Beer for blades ring (almost) busted!

Dark Hallway(#23007Rato)

The hallway is dimly lit and narrow, but the rooms that open off of it are easily discernible, as each has a label on the door. Immediately inside the entrance, to the left is labeled \"The Hard Work Room.\" Opposite this lies \"Chief\'s Office.\" Just past that, on the right, and directly across, on the left, are matching jail cells, one labeled \"Cell 1\" and the other, \"Cell 2.\" Both of these doors have a small rectangular hole cut into it about 5 feet from the floor, and a stepstool sits on the floor in the hallway nearby.

The door to cell number 1 is unlocked and the door to cell number 2 is unlocked.

The hallway ends in a blank wall from the faded square at about eye-level, it seems something may once have hung on the wall, but it is there no longer.

Obvious exits:

Hard Work Room leads to Hard Work Room.

Main Room leads to Main Room.

Cell 1 leads to Jail Cell.

Cell 2 leads to Jail Cell.

Chief\'s Office leads to Chief\'s Office.

================================== Bree Time ==================================

Real time: Tue Sep 14 14:36:02 2010

Bree time: Nighttime <00> on Hevensday of Winter - December 8,1450

Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon

Breelands Weather

The nighttime winter air is cold and dry around you. Snow piles on the ground around your feet. The moon is above the horizon and in its first quarter phase.

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[Nob(#16122)] Nob wades through the snow - it may not be so very deep, but knee-high on a human is waist-deep for the hobbit! He pushes open the door to the Breeguard headquarters, shaking himself all over. \"My hatchet,\" are the first words he says, being somewhat out of breath. He holds Exhibit A up. \"They found it!\"

Nob is greeted, first and foremost, by a tremendous sneeze. Ernie is ostensibly on duty tonight, but he\'s wrapped in a blanket over his uniform and drinking a mug of something steaming hot that may or may not have a little drop of something to chase the sniffles away. His nose, to which a large spotted handkerchief is pressed, is red and swollen. Scarce wonder that Trainee Thomas is having to do most things, including dealing with the town\'s unanticipated ... visitor. \"Whad\'s dad you saib?\" he asks Nob. \"And shud dad door.\"

[Thomas(#31512)]

Thomas the trainee is learning quickly. Though Ernie has set him to some task or another this night, he is in a chair by the corner close to the fire. He -was- for a long while, scribblign furiously, writing REPORTS for Ernie. But lately he has gone quite silent. Mainly because the warmth of the fire has lulled him to sleep, head down right on the parchments. He has ink on his cheek where it touched the wet paper.

\"What?!\" Thomas jerks awake, chair teetering dangerously. \"Another axe murderer?!\"

[Seregarth(#19338)]     From one of the cells comes a groan. Then a series of coughs, followed by the smacking of lips and a faintly disgusted sound. \"Drink!\" Croaks a voice from inside the cell, followed by a throat being cleared loudly. \"Drink!\" Comes the voice again, odd sounding. \"Don\'t you bloody people feed yer guests? Worst service I\'ve ever \'ad...\"

[Nob(#16122)] \"Found it! They... what?\" Nob turns to stare at Thomas. \"No, no,\" he says. \"Look. I put in a report this summer that my hatchet was gone missing and now I\'ve got it back.\" He pats the axe lovingly. \"But you ought to find out who stole it,\" he adds, somewhat severely, before a second surprise jerks his head around the other way. \"There\'s someone /there/?\" he asks, in awe.

At the sound of the disembodied voice, Ernie looks rather ... well, sheepish. \"Thoughd you was goin\' da feed \'im,\" he mumbles in Thomas\'s direction, his face rather red. It could be just the warmth of the fire ... but on the other hand, there\'s a fair few crumbs scattered round him.

After a moment he blows his nose, very loudly, and turns back to Nob, his words somewhat clearer. \"Well now, Misder Nob, id\'s like dis ... you\'d besd steb in.\" He sweeps papers off a spare chair with a wave of his handkerchief.

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"All right, all right..\" Thomas says in an answered groan to both Ernie and the \'voice.\' \"Quit yer griping, I\'ll feed the dog....\" He stands up and stretches, then rubs a fist on the smudged report, frowning. Then there is some clattering about as the boy searches a cupboard for a clean cup, goes to the fire, and pours some hot water into the cup to make tea, the leaves floating unfiltered (and probably second or third steeping) in the mug.

