[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho's long practiced ability to hide came in handy when he noticed Beud's reaction. Long ago he had learned that sometimes it was just best not to be there. He didn't know why they suddenly had to hide so quickly at the men's approach, but he didn't voice any argument. He looked to her for some sort of explanation, but Beud seemed to be concentrating on listening and he remained quiet. He turned his ear to listening as well, but could not make anything of the strange language.
[Beud]
That four men had entered the tack room, and none emerged, boded ill. And early in life Beud had learned that knowledge was power in the closeknit society of clan politics.
When silence settled back into the stable, except for the shuffle of horses and Rudolpho's breathing, she slipped out and eased herself next to the wall by the tack room.
She had caught something about the "'gainst the Hillrover chieftain," but the men's words quickly faded - as if they were moving away from the tack room. Which wasn't possible. Was it?
She had just sat back on her heels, with a look of disgust on her face at learning nothing more, when a new sound made her go pale. And the horses shift uneasily.
For though the dirge the pipes played had a hollow, echoing, sound the power of the music filled every cranny and inhabitant of the Dun.
Beud began to silently back up with a look of resigned terror on her face; she had heard the tales of the Dun - when it was retaken _none_ of its defenders ever lived. To one so young they had seemed just stories when the camp followers joined the warriors in the Dun of B'ron, but now she knew that her blood to would be flow in the Fort of Sorrows. And probably not till after the remnants of her innocence had been robbed from her.
[In the Secret Room]
The Piper's dirge easily wound its way down into the bowels of the Dun, and filled the little room the conspirators were using. Gairge, Iogan and Sannt shifted uneasily as the lifetime of stories about the Dun were called to memory. But Fhios McLenan smiled at the sound, and said, "See lads, even ye're Piper sounds our victory. For soon the Dun will be the McLenans again - and Geill's branch of the Hillrovers will be our allies, so there will no more need to battle over the Dun ever again. No need at all!"
Fhios was a practical man, and Toisich's, the Chief of the McLenans, eldest son, so he gave little credence to old tales; except in how more superstitious men and women were effected by them - a belief that often led to a fatalistic resignation. So he gave no credence to the old story of how the Hillrover warpiper that his Clan had murdered sought vengeance on the McLenans - not so much for his own death, but at their blasphemy for murdering one who was considered nearly holy, and for burying him in a unmarked, unhonored grave.
McLenan turned towards Fionn and continued to smile as he said, "Welcome Fhaolain....I have need of your talents...."
[Fionn]
If the sound of the pipes made Fionn uneasy, he gave no sign of it, leaning one shoulder against the wall of the underground room to appraise the others as the wail faded. "Best to be 'gainst the defenders in this battle," Fionn murmured. The Fhaolains were a clan who lived among ghosts, and gave great weight to the legends Fhios discounted so easily. "What talents need ye?" he asked warily, wondering what tales of the dark clan, Luatha's children, had reached the McLenans.
[Fhios]
"We need someone with a quick blade," Fhios said, "Originally Sannt was to go alone, but when we saw that a Fhaolain had arrived we knew we might be in luck." He pointed towards a small hole in the back of the chamber, and said, "That tunnel is old and leads to one of the guard's towers. We need ye to go cut a throat or two."
His brown eyes twinkled, and he added, "Unless you're 'blessed' with the killing touch! That would be so much quieter."
[Fionn]
"Ach, no, the lady has not gi'n that to me," Fionn answered, "but my blade be quick enough for highland deer, and surely be quick enough for drunken guards." Though he knew, with the piper sounding, the Hillrovers would be ready, and none within the Dun would be sleeping easily.
[In the Main Stables - Rudolpho]
Rudolpho heard the
sound of the pipes but didn't know what they portended. What he did
know or realize was they change it caused in
Beud. Her apprehension
had gone to a full fledged fear. She seemed almost far away.
He decided that with the noise of the pipes, silence mattered a little
less now. Besides which he could deal with whoever the men were.
He reached out, grabbed Beud's arm, and shook her. In an urgent whisper
he hissed "Beud! What's going on. You have to tell me who those men
were and why they had my friend. I don't know what's going on here
but I can help. You have to trust me. I won't let anything bad happen
to you. Just help me out."
