[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (II)

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter and Mr Cat

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Pieter could not help but grin when he found Mr Cat. The initiate bent down, scratched the scruff of the cat's neck and fed him a bit of salted meat. It seemed at least one of the others was fine. Perhaps it was Ranald's sign that things were not as bad as they looked.

But the sight of the pawn shop's broken door gave him a bad feeling. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door's frame and cleared his throat.

[LCP]

Pieter

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Inside, the pawnbroker's was a mess: three large men and one withered old man were engaged in clearing it up. Two of them had mops and buckets, busily swabbing the bare floorboards: of all things, there was a strong smell of turpentine in the air.

"We ain't open," said the beaky-nosed old man, bad-temperedly.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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Raffy grins despite himself as Lothar begins the story, but he soon finds he doesn't like the way the soldier tells it. He starts to think perhaps Doctor Rasen isn't a trustworthy choice for bandaging his wounds, but the man hasn't said anything against him, so he holds out hope for now...

((Can you remind me of what other doctors are available in town? I know we had asked around or something when we first got to Delberz, but I don't recall the results.))

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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Are they... burning this place down?

Pieter nervously glanced over his shoulder at the narrow streets. If those men were from an enemy gang, or if they wanted to destroy evidence and got into their heads that he had seen too much, he would need to flee quickly.

"Ah, um, of course sir. I'm only looking for herr Kleiner. Small matter."

[LCP]

Lothar

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Over the course of what could only be described as idle talk, Lothar finished his drink, the doctor seeming to decide against having any more - perhaps as an insurance against being called upon in any strenuous capacity later in the day. There was still no sign of Raffy when, presumably having discharged his interrogative duties, Lothar's accompanying Hound began to hammer on the door.

"Looks like you'd best be going," said the doctor. "If I see the young man, I'll let you know - although I must say I pray for my own sake that I don't."

Making his respects to the physician, Lothar rose and left: the militiaman was waiting outside, looking impatiently back at him.

"I done questioned this street," he said, falling in beside Lothar as the soldier led the way towards their next destination. "They ain't sayin' nothin'."

[hr]

Raffy

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Lothar lingered a little while longer, he and the doctor chatting almost idly - then, echoing down the alleyway, Raffy heard footsteps ascend the front steps again, a heavy knocking sounding out from the doctor's front door.

"Looks like you'd best be going," said the doctor. "If I see the young man, I'll let you know - although I must say I pray for my own sake that I don't."

Lothar made his respects, and rose to go - the soldier's footsteps sounded out clearly, before what sounded like the front door closed and opened, two sets of feet heading away down the street...

[hr]

Pieter

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"You and the rest of Delberz," muttered the old man, getting back to cleaning up the surface of the counter he was standing behind. One of the bigger brutes looked round at Pieter with a suspicious squint.

"What's your name, and what's your business?"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"I'm Erich." Pieter made sure to keep his hands in plain view as he spoke. "I'm actually looking for an acquaintance of mine, an Elf called Ithelus. Has he been here recently?"

[LCP]

Pieter

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"There was an elf. He came. He went." The man looked 'Erich' up and down. "Why d'you want to know?"

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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Raffy's heart clenches up as he hears the doctor promise to turn him in. Aww, Doc, I don't want to have to point this gun at you. He frowns. You're the only choice I've got.

After it sounds like Lothar left Raffy waits. His intention is to wait ten whole minutes to make sure the man is truly gone, and doesn't come right back as a trick. But as the agonizing moments grind away, his wounds seem to catch fire with renewed pain in the knowledge that an able doctor is just paces away. Raffy starts to imagine the doctor leaving for lunch, getting called away, or receiving another patient.

Maybe 7 minutes after Lothar's departure (unless there is some sign of trouble by then) Raffy stands up slowly and, hat over head, peers in the window. If the doctor is alone he will tap lightly to attract his glance.

If the doctor is not in this room he will try knocking loudly instead.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Because I need to find him," said Pieter, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "Was he alone? Did he want to see someone? Any idea what he was doing here?"

[LCP]

Raffy

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The doctor was still in the room, seemingly lost in his own thoughts – he turned with a start as Raffy tapped on the window, a look of fear crossing his face as he recognised the Sparrowhawk. Jumping up from his seat, he took a few rapid steps back, staring at Raffy.