Thomas shuffles toward the jail door, sleepily. \"Thought Nob murdered soemone with his axe. Or hatchet. Something like that.\" He thrusts the mug through the bars, spilling some on his hand. \"Here. Ow.\"

[Nob(#16122)] \"Dog?\" Nob asks, bewildered. \"You\'ve never a dog back there. And besides, it\'s talking.\" He shuts the door - belatedly, a pile of snow has swirled in around his feet - and follows Thomas, peering at the door to the cell curiously.

[Seregarth(#19338)]     A hand grabs the mug away from from Thomas, and there is silence as he drinks... and then spits out the tea. \"This is bloody tea! I said a drink!\" The mug is thrown right back out, and No-Nose Ned\'s face comes into view shortly later, glaring at Thomas. \"A real drink!\" The eyes then flick around and land on Nob, narrowing.

\"I see. Killed me brother, and now yer after me too!\"

Is it just chance that right after Thomas\' accusation Ernie shifts his considerable bulk toward the door, ostensibly to check it\'s shut but coincidentally cutting off Nob\'s escape?

\"Misder Nob,\" he begins again, \"need ye d\'dell be aboud d\'axe.\" He sniffs, wipes his nose with the back of his hand and lifts the nearest random piece of paper. \"Gendleman here\'s bade a comblaind.\" His gaze flicks briefly, wearily, in the direction of the spilled tea.

[Nob(#16122)] \"I did no such thing,\" Nob says indignantly. \"I came to tell them I found my hatchet. That man brought it back to me. Neal, I think he is. Not just exactly sure, but that\'s who it sounded like.\" He skips backwards, avoiding the hurled cup.

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"Errrrnieeeee...\" the Big Bad Breeguard trainee whines. Loudly. \"He threw his tea at me!! What do I doooooooo?\" Thomas has managed to nimbly sidestep the mug and hot tea and now looks gingerly into the cell. \"He\'s a murderer, right?\"

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"\'e killed Cleaver with \'is cleaver, \'he did!\" Says Ned, still galring at Nob. \"We all \'eard it! How my poor brother, no doubt just stopping to help the little runt, got a cleaver in \'is back for \'is trouble! A cleaver wit \'is,\" here, a finger is pointed at Nob, \"name on it! And now \'es come to finish me with is \'atchet.\"

At Nob\'s description Ernie reaches over to the desc to grab the nearest quill and starts scribbling away furiously. \"Need a describdion,\" he mumbles to the hobbit, without really looking up.

At Thomas\' whine he gives a long-suffering sigh. The question gets a shake of the head, though. \"Wouldn\'d say dad,\" he answers the youth. \"Vicdim of a- assauld. Jisd keebin\' \'im \'ere fer \'is own good.\" His nose twitches as he glances in No-Nose\'s direction. \"Ask \'im fer a sdademend, hmm?\" And another sneeze overtakes him.

Behind his handkerchief, his streaming brown eyes are suddenly thoughtful as he eyes Nob\'s diminutive height, and again looks toward the cell.

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"Well we can\'t go puttin\' two murderers in one cell now, can we,\" Thomas says definitively, having completely missed the meaning of whatever it is that ernie has told him. \"So...who did you kill?\" he asks No-Nose.

[Nob(#16122)] \"I did not!\" Nob repeats, sounding still more indignant. \"I never hit anybody with my cleaver! It\'s for /chicken/!\" He glares at the mostly hidden Ned, possibly more upset by the accusation that he would misuse his kitchen knife, than that he might have killed someone with it. \"Description?\" he asks Ernie, looking around. \"Well... I guess it was about this long - \" He holds his hands apart. \"Sort of sharpish on one end. Handle.. you know.\"

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"I don\'t kill folks!\" Returns Ned, spitting on the floor. \"I was just mindin\' my own business, approachin\' the north gate after choppin\' some wood and enjoying some drinks, and I get pined to the ground by arrows from one of them shiftless Rangers! Bet the bloody runt \'ired \'im.\" The last is muttered as Ned turns his back and walks deeper into the cell before turning back around. \"Well, me \'e\'ll have to \'it in the front, not the back!\"

Ernie stuffs away his handkerchief and readies his pen as Nob starts to speak - only to stop with a groan. \"No no, de man. Nod de knife.\"

Thomas\'s comment has him glancing along the corridor - why, there /are/ two cells. How convenient, that.

