| Logs |
2001-05-13
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
Doing Research
- The inn is a modest one, though with excellent food. The
proprietor is a bit startled to see the foxes and their entourage return
so soon after they'd left, but is quite happy to serve another round
of drinks.
Sten takes a sip of his ale to wet his throat after the questions he'd been answering from the siblings -- apparently his siblings too... an odd new thought -- and looks curiously at Carroll. Carroll listens to Sten's story, then says finally, "Interesting indeed. It seems that our esteemed father was not quite as careful and circumspect as he led us to believe." He grins cheerfully, asking, "Would you like to meet him, Sten?"
Sten says carefully, "I'm not sure I'd have named his liaison with my mother less than circumspect... but yes, I admit I'm curious about the man. In all honesty, I can't be more than curious yet -- I know him not at all." The russet wolf shrugs, not impolitely, then asks Carroll, "How do you think he'd react to the discovery of an unexpected child appearing full-grown on his doorstep?"
Carroll nods, "He is on his way to Maidstone for a meeting of the Killimaran League. I," and here the fox grins mischievously, "-would be pleased to introduce you." He sips from his near-untouched drink, then asks, "Are you curious about the family? Had you decided to follow up the sigil?" Alex watches alertly, her ears perked up with interest as she sips her drink. Carroll considers that last question of Sten's, then says, "Much has to do with the manner in which the new person arrives and how they behave. If they are an honorable and upright person who are looking for their family, I expect he will adjust quickly enough." He leaves unsaid the reaction to someone seeking a handout or who would dishonor the family.
Sten smiles quietly, humor in his eyes. "I wasn't sure before -- one cannot replace one's mother with a strange man, after all. I was still toying with the thought of tracking down the sigil when I came here and the decision became a lot less theoretical." He winks. "I'm still trying to adjust to having skipped the first few steps..."
Carroll chuckles, "No one will ever replace your mother, Sten, and I think we would be fools to try. However, you might find new friends or even family which you would enjoy becoming part of."
Sten grins a little shyly at Carroll. "I'm looking forward to finding out. I'll certainly give those possibilities a chance; I'd be a fool not to. I always kind of wanted sibs." He shrugs cheerfully. "What will be, will be."
Alex says, "So what are you doing now?" She tilts her head thoughtfully, studying the big wol- no, half-and-... well, no, not exactly that either... a new brother, oddly enough! Seems nice enough so far... "Are you a member of the mercenary's guild?"
Sten nods to Alex, "Yes, I am."
Alex looks interested, "Really?" She does a quick, gauging glance at his weaponry tack -- he's no greenie from the look of it... "How many years?" Good... this'll be a way for Carroll to find out more about him, and him to find out about us.
Carroll is distracted by MacKenzie coming back in and looking around for the foxes. When he is waved over he says, "Excuse me, Captain, but there is some problem with the thieves we caught earlier. They are denying our story and say we are lying to them." Carroll frowns and MacKenzie adds, "Would you like to come talk to them, or shall they just be let free?"
Carroll says, "No, I'll come." The eldest fox stands and says, "Excuse me while I attend to this. Please feel free to stay here as long as you like, or to return to the ship." He tells Alex to make sure the innkeeper knows where they go if they do, and then leaves with MacKenzie, looking apologetic.
Alex nods to Carroll, "No problem, captain," and waves as he leaves.
Sten nods politely to Carroll as he leaves, then turns to answer Alex. "Ten years, from the time I started as an apprentice. With my mother a member I knew exactly what I wanted to do from a very young age."
Alex nods interestedly, her chin resting on one small paw. Even better then... we can find out about his mother's record as well as his... and he can research both our employment record and Daddy's! She smiles, "That's nice... knowing what you want to do from a very young age. I'm glad your mother encouraged you so." She sips from her mug again, then smiles at the big canid, "So... let me guess -- this is all a bit overwhelming to you? Do you have any questions you want to ask us?"
Sten smiles back at Alex, then admits, still smiling, "A bit, yes. It's not every day your family expands from no close living relatives to four..."
Alex giggles! -then honesty compels her to add, "Well, five, actually... me, Horatio, Dimitri who's in Starfall, Carroll, and Daddy."