“What are you doing here?” he said, his voice not loud enough to raise a hue and cry, but not exactly hushed either.

[hr]

Pieter

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”Ain’t you full of questions,” said the man, with a surly, dangerous air. He paused. “You want to see the Mr Kleiner, you’d better have something to trade. Maybe he’ll give you what you’re after then.” He turned back to mopping the floor. “Me, I don’t know an’ I don’t care.”

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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Pieter sighed.

"Fine then, I'll see what I can give him. Is he here?"

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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What are you doing here?

Raffy holds up both hands to show that he is not (presently) armed. "Please," he says in a hushed voice. "I need a doctor."

His eyes flicker toward the side door, hoping the Doctor will let him in, but he doesn't make a move for it without the man's permission.

[LCP]

Raffy

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Rasen paused.

“I can’t help you,” he hissed, trying to keep his voice down as he approached the window, the better to be heard. “You’re a wanted man. If you had any sense you’d have left town already!”

[hr]

Pieter

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”He’s upstairs,” said the man. “Goin’ to have to search you, though, ‘fore I let you up.”

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Sure, no problem."

Pieter took off his sword belt and slingbag, handed his dagger to the old man and let him search him for other weapons.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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"I won't live that long without stitches," he says. Indeed, one of the empty hands he has held up for the doctor is coated in black-red flaking scabs which have only partially stemmed the flow of blood.

"I'm not here to get you in trouble. I won't stay long. But I need your help first, Doc."

The Sparrowhawk usually tries to keep up a fearless demeanour but the last two hours of crouching wounded in the alley has left him feeling pretty shattered. He doesn't overtly plead, but his eyes do.

[LCP]

Raffy

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Staring at Raffy long and hard, the doctor muttered something to himself under his breath - the glass of the window rendered the words indistinct, Rasen nodding towards the side-door.

"You'd best come in, then," he said, moving over to unbolt the door. Once Raffy had come inside, he simply pointed at the table. "Up there. Sit."

Opening his cabinet, he produced a brown-tinted bottle, pouring a large measure of its contents into a glass - they had a strong alcoholic smell, but not like any spirit the Sparrowhawk had ever tasted. Holding out the glass, he motioned for Raffy to take it.

"Drink."

[hr]

Pieter

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Checking Pieter thoroughly for any other weapons or weapon-like objects he might be carrying, the man grunted, and escorted him up the rickety stairs behind the counter to the second floor.

Kleiner's office, it transpired, was a large attic room - a meagre fireplace pierced one wall, a large but dirty window set into the slanting ceiling. The bare floorboards were submerged beneath piles of closely-written papers, interspersed with padlocked chests and trunks - at their contents, Pieter could only speculate.

Flanked by a few more large men - including one genuine giant of a man, with a huge bushy beard - a much smaller figure sat in a little wooden chair, his thin legs wrapped in tatty woollen blankets. He looked up irritably as Pieter entered, his yellowed eyes flicking to the initiate's escort for an explanation.

"Says his name's Erich, boss," said the man, meekly. "Wants to ask some questions 'bout the elf."
"That so," said Kleiner. "Well, Mister Erich. You got something for me in return?"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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Pieter already disliked the smug little man. The crime lord he had served under in Nuln at least had the decency of being a bit less blatant about his greed.

"Ah. Getting down to business immediately, are we?" He tried to smile. "It's only a small thing, really: I'm trying to find my friend Ithelus. I gather he came here earlier today. I have a bit of money to trade..."

He kept his tone casual, as if the information he sought was only of moderate importance to him.

[LCP]

Pieter

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"Money," grunted Kleiner. "Well, I got a fair bit of my own, when it comes to that, Mister Erich. How much?"

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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Looking dubiously at the glass, Raffy takes it and gives it a careful smell. He looks questioningly at the doctor, not fully trusting him, but seeing the man's hard expression he decides to put his trust in the healer. He downs the liquid.

"He was going to kill Maria," he says as if the doctor had asked. "She's innocent. I found proof that Jagrun broke into her house and planted evidence on other people. The elf said Maria can't even cast spells. He was going to kill her as a witch, and wanted me arrested for finding out what he did."