He waits for No-Nose to speak, letting out a little \'hmm\' at the mention of Rangers. Clearly he\'s forming his own picture of The Murderer. \"Nasdy sords, Rangers,\" he comments when the tale is done, then walks over to rap on the door of the cell. \"Bud jusd you listen do me, Misder. Nob \'ere can\'d a\'done a murder, \'e\'s nod dall enough.\" Pleased with his powers of deduction, he gives a big smile.

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"Ooh! A crime! Ranger...pinned....\" Thomas makes a mental note of it. \"What did he look like?\"

[Nob(#16122)] \"Which man?\" Nob asks, confused. \"Neal? I don\'t know, it was dark. He was, you know, tall. And dark.\" He listens to Ernie\'s defense of himself, and stretches himself up to his full height. Which is... short.

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"Well, \'e jumped, didn\'t \'e?!\" Replies Ned to Ernie, a slight smirk upon his face. \"Jumped up and killed me poor brother. And /me/ you throw in here.\" The eyes flick to Thomas and he snorts. \"\'e was a Ranger! They all look alike. Just go out and catch one.\"

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"I\'ll arrest \'im, Ernie,\" Thomas says, getting too big for his britches about it. \"Bout time those Rangers learned not to be so uppity.\"

Ernie really cannot help it. At No-Nose\'s final words a choking sound escapes him. Perhaps it\'s another sneeze coming on.

He takes a heroic breath, and when his heaving chest has calmed he peers through the cell door at the prisoner. \"Well now, Misder- uh, whad was \'is name again?\" he hisses quickly at Thomas. \"Seems as dere\'s been a bid of a misundersdandin\'. When you was broughd in, you was threadenin\' da off dis one an\' dad one an\' ...\" Caught up in the explanation as he is, Thomas\' kind offer is completely ignored!

[Nob(#16122)] Nob blinks and then scowls. \"I did /not/!\" He\'s starting to sound like a broken record. But Thomas offers to arrest the ranger, and the hobbit gawks at him in astonishment. \"Here, now,\" he protests. \"You can\' go just arresting anyone! B\'sides, they\'re good customers, them rangers.\"

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"I\'m a Breeguard!\" Thomas puffs. \"I can \'rest anyone I want. I can rest you right now, too, for ..for...murdering this poor fellow here!\" He points to the still-living Ned.

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"Then why was yer cleaver found beside \'is body, eh?\" Asks Ned, glaring briefly at Nob. \"Arrest \'em all! They\'re probably the ones behind that whole banditry thing. Shiftless, the lot of \'em.\" He snorts at Thomas\'s words before he turns his gaze to Ernie. \"Now, you gonna let me out of \'ere or not?\"

At Thomas\'s latest threat, Ernie belatedly realizes that he\'s supposed to Take Charge. \"Steady on, dere,\" he mumbles, reaching out a meaty hand (thankfully without germ-infested handkerchief at this moment) to try to pat the lad\'s shoulder. \"No senze in doin\' dad. Dere\'s expenses da consider.\"

He ignores No-Nose\'s question for the moment, instead looking across to Nob. \"Good friends ob yours, dose Rangers?\" he asks the hobbit thoughtfully. Perhaps there\'s something to Thomas\' puppy-eager suggestion after all ...

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"See? See!\" Thomas pounces on Ernie\'s words. \"They are! Nob\'s been giving \'em weapons and they go around murdering folk for...for ale! Right!! Free ale just to murder folk who won\'t pay their bills!\"

[Nob(#16122)] \"Friends?\" Nob looks alarmed. \"Certainly not. Quiet folks, don\'t cause no troubles, always pay on time...\" He gawks at Thomas, entirely at a loss for words. Probably for the first time in his life. Gapes at No-Nose. Gawks at Thomas again.

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"Oi, big man!\" Yells Ned at Ernie. \"You gonna let me out? You\'ve got nuthin\' on me, so let me out of \'ere. Some of us \'ave things to drink, you know!\" He falls silent as Thomas speaks, however, a smirk upon his face. \"Aye, that\'s right! That\'s what\'s goin\' on!\"

Unfortunately Rangers aren\'t the only ones who like free ale. Ernie\'s had his fair share in his time, and at the mention of it he jumps. His sweating face grows just a little bit redder. \"Don\'d jumb da conclud-\" His words are halted by a tremendous sneeze, which unfortunately sprays in Thomas\'s direction. \"Ahh- aggh-\" he manages before finding his hanky. He makes quite a business of wiping his nose and his face, then suggests to the eager Thomas, \"Why don\'d you bring in dad Neal fer quesdionin\'? Truth\'ll addend ta idself.\" The words might sound like a threat, but as he twists round to see how Nob\'s taking it, he gives the hobbit a big wink.