Sten leans back in his chair, holding his still-mostly-full mug. "I am curious, yes... what do each of you do? You have an air of working as a team. Is this so?" He blinks, "Oh. Five. My. Sorry."
Alex beams cheerfully at Sten, "Why, thank you! We have tried hard to make a team, yes." She thinks a bit, then grins, "Um... well, would you like the whole story, or a condensed version?"
Sten grins... "Whichever you think will confuse the newcomer less, please. I'll rely on your judgement."
Over several refills of their drinks, Alex tells of the St. Genevieve siblings' saga to date... how their father vanished and House Pravinchandra foreclosed, how they were left with nothing but a deliberately humiliating job for the mongoose and the Saucy Mare, how the mongoose's errors started to pile up... the attempted pirate attack, the false cargo, the non-confiscation of Ettore by Pravinchandra, the "expendable" crew... and how the siblings eventually turned things around on the mongoose -- by declaring vendetta in Maidstone against his house, sinking his shipping, accumulating evidence against him, and finally confronting him opening in the Starfall Council Chambers. Alex's pride and enthusiasm in her family are obvious as she talks... her gestures are animated and she tells the story with obvious pleasure. Once she's done, she concludes with, "And so... now we're here! and we found you. So, what's happened with you?"
Sten blinks and laughs. "Nothing that exciting... the highlights, you already know! I've simply been leading a fairly quiet life between campaigns and jobs... enjoying the scenery, and fighting beside my family and friends. I'm afraid your recent events are far more exciting than mine."
Alex notices, early on in her tale telling, that Sten's still nursing the same mug-full. She thinks for a moment, then grins -- smart of him! She makes sure, after that pitcher of beverages, that later refills are of the much weaker alcoholic varieties... if Sten wants some he'll help himself. Sten notes the lessening of alcohol content, and grins quietly to himself. He finishes his first drink as Alex spins her tale, and enjoys a refill or two as his new siblings' history unfolds for him. At his last comment she looks suddenly even more (if that's possible) alertly interested, at Sten's words, "Fighting beside family and friends? Huh! So you've worked with fighting teams then?"
Sten nods to Alex' question, "Yes; Mother and I worked as a team, and we tended to stay with a larger group as well. It helps a great deal to have partners you're familiar with when fighting -- the balance of complementary skills is nice, too."
Alex nods, looking pleased, "I couldn't agree more! Um..." a sudden thought occurs to her, "So... you're part of... what... a platoon or something?"
Sten hesitates, eyes thoughtful. "I was. After Mother died, I decided to go solo for a bit of a change of scenery while I did some thinking. It brought me here... but I'd be welcome to return. My teammates understand either way."
Horatio is, himself, drinking a fruit-blend juice he's become rather fond of, listening with fascination and just starting to get over his bewilderment. He blinks. His mother must have died fairly recently, then... this is a lot to absorb! I never knew I had a half-brother... I mean, how to react to him is simple enough: if he turns out to be our half-brother, he's our brother, our sibling, blood... that doesn't change. But gosh... what to say?
Alex nods quietly again, falling silent to think a bit. Horatio finally clears his throat as the brief silence stretches for that little bit longer than comfortable. "You must've seen a lot all around," he blurts out, then blinks a bit, mentally berating himself. "Ah... out of curiosity, have you ever been to Hamasura or Costa Yermo?"
Sten shakes his russet head, "No, Horatio, I've never been that way... I've been up in the northern part of the League and in the Empire, mostly."
Alex nods interestedly, listening... good question of Horry's. They'll have to hit the merc's guild again soon. Horatio bobs his head. "Just wondering!" Then he deadpans, "Since we've had so much trouble from them... though it's probably a good thing you didn't go by there, recently. It sounds like a rather... erm, dark place..."
Alex nods ruefully to Horatio, "Costa Yermo, at least."
Horatio looks outside, and at the movement of a number of patrons towards the doorway. "It's getting a bit late, though. We should get back to the ship and check with the watch." He looks to Sten, beaming. "Oh... but maybe we can have lunch tomorrow, and start figuring where to go from here!"
Alex finishes her drink, then nods to Horatio, "Good idea." She glances at the big canid, "Would you be free for lunch tomorrow? You could meet us at the Saucy Mare, if so? About eight bells?"
