur tears and again his arms are pulled back. He looks to Alex, swallowing. "Find the cat's blade, Alex... in case there was something on them..."
Alex nods quietly to Dimitri, "We're working on it, Dimitri. You just relax, okay?" The wound is bloody, but not deep. Dimitri's labored breathing, when Carroll does a quick check, seems to be due to a cracked rib rather than a poisoned blade.
Dimitri reaches out to lay a paw gently upon Natasha's side. "You understand... any fight you can walk away from, yes? You aren't hurt, are you... Carroll, you and Alex and Horatio are safe?"
Alex smiles quietly, "Dimitri... we're all fine. I checked Natasha and Sam. Relax, okay?" She grins, adding with gentle teasing, "-and that's an order!" Dimitri blinks then and closes his eyes... as if he could finally, finally relax.
Carroll probably surprises Dimitri, and maybe others around, by asking quickly for bandages and something antiseptic and then knowing what to do with them to stop the bleeding. He also listens to the fox's breathing and wraps the bandage on tightly, also binding his ribs. He murrs, "It's a nasty cut, but should be all right." He stands, adding, "And you've a cracked rib. That'll heal itself in three weeks or a month if you're gentle." Carroll reaches out and gently strokes black ears, adding, "And you'd better be," before he turns and moves back to Cleo, murring to her, "Let me know if I can do anything. When you've a moment, I've a question."
Dimitri opens his muzzle and then closes it. He blinks and just looks up to Carroll. "Thank... you."
Alex nods in relief when Carroll's done, then asks Natasha to help her get Dimitri into his cabin and into bed. Dimitri pauses, his head turning. He queries, looking to Alex and Natasha, a simple request, before he is trundled back below deck. "Can I just sit here and listen?"
Alex gives Dimitri a stern glare, "You can stay only if Natasha stays with you and keeps an eye on you... and if she says you have to go to bed... you go quietly, you got that?!"
Dimitri looks back to Alex and nods, "I promise. If..." he looks over to the pretty wolf, "-if it's fine with Natasha."
Natasha gives Dimitri a stern look, but nods. "Only if you are beink good." Alex nods once, then dashes off to her cabin for something she needs -- then whisks back up to the quarterdeck.
Dimitri nods and hands Natasha his bloody sword. "Off duty, official." His ears are perked, listening to the conversation on the deck, and with a soft breath relaxes next to Natasha.
Cleo is just finishing with the jaguar when the others come back from patching Dimitri. "He'll live, I think. The daggers he had on him were clean, so I don't think Dimitri is in any danger of being poisoned." She nods, then suddenly seems to realize how she's dressed. "Umm... can I get a robe first?"
Alex grins and holds up one of her own she swiped from her room a moment ago, "Thought you might like one."
Carroll smiles, a not entirely gentlemanly smile, and murrs, "Of course, Cleo." Alex absently pokes Carroll in the side as she hands the robe to Cleo!
The cat squirms into Alex's robe with a grateful smile. "I was a bit distracted there, I think. Now, what's the question, sir?"
Carroll asks Cleo, "We've captured what appear to be a couple of mages. Is there anything we can do to keep them harmless while we hold them, short of beating them senseless the whole time?" He doesn't sound like the thought bothers him much.
The healer nods. "No problem living that long. The long term... the jaguar might not make it without a lot more magic. He's pretty chewed up."
Alex eyes the mink... then kneels down and carefully checks his and the caracal's pockets. The prisoners' pockets don't turn up anything of interest, unfortunately, and the mink doesn't seem to be particularly talkative. The other two are still unconscious. Alex tilts her head thoughtfully at the prisoners... then suggests to Carroll, "Let's split 'em up, and see if their stories match. Whomever comes clean first doesn't get hurt... the other two... do." She beams cheerfully at Carroll.
Carroll smiles and murrs, "I've got a better idea, I think, but I'll tell you later." He grins a foxish grin at them and adds, "Why don't we put them someplace quiet to think about things. Separately quiet, yes, so we can compare notes. Under guard." Alex nods and has the prisoners carted off, as per Carroll's and Cleo's directives. When Alex gets back, Carroll murrs, "Can you remind me who the mink is again?"
Alex sighs, relaxing slightly when they're gone, and looks tired. "What a night. Sam, can you set double watches please? Captain, anything you want done?" To Carroll's question she nods and says, "That was the Westmark mink that we last saw gambling with the rabbit Jeremy Featherstone, who's now missing. Jeremy is who paid off Tomasi, the young raccoon Dunbarton guard."
Carroll smiles and murrs, "That's what I thought. I'm glad I remembered right." He grins evilly and adds, "I have an appointment with Baroness Kerensky. Perhaps I'll bring her a gift."
Alex smiles quietly... what a thought. She murmurs calmly, "Wonder if the jaguar and the mages were working together or no."
Carroll murrs, "She will have the correct tools to get answers, if they can be gotten." Alex nods to Carroll, who chuckles, "I am going to leave it to the Baroness' skilled inquiry. I trust her to tell us what we must know."
Alex thinks for a moment, then nods quietly again, "All right then... I'll set extra watch for the rest of the night, and with your permission, captain, I'm going to dismiss everyone else to bed, yes?"
Carroll nods and murrs, "Yes, that sounds good." He murrs, "I think I'll try to get a little more sleep, if I can." As he moves away, he remembers something and turns, calling, "Alex? If you ever have to choose between pants and boots always, always choose the boots." He grins, salutes the first mate, and goes back to his cabin. Alex laughs and returns the salute with snappy savoir-faire!
