The knife and the rose

First topic message reminder :

The Castanova estate was but a stones throw from the small town of Ingleton in northern county of Yorkshire. Their lands extended east through the woodlands and south through pastures of the hilly countryside. Having been a family in favor with the Duke of Lancaster they have been given the royal duty of patrolling the nearby countryside and supplying troops as they head north into the barbaric lands of the scotts. Over a generation this area became a hub for travelers heading from Blackpool to the north and the estate has flourished and grown from a hovel to a large household complete with ramparts and barracks.

Some might say that the family was too generous with their time but the Castanova's were more involved with their land than most nobles. the sons worked their share and the daughter helped where appropriate. They were quite favored among the tenants that worked their land.

One spring however they heard news that taxes in the nearby city of Lancaster were forcing merchants from their trade and adding to the count of beggars on the street. This soon lead to an influx of workers that the estate could not support on it's own. They started saying no to harbouring travelers and imposed a small fee to ensure that the tennants could have enough to plant next season. This plan worked for the family and all went well over the next season. What they didn't know however was what happened to those they turned away.

Ooc: See Ingleton near Lancaster in the UK to get a feel of where we are.

Players: Fiddler as Aaron Desvents
Savannah as Helena Castanova

Oc: Sorry for not replying in a while. I'll post something tomorow Been busy making my Dnd campaign and work now that I've a quiet week I should be more active

Bringing out my fiddle I played until my anxieties fell away. There was nothing in the world that could replace the feeling this instrument gave me. The sound came off the strings as if my own voice, and my fingers settled of their own accord on the strings as the song played not from my arms, but from my soul instead.

Opening my eyes I noticed a crowd had formed around my tent and giving them a smile I played a few crowd-pleasers. Cheers and whoops came forth as dancing started. It didn't take much to start a small party. Bonfires were up and everyone went off to enjoy themselves elsewhere as I bowed and went to change now that light wasn't a problem. My dark leather became darker and there was no part of me that didn't blend into the night. My face covered in ash, my hood up, gloves made to fit tight wish ridges that allowed for better grip should I need to climb. Even my toes soaked in pitch as I made my way out of the camp trying not to put weight on them should I need the grip later.

Luck was on my side as it was a cloud covered night, the only light being from the low glow of the clouds themselves. It might rain but that shan't be a problem. Arriving at the meeting place early I found a tree and sat down, not entirely relaxing but ready to bide my time until my compatriots arrived.

Not waiting long I heard footsteps coming from the camp. Loud and rather untrained I guessed the guide I hired on. He came to the clearing and looked around until I brought him over. "Where are the others?" he asked. "They'll be here." replying in a sure tone. Minutes later a group of footsteps, sounded like a pair, again from the camp. These were a little more sure of themselves and seemed used to moving through undergrowth, but not at night. Twump! I hear one trip over a branch. "Oi mate git up!" rustle. rustle. "Darn roots, cant see em in this light!" I laughed a little standing up and making my presence known "Well that's the point now ain'it!?" Imitating his strong northern accent.

All was going as planned.

As the time to leave for the meeting came upon us. I grabbed my cloak slipping it over my arm as I exited my room and started across the estate. Making my way to the outside of the castle wall without issue. Making my way through the woods towards where I was to meet Luca with my weapons. "Helena" Luca says walking out of the shadows as I walk closer to him. "Luca. Thank you much for accompanying me on this quest. I couldn't very well trust myself on my own with many of these people." I say smiling as I took my weapon belt from Luca and strapping it around my waist. The belt contained my sword in its sheath and four daggers in their sheaths as well. "Of course Helena. I couldn't very well let you have all the fun. Besides what kind of guard and friend would I be if I let you go without some cover." Luca says as he tries to check my weapon belt. "Luca I can strap my own weapons to my waist  without your help" I say swatting Luca's hand away as I strap my quiver of arrows across my back and slip my cloak on. "Just want to make sure. Wouldn't want you to lose your weapons at the time you most need it." Luca says as he slipped my hood over my head. "Well Luca I trust I did well. But I wouldn't have any other person to have my back" I say smiling hooking my arm with Luca as we made our way through the woods towards the meeting grounds.

After settling the men down and introductions were made we waited out last member. I didn't expect her to be alone but I'd be lying if I sad that hearing a pair of footsteps made my day. They got closer and I noticed one had a slight limp to it, and the other rather dainty and light footed. Seeing them enter the clearing my suspicions were confirmed. The man with her had the air of a palace guard yet seemed too protective over her to be a simple guard.