Sten blinks... Oh, yes, tomorrow... assuming I don't wake up in an alley with no purse, a bump on my head and imaginary, concussion-induced siblings after all, I guess planning would be a good idea... He smiles to Alex and Horatio, "I'd be delighted. I'll be there, and thank you kindly for the invitation." He rises, stretching the kinks out from sitting so long talking... "Until then, be well, and thank you again for all you've done tonight." The russet canid bows, smiling, and departs for his Guildhall.
The guard on duty at the Guildhall nods to Sten when he arrives. "You were out longer than you said you'd be, Sergeant. Any problems?"
Sten grins ruefully as he nods back to the guard, "The streets are full of cutpurses, and no good deed goes unpunished, as usual, Armsman... but nothing that caused more than inconvenience."
The sentry nods again, though his eyes stay on the street. "That they are, Sergeant. Good to hear nothing too bad happened, then." Sten nods wryly to the sentry and continues thoughtfully into the Guildhall.
A pair of furrs too old for fieldwork staffs records at the Maidstone Guildhall. Rebecca, an elderly vixen, is still there when Sten arrives. "Sergeant. What can I do for you?"
Sten smiles at the vixen. "Miz Becky... I'd like to look into the records we have on the St. Genevieve family, please."
Rebecca looks up. "The family... Count St. Genevieve and his kids?"
Sten nods, "Aye, the same."
The vixen nods. "Let's see..." She flips through the 'Client' files for a moment. "Here we are... mmhmmm... mmhmmm... yep..." She looks up. "Nothing bad on them. The Count has hired from the Guild on occasion, and Carroll and the others played straight with our people during that mess they had up in Starfall. They've been down here for a while now, and rumor has it that they're in pretty tight with Queen Arianna. You thinking of hiring on with them?"
Sten says cheerfully, "It's a thought. Sounds like I could do worse. Thanks, Becky... would you recommend them as employers?"
Rebecca nods. "They look to be good ones, yes. There aren't any complaints on file about them, and the Hall in Alburtis gives the Count a first class rating." She continues, "They've been involved in a bunch of scrapes down here, you know. Sir Alexandra broke up an attempted assassination of the Queen, then there was the mess they had in Starfall which slopped over here, Alexandra got kidnapped, and then there was that business at the Costa Yerman Embassy the other day. They're a lively bunch." Sten nods thoughtfully... Rebecca chuckles. "About time they thought about hiring more guards."
Sten grins. "Lively, eh? Sounds like they could use another few swords. Thanks, Becky..."
The vixen nods. "Anything else? I'm about to close up shop for the night."
Sten grins at the elderly vixen. "I'm afraid I can't think of anything else to bother you with tonight, so I'll have to drag myself away from your company." He gives her the most charming wink he can summon after tonight's rather draining events.
Rebecca snorts. "Off with you, then, you scamp." Sten grins and bows saucily to Rebecca before seeking his well-earned rest. She grins, then goes about the routine of locking up the files before she heads to her quarters.
An invitation for Carroll to dine with Arianna arrives early in the morning of the next day, delivered while Alex is still running through her morning workout. Alex watches with interest, smiling at the invite, but doesn't say anything, just waves cheerfully as her eldest brother leaves. She turns back to fighter practice, and the fleeting thought occurs to her... will the don remember her invitation to come to fighter practice, or no? He was terribly injured, true... but it's been several days now, and supposedly he was almost all healed...? Then she gives an exasperated snort at herself, shaking her head firmly. Concentrate on the important things in life, like family and fighting... not silly men from repressive countries!
Horatio also grins cheerfully as Carroll gets summoned to breakfast with the queen. I'm glad they're still able to do that, he thinks. To see each other, that is. After all that's happened, it's probably a good idea for the Queen to not do that fur-switching trick anymore. Certainly not while we're still apparently getting involved in very large things. His smile fades slightly as he finishes his morning maintenance of the ballistae and rigging, spotting points in the rigging for the day's work crews to mend and maintain. He'll check the mending later in the day, towards evening; he's found that the seamen do the work better without him fussing over it.