Alex makes sure Dimitri is carefully tucked in under Natasha's care, then returns to nightwatch. Dimitri slowly returns to his bunk, curling up beneath the blankets, leaving room for his sister if she wishes... Alex checks with Cleo to see if Skeee's all right too. Cleo yawns as she prepares to go back to her bunk as well. "She'll be fine. The noise stunned her a bit, but we caught her before she could smash herself against the water. I fixed her ears up just fine again." She grins and twiddles her fingers at her apprentice. Alex grins in relief and waves g'night to Cleo, then goes back to quietly pacing the quarterdeck.
Alex's watch is interrupted again about an hour later, but
this time by a more welcome set of visitors. Ludmilla Kerensky herself
and a squad of the Queen's Own arrive to find out what happened.
Alex smiles and waves a welcome to them, and invites them aboard. She explains the evening's excitement to them, albeit quietly, noting that there are wounded still asleep below decks. She'll also send someone to quietly wake Carroll, since she knows he'd like to speak to the tigress. The tigress listens carefully to Alex's report, not even interrupting with questions until the end. She nods as Carroll comes up on deck. Carroll emerges from the cabin a few minutes later, fully dressed, and not showing any signs of the night's earlier work; he's cleaned all of his brother's blood out of his claws. He bows to the tigress, and murrs, "Good evening, Baroness Kerensky. Welcome aboard the Saucy Mare," and smiles brightly. Alex will step aside as Carroll comes up on deck, and quietly gives orders for the prisoners to be brought up on deck now the captain's present... she knows Carroll wanted to present them as a 'gift' to the baroness. Carroll's ears flick to Alex's orders, and then back forward. He murrs to Ludmilla, "I presume you've heard of the night's excitement?" Alex murmurs quietly to Carroll that she's updated the baroness, yes.
The tigress nods again. "That is why we came down here. Dama Alex says you have prisoners?"
Alex goes back to keeping watch, so Carroll can concentrate on the issue at hand... although her ears do flick curiously at the new (to her) title. She wonders if that one's part of the language the tigress and Natash- er... uh-oh! She turns, glancing around casually to see if either Sam or Natasha are on deck. No... good.
Carroll murrs, "I have an appointment with you tomorrow afternoon." He nods, "To that meeting I was going to bring this little gift, yes. One of the prisoners is a mink, probably in Westmark's employ, whom we saw with Jeremy Featherstone before the assassination attempt. Another is a mage, who was attempting to damage the ship, and instead," he gestures, "-managed to set the dock ablaze." He continues, "The third is a fool who tried to attack Dimitri. I felt you would have the proper resources to get the most useful information from them."
Ludmilla smiles, which is really not a reassuring sight, and her throaty purr sounds rather evil as well. "I'm sure we can." She sends one of her squad off with a message to be delivered to the Alchemist's guild.
Carroll's own smile is only slightly less reassuring... foxes are, after all, carnivores... and he murrs, "I thought you might enjoy that news." With a quiet chuckle he adds, "Anything you find out about why they'd be here doing this, or who they're working with, I would naturally be interested in hearing."
The tiger nods. "The least we can do, milord." She turns as Mikhail brings the mustelid prisoner on deck. "Ah... yes. I believe I've seen him before myself. Interesting." Carroll rather curiously watches the reactions of the prisoners as they're brought past the tigress, and as they realize what the fox has done to them. Alex smiles quietly from the sidelines, also watching... although her gaze traverses the Queen's Own more often than the prisoners. She already knows at least one of them was bought off... she's curious as to whether any others will look suddenly dismayed, or some other interesting reaction. Doesn't look like it. Good.
Carroll also murrs to the tall feline, "If there is anything we can do to assist before we set sail, please do let us know and we shall do our utmost." He chuckles and adds, "I was going to offer you a couple of knights to defend the Queen's person for an evening or two if you wanted to take the chance to follow other leads, or perhaps an evening's rest, and I would be happy to do so except that one of them has gotten himself damaged and will probably be three weeks or a month before he is at his best again." Alex grins quietly.
Ludmilla shrugs. "I appreciate the offer, but it's not really necessary." She glares at the mink, who is trembling nervously and looking around. The caracal is awake again but still a bit dazed, while the jaguar is still lying on a stretcher unconscious. Alex quietly strolls so she's between the railing closest to the mink... in her opinion he's got the look of a desperate furr -- one willing to try a stupid break to escape.
Carroll murrs, "The offer stands, Baroness, should you decide it would be helpful." He watches the prisoners brought out and murrs, "Enjoy, mm?" to her. He also asks, "We leave in a day or two... is it reasonable to hope for results by then, or should be expect to wait until we return?"
The baroness bares her teeth in one of those non-smiles again. "I think we'll have something by then."
Alex looks pleased as she quietly watches the mink. Carroll smiles and murrs, "I look forward to it."
The morning after the attack on the Saucy Mare dawns bright and clear as always in the Maidstone dry season. The wrecked building still smells of smoke and brimstone, but the sea breeze is clearing it away now. The sailors work on completing the few tasks remaining before putting to sea, and the warriors gather on deck for their morning exercises. Dimitri is conspicuously absent, Cleo and Alex both enforcing his bed rest orders.
Alex stands quietly as she waits for the warriors to gather. She lines up with everyone else at McKenzie's orders, and although her usual exuberance is missing her footwork is as professional as always. She starts out as smoothly as usual also when they are paired up for sparring practice -- and then, only a few minutes into the exercises she blinks startledly, brings her practice sword up into a defensive pose, and hastily backpedals 7 or 8 steps. Her ears are back, her left paw firmly over her mouth, and she actually looks a tad... green almost, around the less-furred parts of her face. She hastily gabbles, "Mr. McKenzie, permission to withdraw?"
