(So I uploaded two chapters at a time, to hasten the story. This particular chapter can be skipped, it's about what the guards were up to.)
Chapter 8
The Suspects
We shall take our eyes off of our inn keepers and set them upon the sentinels that traveled on horseback towards the settlement to where the count is said to have resided. They rode in single file starting with Bourgeois, Lydford, Kovalsky and Abruzzio, who was piloting a wagon with a caged enclosure in the back, for the purpose of transporting the soon to be incarcerated.
They knew they must have been drawing close, for any passerby that was along the way, looked upon the soldiers with uneasiness and guilt. When they arrived at the township a loud voice rose above the tattered and rundown roofs, "Market Crash!"
This was apparently a code phrase to inform all the detractors that the law had come to their abode and to vacate the premises. It was not long until the the small settlement was cleared out of all inhabitants like the scattering cluster of cockroaches when exposed to the light.
In quick reaction, Bourgeois dismounted and called out to the other three, "Kovalsky come with me, Chadrick cut off the rear escape and track down anyone who matches Alden's description,Abruzzio hitch the horses and search the perimeter for anyone who may be hiding."
"Alone sir?" protested he.
"Go!"
With the orders of their sergeant given in clear detail, Kovalsky jumped from out of his saddle and handed the reigns to the youngest of the four, while Lydford kicked his horse in the side and made loud sounds to signal it into a gallop. Horse and rider made a hasty retreat around the settlement and into the woods.
The sergeant and the other corporal then made a run into the heart of the township, "Is that the house?" asked Kristov pointing to the cabin that possessed the roof of moss. Bourgeois drew his sword and made his way to the door with Kovalsky doing the same. They placed themselves on both sides of the frame and listened.
After a moment's passing Bourgeois signaled for Kovalsky to turn the knob. Intently following orders, the subordinate grasped the door knob and turned but withheld opening it. His officer then turned to face the enterance and held his blade straight way then gave a nod. With a shove, Kovalsky threw the door open leaving the entrance accessible with the captain rushing in, followed by his comrade.
As they entered the frontman bellowed, "Nyohirra guard, come out where we can see you!"
Their formation as they came into the main room was to divide themselves, one going left and the other to the right, hugging close to the walls, to ensure that if there by any hostile personnel within the structure, they could not successfully spring an attack from behind. After deeming the main room clear, they proceeded to check the others, ending with the dining room and kitchen.
However, if our inn keepers had seen this interior, they may not have recognized it as the shelter they had once been so treated in. For the costly furnitures and paintings were no where to be seen. It was dark, save the sun beams filled with dust particles shooting forth from the window, was all that illuminated the gloomy edifice.
The cabin was more than empty, it was abandoned. So desolate was it, that it seemed as though the possibility of it ever being inhabited was as likely as a child putting it's hand in the cockatrices den without risk.
"Either they knew we were coming,' started Kovalsky, 'or we have been made fools out of."
Bourgeois sheathed his sword, "I believe it was both." then in a ventilation of his anger, smote the base boards with his foot. "Dammit we were too close!" he spited.
"Sir, with all due respect,' said Kovalsky, breaking the displeasure of his sergeant, 'what's this about?"
Bourgeois looked up at him before he continued, "First you double, triple the shifts of our regime, then you greatly probe into the life's details of that inn keeper and his wife. I know a body was found in our neighborhood this morning, but I do feel strongly that there is more on your mind than finding a simple murderer who has killed a random stranger."
The sergeant was about to answer when the sounds of a third party entering the infrastructure resonated throughout the walls. Bourgeois took hold of his hilt and turned quickly but heard a familiar voice say, "Friendly!" It was Abruzzio.
"Have you found something?" asked Bourgeois.
The young guard nodded, "Two men, but they were not hiding."
"Show us…"
Abruzzio then led his outranking officers out of the cabin and to a type of small apartment that sat next to the wooden walkways. From here, the guards could here groaning and other painful mumblings coming from the other side of the window. Abruzzio held the door open for Kovalksy and Bourgeois to enter and their they found the source of the agonizing moans.
Erik and Jasper lay side by side on small bed mats. Their faces and bodies were swollen and bruised and they tossed and turned sluggishly in attempts to quell the pain. Between the two cots was a bowl of steaming water and rags with assorted bandages entangled about. They appeared to have been left by someone who was giving them medical attention for their injuries, then in the panicked escape, abandoned the provisions in a disorderly manner.
