"My Lord, I'm sorry to disturb you but you are needed." Lisa said as she gently pushed against Lord Walter's shoulder.
"Lisa?" Walter said groggily. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry my Lord, Raynold said it was important." Lisa explained.
Walter nodded even as Lisa turned to check on little Veronica and Patrick.
"Oh, where are you going Walter?" Paige complained as he wormed his way out from under her.
"Raynold needs to see me." Walter said as he reached across her and slapped her hip playfully. As he sat on the side of the bed he saw Lisa had put his robe close by and he smiled. He reached out and picked it up and slipped his arm into it as he stood.
"I'm sorry for having to disturb you so early my Lord." Raynold said as the bedroom door opened and Walter stepped out.
"It is fine Raynold, what is up?" Walter asked as he gestured to the couch. He yawned as he stepped over and finally sat down.
Raynold sat on the edge of the couch.
"There is no easy way to say it so, Henry arrived a short bit ago my Lord. And he advised me that Mike died in his cell last night." Raynold finally got out.
"Died? Wasn't he giving medical care after he was taken into custody?" Walter asked.
"He was my Lord. And his overnight deputy swears no one came in after Henry locked him in his cell." Raynold explained.
"Maybe it is just because I'm not fully awake Raynold but I am not catching the significance of what you are saying. Mike was stopped from assaulting Patty, given medical care and died overnight in a locked and guarded cell." Lord Walter frowned.
"Well protocol is for his body to be examined to determine why he died, but we only have two doctors, one who would be skeptically viewed as biased to you and by extension Lord Ralph, the other is the one that treated him whose findings would be considered suspect in covering up negligence on his part last night." Raynold told him.
Walter cleared his throat.
"So what you are saying is that if Toby examined him he'd be accused of covering up excessive force on Lord Ralph's part and the other doctor might try and blame it solely on my son's overzealous nature to protect the woman he loves, is that what you are telling me?" Walter asked.
"In a nutshell my Lord." Raynold nodded.
"Wonderful, just what I want clogging up the joyous days leading up to my son and daughter's wedding. Well simply put in this situation there isn't any excessive force. Any true man is going to lash out with his full force against anyone attacking their loved one. Regardless of whatever else, Mike knew the tenets of the lands of Scorpion Keep. To do what he did in violation of those tenets is to give consent to the punishment of the time. Fine, we will conduct a brief investigation into it." Lord Walter finally said.
"Well I'm not sure we need to go that far my Lord, I just wanted to let you know." Raynold told him as he stood.
"I know we don't need too Raynold, I trust my daughter and my son is a Paladin of the wise Lady, his word is above reproach. But my people need to know I take it seriously enough to at least look into it." Lord Walter said as he stood. Tell Henry I want to know every person who has been within the jail since just before his arrest and until he was discovered to have died. I will interview each one starting in an hour. I will also question my son and daughter as well as the doctor."
"Of course my Lord." Raynold nodded and left.
Lord Walter sighed and stepped back into the bedroom. He smiled seeing his bride sitting up in bed and nursing little Veronica.
"What are you going to be investigating Walter?" Paige asked quickly.
"Apparently Patty's attacker died during the night. Without an impartial doctor to examine the body I'm forced to look into the death, to determine that nothing underhanded occurred." Walter told her before walking into the bathing room.
"What do you expect to discover, my love?" Paige asked concerned.
"Nothing of consequence, unless there was a momentary lapse in procedure. Our son was well within his right to have killed him outright for what he did." Walter told her.
"Oh so you could have punished me for hitting Toby that day but our son could have killed that guy and you are okay with it?" Paige asked.
Walter laughed as he walked out of the bathing room.
"No my love." Walter told her as he grabbed his pants and pulled them up under his robe. "At the time of your incident, by law, you were just a member of my company. Fully responsible for what you did. To me personally you were far, far more and well within your right to have struck him. As long as Ralph is a Paladin in good standing of the wise Lady his word is unimpeachable. If he says in his judgment he used only enough force to subdue Mike that is the end of it. Even if later that force could turn out to be responsible for Mike's death."
"Wait, how could justified subduing force later cause death?" Paige grew puzzled as she watched him remove his robe.
