On the move.

[Lent]

"Elves." There was a chuckle, a shake of the head. Really, was Nicephorus surprised? This was an untamed, uncivilized land. Obviously such... magical beings would run wild. Still, elves were supposed to be refined, no? They were supposed to have a noble history of battle, supposed to even have designed a number of the tactics that he had studied as a youth. All of that was legend, of course, but he saw little reason to believe it.

Lentham, on the other hand, didn't even bother to gawk. This was Karolinger's trail. They would follow it. It meant a night of hospitality. Fine. Ground was hard. Dreams were... twisted, though not bad. Not really. Whispers, worse, better. The food wasn't good though, not by any means. You could always get decent food in the city for a coin. You could learn to live with the Wood, not to like it. Fine. "We accept."

"We do?" The soldier scoffed slightly. Was this not an apparent trap? He was about to say just that to the constable, when he caught the man's glare. It was enough to quiet him.

There it was: the look, the feeling, the words that defined Kurt Lentham. "What's to lose anymore? Way I see it, son. Either this is the right way or the wrong way. If it's the right way, the right thing, good. If it's the wrong one, we get a meal out of it, even if we have to earn it. If you want to eat nuts tonight, that's your call." There was a pleasant enough frown upon the detective's face, it was the best look he had these days. "So, you coming, Nic?"

A pause. To do anything else would look like cowardice. If this was a trap, well, then, let them spring it. "Yes. I imagine you're a wretched dinner guest. I will have to be civil enough for the both of us."

Lentham would walk forward, would be so direct as to try to clasp the elfmaid's shoulder. "Look there, seems to me like Nic's actually warming up. Its a Myrken miracle. We accept your hospitality. With gratitude and all that."

[Vanidor]

It was not far to enter this so called Enclave, despite the fact that the glow seemed to come from miles away. Perhaps it all depended on if you had the proper guide to lead you along the way. For the trio of elves certainly did lead, believing that their guests would come or not as they wished. But once they came to the Enclave itself, the two warriors would bow slightly from the saddle and the female who had greeted them would dismount from her horse. The two warriors would lead that, and their own horses, away and to stables that seemed to be woven from the forest itself.

"I am called Elissan, and once again I give you welcome to our Enclave. Please, feel free to find a seat within the main hall, we shall be bringing the stag out shortly. We have mead, and wine, within. Some fresh rolls, as well, and honey butter. Please, please. Take a seat and ease your feet.I will inform Coron Darien that representatives from the Town are here, and he will meet you within with all of the honour due unto you. He will surely answer all of your questions."

Then the elf-maid would make a slight bow here, then turn to leave the two to their own devices. No warnings or recommendations made here, simply a suggestion upon where to go. And there certainly were other places to wander towards. Those stables, the warm glow of the kitchens. A curious spire that stretched up into the branches of the trees. That place fairly -reeked- of magic, didn't it. And everywhere, everywhere, was that phosphorescent blue-green glow that illuminated everything.

Including the semi-faded tracks, things that seemed so obviously placed now, and lead into the large hall that dominated the centre of the Enclave.

[Lent]

Nicephorus nodded with some satisfaction as they walked on. The grizzled Detective Constable had been right about one thing. This was well worth it. If this was honest hospitality, they could certainly use it. If this was a trap, it was one interesting enough to be worth springing. THIS was a story he could take back to his fellows, the ones who actually believed in him, that had not been fooled. Of course, it hardly made trudging through the woods for so long worth it.

Lentham on the other hand was looking about. It was not quite a look of wonder. Not was it straight out apathy either. "Hnn. Live for somewhere for so long and still never know there's something like this." And then there was a slight glance of distaste for that tower. Lentham had nothing against magic. It was part of the world like anything else. How it was used was more important by far. Spires, however? No Myrkenite worth their salt cared for spires, not a lick. Memory or no, it didn't matter.

"Honestly, Lentham. The lot of you don't seem very aware of your surroundings." This comment came with a bit of a sniff. His 'partner' was persistent, but past that, he, and most of his fellows seemed to strive for next to no positive martial qualities at all. It was ALMOST depressing and certainly embarrassing.

Lentham's eyes were for the tracks. Hnn. Things to learn here. Not a bad idea at all. He had not even ignoring the Xanth Grange soldier's words, however. "Lucky I have you around. Don't know what I'd do. No time to play tourist, see? Not until Karolinger is in chains. Come on." They would walk on to that main hall, would take their seats and would wait for whatever came next.