The sergeant kneeled beside them, "Who has done this to you?"
"We don't know….!" said the squirming Erik.
"We were trampled by a wild hoarse, then brought here." returned Jasper who tried to stay silent and scream in the same moment.
"Horses normally don't go around attacking random citizens by the road side." said Kovalsky with criticism.
"The beast belonged to another…!" returned Erik while being overcome by his soreness.
"Someone 'sicked' his horse on you?" said the sergeant with a disbelieving drawl.
"As we were walking,' started Jasper, 'we approached the animal that was tied and hitched and before we knew it the infernal creature began to create a fuss. The owner ran out and, to no fault of our own, cut it loose allowing it's fury to come upon us."
"As the Lord is our witness…it is true…we had done nothing wrong." concurred Erik.
Bourgeois bowed his head to hide his smirk, "I have been around longer than you think. In most cases such as these, the animal is usually provoked."
"It was a shire!' stammered Erik, 'You should also know that that breed has a foul temperament."
Kovalsky shook is head and said to himself, "They're quite docile actually."
"Yes, Yes, we are no horse thieves sir!" protested Jasper.
"I don't recall indicting you with such charges." said Bourgeois with suspecting humor.
Erik looked over with a disdained glare upon his friend in crime who had just dug a deeper grave with his tongue. Kovalsky let out a muffled chuckle.
"We are not here for horse thieves,' said the sergeant, 'we are looking for a man by the name of 'The Count Laternieux,' do the two of you know of an individual by that name?"
The two illeterates stayed silent and traded exchanging glances that signified that they indeed had, but, "I cannot say that we do…" said Erik.
"Are you sure?' asked Bourgeois with more pressure in his voice, 'There were three people, a man and his wife accompanied by a another in a scarlet robe who was a personal servant of this count. And this settlement matched the description of where his residency is to supposedly be. Have you seen or heard of any individuals come through here as described?"
Erik's eyes widened, but chose to shake his head with a tremble. The sergeant gave distinct looks to both men who stared at the ground with guilty expressions.
"Well then,' said he while arising, 'you don't mind if we take a look around then?"
"By all means…" said Erik, who now received a negative reaction from Jasper.
"Thank you for the consent." Said Bourgeois, "Abruzzio guard them, Kristov come with me."
The two sentinels then quitted the small lodge. They searched more of the settlement until they came upon a small, three walled stable around the back. Kovalsky took the lead upon entering it. Once the inside could be seen, he smiled and said to his ranking officer. "Well, look at what we have here…."
…
While Kovalsky and Bourgeois were searching the perimeter, Lydford galloped through the back woods in search of any runaway. His horse's plight galloped through bushes and past trees until he caught the back parts of what appeared to be fleeing humans. He put them between the steed's ears and commanded the horse to increase the speed of it's stride. The terrain began to ascend until the horse slowed to a plowing trot as it mustered all of it's will to run uphill.
He eventually came to a cluster of boulders to where he stopped the beast of burden, for the arrangement of granite could prove a perfect setting for an ambush. He threw a leg off and pulled his sword from his sheathe, then retrieved a coiled rope and tucked into his belt. He clambered up the rocks until he reached the top of the mound and beheld a gathering of three men scavenging the rubble of the turned over carriage that our hooded stranger rolled to it's decimation earlier.
"Halt!" shouted Lydford at the men, who then turned abruptly to look up at him.
One boldly spoke, "Go to Hell, this does not concern the likes of you!"
Lydford straightened and tensed his massive neck, "You know, when I have to chase down a couple of rats who flee at the first sight of an oncoming uniformed presence,' then stepping down closer to them, 'and I come across the sight of this, and the first thing I am told is to 'Go to Hell,' it becomes my concern."
The men began an attempt at covertly concealing the objects they where steeling from the wreckage, either by tucking them into pouches, or by dropping them.
"As a member of the Nyohirra city guard, I demand of you with the authority granted to me, to tell me what you were doing here."
The men looked at each other then began to slowly advance upon the lone soldier, "Hunting…" said one with a threatening voice.
As they came close enough, Lydford took advantage of the high ground, by kicking down the first man in the chest. He fell on his back with a loud groan, then as the other two were coming in, Lydford pounded the skull of the one on his right with the butt of his hilt. He fell and rolled down the jagged terrain while the third was seized by the throat, then turned and pinned against a rock wall with the tip of Lydford's sword at his throat.
"The human body has enough holes,' then touching the flesh with the tip, 'shall I cut a new one where it need not go?"