The wolverine raises an eyebrow, but nods. "Granted. You don't look too well... but remember, in combat, they're not going to grant you a truce while you lie down." Carroll is loitering on the deck, looking busy but mostly enjoying the sunshine. He has been watching the practice, as something going on, and raises his eyebrows as Alex's sudden words. Alex nods quickly, then just as quickly puts down her practice sword and moves to the seaward side of the ship. She stands facing into the wind, holding onto the railing with both paws and taking deep, slow breaths. Carroll watches Alex and frowns. He apparently looks away from her at the rail, watching the practice, but she never actually leaves his field of vision.
After a bit Carroll decides Alex isn't actually going to be sick, and walks over and stands next to her at the railing, leaning gently against it. He looks at her and cocks his head, curiously. Alex's paws are white-knuckled on the railing, and she's staring determinedly out to sea. Her ears flick back at Carroll's approach, and she swallows, then says politely but a little stiffly, "Captain," when he looks at her.
Carroll asks quietly, "What's wrong, Alex?"
Alex swallows again, then rubs her face fiercely with one small paw. Her voice is low, so it won't carry, "I just... I just realized... realized... what... what we're doing." She closes her eyes and goes silent for a moment, as if she's not sure how to clarify that, then takes a deep breath and adds, "The practice. What we're doing... that... that we want to kill them. We're trying -- trying to make them dead. I just... I just needed a moment..." Alex pauses, then whispers softly, "Like... like the jaguar last night..." She takes another deep breath, her ears flattening, and puts one paw over her mouth again, looking unhappy.
Carroll ohs, and nods. He murrs quietly, "It's hard. I remember." He murrs, "The alternative, though, is worse, Alex."
Alex swallows a few times, then mutters quietly, "Do I want to know?"
Carroll murrs, as gently as he can, "I don't ever want to see you wind up that way, Alexandra. Far too often, that's the alternative." Alex thinks about that for a while... then nods once, stiffly.
Alex stares silently out to sea for a bit, her fur ruffled lightly by the breeze... then looks up at her brother, "Carroll... could we... do you have a moment? Could we talk? in your cabin?"
Carroll nods, and murrs, "Of course, Alex." and gestures her that way. Alex nods and walks carefully towards the cabin.
Carroll follows his sister closely, somewhat somberly. He steps past her to open the door, shows her in to the quiet, familiar cabin, and follows her in, closing the door behind him, pausing only to tell Jared not to bother them if he can help it. Alex sits down in a chair... and a moment later, without thinking about it, ends up curling up in it, her tail caught up in her lap, her chin resting on her knees and her arms wrapped about them. She just sits for a long moment, looking quietly morose. Carroll comes into the room and looks at his sister. His ears and tail droop, and he appears tired. He pads over and sits next to Alex, reaching out to gently stroke one shoulder. After a long moment he murrs simply, "I'm sorry, Alex."
Alex's ears tilt towards Carroll as he approaches. At his words she sighs softly... then, slowly and cautiously, she'll lean against him a little... as long as he doesn't seem to mind. Carroll doesn't mind at all. He smiles, a bittersweet smile, despite his own sad look at seeing the sister so full of life so suddenly stricken with hard realization. He puts his arm around her and supports her easily. For the moment, that is enough... Alex just sits. Slowly, in spite of her trying not to, her eyes fill up with tears, even though she's not sure precisely why... and when she realizes what's happening she turns her face into Carroll's shoulder and cries quietly. Carroll lets her cry, being as reassuring as he knows how to be. When she finally seems to stop crying he looks down at her, murring, "What are you feeling, Alex?"
Alex sniffles, rubbing her face again, not yet ready to look at anyone... she mumbles wearily, "...tired..." She pats her pockets down for a hankie, then wipes her face. She tucks the hankie away into one small paw, then sighs gustily, straightening up somewhat, leaning her elbows on her thighs and her chin in her hands. Morosely she adds, "That's... it's growing up, isn't it? That's what responsibility feels like?"
Carroll murrs, "No. Most of it's less intense, and there are always the rewards of knowing you did the right thing, even if it was awful at the moment." He leans back from her and adds, "If you care about others though, deciding to hurt someone is difficult."
Alex nods silently, still thinking. She straightens up after a moment, sighing, "Being head of the household must've been pretty fur-raising for you." She tilts her head, studying Carroll, then nods quietly, "I... think I get it more now." She looks down at the hankie in her hands, "It's not... fun. It's not a game. It's knowing that you're sending people you love into combat... even when you don't want to, but that's what they do best, and the best way you can take care of them is to let them do that... because safer things... they're just not that good at. And... to keep them always safe... would kill them inside just as surely." She looks up at Carroll again and says softly, "Isn't it."
Carroll murrs, "It's also knowing that there's a lot more people -- many of whom I may not know well, or at all -- who depend on what I do being the right thing, on the House being there to protect and aid them when it's needed." He sighs, adding, "It's why I don't sleep right, and forget to eat, and things, trying not to forget any of those people, or to do something that ruins the house; not just for me, but for the future, and wastes all the work and effort and glory of past Counts..." He trails off, realizing he's not helping Alex, probably not either of them. Alex nods morosely again in agreement. Carroll murrs, "On the other hand, Alex, you're doing better than I did."
Alex sighs again, straightening up completely even though she's still apparently focused on the hankie she's unwittingly twisting between her fingers. Almost reluctantly she says quietly, "Carro- captain... I... I'm very sorry, but I feel it's my duty to... to say..." she sighs again, looking tiredly at Carroll, "Remember how you told Dimitri to follow someone's lead at social functions? Well... I... don't think he's comfortable doing that, captain. I think... maybe it might be kinder if you... didn't take him to social functions any more." She looks down at her hands again, adding softly, "I'm sorry. I tried."
