Appleseed Manor - Falkovnia

A day after the previous meeting, everyone including Reece, Samuel and of course Mrs Margaret Hedges are assembled once again in the white washed manor house.

Cold, sweet lemon tea sits in a jug upon the short table with enough glasses for all, a small tray of baked goods, gingerbread men, lay still warm cooked by Maggie herself rest nearby (they're covered in sugar sprinkles and small gorgeous).

Reece: "So what's it to be then? I'd make a decision, but it's not like all of this rests upon my shoulders and what I'd would suggest effects many others. I know several of you are heading to Lekar anyway and Samuel here's suggestion sounds better than trying to relocation eighty odd people away from their livelihoods, assuming it works."

Reece pauses to smile up at Abigail briefly, before leaning forward and picking up a gingerbread man.

Reece: "Thanks Mag.." he says biting in to it, "Fantastic... pity all woman aren't as good cooks as yourself.." he says with the smallest glance at Abigail.

Margaret smiles back to Reece for a moment, but remains silent, as does Samuel.

The room falls silent for a second as Reece crunches in to a gingerbread man.

Adelinde stands by an open window, looking out at the fields of corn with a tea in hand and listening to the conversation. She seems to have regained a lot of colour in her face over the last few days it is still obvious by her movements that she has a quite way to go to recovery.

Adelinde: 'Assassinations and such like are all too uncertain for me, we have no surety that it would work and as well as being dishonourable it is a highly risky enterprise deep in Falkovnia to raid a barracks and then make good our escape. I think when you boil it down there are only two sensible choices. One, you evacuate and move towards New Lanark. With the full harvest and the carts, weapons and supplies to sell you are not paupers and my land is sparely populated, it can easily take you and in fact while the recent years have been harsh to the people there they remain stout of heart.'

Adelinde:'Two, if you want to risk staying here, attempt a deception. Any of the men who wish to continue to fight now move on into Falkovnia and try to join up with others in the rebellion. Take all the food, weapons and supplies with you, sell or destroy them if you have to but leave the farm in the appearance of having been cleaned out. Margaret sends for "help" from the state. Report in the capital that the farm was raided by the rebels looking for food and in a subsequent engagement they sacked the estate and destroyed an army unit which came in search of them. There should be no way to prove the people of this estate were anything other than innocent bystanders in a war which suddenly came to their doorstep. In fact, they are also victims of the Rebels now, are they not?'

Abigail scowls at Reece for a moment before turning her attention back to cleaning her pistol, carefully polishing the metallic surfaces with an old, tarnished cloth.

Abigail:"I still think we should kill the bugger but like you, who am I to decide the actions or fate of this group. My time here is up and I have nothing holding me here apart from certain pleasures which I could find anywhere."

She glances over at Reece again for a moment before looking down at the floor.

"I will however, see this through if you decide to help these fine bunch of folk with their assassination attempt. If however you do not then I will leave and look for more work else-where.

I'm a girl in demand and I can get jobs wherever I go."

Abigail stands up and walks towards the kitchen, stopping next to Reece to lay a hand on his shoulder for a second.

"I'm sorry darlin' but there's nothing here for me. It's been fun and all but, well.. you're not worth the hassle."

Abigail leaves the room and ventures into the kitchen. She stands over the sink and bows her head for a few seconds, lost in thought before suddenly turning and re-entering the living room.

"If we don't go to kill this... guy... where will you be heading to?" She addresses Stanislav.
"Maybe I'll come with you..."

Stanislav purses his lips and scratches the back of his head before replying.

Stanislav: "My plan is to head south. My mother left me some notes, a kind of legacy I suppose. I'm following them up. Where they might lead exactly, I'm not quite sure. It's a voyage of self discovery, you might say."

He pauses for a moment before continuing.

Stanislav: "And that's all I'm willing to say at the moment. If you want to tag along, I'll be glad of the company, but being as we've only just met you'll have to take that at face value."

Adelinde blinks repeatedly in horrified disbelief while watching the brazenly whore-like conduct of the, well, gunslinging whore apparently in their midst but seems to decide to hold her peace on the matter.

Adelinde: 'Well. I have no objection to any of that, I would be happy to travel south with Stanislav, my first port of call is in the capital Lekar and safety in numbers in this hostile land seems wise.'

Adelinde: 'I'd also imagine and hope that anything that Miss Abigail has picked up here with her behaviour it shouldn't be catching through the air so she is also welcome to ride with us, useful as she is with that weapon of hers.'

Dominc appears in the doorway, looking over the group briefly, he appears suited up for riding and does not enter the room but rather speaks into it.