As a consequence he's been making a point of not getting involved in the daily rigging maintenance unless there's something very serious to fix. That setup of his is unusually complex, and requires more than a bit of mending, after all. He makes some notes in the rigging log, then comes up on deck, awaiting Alex to finish fighter practice and her usual "dancing in the rigging" morning acrobatics so they can head over to the guildhall and see, out of curiosity, what they can discover about their newly-discovered sibling...
Carroll takes MacKenzie and a few other guards when he departs for the palace, leaving Jessie in charge of the squad assigned to Alex and Horatio. This is the young mink's first leadership solo, and she looks nervous at first, but soon steadies down. The Guildhall is much the same as its counterparts in other cities: a heavy stone building occupying most of a block -- almost a fortress in its own right, though in Maidstone the gates are rarely shut. The sentries salute, recognizing Sir Alex, but do not stand aside immediately. "Good morning. You have business with the guild, ma'am?"
Alex smiles reassuringly at Jessie, quite sure that the young mink will steady down quickly -- just as Alex herself did when they first embarked on the Saucy Mare. At the guild she nods politely to the two guards, "Indeed. We're thinking of hiring again." Horatio watches Jessie lead the squad, with no small amount of pride and... something else. He certainly enjoys being with her, and he smiles encouragingly to her if he catches her eye. However, as they arrive at the Guildhall, he remains slightly behind Alex, and quiet, listening to her interchange with the sentries.
The sentry nods. "Certainly, ma'am." He shouts for an apprentice, and a young wolf appears. "Kevin. Take Sir Alexandra and her brother to the hiring office, please?"
The youngsters nods and salutes. "Yes, Armsman. Sir Alexandra?" He gestures politely to the foxes.
When the young wolf arrives Alex blinks, then flashes a grin to the guard. She turns and nods politely to the young wolf, then follows him with Horatio. She's a little startled as she walks, wondering about the guard's prodigious memory... she doesn't think she did anything too obvious last time they were here, and yet he knows not only her name and rank, but her preferred title-choice! It's... very nice... but also makes her wonder a little. Then she brightens slightly. Hm... maybe the combination of her trying to emulate Carroll's usual immaculateness, and Pablito's efforts, are bearing some fruit, and she looks more memorable than she used to?
Walking into the Hall with Alex, Horatio muses about the recognition of his sibling. That's certainly a good thing, he thinks with pride. She's done a lot here. Of course... that also means that whomever our enemies here shouldn't have trouble recognizing her. But they'd have no trouble anyway... if anything, this might cut down on the number of cutpurses who might pounce on us at night. He amuses himself only half-jokingly with the image of a number of unsavory cutpurses peering out of the shadows and muttering, "No way, we don't dare attack them! That's Sir Alex and a squad of marines from the Saucy Mare!" -right before a starbolt lands in their midst... his little imagining is broken when they near the Records section of the guildhall.
The grizzled old cheetah-femme, Colonel Jamiston, looks the same as she did the last time the St. Genevieve family was here. "Sir Alexandra, Lord Horatio. Welcome. What can we do for you today?"
Alex smiles and nods politely, "Colonel Jamiston, it is good to see you again..." she grins, "-and under much better familial circumstances than last time. Might we trouble you for some information on two mercenaries? We've heard good things about them, er, 'on the street,' as it were... and we were thinking of hiring again as it was?"
The colonel nods. "Certainly. Did you have someone in particular in mind, then?"
Alex nods, "They are, if I understand correctly, a mother-son team..." she pauses, thinking, then pronounces the names carefully, "Joielle and Sten Rivard, I believe?"
Jamiston looks a little puzzled. "Sergeant Rivard is here, I know. He arrived alone, though, not as part of a team."
Alex tilts her head thoughtfully, "Indeed? Hm. Do you have any records on his mother as well?" She frowns, then adds, "I may have the name wrong... Joiselle, I think?"
The cheetah frowns in thought. "Joiselle Rivard... I can't say that I remember the name. A mother-son combat team, you say? Odd... well, I don't know her, but Records might have something. Kevin will show you the way."
Alex looks a bit grave, but nods, "I would like to see anything you have on either of them, if you please?"
Jamiston nods. "Sergeant-major Eisenberg will know if we have anything." The young wolf pops into the room at the colonel's call, and leads Horatio and Alex to the Records office. The sergeant-major is a gray-furred vixen who still looks tough enough to outwrestle anyone in her size class. The tip of one ear is missing, and so are the outer two fingers of her left hand. "Yes?"