[Beud]
For a long moment Beud looked at him with unseeing eyes, but at last managed to hiccup out, "Ey don't knew why Fhaolian is with them...., but ne geed will come of anything a Fhaolian is in."
Instinct and a desire
to at least try and survive was rapidly taking hold of the girl, and she
began to pull against Rudolpho's hold. No mere
strapling would be
any aid against the McLenans - the best they could do was try and
hide. Frantically she said, "Leave them be - thet's the Piper ye 'eard
and he calls our deaths this night....we hold the Dun and its ceme our
time to fall."
Beud pulled away and said, "Ceme on - meybe we can find a place to hide!"
[In the Secret Room]
Fhios gestured towards the hole in the back of the room, and said, "Then 'quickblade' go on in with Sannt - me family is eager to have a roof for the night."
Sannt gave a jaunty salute to Gairge and the McLenan, and gestured Fionn to proceed him into the tunnel. If the Fhaolian decided to act on his nature and be a turncoat Sannt figured that he could bleed him before the guards had too much warning. 'Course, even if Fhaolian was true to the gold he'd still get to cut him - once there was no need left for Fionn to let him live.
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho knew he didn't have much time if the men in the room shared the same feeling Beud did. He also didn't have them time to argue with her. He grabbed her again and spun her around to look at him. "I don't know about any piper, and I'm sure as hell not going to let him tell me when its time to die. You haven't seen what my friends can do. If I know them, they're getting ready to help and I sure feel sorry with anyone who messes with them. Right now, I think Fionn needs my help. Hide if you want, but I'm going to help him with or without you."
[Beud]
"If a Fhaolian is ye're friend - then ye ain't the Chief's. He's takin' gold to do us harm...."
[Rudolpho]
In a bit more gentle a tone he added. "I'd sure like it if you stayed though. I could use your help. I might need to chan...I'm night need to do some magic now. Don't be freightened. I won't hurt you. If you do stay, I'll do my best to keep you safe. I won't kill anyone if I don't have to, but I doubt they'll cooperate. If you're going to hide, you should do it now."
With that Rudolpho crept up to the wall and peeked quickly into the tack room where he had seen the men dissappear. There stood only one man now and he seemed to be on guard. Rudolpho smiled as he formed his plan. He got into an empty stall by the door to the tack room. In a loud voice he cried "hey who is that?!" He then shifted into a copy of one of the horses in the stable and waited.
[Beud/Snaig]
Torn by fear and curiosity Beud didn't move as Rudolpho changed - only her eyes got bigger.
And that was what Snaig saw as he hurried from the tack room, with sword drawn. "Whet the Hells!?" he hissed, reaching to grab the terrified girl.
[Rudolpho]
The fact that Beud didn't move only served to help with Rudolpho's ruse. As Snaig came running for Beud, he balanced on his front hooves and kicked at Snaig's head. He hoped his aim was true and that he would take Snaig by surprise.
[Snaig/Beud]
The hoof grazed Snaig's head causing him to stumble forward to his knees. And with the flash of the hoof Beud seemed to come out of her paralysis to grab up a shovel and bring it down hard on the traitor's head. Nor did the sight of blood pooling from the crack in his skull slow her - she grabbed hold of an arm and his collar and began dragging him into the empty stall that she and Rudolpho had deserted.
While she was hiding the body in the straw she glanced up at Rudolpho - the horse, and said, "Leke I wes tryin' to tell ye - ye're friend es in it with them!! A Fhaolian is always bad news."
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho changed back to his human form and stopped Beud. "Don't try and hide the body. They might think that it was a horse that did that to him. Otherwise they'll be onto us. As for Fionn being a Fhaolian, I don't know anything about names. I don't care what people say, I've been traveling with him and he isn't 'bad news' as you say." Rudolpho realized he missed something and looked at her. "In what with them?" As he queried Beud he headed towards the tack room to find the trap door they had to have used. Perhaps he could get a better look at what the secret room held.
[Beud]
Beud shrugged - then went to free one of the horses, which she led over so it could step in Snaig's blood.
She came over to peer into the dark tack room, and said, "They're geing to de semething against the Chief....." With a little feeling around she found a lantern to light, and signaled Rudolpho in so she could close the door.