Carroll's smile reappears, and he murrs, "Yes, Alex, I know. Don't feel bad because you can't teach him in two weeks what a lifetime of upbringing has taught you and I." He adds, "What we'll do about him I don't quite know, but let me worry about that."
Alex gives Carroll a faintly exasperated look, "Carroll, you know as well as I that he got the same upbringing we both did." She sighs, adding quietly, "You can't take care of everything alone, either. That's what other command crew is for... and that's what family's for too." Her expression is quiet as she regards her brother thoughtfully, "They... take care of each other. I... may be new to this, but it's true, Carroll... and you know it. Isn't it."
Carroll murrs, "Family does that, yes. Of all the problems we're likely to encounter at this point, this is a minor one, though." He leans back, his chair creaking slightly as he shifts. With a quiet sigh, he mentions, "And while he was there, he hated it and was doing everything he could do not to be part of it. The thing I don't really understand is why he came back."
Alex is still looking at her small paws as she says softly, "He lost his military family... so he needed us again." She sighs, rubbing her eyes, and adds, "He's promised to stay... I don't think it would be kind to hold him to that though. But... he'll always have a place on any ship I'm captaining, for as long as he needs it..." She looks back at Carroll, "-because... he's family. He's my brother and he needs our help, our care for him... and..." she sighs with the slightest hint of exasperation in her voice, "-even though he doesn't know it, or maybe just denies it in himself... we need him too."
Carroll nods. He murrs, "Yes. You are understanding now. We all have those needs and dependencies, too." Alex nods silently. Carroll says, "Nothing can quite prepare you for that moment you realize it's for real, can it?"
Alex shakes her head sadly... although her ears are starting to come back to a more thoughtful and less depressed angle. A moment later she tilts her head at her brother, "What did you mean when you said I was doing better than you did?"
Carroll murrs, without a hint of teasing or shame either, "I didn't even make it to the railing."
Alex nods quietly, "I remember... you told me, that night on deck with Dimitri, about it." She's silent for a long moment, just sitting and not looking at anything in particular. Finally she stirs, sighing softly, "Well... can't sit in here all day." She looks up at Carroll quietly for a few seconds, studying him thoughtfully, as if she's never really looked at him before... then she smiles faintly, murmuring, "So... am I going to have to include you on my schedule? Assign you someone, to make sure you eat at the right times, and go to bed when you should? Sandwich you in between Horatio at 4 bells and Dimitri after fighter practice?"
Carroll smiles and murrs, "It seems to me you're going to be all right." After a moment's pause he adds, "I'm hugely relieved. To answer your question; no, you don't have to."
Alex raises an eyebrow, "Of course I'm going to be all right. If I weren't not only would it not be professional... but someone would have to take time out to care for me. We can't afford the wasted manpower." She nods, then gives her brother a faintly amused sideways look, "Very well then. Just remember... I'll be checking up on you." She rises, then sighs softly, turning to look down at her brother, "Carroll... please believe I am very serious when I say you should not try to do this alone." She studies him gravely for a moment, then adds gently, "Yes?"
Carroll shakes his head and murrs, "I've never forgotten that, Alex. I've always needed the rest of you."
Alex shakes her head, "Not what I mean, Carroll, and I think you know it." Her gaze is firm and direct, "I'm the first mate to your captain, Carroll. If you need something done... that's my job."
Carroll looks back just as steadily, and murrs, "You've never led me to believe anything else, or given me reason to worry that anything that needed to be done wouldn't be done."
Alex nods quietly, looking faintly reassured, "Okay, Carroll." That faint smile is back as she adds, "Just... making sure." She reaches out, gently squeezing Carroll's shoulder... then turns and heads quietly out of the cabin.
Baroness Kerensky returns to the Saucy Mare the next day in an extremely unhappy temper. "Someone was expecting -- or at least allowing for -- the failure of that mission."
Alex looks somehow unsurprised, but simply nods quietly from her spot on the window box next to Dimitri, so she can keep an eye on him. Carroll sighs and murrs, "I'm not surprised, Baroness. No one else has known anything either." He relates the issue with a runaway mink girl and the interception by other staff, who got away. Carroll murrs, "The ones we did get knew nothing."
The tigress sighs. "I've never seen it before... neither did Mistress Thorn. He was prepped for the possibility of truth potions. It killed him. The other two didn't know anything; he was their contact. Dead ends, the lot of them."
Alex blinks, straightening -- she's never heard of truth potions doing that before! Dimitri stops then... looking up to the Baroness. "They were expecting to fail? I don't understand. Or if they were..."
Carroll looks rather startled and murrs, "Oh, my." He then asks, "I wonder if he knew it would happen."
Alex growls softly, "More to the point, he's willing to sacrifice his people to save his own skin." She looks at the baroness alertly, "So did Westmark say anything about the mink? Was he a new hire, or long-term, or deeply trusted, or what?"
Carroll comments, "It might be possible to give someone a draught that would have that reaction, via alchemy or magic. If you told them it would make them proof against truth potions, it might be easy to get them to take it." He looks unhappy.
The tigress shrugs. "May have been done long ago... just in case. Thorn said he'd had another potion, which combined with the truth potion to create a deadly poison." Carroll nods. Ludmilla says, "We... have not yet approached the Viscount about this incident."
Dimitri crosses his arms and immediately regrets it. But he then relaxes and frowns, "It begs a different question, however."
Carroll murrs, "Perhaps useless to do so."
