The mark

[Lady Edfeil]

She had been in the hall, just risen from nudging the small cradle with her feet to rack the sleeping bairn to greet her husband as he entered. Slightly embarrassed still about the ease with which she had asked for a guard for Sarah she had spoken to Dorian and received his and his betrothed understanding. She was.. at ease. That ease was disturbed by Master Sergeant Gerben half dragging one of the guards in. Goodman Sithicus rushed forth to help lay the man down. She'd wondered iffen mayhap it was a man drunk who'd neglected his post brought before her for judgement, but Gregor nae seemed to think such.
Within moments though it seemed the tone of the situation changed as Hawkmoon moved forward with a snake's speed and grasped the man's arm on which a mark was made: a dagger with a snake curling around it. He nae spoke much. Nae but to tell them he knew the mark, and to order the highest vigilance. Guards always by three.. and nae one leaving the castle without a full escort.

[Dorian Hawkmoon]

The events had all started with the mysterious message that had been taken by Sithicus, and then given to him....it's not over....only three simple words, yet the deliberately vague message had been intended to be just that...a message that would only have meaning to him. Most knew that he had a very checkered past, but not even Edfeil knew just how deep those waters ran. As soon as Sithicus had delivered the message, he had moved...activating his network and putting them all on the highest alert that there was. No piece of information was too small to be relayed to him, yet no word had come. Knowing that he was virtually unassailable, his concern...just as the Queen's had been...was for Sarah. Though he knew it was an inconvenience for her, and something she was most certainly not used to...not to mention that it wasn't something that HE wished either, still he had sought her out upon his return and asked her as gently as he could to accept the guard that has been provided, for the time being. He's kept nothing from her, telling her of the message that had been given to him...and he had told her some time ago about his past, warning her that it was possible than an old enemy could come looking for him. She had agreed without hesitation, and so walking around with a guard was now a way of life, albeit a temporary one.

That night, it had been nothing more than a quiet evening in the Hall...sharing fellowship and conversation. He and Sarah had repaired to the sideboard to speak quietly, but he had noted that, for some reason, Sithicus had entered the Hall dressed in what had looked to be some of his clothing. Both he and Sarah had thought that quite odd, and both had wondered of the reason for it. Shortly after that, the Queen had motioned them both over, and had somewhat sheepishly explained that she had been the one behind the guard assigned to Sarah. It was also at that time that Sithicus had introduced them to his Aunt Morgan, and another of his men named Cortez...informing them both that they would be taking turns as Sarah's personal guard. The one named as Cortez had remained silent, glowering as Morgan had spoken, but Morgan had seemed friendly enough...of course, he had accepted her as the Warrior she was and there was a respect between them.

There was no time for further conversation, as Gerben had dragged one of the guards into the Hall in an unconscious state. Things at that point had descended into a flurry of action. Sithicus had taken the man to a couch and laid him there, while his Aunt Morgan had knelt and withdrew something from her pouch that had brought the man to consciousness quickly. It was then that he had seen the cut sleeve on the mans shirt flop open and something caught his eye....something that he'd seen and knew very well. He'd closed the distance to the guard, and caught the mans wrist, sliding the sleeve up to expose what was on the man's arm The mark was a dagger, with a viper coiled around the blade...a mark identical to the hilts of his own daggers...the mark of the Jenn. His past had returned...things would now have to be shared. He'd issued his orders, but his mind was elsewhere. Wraith....would resurface once more.

[Lady Edfeil]

The castle was on high alert. Again. It would be the foremost thing in her mind had it nae been for the darker worry that threatened her happiness. Dorian. What would this do to him? What would it do to Dieter. To see what they were.. what their past had wrought return and threaten those they care for was their deepest fear. Men of steel who kept the darkness at bay. But the darkness of the past was harder to escape.