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho entered the room and began looking around. And while Beud held the lantern he found some scratches on the floor indicatinga corner box had been moved recently. "I've gotta go down there. I don't know if I can take you though. It's pretty dangerous."
[Beud]
Beud had found a hoof pick, which she held tightly to, and said, "I'll stay to guard." She grinned in the dim light and added, "Better than Snaig did."
[In the Secret Room]
Once Fionn and Sannt were in the tunnel Fhios leaned back against the wall, and said to Iogan, "We'll give them abeut five minutes - then we can go on up. By then things sheuld be in a fine bit of chaos - with Acair's 'gerls' being in a fine panic at the sound of the Piper."
Iogan nodded, trying to look unaffected by the Piper's mournful wail. For though he was going against Acair - he was still a Hillrover.
[In the Tunnel]
"'Urry it along," Sannt hissed from behind Fionn. Sannt was sure he could have taken both guards - he was fast enough, and resented the fact that a McLenan had decided to hire a Fhaolain to help with the job. He took some satisfaction in knowing that once the guards were out of the way then the Fhaolain would die.
But right now he was just eager to have the night's work begun. There had been so much plotting and planning - and waiting - that he wanted it done and Geill as Chief.
[Fionn]
There was no way to excuse a slow crawl through the tunnel, but he could make himself go softly and cautiously. How much could the Hillrover chieftain prepare in the time he had been given by the piper? Would Maeve and Rue be guarded?
[Beud - In the Tack Room]
"Be wary," Beud hissed to Rudolpho, "We den't knew if they're right below or net." With this thought in mind she extinguished her lantern.
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho was torn for a moment whether or not to leave Beud alone. He then remembered how nicely she had brained Snaig and that she was similarly armed at the moment. She also had the element of surprise to her advantage. "You be carefull yourself. I better not come back and find that anything has happened to you, or I'll never meet you out in another stable again...no pudding or wine either." He gave her a smile and fished around in his pouches. Figuring the best way to gauge the situation in the room before acting was as a mouse, he withdrew the appropriate components. "I'll be back soon." With that, he changed into a mouse and hurried down the ladder. He didn't want the two men to see him and decide they wanted to try some target practice. Worse yet, they might be afraid of mice.
[Beud]
The girl gave him a quick smile and went to hide behind some boxes on the other side of the tack room.
[Rudolpho]
Once he was down in the secret room, Rudolpho noticed the two men seemed to be waiting for something. There was no sign of the fourth man or Fionn. The only place they could have gone was down the tunnel. He didn't know where it led but he didn't care. He scurried into the tunnel and began to follow it. He could smell the two men up ahead and soon saw them.
[In the Secret Room - Fhios and Iogan]
Neither man paid heed as yet another rodent scurried along the edge of the shadows, and having decided that time was up they headed for the ladder.
[In the Tunnel - Rudolpho]
-I wonder how to let
Fionn know I'm on his side_ Rudolpho wondered. He quickly decided
the best way was to turn into a form Fionn was most likely to recognize.
Luckily for him the man didn't trust Fionn and had him in front of him.
What he didn't take into account is Fioon had a friend named Rudolpho!
Performing a quick spell Rudolpho's mouse form grew into that of a wolf.
Having affected the change he took a few quick strides before he pounced
at the man's back.
[Rudolpho]
Once he was down in the secret room, Rudolpho noticed the two men seemed to be waiting for something. There was no sign of the fourth man or Fionn. The only place they could have gone was down the tunnel. He didn't know where it led but he didn't care. He scurried into the tunnel and began to follow it. He could smell the two men up ahead and soon saw them.
[In the Secret Room - Fhios and Iogan]
Neither man paid heed as yet another rodent scurried along the edge of the shadows, and having decided that time was up they headed for the ladder.
[In the Tunnel - Rudolpho]
-I wonder how to let Fionn know I'm on his side- Rudolpho mused. He quickly decided the best way was to turn into a form Fionn was most likely to recognize. Luckily for him the man didn't trust Fionn and had him in front of him. What he didn't take into account is Fionn had a friend named Rudolpho! Performing a quick spell Rudolpho's mouse form grew into that of a wolf. Having affected the change he took a few quick strides before he pounced at the man's back.