Alex shakes her head at Carroll, "No information on the mink is useless, Carroll. Right now we know nothing." She frowns at Dimitri's wince, but raises an inquiring eyebrow at his comment about a different question.
Carroll shrugs, "Asking Westmark just warns him to be more careful, or makes him upset that he's under suspicion, while now he merely wonders. He'll deny anything, involved or not." He also asks his brother, "What question is that?"
The tiger shrugs again. "Oh, we know who he is. But the Viscount will no doubt be shocked... 'Shocked, I say, that one of my servants would be involved in such a thing."
Alex looks up at the tigress curiously, "Where had you seen the mink before, baroness?"
Dimitri listens quietly as the conversation makes its course before he speaks. "If whoever it was behind this knew it would fail... what was he or she actually trying to accomplish..." Dimitri looks across to the Baroness. "I hope it wasn't to pull you away from Her Majesty."
Ludmilla says, "He was a minor member of the Viscount's entourage. He'd been to the palace two or three times, including the recent Grand Ball." She shakes her head. "No, nothing like that. The Queen is fine."
Carroll murrs, "Either they're feeling us out, distracting us, or merely paranoid at all costs, Dimitri. Personally, I hope it's paranoia."
Alex shakes her head slowly and thoughtfully at Dimitri, "I think it was more the person in question is extremely um... careful, in planning such things. This is, from the sound of it, a very methodical individual." She frowns, adding quietly, "-which... could easily indicate either Westmark, or the mongoose..."
Dimitri nods, agreeing with Alex, "Very methodical and willing to sacrifice three of his own. For something."
Carroll murrs, "To save his own ass might be reason enough."
Alex looks glum. "The number of avenues of investigation being terminally closed off is starting to alarm me, I must say... in some ways, while this might sound odd, I think it's not the mongoose. He made too many mistakes with us, and he's already having to deal with huge financial and social problems right now."
Carroll shrugs and murrs, "Either that, or he's getting desperate. That symptom of truth potions killing is a rather notable one."
Alex muses quietly, "-which... makes me wonder why Westmark won't let his daughter help him with the family finances... is he hiding something?"
Carroll shakes his head and murrs, "I'm sorry to hear that nothing of value came of these fools, Baroness. I was hoping there would be something useful to you."
Alex nods to Carroll, "That, actually, is a striking bit of extremely unusual alchemical knowledge, from what I can tell. Who would know that? Is that from the Empire? Is it ancient lore? I wonder if Horatio or Mistress Thorn knows..." Alex frowns, correcting herself, "Er, wait... we already know Mistress Thorn doesn't know..."
Horatio shakes his head. "No. I've never heard of anything like that, either."
Carroll nods quietly and murrs, "Well, if it happens again it'll be a good indicator that it's another of this person's staff."
Alex frowns thoughtfully again, then slowly asks, "Is there... anyone from Hamasura we could ask about that? The blowgun was from there, right?"
Dimitri tilts his head, "It wouldn't be another jungle trick, like the blowgun?" Alex nods to Dimitri's comment.
Carroll adds, "Disgusting way to find that out, though." He looks back at his family, then at the tigress, saying, "That's a good thought. Have you anyone who might know how to find this out?"
Alex nods thoughtfully at Carroll, then adds, "-or someone who's an expert on the Empire?"
Ludmilla nods. "We've got people looking all over the place. Hadn't thought of an Imperial connection before, though. I'll put someone on that as soon as we get back."
Alex nods quietly again, "Thank you, baroness."
Carroll hmms. He murrs, "Well, I am sorry to hear that there was nothing useful." He ponders the tigress for a moment, then murrs, "Perhaps I can give you an encouraging piece of news instead."
Ludmilla growls under her breath. "I'd certainly appreciate it." Alex smiles faintly, and with some sympathy.
Carroll murrs somewhat trepidatiously, "I must ask that this be kept in the closest confidence, Baroness. You we trust. The Queen we trust, and you may relate this to her if you feel it appropriate. The rest of the Palace staff I fear I do not. They've already shown they can be bought." He adds, "I hope you understand?" Alex's ears go up worriedly... but she doesn't say anything, just watches Carroll quietly.
Dimitri lets out a deep, long breath. And then he looks between Alex and Carroll, "We do know someone else to ask..." he lets his words fade away as Carroll continues.
The tigress nods. "I quite understand. Tomasi, at least, has shown that. We're still waiting for him to lead us to someone that we can follow up the chain."
Carroll nods at the tigress' answer and murrs, "Well then, I am pleased to tell you that we have located Count St. Genevieve and that he will be joining us in Starfall. I hope this is enough to be an ironclad case against House Pravinchandra." Alex smiles quietly, watching the tigress. Carroll concedes, "I realize this doesn't help find the threat against the Queen, but I hope it is considered good news." He smiles and adds, "We're quite pleased by it."
Ludmilla's ears twitch forward. "This is certainly good news. Is he on board here?"
Alex smiles a small smile at Ludmilla and murmurs quietly, "I'm sure you'd understand that we can't give any hint as to his current location?"
The tigress grins. "Oh, of course not. Give him our best wishes when you see him, then."
Alex nods courteously, "Have you met?"
Ludmilla shakes her head. "No, I have not. But I am sure that the Queen would wish to convey her respects, regardless."
Carroll nods and murrs, "I wish it were not so, or I would be too pleased to introduce him to the Queen, who has been so kind to us. Perhaps when this unpleasantness is resolved he will be able to return and thank her for all the help she has given us, personally."
Alex nods, glancing to Carroll and back to Ludmilla. Dimitri's ears flicker at Alex's question... and then he quietly leans back, considering. He looks between Alex and Carroll, however, and stays quiet. Alex sighs softly, thinking... then looks at Dimitri, "So, who do we know to ask that you were about to mention before?"