Dominic: ''My orders take me to Lekar, Rivia said there was work to be done there. Good luck with this rebellion of yours, I have no doubt God smiles on your cause. Margaret, I sincerely apologize for my earlier accusations, it is my nature to root out and bring forth the truths that men hide, for more often than not what is hidden is obscene. A sad state that the righteous must hide from the wicked.



With that though, I intend to leave, I'll be heading on to Lekar as I said. Adelinde, I believe you were going that way as well, if your plans are unchanged by events and you intend to leave soon I would suggest we remain together, all manner of horrors await to prey on the isolated or unwary, believe me, I know.



With that, the witch hunter tugs the wide rim of his hat slightly, turns around and walks back out to finish preparations to depart for Lekar.

Stanislav watches the witchhunter walk away.

Stanislav: "And there goes one of the horrors. Dominic may do as he pleases, but I for one won't be travelling with him, not even if our destination happens to coincide. I have no wish to be there to see the next pile of corpses he unrepentantly creates."

Adelinde frowns and rubs her eyes after the interchange, looking weary of the bitterness in the air.

Adelinde: 'An apology was unexpected but the good book teaches us that late is always better than never. Stanislav, I entirely understand your point of view and am inclined to agree with you. I do fall short of calling him a murderer though, even if he is a prideful blabbermouth he remains a fine warrior who has acquitted himself well in battle on two occasions in which we needed him.'

Adelinde: 'Perhaps it makes sense to remain united until we reach this city, and go our seperate ways then. I have learned enough by now on this journey from home that one cannot be too fussy with whom they travel with'

She glances once at Abigail with a half smile and then adds, in a tone low enough for only those remaining in the room to hear,

'And where we can keep an eye on him, I feel uncomfortable with the notion of hitting an army checkpoint a day after that chap, given the bad feelings and worse words that we have had here.'

Stanislav shakes his head.

Stanislav: "And if I hadn't been here to save Margaret, what then Adelinde? You'd be burying her. If you and I hadn't been here to warn Reece and his people? The Falkovnian military would have built a pyre of their corpses. Perhaps you have forgotten that your lifeblood was spilling from a severed artery in your leg, courtesy of a Falkovnian bayonet - was that really unavoidable? He was fine whilst his mentor, Rivia, was there to hold his leash, but I am not his keeper, to pick up the pieces next time he makes a false accusation, or blabs to the wrong person, or whatever other perfectly innocent and accidental manner in which he creates the next issue which we then must resolve. I would be pleased to accompany you to Lekar and be glad of your company beyond, but I would feel safer alone than dragged into another one of his paranoid delusions."

Reece sits back, holding up his hands in a slow motion for everyone to hold on.

Reece: "Hey look, I never asked for anyone to join anything. None of you except Abby is even from Falkovnia, so why would I? This is about the people left here and potentially their lives. What I want is to get as much information as possible from the prisoner and use that... which brings up a question, if you're all leaving to Lekar.. well you can't take him.. so I will, right? Treatment will be benefiting whom he is" he says, finishing coldly.

Reece: "One way or another though, this farmstead and Mrs Hedges will be affected, ain't no ruse going to stop the military in the end and they wouldn't care much anyway. Only thing that was stopping them from burning the whole place to the ground and hoping some of the farmers were rebels was the grain and corn, I'm not even kidding..."

Reece sits back, sipping from a glass as the room falls silent for a moment.

Margaret: "Listen up. These are my lands, my fathers and the people here have grown up and lived here for generations." she says for a moment before quietening.

Margaret: "Perhaps it was... foolish, to harbour the rebels.." she says looking to Reece briefly, before continuing, ".. but it's done now and I do not regret it, yet I won't have you all rushing off on silly tasks to correct any previous errors. These lands are cruel and it's laws crueller.. perhaps it's time we left, sought a new home and new beginning, some place the children can grow up to know something other than hard work for virtually nothing..."

Margaret pauses for a moment to pick up and sip from a glass, before looking around the room with icy blue eyes.

Margaret: "Adelinde. This land of yours, would we be welcome? What of me, here I have a title and history and with it a moderate amount of respect, despite it all. I'm old now, I cannot be starting again from scratch and trying to cut out a living, who would even be to say my workers would continue to work for me in a new land? Can you guarantee me something if I and my workers moved to your lands?" she says before setting down her glass.

Margaret: "I realise you owe me nothing, or at least little, but you must understand that I cannot suddenly up, pack and move away and try to start again. I couldn't grow crops and my wealth is in this house and these lands, which I would be forsaking. If you can offer me something, and I don't know if that sounds self-centered, but then I would highly consider leading my workers away to perhaps start a better future for the younger generation."

The rooms silent for a moment, before Reece shrugs and Samuel sighs heavily.

