While Dawn and Lara were still expl the town, Lord Jerald sat within his home going through reports his subordinates had brought him. Quickly noting the arrival of a young mage, he turo the report, muttering under his breath as he read that the mage’s tower was rep signifit difficulties maintaining proper mana levels, the head apprentice having remarked that most under him were “worthless bags of ego” before tinuing onward to mention that it should be resolved shortly as the other useful mages returned.
Finishing that report, he reached for another only to stop as a messenger entered, handing him a letter sealed with the symbol of an owl. After thanking the man and waiting for him to leave, he opehe message, g it, and frowned deeply at the tents.
“Great ohe golden traveler found themselves made a pauper yesterday. They found th—” and then a blotch of ink and blood covered a portion of the paper. Clearly something had happeo his spy, yet he still got a message, oddly enough. Apparently his official messeo the bandits was attacked, acc to the slight wordpy.
Steeling himself for the worst, he tinued below the damaged se, only to be surprised, hoping it was accurate.
“Well, I must say this is ued. Leanna showed up while I was writing this report and scared me half to death. Apparently she has known I y this eime, and was even iionally discussing things so that I could hear them.
She demanded I use the same letter rather thaart, so I apologize for the damage, but I spilled the ink when I jumped, and bit my tongue in shobsp; I am perfectly fine. Leanna requests to meet you outside town tomorrow to discuss a troubling situation. I am uo go into detail in case this letter is intercepted, but I will be there along with your messenger. While he was attacked, he mao escape and ran into Leanna’s bandits, who immediately provided assistahen hunted down those who attacked him, as they were still looting the carriage.
Leanna told me to state specifically that we will be waiting where she first overpowered you during training, as well as that she would like you t the current captain of the guard and their elites, as she trusts that they restrain themselves as well as protect you. She also swore “on her oath” that she would only bring two of her elites with her, and no one else aside from myself and your messenger. Oh, and she just reminded me, she DEMANDS that y a healer with you, apparently she is worried about slow-ag poisoo the wounds your messenger received while esg the ambush, and wants to be sure you don’t suspect her if there is any.”
He rubbed his temples as he finished reading the letter. He still could not uand why Leanna had turned on him in the past, but all the reports had been painting an odd picture. Clearly she was still in tact with some of his mehere had been no signs of any sabotage or theft that led back to her. Additionally, aside from the murder of the fovernor and his family, there was no evidence she harmed anyone who served him. Perhaps he had it backwards, two people both itting the same crimes the same way in the same pce, despite not iing, and being caught by the same person had always seemed a bit off to him.
sidering his options for several minutes, he decided on a small degree of trust, and began writing a letter in response. After two hours he finally finished, having had to stop and think several times in the process. After allowing the ink to dry, he folded up and sealed the letter with his sigil ring and headed towards the guard station.
Upon arriving, he requested a small force of guards before heading into the noble’s quarter, taking a roundabout path towards a specifie he had been keeping an eye on. As they approached, a peared out of the shadows beside them, asking if they were going to take him out now. fused with the ive response she received, she shrugged before vanishing again, heading back to her post.
After sharing instrus with the guards, he headed a few streets away and into a small unoccupied shop, waiting in the basement with two guards. Meanwhile the ht surrouhe house that had been being observed, one knog on the door and standing clearly in view. Several times over the following minutes, he knocked on the dain.
As this was going on, Lord Jerald simply stood in front of a wall in the basement, waiting patiently. Exactly as he had expected, the wall shifted, a hidden door opening to reveal aremely surprised and equally well-dressed man who froze a pale upon seeing them.
With a slight chuckle, Jerald calmly spoke, “We have known of you for quite some time, how about we head back to your home and discuss things? I promise that you will not be harmed as long as you cooperate.”
Several seds ter, the man seemed to recover, though his face remained pale, nodding and turning back around, walking slowly back dowunnel. Seeing this, Jerald o one of the guards, who turned and asded the stairs as the other followed him dowunnel behind the spy.
Ohey arrived in the house aered the sitting room, Lord Jerald sat down across from the man they had followed. After allowing the man to calm down slightly, seeing that they were not making any move to restrain him or search the property, Lord Jerald began expining to the man, “I have known of your activities for many months, though we had more important things to do than stop you. Things have ged today. Leanna captured one of my messengers, and revealed she knew of my spy in her group while passing on information. If this is not a trick, then she is trying to create some trust between us, and I would prefer to believe that is the situation. As such, I wish for you to deliver this message to her, unopened.”
As the man tried to process what he was hearing, Jerald removed the letter from his coat, handing it to the baffled man. Ohe man accepted the letter, he tinued, “Don’t try to escape, however, if you do not return, your family will be captured in pce of you. So long as you do return, you have nothing to worry about, as long as your as do not ge. I also fully expect you to share these events with Leanna, so do not worry about that. I do hope you both make the right choice.”
Finishing what he came for, he stood, heading for the front door as the guard followed him. Exiting the house, he o the guards, told them they could return, and headed baeet the woman watg over the house to update her ouation.