He's pretty certain the Doctor doesn't want conversation from him, but he feels the need to go on anyway. He admires Doctor Rasen, respects him, and doesn't want him to think he's a criminal. "I'm not a criminal. I asked for a fair duel. The elf did something to him but in the end I just disarmed him and demanded he confess. He wouldn't.... he had declared it a trial by ordeal, so..."

He trails off. His heretofore indiluted pride at his actions suffers under the shaming glare of Doctor Rasen.

(If he starts to feel delirious/sleepy/drunk, please let me know, as he will try to do something to save himself even if he just has a few seconds before passing out.)

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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Of course, you have money. But you never have enough of it. Why else are you in this business?

"What about a crown?" he suggested with deliberate reluctance.

[LCP]

Raffy

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As he downed the draught, Raffy felt the alcohol in it sting the back of his throat – almost at once, a delicious sleepiness began to steal over him, the pain of his wounds waning away. Shaking his head, he tried to keep his head – and found he could, the laudanum mist not quite pulling him under. Clearly the doctor knew his doses.

Rasen’s replies were little more than curt grunts of acknowledgement, the doctor rummaging amongst his drawers for his tools. Seeming to fixate as completely as he could on the task at hand, he ordered Raffy to remove his bloody shirt, examining the young man’s wounds with a close eye for detail.

The experience of watching the doctor stitch him up had an absurd, almost dream-like quality to it, the influence of the drug making the needle and scissors seem only to pinch slightly as they did their deft work. Wrapping the young man’s hand in two layers of clean bandage, Rasen stepped back, dropping his bloody tools in a basin of water – meeting Raffy’s eyes as a human being for the first time since he had let him in, he shook his head.

“You’re lucky to be alive,” he said. “As for your story – I’ve heard it already, so you can save it.” He looked Raffy up and down, as if afraid he might have missed some gaping wound. “One thing you might want to consider, though” he said, an undercurrent of cold, quiet anger in his voice. “I hate the Witch Hunters and what they stand for as much as the next sane, educated man – but the worst of your wounds there are on your forearms and I know for a fact that he carried a pair of pistols. Not to mention the fact that he accepted your challenge in the first place.” He paused. “For such a dishonourable man, as you would have it, he didn’t seem to try very hard to kill you.”

Shaking his head, the doctor turned away – Raffy had the slightest of inclinations that he might be in the presence of something of a pacifist. Sorting through the mess of shredded and soiled clothing he had removed, Rasen returned to his workmanlike doctor’s voice.

“These will have to go. You need to keep those injuries clean.” He frowned as something fell out of the Sparrowhawk’s jacket – the note from the alleyway. “What’s this?”

[hr]

Pieter

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"Small change to me, Mister Erich," said Kleiner, waving a grubby hand. "That's all you got, I think it's best we didn't waste each others' time."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Then set your price, herr Kleiner," replied the initiate. "What do you need? Information in return? I know a few things, myself."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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I hate the Witch Hunters and what they stand for as much as the next sane, educated man – but the worst of your wounds there are on your forearms and I know for a fact that he carried a pair of pistols. Not to mention the fact that he accepted your challenge in the first place... For such a dishonourable man, as you would have it, he didn’t seem to try very hard to kill you.

Raffy nods. "He had to. 'at's why I ran outside, so the whole crowd'd'be watching." His voice was slurred slightly from the laudanum as he spoke. "I thought it was r, right clever."

He frowns. "Maria said you used t'teach her. What if, what if Jagrun had decided you taught her how to make poisons? What'f'e told the Lector? Would you jus' go quietly and trustice justin? Er... ha ha, trust in justice?"

He looks at the man as if actually expecting an answer to this rhetorical question.

((tag))

These will have to go. You need to keep those injuries clean.

"Aye, 's'a shame, they were new." He frowned again.

“What’s this?”

The boy's stupored eyes brighten with excitement. "OH yeah! I's gonna ask you to read it for me!"

((I have no idea what the effects of laudanum are on motor skills and speech but I'm going to treat it like 3 gin & tonics until otherwise advised.))

[LCP]

Pieter

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"I don't need much, Mister Erich. I already got what I need. Right now I'd like to be left alone."