[Vanidor]

They would be rewarded with a sight then, for here was the source of the music that had filtered so ethereally through the clearing. There was one elf, this one with slender limbs and hair that fell down past her waist, this one strumming lightly upon a lute set with silver strings. Another, tall and strong with hair cropped into a short soldiers buzz, played his violin in easy counter point. The third, a female with golden hair and wearing a diaphanous gown of pallid blue, was singing in the tantalizing notes of the elven language.

This trio had the attention of most of those within the main hall, not that there were all that many in attendance. A scattering of elves, no more than fifteen, perhaps twenty at the most. A pair of dwarves, both of whom set fierce looking faces upon the serene music. The rest of the guests were humans, some obviously from the province by the nature of their dress. Others from far off. Towards the far rear corner of the hall their guide had moved, and bent slightly to speak into the ear of a dark haired man.

He nodded, then rose his hand to the man who sat besides him. That one would purse lips, then rise from his place besides the elf. It would be none other than Aeryn Karolinger himself. Dressed he was in a jerkin of brown over a shirt of dark green. Dark pants were tucked into well worn boots of grey. His sword rested at his side. Aeryn looked towards Darien, who also smiled lightly and rose as well. Together, they would move through the small gathering towards Lentham and Nicephorus.

As they did, platters of freshly roasted stag would be brought into the hall. These were distributed to those who were waiting, along with pitchers of mead and wine. The trio upon the dais continued to sing.

[Lent]

Karolinger. So that's what this has been leading up to. A trap? No, a trap would be less frustrating. In general, emotion rarely comes upon the face of Kurt Lentham. For this one brief moment, anger broke through. Congratulations, ex-Marshall Karolinger. It fades quickly. Those two weeks were likely over, yes but there was the matter of that dream. What would the boy like here? Certain not a lunge over the table, weapon drawn.

Nicephorus had no idea what Karolinger looked like but he could sense something was amiss. There was no personal stake in this hunt for him. It was business, and he would not cross the line of his honor to capture a man he had never met. He would not sink down to that level. If Lentham wished to move, he was very much on his own.

"Hnnnn." Three tight nods. "I'd say well met, Karolinger, but you're a cur, no matter who you're standing next to." A deep breath. He would give the man a chance, proper-like. "This fortunate meeting about your peaceful surrender then, son?"

[Vanidor]

"You could say..." Aeryn paused a moment and then looked sideways at Darien. The elf only nodded his head. "... that yes, after a fashion it do be. But I will no be going to any gallows." Aeryn smiled slightly, then leaned over to pluck a gobbet of meat up from the table and lift it to his lips. He bit into it and sighed softly. "You really should try this, they do know how to cook, here in this Enclave."

Darien shook his head slightly, then motioned a hand towards the other two. "Master Karolinger has requested sanctuary here in the Enclave, and as our compact has stated, we are allowing it. But only if he remains within the Enclave or within our borders. Once he is outside of it, your law once again is in full effect." Darien frowned a bit, then shook his head once again.

"However, please, take your ease. My daughter is treating us to a rare gift this night." He smiled, did the Elf Lord, and turned his eyes upwards towards the dais where the singing was taking place. "Set your troubles at ease for a night, at least, before any... trouble takes place. I say that to -you-, Master Karolinger, as to your hunters." He fixed Aeryn with a pointed look, and for a strange matter, Aeryn seemed to look... abashed.

[Glenn]

"Troubles at ease?" Lentham was sitting back very, very low in his chair now. His eyes were daggers glancing at Karolinger with intent. He seemed to be thinking. Not back to the gallows? No, not the ex-Marshall, not the smug bastard. He'd hide out here forever before that. "My trouble is sitting across from me. Looks plenty at ease." How long had he been here, Lentham wondered. How long had he been warm, well fed?

It was one thing when they were chasing him, when he had to watch his movements, when he would know no peace. This was something else entirely. "Nic," Lentham's voice was soft. He was still thinking. "How long have you and I been out here. Been two weeks yet?"

Two weeks? Nicephorus glanced at his 'partner.' This did not quite bode well, if it was a serious question. "It's been a great deal longer than..."

"Good," Letham nodded. That is what he promised Cinnabar, and Cinnabar got a good deal longer than that. The blackjack snapped into his hand from a hidden place in his sleeve and he meant to leap right over that table to pummel Karolinger incessantly.

Thankfully, the Xanth Grange soldier did have this warning and he was both stronger and quicker than the detective. Lentham had barely made it to his feet before he was being held back. "Not now, damn it!" Nicephorus shouted. "Not here, not now." This could escalate very quickly into an incident if he didn't stop this madman now.