Standing up slowly I push strait to the point, "Either you bring trouble or come to aid in our venture, Speak." I kept my voice firm and heard their reply as such. An abandoned castle eh? This seemed too easy. "Lady Helena, although I take your word at face value I simply cannot put all my eggs in the same basket. I will go with you, and we shall find this treasure of yours and if it is indeed there all will be well. My men however will raid your castle and take our due from there as well. Should everything go well your house's gold will be returned. If you are lieing however,  then we shall still give the people their due."

I paused letting them think. This wasn't a light matter and shouldn't be taken as an empty threat. By now they knew they had no choice in the matter. All that was left was to choose if her bodyguard came with us and my men would be left unguarded, or if her would keep the men at bay and I would go alone with the lady.

OOC: I'm so sorry. I have been horrible for not writing in a while. Just a lot have been going on around here.

BIC: When we got to the clearing I wasn't surprised to see a group of men waiting there. I was the only women which didn't surprise me because not many know how to fight such as I do. But I was grateful to have Luca with me. Aaron Desvent did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point as soon as we got there. I would be lying if I said I would be surprised. But what I was truly surprised about was what Aaron Desvent  about his men still raiding my castle. "No wait that was not part of the deal. You said that you wouldn't raid my home if I help you take from Lord forelli" I practically snap a bit outrage that Aaron Desvent would go against our deal. But I guess I shouldn't have been surprised with the stories I have heard about him. He wasn't about justice or helping people. All he cared about was greed and himself. "And how do I know these men won't just disappear after they steal from my home?" I ask glaring at him, feeling a bit outraged as I take a step closer. But only getting pulled back by Luca.

Hearing her reply I smirk. "Well there's the beauty of it, you don't. Unless you give them a chaperone to make sure they don't get into too much trouble." pausing letting her take in my words before continuing. "I only said that I didn't mind much where the money came from, only that these men and women get enough money to go on with their lives. If you'd rather another agreement I'm listening but I have no reason to trust you neither as you know."

OOC: I'm sorry I've been gone and haven't responded in months. I hit a writer's block and things have been crazy busy. I hope you haven't given up on me and will hopefully want to continue.

BIC:I glared at him if looks could kill I knew Aaron Desvent would drop dead right there. "Helena" I hear Luca say to me as he pulls me away from the men and towards some of the trees out of hearing range of all the men. "What Luca? This is not at all what the deal was. I caught him last night sneaking around our walls planning to steal from us. I made him a deal that would help him steal from lord forelli but he wouldn't steal from us. This was not at all the deal that I would help him steal lord forelli and from us." I ask turning my glare to him. "I know Helena... I know" I hear luca say putting his hand on my cheek making my glare soften. "All you are trying to do is protect your family. But let me worry about these idiots. As much as I hate to say it and I know if your brothers were alive they would kill me for saying this." Luca says sighing keeping his hand on my cheek making me stay staring at him and not everywhere else like I want to. "But I know that you are strong and more then willing to protect yourself without me being next to you. Go with this Aaron Desvent character keep your end of this stupid deal and I will handle these characters. Come back un harmed and alive or that character will more then just to deal with." Luca says smiling at me in his warm and calming tone. Which as always makes me a little calmer and smile. "Okay we will go with your divide and concur plan." I say with a small smile. "That's my lady Helena and the strong girl I know" Luca says wrapping me in a hug. I smile hugging luca back before taking a deep breath reading myself to deal with these clowns they try to call themselves thieves.

Ooc: yeah I'll continue I'll post tonight prob when I've a min

Awesome. I'm sorry it's taken me months to respond back.

BIC: I smiled as he convinced her to accept my proposition. Perhaps it wasn't quite the same as being able to reason with her but it was good to see she could be persuaded. "Men of the people join me here a moment!" calling out to have a group huddle before leaving them to the so called valiant knight. "I meant what I said, I cant afford to trust them and neither can you. At the first opportunity, one of you split off from the group and find your own treasure to scavenge. Try not to get caught or noticed. Good luck!" -And to you!- they replied. The group headed south towards the castle leaving me with the maiden.

"After you milady." I said as politely as I could without seeming too cocky. Her earlier enthusiasm with her friend immediately disappeared again as she gave me another glare. If looks could kill...