[Sannt]
Sannt felt a hot breath on his legs, and started to turn - not an easy manuver - in the tunnel. His scream was cut short as the monster landed - hard - on his back.
[In the Tack Room]
"Did ye hear somethin?'" Iogan asked as he manuvered the crate back over the hidden ladder.
"Nay," Fhios answered, "Just prebably the echo of those blessed Pipes. Come along - we need to see how many men were felled by the poison."
Hidden as she was none saw Beud's eyes get large at the conspirator's statement, and she held both her breath and her hoof pick, awaiting their discovery of Snaig's body.
An exclamation was quick to follow but no one burst back into the tack room. Beud crept a little closer to the door to try and hear, and though she couldn't make out much through the wood she could hear an odd moaning - Snaig? - and the two men talking. Something about a fool spilling wine. ...And it twas a pity that such an accident happened.
Her pretty brow furrowed at the men's obvious lack of worry, and when several moments of silence had passed she eased the door open.
Her hand leapt to her mouth......
Not far from the door lay the horse she had led over - still weakly thrashing and moaning.
And though the Piper
still played there were no other noises in the stable, so Beud relit her
lantern and went to look; trying to fight down
bile as she did so.
The floor was slick with Snaig's blood, but also with the horse's saliva
- and possibly its own blood, since she could see the pink foam around
its mouth. But plastered, and wet, against the horse's mouth was straw.
Beud felt sick with realization - the wine she had brought, and spilled in the hay, had been poisoned!! The conspirators had obviously thought Snaig struck down by the dying horse. She barely could keep hold of her lamp as relief followed horror - the events had bought she and Rudolpho time. She looked back to the tack room and prayed to the Gods of Sea and Stone that Rudolpho hurried - she had promised to stand guard, but they had to warn the others of the poison!! If it wasn't too late.
[Fionn]
In the tunnel, Fionn turned, crouching low, with his huntsman's knife in his hands, ready to take whatever attack had come at Sannt. Had Fhios and Iogan decided to slit both their throats?
But at the sight of the wolf looming over the other man, he relaxed -- slightly. And did not move from his stand. This was the boy, with the shifter's arts. What had he heard? And would he leap also at the Fhaolain?
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho wondered if Fionn really recognized him. He still had the knife in his hand and hadn't moved to do anything to bind the man he had just jumped on. He cocked his head and looked at Fionn. He looked back at the man and made a plaintive whine. For emphasis he looked down the tunnel, then at the sprawled out man, then back at Fionn. He remained ready to bite the man he stood on the hand if he so much as twitched.
[Fionn]
-Not enough.- The boy had not heard enough, or else had not understood ... Otherwise, Fionn would not have faulted him for laying his wolf's teeth at his throat. He lowered the knife, but kept it drawn, and crept back to the moaning Sannt. And kicked him, none too gently, before crouching down to pull the man's head back and place the edge of the knife -- sharp enough to cut bone -- against the bare neck. "How many?" he asked softly in highland, when the man opened his eyes. "How many have turned 'gainst the Hillrover?"
Gairge, they had said. His father also? Would Geill Hillrover, first cousin to Acair and to the absent warpiper Brion, turn against his kin? It seemed difficult to work his mind around that thought, but he knew too well from his own clan how easily betrayal could worm its way in to a man's heart.
"Tell me," he breathed, baring his teeth and pressing harder, 'til a thin line of blood appeared across the blade. "Or the bain sidhe will sing for ye tonight."
[Sannt]
Sannt's breathing was ragged with fear - and his gaze kept traveling between the shadow shape of the wolf, back to Fionn. He was no coward, and knew that to help win such a prize as a clan one had to be willing to die. But the prove of the Fhaolain's dark, weirdling magic completely unmanned him and though the words seemed half-strangled he said, "Seventy-five - Geil's men......- the McLenans await us beyond the gates..."
[Fionn]
"Seventy-four," Fionn hissed. For a moment, he considered slitting the man's throat where he lay, leaving him to bleed in the closed tunnel. But if the bain sidhe wanted to sing, Fionn would not make it for this man. Instead, he lifted his hand and slammed the heavy oak hilt of the knife into Sannt's temple. "Cen ait --" the highlander stopped, reminding himself to speak in common to the shifter-boy. "Where is Laurelyn Hillrover and her da? There are turncoats among the clan, and the McLenans are near."