[Lent]

"Troubles at ease?" Lentham was sitting back very, very low in his chair now. His eyes were daggers glancing at Karolinger with intent. He seemed to be thinking. Not back to the gallows? No, not the ex-Marshall, not the smug bastard. He'd hide out here forever before that. "My trouble is sitting across from me. Looks plenty at ease." How long had he been here, Lentham wondered. How long had he been warm, well fed?

It was one thing when they were chasing him, when he had to watch his movements, when he would know no peace. This was something else entirely. "Nic," Lentham's voice was soft. He was still thinking. "How long have you and I been out here. Been two weeks yet?"

Two weeks? Nicephorus glanced at his 'partner.' This did not quite bode well, if it was a serious question. "It's been a great deal longer than..."

"Good," Letham nodded. That is what he promised Cinnabar, and Cinnabar got a good deal longer than that. The blackjack snapped into his hand from a hidden place in his sleeve and he meant to leap right over that table to pummel Karolinger incessantly.

Thankfully, the Xanth Grange soldier did have this warning and he was both stronger and quicker than the detective. Lentham had barely made it to his feet before he was being held back. "Not now, damn it!" Nicephorus shouted. "Not here, not now." This could escalate very quickly into an incident if he didn't stop this madman now.

[Vanidor]

For his part, Aeryn didn't do more than blink his eyes at the assault. The scattering of guests, however, burst into a babble of conversation and all eyes turned towards the scene. Darien himself had taken a half-step backwards, whilst one of the guardian elves drew a slender bladed knife and started forward. Aeryn only rose his hand a bare, slight notch. Darien frowned yet again, then motioned towards the weapon bearing elf.

"Because this is your first time here, Constable. This transgression we shall allow to pass. There will be no violence done here in this Enclave. Nor any baiting, Master Karolinger." Here the Coron slipped eyes towards Aeryn, who nodded his head slightly. "Peace be upon you." And then, he would step away. Hopefully Nicephorus had a good grip upon the Constable. And hopefully the Constable would recognize that any action he made would be... untoward. And perhaps also realize that Aeryn had done nothing to really defend himself against the attack.

"I would be liking to do without another slap to the face with a constables blackjack, Constable Lentham. The hit your friend McCoy did deal me was more than enough for one lifetime. I would think that it did hurt more than the pieces of that building that near did fall upon me in Orvere. Ashfiend hurt more, I will say, but an almost killing blow to throat..." Aeryn rocked his shoulders slightly. "It was less than pleasant. I could barely swallow for a week after, you know. Made hiding hard, I wager."

Aeryn motioned to the food that lingered upon the table, to the wine and mead and what have you that awaited. "The hospitality of the Elves, it do no be something we should waste, Constable. Eat your fill, I know the nights have been lean. Enjoy a warm and comfortable bed for the evening. By the Light, I do swear to still be here come morning."

[Lent]

"Should have been quicker to move that first week then," Lentham spoke under his breath, admonishing himself. There had been confusion, hesitation, grief. It had served no real purpose. Even the talk with Calomel had taken time allowing the trail had start to grow cold.

"No, my gratitude for the offer," The words were hard. That did not mean it was not honest. "Refill my flask, allow me some supplies, a place to sleep. If Nic, here, wants to eat at the table with this murderer, that's his choice. Won't fault him for it either." Much. They've been travelling hard. "I'll just be grateful for those things instead, especially the bed."

And if Karolinger was there in the morning, that was fine. If he wasn't? Well, then he'd be somewhere that violence WOULD be allowed, and that was fine too, wasn't it.

[Lent]

"Huhnnnnnnnnnnnnnn." Pain. Load of it. Pain and sweat and no... no blood. Still had a head, too. Imagine that.

Lentham remembers the last time he woke up like this, to a forgotten world as a man without a past. The last time he had died. Last time didn't hurt. Not like this... In other ways, but not like this. Knew himself this time, or at least the self he's been for the last year. Something to that. Damn shame if he had to start all over again.

World came in to focus as his eyes got used to the light. Daylight through the window, through the trees. Elves. Memories found their way back to him. There was the Xanth Grange soldier sitting vigil. Plenty nice of him, really. "Nic."

The somewhat haughty Nicephorus snorted over to Lentham. "Hm. You're up." Didn't seem particularly pleased to see his partner of the last couple of months recovering. Must be all that veal and stuck up company. He'd probably hate to have to leave it.

"Karolinger." Not the first word out of the Detective Constable's dry throat, but certainly the second, and the first was only to get enough attention for a proper answer to it.