No-Nose\'s yell pulls his attention back. At the title - did you hear that? Big man, that\'s him - he puffs out his chest and beams. He actually starts to nod at the \'suspect\', but then stops. \"Whad aboud all dose threads? You didn\'d mean dem?\" He peers anxiously (and hopefully, prisoners cost Money!) through the bars.

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"Arrest the Ranger!! I will! Just you wait!!\" Thomas starts...then..\"ewwwww!\" He scrubs at his face with a sleeve. \"Stop sneezing on me!! You gonna rest Nob for murder or no?\"

[Nob(#16122)] Nob splutters a little bit before finding his voice. \"I didn\'t kill him!\" he shouts. \"Look, he\'s still alive!\" He points at Ned, Exhibit B. \"You can\'t arrest me for killing somebody who isn\'t dead!\" But who knows what that crazy boy will do - he starts backing towards the door, just in case. Ernie\'s wink is barely enough to stop him turning tail and fleeing right then and there.

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"Me?\" Asks Ned, all false innocence. \"I /never/ make threats, Big Man. Besides, would you arrest a man for what \'e says while drunk? It was all a misunderstandin\', y\'know?\"

Ernie blinks owlishly at Thomas. \"Thingg I need an early nighd,\" he announces to the room at large. He frowns at the Trainee. \"Bain\'d no need fer thad,\" he tells the eager lad. \"God no evidence.\" Then, sidling closer if Thomas will let him after that sneeze, he murmurs to the youth, \"\'Sides, everyone knows where Mister Nob is.\" And he taps one eye meaningfully, as though to signify watching.

And then No-Nose speaks. There it is again - Big Man. \"Ob course,\" he replies to the man behind bars and begins fumbling, albeit reluctantly, for the ring of keys hung on his belt.

[Thomas(#31512)]

\"Awwww...\" Thomas says, clearly disappointed. \"Well....I\'ll watch him. Grubby Rangers, easy to spot anyhow. I\'ll find the evidence!\" Deflated now, he goes back to his little fire-warmed corner.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob watches and listens to this with unabated alarm. And as Ernie starts to unlimber his keys, the hobbit turns and bolts. \"Good evening!\" he calls as he jerks open the door. \"I must be getting back to the Pony....\"

[Nob(#16122)] Out into the snow and away, safe - he hopes! - from murders and sneezes and teenagers!

[Thomas(#31512)]

In his corner, as Ned is freed, Thomas grumbles. \"Told ya he\'s guilty,\" he says after the departing Nob. \"Where do I find a ranger?\"

[Seregarth(#19338)]     No-Nose Ned puts a smile on his face, maintaining the image of false innocence, as Ernie gets his keys. \"Good of you to see sense. You really are the Big Man, you know. None others better.\"

Ernie tries the first key, with no success, and has to fiddle around to get the second one in. He grunts and tugs, and then with a squeak of rusted iron the lock opens. \"Now then, Misder,\" he tells No-Nose Ned gruffly. \"We\'re decend law-abidin\' folk round here, an\' I\'ll thank ye tae remember id. Iffen ye keeps da de rules, ain\'d goin\' da be any drouble. An\' Breeguard\'ll find yer brudder\'s killer.\" He gives a falsely cheerful smile, and mops at his brow.

[Seregarth(#19338)]     \"Of course!\" Replies Ned, still all smiles, as he slips out of the cell. \"I have no doubt! After all, you know where he is!\" With that, Ned leaves, only breaking out laughing (some may call it an odd cackle) /after/ he is outside.

[Thomas(#31512)]

Before he can hear whatever gem of information Ernie is about to give in reply, though, Thomas is once again asleep on his report (now dry, at least). Maybe he is getting into Ernie\'s booze supply?

Ernie fumbles the keys back onto his belt and reaches for his own mug, now long cold, muttering things about \'that slave-driver Willie\' and \'staying off sick tomorrow\'. Clearly, solving an assault and a murder will just have to wait.