Samuel: "Lady Adelinde, whilst I am commanded to your side and wish to remain thus as to not break my instructions. If you would require I could perhaps lead Mrs Hedges here and her workers to New Lanark and speak upon their behalf, although without a signed seal from yourself I'm not sure how that would work. Although in light of our departure, I'm not sure that would be any guarantee in itself. Although perhaps these lands yourself and Stanislav have spoken of, Lowsofte I believe, may make home to them?" he says, looking mostly to Adelinde, but also to Stanislav.

Reece waves a hand.

Reece: "I think personally, it's best to go..." he says looking to Margaret, "YOU of ALL people know what they're like.. you KNOW what will happen, hope aside..." he says before chewing in to a baked biscuit, "That aside. Abby, how you fancy having a pop at that commander guy if you get the chance? I'm going to get the rest and hit the bridge now it's unblocked and open and try to meet up with some others. You fancy travelling with this lot and taking a pop at the son of a ..." he says before looking at Margaret briefly, "... of a dog.." he finishes.

Margaret looks thoughtful at Reece's words, accepting them perhaps and the room is quiet for a moment.

Abigail looks at Reece and gives him a warm smile. She runs a hand through her long hair and tilts her head to one side.

Abigail: "Sure thing darlin'. He'll talk to me."

She looks at Adelinde

Abigail:"I have ways to make men talk..."

She turns her attention back to the main of the room, glancing at Maggie a few times in quick succession.

Abigail:"But I have to say that I think the best solution is still to sneak in and kill this guy. If however this is not the chosen course of action then I guess Moving would have to be top priority. It's just not safe here anymore.

If we decide to do it, I have a place we can stay in the city. My parents live there and my Mother is a bar-maid so we have a place to relax as well. No-one from the military would bother us there.

My father is sickly but he wouldn't mind really. He hates the government and military and would help us in anyway he could .... plus it'd be nice to see him again."

Abigail looks around everyone, blinking her eyes slowly as she does. She slowly reaches forwards and picks up a gingerbread man. She nibbles on one of the legs and smiles to Maggie.

Abigail:" Mhmm.. These are brilliant..."

Adelinde seems quiet and content to list for a while, maybe lost in thought, nodding in reply from time to time when Margaret and Samuel address her.

Adelinde: 'So much to say. Maggie. Our departure from New Lanark was an awkward one, I am not sure what my and Samuel's status is now there, a fierce darkness seems to be gripping my Uncle, who is the Duke. It could all still be an misunderstanding but I think it would be wiser to try the lands closer to here first, namely around the town of Lowestofte.'

She pauses, to add emphasis to her next words which are delivered with a degree of emotion and sincerity, her eyes going glassy for a moment.

Adelinde: 'For what it is worth you have my solemn word that your title and standing will be respected in any lands which I might have some claim to, although right now I have no assurance as to what that might be, given the state of mind of our Duke. Samuel. It so pains me to accept your offer as I feel much safer and sure of myself by your side but you are right, these people's cause is more pressing than my own.'

Adelinde: 'Go to this strange disconnected part of our country with these good people and see to it they prosper. Under my authority, if you feel it helps, you should aim to settle on the estate of the recently deceased lord who dabbled in black magic. His lands are forfeit for his crimes.'

Adelinde: 'The townsfolk of Lowestofte and surrounding areas need the leadership like which you can provide Samuel and I urge you to be swift in establishing your authority. The people there have fallen into a cynical despair and hatred and a new broom is badly needed. Maggie I am sure will be a source of the most useful advice to you throughout. We will consider the case for reuniting our lands when I rejoin you after the curse on my family heirloom is lifted.'

She then stops for a moment, taking a sip from her drink.

Adelinde: 'I am far from being ready for any more adventuring, I would likely undo Stanislav's limbsaving handy work on my leg if I either attempted to ride or march in my current condition. So that, and my profound distaste for anything like assassinations rules me out I am afraid from any bids to dispatch enemy commanders. Like my doctor friend, I am not even sure, If I am frank with you, if they even are my enemy. My only enemy is evil and injustice, and I have seen plenty committed by both sides. I am of course happy to travel in the same party on the way to the city and accept Abigail's kind offer of assistance once we reach there.'

Adelinde: 'Which leads me to the discussion of the last remaining prisoner. The Lieutenant is a prisoner of war who has behaved with honour in our recent dealings with him. If you have any appreciation for what I did for your cause in battle, you will allow me to decide what is done with him. I will not be releasing him to return to his lines or ever me a threat to you again, but I do intend to give him an opportunity to earn his freedom back.'

Finally finished, and with the audience all still quiet, she leans on the windowsill with one hand for a moment, having perhaps overexerted herself.