Outfit: http://www.polyvore.com/untitled_219/set?id=98366064

Bic: "Do you have your sword and bow and arrows?" Luca asks in a whisper to me. I smile nodding my head as I lift my cloak to show him the sword attach to my waist. As well as the quiver of arrows that where across my back and bow that was on my shoulder. "And your leg knife?" He asks again in a whisper. I couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. "When have you known me to ever leave my room without it." I whisper back with a smile. "Just promise me you will keep your eyes on these clowns." I whisper to Luca look over to see them all in a stupid huddle together. "I will. You just come back safe and take this. It has some extra tools." Luca whispers taking the pouch he never takes off. "Luca I can't. That's yours and you never go anywhere without it." I say quietly shaking my head. "I'll be fine. I rather you have it right now and come back safe." Luca whispers pushing the pouch in my hand before walking after the clowns.

I sigh taking a deep breath and placing the pouch around my waist. I couldn't help but snap my head up when I heard his arrogant cocky voice. I glared at him and march right up to him getting right into his face. I 'accidently' place my foot on top of his shoe "I swear on my mother and brother's graves. That if you and your clown crowd goes against our deal and disappear. There wont be a place you can hide on this planet that I won't hunt you down and find you." I say glaring at him and grinding my foot down on his. Before turning at start to walk towards the abandoned castle.

Shrubs, trees, and even a porcupine tempted to block her path. I simply kept up to the angry princess slightly favouring my right foot. It was a quiet night none the less as we approached the ruin. The ruin was in rough condition. On this side the walls stood tall. The overgrown trees had made their mark forcing apart the ramparts with their roots. We skirted the battlements and came upon a gash in the defences. Some time ago this side must have been the target of siege weaponry as the once proud gateway now served to fill the moat with it's masonry.

Our pace came to a creep as we checked our surroundings for activity. I could hear two guards who were playing dice somewhere in the ruin. "Where to milady?"

OOC: I'm going to apologize ahead of time for it being so long. I hope it's not too long. I just started typing and couldn't stop. I actually thought of an idea, to add a little twist to this role play. In my back story in my bio I wrote that both my brothers died in war. But they only found one body. What if only my brother Claudius died and my brother Marcello lived but Lord Forelli for some reason wanted us to believe that both my brother's died. But really Marcello is one of the knights that are guarding the treasure in the ruins. Because Marcello knows the ruins so well.

Sorry trying to write a novel again.

BIC: I couldn’t help but smirk a bit every time I would look behind me to see him favoring his right foot. The same foot that I ‘accidently’ smashed into the ground earlier. “Everything alright back there sir thief?” I ask as I pull a branch back walking through the path and letting go. Hoping that it would hit him behind me. I know it wasn’t very lady like to act the way I was acting and my father would be very displeased with my behavior. But I could not help it when he is trying to hurt my family and the people I care deeply about. Let’s face it I am not your average lady anyway.

“I have not been to these ruins in quite some time. When I was a child my mother would bring my brothers and I to the ruins all the time. It was our own little trips away from the estates with our mother and our ways of learning my mother’s history.” I say continuing to walk through the forest towards the ruins I knew so well as a child. “They have been in ruins for as long as I can remember. But a long time ago before the war with France this use to be a mighty and strong castle. It was my mother’s home when she was a child. But when the war started when she was older this castle was one of the mightiest castle’s on the border at the time. Also the source of quite a number of siege’s there was so many attacks to try to siege the castle. That it was unsafe for my mother to stay she was of age and she was given to my father’s hand in marriage.” I say as I stop talking and walking for a minute realizing how that might have sound.

“Any how the France eventually siege the castle in there hold and when the war was over and we went into peace. The castle was abandoned and it became the ruins that it is today. Not many visit the ruins anymore. I have not been here since my brothers died in battle. Which is probably why Lord Forrelli felt it a clever place to hide some of his fortune that he steals from all the people of the land. The ruins was also where I was taught my skills with the sword and bow and arrows.” I say my voice getting softer as we get to the ruins and crept towards where the down wall was.

I hear him ask me what’s next but I ignored him. Peeking my head around the corner I didn’t see anything. But I wanted to get a better view. So I left Aaron the thief Desvent and the wall as I walk back into the forest and to the back side of the closet tree to the castle ruins. Taking a running start I jump on the first tree branch climbing my way onto the branch. Starting to climb up to get a better view of the ruins but also staying out of view. In case the rumors were true and there were a couple of guards roaming around.

Ooc: according to where we set our adventure we're on the wrong side of england to be fighting france XD but wtvr let's go with it!