The first who was felled, weakly and painfully got back to his feat and tried to climb back up. But the soldier saw him and threw the one within his grasp back down until there was a collision of bodies. They both tumbled and were met with painful scrapes and bone jawing collisions upon the teeth of the rocks.
`The one whom was blunted on the head, only sat while holding the side of his brow in a disoriented fashion. The triumphant sentry then took his rope and cut it into three segments. He bound the hands of the first two before tying the wrists of the last, then helped them to their feet and sat the three of them down together.
"Stay there, if you will." said Lydford to the three men who scowled at him and spat at his boots. He walked to the carriage and lifted himself on its overturned side and peered in the window. A bristling wave of dark energy dispersed through him as he saw the sprawled body of the scarlet within. He jumped from off the carriage then addressed to the men.
"I'm taking you in!"
"What for?!" protested one.
"On suspicion of murder…"
Despite their pleas one must understand the damming suspicion of being found near the sight of a freshly discovered corpse. For the case of these men, Lydford had no other choice but to treat them as suspects. He pulled a whistle from his pocket and blew a sharp pitch towards the the settlement off in the horizon.
Kovalsky and Bourgeois heard it clearly along with Abruzzio. The two rushed to their horses while the youngest was again told to stay behind. They made their way to where they had heard the shrieking whistle. Up the ridge they found Lydford standing on the highest point of the rock pile, he signaled to them with a wave. Finally they were reunited.
The sergeant and the corporal dismounted and eventually came up to see the same scene as Lydford had.
After a brief survey, Bourgeois looked at the three delimited individuals, "Friends of yours?" asked he.
"I wouldn't call them friends, look in the wagon."
The ranking officer followed the advice, then, when discovering the foul scene within. came down and pointed with sternest to the three accused beings, "Put them in a chain gang."
Lydford grabbed two and brought them to their feet while Kovalsky gathered the remaining one. They cursed and fouled their hatred upon the sentinels who said nothing in return but only escorted them to the three horses and assisted each one in mounting the beasts. Then as a precaution, tied the horses leads together, then synched each of the men's bindings to their saddle horns, then took a separate rope and looped them between each set of tied hands, leashing them all together. In this way, should one attempt to flee, he would be glued to the horn by his wrists and would have to awkwardly pull the weight of two men and three horses in order to escape.
"Do you have them?" asked Kovalsky of Lydford.
"Don't worry,' said his allied corporal looking up at the one in the lead, 'I'm sure we will all get along just fine." He then patted one of the men on the thigh as a jest, which in reaction, the man shook his leg at him.
Kovalsky went back to Bourgeois who was by the carriage, he signaled for him to come over. While Kovalsky was making his way, Bourgeois noticed that a long black, snake like object was flopped by one of the wheels. He picked it up and examined it, and deemed it to be the reigns used to draw the horses that had once hauled the coach. He then tucked them into his belt then addressed his comrade.
"We can't leave the body in here, we need to get him out and take him with us."
They both got atop the side of the coach and opened the door, however the door could only open half way, due to design and damage. With a press and kick, the hinges broke free from the frame and the door lay flat against the side.
Bourgeois descended within and hoisted the body up around the chest. To his disappointment due to further complications, the body was stuck with its back angled and his arms jetting out to the sides and legs frozen in bended knee positions. The cadaver had been hurled and tossed in disarray during the plummet just before the rigor mortis had set completely in, along with a terrible septic smell, as the the gastronomic systems had relaxed and in due time caused a defecation of the corpse that soiled the clothes.
With some effort, the sergeant got the shoulders out and asked his companion to hold them. Then as the upper body was secured, Bourgeois hugged the waist and straightened the back, then put a hand on each elbow and brought the arms down and straightened them. Each movement created a series of cracks and crunches as the hardened blood within the veins and dehydrating muscles under the skin moved stiffly like wood.
Kovalsky tried to hold up but the robe slipped from out of his sweating palms and the body dropped, landing on Bourgeois who fell backwards while trying to hold the weight of the corpse up.
The deceased rested upon him as a lifeless plank, with the nose touching the sergeant's cheek. "Sorry about that." said the corporal, leaning over and slipping his hands underneath the armpits. Bourgeois frowned with his brow and pushed up at the knees, allowing Kovalsky to slide the corpse out and lay it next to him, then extended his hand towards Bourgeois who grabbed his wrist and climbed out.
"So is this Alden?" asked Kovalsky.