Dimitri nods to Alex, taking up the change in conversation. "We have a friend whose knowledge revels in the darker lore and intrigue, Alex. If any would know about such two part poisons... Bryn would." Dimitri blinks then, and just shuts his muzzle.
Alex looks thoughtful... then nods interestedly, "So she might." She gets a very thoughtful look then, and rises, politely adding, "Would you all excuse me for just a moment?"
Carroll hmms and murrs, "We'll have to ask her while we're in Starfall, yes." He makes a mental note of it, then nods quietly to Alex, "Of course."
Dimitri nods also, "Do you need a hand, Alex?"
Alex shakes her head to Dimitri, "You rest, I'll be right back," then patters quietly and swiftly out, heading for her room. She slips inside, closing the door behind her, then turns, "Father, I have a quick question for you, please? Do you know anything about Hamasuran blowguns or about two-part poisons, where if you administer a truth potion the victim dies?"
The Count has been listening, resting his head against the wall between the rooms. "I know something about blowguns, but I'd never heard of a poison that interacted with a truth potion. What did you need to know, dear?"
Alex explains swiftly and clearly what the assassination weapon was, and what happened to the attempted attacking mink, then adds, "We're hoping to find connections... anywhere now, actually." She sighs, then adds, "Like blowguns... how common are they? How difficult to use? What's the poison they use?" She frowns, "...now that's very interesting... that's twice now that poisons have been used. I wonder if this is the same... instigator..." She adds, to clarify, "It's not that the poison interacts with a truth potion... it's that something interacts with the truth potion, creating a poison."
The count nods. "Blowguns are easy to use, but they're not accurate over any kind of range... the projectiles are too light. Almost any kind of poison can be used, though in the jungles they prefer paralyzing ones. You may very well be right, that all these poisoning attempts are from one source."
Alex nods thoughtfully... then smiles and gives her father a quick hug, "Thank you. I'll be back after the baroness is gone." She slips discreetly out, then knocks on the captain's cabin door, and enters, to seat herself quietly next to Dimitri again. Dimitri looks back to Alex, curious.
While Alex is gone Carroll murrs to the tigress, "At this point, I fear I don't know what more good we can do you here. I know we're being watched by more than one faction, and that at least one is willing to use serious force to damage us. I don't know who or why." He adds, "Perhaps the best course for us is to get under way. Near-riots on the docks are an extra burden that neither your staff nor the city watch needs to cope with."
Dimitri softly growls, "And we present a less predictable target... while under sail."
Alex reenters, then murmurs quietly, "A thought occurred to me... this is twice now that a poison has been used. I was wondering if the er... instigator of the queen's assassination attempt is the same person who tried to fire-ball our ship."
Carroll hmms, and murrs, "An interesting thought. Someone with that sort of background, perhaps."
Ludmilla frowns. "It's certainly possible."
Alex asks next, "Have any of the higher families done military service abroad or anything? Done a lot of traveling? Have a fondness for the exotic or the unusual?" Alex's smile is small, "Aside from Westmark's fetish for ancient Imperial?"
Carroll mutters, "I have to wonder how much of that is a front hiding a clever person, or if he's really that off." Alex nods quietly at Carroll's comment.
Dimitri lets out a long breath. "Only way to tell is to find out who it is, however."
The tiger ponders this idea. "Vortalon was in the Navy when he was younger, I believe. White Haven was also, but I'm not sure if she ever served away from the League. The other two were not. Another loose end to track down..."
Carroll nods and murrs, "Far too many threads and suppositions, many of which I expect you've already covered."
The tigress nods. "But the truth is out there, somewhere. It's just a matter of tugging on the right thread."
Alex nods quietly again at Carroll's comment, adding, "Thank you for indulging my curiosity, baroness."
Dimitri drums his fingers upon his leg, considering. "That, or someone with deep trading resources. Someone who can buy whatever they wish. Someone to whom paying off three furs to lose might simply be an acceptable loss in cash for a greater gain later. Too many loose threads at the moment... I believe." Alex nods again, still thinking.
Carroll murrs, "We have our own set of loose threads to tie up. Once those are in hand I hope we will be able to help. We may get tangled in a long journey, too."
Alex adds softly, "It sounds strange, I know... but I still think the individual who most closely fits this extremely nebulous er... outline of a person... is Westmark." She pauses, then adds, "Baroness, when did Westmark start acting this way?"
Ludmilla scowls. "Hard to say. He's been at it for a long time, even since before his father died, from all reports. Longer than Arianna's been alive, at least." She pauses, thinking some more, associations generated by these thoughts spiraling off into new ideas. "His father... the old Viscount Westmark... died unexpectedly while he was still fairly young. I wonder... Baroness DuPrei would know..."
Alex murmurs quietly again, "How did he die, I wonder?"
Dimitri softly growls, "By poison?"
Carroll murrs, "More questions."
The tigress shakes her head. "I don't know. I need to find out, I think."
Carroll smiles and murrs, "New, unexpected directions are always worthwhile. I hope something comes of the thought."
Alex adds thoughtfully, "His life seems to be well set up to isolate him, whether by accident or design I do not know... but his wife refuses to be seen in public with him and isn't interested in monetary affairs... he's not interested in his daughter... he runs his own business, and is quite monetarily stable... quite the brilliant investor, it would seem. Furthermore... if the 3 great houses tore themselves apart due to a successful assassination attempt on the queen... I doubt he'd mind much. He's already pretty much unchallenged in his export field of textiles, and quite secure besides." She rests her chin in her hand and adds softly, "He's good at business... methodical and forward planning." She watches the tigress quietly.