Ic: An invasion force breaching this castle? I could imagine it getting squished compared to the fortresses I'd seen. Even so in a different age I could see it's might towering over the forest. Her gaze stares off into the castle walls. She remained mute and made her intent to discover the ruin's secrets clear. She seems more motivated to do this than I am...

The squirrel of a lady jumps up onto a nearby tree. I admired her agility although was slightly disappointed that the darkness never gave me a look up her skirt. Making my way forward I crept up to the battlements. The voices were a mix of losing grunts and winning cheers all in between the drinking of ale. This was going to be easy. I pulled out a garrote made of an old fiddle string and a fist sized pebble I had picked out earlier. The shadows were my ally as I breached the ramparts smoothly. A roar of laughter extended from across the ruin. It seemed I had chosen the long way to my victims.

OOC: Sorry I can fix that. I kind of just put a random country in. So what country would we fight?

IC: I crept out onto one of the tree branches over looking the castle. I kept in the leaves of the overgrown tree but it gave me a perfect aerial view of the ruins. Everything looked clear to me. Except for the shadow of a man creeping over and through the down wall over the battlements. I more then likely knew that was sir thief not bothering to wait. I took another brief look at my surrounding beneath making sure no knights were out and around. Before making my way down the tree and silently after my unfortunate companion I was force to work with. "It looks like there are no knights out patrolling which would probably blow their cover of being a abandoned castle. But more then likely the treasure will be in on of the old bedrooms in far southern wall. I was always told those rooms were built the best and use to hold some treasure once upon a time." I whisper as I silently snuck up right next to him and continue to follow his lead.

The Lady followed me in. She came in nimbly into the grounds like a black cat in the night. Whether good luck or bad however I was starting to take a liking to her. A roar of laughter filled the air once more. My eyes focused on my prey as I skirted the rocks and rubble. The duo were sat a small wooden table using rocks as their stools. A torch lit their faces as I recognized the further from me as a tax collector. My plan was to hit the tax collector with the stone and choke the other.

One glance at the lady told me she was once again waiting for me to take the lead. Stepping forward and holding my breath I flung the stone. It hit the guards forehead as my steel string caught the other by surprise. A hand came up feebly towards my face as he struggled to remain conscious.

One... two... his struggled weakened.

three... four... he flung himself off the rock causing me to nearly lose my grip.

five... six... seven... eight... he went limp just as I heard the maiden say a word. Was it someone's name?

Sorry I've been gone for so long.


IC: I quietly and closely follow the thief through the rubble of what once was a courtyard and towards the very back wall. To a room I could hear laughter coming it sounded like there was only about two men. As we got to the opening to the room I didn't know what to do or expect. So naturally I stayed out of the room and let the thief do we he does. I watched him quickly throw a stone at one guy and then start to strangle the other guy. I stood at the door practically stun silence watching everything. As I watched I noticed a face that looked oddly familiar a face that I once saw but couldn't remember. As I watched a notice a handkerchief fall from the struggling man. I watched the handkerchief fall to the ground and when I noticed the crest on the handkerchief. My hand immediately went to my bodice where I held a matching handkerchief. It was my brother's Claudius's handkerchief it was returned to us with his body. It was one of the 3 same handkerchief I made for Marcello, Claudius and Luca. "Marcello" I whisper completely shocked finally realizing the guard that the thief was strangling was my brother that I thought was dead. "Stop. Stop" I say running over to Aaron and trying to release his hold on my now still brother. "Don't kill him please" I say again still pulling on his arm.

Letting the unconscious man fall to the floor I recover my breath. "Do you think it's christmas!? This isn't the time for charity milady and we need to consider what we'll do with them when they awake." the scowl on my face saw the end of that argument as her face stayed perplexed and awe stricken. Letting the maiden halfheartedly assist me in binding the guards I couldn't help but notice her soft look towards one of the captives. "You mentioned the name Marcello. That's Italian isn't it?"

I scowled back at the thief after he was trying to yell at me about being passionate to my brother that I thought was dead. I helped him bind the men not really wanting to tie my brother up. Even though it reminded me of some of the tricks we use to play tricks on each other. Especially of the time that Marcello and I tied Claudius to a tree in the woods one time. "Yes it is. He was named after my grandfather." I say quietly not looking at Aaron and keeping my back to him as I reach down and pick up the pretty worn handkerchief and running my fingers along embroidered crest.