He looked Pieter up and down with an evaluating expression.

"What's your trade, Mister Erich?"

[hr]

Raffy

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"Would you jus' go quietly and trustice justin? Er... ha ha, trust in justice?"

The Doctor paused, scrunching his mouth to one side. "Maybe not. Doesn't mean that I'd try to take a man's life."

The boy's stupored eyes brighten with excitement. "OH yeah! I's gonna ask you to read it for me!"

Frowning, Rasen looked at the note. "This is in a very strange hand," he said, eyes running up and down the scrap of parchment. Still looking exceptionally puzzled, he read aloud:

"Speak... we must. Come to the house of the... thing Puderbrand at four of your clock. I will be there."

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Image, in case you need it to show the others at a later juncture:

Putting the note down, he looked back to Raffy.

"Who gave you this?"

OOC: Laudanum is, approximately, two ounces opium to a pint of sherry. So I'd say your response is pretty good

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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"Maybe not. Doesn't mean that I'd try to take a man's life."

Raffy just nods solemnly.

"Who gave you this?"

The boy sees no reason to hide the truth from the Doctor. "'s a man lives down in the rat-tunnels 'n' sewers. He keeps sending us these notes..."

He gives the Doctor a serious look as if daring him to call it fiction. "True, Doctor. We never get a good look at 'im but we know he's around. Hard guy to catch...."

He ponders. Puderbrand's at 4? Now the Doc knows where I might be.

"Doctor Rasen, it's gonna be a tough couple days while we root out who Jagrun was protector, protectring, pro-tec-ting." He takes a breath and tries to speak more clearly, then meets the Doctor's eyes. "I'd like to ask for your help, Sir."

OOC: Two ounces opium to a pint of sherry? That is the most alluring drug I have ever heard of. WOW. By the way, what time is it now in Delberz, about 2 pm-ish?

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Ithelus thanked the people for their time and headed to the fields, where he again began asking questions about the Hounds' 'taxes', trying to work out a rough estimate of how much the group had taken. Maybe he would yet come across this incentive Kliener had talked about.

[LCP]

Raffy

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"Tougher than you think," said Rasen, darkly. He looked Raffy in the eye.

"I'm a law-abiding citizen. You understand I can't just let you go." The doctor, however, made no move. "But of course, you were armed," he said, in a very careful voice. "I had no choice. And I didn't see where you went."

There was a long pause.

"I didn't have you down for a murderer. Still don't. And personally, I'd like it if there were no more deaths, whether by sorcery or the gallows."

OOC: 2pm sounds about right.

[hr]

Ithelus

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Crossing over the river, Ithelus made his way through the west side of town, quickly finding his way to the Fields: what confronted him there was a remarkable sight.

The entire refugee camp seemed to have emptied its belly, its denizens come out from under their huddled tents to form a great, rolling crowd. Children ran between islands of bodies, the whole great mass seeming to pulse and fluctuate - the sussurating music of hundreds of voices lifted over the muddy fields, occasional shouts and slogans drifting up into the cold air. One in particular seemed to be particularly prominent:

"Down with the Hounds!"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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The initiate narrowed his eyes. He considered lying, but any crime lord worth his salt was hard to fool.

"A vagabond, a thief, a gambler and a con man, to most people," he said slowly. "But first and foremost a servant of the Trickster in training. Why do you ask?"

I already know the answer.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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"I'm a law-abiding citizen. You understand I can't just let you go. But of course, you were armed. I had no choice. And I didn't see where you went."

Raffy nods gratefully and gives Rasen a sidelong look. "I don't suppose there's a place in your attic for a Sparrowhawk to roost for the night, eh?"

((tag))

"I didn't have you down for a murderer. Still don't. And personally, I'd like it if there were no more deaths, whether by sorcery or the gallows."

Well he won't be going and buying powder for you.

"I... me too, Doctor. I told Marius I'd turn myself in if he'd just bring the Lector in for questioning." He gives a dry chuckle. "Don't suppose that'll happen."

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Ithelus almost laughs. Raffy, I bet this was your doing. He moves over to the nearest person who looks like they can hold a coherent conversation, 'So what's all this about?'