The tigress nods. "It's certainly possible..." She's interrupted by a knock at the cabin door.
Alex adds after a moment, "It wouldn't even have had to be him that arranged the old king's death... he could have just learned by example." She falls silent at the knock. Dimitri shrugs quietly, his muzzle wrinkling. Alex smiles faintly to herself, realizing that if Redtail is actually innocent and the St. Genevieve siblings do succeed in casting observation on the actual guilty party... it's unlikely the duke will ever know... or really care, she supposes with quiet amusement.
Carroll looks over and murrs, "Yes?" at the door.
Natasha sticks her head in the door. "Baroness? You are beink needed back at the palace..." She trails off as the tigress turns and looks at her in puzzled... recognition? Carroll looks over and at Natasha, catching her reaction. He glances to the tigress when the wolf trails off, uncertain as to what's going on. He doesn't want to have to get between his crew and the Baroness... but he will, if that's what has to happen. Dimitri suddenly looks up and stands, between the Baroness and Natasha.
The tigress speaks after a long moment of staring. "Vash luchesya? Tat' b'vo?"
Alex raises an eyebrow... now why did Natasha do that, knowing the tigress would be here? Carroll waits for both Alex and Natasha to tell the hurt Dimitri to sit down, and also for the answer to this question. Alex rises, stepping over to the door, and says quietly, "Natasha, perhaps you should come in." She'll close the door behind Natasha, then add just as quietly, "Dimitri, have a seat, please. I think we're all going to be polite here." There is the faintest emphasis on the word 'polite' -- although it's Natasha and Ludmilla that Alex seems to be addressing her comment to. Alex continues calmly, "Natasha, this is the baroness Kerensky, the queen's bodyguard, whom I've told you of. Baroness, this is..." she pauses, watching the tigress, then says with quiet firmness, "Natasha Zhukov is her name here." Carroll looks back and forth between the two formidable females. Dimitri stands quiet, looking between the three. Alex. Natasha. Kerensky. And he does sit down. But when he does he reaches out for Natasha's paw, to fold within his own.
Natasha gently nudges Dimitri back to his seat. "Da. Nye'vazhno." She looks around, judging what to say. "T'e oder soldier iss sayink sometink about trut' poisons, yes? Is 'avink 'eard of t'em before. Comink from Bharat. Secret, da?"
Alex shakes her head in tired amusement at Dimitri, but doesn't say anything to him. Instead she just nods, "A potion that reacts with a truth potion, to cause death? Is that it? Where is Bharat?" Dimitri shrugs to Alex, glancing once up to Natasha. He then just closes his eyes, resting his head against the cabin wall.
Natasha nods. "Is rumored beink used by assassins, tanea... shto.. secret. Secret cult."
Horatio adds, "Bharat is the region south of Karaganda. The same place the spices and chai come from, right, Natasha?" The wolf nods.
Carroll listens carefully, watching reactions, attentive. When Horatio speaks he murrs, "Why would they be involved?" and looks perplexed.
Alex ohs softly, then adds, "Is this where that um... that pry anos comes from?" Puzzledly she adds, "What would one of those be doing here though?" She tries again, struggling with pronunciation, "pry-a-nost!" and watches the tigress with quiet interest at Natasha's announcement.
The wolf growls a little. "Secret assassin cult. T'e vork for 'ooever payink t'em. Is expensive, da?"
Carroll frowns and murrs, "Money isn't a constraint." He muses, "We had that idea anyway."
Alex muses softly, "I wonder... it would be a rich furr indeed that could afford to not only hire them, but also to have fronted enough expeditions there to even discover the assassin cult's presence..."
Carroll murrs, "And there was a trip planned that way just before things got really difficult for Father." He looks up and murrs, "Why would someone not want St. Genevieve going there?"
Dimitri eyes stay closed, but then he shrugs, "And was worried enough to stop a major merchant family from getting even close to that trade route."
Alex adds dryly, "This is certainly not looking marvelous for the viscount. I'd be interested in seeing where his shipping's ports of call were for a few years back..."
Carroll murrs, "Here I was just thinking it pointed at the mongoose."
The tigress is looking at the wolf with narrowed eyes. "How would you know about them?" Natasha sighs. "Fat'er capture vun, tryink trut' potion. Same t'ing. Long ago, before left Karaganda."
Alex shakes her head, "We have too many questions, not enough answers. Carroll, my thought would be that if he wanted to stop the potential trip to Karaganda, all he had to do is stop Father... not the entire family." She looks up, adding equally dryly, "Actually... how do the two of you know each other?"
Dimitri shakes his head, his eyes still closed. "No. He had to take down all of us. All five us. See how much trouble we have caused because he failed?"
Carroll murrs, "An assassin is more likely, I fear."
Alex blinks, straightening up suddenly, "Wait... the assassins do this to themselves?! So... does that mean the mink was the assassin?!" Dimitri leans forward again, his eyes snapping open at Alex's question. Alex adds slowly, "Somehow... I doubt we'll see Jeremy Featherstone again, if so..." Carroll looks back at Baroness Kerensky, trying to gauge how she's reacting to this.
The tigress grins, rather sardonically. "Sergeant Zhukov is known back in her homeland as Her Radiance, Lady Natasha Vlastevya. I doubt she would know me."
Alex nods calmly, "And yourself would be known there as...?" Alex can probably be seen, by her lack of startlement, to already know who Natasha was, if the tigress cares.
Carroll seems unimpressed. He murrs, "I know her only as a trusted member of my crew and a skilled swordswoman." He adds, "That's enough for me."