Nicephorus shook his head with some level of frustration. Of course. Karolinger. "They haven't let me in to see him, but from what I understood, he was in the same condition as you, Lentham. Asleep for two days. No one could rouse you. Strange markings on your body too. Three names and one of them is the Marshall's."

Two days. Three names. Hn. It had been real then. It had been real and he was here now. Sane. Mostly. "Where?"

"Two on your forearm," Nic started. As he did, Lentham raised his arms and read. Seth and Aeryn. The two had very little in common. Didn't seem like he had carved them into his skin, but it was hard to say. His sanity was ... questionable at best.

He continued. "One on your back." Well, that settled it. He couldn't have gotten that there, could he?

"Yeah?" The detective laid back down into the bed. Beds were nice but maybe not if they brought dreams like that along with them. "And what's that say?"

"Jirai Auvryrahel." For someone with little experience with drow, Nicephorus managed the pronouciation valiantly. Perhaps one of the elves had helped him with it.

That was no major surprise. It was also nothing that would be dealt with, at least not today. "Alright. Two days. Long time to be asleep. Got things to do. First, we see if Karolinger is up, if he'll come peaceful-like." And if not? Well, that was a decision he hadn't quite made yet.

[Lent]

"Huhnnnnnnnnnnnnnn." Pain. A load of it. Pain and sweat and no... no blood. Still had a head, too. Movements more important. Been drowning for two damn days.

Lentham remembers the last time he woke up like this, to a forgotten world as a man without a past. The last time he had died only to emerge out of the depths of himself. Last time didn't hurt. Not like this... In other ways, but not like this. Knew himself this time, or at least the self he's been for the last year. Something to that. Damn shame if he had to start all over again.

World came in to focus as his eyes got used to the light. Daylight through the window, through the trees. Elves. Memories found their way back to him. Reality found its way back to him. There was the Xanth Grange soldier sitting vigil. Plenty nice of him, really. "Nic." His voice was a rasp.

The somewhat haughty Nicephorus snorted over to Lentham. "Hm. You're up." Didn't seem particularly pleased to see his partner of the last couple of months recovering. Must be all that veal and pleasantly pretentious company. Suited him fine. Probably hate to have to leave it.

"Karolinger." Not the first word out of the Detective Constable's dry throat, but certainly the second, and the first was only to get enough attention for a proper answer to it.

Nicephorus shook his head with some level of frustration. Of course. Karolinger. "They haven't let me in to see him, but from what I understood, he was in the same condition as you, Lentham. Asleep for two days. No one could rouse you. Strange markings on your body too. Three names and one of them is the Marshall's."

Two days. Three names. Hn. It had been real then. It had been real and he was here now. Sane. Mostly. Two days of drowning. Of hearing it all and wondering if any of it was real. Wasn't the first time for him though. Just like after Haberdasher's Row. "Where?"

"Two on your forearm," Nic started. As he did, Lentham raised his arms and read. Seth and Aeryn. The two had very little in common. Didn't seem like he had carved them into his skin, but it was hard to say. His sanity was ... questionable at best.

He continued. "One on your back." Well, that settled it. He couldn't have gotten that there, could he?

"Yeah?" The detective laid back down into the bed. Beds were nice but maybe not if they brought dreams like that along with them. "And what's that say?" He had heard it, but then he had heard a great deal during his time unconscious. Had all melted together.

"Jirai Auvryrahel." For someone with little experience with drow, Nicephorus managed the pronunciation valiantly. Perhaps one of the elves had helped him with it. Lentham seemed to remember hearing something like that when he was submerged.

That was no major surprise. It was also nothing that would be dealt with, at least not today. "Alright. Two days. Got things to do. First, we see if Karolinger is up, if he'll come peaceful-like." And if not? Well, that was a decision he hadn't quite made yet.

"That's it? You're not explaining anything?" Nic was angry. He had sat vigil... somewhat at least. Maybe he deserved something. "Don't you want to know..."

Time to cut him off. "Dream, Nic. A dream that was more real than life itself. You weren't there. Karolinger was. Calomel was." With some pain, he sat up, ran a hand over the spot where Jirai's name rested. "This drow. Others. I died. And I woke up, two days ago. When it happened, I woke up. Couldn't move. Couldn't open my eyes. Was as good as dead for the last two days. Here's the thing, Nic, every minute of it, I was AWARE. I could hear every damn thing. No rest. No reprieve. That's hell, son. That's hell. And trust me, after what I saw in that dream," after what he had lived through before his first death, "I know what hell is." There. He was to his feet, shakily. "Come on. Let's see how Karolinger fares and if we can manage to bring him to justice."