Alex nods politely to the vixen, introducing herself and her brother, and explaining their current quest. She can't help but wonder how one loses the last two fingers on the shield hand... but regretfully realizes that's a story she'll probably never be privileged to hear. Instead she simply maintains the same courteous professionalism Carroll always seems to give off... or at the very least she'll give it her best effort.
Eisenberg nods at Alex's request and sorts through the files for a few minutes. "Ah-hah. That's what I thought I remembered. Joiselle Rivard is in the deceased file. Sergeant Rivard is here in Maidstone. He's listed as a security specialist, shipboard guard. No complaints on file, lots of experience against the pirates on the Empire's coast."
Alex listens with interest -- oh, good, experience with pirates! -that's a bennie, definitely... then nods, "Can you tell me anything about the mother's record as well, Sergeant-major?" She adds thoughtfully, "And... can you tell me how long ago the mother died, please?"
Horatio stands there, listening respectfully and quietly. He's definitely interested in seeing what records there are on Sten Rivard. Though... it'll be interesting to see Father's reaction! He deliberately squashes the part of his mind that's started comparing Sten's apparent age with those of Alex, Carroll, Dimitri, and himself. It doesn't matter, he says to himself. If he's blood, he's blood! On a slightly more sour note, Something that seems to have passed by the new Viscountess-to-be Westmark... Oh, Elements, I hope we're wrong about that, but right now she may be a link to something more, to whatever it was that got Pravinchandra after us in the first place...
He dismisses those thoughts again, and focuses on the here-and-now... then blinks at the older vixen's words. Well... he did say his mother was dead... oh, dear... that's a hard thing to go through. It must have been worse, since he'd been fighting by her side for so long. But he transcended that, it seems...
Eisenberg nods. "Major Rivard died a little over seven months ago, Sir Alexandra. Not in battle; the healers say it was a sudden illness."
Horatio blinks, perking his ears. "Ah... where was she at the time...?"
Alex's soft, thoughtful murmur echoes the vixen, "...seven months... poor guy..." She glances over at Horatio's query, then back to the sergeant-major.
"She'd gone on sick leave at Skaergard, according to the records. Didn't last a week."
Horatio frowns slightly, his brow furrowing. "A week..." Note to self: what records of plague and disease are there for that corner of the world? Might be a good idea to stay away from there for the time being... Then Horatio shakes his head to himself. No, not a plague... silly student, that would have been well-known. The healers would have prevented that sort of thing. Which... probably makes it all the more tragic... something the healers there couldn't handle...
Alex hms to herself, thinking... a major, eh? Okay, so the mother was definitely competent and trusted by the guild... and it looks like her son's done well by himself too. Carroll will want to know this... er, no, wait, not just 'the major's son'... Sten's also her new brother as well! Alex grins faintly to herself -- that's still a strange, not-yet-entirely comfortable thought. She smiles at the grizzled vixen, "Well then... thank you very much for your time, sergeant-major. We appreciate you answering all our questions." She grins at Horatio, "Shall we? We should be back to the ship before eight bells, after all!"
Horatio blinks to Alex, then nods quickly. "Oh! Yes, it almost is!" He nods to the mercenary vixen, "Thank you very much for your help ma- er, sergeant-major." He's been on this adventure long enough to know that sergeant-majors rather dislike being addressed as officers.
The vixen nods. "My pleasure." The foxes take their leave, Kevin leading them back to the main entrance. Their guard detail is waiting for them and the trip back to the ship is uneventful. Jessie looks quite pleased with herself... Alex grins quietly to herself at Jessie's pride, but simply treats her with the same casual professionalism that MacKenzie receives. Back at the ship she sighs, realizing Carroll's not back yet, and grins ruefully at Horatio, "Well... looks like it might be just you and me for lunch with new brother Sten. Is that okay with you?"
Horatio bobs his head. "Certainly, Alex. I've no problem with that. I just hope Carroll is having a good time, I know he's burning with curiosity about Sten."
Alex laughs! "I am not going to comment on what he's likely burning with just now, thanks all the same!" She grins and settles back comfortably to wait for the new brother to arrive.