[Rudolpho]
Since he couldn't talk
to Fionn as a wolf, and the man would be unconscious for awhile, Rudolpho
switched back to his human form. "I
don't know where they
are. I didn't have a chance to warn them. I think the piper
music is like some sort of warning alarm, though. What do we do now?
You weren't really going to kill those guards were you? I didn't
think you were. That's what I kept telling her anyway. You weren't
were you? I think maybe we should warn the guards at the end of the
tunnel of the traitors and then try and find the rest. I don't think
they're going to take this lying down." Sensing he was asking too
many questions, Rudolpho slowed down to let Fionn talk.
[Fionn]
Sweet Eisei, did the boy always rattle on? The highlander was grateful
when the child finally fell silent, the quiet gave him a moment
to sort through what
he had said. He obviously had been with someone who had understood
what had been said -- girl of some sort, and one who spoke the highland
tongue. "We go back," he said firmly. Not knowing where the
tunnels came up -- or what reception would be waiting from guards already
set astir by the piper's alarm, he could not readily stick his head out
where it might be lopped off before any questions could be asked.
Without waiting for Rudolpho's answer -- or responding to the question of whether he would have drawn his knife on the guards at the other end of the tunnel -- Fionn returned back down the tunnel and almost flowed up the ladder to the top to push aside the door.
[Beud]
Beud had left the dying horse and the already dead Snaig, and returned to the tack room. Just as she had closed the door she heard movement coming from the secret passage, and turned. "Rudol....," died on her lips as she saw the Fhaolain pulling himself free of the passage.
She grasped the horse pick and felt for the door handle with her other hand.
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho followed close
at Fionn's heels. He was in a real hurry and Rudolpho didn't blame
him. He wanted to be back with the group too. Maybe then things
would be better. Things always seemed to be okay when they were together
no matter what problems they faced or who the enemy was. It was when
Fionn went up the ladder that he remembered Beud. He clapped his
hand to his forehead. "Fionn wait!" He had already stuck his
head out of the opening though so Rudolpho had to act fast. He started
to yell as he scrambled up the ladder behind the Fhaolain. "Beud
don't! He's with me! Don't hit him! Get out of the way,
Fionn. Beud, don't hit him I'm here and he's with me." He hoped
Beud wouldn't haul off and hit him anyway, seeing as how she seemed to
think that all Fhaolains were no
good.
[Beud]
The girl had already lunged - hoof pick in hand - at the Flaolain, who she was _sure_ had killed Rudolpho.
But Rudolpho's frantic yelling brought her up short; her sudden stop and twist to the side causing her to fall over the crate.
[Fionn]
The highlander had cursed, and cursed again, as the boy practically crawled
over him, and twisted so that the sharp blade of his
huntsman's knife would
not catch unprotected flesh. Only when Rudolpho was clear of the
ladder did he pull himself fully into the tack room. He did not offer
to help the girl up -- she still held the hoof pick and he still held his
knife -- but crouched and waited for her to pick herself up and turn to
him. "Betrayal," he hissed in highland tongue, before switching to
common so that Rudolpho could understand. "A McLenan and Iogan and
Sannt, and others among the Hillrovers are set against your chief.
Gairge and mayhap Geill."
His dark eyes flashed as the girl stared at him. "I cannae fault
you for distrusting a Fhaolain, lass, but ye need to tell yer chief that
the Piper plays not
only because of McLenan, but also Hillrover. He may find a knife
at his back where he does not expect it."
[Rudolpho]
Rudolpho watched the
scene before him and decided that nothing would get done if he waited for
these two to iron out their differences. They stood glaring at each
other and that wouldn't help anything. "I don't know about you two,
but I think we should get going." As he started out of the barn,
he stopped short when he saw the dead horse. He was going to ask
Beud if the two others had killed the hapless creature when he too noticed
the pink froth and the straw indicating the poisoned wine. The realization
hit that it could have been he and Beud rather than the horse, but he continued
on into action. He snatched up the wine skin with whatever was left
in it, tightened the top, and tucked it away. He turned back to Fionn
and Beud and motioned them to follow. As Beud fell into step with
him he told her under his breath, "I told you he's on our side. You
still might not believe me, but wait and see."