"Here's your shirt my Lord." Lisa said as she stepped up while holding Patrick.
"Thank you Lisa. My love, the human body has many weaknesses. I could say, get someone in a headlock and basically choke them into unconsciousness. A possible side effect to that could be, what?" Walter asked.
"A blood clot, of course." Paige nodded understanding.
"If Toby examined the body and said that the other doctor missed a sign and that led to Mike's death, some few could say he is just trying to eliminate any guilt on Ralph. Likewise if the doctor examined him now, he might see that he screwed up but he could try and claim that excessive force was used to save his reputation." Walter said as he put on his shirt.
"Well I hate that you have to even bother to look into this. Poor Patty doesn't deserve to worry over that waste of skin." Paige grumbled.
Walter laughed as he sat down and put on his shoes.
"Do you have a problem having Patty come in so you can be present while I question her?" Walter asked.
"Patty has attended me many times while I've nursed, I have no problem with it Walter." Paige told him.
"Lisa, would you ask Patty to step over here please?" Walter asked.
"Of course my Lord." Lisa sat Patrick on the floor and moved for the door.
"If Ralph is with her, tell him I'll speak to him shortly but don't discuss why I'm speaking with them." Walter told her.
"As you will it my Lord." Lisa said as she closed the door behind her.
Walter picked up Patrick just as a tiny knock rapped on their door. Walter stepped over and opened the door to see Aine standing there.
"Well good morning my daughter, how are you this morning?" Walter smiled at her before he pulled her up with his other arm and kissed her cheek.
"I'm worried Daddy, what is this about Ralph getting into a fight last night?" Aine asked.
Walter smiled as he shook his head.
"It is amazing how fast gossip spreads. It is nothing to worry about at this time, but we'll talk about it later okay?" Walter asked.
Aine nodded even as Lisa entered with Patty.
"Good morning my daughter, I hope you slept well." Walter greeted her with a light kiss on her cheek after setting Aine on the floor.
"It took me a little while to calm down Dad, but I did finally get to sleep." Patty explained as he let Lisa and her into the bedroom.
Ralph was in the inner courtyard exercising when his Father stepped out of the Keep.
"Good morning Ralph." Walter greeted him.
"Good morning Father." Ralph said as he stopped and turned to face him.
"Have you heard the rumor going about yet?" Walter asked.
"That I might be responsible for Mike's death?" Ralph asked.
Walter nodded.
"I promise you Father, I didn't go too far in stopping him. Just enough to render him incapable of harming anyone else for a while." Ralph told him.
"I know my son. But I do need to investigate it a bit. I just didn't want you to think I was keeping anything from you." Walter explained.
"Am I allowed to be with you as you investigate?" Ralph asked.
"I considered it to be honest. But I think that people will have the most confidence in us, if I was to do it without you. I doubt you could intimidate them anymore than they will be in front of me. At least just standing there, I'm sure with a sword or something in your hand it would cause them pause." Walter grinned.
"But you need to make sure that something else didn't cause his death, I get it Father. Do I need to curtail my plans and stay here at the Keep until you are done?" Ralph asked.
"No, I don't think you need to stay up here, just stay away from the jail or the streets leading to it for now." Walter told him as he clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Do you know how much I love you Ralph? How much I am going to miss you when you and my daughter head out on your adventure?"
Ralph grinned.
"I love you too Dad and I'm going to miss you too. Part of me wants you to order me to stay here and just work from your Keep. I'm just hoping that sometime in the next ten to fifteen years we can consolidate our lands and work together." Ralph stepped up and hugged his Father.
"It is good to feel your strong arms about me, my son. I would relish the experience if we could bring our lands together and work together for the rest of our days. Perhaps even Aine and Cabe will join us as they build up their lands on either side of us." Walter smiled as they broke their hug.
"You think Cabe is going to want to be a Paladin as well?" Ralph grinned.
"That was what the wise Lady told your Mother seven years ago. That Daithi will become a Bard and travel with Aine. Just as Cabe will become a Paladin and Allie will become her first white Witch and will go out with Cabe." Walter nodded. "I suppose I better get down to Brightson. I'll see you for lunch?"
Ralph nodded.
