Dead Ends

The hut sat in the middle of a small clearing, the forest around it held back by a small wooden fence so that the owners could have room for a garden, a small pasture area for their goats and horses, and room for their children to live. However, the forest had invaded on one side, sending sprouts through the yard as well as delivering weeds into the garden. The area had all the signs of abandonment, however the fire inside was burning bright and voices could be heard from the inside. It belonged to a certain baron, trusted by the Queen Thalia to perform in her stead with the intentions of peaceful resolutions as her armies grew back to their full strength after the disastrous war with Verden and an interior rebellion. Baron Orpheus, a man of 39 years and the owner of a proud inheritance that places him in charge of nearly 11,000 square miles of the Queen's very own precious land. He has a grand chateau in the smack dab center of his territory, where he can rally his troops to his defense and battle back nearly any assault long enough for the royal army to come to his aid.

Despite all of these perfect examples of his wealth, he is currently holing up with his closest advisers and family in this cottage that sits on the easternmost side of his territory and a three days' ride from his closest garrison. Just as it was told that he would be. Thierri was crouched behind a hefty oak tree near the fence and had been watching the hut for nearly an hour as he tried to see if there was any surprise that he had not accounted for before making his move forward. Wearing only a thick gambeson and armed with his sword, he made little to no noise as he vaulted steadily over the fence and began creeping towards the closest window to him. He had seen the baron's wife there several times during the hour, wiping her brow incessantly and giving stirring actions as if it was where they kept their cooking stove.

He had a length of twine wrapped around his waist, but it would not be used tonight as a belt to keep his trousers up. Going to the window, he ducked beneath it and watched the square of light that shone through it. He had elected to leave his shield, hauberk, and brigandine in the treeline, knowing that the clanking of the metal would more than likely blow his cover. Glancing around him as he heard the goat coming around the corner, he stilled and prepared to spring towards it to silence any calls it decided to give, but the preparation proved unnecessary. As if it could sense his intentions, the goat stilled upon seeing him before widening its eyes and springing back behind the corner. There was a possibility his scent had tipped it off to what he was, but it was no longer his worry when he saw the square of light become interrupted by the blurry silhouette of the woman's head and shoulders.

Stepping back away from the window, he slashed the sword across it twice, forming an X before slamming his fist into the center and sending the glass flying inwards. Letting his sleeve slip down to cover his palm, he propelled himself through the window and over the pot of hot soup. Hearing the woman beginning to scream, he shot his left hand out to clamp it around her neck before drawing her towards him. Seeing the others in the room turn to face him, he smiled as he saw the baron's face growing pale. His smile turned to a frown as he saw the man's eyes dart to the door on the wall to Thierri's right. Squeezing his left hand harder, he crushed the woman's windpipe before twisting his body quickly and throwing her against the door. Her head let out a sickening crack as it collided with the solid wood frame around the door before her body settled down in front of it as a dead weight door stop.

Seeing that the issue had turned, the baron and his three advisers drew their swords before moving between the baron's son and daughter and Thierri. Grinning as he wriggled his fingers on the sword hilt, he stepped forward to the left in a feint before leaping to the right as he slashed his sword from his left shoulder. Feeling the blade's tip drag across the first adviser's chest, Thierri stepped inward and drove the sword through the man's chest before it came out of his back. Picking him up from the ground, he brought his left hand to the man's chest and pushed him up and off his blade before letting him fall to the ground.

Stepping to the second man, he brought his sword to the left, blocking the man's well-delivered strike before bringing his left hand up to his own blade. Shoving the man's blade to the side and sending him slight off balance, he drove the pommel of his sword in a half-sword grip into the man's forehead. Seeing him stumble backwards, Thierri moved the sword to his neck and turned his torso to the right slightly to deliver a draw cut that cut through the man's neck and almost to his spine. Seeing the third adviser come at him with a dagger in his offhand as well, he recognized the man's face and realized that he had traveled with the baron to the Timber Crag Kingdom in order to try and form a peace treaty. This realization caused him to miss the man's first strike until it had nearly landed. bringing his left arm up instinctively, he caught the blade on his forearm where it skipped off the expensive gambeson before moving harmlessly to the side. This, however, was a feint more or less that let the man step in and deliver his dagger to Thierri's kidney in an express delivery like an urgent message. Growling deeply as he felt the steel drive into him, Thierri smiled as he saw the fear on the man's face once he recognized who the assailant was. Letting go of the dagger and sword together as he realized how futile the steel weapons were, he stepped back and nearly knocked Orpheus over as he tried to get away.

Chuckling softly as the man's ferocity turned to terror, Thierri pulled the dagger from his side and felt the wound immediately closing up on itself as it healed quickly. Within seconds, the only sign of injury was the cut gambeson, the blood that had flowed over it, and the blood that was o the dagger. Dropping the dagger to the ground, Thierri wiped his sword off on one of the corpse's breeches before sheathing it on his hip. Stepping forward towards the four people, he laughed heartily as the baron stepped forward quickly with his sword drawn. However, his laughter disappeared as he smelled the blade on the air, his eyes narrowing as he smelled the hint of silver that was inlaid in the fuller of the sword.

Seeing the baron step forward with a swing of his sword, Thierri knew he had no time to draw his own sword and instead dropped down as the sword swung through the air where he had been. Coming up from all fours and into a kneel, he wrapped his arms around the baron's waist and stood up quickly. Bringing his arms together in a tight embrace, he felt the man's breath come out quickly before feeling his spine shatter under the pressure. Hearing the man let out a blood curdling scream, Thierri pushed him off his shoulder and let him fall behind him in a paralyzed hump. Turning quickly, he kicked the man in the face before stepping over his now sprawled out frame to place the heel of his boot on the man's sword hand. Looking down at Orpheus's terror filled eyes, he ground his boot down on the man's knuckles, breaking them with excruciating effectiveness until he quickly retracted his hand from the sword and brought it to his chest.

Smiling, he bent down and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt before throwing him towards his family. Standing before them, he smacked his hands against each other before speaking, "I believe we have unfinished business Orpheus. I need to know who killed my father, and you and your manservant here were both there when the unspeakable event took place. Now, you will either profess your guiltiness or you will direct me towards the killer."