Their return and The Man in the bushes

JP with Jaxx & Cindy & Red_sword7 & mdman

Elizabeth had not come inside since that morning, she had mediated some more after her conversation with Dumont. Then wandered the grounds looking for possible security issues.

She had also told Harold to inform the Dwarf that made their furniture, that they needed a new dining room table. A little larger with reformed edges and anything else that could be reinforced.

Now, she had the servants gathered, except Clement who wasn't back from running errands. She was about to start talking when the sounds of sirens and bells could be heard in the background. Closing her eyes for a minute, the Eldren had a sinking feeling in her gut. Hopefully, she was wrong. "We will continue this when Clement has returned. Thank you for your time." Elizabeth breathed. "Harold, please try to find out what is going on."

"Yes, Lady Elizabeth." Harold went off to the house.

Elizabeth didn’t want to go inside, just yet. The Eldren would wait, certainly, if it was important she would be told soon enough.

When they arrived and rang the bell Harold arrived and opened the door. His eyes widened seeing Miss. Lavigne and Cornk standing behind Mr. Sung looking a bit ruffed up. Looked at Sung and the cut in his clothing. "Ah... are you alright Mr. Sung and Miss Lavigne, Cronk?" Harold asked smelling the strange smoke on them He did not know what to think or what was going to happen next.

Sung gave a smile "I am sure my shirt has seen better days. Miss Lavigne needs rest," Sung said walking into the house. "I am glad we are back." Harold turned and answered, "It is good to see you made it back sir."

Not trying to be rude Sung handed Miss Lavigne's stuff to a maid "Take this stuff to her room thank you." Did not wait for an answer and stared towards the garden. Walking out the back door Sung Looks for Lady Elizabeth.

As he got close he stopped and buttoned his jacket so the cut across his shirt would not be so apparent. walking forward he smelled burnt wood looking at a blackened stump. His head slumped some he looked up at the beautiful sky and took a deep breath. "This day keeps getting better" he expressed in Korean. This can't be good He thought. wait could the baron already tell her what happened? No, that can't be.

Walking up to Elizabeth she was looking at the fenceline carefully and the river. He did his customary bow he said, "My Lady we have returned. Miss Lavigne retrieved her belongings. Miss Lavigne could use some rest I can explain everything when you are ready, My Lady."

"Very go..." Elizabeth was going to say, good until she turned to look at Sung and saw how disheveled the man was. "I am ready now, what happened?" With concern in her voice. The sirens were them, she knew that part already but the rest was still a question.

Cronk was relieved they all were fine, despite Young Lady being unconscious for a while. She was fully conscious now and Cronk was happy to have been able to keep her safe from harm.

He was beginning to wonder if this would become an everyday event. At least this wasn’t one of the evil doctor’s creatures. Cronk would really be sore if that were the case.

Cronk walked into the garden whenever Lady Elizabeth posed the question to the Wise One.

“Young Lady safe,” Cronk responded.

Lily nodded at Cronk as she replied, "Thank you Mr. Cronk. I am embarrassed to say I was easily taken down by that bright light, loud sound and the horrendous smoke. If not for you and Mr. Sung I would have been captured like my father." Lily let out a sigh before she looked up at Cronk and asked, " Were you and Mr. Sung able to find anything useful in my father's room?"

"Miss Lavigne, Mr. Cronk, and Mr. Sung. I am glad to see you are all safe." Elizabeth stated. "Miss Lavigne before they mention what might have been found, please. - What I am deducting by what Miss Lavigne said is someone tried to capture her, I am assuming at the hotel? Is that correct?"

Lily nodded as she replied, "When I first met the good doctor and Ms. Lagrave, my father was abducted during the demonstration and my ex butler tried to kidnap me as well. On the way home after I woke up, I learned from Mr. Sung and Mr. Cronk that I was taken after I was knocked out. Both of these events, I found very troubling. To think my butler and his thugs would go to such levels to kidnap me in public. I can only assume it's for money since I am lacking in anything else considered valuable. However, I have to wonder why they would need me if they already have my father?"

"That is puzzling. Mr. Cronk and Mr. Sung good job on keeping Miss Lavigne safe." Elizabeth paused. "Now, to Miss Lavigne's question, was anything of significance found?"

Lily pondered for a bit and replied, "No one has been in my room and everything was still as I left it. I only unpacked my mother's music box before I left to see my father's demonstration. This did make it easier to collect my things. However, I was in the hallway as Mr. Sung and Mr. Cronk entered my father's room so I was not privy to see what state it was in or what was left behind since we were attacked so quickly." Lily looked sad as she talked.

Cronk rubbed his chin, then added, “Room not touched.”

He was speaking of the father’s room, as Cronk hadn’t been inside the butler’s room. It was left exactly as Cronk would have imagined. Of course, everything smelled fresh and clean, which meant it had been serviced. That was all Cronk could remember.

“Butler working for evil doctor?” It seemed to Cronk at every turn, when there was evil, the doctor had somehow been associated with it. It may not have been so, but to Cronk, that was the answer.

Lily shrugged as she looked at Cronk with sad eyes. She replied, "At this point, I would not be surprised if there was a connection. Sadly I am in the dark about all of this. I mean I just graduated from school not long ago. I was just supposed to meet my father for his demonstration for a week then I was going to travel the world on a long vacation. Before all this happened the worst thing I had to worry about was an arranged marriage my father might stick me with, but this........ its a lot. I am sorry I got you all involved in this madness, but I am very grateful for all of your aid. I only hope I can make this up to you in time." Lily looked a bit worn out as she was fighting back some tears.