Selase stood just outside of the Keep entrance as Walter walked out and he smiled at her.
"Do you want to go to town with me, my friend?" Walter asked her.
Selase nodded her head and Walter laughed as he nodded and climbed up on her back. Selase turned and ran out of the portcullis and then spread her wings and they quickly rose up into the air. Selase let out three cries as she circled the town.
"I've got to go to the jail Selase." Walter told her. Selase adjusted her shoulders and her wings angled until they glided a couple of streets over and then she came down. She beat her wings and slowed down enough to hover just over the street and then they dropped the last couple of feet to land.
"Thank you my friend." Walter patted her neck and greeted a number of townsfolk who were moving by in the area. He stepped up on the porch of the jail and opened the door and stepped inside.
"Good morning Henry. Who was on duty last night when Mike died?" Lord Walter greeted and asked as he saw him and several deputies.
"Good morning my Lord, my apologies for what has happened. The Dr was sure Mike was going to be fine last night. John here was on duty." Henry told him.
"John is it, very well, let me examine the body first and then we'll talk." Walter told them before Henry stepped over and unlocked the cell Mike was in.
Walter walked in and knelt next to Mike and shook his head.
"I'm so sorry Mike. I never would have wanted this." Walter said before he began looking Mike over. The door of the jail opened and the Dr stepped inside.
"I heard you wanted me to come to answer some questions, Henry." The Dr. said.
"In a moment Roy, our Lord is examining Mike's body." Henry told him.
"He died?" Roy was shocked as Henry nodded. He began to feel nervous.
Walter spent close to twenty minutes going over Mike's body before he stood and stepped out of the cell.
"Good morning Roy. Henry, where are Mike's personal effects?" Lord Walter asked.
"He didn't have anything dangerous on him so we didn't remove them." Henry answered.
"In truth? Is that a normal policy?" Walter frowned.
"It is what is in the book, as long as there is only one man per cell and nothing that could be used to escape." Henry told him.
"I think we're going to change that Henry, I'm not sure how that got started but it doesn't seem like a good thing to me. But it also leaves me with a question." Lord Walter told him before looking at John. "Tell me John, where is Mike's pinky ring?"
"My Lord?" John frowned.
"Something for you to know about me John, I despise subterfuge and delaying tactics. So let this be the last question I need to repeat. Where is Mike's pinky ring?" Lord Walter said in a louder voice.
"I don't know my Lord, he is as I found him." John said.
Lord Walter stared at John for a moment, his eyes were hard to read and he took in a deep breath.
"John, did you understand my use of the word subterfuge?" Lord Walter asked calmly.
"Of course my Lord, I'm being honest, I don't know where it is." John told him.
"Doctor, when you examined Mike last night, did he have a bruise on his left jawline, with a imprint of a ring?" Lord Walter looked at him.
"I don't recall one my Lord, let me look at the record I made for him." Roy shook his head as he stepped over to the file cabinet and opened a drawer and got out the medical file and sorted through it before pulling a piece of paper out. He quickly scanned the report and shook his head. "I've got a number of bumps and bruises, a broken nose, four missing teeth. But nothing on his left jaw at all, my Lord."
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Still haven't finished "Lady Aine" so...unless something happens between now and Monday, Monday I'll start posting the updates to "I Only State Facts" storyline. And it went from 3 stories of 6 chapters (1, 1 and 4) to 4 stories of 7 chapters (1, 1, 1 and 4) lol And then back to Callan!
2LawDog - Right? LOL I laughed myself silly over that. But then I usually do crack myself up! Well since the deities created the creatures you could say that...hehe But yes, Gryphons have phenomenal hearing. She heard Patty's distress and the ramp up of her heartbeat. Yes, thankfully she isn't letting it get her down. Of course she'll be saying goodbye to the house very shortly anyway.
Railman - hehe They do seem a lot like the Lord and Lady before! I had considered writing a honeymoon story for them but then I was like, eh, no...I'd have my own problems doing that considering neither actor they are based on are yet 18. Even though in the story they are old enough.
Susan - Right? Yeah, Mike was hoping to get some revenge against Ralph for what happened to him years ago. Didn't go as planned, thankfully! Just 1 chapter left...
To the Adventure! -Tim