"I don't think so,' said Bourgeois, 'Holo and Lawrence said that they saw him only an hour or so ago. This poor devil has been dead for, at least, half a day."
"Well if this isn't Alden, then who do we have?"
While resting the rigid body over his shoulders, Bourgeois said, "I would like to know that myself."
They hiked back carefully, with Kovalsky stabilizing the carcass around Bourgeois' shoulders, then placed it upon the croup of the rear horse. The saddle rider gave a putrid face, as the smell overtook his senses.
They then began to walk back with their three suspects and victim on horseback.
"So why did you run?" asked Lydford in an interrogative manner.
The three of them refused to speak. "If you believe your silence will secure your innocence, you are wrong." said Bourgeois.
"Of course if I had murdered a man then tried to rob his corpse and plunder his carriage, I'd run too." added Kovalsky.
Again, the three scoundrels held their peace. After a few moments of pacing forward with nothing put the bobbing heads and thudding hooves of the horses to see them through, Bourgeois finally said. "Listen, we don't know who you are or what you did, but we came here to find a man by the name of Laternueix who has been suspected of organizing and executing theft and murder. We have not found him but we found you at the site of a crime scene, for all we know you are his latchkeys and partners in crime. If you want to take the fall for him, just remember your necks will break at the end of it."
"We didn't kill anyone…." said the prisoner in the lead.
"Then what were you doing at the wreckage site?"
"We had heard the clatter and chose to investigate, we found the coach, then, when seeing the costliness of its apparel, began stripping the precious and salvageable metals from its wood work in hopes to melt them down and sell them for money."
"Did the body not repel you in anyway?"
"We saw him yes. We only had assumed that he died when the coach fell. I must protest that you lack the evidence to prove us guilty."
"I hope you do not speak for everyone." said Bourgeois.
The malefactor looked back at the his companions, who looked as nervous and agitated as he himself did. At last they reached the township, in which the prisoners found themselves unleashed from each other, yet still bound at the wrists. The body was then carried off to the wagon the soldiers had brought with them.
The three detainees were then brought to where Abruzzio was standing watch over Jasper and Erik, who still lay in moving pain. They sat them down, and Bourgeois continued his interrogation.
"Let me explain the situation to all of you gentlemen.' he started, 'A carriage was discovered crashed from atop the mountain side. We found the corpse of a man in a scarlet robe within. Judging by his state of decay, he had been dead for several hours. Now, you can say that it was half a day before the coach was discovered, however, I've already got a confession that one of you had heard the crash earlier today then began scavenging it once discovered, which was recently. Which rules out that possibility."
He then looked over to Jasper and Erik, "You two have said that you were not horse thieves, yes?"
"On my life." said Jasper.
"Then can you explain what is nesting in the stables nearby?' each man looked at each other, 'We found four friesians standing idle. A very elegant and expensive breed in such a high quantity would most likely out balance the appraisal values of all the shacks within this rundown town combined. Not to mention that I am sure that the branding rod used to mark them would not be found in your possession."
"What do a bunch of beasts of burden have to do with a dead man?" asked Erik arrogantly.
The sergeant withdrew the severed reign, "The horses still have their harnesses attached, and these reigns, when comparing material and design, are a match. Which tells me that, that man was in a coach that was intentionally set free from the horses that pulled it. And I do not think it is a coincidence that the remains of the carriage and the horses that belonged to it, are found in and around this township. So in short gentlemen, I think this man' death was staged to look as an accident. And I believe that the culprits are closer than we think."
"IT WASN'T US!" screamed one in a panic knowing that the penalty for murder was death by hanging, or the chopping block.
"Then why run?!"
"Look we're all bad men, some of us have stolen, robbed and violated, but none of us here are killers! We do not want to spend time in the dungeons!" cried another.
"We did not come here for you, we came for the Count. If you tell us where he is, I'm sure I can find some leniency on your sentencing."
All stayed silent, except Jasper, "He's left, to where, we know not nor do we dare ask…."
Bourgeois fixed his gaze upon him, "Are you frightened of him that much?"
Jasper looked at the ground then moaned, "You would be too…" he then gave off a type of body language that signified that he would say no more.
The sergeant looked upon the other four who were deathly still, too afraid to utter another sound on the matter. He realized that they were more afraid of being involved with he count's doings than being imprisoned or executed.
With a heavy sigh, he straightened his posture, arose and said while rubbing his brow, "Get them in the wagon…"