(Archive) Azrubel Chronicles Part 2: A Conspiracy?

Krisorn enters into the garden. His steps are soft and he looks a bit timid. He notices the weeds within the one beautiful garden and a rueful grin passes over his face and he seems thoughtful for a moment before he speaks out in a normal tone of voice, \"M\'lady Aearwen? Are you here?\"

[Aearwen(#7229)] Despite the slight drizzy a woman is on her knees in the garden attacking a small plot of land with a small hand shovel. Her auburn locks pulled back with a ribbon and dressed in an old gown, Lady Aearwen stops for a moment and wipes the back of one glove covered hand across her face, dabbing lightly at the perspiration there. Unaware of the smear of mud across her delicate porcelain skin, she smiles brightly as Krisorn calls her name, \"Good afternoon Krison. How fare you today?\" Rising gracefully from her position on the ground, mindless of the dampness of her gown or the mud staining it she says with a shake of her head, \"Many things in Minas Tirith have been left unattended.\"

Krisorn smiles and bows to the lady before him, a warmth within them to see somebody to whom dirt is merely dirt and not a horror, \"M\'lady. I had heard word, rumors more really, that you had discovered something that I might need to know. As you know the healer Dearen and his entire family was found murdered the night after Azrubel made his presence known here in this hall of healing. I had suspicions about Dearen but I had hoped you could confirm them for me. The herbs that Dearen was using on the Commander. Were they really for healing as he claimed?\"

[Aearwen(#7229)] Pullling the muddy gloves from her hands and dropping them on the ground beside the stone bench she gracefully seats herself upon said bench and turns her gaze to the tall guard. The sea blue of her eyes are stormy with emotion as she finally speaks, \"Upon my first perusal of the pouch of herbs found in Galdorim\'s office, I found nothing, save a bag full of healing herbs. However, when I returned here and did a closer inspection, I found a very carefully disguised poison herb mixed in. Twas a very clever way to hide the smaller leave of the poison plant.\" Wiping at the mud on her skirt, almost absentmindedly she says, \"The second thing I found....I almost hesitate to mention aloud.\"

Krisorn eyes turn flinty as his worst suspicions are confirm. He looks towards the sky for a moment before turning back to the Lady Aearwen, \"M\'lady I have need to know everything that you found. The Commander is not capable of pursuing these events on their own. As such I\'ve gathered a group of guardsmen, with the Commanders approval, to pursue them for him. But I need more information before I can know what Azrubel\'s plan truly is. And I\'ve sworn to stop him if I can. Anyway I may m\'lady.\" Krisorn\'s eyes are heated, though the anger his voice echoes is cold, though not directed at the Lady Aearwen. In truth his eyes seem haunted by something else as he speaks, of a horror witnessed already that he fears seeing repeated.

[Aearwen(#7229)] Dropping her head for a moment the noble woman considers the words of the guard, ere a deep sigh issues from deep within her and her gaze returns to his face. \"Galdorim does not need to be involved in the investigation of these matters. I say that, not only as a healer but as his friend. His appearance has greatly improved, but my concern is for the long term damage done by the poison that was used against him.\" The right hand of Aearwen slips into the deep pocket of her gown and fingers something there, distracted for a moment, her eyes grow distant before she finally pulls out a tiny roll of parchment paper and hands it to Krisorn. \"This was found in a tiny crevice, it lists the men that are involved and...\", turning her head to the East her voice drops off as pain fills her eyes, \"the men that were to be murdered next, including the Steward, himself.\"

Fear pervades her eyes as she turns back to Krisorn, \"Take care in this investigation, be careful of those you trust.\"

Krisorn blinks as he takes the paper from the lady Aearwen. His eyes widen at her words and he looks at the viper that has appeared in his hands. The very information he sought, though he seems to wish it did not exist. He tries to speak but his voice has been lost for a moment before he pulls himself back togethor again, \"M\'lady. I thank you. Your trust I appreciate. The Commander will not know of this paper for you are right. The machinations of the messenger, Azrubel, have lready left him weaker than I could wish for and this knowledge could very well defeat what is left of his strength for the shock of knowing that our own guardsmen were plotting to kill the Steward..\" Krisorn\'s voice trails off for a moment, shaking his head in shock, though anger has returned to his voice and his eyes, \"They have broken their oaths and will be dealt with as such. I have no mercy for oath breakers and traitors who would use the trust emplaced in them to harm innocents.\" Krisorn looks at the ground and then at the Lady Aearwen again, \"You must be careful as well m\'lady. Should Azrubel or any of the traitors find out what you have discovered your life will be forfeit. Should such a thing happen get you quickly to the wood cutters guild. You may trust those amongst the lumberjacks of Gondor. Many have been trusted friends of mine for many years and in truth the enemy would find little information from them that would be of use, so I am pretty sure of their loyalty, which for many is to me first. Tell them that I have sent you and that they are to do to you as was done to Herout. He once had a drunken brawl and we had to get him out of the city quickly, without the guard knowing about it. They can do it and they will be able to hide you from even the machinations of the Dark Ones messenger if anybody can. Be careful m\'lady for the Commanders sake we need you to continue to care for him.\" Krisorn smiles bitterly and then turns, \"Should I have need of you m\'lady I will send a messenger to you for there is one I believe I can trust in these things. But I am afraid I may have to do most of this on my own.\" Krisorn stops by the exit to the garden and turns again to Aearwen, bowing deeply and says, \"My thanks again M\'lady. You have done better in your search than I have.\" Krisorn turns and prepares to leave quickly and there is a solidness to his step, a purpose, that bodes ill for any who oppose it.

[Aearwen(#7229)] Quietly does the noble woman listen to the words of warning from the guardsman, her head nods in understanding of her own danger. With unspoken words between, a pact is made to stand together as one against the evil that threatens the peace of Gondor. Rising quickly as he bows to leave, Aearwen steps forward to pause him with her hand on his arm, \"I would ask one thing as this investigation continues.\" Pausing as she considers the import of her words, finally leaving her lips as the truth must be made known, \"My hands are but a servant to Gondor and they are yours to perform any task needed to uncover -every- last traitor to the oath.\" So deep is the sincerity of the lady, a deep frown mars her bar, \"Any task Krisorn....I would play the coquette with the dark one himself if it would help this investigation.\" Drawing in a long cleansing breath, Aearwen is finally aware of the misting of rain covering them and laughs softly, \"So intent are we in the secrecy and evil around us that we failed to miss what is right upon us...the rain.\" Laughing again she slips her hand through the arm of the guardsman and says, \"Let us repair to the warmth and dryness of inside. Perhaps some plan should be formulated to work together to determine the full extent of the corruption.\" With that, the two figures disappear inside the house of healing.