The tigress smiles. "Just plain Ludmilla Kerensky, third daughter of a meat-cutter."
Carroll murrs, "Just the stalwart defender of Queen Arianna Dunbarton." He shrugs, adding, "You've earned my respect, Baroness."
Alex pauses, then adds quietly to herself, "Pretty title... 'her radiance'..." then looks back up at the tigress inquiringly, "If you do not mind my nosiness, what caused you to come here?"
Dimitri's ears just flicker once, the campaign rings jangling. "She lets me hold her hand. And that's important to me." Alex smiles quietly at Dimitri... then looks back at the tigress.
Ludmilla grins and stretches. "Luck, fate, whatever you want to call it. Completely by accident, really. I just knew I didn't want to grow up to be married to a tradesman. I saw Lady Natasha once when she was a little girl and her father came to town for a tournament... just before I left and joined the mercenaries."
Alex nods and says politely, "Well... thank you for indulging my curiosity, baroness." She pauses, shifting mental gears, then nods again, looking up at the two women, "All right. So... could the mink be the hired assassin?" Alex smiles quietly to herself as one of her previous assumptions is born out -- Ludmilla wants to stay. She tilts her head, regarding the tigress with quiet interest... a strange but effective pair, the foreign white tigress and the dark-phase vixen queen. No wonder they're so close.
Natasha shakes her head. "Nyet, nyet... too scared. But someone is givink 'is boss t'e potion, yes?" Dimitri turns his head slowly to look up to Natasha. His dark eyes sparkle, but before he says anything he settles back, listening to the conversation turn again.
Alex nods, her gaze on Natasha, then sighs softly, "Ah well... it would have been too easy to be that, I suppose. So... how does one catch one of these assassins then? Do they have anything distinctive about them?"
Natasha shrugs. "Not knowink. T'e vun fat'er catch, vas mongoose."
Dimitri chuckles softly. "One day we will actually run into a nice and friendly mongoose. And only discover it after we skewer him..."
Alex frowns, thinking... then sighs again and shakes her head, "Pravinchandra just doesn't make sense here though... he's so... so blatant. Pirates. Blacklists. Whoever this is has some subtlety to them... poison, close-in delicate weapons like blowguns..." She falls silent again, still musing.
Carroll murrs, "You don't think..." and trails off. After a moment he murrs, "That's paranoid of me."
Dimitri softly growls, "Unless Pravinchandra's the pawn."
Alex nods to Dimitri, murmuring, "Kinda what I'm thinking here too..."
Carroll nods, "It might also explain the desire to keep the homeland private, and an unusual effort there."
Alex says, "Pardon, Carroll?"
Carroll murrs, "If Pravinchandra is being manipulated, by some secret group, they might not want things to be opened up; quiet privacy is much better for them to work from. A huge, booming trade could make their work more difficult. So when a trading house seriously infringed they used their pawn -- perhaps against its best interests or in a heavy-handed way -- to try and prevent that."
Alex blinks, then adds slowly, "A... trading house making sounds about opening up the market... I understand...!"
Carroll murrs, "It also might explain why P would do what he did; he was being pushed by someone to deal with this right away and completely. I might also be reaching terribly."
Alex nods quietly, "It's still a fascinating speculation, Carroll."
Carroll gets a nasty grin and adds, "Let's get him to take a truth potion in front of council?" Alex chuckles quietly. Carroll murrs, "It might work for the Palace staff, too. Perhaps a little heavy-handed."
Dimitri shrugs quietly, "And watch him die. Careful, Carroll. If there is a person behind the mongoose... stripping the mongoose might just leave us with exactly what we have now. Nothing. This furr is sharp, Carroll, sharper than we are. For example, what if the attack tonight was to push us out of Maidstone to take out the mongoose... and eliminate a pawn that's no longer working well for him?" Dimitri shrugs quietly. "Maybe we need to keep House Pravinchandra loose for a while, and play watch the mongoose. Certainly if we put less than fatal pressure on him... if he has a patron he'll go running to him." Carroll mutters grudging agreement.
Alex tilts her head quietly at Dimitri, smiling faintly, "He's not sharper than we are necessarily... just better financed. He's made one big mistake... we know he exists now."
Carroll murrs, "We think he exists. We may be working too hard. We need more information. Dimitri's right; watching Pravinchandra squirm is probably a good idea." Carroll grins and adds, "I think he'll do a bit of that when we get back too." Alex chuckles quietly again. Carroll murrs, "Baroness, you were needed at the Palace, and I'm certain we've all plenty to think about now. I would hate to keep you from something important."
Ludmilla stands. "In that case, we should wish you a quick passage. I'd better get back to the palace and see what new emergency has cropped up... probably nothing important."
Dimitri slowly pulls himself up again, nodding to the baroness. "Good day..." Dimitri pauses, then looks up to Natasha, smiling. "Told you you were my princess with a sword."
Carroll also stands and sees the Baroness out and off the ship, murring, "Of course, but you never know," and making other pleasantries, asking, "Please give the Queen our best regards," and such. Alex nods politely to the baroness when Carroll does. Ludmilla waves and departs, the messenger and the other guard in her wake.
Alex murmurs softly, where she stands next to Carroll waving to the departing baroness, "Wonder what's so important at the palace... hope she remembers the questions we asked her," then just falls silent, thinking.
Carroll murrs, "As she said, probably nothing." He looks over the ship, murring, "It's amazing how often people just don't think and decide it's an emergency." He adds, "Also, having a page come with a message at a particular time is a great way to leave a meeting that's run overlong and have no one lose face." He smiles winningly and adds, "Trust me." Alex smiles silently up at her brother... then quietly heads back to work.