Sung was going to answer when something caught his eye. Just before Cronk had walked up with Miss. Lavigne. "My be right back." All Sung said with no explanation. Walking off towards the fence line and the river. Sung slid his hand halfway down his cane walking oddly towards the fence line he seemed to be avoiding a certain part of it.

He listened to Elizabeth and the others talk as he moves closer and closer to the fence. Suddenly he Jumped on using a statue to lunch himself into the air and over the hedgerow next to the fence. There was some profanity in French. With something being hit rapidly and a man being thrown over the hedgerow. The man landed on the estate property the man hit hard crumpling into a ball on the ground. He could be seen by Elizabeth and the others.

Sung also landed near the man with another quick movement Sung dropped his cane and pulled his sash from his waist and quickly tied the man up with it. Twisting the man all up in seconds. The man lay there choking himself every time he moved.

Sung walked back over to Elizabeth and the others brushing off some leaves from his clothing. "My apologies, My lady. This day seems to be going on forever," said Sung with some irritation. "Your instinct was right, My lady and you did not even know it," explained Sung.

Lily was shocked by what Sung had done. She had no clue what just happened but it looked like Mr. Sung caught a trespasser of sorts.

Elizabeth sighed at, everything. "Miss Lavigne, you did not drag us into anything. If this is related to Doctor Lamaire, we were investigating him anyway. If it's not then we have no qualms with helping you. Now, Miss Lavigne and Mr. Cronk, there is a little over an hour before lunch. Feel free to freshen up, I can speak to you both later, if necessary." Elizabeth dismissed both of them, then turned back towards Sung. Taking a deep breath, she said. "I know him," pointing to the one now tied up on the ground. "He works for The Order."

Elizabeth looked down, at the man and shook her head slightly. "Baron Greenwood must have sent you. I have to admit, I don't recall your name."

"Roche, and yes the Baron sent me." Though the man struggled to do so, he did get the words out.

Elizabeth turned to Sung, "Mr. Sung, untie him please." Gesturing to the spy.

Lily left for her room to wash up and sort her things. She was not too keen on the smell of smoke on herself and she was glad she was able to get her things back even if they were in extreme circumstances.

Cronk wondered who the man might be. He would have liked to stay and help the Wise One in getting information from this man, but at Lady Elizabeth’s word, Cronk departed. He followed his leader’s wishes.

So, Cronk went to his quarters, enjoyed a drink, and freshened up in his room.

After cleaning up, Cronk spied two cigars next to the bottle of bourbon. The maid was being very generous to the orc. Cronk picked up one of the cigars and went for a walk in the garden, where he lit up and smoked. It was of finer quality than Cronk knew. He would have to thank her.

As he walked, Cronk began to ponder how Pretty Flower’s day was going. From the rumors, the Baron was a truly lecherous man. The Baron best not be lecherous toward Pretty Flower or any other of the females on the team. Cronk would have something to say about that, but not with words.

Sung kneeled next to the man and loosened the Sash some but let him go. "My Lady might not approve of what I am about to say" Sungs tone stern and menacing. "Know this the only reason your head is still attached to your body is that I thought you were with someone else," Sung said his tone was very dark almost evil. "I give you this warning to the others and the Baron if you dare. if I find any of you again. You will wish you hadn't. His warning was clear. " Now in the future if you want to know something and ask We are not hiding anything That simple. or ask me If Lady Elisabeth is not free to answer questions. Do you understand my instructions." asked Sung. He knew he had to understand English to be able to eavesdrop the way he was and have good hearing.

Sung let him go "Now sir the gate is there do not deviate from this path and leave through that gate. Anything else will let us say end well for you. Now leave! " Instructed Sung.
Sung turned to Elizabeth and bowed "If you wish to discipline me for my words I am ready my Lady." said Sung humbly.

Roche stood up, after a moment, and listened to Sung's words. He nodded, then turned towards Elizabeth. "Do you have any message for the Baron, Lady Elizabeth?"

"No, if I have anything to say to the Baron I will do it in person." Elizabeth was clearly annoyed by all of this.

Roche then left, not really saying anything else.

"Mr. Sung - I - actually no. Probably writing the report on what happened today with Miss Lavigne, Mr. Cronk and yourself will be enough. But maybe understand, the spies the Baron sends are just following orders. And I am almost certain he will not stop sending them." Elizabeth said

Sung gave a grin "I guess I should sharpen my blades a bit more then." said Sung his tone was hard to know if he was joking or not. " This would have been easier in Japan we just would have sent back his head as a message," commented Sung.

"As for Miss. Lavigne, we had a welcoming community of 5 men. One of them knew Arcan arts the rest were enforcer-level types I knew people were there but were not threatening in another room. they acted when Cronk and I were in her father's room." Sung started to explain.

"The rooms had been not disturbed scenic they left. I think the Buttler had been watching the place.
Also when I went back to get Miss Lavigne"s stuff I looked in the Room. there was a shrine for the children of the sea." Sung said and started thinking.

"They use some form of spell to stun MIss. Lavigne and fill the hallway and some other areas with smoke. Then grabbed Miss. Lavigne tried to run away. I think the Arcan arts got away. when Cronk and I were fighting 4 of them. Also, I got you a souvenir" he pulled out a pocket watch and opened the lid. on the inside of the lid was an engraving of the children of the sea circle. " The pocket watch was too nice for the guy so I thought it strange and took it for him." finished Sung feeling and looking a bit tired.

Elizabeth took the pocket watch and inspected it. "For a cult that was supposed to be extinguished, it does seem to have a lot of followers." She sighed. "I am going to get cleaned up for lunch. A lot has happened today."

"I need to as well get clean up. I have to get a new shirt, I did like this one," says Sung shaking his head and heading back to the house.