[Vanidor]

Aeryn had awakened in his provided chamber (tucked away in a far corner of the Enclave as per request), he had been relatively clearheaded, considering the effect of the dreaming. Oh. Most certainly his bed was a wrack of viscous blood, the liquid almost ichorus in the way it stained his sheets. Hell, it even stained the wall besides the bed, where apparently the man had struggled in his tormented sleep during the events of the dreaming.

He had been clear headed enough to focus upon the roof above him, upon the startled elf-maid who had been awakened by his throat-wrenching scream. He wasn't surprised, really, by the look upon the ageless face that rested above him. The last time this had happened, when he had gone into a... it had to have been a dream, right? The last time, he had woken to find himself in a bed of his own blood, Agnieszka's name sprawled across his stomach. This time it was a bit different. He saw the Governor's name, something about Murder. That made him laugh. He saw his own. Suicide? Well. That worked, he guessed. He saw all this. Thought it all over, and then he rose his left hand to scratch at his collar. The thing hurt like... Well, like Jons had scored a point in matched maces. He'd never seen a man wield a hammer like that lunatic.

It would have been at this point, then, that Aeryn would truly come to understand the horror that was attached to the face of the woman who attended him. He was scratching himself alright, only the messy stump of his left hand was leaving a smearing of fresh blood upon the tacky mess that already slathered his chest. He had felt the difference at first, that's what made him look. It was amusing to see another name half melded with that injury, part of the name sliced in twain by the cut that had apparently carried over from the dream to the real world.

"Maybe... it was no ju-". And here, the former Marshal's head would slump back upon his soiled pillow, the handless arm thumping down upon his naked torso and slipping in the congealing pool of blood. The elven woman screamed again, this time a high-pitched burst of their archaic tongue, frantically attempting to stem the flow of blood. Others would rush to the scene, as apparently a similar one was occurring somewhere else in the Enclave...

That, of course, was two days ago. Today he awoke once more in a bed that was clean except for the smells that followed a man who had lain asleep for two days. He was content with that, though his eyes were dry and his mouth felt like sand. The same elfess was at the bedside, a book propped open. There was a pitcher of water nearby, a couple of glasses. It looked like a plate of food as well. He wondered if the elves had provided Lentham with the same. Knowing them, they probably did. Knowing him, he probably refused. Didn't matter.

"Shiara." His voice was as raspy as his throat felt. Another few blinks as his eyes acclimated to the light streaming in through the open windows. It always amused him that the temperature here was always... temperate, even with snow dusting the ground. He could see it. Barely. In any case, she turned to him, tilting her head. "A couple of things." He took a breath.

"Do I really be missing my hand?" She nodded.

"The Constable. Do he still be here, and in good condition?" She paused a moment, everyone in the Enclave knew what had happened. At least between the two of them that first night. Things had been tense, since then. But that was life, everyone knew, as well, what had occurred in Myrken. Some were on the Constables side. Some on Aeryns. That was the way it was. However, she nodded slightly.

"Good enough. I need clothes. Preferably mine this time, and a few moments with the chamber po... Did anyone find my hand?" She was already rising, pushing the requested pot towards the bed. Her voice was musical, when she spoke before leaving. "No, my friend. Just the cut and the names etched into thy skin. Yon, in the cabinet, that is where the clothes we did cut for you are. New boots as well. If you wish to run, now would be the time. The Hunter, that constable, he be abed as well." And then through the doorway and out, leaving the man his privacy.

Remaining in the bed another few moments, before the summons of nature itself forced him out of the bed, he considered her words...

[channe]

((withdrawn; i have no accessible internet for a week or two))

[Lent]

It was a few minutes before Lentham was allowed in. There were enough elves present that he would not be leaping across rooms with murder in mind, or at least not successfully. He was back in those battered clothes, no weapons visible. "Your hand?" There was some surprise. He had been convinced through talking to others that it had been a dream, not a normal one, of course, not with the names, but... this was a great deal more.

"Glad I didn't run you through." That deserves a nod. No sleep would have been lost over it. Didn't mean it was what he wanted, what the boy would have wanted. That was important. "Not a proper way to die." He had been surprised by the missing hand, but did not feel remorse over it. Karolinger was both a murderer and a menace at best. Perhaps this would lessen his ability to harm others. "Would not have been proper."

It did not balance the scales for McCoy's death, though. "You coming back with me now, Karolinger? Or do you keep hiding behind elvish skirts?"